Hello! Sorry for the long wait! I did say I was going to talk about Ashley, but I figured since this one is done first, I'd just update it.
Is that bad? I didn't really think too much of Ashley is needed. Maybe I'll make it like Alicia dreaming about her. That sounds mroe like me.

Anyways, enjoy! And leave a review!

Chapter 13

Hiro sighed as he served another female customer. He forced a small smile to the girl before walking away. He went back to the counter. Aunt Cass smiled at him. He didn't respond. He turned around, leaned against the counter, and observed the surroundings.

It has been a week since Alicia had been arrested. A lot of people wanted her dead because of her actions but Hiro made a petition to hold her punishment. He didn't want his beloved to die. He wanted her life to be spared. She was only 16 after all. A lot of people protested his actions and even his gang didn't know whether to side with him or not. They love Alicia but they love the people of San Fransokyo too.

"I don't see why she shouldn't be punished, Hiro," Honey spoke.

"Yeah...she did take a lot of lives..." Gogo agreed.

"Yeah, little man. I think it's the right decision," Wasabi muttered.

Hiro didn't reply. He just stood at his desk, staring at the hologram screen in front of him. It was projecting a picture of a happy Alicia, clinging onto Hiro's arm. Hiro was smiling too, in the picture. It was at a shopping mall that one time. Their faces showed it all. They were happy.

"I don't know," Hiro replied, sighing, "For quite some time, she was my life. She's still is."

The four turned to look at each other. Silence filled the garage. Aunt Cass suddenly made an appearance. All eyes were on her.

"Hiro...somebody wants to see you," she said, turning to her right.

A man Hiro had not seen for a week and three days stood in front of them. It was Mr. Koizumi. His expression was neutral which meant to Hiro that there was something important to discuss. Hiro turned to his gang, before walking up to Alicia's father.

"Care to take a walk with me?" he invited the teen.

"S-Sure..." Hiro replied nervously.

He grabbed his hoodie, put it on and followed the man. Aunt Cass flashed a small smile towards the gang before going back to the café. Gogo and Honey decided to visit Kate while Wasabi and Fred stuck around to see of they could help out at the cafe.

"Is there something wrong, sir?" Hiro asked Mr. Koizumi.

"I heard from Asch..." he started, glancing at the boy, "It was the right decision, Hiro."

The boy was a bit shocked at his words and so, he asked, "You don't care if she were to die?"

"I'm not losing any more of my family members!" Mr. Koizumi half shouted and heaved a sigh after that.

They arrived at the park Hiro used to take Alicia to. She loved to read her books on the grass as he watched. Hiro stared into spaces, thinking about Alicia.

Mr. Koizumi kept on talking, "I'm working out a deal to release her from prison and get her cured."

"Huh?" Hiro muttered, turning to the man, "How are you going to do that?"

"There's a rehabilitation centre outside of town. It's our only hope for now..." he explained.

"How are you going to convince those police officers and detectives? They only see that the solution to her is death..." Hiro asked.

"I don't know yet. Right now, all I know that they're holding off her punishment out of respect for you..." Mr. Koizumi sighed.

Hiro looked down but then stared up into the sky. Alicia's smiling face flashed into his mind. It is a wonder how this girl is always lingering in his thoughts. He longed to see her.

"You have thirty minutes," the police said to Alicia as they entered the place where the imprisoned waits for their visitors.

Through the transparent divider, she could see Hiro and her brother, Asch. She rushed up towards it with teary eyes. The police who was guarding her rolled his eyes at the scene. Hiro placed a hand on the divider as Alicia did.

"I missed you..." he whispered.

"I missed you too..." she sobbed.

After what seemed like forever, Asch stepped to Hiro's side, holding his shoulder to calm the boy. He turned to his sister with a smile.

"How are you?" he asked.

"I'm doing okay. I mean, some officers would come and insult me, but that's all... They can't harm me out of respect for Hiro..." Alicia explained.

Hiro smiled and so did she. Asch nodded. He told her their father's plan for her. Alicia didn't like the idea of going off to another town but she had to.

"What if the head of the police department rejected the idea?" Alicia asked.

"I'm going to make a petition for the objection of your punishment," Hiro explained.

"Can you do that? People will come to hate you," Asch said to Hiro.

Turning to the brother, he replied, "Yes. I want to save Alicia…"

Alicia forced a smile. She was lucky to have him on her side. However, she didn't want him to go against millions if people for her sake. After finding out she is the murderer, most of the people of San Fransokyo hated the Koizumi family. Asch and Kate hardly went out of the house. They only went out of the house for education purposes and to buy groceries for their mother. Mrs. Koizumi's only place to hang around is Aunt Cass' café. She didn't want to go out if it meant that people would bash her.

"How's mother?" Alicia asked.

"She has been better. She occasionally goes out to see Aunt Cass, but that's all," Asch explained.

"Your father came to see me two days ago," Hiro started.

"I know… He came to see me first," Alicia replied, looking away from Hiro.

"What did he say?" Asch asked.

"He told me that I did the right thing…capturing Alicia," Hiro replied.

"He means well. He told me that it is safer for me to be in here since my split other won't be able to get out that easily… But, it didn't stop her actually. She's been trying to get out all this time," Alicia explained.

"Maybe she knows that her knife is close by," Asch suggested.

Hiro shook his head. "I think the police officers that used to discuss with me disposed of it already. That was what they said a few days ago," he muttered.

"Time's up!" a police came in, interrupting her.

"Alicia…I…" Hiro started.

Alicia blinked at what he was about to say. Hiro bit his lower lip before continuing what he wanted to convey. The police interrupted again, forcefully pulling her away. Alicia flashed a small smile towards the two boys before she heavy-heartedly followed the police. Hiro and Asch looked at each other. Hiro's expression showed it all. He didn't want Alicia to die. Asch patted his back as comfort. They exited the building to be greeted by Honey, Gogo, Wasabi and Fred.

"Well, I'll be on my way. You're going home with them, right?" Asch asked Hiro.

Hiro nodded. "Yeah. They came all the way here to pick me up," he sighed.

"Aunt Cass is worried about you," Wasabi spoke up.

"Let's go back, Hiro. We can discuss things there," Gogo said as if understanding that Hiro had something to tell them.

Hiro nodded. He got into the car. Fred held his shoulder as comfort. Hiro forced a small smile. They went back to the café. Aunt Cass gave them a plate of donuts before letting them up to the living room. They made themselves cozy on the sofa. Hiro grabbed a chair from the dining table.

"Hiro, what are you planning to do?" Honey asked a repeated question.

"I want to save her but…" Hiro sighed. "I don't think the petition help at all."

"I guess not…" Wasabi muttered.

"Do you know what I think her split other actually wanted?" Fred spoke up.

"What could she possibly wanted?" Gogo asked.

"Justice," he muttered a reply, raising a brow like a detective.

"Justice? What do you mean?" Honey was next to ask.

They were actually confused at the mention of the word. Fred smiled broadly before starting to explain. It made sense to them, a little. Hiro didn't know if it was a good idea. Wasabi thought it was worth a try. Gogo and Honey agreed. Looking at all of his best friends, the young hero sighed. He dialed a familiar number on his mobile phone.

Kate dragged herself to the kitchen to help her mother with the cooking. Her mother was deep in thoughts yet again. She was dicing some carrots. When she felt her daughter's presence, she stopped. She suddenly fell to her knees, another one of the downfalls for Alicia's rumored sentence. Mr. Koizumi was walking to the stairs when he saw his wife in such a state yet again. He rushed to hold her in his arms.

"I'll cook dinner," Kate muttered monotonously.

The father nodded. He held his wife as she staggered to the living room. Kate resumed dicing the carrots. She bit her lower lip as she held her tears. Gogo and Honey had visited earlier that day. Mrs. Koizumi greeted them like she was fine with what was happening, but her frail and thin body showed it all. She had lost her appetite. Kate and Asch had to coax her into eating. Losing Ashley was already hard to bear and now that Alicia was in jail, nobody could help her. Asch arrived home. He immediately went to help his sister.

"What are we making?" he asked.

"The usual. Mother can't eat much after all…" she sighed.

The brother nodded. He rubbed his sister's shoulder as comfort before going to the refrigerator. He got some other ingredients out. He sighed.

"Hiro, what are you going to do…?" he mumbled to himself.