The Princess and the space cowboy Chapter 97: The Trial (part 1), a loud house fanfic

Chapter 97: The Trial (Part 1).

The main doors leading to the courtroom were closed, all people sitting on the benches stood up, as the prosecution team arranged their documents, ready to present their opening statement.

The man leading the prosecution looked one last time at his client, sporting a confident smile, before focusing on the awaiting stare of the head judge.

He did not need much preparation.

- Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, esteemed members of the court, and honorable presiding judge - He said with apparent tranquility.

- Today, we gather here with a solemn responsibility to seek justice in a case that underscores the importance of safeguarding the dignity, rights, and well-being of every individual within our society - He stated firmly, reading through his prepared documents.

- The core of this trial revolves around allegations of criminal sexual misconduct, an act that strikes at the heart of our shared values and our collective duty to protect one another from harm. It is a charge that carries significant weight, as it not only impacts the lives of those directly involved, but resonates throughout our community and beyond - The man didn't hesitate, his voice rising steadily, as he continued his lecture

- As representatives on behalf of the protection of our unfortunate victim, Lola Marie Loud, as well as the fair people that grace this thriving community, it is our duty to uphold the principles that bind our society together: fairness, accountability, and the rule of law. We must approach the evidence before us with a clear and unbiased perspective. The burden of proof rests upon the prosecution to establish, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the defendant: Lincoln Albert Loud's actions constituted a breach of trust, a violation of consent, and a crime against the very fabric of our legal and moral framework - The serene tone of his statement continued creating echoes in the room, his speech carried a certain emotional weight on it, and everyone could feel it.

- As a result, you will hear testimonies, examine evidence, and evaluate the credibility of the witnesses. It is crucial that you listen attentively, consider the facts presented, and weigh the arguments from both sides with a discerning eye. The pursuit of justice demands our collective commitment to seek the truth, even when it might be uncomfortable or distressing -

At last, the man on the right side of the room, surrounded by his companion: Luan Loud, raised his view from the documents he was holding, looking at the entire gathering of people around him.

- Thank you for your attention and dedication to upholding the integrity of our legal system. Together, we embark on a journey to uncover the truth and ensure that justice is served - He concluded, with a faint smirk adorning his face.

- Excellently put, prosecutor Benny Stein! - The head judge, and previous mayor of Royal Woods: Theresa Davis, who was overseeing the presentation, graced - Now, I know it can sound weird, giving my personal encounters with the defendant, but -

She interrupted herself briefly, glancing briefly at the man that the case was about, who simply stood motionless in the defense stand to the left, retiring her bright, optimistic smile for a moment, and replacing it with a conflicted frown.

- As the judge presiding over this trial, it is my duty to ensure that these proceedings are conducted in a manner that upholds the principles of fairness, transparency, and justice. I will make every effort to ensure that the rules of evidence are adhered to, that the rights of both the accused and the alleged victim are respected, and that the trial proceeds in an orderly and respectful manner - She stated objectively, averting her initial downward gaze.

And after taking a quick breath, judge Theresa focused her attention on the left side of the courtroom, where the defendant, and the appointed criminal defense attorney: Lori Santiago, were currently standing.

- Now, does the defense wish to say something before we begin? -

And now, knowing that she was on the spot, for what was likely the hardest case in her life, Lori closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, before asserting her confidence, hitting her stand with her hands.

- Only one thing, your honor - She said seriously - As Lincoln's defense attorney. I urge each of you to remember that the bedrock of our justice system rests upon the presumption of innocence and the requirement that the prosecution bears the burden of proving guilt… beyond any reasonable doubt - She asserted, emphasizing the last part - And because of that, it is imperative that we approach this case with caution, critically evaluating the legally obtained evidence and the narratives presented, as the principle of due process reminds us that accusations alone are not sufficient to strip an individual of their rights and reputation - She spat, specifically targeting Benny and Luan with that last statement.

And though a weird aura of conflict was sensed, the judge decided to let it slip, mentally preparing herself for the trial ahead.

- Thank you for your… most evocative statement mrs. Santiago - Theresa nodded, before looking to the rest of the people present for the trial - I hereby declare this trial in session for the case of Criminal Sexual Misconduct on defendant Lincoln Albert Loud - She stated confidently, hitting her desk with the judge hammer - Mr. Stein, you may begin -

- Much appreciated, your honor - Benny responded eloquently - Now, dear Jury, I want you to please review the current evidence that lays on your hands, this will be relevant as I explain the case - He said, stepping up from his stand and walking towards the center of the room, as he approached the jury stand.

Following his entrance, the 10 members of the jury began assessing the information through their phones.

- It's… quite an, endearing tale, isn't it? - He remarked with a complicit smirk - A little princess from a faraway kingdom, being assisted by her brave knight, to gather some legendary stones, and all for what? -

- A wish? - The head judge completed his logic.

- That would be absolutely correct, your honor - Benny nodded calmly - sounds like a very wholesome fairytale, doesn't it? -

The judge nodded, as the man in front of the stand lowered his head.

- And you're probably wondering right now, who wrote that? And for what purpose, right? -

Lori began tightening her fists, awaiting for any mockery that this ex-clown could try.

- Now, now, I supposed the earlier question is a little obvious, isn't it? and well… let's be honest, there wasn't that much room for error with a certain princess called, DeLola, right? - He remarked sarcastically, before turning to the defendant in question - I would probably fill in the information myself, but why don't we let our defendant, Lincoln Loud, explain it on his own -

And now, the attention was fully on the albino, who tried his hardest to look calmly at his opposition, while he directed himself at the witness stand.

- But first, it's never above us to ask: Lincoln Loud, do you swear that the testimony that you'll give in to this case shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? Do you understand the gravity of this oath and the importance of honesty in these proceedings? Are you aware that any false statement you make may subject you to legal consequences? And lastly, do you swear to uphold the principles of justice, the integrity of this court, and the rights of all parties involved, under the name of god? - Benny raised a little, holding his hands behind his back, while ensuring that the defendant was to complete the oath.

- I swear - Lincoln replied seriously, with a raised arm to his chest.

- Good, now, please tell us, who wrote this? For what purpose? And what is the meaning behind this "wish" - Benny began his cross-examination.

And Lincoln felt obliged to answer with the truth.

- That…is a story, that I've been writing with my sister, Lola Loud, since we were kids - He lowered his head basking at the memories.

- How young exactly? -

- Since we were 12 and 7, respectively -

- Why did it start?

- I… felt that my sister and I weren't getting along, so I picked a notebook and began writing a family story that we made out previously, then, I invited her to continue writing it, and that's how we started -

- Started doing what? -

- Playing as princess DeLola, and Triton, the space cowboy that turned into… her loyal knight -

- And what is it about this wish? -

- Objection - Lori stepped in, alerting the judge - Irrelevant to the case -

- Objection - Benny replied, albeit more calmly - We've previously discerned the value of this evidence to the case, it is pertinent - He turned to look at the albino - Please elaborate -

- That's… not something that I know - Lincoln confessed sincerely - The only one that knows about that final wish, is Lola herself -

- Hmmm, interesting - Commented the prosecutor, as he began swiping something in his phone - The tone of your story is… quite romantic, wouldn't you agree? - Benny implied, as he continued focusing on his phone - Was there any reason in particular why princess DeLola wanted to… be together with Triton? -

- … - At that, Lincoln lowered his eyes, unsure of what to respond - Yeah, she wanted to be closer… to… me - He confessed drily

- Interesting, and, may I ask, how close? - Benny pushed further, placing his hands in the stand, looking accusatory to the defendant.

- … - Lincoln closed his eyes, before emitting a long sigh - As close as a little sister that wanted her brother to pay more attention to her was - He admitted with disdain.

- Oh, alright - The prosecutor stood straight, halting his approach - And… Is there any particular reason why this "Triton" character decided to… Return her affections, on repeated occasions? -

Following his assertion, the room's atmosphere became tense, as evidenced by the silence, as the public awaited for a response from the pressured defendant.

- … - Unflinching, Lincoln locked eyes with the prosecutor with a bored face - I was playing along with her game, those were fictional characters, in a fictional world, if she wanted to write a love story, then who was I to judge the imagination of a little girl? - He responded with another question, poking into the jury's curiosity.

His calm, indifferent demeanor managed to slightly irritate the composed prosecutor, as he began changing his tactic.

- Understandable, though, one might think that the nature of the interactions between those two characters were highly, inappropriate, at times, wouldn't you agree, mr. Loud? - Benny went into the offensive, turning around and opening his arms to ensure everyone paid attention to him - A brother and a sister writing a romantic story together? Describing "intimate" moments between the two? Holding hands, kissing, cuddling and peeking under their clothes? Is that what would constitute a "safe" and "normal" hobby between two siblings, your honor? - He finished while turning around again to face the head judge, with his arms behind his back.

- Well… It certainly seems like a weird hobby to have - Mrs. Davis agreed, going into a thinking disposition on her own, as the jury began taking notes.

- Furthermore - Benny continued his impersonal speech, targeting the general audience - I have to say, I found the inner, intricate details of the plot… fascinating, to say the least, it seems there's always a missing context for each of their self-described, "tests", that we, as an audience are missing, because, well, let's be honest, the "7 deadly sins" of the Bible seems a bit too deep for the understanding of small kids, and the "confessions" of these fictional characters don't seem to come from context that a reader would infer just by reading the story, normally - He stated, before moving closer to the stand where Lincoln rested - So, mr. Loud, please, if your assessment that this "Triton", and this "DeLola" characters in the story are entirely fictional constructs, not at all related to their respective "inspirations", could you please provide an explanation to the court as for why we couldn't quite extract the context from within the story itself? -

Everyone's eyes were sitting again on Lincoln, as he struggled to remain calm.

- Yes, those confessions… - He paused, taking a brief glimpse to Lori, who nudged at him with a body gesture to stick to the script - Were an adaptation to real life events that were happening to us at the time, silly little things like lying to our family to get more pizza slices - He followed nonchalantly, while retaining a silly little smile as he remembered fond memories.

- Oh, really, then, it wouldn't be wrong for any normal reader to assume, that these characters would be what storywriters commonly define as: Self-inserts? - The prosecutor continued pushing, increasingly aware of this early victory.

- …Yes - Cornered, Lincoln uttered a grand truth, as he retired his combative look, to focus on the floor.

A few comments were heard on the jury stand.

- Your honor - With a confident grin, the prosecutor directed himself to the head judge - The characters that you're witnessing in this malignant "story", engaging in an act of self-admitted "forbidden love" are a direct representation of the people behind it, I believe we could reach an early verdict if we took the defendant's recent confession as a self-admission of guilt -

- Objection, calls for speculation! - Before Benny could further elaborate from his point, Lori stood up with more strength, hitting her desk loud enough to force the judge to turn her attention to her - An admission to self-inserting in a love story is insufficient evidence to proclaim any compromising acts were performed on the alleged victim, people can self-insert themselves in a fantastical setting and perform acts that are completely unrelated to their real life selfs, it is an extremely common occurrence for pre-teen and teenager girls to self-insert in vampire stories, while having no real desire to actually finding one, even ignoring the fact that Its factually impossible to do so, just like how the defendant clearly doesn't possess a multifunctional space cowboy suit, or a spaceship - She receded the intensity of her tone, while her confident grin remained - As an example, here's a few of the many poems written by one of my sisters, Lucy Loud, about her many affairs with popular TV show "Vampires of Melancholia" character "Edwin", when she was 8 - She finished, while placing some of Lucy's early drafts in her desk, which earned her a thumbs up from the gothic sister sitting on on one of the benches behind the wall separating the defendant from the world

The lawyer then walked to the stand of the jury to hand them a few of the many drafts that she had collected, which earned her a few uncomfortable stares from them, as they "reviewed" the content, cringing at the lascivious language deployed by the premature goth.

- Ok, I think Mrs. Santiago has solid grounds - Mrs. Davis concluded, just getting over her internal discomfort - …Objection sustained, prosecutor Stein, please re-evaluate your case -

And benny flinched at the sudden disapproval, glaring at the victorious lawyer as she returned to her stand, before taking a breath and recomposing, heading again to the defendant's place.

- Very well, I concede it's still far too early for a verdict - He stated with difficulty - After all, we still have quite the body of evidence to examine - He continued, before setting his eyes on Lincoln - And well, let's all be honest, there are still a few things that the defendant needs to address for us, because If there's a fact that we now know of this story, it's that Mr. Loud here has been mixing in some real life scenarios to this "fairytale" -

The atmosphere got heavy again, as a few gulps could be heard, one of them coming from Lincoln himself.

- So, let's start with the basics, Mr. Loud - Benny confronted Lincoln again, eliciting a noticeable glare - Mind telling the court; when was this story first "pitched"? And what your "inspiration" for each "sin" was? - He approached his face closer, stilling some intimidation - Let's go in order, tell us about this "Gluttony" test -

- … - Lincoln shrugged internally, quite unfazed at the accusatory look of Luan's husband - We began writing the story around the mid of August, 2017, My sister has always had an issue with lying and cheating to get what she wants, it's in most of your records that she's always had a bit of a "tattler" fame, most of her early attempts to make me focus my attention on her were through coercive means like blaming me for things that she did on her own to force me to solve problems for her. I created this story to solve any differences that we could have and to find out what was going on, the "sins" are just the means that we created to correct past wrongdoings; "Gluttony" represents just one of such things - At last, Lincoln presented an official statement, ready for any further interrogation.

The jury continued taking notes.

- Well, could you please elaborate on what this "Gluttony" test was trying to "fix"? - Benny insistent, never taking his accusatory look away.

And Lincoln answered confidently.

- I noticed that Lola had somewhat of a "Sweet Tooth" and an affinity for Pizza, and she used a lot of dirty tactics to get them, I used the story to call her out for that, when she made a promise and "overcame" the sin, she also meant it for herself to stop doing that - He recalled with warmth, smiling to himself of her development - As I said, it was just a kids game -

But the prosecutor had not much to say of that.

- Uh, Very well, quite "Sweet" of you, Mr. Loud - He hissed with a slight comedic tone, which almost made his partner on the prosecution stand emit a chuckle.

Then, he turned to face the judge.

- As you can see, the defendant purposefully used the story to direct the development of the victim and modify her behavior in ways that he could find "convenient", now wouldn't that in and by itself, be considered an act of "manipulation" your honor? -

- Well, the story does seems a little more "personal" than it should - Ms. Davis assessed, placing a finger in her mouth in thinking disposition.

- Objection, calls for speculation - Lori, however, remained firm, no amount of mental gymnastics would change that.

- …Objection sustained - Ultimately, Mrs. Davis agreed.

- Tsk - Benny shrieked, before blowing a huff - Evidence presented to the court and a direct interpretation of their meaning shouldn't be waived as "speculation" mrs. Santiago, but I will reserve the claim -

After the interruption, Benny focused on the accused again, checking on his phone for further bits of the story

- Now, speaking of manipulation - He initiated the cross-examination - I would like to move this conversation ahead and focus on the next set of events that transpired during the coming years and led to the making of this next "Sloth" test, however - Done with the introduction, Benny scoffed at Lincoln, clearly unsatisfied by his unwilling cooperation - You honor, I would to call our first witness of today - He commanded while pointing with his finger to signal Lincoln out of the stand, which the albino simply accepted, moving away to stand next to Lori.

- Please, Ms. Lucy Loud, come to the stand - He declared calmly, as the goth girl raised from her spot and approached the witness stand without any retaliation.

Once she was set, the prosecutor approached her with his arms behind his back, and began the questioning, starting with the basic introduction.

- Ms. Loud, Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you are about to give in this case will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? -

- I swear - Lucy replied plainly, in her ever monotone voice.

- Please, state your full name, age, and occupation - Benny continued with the procedure.

- …Lucy Marie Loud, 18, Freelance writer -

- What is your personal affiliation with the defendant? -

- He's my biological brother, poetry assistant and former love interest - She let out with a wicked grin, making a few people on the jury gasp.

Benny himself was taken back by that last statement, but quickly recomposed, as that information was irrelevant to the current case. He turned to face the judge again, and began with his introductory speech.

- *ahem*, Ms. Lucy Loud agreed on sharing key information in regards to the kind of relationship that the defendant shared with the victim on the time period corresponding to August of 2017, the moment where this written "story" began and may of 2021, around the date where the charges took place, and given her relation as one of the defendant's sisters, we give validity of her role as a key witness - Mr. Stein declared seriously - Now, could you please provide the valuable testimony? - He asked, ready to begin his cross-examination.

And with a single, audible *Sigh*, Lucy began talking.

Lucy's P.O.V.

"When he's on her own, the Cowboy is free.

When she is around, the Knight fights for her.

When she gets closer, the Prince grants her wish.

And when she's gone, the Duke wants revenge."

"The tale is ending, the receipts are here.

Mistakes of the past, come back for them.

But without the guilt that scar their ears.

The witch and the duke, can sing their anthem."

As I finish reading my poem, their eyes stare at me with dismissive pity, they know I'm insane, they wish I could be direct, they wish I would just stand up and tell them everything I know, in explicit detail.

They crave for that information I have, I see it in Benny's impatient stare, I see it in my "Funny" sister's glare.

I promised to the court that I would tell the truth, and only the truth, and from that I never backed away.

However, they will learn one kind of truth.

My truth.

- It was something that many of us knew, some earlier than others, some in more detail than others, but deep down, we all knew what was going on behind close doors, behind the façade of constant lies and exploitation -

The jury leans forward to listen attentively to my low voice, I hope they pay close attention.

- Lola Loud wanted only one thing: To become his closest sister, his biggest companion, supporter and assistant, to fight her way through our sibling hierarchy and monopolize Lincoln's attention, and what Lola wants, Lola gets, that has always been the case -

- Many of us tried to rationalize it; she was always alone in her room, her biggest companion for her secrets was a plushie called Mr. Sprinkles, her life was torn between the excruciating pressure to compete among top ranking child models in pageantry, and the ever exhausting obligations of a normal elementary student, as a result, she had no normal life, she missed her childhood, she found no real interest in hanging with people outside of her family, and her mistrust in others only grew with time, eventually transferring to… us -

Their faces started turning, a few conflicted frowns were plastered across the people in both sides of this trial, they were trying their hardest to relate to the "victim", it was easy to win them over.

…However, that was not my intention.

- And Lincoln, he was what you could call, "a helper", he had his own ambitions, he had a life outside, he had a clear knowledge of the world around him, but also… -

At the mention of his name, prosecutor Stein finally raised an eyebrow, apparently catching up to my rant.

I want to punch his face and suck his soul to feed it to my personal demons.

- …He was always going to be there, for all of his sisters, on the good, and the bad; everyday of the year, no matter what it could do to him, he would lend a hand, that was his motto, his philosophy, and for a big part of his life… His entire purpose - Coming from my own mouth, that sounded bad, I had to admit - As long as he could get his sisters to smile, he would do it, he would take the blame to hide shameful secrets of us, like lying about liking a silly pony comic series, to cover me - I had to admit, while blushing - he would go on his way to get in trouble with the school to hide some frogs from being dissected, all to protect his sister's feelings - I mentioned, while thinking about Lana - And he would even go on to give away his rightful position as a duke to Loch Loud in favor of us - I recalled grimly -

- …Even on those rare times where he wouldn't help us, we made sure to remind him that we needed him, if he would fake being bad luck to not take care of us, we would do nasty things like having him spend the night outside so that he would learn his "lesson", if he would voluntary cover his ears so that he didn't listen to our woes, we would make sure to make that a humiliating experience; and so, even we he tried to resist it, it would always come back to the same premise: He was there… for us - I admitted, shamefully, the court needed to know that abuse is not one directional.

- And then, there was Lola Loud, the most "needy" of all of us, the one that managed to land him a permanent role to her side: As her pageant coach, and that managed to further monopolize his time by turning a story about a Princess and a Space Cowboy into a story about a princess and her knight -

The bitter tone in my voice should be easily identifiable.

Sorry, Lola, but I have to play the part.

- Ms. Loud, please elaborate on the events that transpired between July of 2017 and May of 2021, do not deflect from the testimony that is relevant to the case - Filled with impatience, the prosecutor had enough of my "Rants".

Fine, I shall give him some facts.

- …After they started writing the story, I began hiding in the vents, watching closely as they continued writing their tale and bonded together; during the period of time where I oversaw their actions, between August of 2017 to April of 2020, there was never a single instance in which my brother behaved in an inappropriate way with my sister - Is that what you wanted to hear, prosecutor Stein?

- You're under oath, Ms. Loud -

- And an oath of truth I signed, these words are made of honesty, I was never an eye witness to the validity of the charges in this trial, I can only comment on what I personally saw during the time I was witnessing their reunions, before my sister, Lisa Loud, electrified the ducts of our house, tired of my stalkerish behavior -

And even if that wasn't the case, you would never get a truth that I would not approve of, Benny.

- Well, in that case, what did you observe during that period, was there any particular reason for why they continued writing this… most questionable tale? -

- My sister became Lincoln's biggest companion in the house, he prepared her for pageants, he listened to her stories in school, and he supported her in every moment of self-doubt, she was the happiest she's ever been in her life, I could tell that, and In turn, she began sharing his hobbies as well, playing videogames with him, reading those Ace Savvy comics with him, buying him expensive things, and even helping and advising him on romantic pursuits - Despite the fact that I'm just retelling facts, I still struggle to understand the reason for why this bond of theirs became so strong… - They had found stability like that, and I respected it, which is why I limited myself to simply observing, as they continued writing the story, and our brother continued… drifting away from us… - I couldn't help but lower my head as I said that, how different things could have been if only…

- And, what was the reflection that the defendant learned from this "Sloth" test? -

- … - Sorry, Lola - She wanted to ensure that he would "follow his dreams", that he would "continue the story with her" and that he would "stay away from people holding him back" -

- … -

- … Like his then girlfriend -

Normal P.O.V.

Benny sighed, irked beyond belief at the irrelevant reflections of his first witness.

Lucy Loud was pretty much on the uncooperative side of things, Luan had warned him about this, but he pushed for trying a direct approach.

But mere questions were not going to be enough to dispel the mountain of bullshit that is the Loud family.

- Ms. Loud, you're dismissed - He whispered, defeated, as the shadowy figure in front of him walked slowly back to her resting place.

And Lori, satisfied for the interaction, nudged her sister with a subtle wink.

- …What's the main take away from this intervention, prosecutor Stein? - Judge Theresa asked, equally dumbfounded by the gothic sister's cryptic testimony.

But then, just as easily, Benny recomposed and looked at the judge with a confident smile.

- We've actually learned a few key elements for this case, your honor - He stood straight, arms behind his back - For one, I would like to bring the records that state that the victim was a competitor in child beauty pageants, which is in accordance to Ms. Loud's testimony, but we also learned another key factor -

- And that is? - The judge inquired on his construction of events.

- The defendant, Lincoln Loud, willingly worked as the victim's pageant coach for an extended period of her time there, now please keep in mind that this kind of responsibility implies extended focus on the victim's physical appearance, including prolonged contact with her skin for make up and perhaps, more infuriating, the direct handling of intimate wardrobe - He asserted with a wicked grin - more over, we also learned that they spent a significant amount of their free time, together, alone in a room, and that they even had several sleepovers in the same bed, which according to records, was so small that it could only fit one person, therefore I ask you, your honor, wouldn't it be … strange, if this kind of treatment remained during a boy's hormonal development? -

- Objection, calls for speculation - Once again, Lori interrupted the prosecutor's poisoning the well tactics, before the jury could extract any more from the testimony - And also, as our brother, Lincoln Loud always took care of our clothes, he was assigned on multiple occasions to be the one to bring our dirty clothing to the laundry room, he has stated in multiple occasions to be literally disgusted and annoyed every time he had to do it, we trusted him to be in charge of her wardrobe because we knew he didn't like doing so, it is extremely naive to imply any double meaning to this, and also, hasn't anyone here in this court ever bunked with an opposite sex sibling at least once in your lives? - She questioned to everyone present, before receding back to her place - Because I'll talk for myself, but when Lincoln was around 11, he would usually go to my room to hide in my sheets due to watching a zombie movie that he shouldn't have watched, and I would scold him, of course, but also… - She said while stealing a glimpse of her embarrassed "client", smiling warmly at him - I would normally allow him to stay, maybe distract him with girl talk, or a few videos in my phone, anything, and in minutes, he would be snoring loudly like a little twerp - She said while smiling at herself for the warm memory, before directing her eyes at the jury - So, people of the jury, if my story didn't sound weird, then why would their time together be weird? Or is it just because I'm a woman and he's a man that it's different? -

And after calling the double standard, some notes were being taken by the Jury, as once again, Benny remained quiet, looking to avoid the current conversation.

- Objection sustained - Theresa declared, slightly moved by the sibling tale - Prosecutor Stein, re-evaluate your statements - She inquired a judging look at the man, which further intimidated him.

- Nice save, Lori - He thought to himself.

But he was far from beaten.

- I humbly apologize, your honor, I was just giving the court a quick introduction to cover what you need to know about that "story" of theirs up to the time where it would seem "wholesome" and "innocent" - He said with faux tragedy - However, it's time to get in to the main points that will require our utmost attention to properly evaluate for the sake of our victim, Lola Loud - He stated drily, as he began browsing through his phone - Let's all take a step ahead and focus on their next test of "Greed"; after all, another very important name was mentioned by none other than Ms. Lucy Loud herself, and I'm sure that this person will be able to give us a more… unbiased perspective on what actually went on behind the scenes of this deceiving situation -

And now, Lori was holding her breath, the "playtime" was over, she had a very good idea who the next witness was.

- You honor, I would to call our second witness of today: Ms. Stella Zhau, to the stand -

At the mere mention of her name, Lincoln himself began gulping audibly, another person of his past that cut all contact with him was about to make an appearance, and he was not ready.

A few quick comments were being passed around by the jury as the video chat window was prepared, most people were still on the fence on who to side with.

At last, after a few moments of banter happened, the TV screen of the courtroom was displaying the videochat conference with a woman dressed in a lab coat, the video was being streamed in decent quality with a smartphone, and the girl herself seemed busy writing a journal.

She soon stopped writing and focused on the camera, which was displaying a panoramic view of the courtroom from her perspective.

- Ms. Zhau, Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you are about to give in this case will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? -

- Yes - Stella replied absentmindedly, but sincere.

- Please, state your full name, age, and occupation - Benny continued with the procedure.

- …Stella Zhau, 21, Academic and major researcher of the National University of the Philippines -

- What is your personal affiliation with the defendant? -

- He was… my boyfriend… from around June of 2019 to… the 17th of November, 2020… and before that, we were… friends - She said with difficulty, grasping her chest with her free hand and looking to the floor -

And Lincoln's own heart broke at the tone of her voice alone.

Oblivious to the current mood, the prosecutor began his speech.

- Your honor, Ms. Zhau has offered us her kind time to elaborate on the state of her ex-boyfriend's relationship with his younger sister, which we all came to a conclusion, was one of the main reason for why their relationship… failed - He said with ominous easiness, before turning again to the screen - You may begin your testimony -

Stella's P.O.V.

"Stay away from this, tall freak!"

"Seriously Linky? This tramp is your girlfriend? I expected much better from you bro"

"Pssst. She's not good for you Linky, she's too… basic, she'll just hold you back!"

There was always this something about Lola, from the very day I got to meet Linc's family, she was glaring at me from the back, I could feel it, her glare followed me around everywhere.

I was one of Lincoln's best friends, I liked hanging around him a lot, he was really good at Call of Honor, and he was also somewhat of a nerd, him and the other guys made me feel welcomed in their group.

I was happy about it.

But also, that doesn't negate a single fact that lasted through our whole friendship, and that transferred over to our relationship, because… no matter how much I loved him.

I wasn't comfortable coming to his house.

…I never was.

There was… so much chaos, everywhere, and I get it, it was a natural consequence of there being so many people in one middle-sized house, Clyde had warned me in advance.

But nobody could have possibly warned me about that girl enough.

I tried Linc, I really did, I tried to get along with her, I tried to initiate a conversation with her, I even brought her a gift once!

But there was no doubt about it.

She…

She hated me, before we even began dating, she just couldn't stand me.

I couldn't get why.

Because, the only explanation that made sense in my mind, I kept ignoring it.

Because I didn't want to judge you.

"I'm sorry Stella! The truth is… I had a really awful dream the other day, and it's been bugging me a lot"

"Hey, calm down Linc, remember, I'm your friend! I'm not here to judge you"

"…Ok, I trust you, though in all honesty… I'm still really embarrassed to talk about this, but here goes"

I was happy, Linc, you decided to tell me everything, those dreams of yours, I was happy to know you trusted me so much that you would spill such a horrible thing to me!

But I wasn't going to judge you, Linc.

You know why?

Because I knew, from the very start, that it was her fault.

…If only I had been able to save you.

If only…

- Lola Loud is an incestuous manipulative narcissist that wanted her brother all to herself and made sure to push him away from everyone - That courtroom can play with my words all they want.

I just needed to give peace to myself, that's what I came for, so that I can finally move on from this.

And well…

Look, I'm sorry Linc.

- And Lincoln Loud fell for her trap -

But…

You were also the bad guy.

- He told me about dreams were he fantasized of kissing this "princess DeLola" character from the story, and those dreams began increasing in tone over the following years - I'm sorry Linc.

- What do you mean by increasing tone? - I'm sorry Linc.

But you also need to be taught a lesson.

- He described to me the explicit act of performing oral on her, groping her ass and tits, and even once told me about this dream were he came close to penetrating her - I'm sorry Linc.

The court is silent, of course they are, I can't back down on this.

Lincoln, I loved you, I really did, you showed me the way to deal with the world, you didn't judge me for being so nerdy and liking technology, you stayed with me when I made a fool of myself, you were always there for me.

…Except for those times where she was first.

Because I know, that in reality, she was always first.

I'm sorry Lincoln, but today, I can no longer be your friend.

I'll be… how did she call me again?

Right.

I'll be the Evil Witch Priscella.

Normal P.O.V.

Lori was alarmed, the eyes of the entire tribunal shifted with disgust towards her client, he was on the spot.

But no matter what, he had to follow her advice, he would not speak, she would do the defense.

And she could also detect the faintest grin starting to form on his rival, as well as that of Luan.

The big guns were here.

- *Ahem* - The prosecutor decided to bring the attention of the court back to him, with a renewed smile - Thanks for the initial statement, Ms. Zhau, you're a key piece to bring this predator to justice - He prefaced, trying to remain serious, as he approached the judge - As you have just heard from the witness, Mr. Loud has made extremely concerning statements pertaining to sexual behavior towards a "character" that, from all intents and purposes, directly represents the victim, is there any doubts now that the defendant has some… rather disturbing sexual preferences? -

- Objection! There's no evidence to suggest that her testimony is true, furthermore, even if it was, we are talking about dreams, this is a completely different scenario that does not correlate to real life events! - Lori intervened quickly, once again changing the direction of the prosecutor's narrative.

- Overruled! - Judge Theresa rejected her objection, as the facts presented filled her with unease.

- Thanks your honor - Benny beamed with satisfaction - Very bold of you to dismiss key witness evidence when you see fit, Mrs. Santiago, even then - The ex-comedian recomposed, glaring at his rival for the case - The fact that we just stablished that the defendant is capable of displaying such thoughts, even on a subconscious level, is pertinent to the case - He stated drily, not backing down, as the jury continued taking notes - Now, moving on - He turned to face the witness.

- Ms. Zhau, could you please elaborate on the problematic behavior that you observed from both the defendant and the victim? -

- …As I said before, Lola was a clingy, weirdly possessive girl that constantly initiated conflict within our friend group to steal her brother's attention, take that however you will - Stella responded without a single trace of energy, barely focusing on the video stream - And Lincoln Loud was more than happy to obey her in everything she asked of him, like taking her to an elementary dance, with a suit on, on the day were we had already made plans to see a movie - She mentioned gloomily - Because no matter what I did, no matter how many times I told him, Lola Loud was always first, above everything -

- …That is indeed a very unfortunate situation, Ms. Zhau, would you infer from this, that the defendant preferred his sister over you as a… romantic partner? - Without delay, the ex-comedian jumped to fish for more accusatory statements.

- …Yes - She concluded without even looking to the screen.

- Objection, calls for speculation! - Once again, Lori intervened.

- Objection! - But this time, Benny interrupted her - We're hearing key witness testimony, and one stablished fact is that the relationship between Mr. Loud and Ms. Zhau failed due to external factors that are pertinent to the case, please continue -

And Stella took the opportunity.

- …Something about him felt… disconnected, like if there was a permanent conflict in his mind - She stated while playing with her fingers - Whenever we planned a date, there was always something about his gestures, his speech pattern, even his gifts… - She rambled with a downward look.

- What is this something, Ms. Zhau? - Benny continued with the interrogation.

- … - Stella gulped, as she allowed the raw truth of her heart to come out - …He wasn't trying to impress me with those - She stopped, before recovering her breath, looking straight into the camera - …It looked like if he was trying to impress a princess - She concluded, as a small tear fell from her eye.

- And how would you connect that statement with the victim? -

- Because… - At last, her expression began to turn somber, as she quickly used her hand to wipe the tear off her face - Lola Loud was always a spoiled princess that wanted everyone to treat her as such, she even wore a ridiculous tiara until she was like 9, but even then, she always preferred the "princess" treatment; when I was in those dates, I could never shake off the feeling… That they were planned for Lola instead - Stella screeched, before regaining her breath, trying to calm herself down.

But then, another feeling rose from her, as her intense stare fixated on Lincoln through the screen.

- Lincoln Loud, admit it, you were never in love with me! I was just your free pass to "normalcy", the only girl that ever had your heart from the start, was Lola Loud! - Stella exclaimed, raising the tone of her voice in a threatening matter, alerting everyone in the jury.

- …Stella - Despite the fact that Lori had told him to remain silent, Lincoln couldn't help himself to repeat her name, still In shock, over hearing his former girlfriend.

- …and, that's why she was the only one that mattered to you when you became obsessed after that stupid coach took her away from your reach! - She accused, as a rush of new tears made it hard for her to hide her emotional state.

- Wait, Stella - Lincoln tried to talk to her directly.

- I don't want to hear a single thing from you Lincoln… you… cheating pedophile - Stella continued passing judgement.

- Order, order in the court! - The hammer was slammed on her desk, Ms. Davis had enough with the couple argument, forcing both sides to drop the conversation.

- Your honor! - Lori quickly rose from her spot, preventing further arguments - I believe Ms. Zhau is being emotional about this situation, I would suggest we treat her statements with caution - She assessed, taking advantage of the event that just transpired.

- Objection! - Benny, likewise intervened - The severity of her accusation has to be treated with respect, we can't discredit the testimony provided to the court on account of the emotional weight that she may have, furthermore, to verify the validity of her words, I would like to call Mr. Lincoln Loud himself to the stand -

And without much resistance from the defense, Lincoln calmly placed himself in the witness stand.

- Mr. Loud - Benny once again had him in a clutch, hoping to unmask him right there - I'll ask again, in front of the jury and also, in front of your ex-girlfriend, Ms. Zhau: How would you describe your relationship with the victim between the period of time described by her -

- … - Lincoln bit her lip, trying to find a way out of this emotionally scarring situation, but as he directed his view to the expectant eyes of his once girlfriend, through the screen, he turned to gaze just one more moment to his lawyer, which gave him a stern look to avoid giving unnecessary details.

In the end, he sighed, and considered the side of the person that actually supported him the most during that period.

- …Stella is… mostly right - He confessed, as a massive wave of shame coursed through his body, making his oldest sister immediately break a sweat and signaling him to stop.

But things have gotten too far, he felt like at least fixing some details in his life.

- The dreams are true, I personally told her about them, at the time, it seemed like the only way that I could work on my own guilt, and she listened, that, is something that I will forever be grateful to her about - He confessed, before attempting a smile at the sight of his dear ex-girlfriend - But, she's also right; I never actually prioritized her over Lola, whenever it came to having to choose between pleasing her or Lola, I always chose my sister - His smiled faded, as did his courage to face her - There's no excuse for that, and I just want to say, sorry Stella, you deserved a better boyfriend than I was -

Stella turned her eyes, full of hurt, to focus on the white haired man for a moment, trying to grasp any ill intent, wondering if this was just another strategy of his to gain sympathy.

She just didn't know, but even if she did.

There are things that one can't just forgive.

- Mr. Loud, there's no time for couple arguments in the courtroom, focus on the questions, you'll have enough time to resolve your differences with the witness after the procedure is done - Benny sighed while facepalming, getting over the emotionally charged dialogue - Explain your reasoning for dating your ex-girlfriend at the time with delusions about dating "a princess" -

- I was only following the dating advice that Lola gave me - Lincoln responded lightly, focusing on the prosecutor.

- … -

- …You were following a 10 year old's advice for dating your 15 year old girlfriend? - Benny continued his cross-examination, trying his hardest to not scoff at the ridiculousness of the situation.

- Well, it's embarrassing to admit it - He shrugged, then scratched the back of his head while facing his ex - But yes, I really didn't have much dating experience at the time, and Lola gave me a lot of advice on the matter -

Stella's eye twitched.

- Why would you do that? -

- Because I trusted Lola, she eventually became supportive of the relationship… or at least, that's the impression that I got - Lincoln sighed, bracing for the next part, which he was hesitant to talk about.

- What do you mean by, "the impression that you got"? -

For a moment, Lincoln remained silent, trying to process his last talk with his sister, before leaving the house.

"Lincoln, I will not get tired of repeating this, you will say the truth, I am the predator, got it?"

He then took one last glance at his lawyer, and she nodded in understanding.

"It's the only way to win over the judge, Lincoln"

- I mean… - He took a deep breath, temporarily getting rid of his protective instincts, as the truth escaped his mouth - That Lola knowingly manipulated me into getting closer to her, while at the same time sabotaging what I had with Stella -

And to that, Benny couldn't help but to scoff at his answer.

- You mean to tell me - He approached the accused, placing his arms in the stand, running with impatience - That you allowed yourself to be manipulated by a ten year old, as her four and a half year older brother? - He expressed with a raised eyebrow.

Completely flabbergasted at the stupidity of that logic.

- I mean what I said, it's the truth - Lincoln doubled down, not looking away from Stella's screen.

And the girl behind the screen couldn't help but to nod back.

- I'll repeat, Mr. Loud, you're under an oath of truth! - Luan's husband exclaimed.

- Your honor, I would like to have a word with Mr. Stein - Lori interrupted in timely fashion, before the language of the prosecution turned coercive.

- Conceded - The judge declared.

- Ok, Prosecutor Stein, listen well - Lori began her interruption - You may be lacking a few bits of context on just who Lola Loud is, so I'll be acting on my role as both a criminal defense attorney, as well as an older sister, to refresh your memory, I'm sure that would be ok if anything that comes out of my mouth is nothing that Luan didn't already tell you, right? - She assessed with security, to which the prosecutor could do nothing but turn his attention to her.

- This here - She said while pulling some documents - Are detention letters issued by Wilbur Huggins, former director from Royal Woods Elementary school, ranging from early 2016 to late 2017 - She said while splattering what could amount to at least 20 detention letters on her stand and directing the prosecutor to inspect them - As you can see, they are all for the same repeated incident - Lori spat with confidence.

- What does it say, Mr. Stein - Curious of the exchange, ex-mayor Theresa Davis asked the prosecutor.

- They're… - He whispered while reading them - Detention letters for… Extortion and Blackmailing of several teachers and members of the staff - He concluded, glaring at the documents.

- Exactly, now, please take a look at these pictures - Lori continued her attack, handing her rival a few captures - What do you see? -

- It's… - Benny continued gazing at the pictures, pressuring the documents and creating wrinkles in some of them - Captures of the victim… bribing pageant judges -

- How so? bring the evidence here - The judge decided to inquire herself on the evidence, which Lori accepted, as she turned to the jury to hand over the documents.

- As some of you may already know; Lola Loud, my little sister, was a known tattletale, manipulator and blackmailer from the early age of 6, there was no secret in the house that she didn't know, she literally forced all of us into destroying our dairies - The lawyer recalled with traces of contempt - and whenever she wanted something, she would always find a way to coerce any of her siblings into doing it, she had an uncanny ability of doing so, and was able to frame even me, who's 11 years older than her - Lori accused, slightly cursing herself for revealing information of her family.

But for the sake of this case, anything goes.

- Your honor, I want to ask you this, she was a participant of child beauty pageants, one of the most deceiving professions out there, where a majority of its participants are girls forced by their projecting, narcissistic mothers into competing, sometimes under immense pressure that forces them into achieving victories by any means necessary, yet, Lola Loud was never once forced into one, and she was always a consistent champion, even as early as age six, isn't it therefore reasonable to conclude that a girl like that, would have no issues manipulating an older boy? -

- Well, she seems quite capable, perhaps it's a mistake to deny the possibility - The judge nodded, still a little shocked by the extreme descriptor used in the detention letters.

Who knew someone could describe a little girl as a "demon" and a "pink menace"?

- O-objection! - Regardless, Benny wasn't out yet - Calls for speculation, these records date from the years 2016 to 2017, we are talking about events that took place between 2019 and 2021, she could have grown as a person -

- And do you have proof that she stopped doing that? - Lori responded confidently.

- The burden of proof lies on the ones making a positive assertion, there's no need for proving a negative, Mrs. Santiago - Benny stood his ground.

- Fine - Lori receded, but quickly recomposed - Lincoln, please tell prosecutor Stein on the answer that he was looking for - She then focused on her brother, who immediately understood her point.

- Right, um, Benny, you wanted to know about that "test of Greed" right? Well, read the story, you'll find out that it was not for me - He stated calmly, still struggling on the inside after the character assassination that his sister endured.

The jury began checking the pages.

- …As you can see, the final part of that trial, has the concession from the "victim" - Lori signaled to the book.

The judge took a moment to read it herself.

- DeLola gave up on being with triton, and admitted to misguiding him into staying away from "Lady Priscella", doesn't that ring a bell, Mr. Stein? - She beamed while pointing at him seriously.

- … -

- So, back then, you knew she was manipulating you? - The silence was broken by none other than the girl behind the TV Screen, as she directed her words to Lincoln.

- …After that day, I found out, Stella - Lincoln nodded slightly.

- But then… why? -

- Because that doesn't change the facts, Stella - Lincoln tightened his fist, facing her with difficulty - I really thought that her coach was hurting her, and no matter how hurt I felt at that moment, I would never allow any of my sisters to be hurt, and you know that -

- That doesn't explain why you started treating me so poorly! -

- Order! - The hammer was slammed again, Mrs. Davis was close to ordering the disconnection of the Philippino girl - Prosecutor Stein, proceed - She ordered the man that was apparently lost in thought.

- Huh? Yes your honor! - He quickly recomposed, as he prepared the next round of questions.

The environment was now visibly tense by this point.

- So… Mrs. Santiago, do you concede for the content seen in this "Story book" to be taken more… literally? - With an aura of confrontation, Benny directed himself closer to the defense stand, placing his arm on Lori's desk, his mocking use of her most common word getting another chuckle from Luan.

- You're the one building a narrative over it, Mr. Stein - Lori replied back, trying to conceal any signs of fear.

- Well, in that case, wouldn't it be appropriate to move to the more… relevant information to the case? - He leaned forward, getting closer to her face.

- Do your worst - Lori Hissed in return.

Benny pulled a confident smirk and stood back, placing his hands behind her back.

- In that case, let's move on with the little tale - He said with a triumphant look - We need to talk about this "Envy" test; I'm sure "Triton" had a bigger stake on that one - He said calmly, as he moved back to the prosecutor stand - Ms. Zhau, could you please elaborate on the set of events that transpired after the Royal Woods Elementary School Anniversary dance of 2020 and the 17th of November, the day were you described to have your break up? -

- … - The girl behind the screen averted her gaze - There was something, something about Lincoln - She whispered with difficulty - Something that changed since that day -

- What changed about the defendant? -

- He… Became distant, dismissive, and sometimes… aggressive -

Stella's P.O.V.

"Linc, wait, let's talk about this, Liam wouldn't touch your sister, you know that!"

"Bullshit! Stella, guys, please stop defending him, You don't know what I saw, he was acting extremely weird around her, and the way he looked at her? It made me want to puke! Besides, just why the fuck would he go with Lana to a stupid elementary dance!? Don't you think that's weird?

"But, Dawg! You also went with your sister, should we also suspect of you then?"

"What the fuck? Rusty, that's obviously different! She's my sister for fuck's sake"

"But, dude"

"I want no buts, either you stop talking to him, or I'm disbanding the Action News Team!"

"Linc, please, calm down"

"NO, Stella, I thought we were better than this, why would you allow a literal pedophile to be a part of our group, are you nuts? -

…

The hurt in his voice, I could hear it, and I… was trying to agree with him, for the most part.

Maybe… Liam was acting weird around his sister.

Maybe, it was wrong to suspect about Lincoln and Lola

Maybe, Lincoln was clearly a boy with strong morals

And he was just trying to enforce them In our group.

Yeah, that's what I wanted to believe.

Liam was a pedophile, Lincoln had seen through him.

He was just protecting his sisters.

…He was just protecting that sister.

"Guys, please help me, I need to expose Lola's coach, he's a fucking weirdo"

"How so Linc?"

"He keeps sweet-talking her, calling her disgusting shit like "Sweetie" and "My Princess", like, the nerve of that guy am I right?"

"Uh Huh?"

"And he just keeps putting up this fake French accent crap, god, he's so annoying, he can't just come to the house in that elegant suit with those toned abs and pretend to be a child pageant coach, he's so obviously grooming her, measuring her body, touching her bare legs to "stretch her", complimenting those skimpy as fuck dresses and forcing them on her! h-he's a disgusting pedophile!"

"Well, call me weird, but, uh, isn't that what most pageant coaches do?"

"What!? Of course not Zach! He's fucking weird, guys trust me, please help me unmask him, let's work to uncover the truth, Action News Team?"

"…Dawg, we stopped using that name since we started ignoring Liam"

"Right, some of you pedophile supporters still want him back, isn't that the case?"

"Wait, Lincoln, that's not what we mean-"

"Forget it! I'll find something on my own, bye"

"Lincoln! The bell hasn't even rang"

"I already finished the classes I cared about!"

"…"

"I need to protect my sister"

Yes, he was trying to protect his sister.

Everything was about his sister.

He ditched his friends, he ditched his other sisters.

Even Lana.

As soon as Liam was out of the picture, he didn't even stop one moment to celebrate that his sister was "safe".

He just celebrated that the pedophile was gone…

But for Lola, it was different.

His reasoning didn't even make sense, unlike his accusations to Liam.

The group quickly caught on to that

Somehow, despite my the fact that he had a point with Liam, despite the fact that the child pageantry business was confirmed to be filled with predators, and despite the fact that he was always good at convincing…

None of us believed that accusation.

Yet, we all chose to pretend to believe him.

Even then…

He just didn't want our help anymore.

But whenever we asked.

It… was the only thing he would talk about.

Her testimony was over, as well as the evidence provided to the court from her hand:

The chat messages that Lincoln sent her during that period, going in unnecessary detail over what he thought the coach was doing to Lola.

After her detailed recalling of events, the prosecutor rose from his stand, standing proudly in the center of the courtroom, and looking over to the jury stand.

- Your honor, honorable Jury, as you could all hear from Ms. Zhau's invaluable testimony, the information provided just so happens to connect to the archived case against former marketing director of the company Gil DeLily Inc., Fernando Dubois, which took place between the 10th of April and the 21th of November of 2020 over alleged criminal sexual misconduct on the second degree against then 11 year old Lola Loud - He stated seriously.

- If I might direct you to these set of documents for the filling of the case, before it was ultimately dropped by the Loud family themselves - He stated seriously, as he handed another set of documents to the judge - Mr. Dubois was caught on tape for admitting to attempts of grooming on the alleged victim and exposed in a sensationalist media attempt of character assassination - He continued with an objective tone - …That is, before the person behind the supposed evidence revealed on a public message to purposefully altering the tape in order to sustain the made up claims against Mr. Dubois, which led to any attempts of prosecution to be nullified by the court -

- Now, it wouldn't be without saying, that attempts at submitting false evidence to the court records, as well as falsely accusing someone of a felony are considered a felony per se in the state of Michigan, according to section 750.411a of the Michigan Legislature, punishable for up to 4 years or a fine of not more than two-thousand dollars - He warned, stealing a quick glimpse at the defendant - …However, we are not gathered today in account of those charges, and the victim of this injustice decided to not press any charges back, regardless - He stopped for a moment, before eliciting a confident smirk - I would like to present this information so that the court gains a bigger understanding on just what kind of person Lincoln Loud actually is - He beamed with confidence to his audience - And It greatly pleases me to inform, that the victim in question agreed to provide valuable testimony to the court -

And so, after his statement, a man that was sitting in one of the benches near the prosecution stand stood up, his face was partially hidden by rugged clothes, his blonde hair descended over his shoulders, and as he walked, a smell irradiated from him.

Something that made some of the people in the room hide a gag reflex.

- You honor, I would to call our third witness of today: Mr. Fernando Dubois, to the witness stand -

The man headed over the directed location, avoiding the stares coming at his way.

Once he was in the stand, he finally retired the hoodie that covered his head.

And that was the moment where Lincoln could finally discern the face of that man.

And by god, he looked horrible.

If he didn't know any better, he would have thought that they invited a literal hobo to the courtroom.

Noticeable eye bags, a look of death, a messy, long blonde beard reaching to his chest, and what appeared to be a scrawny complexion behind the rugged, almost, degraded clothes.

And that's leaving the smell aside.

- Mr. Dubois, Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you are about to give in this case will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? -

- …I swear - The man replied with a muffled accent, almost making up for missing a few teeth

- …Please, state your full name, age, and occupation - Benny repeated the procedure, trying his hardest to ignore the smell of his breath

- …Fernando Dubois de le Pierre, 25, Ex-marketing director of Gil DeLily - He said while holding his stomach.

- What is your… personal affiliation with the defendant? -

- He's the brother of one of my premiere contestants at the time, nothing else really - He blabbered with an unfocused stare.

- Thank you for the introduction - Retaining his cool, Benny turned to the audience - As you can see, Mr. Dubois… hasn't had an easy life ever since the incident, he was reported and fired from the company Gill DeLily inc. 5 days after the accusations took place, and records indicate that he hasn't had a formal job since, mortgage records also seem to indicate that this man hasn't had a stable home in 5 years, living in his van and fending for himself off the streets, as his registry as a sex offender became a major clause for rejection of CV and early termination from charity contractors - He stated, trying his hardest at showcasing proper empathy for his witness - But regardless, he agreed to come to testify to court to give us some important information on the events that transpired within the house of the Loud family, during the duration of his contract as Lola Loud's representative and training coach, between April and November of 2020 -

Fernando's P.O.V.

"Oh Fernie, you have no Idea! Linky was the best there is dear, he's a natural in the craft, his make up technique was unmatched!"

"C'est magnifique, I would have love to receive some tips from him, how would you compare my work?"

"Oh no, I didn't meant it like that, yours is also terrific, I wouldn't compare them, but they stack up about the same"

"That is a most respectable view of my work Ma' chere, I can't help but feel flattered, and, pardon mon audace, may I inquire on why he couldn't keep being your personal coach? He sounded génial!"

"…Ok, that's enough mushy talk, let's keep on training alright? Cricket told me that my thighs are still very stiff, I'd like to work on that!"

Lola Loud, I remember her, what a peculiar little girl, always full of energy, always ready to take on any challenge, always ready to impress me, or any of the judges, during her pageant performances.

And by goodness, she was talented! She had a bright future, not just in pageantry, really, she could have a bright future in almost any profession of her choosing, her intelligence, her dedication, her style, she could have had the world on her feet if she wanted.

Yet, she was always so… mature and… humble about it.

I had no doubt of it, I was a lucky man, I knew right there and then, that I was helping raise a future champion, she had the regionals in her pocket.

And had it continued, I was certain, that she could have won a few Miss America as well.

Maybe even a Miss Universe.

Because not only was she talented, not only was she proficient, elegant, and dedicated to her craft.

Even I had to admit, that I had a real perplexing beauty in my hands.

…For a child, that is.

However, as a man with a lot of experience in this often harsh business, I also knew a few things about my contestants.

The heart of a woman is full of secrets.

I never tried to indulge in that subject, I was all too aware when she wanted to deflect the conversation and change the topic.

And I respected that, it wasn't my business, nor was I trying to become her friend, our relationship was strictly professional, even if my feelings for the matter did not agree.

I liked her, she was a good kid, probably one of the least superficial and overtly mean girls in that business, and she was surprisingly capable of having adult conversations with me.

Perhaps, under different life situations, we could have been good friends.

Maybe, those are the kind of feelings that made her brother so wary about me…

Or maybe, it wasn't just wariness.

…

Lola Loud loved her brother, I could tell.

She loved him a lot.

Like, really, really a lot.

And maybe, that's exactly why their family decided to separate them.

Normal P.O.V.

Fernando decided to not make any more sounds, simply crossing his arms while sitting on his stand, ready for the usual cross-examination after his slugged testimony.

And the first one to follow the conversation, was the prosecutor himself.

- Mr. Dubois, is it true, that during the period from March to November of 2020, Lincoln and Lola Loud had been separated by their own family? -

- …That would be correct - He nodded without further words.

- Do you have any idea of what the reasoning behind was? -

- …All I know, is that the mother and the father directed them to perform duties at different schedules, and that my… client, at the time, was forbidden from going anywhere unsupervised, she was apparently being home-schooled outside of our sessions -

- How extreme were these "measures"? -

- The only time I ever saw them together during my working period, was during an informal meeting on her 11th birthday, were I was invited outside of my work schedule as a casual guest -

- What did you see during that reunion? -

- …There were at least 4 people following her anywhere, as well as 3 others keeping an eye on her brother, I could feel the tension in the environment… nobody was comfortable with having them see each other -

- And-

- And I think… I understood why -

Fernando's P.O.V.

"Come on girls, I'm telling you the truth, Fernie is a real one, see this hairstyle? It was all him"

"Wow Lola! It's so radiant!"

"I know, I know"

"Oh Fernando, can you apply that get up to me too?"

"Yeah, me too!"

"Ok, easy madame, I can teach you Aucun problème, let me just-"

"Huh? What's wrong Fernie?"

I was a little ashamed to Lola's praise at the time, she had been proudly advertising my skills to some of her pageant friends.

There was this little girl, Roxanne, I believe? That followed Lola around everywhere.

…Trying to steal her techniques, you know how girls in that business operate.

Anyways.

I was flattered, and I was always looking for new candidates for the advertising of my brand products, so I played the part and played with the little girls for awhile.

…Until I turned to watch him

I… don't know exactly what I perceived from his stare, but I couldn't shake that feeling, that feeling that paralyzed me in fear.

That feeling that he didn't want me around.

That feeling that he hated me.

Lincoln Loud.

Before coming to that house, I had high expectations of that kid, Lola, and even some other girls had told me glowing things about his skill.

I was hoping to meet this famous boy, I had even heard that he once saved the local town from getting flooded, that he was a local hero.

No wonder his sister seemed to think so highly of him.

But then I met him.

He… wasn't what I expected.

His sister couldn't stop gloating about him, as a person, how sweet he was, how caring he was, how smart he was.

But, apparently… That's not the Lincoln Loud that I met.

From the moment I saw him, I got struck by a gelid wind, he… was not excited to see me at all.

The few times I was late and I got to interact with him… he didn't seem happy to see me, at all.

But, he was also weird about it.

Sometimes, he would appear friendly.

And he would ask… really weird questions.

"Um, Fernando, I'm just wondering, don't you think that Lola could use a shorter skirt here? I think it could suit her to make a bigger impression on you… a-and the judges, of course hehe"

"Hey, congratulations on the latest performance, she was looking quite sexy, don't you agree?"

"Well, I think it's time for her to open a somefans account, that's a way for her to become more well known, you want me to help you at opening one?"

…I tried to answer politely, reminding him that my approach aimed to be as honest as possible, without resorting to unnecessary sexualization, and that if he wanted to see those changes reflected on her performances, that he should approach corporate to evaluate his ideas.

But for some reason, that only seemed to upset him more…

And I guess, his anger did not fade away when he decided to physically assault me.

On his sister's birthday, no less.

Normal P.O.V.

- … Do you have anything to say to the court, Mr. Loud? -

- …No - Lincoln replied under his breath, struggling to look in the direction of the disparaged coach.

- Would you please provide an explanation to the court for why you made a series of compromising questions to the victim's coach? -

- …I was trying to find clues of him being a child predator - Lincoln admitted, before centering his eyes on Fernando's - …So that I could get rid of him -

- Why did you go as far as to physically assault and later falsely accuse this man of CSM? -

- He… just irritated me, I thought I was certain that he was being a weirdo with my sister, but I couldn't find a single piece of evidence to support my claim… so I had to make one myself -

- Lincoln - Suddenly, interrupting the prosecutor's cross-examination, the voice of the disappointed ex-girlfriend echoed through the room.

- … - Lincoln shifted his attention to her.

- Why didn't you tell me that you were not allowed to see her? -

- Because you would obviously want to know why - He admitted to his ex, twitching an eye.

- And, pray tell, what would be the reason, Mr. Loud? - Benny, taking advantage of the interruption, instigated further - Why would your parents make such a drastic decision? -

- … Because - Lincoln glanced briefly in the direction of his lawyer, calling for help with his pleading eyes.

Lori looked back, full of understanding, and nodded.

- I knew this was going to happen, eventually - He thought to himself, sighing in defeat.

- …Lola Loud developed a precocious crush on me - He confessed, earning the entire room a few gasps.

The jury kept taking notes, exchanging glances at each other.

- …Describe this "precocious crush" - Excited by the revelation, the prosecutor kept pushing for more information.

- What do I need to describe!? - Lincoln exclaimed with clear urgency - T-t-the kissing kind, the "wanting to be my sentimental partner" kind ok? -

A few more moments of silence.

- …So, it really was like that - The first voice to break the silence, was none other than Fernando's

- Looking back to it, it was blatantly obvious - Likewise, the other witness In the scene, Stella, chimed in - But you know what wasn't obvious, Lincoln? - She asked, forcing everyone to pay attention to her.

- Hmm? - Lincoln hummed in anticipation.

- …Why were you so set on getting rid of Fernando? - She asked half-heartedly

- Yes, Lincoln, that's the only thing I wanted to know too, whatever did I do to deserve your mistrust? - And looking back into his own life, the ruined man backed up the question asked by the scholar.

- Because… - Lincoln twitched his eyes, taking a quick glimpse on both his disappointed ex, as well as the man who's life was in the gutter because of him.

Then, his eyes landed on Lori, who reminded him of his lines with a single look.

They came prepared for this.

- …I was concerned over Lola's well being, more than that of any other sister, and the fact that she had a crush on me only amplified my concerns with Fernando, if she had a tendency on getting crushes on older men, how was I supposed to not be insecure in that regard - He said, with clear doubts in his mind, in a gambit to protect his reputation.

- …Well, I guess, from that perspective, it did make sense - Fernando nodded slowly, lowering his head in shame - I just… wish, we could have talked about that further, Lincoln Loud, before the… things that you did to me happened… - He whispered, still with a downward gaze.

- … - Lincoln found no words to alleviate that situation.

But he had one question for the man.

- Um, Fernando? - He asked quietly.

- …Yes? - He replied kindly.

- …Why didn't you press charges against me? - Lincoln let out, what could be considered, one of his biggest questions left unanswered.

- …Because I was above petty revenge, Loud, what happened in the past, stays in the past, I just wanted to focus on moving on -

- Heh -

- What's so funny? - Fernando asked, slightly offended at the hilarity that the man responsible for his fate dared to muster.

- Nothing, sorry - Lincoln scratched the back of his head while returning a smile to the man - It's just that looking back into it, it's not hard to see who the better and stronger man was -

- Huh? - He asked incredulously, raising an eyebrow.

- Let's just say, what you did in less of a week, It took me 5 years, and now that we're both "Sex offenders", I just wanted to say, the floor is even, Mr. Dubois - Lincoln beamed proudly, not taking away his ironic smile - So that's why it's not as hard to say this -

- Say what? -

- …I'm sorry man, for everything, now I know what it feels like to be in the receiving end of this - He finally let out, spilling a few, barely noticeable tears.

- Even thought, unlike you, I'm actually guilty - He thought bitterly.

- … - Fernando was out of words of what to say.

But forgiveness was not a feeling that reigned over him at the moment.

And then, before he could think of anything to say, Benny coughed, making everyone return their attention to him.

- Yes, Mr. Loud certainly seems to also owe a big apology for Mr. Dubois, when the time will come for that? One can only wonder, but right now, I would prefer if we move on with this intervention - He prefaced, as he returned close to the defendant - Because, unbeknownst to both Ms. Zhau and Mr. Dubois, there's a special element that our defendant conveniently forgot to mention, while he so bravely "defended" his "precocious sister" from "predators" -

- And that is? - Lori spoke in behalf of her brother, not taking away her defensive stance.

- Why, the evidence is quite clear, it's in the story! - Benny responded triumphantly, as he pulled his phone to turn the pages.

Then, he turned to face the albino again.

- First, Mr. Loud, is this the part where your sister "confessed her feelings" to you? - He said, while posting to the end of the "Greed"· test.

- …Yes, it was - Lincoln admitted, unable to hide an apparent frown.

- And what did you do about it? - Benny kept asking, also unable to hide a wicked grin.

- I did what a brother was supposed to do - Lincoln wouldn't allow any intimidation to set in.

- Which is? -

- I rejected her and created a safe distance around us - Unflinching, Lincoln gave a straight answer, hoping to get into his opposition's nerves.

- Is that why you told your parents? - Benny remained unaffected.

- …No - At that, Lincoln gazed downward, losing his resistance.

- Huh? Then why was the separation created? -

- I didn't tell my parents about it, in fact, I didn't tell anybody about it - Lincoln confessed, gripping his pants - …Lola did - He hissed under his breath - …That, is how she herself created the separation, just like in the story -

- What? - Stella interrupted the procedure again - But, if she gave up on you, then why-

- Ms. Zhau, the answers will come in due time, allow me to continue - Benny, likewise, interrupted her reaction with apparent impatience.

But soon after, he regained his calm.

- Because, I might be misinterpreting things, I guess Mrs. Santiago will have to correct me on that, but it would seem, that even if DeLola gave up - He said with an eerie serenity, before turning to his rival - Triton didn't - He suddenly opened his eyes wide, alerting the defense.

- Or else, Mr. Loud - He then turned to face the defendant - …Care to explain why "communication" between DeLola and Triton wasn't immediately terminated after the "separation"? - He accused while pointing at him with his finger.

- … - Lincoln began scavenging for an answer.

Ultimately finding none.

- Oh, and also, care to explain to the court what you meant by this line? - Benny didn't finish his attack there, as he pulled his phone to center his attention on a small snippet from the story.

"he longed to see her vibrant blue eyes, her magnificent blonde hair and the shape of her soft lips, he longed for hugging her petite figure, holding her hand until the edge of dawn and caressing her features, he longed for feeling the taste of her soft lips as they collided with his, and for the warm embrace that they would sleep at every night"

- … -

- Your honor - Taking advantage of the silence, the prosecutor turned to face the head judge - Let's solve this hypothetical in your head: Your five year younger sister confessed unambiguous romantic feelings for you, you become the "big brother" of the situation and reject her, she then tells her parents about "said feelings" in order to complete the separation -

- Hmmm? - Judge Theresa listened attentively, while keeping a track of the facts in her head.

- …Wouldn't it be an "unwise" move, not to mention, a "strange" gesture, to continue writing a tale about the actual self-inserts being in love? Furthermore - He said, while pointing with his finger at the accused - How is this description, in anyway, appropriate!? - He raised his voice, while pointing at the snippet of the story.

- …It is indeed, not something I would have done, taking the previous facts into account - Theresa concluded, looking weirdly at the defendant, and then at his lawyer - Mrs. Santiago, you got any explanations? -

- … - Lori tried to avoid eye contact with the head judge - …No, your honor -

- And, how about you, Mr. Loud? - Benny regained the word, looking back at the defendant.

- … -

- Why did you write that? -

- …Because - The white haired man emitted a long sigh, before focusing on the prosecutor.

- I love my sister -

- … -

The jury began looking at each other, confused at the open ended nature of the statement, as some began taking notes, while other reserved the validity of the statement.

- …Just, how much do you love her, Mr. Loud? - Unsatisfied with the answer, Benny continued looking down on the defendant with a renewed frown.

- I love her a lot - He said without a trace of guilt - I love her so much, in fact, that I forgave her attempts at manipulation, and I love her so much, that in order to make her feel less alone, I continued playing along with her game, so even if we were to be physically separated, the story would continue, no matter what - He explained calmly, never taking his eyes away from the prosecutor - And what's wrong with the descriptor anyway? The "Triton" from the story also loves DeLola, I wouldn't just change the narrative, that would be… "inconsistent" -

- … -

- …Mr. Loud - With evident irritation, Benny began placing his arms on his stand, trying to instill intimidation - I figured, it doesn't take a genius to arrive to this conclusion, but telling a little girl in love that you'll "continue" a romantic quest with her, however "fictional" as the setting shall be, will very likely not help on her process to get rid of said feelings - He hissed with renewed ferocity - Are you aware of the damage that you were doing to her with this stupid action? -

- At the time, I wasn't - Lincoln shrugged, not at all opposing the man's argument - But now, I myself admit that it probably wasn't the best idea in hindsight - He admitted with leftover guilt - But I didn't want her to be sad about it, I loved her too much for that -

- Tsk - Benny cursed himself internally for the interchangeability of the word "love", as it worked against him.

- And Mr. Dubois - Before the prosecutor could say anything else, Lincoln targeted his previous "enemy" - I also hope that this reasoning is enough to explain to you why I did what I did, I know I was overprotecting, I know that I was also a manipulative piece of shit, and I know that all of this could have been solved with better communication, so the only thing that I can tell you, is that I hope you can eventually forgive this dumb, impulsive teenager -

Fernando continued avoiding his stare.

- And Stella - Now, Lincoln redirected his attention to his once girlfriend - I also-

- Shut up! - The girl behind the screen snapped, before the albino could finish another "articulated" speech - You… fucking liar - She accused, as a few tears rolled through her eyes -

Theresa considered for a moment to drop the hammer, but something inside told her that something important was going to be revealed throughout the witness' outburst.

- No, Lincoln - After breathing for a moment, the scholar recomposed - Normal brothers don't allow themselves to be manipulated by their sisters, normal brothers don't forgive such a thing so easily, normal brothers don't prioritize a sister over everything else, specially when he knows that his sister has inappropriate feelings for him, normal brothers don't just continue writing a love story after knowing that, normal brothers don't just dump their girlfriends because of some sister drama, normal brothers don't just ignore all of his friends because he became so obsessed with getting rid of an innocent coach that he wouldn't listen to anyone, and most importantly - She took another big breath, looking to calm down - Normal brothers shouldn't be stupidly jealous of a coach taking his brother-complex sister's attention from them -

- … -

- Tell us the truth, Prince Charming - Stella inquired further, twitching one of her eyes.

- … -

- Right, that would actually give us the context required for this "Envy" test, wouldn't you agree, Mr. Loud - Benny, taking advantage of the momentum, chimed in.

- … -

- Ms. Zhau, do you have any compelling evidence to prove that my client displayed jealousy over Mr. Dubois? - Lori, taking the situation as seriously as she could, intervened.

- No, Lori - But Lincoln, of all people, stopped her approach - I think this is some necessary closure that I need with Stella, let us talk - He insisted, before turning to Mrs. Davis - …Would that be ok, you honor? -

And the head judge, invested in the drama, nodded In approval.

- …It's pointless to deny it, the evidence is in the story itself, as Mr. Stein pointed out - He declared with a heavy sigh - Yes, just like how DeLola's test was to get over her evident jealousy to "Lady Priscella", my personal journey was also all about getting over my envy over the privileged situation that "Sir Ferdinand" had on her life -

- …You were jealous of me, Loud? - The first person to reply to his statement, was none other that Fernando himself.

- Yes, Fernando - Lincoln admitted, before turning towards him - I hated the fact that my position as her pageant coach, her advisor, her permanent companion, and… well, her personal knight were no longer mine - He said with difficulty - …They were now yours; I hated the fact that I was so easy to replace, I hated the fact that my help was no longer needed, I hated the fact that Lola seemed to be happy like that… without me, and yes - He then turned around to face the rest of the court.

- Lincoln, wait! - Lori became clearly alerted over what her brother was about to say.

…Sorry, Lori.

- …I hated the fact that my princess was no longer just mine -

A few more gasps resonated through the courtroom, most people on the benches behind contorted their face with agitation.

And the jury continued taking notes.

Using the silence, Lincoln turned to face the TV screen.

- Yes, Stella, you were right - He prefaced, trying to focus on his ex-girlfriend's disgusted face.

- … -

- I was in love with Lola Loud -

- … -

The courtroom remained silent, safe for the snaps taken by a few cameras coming from some media outlets close to the entrance, as well as the sound of pencils on paper coming from the jury stand.

- … Your honor - The prosecutor announced, taking the lead of the situation - I believe no further elaboration is required, the defendant just admitted under oath to having a romantic, and therefore, physical attraction to the victim of this case. This, coupled with his own admission to experiencing fantasies of a sexual kind through "dreams" should be more than enough evidence to give a guilty verdict to the accusations - He concluded, standing proudly in the middle of the room.

- Objection! - Before the situation could get any more out of control, Lori confronted her rival.

And Benny turned around once more, folding his arms while expecting her counter-argument.

- So… it all comes to this - Lori thought to herself, seeing herself in a corner.

Lincoln, you idiot.

- …The charges that my client is being accused of are those of Criminal Sexual Misconduct; this trial is held for the purpose of proving, beyond any reasonable doubt, that explicit sexual contact was stablished between the defendant and the alleged victim, and this is a detail that the prosecution team, as well as the stablished witnesses gathered so far, have been unable to prove - She asserted while retaining her serene attitude - …I will admit that the peculiar sentimental status between my client and the alleged victim is suspicious and conductive to potentially infer that such an event would have taken place - She shrugged, furrowing her brows - …But until the prosecution team can display convincing evidence pointing towards said act, I will remain adamant in the innocence of my client for the charges presented; after all - She took a small breath - …Having said feelings is one thing, and acting upon them is another - She concluded, while stealing a quick glimpse at her goth sister, who nodded in approval.

Judge Theresa remained conflicted, the idea of a brother and a sister having clear romantic feelings for each other was not sitting well with her.

Her respect, and her sympathy for the defendant were out of the window.

- …Objection sustained - Nonetheless, she gave validity to Lori's argument.

Meanwhile, the jury began kept taking notes.

- …Ms. Zhau - Lori then confronted the affected woman - Were you at some point a direct witness of any sexual acts that my client may have committed against the alleged victim.

- …No - She admitted with a downward gaze.

- And Mr. Dubois, do you have any further statements to make in regards to the relationship between my client and the alleged victim? -

- No -

- …Then, your honor - She recomposed, standing up and heading to the center of the courtroom - While I would like to disregard the witnesses' verifiable stance against my client, as a personal vendetta could be taking place, I will admit the testimony as valid evidence towards the case - She stated with difficulty - …Even then, I want to remind all of you that during this period of mutual awareness of Lincoln and Lola's feelings for each other, neither of the two made an effort to break the arrangement made by our parents, during this entire period described by the witnesses, I can ascertain that they never had any form of physical contact - She stated in no uncertain terms, standing firmly.

- … -

- …Mr. Dubois, you're dismissed - Without so much as a direct reply, Benny released the fallen worker from his duty in the witness stand.

To which Fernando complied without question.

After the witness stand had been cleared (and deodorized), he turned one more time to the TV and made a single question to his witness.

- Stay a little bit longer Ms. Zhau - He ordered, to which the girl simply complied.

Then, he turned back to face his rival.

- I have no grounds to undermine Mrs. Santiago's assertion. All the evidence gathered for the case seems to point out that the defendant did indeed successfully avoid contact with Lola Loud within the described period - He admitted with an unprofessional shrug - However, I would like to once again move forward with this intriguing "fairytale" - he said calmly, as he directed himself to the defendant's stand - For we need to talk about the events that occurred after this "separation" period concluded - He remarked while smirking sheepishly at Lincoln - More interestingly, this period seems to coincide directly with whatever this "Lust" test entailed - Benny teased, as he turned to face the judge - Because, let's be real, this is probably the "Sin" that everyone in this courtroom is most particularly "intrigued" about, after all, why would a brother and a sister dance around such a intimate "subject"? -

Lori remained fixated on the ex-clown, looking uncomfortably at the pressure being placed on her brother.

- So, Mr. Loud, let's start with the basics - Benny remained fixated on the accused, leaning forward with exceeding confidence - When was this "restriction" abolished? -

Lincoln decided to keep a straight face, mentally prepared for the interrogation round.

- It was on the late hours of Christmas Eve, December 24th of 2020 - He answered sincerely.

- And, given the more unnerving facts that we now know about you and your sister, what convinced your parents to "ease up" the restrictions? - He teased further, never taking off his shit eating grin.

And perhaps, to the astonishment of the prosecutor, and the entirety of the jury, Lincoln smiled back at his opposition.

- …Because Lola Loud decided to rebuild her relationship with me, as brother and sister -

- … -

The jury kept taking notes.

- …What do you mean by "rebuilding her relationship" - The prosecutor inquired with apparent annoyance.

- Exactly what it means, Mr. Stein - Lincoln reaffirmed his stance, as he turned to look at his "audience" - It's true that she had a crush on me… But, Lola Loud declared to our family that she understood her mistake by trying to monopolize my attention, and tried her hardest to "get over me", she confessed that she had given up in her pursuit of me as a boyfriend and that she wanted to go back to just being brother and sister -

- … -

- And my sisters and parents took her word, which is what allowed them to trust us and to hang out again - Lincoln stated frankly - And just so you know, prosecutor stein, yes, I was still in love with her during that period, but… - He closed his eyes and took a deep breath - I would have never done something to her that she didn't want! -

A few more moments of silence occurred in the courtroom, as the only sounds being heard were those of notes being taken by the jury.

And as Benny prepared his counter argument, another voiced raised enough for the procedure to be disrupted.

- And, is "holding your hand like a girlfriend in the middle of the mall" something that your "reformed" sister wanted, Lincoln? - Despite her position, Stella interrupted with yet another question.

Judge Theresa decided to allow the exchange.

- … - Both Lincoln and Lori remained on guard over the inflammatory statement.

- … -

- …Look, Stella - After a quick sigh, Lincoln decided to confront his ex one last time - Our communication was non-existent during that period, so I can't expect you to understand all the details - He emitted another exasperated huff - …But know this: During that… awful period of time, Lola was isolated from the world, treated as a mentally ill freak by her very own family and even physically assaulted by her twin sister, so, regardless of how she felt around me, one thing was for certain, and is that she needed some normalcy in her life - He concluded, visibly glaring at his judgmental ex-partner - Because of her earlier… obsession with me, she didn't really know how to properly bond with her brother, so she really wasn't able to differentiate a proper "family" hold from a "couple" hold - He closed his eyes tight, remembering bitter memories, before opening them again - But that didn't mean that I wasn't going to be there for her, I, as her big brother, would have done everything to make her feel "normal" again, even if my own feelings around it were conflicted -

- … - Stella remained wary of his confession.

- Whatever you think you saw that time at the mall, we could have solved it as friends, I was ready to speak to you and the others, I was ready to admit that my judgement of Liam was excessive, I was ready to apologize to you! - He exclaimed with leftover frustration - But… you didn't let me, none of you guys did - He began lowering the tone of his voice, as his gaze turned to the floor - …I would have liked to have a word with you, honestly, before you… Accused me with my parents -

And to that, even the scorned woman had to avoid eye contact.

But the silence wouldn't last that long.

- …Ms. Zhau has got nothing to apologize to you, Mr. Loud - Benny halted the couple argument, intervening into the discussion himself - After all, I'm exceedingly certain that she had more than enough solid bases to voice her suspicions to your parents - He stated calmly - It's only natural, you have to be overly cautious when dealing with dishonest criminals - He exclaimed, mildly upset at the accused's speech - Though, I'm quite impressed, Loud, your ability to waive and deflect accusation without explicit lies is quite admirable, which should probably be expected from the Ex-CEO of Orangextrade -

- … - Lincoln remained wary of his next lines.

Then, as if instinctively called by her husband to provide the killing blow, the plaintiff herself raised her voice for the first time since the trial began.

- Benny dear, don't you think it's time to stop playing with your food? - She directed her words at her husband, entangling her fingers with a wicked grin.

And the prosecutor couldn't help but to blush timidly, scratching the back of his head.

- I'm sorry cutiepie - Benny whispered shyly.

But as he regained his confident smile, he headed over to the judge stand, holding his arms behind his back.

- Your honor, I hope the information acquired through the witness testimony all over the duration of this trial has served as a… proper introduction to everything that this case entails - He stated objectively - I also hope that having a deeper understanding on both the victim and the defendant's mindstate will disprove any and all further attempts by the defense at undermining the evidence that I'm about to present - He confided with full confidence, as he then turned to face the jury - Mr. Loud is a self-admitted incestuous pedophile, and his predatory preferences were easily uncovered by what little witness testimony outside of his complicit family we were able to obtain - He accused without fear - And now, I want you to hear with your own ears what my client, Luan Stein, was able to record about his supposed "brotherly care" -

At last, the moment that Lori Loud had been waiting for was about to unfold.

Without further interruptions, Benny extracted a tape from his pocket, and headed over to the VHS player in the middle of the room.

- Here goes nothing - Lori sighed, as she decided to tackle the hardest case she's ever had with her biggest weapon yet.

- OBJECTION! - She jumped from her uncomfortable desk, before the prosecutor could insert the tape.

Benny halted his progress and turned his attention to his rival.

- The tape that my… sister, Mrs. Luan Stein, recorded on May 30th of 2021, which was my brother's 16th birthday, was taken on a closed, private space without the authorization of any of the consenting parties - She stated confidently.

- …Therefore? - Benny answered with indignation.

- Therefore - Lori turned her attention to Mrs. Davis - Your Honor, I respectfully submit that the prosecution should not be allowed to use the illegal recording as evidence in this trial for several compelling reasons rooted in Michigan law, Section 750.539d -

Please work!

- First, these recordings are a violation against the fourth amendment, which contains protections that extend to private conversations where individuals have a reasonable expectation of privacy. This recording was made without proper authorization, and its use as evidence would be tantamount to condoning an unlawful intrusion into the defendant's privacy - She exclaimed, before taking a small breath - Second, the Exclusionary Rule in Michigan, which prohibits the use of evidence obtained through illegal means, ergo, allowing this illegally obtained recording as evidence would undermine the fundamental principles of fairness and justice that our legal system is built upon - She said while glancing over the doubtful look of the head judge - …Third, Invasion of Privacy: This illegal recording not only violated the Fourth Amendment but also infringed upon the defendants' right to privacy under Michigan law. Allowing such evidence would set a dangerous precedent, condoning the violation of individuals' rights in our state - She took another deep breath, as the looks of the suspicion remained - and finally: Chain of Custody Concerns: There are serious concerns surrounding this recording. We cannot be certain of its authenticity or whether it has been tampered with in any way. Admitting it as evidence without proper authentication could lead to a miscarriage of justice - She added with sufficient confidence, as she turned around to confront her sister directly - And I want to emphasize that last point because Mrs. Stein was very aware of the importance of asking for consent of a third party on the recording of footage for her prank videos, so no matter what they have to comment on the tape, without submitting it as previous evidence to the court records, it can't be taken as anything more than illegally obtained knowledge that should never see the light of day in a serious trial -

- … -

- O-OBJECTION! - After a few moments of silence, and seeing the look of disapproval in Mrs. Davis face soften a little, Benny began checking through his documents.

Because as much as he hated to get to this point, he was also aware of the dubious origins of the evidence that his wife provided him.

And he was also prepared for this.

-Your Honor… while the defense has raised… valid concerns about the legality of the recording, we firmly believe that the recording in question is essential to establishing the guilt of the defendant and ensuring justice in this case. We respectfully submit the following points in favor of admitting the evidence - He continued with a deadpan tone, unable to retire his confronting glare to the lawyer of the case.

Judge Theresa leaned forward, heavily invested in the case.

- First, Relevance to the case, for the illegal recording captures a crucial conversation and a particularly revealing intimate behavior between the defendant and the victim, therefore, not only is the content of the recording relevant to the case, it is central to unmasking the defendant, Lincoln Loud, as guilty, beyond any reasonable doubt; we at the prosecution guarantee the validity of the tape - He stated while gulping slightly, focused on the documents - Second, Probative Value, because, as stated before, this piece of evidence is crucial to directly implicate the defendant in the commission of the alleged crime, Excluding it would deprive the court and the jury of critical information necessary to determine the truth - He assessed, gaining confidence as he continued with his arguments - Third, Exigent Circumstances, because even in the case of illegality, a recording that is critical to prevent further harm on our victim may overrule the extend of the exclusionary rule, and we as the prosecution have been able to establish beyond any reasonable doubt that the defendant is sexually attracted to his sister, so we believe that there are exigent circumstances in place - He began relaxing, as the urgency in his voice diminished - And finally, because of the reasons above, we kindly ask that your honor, as well as the honorable jury, perform a Balancing test, because, if the weigh of the probative value of the evidence is higher than its prejudicial effect, which we believe to be the case, then the court should admit the evidence, even if it was illegally obtained, to ensure a fair trial -

As soon as he was done reciting the content of his legal documents, Benny threw a deceptive glance at his rival, then quickly redirected his attention to the head judge.

Mrs. Davis also glanced briefly at the expectant glares of both the prosecution and the defense, unsure of how to proceed.

- … - Biting her lip, she shifted her focus to the defendant himself, as he tried his hardest to emit a serene smile on the witness stand.

The kid that saved her town once.

The kid that was beloved by all of Royal Woods.

The kid that simply vanished one day, leaving a broken family behind.

And now, the man that came back…

…As an incestuous pedophile.

She immediately let go of the thoughts, as the assigned judge of the case, she had to be as objective as possible to ensure a fair trial, no emotional weight behind allowed, but given that both the defense and the prosecutor made equally valid points, she remained unsure of what to do.

She then thought of her dear daughters, of what she would do if they were victims of a disgusting predator.

…But then again… her daughters weren't as problematic as Lola Loud.

- … -

The expectant stares, and the sweat emanating from both Lori and Benny as they looked at each other with a clear defiant attitude, were filling the room with heart-stopping tension.

- … -

- …I'll allow it -

- Fuck! - Lori whispered to herself, grabbing her head and looking at the floor, droplets of sweat staining her stand.

- A most reasonable decision, your honor, the victim, as well as the prosecution team would like to express our immense gratitude for ensuring that the truth is known - Benny beamed with Glee, as he headed over to the VHS recorder, ready to introduce the tape.

- HOLD IT! -

- … -

- …Sorry, I always wanted to say that - Lincoln spoke from his stand with nonchalant hilarity, remembering a videogame series that he played one day - I just wanted to say something before you play that tape, Mr. Stein - He prefaced while retracting to a serious expression - …Your honor, may I speak to my lawyer? - He politely referred to Mrs. Davis.

- …You may - She agreed, curious of his interruption.

- Thanks! - He expressed kindly, before turning to his sister - …Lori, I want to thank you for everything you've done for me so far in this trial, you're an amazing lawyer and I'm really proud of having you as my sister! - Lincoln stated merrily, before sighing uncomfortably - …But I think, I want to go out on my own terms, before any other piece of evidence comes to further destroy my sister's reputation, and let's be honest, we both know there's not much else to say once the court listens to that tape -

- …Lincoln - Lori, recently recovered from wallowing in grief at her failure, decided to direct her attention at her client - Please, little bro, let me come up with something-

- No need to sis, I think you already did everything you could as a lawyer while adhering to the law - Lincoln interrupted his sister, as he then turned to the head judge - …Your honor, I think I have allowed this trial to go on for too long, as every new witness and piece of evidence that comes out just keeps tainting the name of my family further - He stated with guilt - …So I've come to the conclusion that I will confess to everything from my side of things so that we can reach a verdict before allowing any more embarrassing moments for my sister and the rest of my family leak to the public - The white haired man explained with disdain.

- Lincoln, please! - Overwhelmed by the disposition that her brother gained, Lori stepped in - Remember the promise that you made to Lola! - She exclaimed, not caring of whatever the court could think by a "promise".

- Lori… - Lincoln turned around to look at his sister with a resigned smile - I'm sorry, but I can't take this anymore… The reason I accepted to be here, was because I thought it would be the only way to clear everyone in my family - He admitted with melancholy - But… by avoiding my own accountability here, the blame just keeps shifting more and more towards you guys, and I just don't like that! - He exclaimed with exasperation - It was because of this… insincerity… that we lost Lynn, and also our dad - He said, while stealing a quick glimpse to his altered ex-comedian sister - And I just want to close this cycle, before it gets you in trouble as well -

Feeling targeted by his last set of words, Luan started bitting her lip.

And Lori also found herself unable to respond, Lincoln quietly headed over to the stand of the head judge, resigned to meet his fate, ignoring the prosecutor on his side, which had become paralyzed as he processed the words of the accused, with the tape just a few inches away from being introduced in the player.

- Your honor, I'd like to confess that I-

*SMACK*

The doors leading to the courtroom flung open, emitting a strenuous sound.

Everyone turned to pay attention to the intruder.

- YO STINKOLN, THINK FAST! -

A rowdy voice was heard from the entrance.

And soon after, some people became alerted of a soccer ball that flew over to where Lincoln was located

But the ball slightly missed him, instead colliding with Benny's hand.

Shattering the tape in pieces.

Author's Notes: I'm back! I swear I'm not dead, I can also thankfully confirm I was not kidnapped either, things were just getting a little heavy on my personal life side of things and I deeply apologize to you guys for the delay, but here goes, we're actually doing this, the final struggle, which is against the law itself, what will the verdict be? Come speculate with me as we reach the final point of this story!

Firstly, I would like to dedicate this chapter to Fantastical Redeemer for their excellent feedback and for their kindness and commitment to beta-reading this chapter, thanks for everything, I hope you'll be around for the next set of chapters, I'll continue crediting your invaluable assistance!

Now, for the reviews:

SuperLuigiFan18: Wow, really? I feel flattered that you think of this story in such high terms, this is inspiring me to do my best effort into ensuring that the trial provides closure to all the questions I raised in this fic and that it remains intriguing and entertaining!

tjdunkley05: Lola made her choice, and she seems quite satisfied with it, but it's always hard for ol' Linc to get rid of his protective behavior and heroic tendencies towards her, good thing she essentially forced him to think of himself selfishly, things could have gone way worse for him in this trial had he denied her involvement in this chaos! Glad to know you liked the interaction between the two and I hope the rest of the story can deliver on Lola's promise.