At this point, I don't really think it's necessary for me to tell you what my day is going to consist of. At this point, my life consists of the trial. Even if what I'm doing at the exact moment isn't in the courthouse, it's pretty consistently on my mind.

At this moment, we were getting ready to go into the courthouse. Will and I were in the bathroom, and I was basically sweating bullets. I'm not someone who is usually on the right side of the law. I'm either getting in trouble for robbing a drugstore and keying someone's car. I've never had to go to court for any of that stuff, in all honesty, my record may even be clean. Considering I never cooperated with the authorities, I don't even think they got my name. Still, it was scary.

"You're gonna do fine, stop worrying," Will laughed at my misery as a leaned against the sink. "Try not to think about it too much,"

"Have you even met me?" I asked, to which he just laughed again. I turned towards him, my face in the midst of panic. "I'm a felon, I've literally broke the law, what if they call my name and they realize I'm the guy that robbed that Gas Station a handful of years ago,"

"The one on eighth?" Will asked, his voice shocked and hushed.

"Yes, the one on eighth,"

"That was you?" Will's voice was shocked. "Wow," He said. "I'm dating the guy who robbed the Shell on Eighth," He let that sit. "I'm dating a felon, what else did you do?" He asked, almost excitedly.

"What? This is serious and it's not really that funny, because now I'm going to go to prison for all the awful things I've done! And now the courts going to send me to the jailhouse- and can you imagine how I would be in prison. I have almost no backbone! I'd be passed around like some-"

"Ah!" Will interrupted. "I beg you to not finish that sentence,"

"Fine, but all I'm saying is if they have my history of stealing cars and hot cheetos from gas stations, I might actually lower the chances of winning because they'll think you regularly hang out with people that make poor decisions,"

Will chuckled. "You stole hot cheetos? I expected it to be something worse, like alcohol or something-"

"I mean I did, but the one on eighth was hot cheetos and soda,"

"Everyday I learn something new about you,"

I shrugged. "I'm an interesting person, but once again, that's not the point, I'm going to be arrested. This is my final goodbye, tell your mother she was sweet to me, tell the twins I'll miss them,"

"Drama Queen,. listen, you're going to do fine, I doubt they're looking for the guy who robbed a gas station a few years ago for Hot cheetos and Dr. Pepper today, I wouldn't worry, okay?"

"How'd you know it was Dr. Pepper?"

"Because it's all you drink, besides coffee,"

"Oh my God, you know me so well,"

"You're stupid," Will said.

"You're dumb,"

"I know," He smiled. I turned back towards the mirror and took a deep breath. "I can do this,"

"You can do this,"

"Let's go," I said, making my way towards the door.

"Well, not yet," Will said, interrupting my epic march towards justice. "We've still got like twenty minutes,"

"Oh, well I'll do it then,"

Will just laughed and then we started to talk about other things.

//

"Nico di Angelo," Came a cold voice. "We're ready to hear your statement now, if you would please step up to the stand," I felt Will squeeze my hand one last time as I got up. He whispered: "You got this," And I had enough time to look back at him, knowing my eyes probably looked showed all the nerves I was feeling. I knew I was being the slightest bit dramatic. I wasn't going in front of a crowd of people to be hung or anything, but I already wasn't good at talking to people.

Not to mention I wasn't really sure what to do when they asked me about putting my hand on the Bible and promising to God and all that, considering I'm not exactly a 'God-fearing' man. I'm sure if I said something prior there was an alternative, but considering I wasn't lying, and I don't exactly have it stated that I'm not religious anywhere that it should be fine? Probably.

After the whole "Promising to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth" spill, I stood at the little podium they told me to, and waited for them to ask me questions. So, here's how it was gonna work, Joanne, the Lawyer on our side, was asking me the questions, which didn't make sense because I told her everything already, and when I expressed these concerns to her, she simply said 'that's how the court went' So obviously I was gonna listen to her. She was the one who had been doing it for years, not me.

When I further pestered she realized she's gonna help make me say the evidence that the Jury can understand, since she technically could just put anything on paper and say what happened.

"Mister, di Angelo, Nico, can I call you Nico?" She asked, acting as if we were having a conversation, but one that was being live streamed. She watched what she said and she had on a show voice. Almost similar to when we were just conversing amongst ourselves, except she thought about her words before she said them. When we were just us, without a Jury and Judge, she would talk serious, and quick.

"Yes, ma'am,"

"Okay, Nico, can you tell me your relation to the Solace Family?"

"Family Friend," I was told to say that. Asked, actually. Unfortunately not everyone in the Jury was cool with the Homo thing, Joanne had lost cases from the Jury being ignorant and thinking how the thinking of someone with such "desires" could only be delusional. And the sad thing was, we lived in a more libral area. So, in conclusion, I was a family friend.

"How long have you known the Solace family?"

"I've known Will for a little over a year when we became roommates, and met Naomi and the twins a few months later,"

"How'd you meet Will?"

"I needed a roommate, and he was the best fit,"

"What would you say qualified him?" She asked. Now, what I'm about to say, you're going to gasp and say 'Awh, really you knew that just by having one conversation with him?' No. In all honestly he became my roommate because out of everyone, he seemed the best out of all of them, but Joanne said this was to list some good qualities about him, which means Naomi raised him well, all while being alone, and etc etc.

"He showed-" I mean, I'm glad I didn't laugh while saying this. Yes, he was all these things, but why did I have to say it in front of everyone? "-Kindness from the second I started talking to him, he proved himself to be honest, and most importantly, he wanted to see the best in people,"

"So Will's a good guy?"

"I'd say so, yes,"

"What would you say about his relationship with his family is like?" She asked, her voice calm. I have no clue how she was managing the calm demeanor considering she had to rely on me for half of this plan to work.

"In short, I'd have to say he's a Mama's boy," I said, a small smile forming on my face. "Very close to his mother, and loves her very much. And the same goes for the twins, I can't imagine anyone loving anyone as much as he loves his family,"

"Do you know the name of the twins?"

"Yes, Ma'am,"

"And they are?"

"Athena and Artemis,"

"Full names?"

"Athena May Boyce-Solace. Artemis Clara Boyce-Solace," (a/n: im going back and editing due to the fact im big dumb and have changed they're name on multiple accounts pls dont hurt me thnx im working on this thing called organization)

"Will, Artemis and Athena, they're half-siblings, correct?"

"Yes ma'am, they are,"

"Same mother, different fathers?"

"Correct,"

"From what you can see, how's Will's relationship with the girl's father, Tim," Joanna asked. See, I know you're thinking "Wow, you're really about to expose his Daddy Issues, aren't ya?" And the short answer's yes, but I have his permission. This was all planned out. When I get questioned by Tim's lawyers, then I'm really going to be sweating bullets.

"He moved out at 18, and prior had only known Tim for a few months before, and they really weren't all that close during his time in the house with Tim,"

"Earlier, you said he moved in with you a year and a handful of months ago, correct?"

"That's correct,"

"Do you know where he was living between the age of 18, to moving in with you?"

"I do, he was living with a friend from highschool, along with her boyfriend,"

"Why'd he move out? If you know,"

"I do, he moved out because they were getting more serious,"

"You know a lot about him don't you?"

"I'd say so yes," It was feeling more natural now. Everything was flowing better. It was just how we rehearsed, which is apparently how it always is I had no idea. Legal Documentaries are ruined for me now.

"Has he ever broken an arm?"

"Yes. and his foot,"

"Together or different times?"

"Different times, Arm when he was seven, foot when he was 12,"

"What did he want to be when he was younger?"

"Astronaut Surgeon. He wanted to save the innocent aliens that were harmed in the intergalactic wars,"

"What does he want to be now?"

"He's got an internship at a hospital, to become a nurse,"

Part of this bit was to answer the questions quickly, to prove I knew a lot about him. To prove I was a ""family friend""

"Objection," Tim's lawyer chimed in. "Unrelated,"

"I'm getting there," Joanna responded sharply.

"Overruled," The judge said, and I saw the newly-developed tension evaporate from her shoulders.

"Thank you, so you know a lot about Will, only naturally so, considering you have been living together for around two years, but how close would you say you are with Naomi?"

"Decently so,"

"What do you know about her, her family life? Job? Skills,"

"She was adopted by her grandparents, she's a florist and a great painter if I had to pick one,"

"Fair deal, the twins, what do you know about them?"

"Athena wants to be a Librarian, Artemis wants to be an Army Princess. They were born in April, they'll be starting school in a few months. Artemis claims she doesn't like chicken, but will never turn down nuggets at Wendy's and Athena like apple juice more than grape. Just to name a few,"

"They seem sweet,"

"They really are,"

"How do the twins act around you? Would you say they act themselves around you,"

"Yes," I nodded. I spent so much time with them, especially of late.

"Have you seen the twins interact with Tim?"

"I have, yes, ma'am," I knew what was coming yet, as I said, court cases, scripted.. for the most part. So I knew what was next, but it was easier to talk about my relations with the Solace family.. it was a lot harder once his name was mentioned.

"Do they act any different, when they're with him?"

I nodded my head. "Quieter," I thought back to that day in the hospital. The words of Artemis hoping her own dad wouldn't come back echoing in my ears. "Not near as much smiles or bright laughs... it's crazy how they can go from one way to another when he's in the room,"

Joanne nods. She turns to the crowd. "His own children, are somehow finding," She turns to the judge. "Uneasy to be with their father. Children, especially this young, are the embodiment of innocence. They want the world to be how it's written in the books. Perfect. Cookie-Cutter. And even them, are getting this emotion-altering feeling, from their own father. Oh, but his mistreatment of the twins is just the start of it, sir," She looked back at me. "Nico, tell me about Mason,"

Oof.

"Mason is Tim's son,"

"Tim and Naomi's?"

"No, Ma'am, Tim's and Sydney's,"

"So he has a whole other family, and if he spends most his time here, with the girls and Naomi, when is he with Mason, do you know?"

I nodded. "Yes. He goes on plently of business trips, and I've been informed when he's over at Naomi's, Sydney is under the impression he's somewhere for work,"

"Where does he claim he works? If you know,"

"I actually don't know, no one really knows. He's never named a company, or a reason for the trip. He just has one,"

Joanne turned towards the crowd, the judge, and the crowd again. "A liar, and a bad one at that, can't even get his whole story straight," She looked at me again. "Tell me Nico, you were there when Naomi was in surgery, correct?"

"Correct,"

"And why was that?"

"I had driven Will to the hospital,"

"When you got there, what happened?"

I took a deep breath. "Tim's expression was, for lack of better words, so disgusting. His two daughters were next to him, in the next seat, crying. They were scared and worried. Their mother had just gotten hurt, so clearly they were confused and scared. Then you'd look at Tim's face and he seemed so disinterested in being there. He acted as he was waiting on his food order to be delivered to him in a restaurant, not like he was waiting for his wife to come out the hospital,"

"There was a fight?"

"Yes, Will and Tim,"

"What provoked it?"

"When Will asked what had been going on, Tim had gotten violent- name calling and snappy, not even giving Will, Naomi's son, the time of day,"

"One last thing before everything's covered, for the most part anyway,"

I took a deep breath.

"Do you mind, lifting up your shirt a little," I nodded, taking a shaky breath, and stepping out from behind the podium. I pulled out my tucked shirt, and then pulled it up just enough to show my new scar. A bullet wound.

"Who have that to you, Nico?"

"Tim,"

"When?"

"I had..." I looked at Will and noticed he was also not clearly excited to relive everything I just had said. And he also didn't look like he was excited to relive what I was about to say next. "... Just walked out of a gas station, and I ran into Will. He was filling up his truck with gas," Breathe Nico... "And, he was walking into the store I was walking out of, he had to pay for the gas inside," Just breathe. "So, he can't see what's going on behind him, but I have a pretty good view," Breathe. "So, when I saw a familiar figure, which as they slowly approached closer, I noticed it was Tim, I remained calm. I didn't want to alarm Will, and once I saw the gun in the man's hand, I knew what Tim was here to do. I.. I didn't want Will to freak out, and then Tim freak out, and try and shoot him from the distance he was already at. I let Tim get closer as I carried on conversation with Will,"

"How close was he?"

"He was at the pumps and we were just right outside the door. And I see him aiming the gun, and I knew I had to push Will out of the way at the right exact time. At this point it was almost the only thing my brain could rationalize. Even though, looking back on it, other options may have been possible. Nonetheless, I see him aim, and push Will out of the way as soon as Tim rests his hands on the trigger for a few seconds.. Unfortunately for me, I pushed him, and the way things turned out, I ended up in the line of fire," I took another breath. "So, Tim wasn't planning on shooting me. He was planning on killing Will. As some type of revenge for fighting him in the hospital."

"Okay, thank you Nico," Joanne said as she started packing up her brief case of papers. She sat down next to Naomi, while I had to stay at the podium. My shirt was now untucked and I felt like that was bad. No one could see it, but it just made me feel unprofessional.

The judge swung his silly hammer thing. "We will reconvene after a short recess," I took yet another shaky breath as I tried to get off the podium without falling straight on my face. As soon as I got through the gate between the crowd and the judges, I was greeted with Will, the twins, and Mason. Joanna was speaking to Sydney and Naomi. "You did great, like I said you would," Will smiled, but I could tell he was uneasy. We kinda just openly talked about the crazy shit that went down in that last half year in front of a crowd of people. 

We all slowly walked out of the courtroom to get some fresh air, but it was hard to focus. In a matter of minutes, I'd be standing at that podium, but this time, we'd have no scripted points to bounce off of. I'd be getting questioned by Tim's Lawyer.

]\\\\\\

eeeeek im rly sorry but ndfjskgbjkdshfjkdbaf, i wanna write the trial but its so hard to write bc i know nothing about trial stuff and im rdy for this lil section to be over and then it gets to the good partttttttttttt (at elast to write anywayyyyyy)

-RF