When You're Broken On The Ground

Chapter 28

Trigger Warnings: court case

Word Count: 1004

An intern walks up to the group right as Logan loses his bishop to Dee. They were playing chess on Logan's tablet, the others watching or on their phones. "The jury is done, you can come back in."

With a few nervous glances they pack up their stuff and follow the intern. They lead them back to the courtroom, opening the doors for the family to walk through. 

"It's going to be okay," Patton whispers. "They're innocent so they will be cleared of all charges. It's going to be okay." Virgil knows Patton's saying to himself but because they're all grouped in close he can hear Patton's small pep talk. He squeezes Roman's hand tightly, reminding himself silently that his fiancé is right there next to him and it's going to be okay.

In they walk, Virgil glancing around to see the prosecution already there and smirking to themselves. His stomach rolls at the image and had to force himself to keep moving, to keep walking next to Roman and into the bench rows. Neither the judge nor the jury is in yet.

Dee, Remus, and Logan separate from the group and walk up to their seats. Roman has to gently apply pressure to his shoulders to remind him to take a seat on the bench behind him, eyes flitting from Dee to Remus to Roman next to him. Dee's like a older brother to him, an older brother by a couple months but an older brother none the less. And Remus.... both have seen the other at their worst and to have made it from high school punks, to have become as successful at such a relatively young age compared to most, this can't be where it stops. Their luck can't have run out now.

The jury filter in through the door behind the judge's chair, then they all rise, Roman having to tug him slightly to get him to humbly follow. Then the judge is walking in and sitting and they're back to sitting too.

A bang of the gravel shocks Virgil back to himself a bit, enough that he can hear the judge say, "I call the court to order." 

He glances over at the prosecution, the men smirking as if they've already won. Roman squeezes his hand, causing Virgil to look to his fiancé. His face is open and warm, understanding glinting in his eyes. Virgil remembers to breath.

"Misters Líar and Duke," the judge begins, all focus turning to her, "the court finds you not guilty of any charges." Instantly, there's screaming and Virgil's standing now and hugging Roman as Roman cheers and waves of joy roll over Virgil, drowning any other emotions in its haze of warmth. "Court dismissed!" she yells above the cheers.

Immediately, they family is rushing out of the row they're in and racing towards the others. Virgil grabs Remus first as Roman does the same. From the corner of his eye he can see Patton and Thomas knock over Dee, Remy looking on while Logan walks over to shake hands with the other side, professional as ever.

"Alright alright, I love you too," Remus' muffled voice grumbles. "Get off me."

"Wow, such a way with words," Virgil fires back with no heat.

"Yeah yeah, whatever emo, I wanna see my corn snake."

Virgil lets go and looks down at the floor which is where Dee is laying, a sobbing Patton hugging the death out of him and a sheepish Thomas trying to help him up. "Good luck getting him."

"Oi, Ro, get off."

"Nooooooo," Roman whines. "You almost went to jail today, I'm not letting go."

"Roooooomannnnn, let gooooooo."

Thomas finally helps Dee up, Patton still kola'd around his twin. "Pat? I'm okay Pat," Dee says.

"Nope," is his only response.

Virgil snorts at Dee's heavy sigh. "But Pattycake, Remus needs your hugs too."

A long sigh from Patton. "I knowwwww, but I want to hug youuuu."

"C'mon Pat, I can't hold you up forever."

Another sigh but Patton does let go and latch on to Remus instead. 

Eventually, after unlatching Patton and Roman from a complaining Remus and thanking the judge, the family heads out. Dee and Virgil hang back to grab something from the vending machine while the others talk. "So, how's it feel to be a free man?" Virgil asks as he eyes up the pitiful collection of food inside the machine.

Dee cackles, ordering two trail mixes. "Good," he replies easily. "Let's ignore that fact that I'm wanted dead in North Korea and that Remus is banned from three states though."

Virgil snorts, deciding on a pack of minty gum. "You're only wanted dead because you supposedly "accidentally" wandered in on to a nuclear rocket testing site."

"It was an accident!" Dee insists, laughing as he collects his food. 

"You walked into the control room asking for the bathroom in Mandarin!" Virgil grabs his gum and they start walking towards the front.

"I thought it was a monument place! And how was I supposed to know that none of them knew Mandarin?!"

"You're Dee, of course you knew."

"Untrue!"

"Uhuh, and Remus don't want an octopus named Dave."

"Hey!"

"By the way, I thought it was five states Remus was banned in."

"Montana and New Mexico lifted his ban."

"Oh nice, how long will that last?"

"I'm hoping to go to Europe with him soon, so maybe a year?"

"Better than Oklahoma's run."

"True."

They rejoin the others, in a group by their cars. "So, who wants to celebrate?" Roman declares.

"We're going to anyway, I don't see why we need to agree that we are," Logan mutters. 

"Because it's nice to ask," Roman snaps back.

"If you give us a couple hours, we could host," Dee offers. 

"Sure, I'm free," Thomas says. The others agree quickly.

"Great, come over at say, 5 or 6? We'll have champagne and dinner."

"Awesome!" 

They split after that, each driving off back home or to work.