FicWad

Panting and trying to adjust our clothes, we rush into a small alcove outside the courtroom to meet with our attorney. It’ some guy Geoff knows whose apparently good at the Law Game, and he agreed to argue our case after hearing Gee’s side of the story. He’s brushing back his light hair and straightening out his suit jacket in front of mirror, a leather brief case and a stack of papers lying next to his feet. I clear my throat and approach him slowly, “Umm… are you the guy we hired?” I ask, trying not to sound stupid or timid.

He turns, his piercing blue eyes giving me a quick double-take before he holds out a thick forearm, “Bob Bryar. Geoff just called and said you’d meet me here.”

I nod quickly and look over at Gee, who is cradling his arm and looking about ready to shit himself in fear. I shift my weight and sit down in a nearby chair, “So, uhh, is there anything we have to do before this gets started?”

Bob blinks and picks up his briefcase, pulling out a blue paper satchel with Gee’s name scribbled across the front, “I need a witness statement from both you, and you need to sign a waiver.”

I stare down at the onyx pen he’s pulled out of his pocket and handed me along with a ream of paper, “Waiver for what?” I question, reading over the tiny, indecipherable text.

“Standard Legal Practice. Basically it says that you agree to let me represent you and agree to the outcome of this case,” he explains quickly, sitting across from me in a nasty looking office chair.

Gee and I sign the papers somewhat reluctantly, keeping a wary eye as a line of jurors begins to file into the room, whispering and gabbing amongst themselves. Not too long after, there’s a bit of a commotion, and a pair of police officers walk in, along with Frank and some hotshot lawyer who could have easily been a part time male model/douche bag. Frank has his hair slicked back into an almost perfect coiffure, and with his suit, he has the appearance of a mob boss. His lawyer his chatting away into a cell phone, shooting both Gee and I dark looks before slinking into the courtroom, Frank following behind with a smug grin on his face. Bob clears his throat and gathers up the papers and places them neatly back into his brief case, “You guys ready to go in?”

Gee nods shakily, still keeping a heavy hand on his shoulder. Bob gives a taut smile and goes into, the two us falling back a few paces. Gee lets out a small gasp and looks up at me in desperation, “How long do you think this will last?” he mutters, allowing his arm to fall completely limp to his side.

“I dunno babe. Why?” I move a piece of hair from his eyes and give him a quizzical look.

He sits down in the chair with a grunt, carefully placing him arm out on the table, “My shoulder feels like it’s on fire.”

I sigh and look down at my hands, “There’s not much I can do. I’ll wrap it and put ice on it when we get back to the house, but unless you want to go to the Emergency Room, it’s all I have.”

The courtroom doors close with a bang, and the portly bailiff marches in front of the podium, “Please rise for the honorable Judge Baker.” he announces, the room bursting to life with the sounds of feet scuffling and chairs begin pushed about.

A dark haired woman strolls down the aisle, her long black robes floating along as she takes her seat and slams her gavel down, “Be seated,” her voice booms, the room now silent and still.

I help Gee into his uncomfortable chair, carefully maneuvering his arm into a suitable position on the small table in front of us. The judge’s eyes scan use carefully, before she places a pair of horn rimmed glasses on the tip of her nose and she flips through a small set of papers set on her desk, reading each word diligently. “This is the case of Gerard Way versus Frank Iero and North Carolina. May I please have the Plaintiff's statement?”

Frank’s attorney stands slowly, holding this diplomatic silence about him, drawing out every little aspect of pulling out a binder and clearing his throat rather obnoxiously, “My client, Frank Iero, is pressing charges against Gerard Way for the legal custody of their unborn child. He claims it’s being kept from him after being born out of a consensual relationship, and due to the, erm, mother’s severe emotional state, he should have all legal rights and obligations of the child.”

I can feel my fists clench tightly at my sides as he sits back down into the chair, whispering something into Frank’s ear which makes him giggle and give me a proud smirk. The judge coughs quietly, “Defendant, your statement please.”

Bob rises quickly, smoothing out a piece of paper, “Umm, my client Gerard Way is defending charges placed by a Frank Iero regarding their child. He claims that he should gain all legal rights as the child was born out of rape, which I have the charges for here, and therefore Iero should forfeit all rights as a parent. We would also like reparations of 10,000 dollars a year for the first 5 years of the child’s life to insure it’s well-being.”

Gee groans slightly and shifts again, straightening his arm out in front of him and flexing his fingers. The judge ruffles more papers, “Defense, you’re witness first.”

He gulps loudly and gives me a desperate look, “Please, I don’t want to do this Bert.” he whispers harshly, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes.

I put my hand on his stomach, pushing slightly, “Your baby needs you to do this.”

He sighs and stands up, walking shakily towards the witness stand, keeping a ginger hand pressed against his left arm. Frank's attorney, I think I'll call him Douche for short, follows behind him, holding a notebook firmly in his hands. Gee just keeps his head down and his focus on me, absentmindedly stroking his shoulder or belly.

"So, Gerard, is it true you and Frank were in a long term relationship some time ago?" Douche asks, his eyes wide and almost accusing.

Gee nods dutifully, "We were together almost 2 years."

Douche smirks, satisfied with Gee's lack of defiance. "And... what was Frank like, during those 2 years?"

He shrugs softly, immmediately regretting it and biting back a scream of pain, "Fuck..." he mutters, but pulls a straight face and goes back to talking, "He went through moods I guess. He did drugs and drank, but so did I."

Douche nods and flips through the pages of his notebook, "Did Frank ever abuse you in any way?"

He shifts for a second, looking over at me with worry etched into his delicate features. Douche clears his throat, "Answer the question, Gerard."

Gee nods a little, leaning over the microphone, "He would get really demanding when it came to sex. Like, I'd have to give him a blowjob to go out with friends, or he'd hit me if I didn't wanna be frisky."

The color from Douche's face drains for a moment, but he pushes it aside by turning more pages in his notebook, "And the alleged rape charges?"

"They weren't alleged," Gee shouts, straightening up in the chair, "For about a month he'd force himself onto me, because I was too frigid for him or whatever. He'd do this every night, and when I started to fight back, he started to either beat me into doing it or get me so drunk I wouldn't care!"

The entire room is silent and the judge looks over from her chair, a faint sympathetic pout crossing her lips. He sighs deeply, "I didn't go to the hospital or the police until the night he drugged me. And by the time I was stable enough to tell them what happened, it was too late for the rape test."

Frank convulses in his seat, crossing and uncrossing his legs as his shaking hands keep a death grip on the table. Douche wipes at his brow with a hanky, turning away from Gee as if in some moment of dramatic thought. Stupid fucker.

"Now, can I ask you some questions about the baby?" he questions, getting all mushy and weird.

Gee blinks, narrowing his gaze, "... Isn't that why we're here?"

A few members of the jury chuckle slightly as Douche twitches under his undying gaze, muttering quickly and setting the notebook on the edge of the witness stand, "Well, first off, how far along are you?"

"5 months," Gee answers, trying to keep everything condensed.

"And is it a boy or a girl?" Wow, he really knows how to ask hard-hitting questions.

Gee just smiles to himself, "I don't know yet. I'm supposed to find out at my next ultrasound."

Douche nods towards his little gaggle of followers behind Frank's table, "So you're going to the doctor's regularly?"

Gee locks eyes with me, grinning, "Bert takes care of me in between visits, really. He's a nurse, so he knows what to do to keep us both healthy."

Douche smirks, "I'm guessing Bert is your boyfriend. Have you had sex with him yet?"

Bob stands up in a bolt form his chair, "Objection! That has nothing to do with this case, Your Honor!" he yells at the judge.

She nods quickly, "Let it be stricken from the record. Continue with your questioning."

Douche tucks his notebook neatly under his arm, straightening out his jacket, "I'm finished, Your Honor."

He walks back to where Frank is sitting and shares a few quick words with him, looking nervous and flustered. Gee comes down somewhat shakily from the witness stand, his face pale and eyes wide and glassy. I smile as he sits down, "You did so good, baby." I whisper, hugging him gently.

He grins softly, before leaning back in his chair and grabbing my hand underneath the table. The murmurs settle in the room as everyone watches with bated breath when Frank takes to the witness stand.