FicWad

I feel sweat bead my body as the photos are presented. They are ugly images of abuse and pain. I can hear a few of the jurors gasp but my eyes are focused on what is being shown. Izzy, arms suspended painfully from the ceiling as rivers of blood trail along his badly cut back, pooling somewhere out of view of the lens. Another photo shows him hog-tied, a ball gag forced in his mouth as another man forces himself onto Izzy. Even in the darkness of the photo, Izzy's eyes are lit with terror. Another photograph, obviously taken from Axl's perspective, shows a terrified Izzy, eyes wide as Axl forces his cock deep into the dark haired man's throat.

I can feel the bile rising as each individual image is shown. Each one shows the pain and terror that he went through. Even though the defence say that Izzy was a consensual partner, the photos show otherwise. They show exactly what Axl did and exactly what he'll do again. I can only pray that the judge sees this, sees through the lies that the defence is telling and put Axl away for a very long time.

Thankfully, after all the photos have been shown, the judge calls a break. I stand, trembling, on the steps of the court, a cigarette screwed into my mouth. Izzy made a break for the bathroom and I know that his breakfast is making a reappearance at this exact moment. I slide to stone steps and rest my head against my knees, sighing as I do. My heart's breaking, shattering into a million pieces as every piece of evidence is given. How could Izzy stay with him? Even before Axl started threatening people, Izzy was with him, letting himself be beaten and tortured for that sick fucker's pleasure. I let out a sob, a tear falling to the open floor between my legs.

"I love you," I whisper.

"I love you too," comes a quiet reply.

Lifting my head, I turn to see Izzy, skin pale and clammy, sitting next to me. Reaching out, I wrap an arm around his shoulders and pull his head to me. Gently I stroke his soft hair, trying to calm and reassure him. That's what he needs. He needs someone to be there for him, someone who doesn't care about his past. I do care about his past. I care because he fucked Axl behind my back and broke my heart. I care because he wrote Axl love letters. But I don't care because he's still here with me. But what if Axl were a free man? Would he be with him then? My body temperature drops at the thought and I shiver. I have to know.

"Izz," I quietly begin. "I know this isn't really the time or place, but I need to know something."

He looks at me with those big eyes that I fell in love with. The big, brown, bottomless eyes that hide a million secrets and reveal a million more. I watch as he swallows and nods, almost anticipating what I'm going to say.

"If Axl were free, would you be with him?" I hold my breath, my free hand digging into my leg as I wait.

It seems like an eternity as Izzy watches me, eyes never leaving mine. Finally he shakes his head.

"No," he whispers. "I wouldn't. I love you, Slash. You and you alone. I'm sorry for the letters, you know that. I don't know why I wrote them."

I smile a little and plant a kiss into the waves of black hair, inhaling the scent of strawberry shampoo.

"Maybe I wanted to cling to my past," he quietly continues. "I don't know fuckin' why."

I just hold him closer, savouring his warmth and what little love he's giving out. I try and give him as much as I can; security, hope and love. I'll never stop loving him. I should have for what he's done to me, but I can't. There's something special and magical about him that I want to cling onto forever.

Eventually I stand and offer him my hand, helping him up. Slowly we walk back into the courtroom, our fingers caressing the others, silently offering the other support.

As we sit, the clerk stands. "For the defence, will William Bruce Bailey please take the stand."

Izzy's hand gripped mine and we watched Axl saunter across the courtroom and to the stand, sneering at us as he sat.

Mr Halifax stood and walked over to him, his eyes stern as he addressed the pathetic red-head.

"Can you please state your name."

"William Bruce Bailey." Axl flicked hair out his eyes and over his shoulder before turning his eyes back to us.

"And what is your relation to Mr Isbell?" Halifax strode back and forth, his eyes never leaving the brooding Axl.

"He's my boyfriend," Axl confidently replied.

I couldn't help it, jumping to my feet as I screamed, "YOU LYING FUCKER!"

Instantly, hands grab at me, dragging me back to my seat as the judge banged his gavel against his desk.

"Order!" he yelled, before turning his attention to me. "Mr Hudson, one more outburst like that and I'll have you removed from my courtroom. Now please, Mr Halifax, Mr Bailey, please carry on."

Seething with rage, I watched as the permanently calm Mr Halifax turned back to Axl. Izzy's hands gently rubbed my back, working at my tense muscles in the way only he can. I stuck my hand in my mouth, biting down on my knuckles as I watch Axl, watch him lick his lips and grin as he stares at us.

"Mr Bailey," Halifax began, "we've some shocking evidence of what you did to Mr Isbell. Can you please explain to the court why you did it?"

Axl grinned, his face filled with evil. "He asked for it." He shrugged. "He fucked around, came crawling back to me and begged me to beat him up."

Mr Halifax carried on staring at Axl, no emotion showing in his ageing face. "That might be, Mr Bailey. But that, from the statements that Mr Isbell gave, was back in Indiana. He didn't ask for it here, nor did he want it. He had moved on and found a new partner. So what is your reasoning behind the photographs that the court has seen?"

Again Axl shrugged, eyes moving to the ceiling as he flicked hair over his shoulder.

"He deserved it," Axl replied nonchalantly. "He wanted to be used and abused and that's what he got. The fucker was practically begging me to break him. Something to do with actually being in love with a human. He couldn't take it."

I feel Izzy squeeze my hand as he whispers, "Not true." I smile, moving my head to press a kiss to his temple. Never am I leaving his side, not for anything.

Mr Halifax sighed and it seemed that he was getting nowhere. Axl was just repeating over and over what Izzy had told the police had happened in Indiana.

"Mr Bailey," our lawyer's voice had become stern. "You seem unable to give me a good reason for the systematic and prolonged abuse of Mr Isbell. The fact that you moved from Indiana to California to carry on what you had begun is inconceivable. That you moved thousands of miles to rape, beat and abuse someone who wanted nothing more to do with you. Each and every witness that has testified has had the same thing to say: you are a cold-hearted and unfeeling predator who preys on those weaker than yourself. I can only make a recommendation to the jury that you are convicted on all counts."

A surprised murmur rippled through the court and I felt myself smile. It was the first positive smile in a long time and I turned to Izzy. He looked at me, eyes showing no emotion as his lips pulled into a thin smile that mirrored mine. I squeezed his hand tightly as I rested my forehead against his.

The judge banged his gavel and, in his stern, elderly voice, said, "Will the jury all rise and please depart to the chambers. You will make your decision and report back to courtroom 10A when you are ready. Please take your time and consider all the evidence that has been presented."

My heart pounded in my chest as I watched the men and women leave through a side door. My eyes quickly flicked to Axl, his permanent smirk still etched into his face. He seemed so confident that he was going to get off. But was he?