by Jack Parker
"You…killed me…" Dax groaned. "You're no better…than me."
"That…That's not true!" Chad replied. "I was defending myself!"
"And you enjoyed it…just like me."
"No!"
* * *
Chad's eyes shot open, only to be shut again to shield them against the harsh lights of the hospital room. He gave a groan from the pain in his head, turning his head to the side on his pillow and keeping his eyes closed.
"Chad?"
A frown wrinkled his brow before he slowly opened his eyes to find wide, emerald greens staring at him in wonder.
"Nicky?" he replied in a raw voice, his frown deepening as he lifted his head a little more to get a better look at her. "W-Wha…?"
"You're in the hospital in Seattle," Nicky murmured, not wanting to overwhelm him as she shifted closer to him in the chair she was sitting in. "Brandon's here, too. He went to get something to drink. You've been asleep for a while."
"How long?" Chad asked.
"Your surgery was a few days ago," Nicky smiled warmly as she leaned forward to brush some of his hair from his face. "The doctor said it was normal after what you'd been through. You have no idea how happy I am to see you open your eyes."
"Why did you come?"
Nicky's eyes went wide as her hand fell from his face and he only frowned up at her, waiting for the answer to his question.
"Chad…you got stabbed and shot somebody. Why wouldn't I come back? I came because I wanted to be the first one you saw when you woke up. To tell you that everything was gonna be ok. To get you through this. But if you don't want me here then I guess I'll leave. Maybe Brandon will be more of a comfort to you than me."
She moved to stand but a hand clamped down on her wrist and she froze, looking to Chad in wonder as he only stared back at her.
"Got that out of your system?" he asked, letting go of her wrist with a wince at having to move and nodded to her seat. "Sit down, Liza."
Nicky swallowed and sat as she still stared at him and placed her hands in her lap, pouting only slightly.
"What did Villa say about the case?" he questioned, making her give a frown of wonder, but he continued. "My parents' murder case, I mean. Am I fully cleared?"
"Brandon asked," she nodded. "He said now that they have Nemo's…Dax's recorded confession, you're no longer a suspect. There may be a trial for Dax's murder, but the detective is confident you'll get off."
"So I have to stand trial anyway," Chad sighed, looking up at the ceiling. "Well, at least it's for something I know I did. I'll just have to plead guilty I guess. No other way around it. Maybe I can plead insanity."
"Brandon called his lawyer," Nicky reported. "He stepped outside, but I heard him. He asked if he could represent you in the trial when you get well enough. Detective Villa said you'd probably be tried here, but there's a good possibility they could try you back home."
"It doesn't matter," he whispered and Nicky frowned but felt her heart clench when she saw a tear roll down the side of his face before he turned his head to look at her again. "I killed someone, Nicky. I'm no better than him, am I?"
Her eyes widened before she stood from her chair and turned to sit next to him on the edge of the bed, taking his hands.
"If you weren't lying in a hospital bed I would slap you for saying that," she shot back. "I told you before, you are nothing like him. You defended yourself. End of story. A jury will believe it, and so will a judge. You know why? Because it's the truth. The police have the murder weapon, Dax's body and his recorded confession that he gave to you. Not to mention, Jared's testimony. We're gonna show them that Dax was a sick son of a bitch and you're not." She leaned toward him and he saw tears welling in her own eyes. "You're my knight in shining armor. No matter what happens, I'll be here to remind you of that, got it?"
Chad could only nod as the lump in his throat wouldn't let him speak and Nicky pressed her lips to his before carefully hugging him as he lifted his hands to settle them on her waist. Nicky sniffled as Chad shut his eyes tightly, trying to stop more tears from falling.
"Look who's awake."
Nicky pulled back at the sound of Brandon's voice and she quickly lifted the sleeve of her sweater to wipe away Chad's tears before wiping hers away as Brandon approached.
"Oh," he blurted, stopping in his tracks with two cans of soda in his hands. "Did I interrupt something?"
"No," Nicky replied, quickly standing from the bed to face him with a grin and a sniffle that made him frown. "Tears of joy Brandon. Chad's awake!"
"So I see," Brandon smiled, handing her soda to her as he approached again and sat in the chair she'd been sitting in. "How ya feelin'?"
"Like shit," Chad groaned and winced when he tried to sit up. "Nicky filled me in about the murder case and the trial for Dax's murder."
"Chad, don't strain yourself," Nicky scolded, gently as she moved to help him sit up and helped him get comfortable.
"Call your lawyer back and tell him I don't want anybody brought in for my defense as witnesses, and if anyone's gonna be testifying, it's gonna be me alone," Chad ordered, making Brandon's and Nicky's eyes widen at him in disbelief. "Jared doesn't need to live through it again, neither does Nicky. If the two detectives wanna go up there it's their decision, but I don't want you guys apart of it."
"That's our decision, Chad," Nicky reminded him. "You can't expect us to not help you."
"Let me tell you what's gonna happen, Nicky," Chad shot back, looking back at her as she stared at him in shock at his tone. "You're gonna get up there and do just fine when my lawyer asks you questions, you might cry a bit, but not much, at first. Then they're gonna go to cross examination and they're gonna rip you apart. I don't wanna see you like that, Nicole! It's not worth it!"
Chad gave a growl of pain and gripped his wound, making Brandon jump up to see what he could do and Chad shook his head.
"I told you not to strain him when he woke up," one of the nurses scolded as she walked in, having caught the sight before passing the door.
"He riled himself up," Brandon defended as the nurse saw to Chad and tried to make him comfortable. "Chad, we'll talk about this later. I'm gonna make that call though. Nicky, why don't you come with me?"
"I'm not leaving Chad," she replied and he pressed his lips to the side before shrugging and heading out of the room as he pulled out his cell phone.
"If he needs anything else, call me," the nurse informed Nicky as she started toward the door as well. "The doctor will be in to see you in a few minutes."
"Thanks," Nicky called before looking at Chad as he only glared up at her, the painkillers the nurse had put into his IV kicking in immediately. "Look, Chad, I'm your girlfriend, not your wife. You don't tell me what to do like that. If I can handle what we've already been through, I think I can handle a little cross-examination in a courtroom."
"Nicole, I love you, but you can be really stupid sometimes."
Nicky's eyes widened in disbelief, but she was speechless.
"I tell you not to do something because you're gonna be hurt or possibly killed, and you do it anyway. What's it gonna take for you to see that I'm only ever trying to protect you, huh? Do you have to lose an arm? A leg? Get stabbed?"
"Chad, stop it."
"Why?"
"Because you'll pop a stitch and I don't want that nurse coming back in to scold me over your attitude."
"You deserve it."
"Go to sleep. You're slurring your words."
"This not…over."
Nicky only smiled and leaned over to stroke his hair, soothingly as his eyes started closing and when his head fell slightly to the side, her smile widened. She realized he was right, but even if she balled on the witness stand, she didn't care. She was going to help him win his case, whether he liked it or not.
* * *
Back in California...
Kat hurried into Parker's open office door and he looked up from his paperwork over his desk as she shut the doo
r behind her.
"Please let it be good news," he thought out loud.
"The Stiles kid is awake, and he's ok," she grinned, making Parker grin as well as he sighed and lean back in his chair.
"That is good news," he nodded.
"There's…more news," Kat continued, hesitantly as she stepped forward to lean on his desk. "Not so good. The state's pressing charges."
"Of course they are," Parker sighed, leaning forward again to grab his hard line phone and dial a number. "I'll take care of it."
Kat leaned forward and held the hang-up button on the phone, making him look up at her with a frown.
"The state of Washington is pressing charges," she explained, not sure if he understood and her assumption was right because he instantly settled the phone back into its cradle. "Chad's uncle called his lawyer to represent the kid and he's gonna go there to try to smooth things over. Make a deal or…something."
"What did Chad say to all this?" Parker asked. "Have they talked to him about it yet?"
"First thing," Kat nodded. "He's expecting a trial. He plans to plead guilty but doesn't want his friends to testify. Just you and me if we're asked."
"We'll see what happens with the lawyer first," he mused. "Then we'll go from there."
EPILOGUE
Chad Stiles, seventeen years old, sat in a Seattle courtroom, leaning sideways in his chair at the defendant table, his lawyer sitting to his left as he held his chin in his hand. It hadn't taken the jury very long to deliberate. He wasn't sure if that was good or bad, but at this point, he couldn't help but worry. He chanced to look over his shoulder at the spectators in the courtroom and caught Nicky's eye as she and Brandon sat in the front row behind him. She gave a small, nervous smile that made him smile in return and he gave her a wink before turning around quickly when his lawyer tapped his arm.
"All rise," the bailiff announced as the judge entered and took his seat at the bench. Chad shot to his feet, straightening out his suit jacket, then adjusting his tie which was suddenly stifling. The judge told the audience to sit, but Chad, his lawyer and the prosecution remained standing.
"Mister foreman, you've made your decision?" he addressed the jury and the foreman announced that they had. "What say you?"
Chad clapped his dry mouth before taking in a deep breath as he watched the foreman stand and look at a paper in his hands. His own hands started sweating as his heart thumped in his ears. Throughout the whole case he'd felt like this, and it had been worse when he'd taken the stand.
He couldn't help but wonder what would happen. Would they deem him responsible for Dax's murder or would they not? If they did, what would the judge have as sentencing for him? He hoped he wouldn't go to jail, having been tried as an adult. His mind was reeling so fast, he almost didn't hear the foreman read their decision.
"We the jury find the defendant, Chad Stiles, not responsible for the death of Dax Harland, having been provoked to defend himself."
Nicky nearly screamed before slapping her hands over her mouth to quiet herself, as Brandon ground out a yes while jerking his fist backward and Chad stared into space in shock as he struggled to remain standing, supporting himself on the desk in front of him, his lawyer next to him for support as well. Had he heard right? Did they just let him off the hook…for everything?
"This court is so adjourned," the judge announced, slamming his gavel onto its wooden setting before standing and heading back to his chambers.
Chad managed to stand again just in time to turn and catch Nicky when she threw herself into his arms. His lawyer slapped him on the back in congratulations and Brandon shook the man's hand, thanking him before joining the hug with Nicky and Chad.
"Oh, Chad!" Nicky nearly sobbed as she and Brandon stood away and she stared up at him. "Now we can go home! Jared will be so happy when we tell him!"
"Yeah…" Chad breathed, staring through her and making her frown in wonder, but Brandon only chuckled, patting his back.
"He's in shock," his uncle noticed then tugged him toward the courtroom exit. "Come on, kid. Let's go have dinner to celebrate. I'm buying. My last painting sold for a fortune."
"Great…" Chad murmured, making Brandon chuckle again as the three headed out of the courtroom and through the halls to the entrance where reporters were waiting for him. His story had gone national and though he wasn't sure how he felt about it, he never really wanted to talk to reporters.
They shoved microphones with symbols from their stations – TV and radio – into his face as photographers snapped pictures of him when the three reached the middle step of the courthouse, all chanting his name for attention.
"Chad! How does it feel to be let off the hook for this?!"
"What's going through your mind right now?!"
"What do you plan to do now that you've been cleared?!"
That was the question that caught his attention and he looked that reporter in the eye, glancing only once at the logo on his mic before leaning into it with a smirk.
"I'll tell you what I plan to do," he began. "As soon as my plane lands in LA, I'm driving straight to Disneyland."
* * * *
