"I know, you know, we know you weren't down for forever and it's fine"

~If The World Was Ending (JP Saxe, Julia Michaels)

°~°~°

Ken had no idea what a court section should be like, not if he counted divorce court on television and he simply found those episode amusing. But here he was, in court as a witness to a murder of an unborn child.

He caught the gist of everything after his talk with Bryan, and his time on the stand was short, yet harsh. He was drilled and questioned, but as usual his nonchalance made him impassive whilst his words were strong enough to convince all who heard. Ken almost keeled over and died of boredom when the lawyer pulled for his passed and medical history. Viola’s defender was known as a sympathetic hard head who didn’t know how to separate emotion and logic when it came to his work.

It seemed fitting, a perfect pair as defender and defendee, but it would obviously be to their down fall.

‘Mr Octave it states here that you are a diagnosed sociopath who’s not had treatment.’

‘So?’ Ken responded with complete disinterest.

The whole court wondered where the lawyer would go with it and just when the suspense was killing them all, the young man went on, ‘and you claim to be in love with the married woman, Mrs Russi. Are you aware of rumours she’s the daughter of Lagables, the Trinidadian devil woman who is said to be currently married to Jamaican cartel Mad Max who remain unknown to the public eye?’

He did not know that, but the shock never showed on his face. It made sense after all, ‘I know nothing about that.’

‘You entered a relationship with a mafia child who’s had trauma at a young age. She’s pregnant for her husband and for some reason she latches to you and said husband disappears! And now she’s lost her baby to a supposed gunshot from my client!?’

Why the white man was shouting his nonsense was beyond Ken, but he didn’t address it as much as it itched him to. Ken only cocked his head to the side, ‘I got picked off the street by an eight year old boy and fell in love with his mother who was being cheated on with your client and multiple other women. But of course you already know that. Whatever you’re trying to insinuate makes no sense. You’re defending a drug addict who was helped by that grieving woman over there throughout her withdrawal even after she found out about the affair. What you’re doing is tarnishing your rep for no good reason unless you’re fucking your client too.’

The court accrued with interest and gossip at that statement. And as Bernice’s lawyer currently had Viola’s ex-fiancé on stand asking him of all Viola’s affairs, the crowd got loud with gasps and laughs when Hanson admitted Viola’s lawyer was indeed one of her flings.

“Order in the court! Order in the court!” the judge randomly yet harshly tapped his gavel against the wooden coaster.

The judge motioned for Mr Walters, Bernice’s lawyer to proceed. Nodding, he proceeded, “can you confidently say your ex-fiancé is not capable of murder?”

“Attempted murder? Maybe, but she could never go through anything but random men.” He told the court, “she isn’t afraid to get physical and as you can all tell, she stole my gun. I haven’t used it in ages, so I honestly didn’t even notice it was missing. I’m not sure if she murdered that baby, but I am certain she’s to be locked up for extortion and drugs. And I’m pretty sure if she never went to that house with a gun Bernice would be smiling and with her new baby boy and not endlessly crying and grieving over what she spent the last nine months bonding and creating in her belly. This shouldn’t be up for discussion.”

“Thank you, Mr Finley. Your honour, I have no further questions.”

Making a light clear of the throat, the judge cocked an eyebrow Viola’s lawyer, “any questions for the witness, Mr Palmer?”

“No, your honour.” He replied loud and clear then dropped his head and voice to Viola, “you just have to had piss everyone off?”

Her eyes had been puffy from the constant tears, “I—I didn’t do it.” Frustration overtook her as she abruptly rose to her feel and slammed her fist hard against the table with a screaming pitch and accusing finger, “I DIDN’T FUCKING KILL HER BABY! HER DEMON SPAWN DID IT!” before Mr Palmer could stay her, Viola found herself before all the court with her tears streaming, “I promise! I didn’t! I would never harm a child! I have a five your old baby! I love children. Please… believe me. Please.”

The sharp clack of the gavel took attention as its own and the judge narrowed his eyes behind his Steve Irkle lens, “control your client or she will be detained.” Resting back in his chair, the man’s jaw ticked at the registration his mind suddenly did at the redhead’s accusation, “Mr Palmer your original accuse is that Miss White took her own baby’s life. Now your… client is accusing an eight-year-old of the crime.”

“I—…” Mr Palmer started cutting himself off. His reputation would go to the dogs at this point, but he couldn’t simply walk away from this. He had already told her they couldn’t bring Aiden into this, but here he was about to ask permission to call an eight-year-old to the stand and as the words left his mouth he cringed as the court erupted with hush whispers, “may I call Aiden Russi to the stand, please?

When Aiden got to the stand, all eyes on him were sympathetic as his own were puffy with previously she’d tears. As little Aiden took his seat, the judge leaned over to him and spoke to him in the softest tone, “it’s okay, Aiden. It’s only a few questions. You’ll be fine.”

“I know. I’ve watched Law & Order once.” He sniffed with a force smile.

This had a few members of the court laugh. Mr Palmer seemed reluctant in his approach as he stepped to the little boy and sighed, “Aiden Russi.”

“Calvin Palmer.”

“It’s Mr Palmer.” The lawyer corrected.

Aiden tilted his head to the side, “but you called my full name and that’s what’s on your birth paper.”

He understood why Viola called him a demon child instantly, “my client says… she saw you with her gun and that she watched you pull the trigger.”

“Okay? She also says I’m Satan’s spawn. Do you see me with horns or demon eyes?”

Calvin wanted to facepalm himself, “it has come to my attention that you’ve been to shooting ranges with your uncle on your mother’s side.”

“Yep. He was a soldier back in Jamaica when he was younger. A lot of boys go shooting with their fathers.”

“Mhm.” Calvin sighed, “are you a good shot?”

Aiden shrugged as he rubbed his hands together nervously, “as good as an eight-year-old with social anxiety can be. I don’t work the greatest under pressure that’s why Kenyatta was home tutoring me, so I didn’t have to stay at school too long with other kids.”

“You’re also a known child prodigy. You’re eight and already on your way to middle school.”

“I know that.” Aiden deadpanned then turned his head to the judge, “Judge Wilkerson. May I have my water from mi mamma please? My throat’s a bit dry.”

Nodding, he motioned for his security to get the bottles liquid from the boy’s mother. Aiden gladly accepted the water with a small thank you.

As he took a few gwats of water, Aiden blew out a breath almost emptying the bottle, “okay. We know I’m smart. I know you’re accusing me of shooting my baby brother. Which I didn’t. That makes no sense. I never had the gun. The gun never left aunt Viola’s hand. I saw her pull the trigger to my mother’s belly.” He stated with his eyes burning with salty tears again, “I didn’t sleep last night either because I keep seeing the blood… I—I thought I was going to lose my mother.” He broke right then as his posture faltered and cheeks wetting with tears, “my father already told me he never wanted me and I almost lost my mommy two weeks ago. Now you’re trying to take her from me again when Viola was the one who came into our home with a gun.”

Calvin was done, Calvin gave up. At this point he didn’t care about the stupid sex tapes Viola had of them to his vacating wife. So with that, he backed away from the stand, “I’m done with being a lawyer, I’m done with my wife, all of it. Viola you can send everything to her. She can have a district attorney. I’m dropping this case.”

“Mr Palmer.” The judge voiced, but Calvin was already pulling his tie off and as the man did so, he returned to his desk and grabbed his belongings completely ignoring a protesting Viola. No one even made the effort to stop him as he made his exit.

Not that it needed clarification, but the case was won after that and due to Viola’s loud and disruptive behaviour, she was detained immediately with a given sentence of fifteen years to life with a chance of parole.

***

“You never told me you were in a relationship with her much less being in love.” Bae voiced as he blankly stared at Ken who lounged himself in the studio couch, “I thought you two were just fooling around! And now I’m seeing you on the news proudly announced as the she-man who swept her out her marriage.”

That made Ken laugh remembering when the paparazzi asked him what pronouns he went by and Aiden pointed to his print as he said in a tiresome tone ‘are you blind!?’.

Running a hand through his hair, he sighed, “I need to do something with my hair, but I don’t wanna cut it.”

“You’re ignoring me? That’s why I ain’t told you shit about me and Leanna.” He said, knowing it would pull his best friend’s undivided attention.

Eyes narrowed, Ken pushed his lips to the side with a suspicion, “you lyin’.” When Bae began wiggling his eyebrows, Ken scoffed, “fuck outta here.” Peeking an eye back to Bae, he pursed his lips again, “how?”

“Okay, so…”

That took a long conversation to itself and it lasted until Bernice finally asked Ken asking if he could get home since he had decided to give her the day with Aiden. When he made the suggestion, she didn’t argue. Maybe because she knew he was going to start questioning her about what truly happened.

By the time Ken got in, Aiden was fast asleep in his room and Niecy was seated up in the living room couch.

She was nervous. The fidgeting with her fingers showed that as well as her simply sitting there with the lights off. It was when the lights came on that she finally lifted her gaze and met Ken’s as he stood beside the switch. His first question was asking if she was okay and that made her smile.

“I—I don’t know.” She admitted with a deep frown, “you’re going to ask… aren’t you?”

He made his way over to her as he nodded his head and it was as if with each step he took hurt her to tears. Her eyes first turned red but it was when he sat beside her the tears fell, “don’t ask, please.”

“Why not?”

“I’ll feel more like my family if I answer.” She whispered with a small hook of her shoulders, “what Calvin said was true… I have trauma from growing up… I tried leaving it behind, but it stuck. I’ve seen things a—and it compromised my morals a lot… I think I scarred Aiden.”

This caused a weird feeling to run through Ken’s spin as did the sudden goose bumps rise along his arms, “Niecy… y—”

“Giovanni was kidnapped by my family.” She told him as another tear fell, “my mother slowly made Mr Gavinsky ill so she could control him and his money, and when I learned it wasn’t reversible I… I killed him so he wouldn’t suffer any longer… He basically begged me to.” Her breath came out shaky, “and when… when you left to talk to the police… I asked Aiden to give me the gun and placed it to the side of my baby.”

Ken didn’t say anything. He didn’t move. He didn’t speak. He only waited.

Bernice continued and a sob left her, “I couldn’t pull the trigger and Aiden took the gun from me again and you know what he asked instead of asking me why I was doing it?” she asked roughly swiping at her streaming tears, “he asked ‘will this make you happy?’.” This was where she straightened her back as the tears cam harder, “I told him maybe. I won’t know if I don’t try… he didn’t say anything after that. He took the gun, wipes it down with his shirt and shot me with it still wrapped in his shirt… Then he shoved the gun into Viola’s bare hands.”

Silence hung and the tension was stifling. Bernice wasn’t sure what reaction she would get from Ken, but she didn’t dare look at him. Not even when his husky tone sliced through the suddenly dry air.

“Why did you do it?” he asked, still not looking at her.

Niecy bit into her lower lip with her vision blurry as she shrugged, “as soon as I found out I was pregnant with Giovanni’s second child I wanted it dead… blaming it on Viola would keep me out prison and not tarnish my reputation in the public eye. I—I know it’s selfish, immoral and evil, b—but I didn’t want it and I didn’t want to lose Aiden… in some fucked up way I thought it would be better for you too. I didn’t want you raising a child that wasn’t yours if you actually stayed. You probably won’t stay now, but I don’t want to lie to you. I love you too much.”

When Ken said nothing again, her heart sank to her stomach. There was no protest though. She only nodded with an understanding as more salted tears tippled over, “I’m sorry.” She tried hard not to sob.

Again, Ken stayed silent, but that wasn’t what had Bernice curl into a ball and lay in the couch as she allowed the heavy sobbing to pass. It was when Ken rose himself from his seat then left without even sparing her a second glance.

Whatever heartbreak Giovanni caused felt tedious now. Ken was who she loved last and now he was gone.