Sixty years of sorrow, he got five or six of bliss... (Johan, Peter, Gabriel)

[and-in-between.livejournal.com]

Johan's verdict was about to be read out, and he couldn't help but feel a wave of terrible fear appearching as the jurors filed into the room to take their seats. They were about to decide on his future here. He had spent far too long in Hell already. And today, he would know if he was condemned to despair there for a crime he didn't believe in his heart to be wrong.

Johan's hands shook, and he laid them flat out on the table in front of him to try to minimise his obvious nerves. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned to see Peter giving him a supportive smile. "Whatever happens, Johan...you're loved."

"I know." Johan nodded and he gave Peter a brief smile in return. "Thank you, Peter."

Johan heard Peter take a seat behind him, and then his lawyers sat beside him. Shortly thereafter, the judged called the court to order and they began.

Words flew by him in a blur. Johan sat in a haze, understanding only a quarter of what was said, as a lot of it was in legalese, and he didn't understand the English words for lawyer-speak. He was beginning to panic when the judge told the head juror to stand and read the verdit they had reached.

Yet again more words, and Johan's heart began to pound in his chest. Words like 'unlawful possession' and 'just cause' were flung around as if no one minded their obvious overuse. And then the most important words were read out.

"-not guilty of the murder of Alastair Ferdinand Rainmayr."

The court exploded in noise, and Johan found that he was surprised by his first thought. He hadn't known Alastair's middle name was Ferdinand. In eleven years he hadn't ever had cause to know, and Alastair certainly hadn't offered it up. It was a ridiculous name, though Johan's first name was Bertolt. He was still contemplating the strange nature of unknown facts about the people we love most, when the jury interrupted the celebration of Johan' loved once. "The jury find the defendent guilt of illegally owning a firearm-"

Shit. Johan looked at Gabriel in panic, though his solicitor was already standing up as the juror read out that Johan serve four months of prison time, as there was no criminal intent in his crime, nor in his owning of the firearm which was now in custody.

"-due to the non-violent nature of my client's crime, and the violent attack my client suffered while in prison, we move that the sentence be carried out at the defendant's home-"

Johan knew Gabriel was speaking in his best interest. He didn't need to listen. He barely could. Not guilty. Not guilty. Someone listened. Oh good fuck, they listened....

"Agreed." Johan jumped as the judge slammed his gavel down on the dias, and the court was adjourned.

He stood, shakily, still in a haze, and then came the hugs. So many arms reached for him, and so many kisses brushed his cheeks. He understood he was going to be imprisoned inside for four months with a radio anklet on, but in the safety and comfort of his own home. Compared to what he had believed he would be facing by the time the set was setting on the day, he couldn't imagine feeling more relieved.

All that mattered to him were those words. Not guilty. Everything else was incidental and he would deal with it when he had to.