beren_writes (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
beren_writes) wrote2008-04-30 03:46 pm
beren_writes) wrote2008-04-30 03:46 pm
Fic: Out With The Old, In With the New, Bill/Tom, NC17/18, Tokio Hotel RPS, 19/20
Title: Out With the Old, In With the New 19/20
Author: Beren
Fandom: Tokio Hotel RPS
Pairing(s): Bill/Tom, Bill/OMC (reported, non-con)
Rating: NC17/18
Warnings: rape (non-graphic), twincest, vampires
Summary: There are things that many people do not see and are never supposed to see, but when one of these takes Bill from his hotel room, by force, everything changes for him and Tom.
Links:
Prologue | Ch 01 | Ch 02 | Ch 03 | Ch 04
| Ch 05 | Ch 06 | Ch 07 | Ch 08 | Ch 09
| Ch 10 | Ch 11 | Ch 12 | Ch 13 | Ch 14
| Ch 15 | Ch 16 | Ch 17 | Ch 18 | Ch 19 | Ch 20
Full Chapter Listing (with chapter descriptions)
Chapter 19 Trial and Retribution
"Hey," Bill said, walking into the second living room in the house they had rented as a hideaway.
Gustav was sitting in one of the over stuffed arm chairs reading a book and Bill hoped that his friend wouldn't mind him interrupting. They had been in the house a little over a day now, hiding away from the world and things seemed to be improving, but he had wanted to talk to Gustav alone. He was used to sharing everything with Tom, but Gustav was a private person and he wanted to make sure his friend could tell him anything he needed to.
"Hi," Gustav said, putting a bookmark in the book and closing it in a familiar gesture; Gustav often had his nose in a book.
"How's it going?" Bill asked, not really sure of his opening, but going for it anyway.
The little shrug was not what he had been hoping for as a reply, but Gustav could be a man of few words when he so chose.
"Anything you need to talk about?" Bill tried again; he wasn't overly good at the caring for people thing, not that he didn't care, he did, it was just that what to say in such situations never came easily.
When it was Tom everything was instinctive, with the rest of the world he often had no clue. For a little while he thought Gustav might just shrug again.
"How do you deal with the hearing?" Gustav finally asked and frowned a little. "I kept waking up last night, because I kept hearing things."
"Oh?" Bill said; he hadn't ever had that problem. "I think I missed that one; I needed so much sleep to begin with that I just got used to it. Eventually you just ignore it. Maybe we could get you some ear plugs until then?"
He felt quite pleased with himself when Gustav appeared to agree; at least he wasn't completely useless at this. Of course they weren't talking about what he had really been contemplating.
"Not hungry again yet?" he asked, deciding that subtle just wasn't his cup of tea.
He usually needed to feed every three to four days, but Syb had warned him that at the beginning Gustav might feel hungry more often. It was another one of those variable things.
"No," Gustav replied with a shake of his head, "nothing yet."
Bill sighed; Gustav was clearly in few words mode, which made the conversation all the harder.
"But you'll tell me when you do?" Bill just wanted to make sure.
Gustav nodded and Bill decided that banging his head on the table might be a good idea.
"What happens when I do need to feed?" Gustav asked and Bill almost cheered; maybe this conversation wasn't going to be so ridiculously hard.
Bill smiled and took a deep breath, glad to be able to launch into what he had come to discus.
"Well, unless you object, you can keep feeding from me for a while," he said, revealing what he had talked about with Syb the previous evening, "and then once everything's started to settle down Syb says she can introduce you to some people that would be happy to be donors. You're welcome to find your own of course, but you don't have to."
He, of course, had never had the issue about donors, because of Tom, but the Strigoi had a tried and tested system set up for their new members. Bill hadn't really considered it before, but it made perfect sense.
"That's fine," Gustav said and Bill saw just a touch of a smile twitch his friend's lips.
It was then he began to cotton on.
"You already talked to Syb about all this didn't you?" he said as he realised Gustav was being deliberately difficult.
His friend nodded and grinned; sometimes Gustav had a very dry sense of humour.
"Sorry I couldn't resist," Gustav told him; "you're entertaining when you're not quite sure what to say."
Bill rolled his eyes, but it did make him happy. Knowing that Gustav could joke about things went a long way to letting him believe that everything really was going to be alright.
"When did you speak to her?" he asked, since he was curious now.
"Not long after you did," Gustav replied and seemed perfectly calm about the whole thing; "when you were taking a cat nap."
"Okay, so after making me squirm, which, by the way, I will take revenge for once I'm not feeling so over-protective," Bill said and took the teasing for what it was, "is there anything you did want to talk about?"
Now Gustav's expression became a little more serious.
"How did you tell you parents?" Gustav asked eventually.
"Honestly, I didn't," Bill replied since he wasn't about to lie about it. "Syb and Markus explained everything to them. Syb didn't think I was in any state to deal with it and they needed to know. There was lots of crying and hugging afterwards though."
"Yeah," Gustav agreed, "my mum is probably going to cry too. I'm going to tell them as soon as we go home. I spoke to Dad on the phone yesterday and it seems they were all so worried by the bomb story that my sister is coming home as well, to prove to herself that I'm in one piece."
The fact that Gustav was facing this completely head on was not a shock to Bill; the whole band were very much go getters or they never would have made it.
"If you need moral support I could be there for you," Bill offered; he had had Tom there the whole time and he didn't like the idea of Gustav having to face the whole thing alone.
"Thanks," his friend replied, "but Georg already offered."
Bill grinned.
"I should have guessed," he said; Georg was keeping an eye on Gustav almost as closely as Tom was on him, which was saying something indeed.
"I may have to take him out and shoot him to put him out of his misery if this behaviour keeps up," Gustav said with a roll of his eyes.
"Aww, it's sweet," Bill countered.
Gustav did not look overly impressed with that comment.
"It's unnecessary," was the direct reply.
Bill chose not to argue, but he still thought it was cute.
"We all just want to make sure you're adjusting okay," he decided to redirect some of Gustav's ire onto himself. "You've taken everything very calmly."
Gustav gave a little shrug.
"I have freaked out once," Gustav admitted and surprised him; "I just happened to do it in the privacy of the bathroom this morning. It's easier to just get on with it."
That was a sentiment Bill could agree with; there was no point bemoaning something you couldn't change.
"But you're sure you don't want to talk about it?" he wanted to be sure.
Gustav nodded and fiddled with the book a little.
"Once I have it all sorted in my head, maybe," Gustav said, which pleased Bill, because it was not a complete dismissal, "but you know I have to think everything through first."
Bill gave his friend a smile and nodded; Gustav was definitely the thinker of the group, sometimes too much so.
"Well if you want me, just come ask," he said, standing up, since he knew the book gesture had been a dismissal of sorts, even if it had been an unconscious one.
"I will," Gustav promised with a hand on heart that made Bill grin.
He went to leave his friend to his book.
"Oh," he said just before walking out, "if Tom and I are in our room, it might be best to text first. Never know what you might find otherwise."
Then he continued on his way.
"Bill," Gustav's voice followed him; "that was a mental image I didn't need."
Bill laughed to himself and went to find Tom; things seemed to be working out.
====
Two days of complete relaxation and rest had done wonders for Bill's state of mind. The fact that Markus had taken David under his wing and had helped their manager sort everything out in his head was a blessing. They had had a meal the previous evening where they had all sat around and talked and it had almost been like old times. Saki seemed to be taking the whole situation with his usual stoicism now that he was sure everyone was okay and David was coming around. Even Sven, who had appeared guilt ridden since the incident was beginning to relax again. It would never be quite the same, but then, when you brought vampires into the equation, things never could be.
Bill did not like the early morning; he hadn't when he was human and he liked it even less now he was Strigoi, but they were going home that morning, so everything needed to be packed. The press would know they had gone home of course, but now that they had had time to rest, Bill was sure they could all cope.
The person he definitely did not expect to see when he walked into the kitchen was Syb. His mentor and friend was sitting at the table and nursing a cup of coffee. The sun had been up for some time and he would have thought that Syb would have returned to her home.
"Hello," he said, trying to clear his head a little; he had wandered into the kitchen to try and find some caffeine to wake himself up.
He managed to find a mug and fill it from the coffee pot without dropping anything, so he awarded himself a point in the morning game. Tom was in the shower and he wanted to be sentient by the time Tom finished, so that when he went to take his, he didn't do something stupid like try and wash his hair with toothpaste.
"Good morning," Syb replied as he sat down in the chair beside her; "did you sleep well?"
"Like a log," Bill replied and took a swig of his coffee, "I think I've been asleep half the time we've been here. It's waking up that's the problem."
Syb smiled at him as he tried to cut through the fog in his mind with caffeine.
"Speaking of which," he said as his brain started to function a bit more, "shouldn't you be at home doing just that?"
"Normally yes," Syb told him and there was something about her expression that bothered him, "but this morning I needed to see you."
That set alarm bells ringing inside Bill's head.
"It's him, isn't it," he said, refusing to give the creature a name.
Syb nodded.
Bill didn't think he could take it if his attacker had escaped.
"It's the trial," Syb told him, which at least allowed him to breathe again; "he is contesting the charges."
Bill knew his brain wasn't working too fast at the moment, but he didn't understand.
"Isn't that what people do at a trial?" he asked.
Syb reached out and took his hand.
"The evidence is overwhelming," Syb explained carefully, "and normally a Strigoi would face them and admit to them at such a point. Even our criminals usually have an odd sense of honour, but this creature lives only to torment others. He is claiming that you wanted the bond and that, when it did not work, it drove you both slightly mad. That is what he is blaming his behaviour on."
Bill tried to draw back, but Syb had his hand very firmly.
"No one believes that do they?" he asked rather desperately.
"No," Syb told him with no doubt in her voice; "there is no doubt that he is lying, but it means the evidence must be presented at the trial rather than just to the judges. It means you have to be there."
For a moment Bill just sat there, not believing what he was hearing. Syb had told him that because she had seen in his mind and he had willingly allowed his blood to be used to prove lineage that he would not be required for the actual trial. He had not prepared himself for this eventuality and he felt himself going cold all over.
"When?" he asked; not surprised when his voice cracked a little.
"Tonight," Syb said, holding his hand gently now. "I am very sorry, Bill, no one thought he would try this."
Bill nodded; he didn't blame Syb or anyone else really, no one except the monster that had caused all of this.
"What about the others?" he asked; he definitely didn't want anyone else dragged into this.
"He is not contesting his actions against them," Syb said in a gentle tone, "only those against you, blaming that for everything he has been seen to do. You may bring anyone you wish, but none of them have to be there."
The cold was making him shiver and Bill did his best to turn aside the urge to panic.
"Bill," he heard Tom's voice and then his twin was charging into the kitchen in nothing but a towel, "what's wrong?"
Bill didn't care that Tom was damp when his twin leaned against him and pulled him close. He really didn't know what to say, his mind was in turmoil.
"There has been an unexpected development with Nikols' trial," Syb explained for him; "it means Bill's presence will be required."
He felt the tension that immediately shot through Tom and squeezed Tom's hand before his twin could explode at the wrong person. This wasn't Syb's fault and he knew how Tom could be when his twin was being over protective.
"Don't," he said quietly, "please."
"You shouldn't have to deal with this," Tom said, holding him gently.
"Other victims have to," Bill pointed out, doing his best to fill his head with rationalisation; "I can do this, Tom. It was just a shock."
"I wish the bastard had died," Tom said and part of Bill agreed, but another part was very glad he had not actually killed.
He would have done the same in a heartbeat, but to have been responsible for a death was not something he ever wanted.
"Well he didn't," Bill said, pulling back and refusing to give in to the anxiety running through him, "but I'm not going to refuse to show up and let him get away with this. What time tonight?"
He looked back at Syb and pulled his courage together.
"The trial will begin at midnight," Syb told him, and he thought that maybe he saw a little pride in her eyes; "I'll arrange for a car for you and Tom at eight so you have time to adjust once we're at the venue."
Bill nodded his head; that gave him all day to prepare himself. At least he would have a chance to see his mother first.
"I need a shower," he said, standing up and excusing himself; "I'll see you later."
Tom was clearly worried about him, but he gave his twin a quick kiss to try and reassure him.
"Together we can face anything, remember?" he said, looking into Tom's eyes.
It took a moment, but then Tom gave a little nod and Bill took strength from that. He was no longer the confused, afraid boy he had been in the hospital; he wasn't even the same as when he had panicked after the first concert; he could do this. He had faced his attacker once and almost destroyed the bastard; he could do it again.
=====
When Bill had told him what he planned to wear to the trial, Tom had been unsure if his twin knew what he was doing, but when Bill stepped out of the bathroom, Tom knew it had been the right decision. Bill looked the part; it was as simple as that. The fact that Bill was wearing the costume from the video for From the Fire, minus the special makeup, was neither here nor there; as Tom looked, he knew it was the correct thing to do.
Bill had his hair tied back in a low pony tail and looked liked he had stepped out of two centuries past, but with a few pointers here and there of the modern world. The makeup was one giveaway and the accessories, but frankly the most impressive thing about Bill was his expression. If Tom hadn't known his twin as well as he knew himself he might have been a little afraid. There was no fear showing in Bill's expression at all, only hard determination with a side dose of anger.
For his part, Tom has chosen the one and only suit he owned; the one reserved for funerals and other occasions where his mother would have killed him if he wore his usual clothes. It was a sharp suit; he'd let Bill help him choose it a little while before the kidnapping, so he knew it was in style. They were going to make an impression, that was for sure.
"Ready?" Tom asked, even though he already knew the answer.
"As I'm ever going to be," Bill replied and brushed a piece of non-existent fluff off of his jacket.
Tom gave his twin a smile of encouragement, took his hand and headed for the front door. Waiting for them were Georg and Gustav. It turned out Gustav had managed to over hear the whole conversation in the kitchen purely by accident and, when they had headed back to their room to finish the morning routine, their friend had stopped them in the corridor. There really hadn't been much arguing with Gustav's demand to go with them to the trial; when Gustav put his foot down there was no shaking their drummer. It was really a good thing that Gustav very rarely did so, or there would have been stalemate between Bill and Gustav all the time.
They were all decked out in their Sunday best and, if Tom hadn't known where they were going, he would have said they were headed for a premiere or something where they were expected to be ultra smart.
"The car's outside," Gustav said as soon as they approached; "Markus and Syb are waiting for us out there.
"Then let's get going," Tom said with as much confidence as he could manage; "the sooner we get this over, the sooner we can all have a stiff drink."
"I'll second that," Georg replied with a nod.
"We'll see you in the car," Gustav said and Tom realised his friend was looking over his shoulder and he turned to see his mother in one of the doorways with Gordon not far behind.
He just nodded as he and Bill turned to say goodbye to their parents.
"Are you sure you don't want us there?" their mum asked for what had to be the twentieth time.
It was Bill who nodded this time.
"I need to be strong, Mum," Bill said and Tom was not going to try and change his twin's mind. "I don't think I can do that if you hear everything."
They had had this discussion before and their mum still didn't look happy about it, but Tom knew there would be no more resistance. In this Bill had to be the lead; it was that simple.
"Be careful and call if you need anything," their mum said and dragged Bill into a hug.
Gordon patted Bill on the back as well and gave Tom a supportive smile. He almost got away without having his mother go embarrassingly emotional on him, but Tom found himself being hugged as well.
"We'll be back in the morning," Bill promised and Tom ushered his twin away before the tears he could see in his mother's eyes could fall.
This was hard on all of them, but Tom was going to make sure Bill would get through the trial, hopefully without falling apart. According to Syb, Bill's appearance was more for show than anything else. The trial would take several hours, but Tom was going to do his best to make sure Bill wasn't under too much strain. It wasn't going to be plain sailing, but together they were stronger than anything life could throw at them.
====
Normally when they were anywhere but at home or in a hotel room, Tom wasn't allowed to hold Bill's hand, but the moment he stepped into the rather grand building where the trial was to be held, he reached out and laced his fingers into Bill's.
From the quick briefing Syb had given them in the car, the Strigoi court did not conform to human norms. The first difference was that witnesses did not wait outside to be called or anything like that; everyone was inside all the time. Because of this, they all walked into the main chamber and took seats in what was styled more like an amphitheatre than anything like a courtroom Tom had ever seen on TV.
On the outside Bill looked as calm and regal as he had done when Tom had watched his twin walk out of the bathroom, but Tom's hand was in a vicelike grip, so he knew Bill was no where near as at peace as he looked. There were many more people there than had been at the party and Tom didn't need to be Strigoi to be able to feel them around it; the air seemed almost alive with the supernatural.
They took their seats in one of the shorter rows towards the front. There were only four seats between the aisles so he, Bill, Markus and Syb sat in one and Gustav and Georg sat just behind them. There was no witness box in the court and, as Tom understood it, witnesses would either just stand up, or be called forward into the main floor area before the bench to speak. As the grandeur of the court started to wear off, he began to talk to Bill in a low tone about nothing important. He wanted to keep Bill as distracted as possible for as long as possible and so he went about it with determination.
Bill wasn't really very talkative, but Tom persisted. Only when Bill's eyes zeroed in on the side of the room and his twin seemed to lose all interest in him did he finally give up. Bill was just about rigid beside him as the double doors to the left of the room opened and Tom found himself almost as anxious as he could feel Bill was. What he saw as the defendant was led into the courtroom made his mouth go dry and his stomach do flips. Nikols was barely recognisable as the same person who had confronted them in the hotel hallway. Tom was never going to forget that mental image and the creature that was brought into the court in chains didn't match at all. When Bill had shredded the other Strigoi he'd done a very good job and Nikols' skin was covered in little red welts that appeared to still be healing. About the only thing Tom could recognise through the disfigurement was the stare; those mad eyes he remembered all too well from when they had looked at him with death in them.
Behind Nikols were two other men, both appeared no more than twenty and they were also in shackles. Tom had never seen them before, but the way Bill's fingers flexed around his own, he knew Bill had; he guessed they were the 'others' Bill sometimes referred to. He did not think they were Strigoi. Nikols was led to a chair to one side and the other two were given seats to Nikols' left, just behind the Strigoi.
There was murmuring from around the room as Nikols was put in position, but Bill didn't so much as take his eyes off of the Strigoi who had caused so much pain and aguish, let alone say anything. All Tom could do was keep hold of Bill's hand and offer his silent support. He glanced round to see that Gustav was glaring across the room with an expression that could kill and Georg had a hand on their drummer's arm. When it came to Strigoi, looks could kill, but Tom hoped Gustav was not that angry yet.
As Nikols looked around the room and those hated eyes fell on Bill, Tom actually felt Bill's power shift. From the glances that came from those sitting around them, he wasn't the only one who sensed it either. Syb put her hand on Bill's other arm where she was sitting next to him and whispered to him quietly. Tom didn't know what Syb was saying, but he did see Bill relaxing a little.
After a few moments, the double doors opened again and everyone rose to their feet. A full Strigoi court consisted of five judges; because of Bill's and now Gustav's statuses among the Strigoi, all four of the German elders were sitting on the bench and the fifth member was someone Tom thought he remembered from the party, but he couldn't remember her name. As the members of the bench sat, so did the rest of the court, except Nikols and the other two men in shackles.
"Edward Nikols," Graham appeared to be the head judge, "you stand accused of Perversion of the Life Bond, Murder, Kidnapping ..."
Tom tuned out the list; it made him shiver just to think of it.
"By your actions and theirs, your bond mates also stand accused," Tom tuned back in to that bit; "how do you plead?"
"Not guilty by reason of insanity," Nikols said, standing straight and sounding almost like a reasonable human being.
"So it is entered into the record," Graham said and Tom was impressed with the impassive face the chief elder was giving to the whole proceedings. "You have refused a mind touch, let the record state why."
"My mind has been in turmoil," Nikols said evenly; "I fear what another touching my thoughts would do."
The Strigoi court may have appeared somewhat old fashioned in setup, but Tom hadn't missed the fact that they were using state of the art computers to record the trial. There were no prosecution or defence attorneys in the Strigoi court; from what Tom understood, the judges asked the questions and the accused spoke for themselves unless deemed mentally incompetent.
"State your case," Graham said firmly and banged a large stone onto the bench in a very final type manner.
Nikols inclined his head.
"I stand accused of many things and I do not deny that I committed most of them," Nikols began to speak and Tom moved a little closer to Bill, "but I beg the courts indulgence since I was quite mad when I did so. Only the complete shut down of my mind and body caused by the wounds I received in the perpetration of the last of these acts restored my sanity."
Tom could hear Bill breathing just a little too fast; this was beyond a joke.
"I met Bill Kaulitz in the restaurant of his hotel," Nikols continued, "and I admit I had been waiting there for him. I had met him several times before, unknown to his friends or colleagues. He agreed to meet with me later that evening."
Bill's grip on his hand was almost painful by then.
"When I saw his friends leave for their engagement, I went to see him," Nikols spoke calmly and evenly as if it was the truth. "He invited me into his room and we talked. I admire beauty and Bill is enchanting in person with character as well as beauty. I had told him the truth about myself on our second meeting and we had planned for him to come with me and be one of my bond mates. We left together."
"How do you explain the evidence of the hotel room and the obvious conflict within it?" Lorrie asked, which was just what Tom had been thinking.
"We had planned to make it look like Bill had been taken," Nikols said, clearly having thought it all through, "and then, when the bond had settled, to return him home for a time. Unfortunately his bodyguard returned earlier than expected and there was an altercation and an accident."
It all sounded so logical.
"Bill returned to my residence with me," Nikols continued, "and I introduced him to the rest of the household. We attempted to bond that night and failed. The bond Bill shares with his twin prevented the new bond and we tried several times, but all it did was make things worse. I do not remember the next few days clearly, but I do remember becoming obsessed with the bond and trying to complete it. Both of our minds were damaged by the failure, I fear that by the time I left him to die I was quite mad."
Tom was seething; if was all so much rubbish and he wanted to rip Nikols' larynx out for suggesting that Bill would ever be party to such a thing.
"Why would Mr Kaulitz have wished this bond?" Graham asked in a reasonable tone.
"Why does any mortal wish to bond?" Nikols replied. "At first I think he was intrigued by immortality and then we began to fall in love."
The need to stand up and yell at the man was almost more than Tom could bear. He almost didn't stop himself, but then he heard a most unexpected sound. He turned to Bill immediately and found his twin staring at the floor and laughing. It was a loud sound in the quiet court room and all eyes turned to Bill.
"You actually expect anyone to believe that?" Bill said and Tom knew his twin had timed it the moment he had everyone's attention.
Bill looked up and all humour vanished from his face, so fast that Tom was afraid his twin was about to go off the deep end.
"It is the truth," Nikols said, and made a good show of feeling sorry that Bill couldn't see it.
"May I come forward?" Bill asked, turning his attention to the bench.
Tom had no idea what Bill was doing, but he did not try and stop his twin.
"You may," Graham said after a moment; "the court recognises Bill Kaulitz."
Bill stood up and Tom hurriedly did so as well, moving to let his twin into the aisle. One glance from his twin was all he needed to put away his worry and focus on only supporting Bill and he followed Bill downs the stairs and into the main area.
"I never met him," the way Bill said 'him' conveyed enough venom to make the point, "before the day he kidnapped me. He accosted me in the restaurant and caused me to feel ill so I would stay behind when the others went to the Charity event. He came to my room dressed as room service and forced his way in. He tried to confuse me into sex, but Tobi, my bodyguard came to check on me and they fought. Tobi and I were both knocked out and I woke up in his home. I never wanted anything to do with him and the bond with my twin is what saved me. He raped my mind and he raped my body before leaving me to die like a discarded toy. These are the facts and you may search my mind as much as you like to end this charade now."
Whispering went all around the courtroom; Bill had clearly just stepped all over protocol, but Tom was with his twin on this. From what Syb had told them, because of her involvement in untangling the mess Nikols had made of Bill's mind, she was supposed to testify and Bill was there simply to agree that she spoke the truth. Tom didn't know if it was because of Bill's status or if the court just preferred to leave the victims as much out of it as possible, but Bill had just stomped all over that plan.
For the first time Nikols appeared less than calm.
"You are aware that you will consciously relive the events if you allow the mind touch?" Graham asked in a grave tone.
Bill nodded, but showed no signs of backing down.
"Your mind is clouded," Nikols tried to intercede, "it pains me that..."
"I shut you up once," Bill said in a voice that could have frozen fire, "I can do it again."
Tom had very rarely seen Bill so angry that he could do damage, but Bill was very clearly there now. If he hadn't known how much it was costing Bill, he might have been afraid. Nikols actually flinched.
"Approach," Graham said and Bill walked towards the bench.
Tom followed his twin and hovered just behind him; he knew this was not going to be fun.
"You may choose which judge will initiate the contact," Graham told Bill and Tom did his best not to fidget.
"Then I choose you," Bill said simply and Tom did the only thing he could think of doing; he reached out and placed his hand on Bill's shoulder, giving his twin all his support.
Bill did not look round, but did bring up a hand to place over his.
"Are you prepared?" Graham asked.
Bill nodded again and then Tom saw Graham's eyes glow slightly. He needed to be strong for when Bill came out of this, so he closed his own eyes for a moment so as not to become lost in the connection as he had done that one time with Syb. Bill went completely rigid under his hand and he wasn't even sure Bill was breathing until a little gasp escaped his twin. It seemed to take forever as Bill gradually began to shake, but in reality it couldn't have been more than a couple of minutes. Total silence had spread across the whole room and only Bill's harsh breaths every now and then broke it.
Tom wanted nothing more than to pull Bill away and stop what was happening; he could all but feel Bill's distress. Yet, this was what Bill had asked for and breaking it now would only cause his twin more trouble. When Graham finally blinked, Tom moved instantly, because Bill began to fall. Bill was shaking from head to foot and breathing so hard, Tom thought his twin might start hyperventilating.
Tom gathered his twin into his arms and held Bill on his feet as he looked up towards the judges. This needed to be over soon. Graham closed his eyes and held out his hands to the two Strigoi sitting next to him and then held out their hands to the two on the ends. It took only a moment before they all nodded and Graham opened his eyes once more and fixed Nikols with a hard stare. The impartiality was gone now.
"Your defence is rejected," Graham said with the finality that begged no question. "Edward Nikols you are found guilty of all charges against you. There is but one sentence for such crimes. Evil such as yours will be ended by death."
Nikols seemed to change almost instantly, as if a mask dropped away.
"You little whore," Nikols screamed, lunging towards Bill, "you enticed me with your pretty face and your pretty voice and then you refused me. This is your fault."
Nikols was so quick that the two Strigoi standing either side of him missed him as he dove forward, but even as Tom tensed for an attack, none came. Gustav came out of nowhere and Tom had no idea when his friend had come down from the seats or how the hell Gustav had moved so quickly across the floor, but their drummer had Nikols on the ground in under a second. With the shackles and Gustav's knee in his back, Nikols was face down and going nowhere.
"Silence," Graham brought the court to order with one word and Nikols continued to scream obscenities into the floor, but they were muffled by the carpet. "Edward Nikols, you will be taken from the court and your head will be removed from your body. Your remains will be burnt and your ashes will be returned to the earth. Your bond mates will be held at the discretion of this court."
Tom couldn't help feeling relief at the verdict, but all he cared about at the moment was Bill. Bill was holding it together, but only barely, and Tom wanted to get his twin out of the courtroom as quickly as possible. As the two guards relieved Gustav of Nikols, Tom turned to find Syb, Markus and Georg just behind him.
"Court is dismissed," Graham said very loudly.
"This way," Syb said and indicated a small side door; Tom didn't need telling twice.
====
Bill couldn't really say what had possessed him to offer himself as a first hand witness; he had just been so angry. He hadn't been able to stand the idea of Nikols being allowed to lie so openly, even though he had known that Syb's testimony would bring the truth out. It seemed like a fit of madness now as he tried to pull himself together. When Graham had touched his mind it had been like he was back there with Nikols; if Tom hadn't been right there with him he was sure he would have been a gibbering wreck on the floor.
As it was, he was trembling uncontrollably and he couldn't seem to make himself breathe with any sensible rhythm. He was clinging to Tom as if his life depended on it.
"Just breathe," Tom told him in a gentle voice; "don't think about anything else, just breathe."
He wasn't quite sure where they were; he hadn't really followed leaving the courtroom, but they were in a small quiet room somewhere. He needed to pull himself together; he was not giving that creature the satisfaction of having torn him apart one more time, not even if Nikols would never really know.
"We need to get Bill home," it was Gustav spoke and Bill would added that they needed to all get home if he'd been able to take in enough air to not pass out and speak at the same time.
"The car will be here in fifteen minutes," Syb said and Bill found her voice comforting, even if she did sound a little on the stressed side.
In a weird kind of way it was comforting to know that not even his mentor could stay completely calm in the current circumstances.
"What," Bill decided he needed something else to occupy his mind and so he forced himself to speak, "what ... happens to ... the others?"
"Bill," Tom did not sound pleased with his question, "forget about them and concentrate on not passing out."
He looked his twin in the eye then.
"Need ... something ... else to ... concentrate on," he all but gasped out.
Tom pulled him close, but didn't argue anymore.
"Once they are free of the bond," Syb began to answer his question and he filled in the unspoken 'when Nikols is dead', "their minds will be examined. If they were unwilling bond mates they will be cared for and released if they wish. Without the bond they will live out normal human lives. If they were willing, they will be imprisoned so they cannot harm anyone else."
Bill remembered them helping Nikols to subdue him and playing with him themselves when they had felt like it. It was difficult to remember that they might have been as unwilling as he was and that it might have been Nikols' influence making them act that way. At least he could be sure that there would be justice.
The sound of a bell made his look up. It was a deep, ominous tenor bell and it resounded through the whole place.
"Tom," Syb said before Bill could try and ask what it was, "get ready."
Bill was confused; he had no idea what Syb was telling Tom to get ready for. Then he felt it, a sharp pain around his heart and he couldn't breathe at all. He collapsed against Tom as all strength momentarily left him and the whole room lurched. Nothing made a lot of sense, but he was peripherally aware of Georg putting out a hand to steady Gustav. Only as the pain faded away did he realise one indisputable fact; Nikols was dead. Until that moment he hadn't been aware that he knew his maker was alive, but now he knew, without a doubt, that the bastard was gone.
"What the hell was that?" Tom demanded, even as his twin held him tightly.
"They've done it," Bill said before Syb could reply and he found it strangely easy to say.
"The bell announced the execution," Syb added in explanation; "as Nikols' child Bill felt him die, and to a lesser extent so did Gustav. If Nikols let any of his other children live, they also know now as well."
"And you couldn't have warned us?" Tom sounded angry.
"Tom," Bill drew his twin's attention to him, "it doesn't matter. It's over; it's finally over."
He had managed to maintain the strange calm that the simple knowledge of his maker's death had given him for just a little while, but he knew it couldn't last. He didn't know if he was happy or sad, relieved or disgusted, all he knew was that it was done. Suddenly he was so tired and he didn't have the will to hold it together anymore. He wanted to go home, curl up with Tom and pretend that nothing else existed while he quietly fell apart and put himself back together ready to begin again.
Letting the tears come now was easy as part of him mourned, even though he wasn't quite sure what for and he let Tom hold him together for now. The nightmare was done; they could get on with the rest of their lives, but he just needed a little while for his tears to wash away the fear of what was finished. He knew that Tom would keep him safe.
End of part 19
On to Next Part
Author: Beren
Fandom: Tokio Hotel RPS
Pairing(s): Bill/Tom, Bill/OMC (reported, non-con)
Rating: NC17/18
Warnings: rape (non-graphic), twincest, vampires
Summary: There are things that many people do not see and are never supposed to see, but when one of these takes Bill from his hotel room, by force, everything changes for him and Tom.
Links:
Prologue | Ch 01 | Ch 02 | Ch 03 | Ch 04
| Ch 05 | Ch 06 | Ch 07 | Ch 08 | Ch 09
| Ch 10 | Ch 11 | Ch 12 | Ch 13 | Ch 14
| Ch 15 | Ch 16 | Ch 17 | Ch 18 | Ch 19 | Ch 20
Full Chapter Listing (with chapter descriptions)
Chapter 19 Trial and Retribution
"Hey," Bill said, walking into the second living room in the house they had rented as a hideaway.
Gustav was sitting in one of the over stuffed arm chairs reading a book and Bill hoped that his friend wouldn't mind him interrupting. They had been in the house a little over a day now, hiding away from the world and things seemed to be improving, but he had wanted to talk to Gustav alone. He was used to sharing everything with Tom, but Gustav was a private person and he wanted to make sure his friend could tell him anything he needed to.
"Hi," Gustav said, putting a bookmark in the book and closing it in a familiar gesture; Gustav often had his nose in a book.
"How's it going?" Bill asked, not really sure of his opening, but going for it anyway.
The little shrug was not what he had been hoping for as a reply, but Gustav could be a man of few words when he so chose.
"Anything you need to talk about?" Bill tried again; he wasn't overly good at the caring for people thing, not that he didn't care, he did, it was just that what to say in such situations never came easily.
When it was Tom everything was instinctive, with the rest of the world he often had no clue. For a little while he thought Gustav might just shrug again.
"How do you deal with the hearing?" Gustav finally asked and frowned a little. "I kept waking up last night, because I kept hearing things."
"Oh?" Bill said; he hadn't ever had that problem. "I think I missed that one; I needed so much sleep to begin with that I just got used to it. Eventually you just ignore it. Maybe we could get you some ear plugs until then?"
He felt quite pleased with himself when Gustav appeared to agree; at least he wasn't completely useless at this. Of course they weren't talking about what he had really been contemplating.
"Not hungry again yet?" he asked, deciding that subtle just wasn't his cup of tea.
He usually needed to feed every three to four days, but Syb had warned him that at the beginning Gustav might feel hungry more often. It was another one of those variable things.
"No," Gustav replied with a shake of his head, "nothing yet."
Bill sighed; Gustav was clearly in few words mode, which made the conversation all the harder.
"But you'll tell me when you do?" Bill just wanted to make sure.
Gustav nodded and Bill decided that banging his head on the table might be a good idea.
"What happens when I do need to feed?" Gustav asked and Bill almost cheered; maybe this conversation wasn't going to be so ridiculously hard.
Bill smiled and took a deep breath, glad to be able to launch into what he had come to discus.
"Well, unless you object, you can keep feeding from me for a while," he said, revealing what he had talked about with Syb the previous evening, "and then once everything's started to settle down Syb says she can introduce you to some people that would be happy to be donors. You're welcome to find your own of course, but you don't have to."
He, of course, had never had the issue about donors, because of Tom, but the Strigoi had a tried and tested system set up for their new members. Bill hadn't really considered it before, but it made perfect sense.
"That's fine," Gustav said and Bill saw just a touch of a smile twitch his friend's lips.
It was then he began to cotton on.
"You already talked to Syb about all this didn't you?" he said as he realised Gustav was being deliberately difficult.
His friend nodded and grinned; sometimes Gustav had a very dry sense of humour.
"Sorry I couldn't resist," Gustav told him; "you're entertaining when you're not quite sure what to say."
Bill rolled his eyes, but it did make him happy. Knowing that Gustav could joke about things went a long way to letting him believe that everything really was going to be alright.
"When did you speak to her?" he asked, since he was curious now.
"Not long after you did," Gustav replied and seemed perfectly calm about the whole thing; "when you were taking a cat nap."
"Okay, so after making me squirm, which, by the way, I will take revenge for once I'm not feeling so over-protective," Bill said and took the teasing for what it was, "is there anything you did want to talk about?"
Now Gustav's expression became a little more serious.
"How did you tell you parents?" Gustav asked eventually.
"Honestly, I didn't," Bill replied since he wasn't about to lie about it. "Syb and Markus explained everything to them. Syb didn't think I was in any state to deal with it and they needed to know. There was lots of crying and hugging afterwards though."
"Yeah," Gustav agreed, "my mum is probably going to cry too. I'm going to tell them as soon as we go home. I spoke to Dad on the phone yesterday and it seems they were all so worried by the bomb story that my sister is coming home as well, to prove to herself that I'm in one piece."
The fact that Gustav was facing this completely head on was not a shock to Bill; the whole band were very much go getters or they never would have made it.
"If you need moral support I could be there for you," Bill offered; he had had Tom there the whole time and he didn't like the idea of Gustav having to face the whole thing alone.
"Thanks," his friend replied, "but Georg already offered."
Bill grinned.
"I should have guessed," he said; Georg was keeping an eye on Gustav almost as closely as Tom was on him, which was saying something indeed.
"I may have to take him out and shoot him to put him out of his misery if this behaviour keeps up," Gustav said with a roll of his eyes.
"Aww, it's sweet," Bill countered.
Gustav did not look overly impressed with that comment.
"It's unnecessary," was the direct reply.
Bill chose not to argue, but he still thought it was cute.
"We all just want to make sure you're adjusting okay," he decided to redirect some of Gustav's ire onto himself. "You've taken everything very calmly."
Gustav gave a little shrug.
"I have freaked out once," Gustav admitted and surprised him; "I just happened to do it in the privacy of the bathroom this morning. It's easier to just get on with it."
That was a sentiment Bill could agree with; there was no point bemoaning something you couldn't change.
"But you're sure you don't want to talk about it?" he wanted to be sure.
Gustav nodded and fiddled with the book a little.
"Once I have it all sorted in my head, maybe," Gustav said, which pleased Bill, because it was not a complete dismissal, "but you know I have to think everything through first."
Bill gave his friend a smile and nodded; Gustav was definitely the thinker of the group, sometimes too much so.
"Well if you want me, just come ask," he said, standing up, since he knew the book gesture had been a dismissal of sorts, even if it had been an unconscious one.
"I will," Gustav promised with a hand on heart that made Bill grin.
He went to leave his friend to his book.
"Oh," he said just before walking out, "if Tom and I are in our room, it might be best to text first. Never know what you might find otherwise."
Then he continued on his way.
"Bill," Gustav's voice followed him; "that was a mental image I didn't need."
Bill laughed to himself and went to find Tom; things seemed to be working out.
====
Two days of complete relaxation and rest had done wonders for Bill's state of mind. The fact that Markus had taken David under his wing and had helped their manager sort everything out in his head was a blessing. They had had a meal the previous evening where they had all sat around and talked and it had almost been like old times. Saki seemed to be taking the whole situation with his usual stoicism now that he was sure everyone was okay and David was coming around. Even Sven, who had appeared guilt ridden since the incident was beginning to relax again. It would never be quite the same, but then, when you brought vampires into the equation, things never could be.
Bill did not like the early morning; he hadn't when he was human and he liked it even less now he was Strigoi, but they were going home that morning, so everything needed to be packed. The press would know they had gone home of course, but now that they had had time to rest, Bill was sure they could all cope.
The person he definitely did not expect to see when he walked into the kitchen was Syb. His mentor and friend was sitting at the table and nursing a cup of coffee. The sun had been up for some time and he would have thought that Syb would have returned to her home.
"Hello," he said, trying to clear his head a little; he had wandered into the kitchen to try and find some caffeine to wake himself up.
He managed to find a mug and fill it from the coffee pot without dropping anything, so he awarded himself a point in the morning game. Tom was in the shower and he wanted to be sentient by the time Tom finished, so that when he went to take his, he didn't do something stupid like try and wash his hair with toothpaste.
"Good morning," Syb replied as he sat down in the chair beside her; "did you sleep well?"
"Like a log," Bill replied and took a swig of his coffee, "I think I've been asleep half the time we've been here. It's waking up that's the problem."
Syb smiled at him as he tried to cut through the fog in his mind with caffeine.
"Speaking of which," he said as his brain started to function a bit more, "shouldn't you be at home doing just that?"
"Normally yes," Syb told him and there was something about her expression that bothered him, "but this morning I needed to see you."
That set alarm bells ringing inside Bill's head.
"It's him, isn't it," he said, refusing to give the creature a name.
Syb nodded.
Bill didn't think he could take it if his attacker had escaped.
"It's the trial," Syb told him, which at least allowed him to breathe again; "he is contesting the charges."
Bill knew his brain wasn't working too fast at the moment, but he didn't understand.
"Isn't that what people do at a trial?" he asked.
Syb reached out and took his hand.
"The evidence is overwhelming," Syb explained carefully, "and normally a Strigoi would face them and admit to them at such a point. Even our criminals usually have an odd sense of honour, but this creature lives only to torment others. He is claiming that you wanted the bond and that, when it did not work, it drove you both slightly mad. That is what he is blaming his behaviour on."
Bill tried to draw back, but Syb had his hand very firmly.
"No one believes that do they?" he asked rather desperately.
"No," Syb told him with no doubt in her voice; "there is no doubt that he is lying, but it means the evidence must be presented at the trial rather than just to the judges. It means you have to be there."
For a moment Bill just sat there, not believing what he was hearing. Syb had told him that because she had seen in his mind and he had willingly allowed his blood to be used to prove lineage that he would not be required for the actual trial. He had not prepared himself for this eventuality and he felt himself going cold all over.
"When?" he asked; not surprised when his voice cracked a little.
"Tonight," Syb said, holding his hand gently now. "I am very sorry, Bill, no one thought he would try this."
Bill nodded; he didn't blame Syb or anyone else really, no one except the monster that had caused all of this.
"What about the others?" he asked; he definitely didn't want anyone else dragged into this.
"He is not contesting his actions against them," Syb said in a gentle tone, "only those against you, blaming that for everything he has been seen to do. You may bring anyone you wish, but none of them have to be there."
The cold was making him shiver and Bill did his best to turn aside the urge to panic.
"Bill," he heard Tom's voice and then his twin was charging into the kitchen in nothing but a towel, "what's wrong?"
Bill didn't care that Tom was damp when his twin leaned against him and pulled him close. He really didn't know what to say, his mind was in turmoil.
"There has been an unexpected development with Nikols' trial," Syb explained for him; "it means Bill's presence will be required."
He felt the tension that immediately shot through Tom and squeezed Tom's hand before his twin could explode at the wrong person. This wasn't Syb's fault and he knew how Tom could be when his twin was being over protective.
"Don't," he said quietly, "please."
"You shouldn't have to deal with this," Tom said, holding him gently.
"Other victims have to," Bill pointed out, doing his best to fill his head with rationalisation; "I can do this, Tom. It was just a shock."
"I wish the bastard had died," Tom said and part of Bill agreed, but another part was very glad he had not actually killed.
He would have done the same in a heartbeat, but to have been responsible for a death was not something he ever wanted.
"Well he didn't," Bill said, pulling back and refusing to give in to the anxiety running through him, "but I'm not going to refuse to show up and let him get away with this. What time tonight?"
He looked back at Syb and pulled his courage together.
"The trial will begin at midnight," Syb told him, and he thought that maybe he saw a little pride in her eyes; "I'll arrange for a car for you and Tom at eight so you have time to adjust once we're at the venue."
Bill nodded his head; that gave him all day to prepare himself. At least he would have a chance to see his mother first.
"I need a shower," he said, standing up and excusing himself; "I'll see you later."
Tom was clearly worried about him, but he gave his twin a quick kiss to try and reassure him.
"Together we can face anything, remember?" he said, looking into Tom's eyes.
It took a moment, but then Tom gave a little nod and Bill took strength from that. He was no longer the confused, afraid boy he had been in the hospital; he wasn't even the same as when he had panicked after the first concert; he could do this. He had faced his attacker once and almost destroyed the bastard; he could do it again.
=====
When Bill had told him what he planned to wear to the trial, Tom had been unsure if his twin knew what he was doing, but when Bill stepped out of the bathroom, Tom knew it had been the right decision. Bill looked the part; it was as simple as that. The fact that Bill was wearing the costume from the video for From the Fire, minus the special makeup, was neither here nor there; as Tom looked, he knew it was the correct thing to do.
Bill had his hair tied back in a low pony tail and looked liked he had stepped out of two centuries past, but with a few pointers here and there of the modern world. The makeup was one giveaway and the accessories, but frankly the most impressive thing about Bill was his expression. If Tom hadn't known his twin as well as he knew himself he might have been a little afraid. There was no fear showing in Bill's expression at all, only hard determination with a side dose of anger.
For his part, Tom has chosen the one and only suit he owned; the one reserved for funerals and other occasions where his mother would have killed him if he wore his usual clothes. It was a sharp suit; he'd let Bill help him choose it a little while before the kidnapping, so he knew it was in style. They were going to make an impression, that was for sure.
"Ready?" Tom asked, even though he already knew the answer.
"As I'm ever going to be," Bill replied and brushed a piece of non-existent fluff off of his jacket.
Tom gave his twin a smile of encouragement, took his hand and headed for the front door. Waiting for them were Georg and Gustav. It turned out Gustav had managed to over hear the whole conversation in the kitchen purely by accident and, when they had headed back to their room to finish the morning routine, their friend had stopped them in the corridor. There really hadn't been much arguing with Gustav's demand to go with them to the trial; when Gustav put his foot down there was no shaking their drummer. It was really a good thing that Gustav very rarely did so, or there would have been stalemate between Bill and Gustav all the time.
They were all decked out in their Sunday best and, if Tom hadn't known where they were going, he would have said they were headed for a premiere or something where they were expected to be ultra smart.
"The car's outside," Gustav said as soon as they approached; "Markus and Syb are waiting for us out there.
"Then let's get going," Tom said with as much confidence as he could manage; "the sooner we get this over, the sooner we can all have a stiff drink."
"I'll second that," Georg replied with a nod.
"We'll see you in the car," Gustav said and Tom realised his friend was looking over his shoulder and he turned to see his mother in one of the doorways with Gordon not far behind.
He just nodded as he and Bill turned to say goodbye to their parents.
"Are you sure you don't want us there?" their mum asked for what had to be the twentieth time.
It was Bill who nodded this time.
"I need to be strong, Mum," Bill said and Tom was not going to try and change his twin's mind. "I don't think I can do that if you hear everything."
They had had this discussion before and their mum still didn't look happy about it, but Tom knew there would be no more resistance. In this Bill had to be the lead; it was that simple.
"Be careful and call if you need anything," their mum said and dragged Bill into a hug.
Gordon patted Bill on the back as well and gave Tom a supportive smile. He almost got away without having his mother go embarrassingly emotional on him, but Tom found himself being hugged as well.
"We'll be back in the morning," Bill promised and Tom ushered his twin away before the tears he could see in his mother's eyes could fall.
This was hard on all of them, but Tom was going to make sure Bill would get through the trial, hopefully without falling apart. According to Syb, Bill's appearance was more for show than anything else. The trial would take several hours, but Tom was going to do his best to make sure Bill wasn't under too much strain. It wasn't going to be plain sailing, but together they were stronger than anything life could throw at them.
====
Normally when they were anywhere but at home or in a hotel room, Tom wasn't allowed to hold Bill's hand, but the moment he stepped into the rather grand building where the trial was to be held, he reached out and laced his fingers into Bill's.
From the quick briefing Syb had given them in the car, the Strigoi court did not conform to human norms. The first difference was that witnesses did not wait outside to be called or anything like that; everyone was inside all the time. Because of this, they all walked into the main chamber and took seats in what was styled more like an amphitheatre than anything like a courtroom Tom had ever seen on TV.
On the outside Bill looked as calm and regal as he had done when Tom had watched his twin walk out of the bathroom, but Tom's hand was in a vicelike grip, so he knew Bill was no where near as at peace as he looked. There were many more people there than had been at the party and Tom didn't need to be Strigoi to be able to feel them around it; the air seemed almost alive with the supernatural.
They took their seats in one of the shorter rows towards the front. There were only four seats between the aisles so he, Bill, Markus and Syb sat in one and Gustav and Georg sat just behind them. There was no witness box in the court and, as Tom understood it, witnesses would either just stand up, or be called forward into the main floor area before the bench to speak. As the grandeur of the court started to wear off, he began to talk to Bill in a low tone about nothing important. He wanted to keep Bill as distracted as possible for as long as possible and so he went about it with determination.
Bill wasn't really very talkative, but Tom persisted. Only when Bill's eyes zeroed in on the side of the room and his twin seemed to lose all interest in him did he finally give up. Bill was just about rigid beside him as the double doors to the left of the room opened and Tom found himself almost as anxious as he could feel Bill was. What he saw as the defendant was led into the courtroom made his mouth go dry and his stomach do flips. Nikols was barely recognisable as the same person who had confronted them in the hotel hallway. Tom was never going to forget that mental image and the creature that was brought into the court in chains didn't match at all. When Bill had shredded the other Strigoi he'd done a very good job and Nikols' skin was covered in little red welts that appeared to still be healing. About the only thing Tom could recognise through the disfigurement was the stare; those mad eyes he remembered all too well from when they had looked at him with death in them.
Behind Nikols were two other men, both appeared no more than twenty and they were also in shackles. Tom had never seen them before, but the way Bill's fingers flexed around his own, he knew Bill had; he guessed they were the 'others' Bill sometimes referred to. He did not think they were Strigoi. Nikols was led to a chair to one side and the other two were given seats to Nikols' left, just behind the Strigoi.
There was murmuring from around the room as Nikols was put in position, but Bill didn't so much as take his eyes off of the Strigoi who had caused so much pain and aguish, let alone say anything. All Tom could do was keep hold of Bill's hand and offer his silent support. He glanced round to see that Gustav was glaring across the room with an expression that could kill and Georg had a hand on their drummer's arm. When it came to Strigoi, looks could kill, but Tom hoped Gustav was not that angry yet.
As Nikols looked around the room and those hated eyes fell on Bill, Tom actually felt Bill's power shift. From the glances that came from those sitting around them, he wasn't the only one who sensed it either. Syb put her hand on Bill's other arm where she was sitting next to him and whispered to him quietly. Tom didn't know what Syb was saying, but he did see Bill relaxing a little.
After a few moments, the double doors opened again and everyone rose to their feet. A full Strigoi court consisted of five judges; because of Bill's and now Gustav's statuses among the Strigoi, all four of the German elders were sitting on the bench and the fifth member was someone Tom thought he remembered from the party, but he couldn't remember her name. As the members of the bench sat, so did the rest of the court, except Nikols and the other two men in shackles.
"Edward Nikols," Graham appeared to be the head judge, "you stand accused of Perversion of the Life Bond, Murder, Kidnapping ..."
Tom tuned out the list; it made him shiver just to think of it.
"By your actions and theirs, your bond mates also stand accused," Tom tuned back in to that bit; "how do you plead?"
"Not guilty by reason of insanity," Nikols said, standing straight and sounding almost like a reasonable human being.
"So it is entered into the record," Graham said and Tom was impressed with the impassive face the chief elder was giving to the whole proceedings. "You have refused a mind touch, let the record state why."
"My mind has been in turmoil," Nikols said evenly; "I fear what another touching my thoughts would do."
The Strigoi court may have appeared somewhat old fashioned in setup, but Tom hadn't missed the fact that they were using state of the art computers to record the trial. There were no prosecution or defence attorneys in the Strigoi court; from what Tom understood, the judges asked the questions and the accused spoke for themselves unless deemed mentally incompetent.
"State your case," Graham said firmly and banged a large stone onto the bench in a very final type manner.
Nikols inclined his head.
"I stand accused of many things and I do not deny that I committed most of them," Nikols began to speak and Tom moved a little closer to Bill, "but I beg the courts indulgence since I was quite mad when I did so. Only the complete shut down of my mind and body caused by the wounds I received in the perpetration of the last of these acts restored my sanity."
Tom could hear Bill breathing just a little too fast; this was beyond a joke.
"I met Bill Kaulitz in the restaurant of his hotel," Nikols continued, "and I admit I had been waiting there for him. I had met him several times before, unknown to his friends or colleagues. He agreed to meet with me later that evening."
Bill's grip on his hand was almost painful by then.
"When I saw his friends leave for their engagement, I went to see him," Nikols spoke calmly and evenly as if it was the truth. "He invited me into his room and we talked. I admire beauty and Bill is enchanting in person with character as well as beauty. I had told him the truth about myself on our second meeting and we had planned for him to come with me and be one of my bond mates. We left together."
"How do you explain the evidence of the hotel room and the obvious conflict within it?" Lorrie asked, which was just what Tom had been thinking.
"We had planned to make it look like Bill had been taken," Nikols said, clearly having thought it all through, "and then, when the bond had settled, to return him home for a time. Unfortunately his bodyguard returned earlier than expected and there was an altercation and an accident."
It all sounded so logical.
"Bill returned to my residence with me," Nikols continued, "and I introduced him to the rest of the household. We attempted to bond that night and failed. The bond Bill shares with his twin prevented the new bond and we tried several times, but all it did was make things worse. I do not remember the next few days clearly, but I do remember becoming obsessed with the bond and trying to complete it. Both of our minds were damaged by the failure, I fear that by the time I left him to die I was quite mad."
Tom was seething; if was all so much rubbish and he wanted to rip Nikols' larynx out for suggesting that Bill would ever be party to such a thing.
"Why would Mr Kaulitz have wished this bond?" Graham asked in a reasonable tone.
"Why does any mortal wish to bond?" Nikols replied. "At first I think he was intrigued by immortality and then we began to fall in love."
The need to stand up and yell at the man was almost more than Tom could bear. He almost didn't stop himself, but then he heard a most unexpected sound. He turned to Bill immediately and found his twin staring at the floor and laughing. It was a loud sound in the quiet court room and all eyes turned to Bill.
"You actually expect anyone to believe that?" Bill said and Tom knew his twin had timed it the moment he had everyone's attention.
Bill looked up and all humour vanished from his face, so fast that Tom was afraid his twin was about to go off the deep end.
"It is the truth," Nikols said, and made a good show of feeling sorry that Bill couldn't see it.
"May I come forward?" Bill asked, turning his attention to the bench.
Tom had no idea what Bill was doing, but he did not try and stop his twin.
"You may," Graham said after a moment; "the court recognises Bill Kaulitz."
Bill stood up and Tom hurriedly did so as well, moving to let his twin into the aisle. One glance from his twin was all he needed to put away his worry and focus on only supporting Bill and he followed Bill downs the stairs and into the main area.
"I never met him," the way Bill said 'him' conveyed enough venom to make the point, "before the day he kidnapped me. He accosted me in the restaurant and caused me to feel ill so I would stay behind when the others went to the Charity event. He came to my room dressed as room service and forced his way in. He tried to confuse me into sex, but Tobi, my bodyguard came to check on me and they fought. Tobi and I were both knocked out and I woke up in his home. I never wanted anything to do with him and the bond with my twin is what saved me. He raped my mind and he raped my body before leaving me to die like a discarded toy. These are the facts and you may search my mind as much as you like to end this charade now."
Whispering went all around the courtroom; Bill had clearly just stepped all over protocol, but Tom was with his twin on this. From what Syb had told them, because of her involvement in untangling the mess Nikols had made of Bill's mind, she was supposed to testify and Bill was there simply to agree that she spoke the truth. Tom didn't know if it was because of Bill's status or if the court just preferred to leave the victims as much out of it as possible, but Bill had just stomped all over that plan.
For the first time Nikols appeared less than calm.
"You are aware that you will consciously relive the events if you allow the mind touch?" Graham asked in a grave tone.
Bill nodded, but showed no signs of backing down.
"Your mind is clouded," Nikols tried to intercede, "it pains me that..."
"I shut you up once," Bill said in a voice that could have frozen fire, "I can do it again."
Tom had very rarely seen Bill so angry that he could do damage, but Bill was very clearly there now. If he hadn't known how much it was costing Bill, he might have been afraid. Nikols actually flinched.
"Approach," Graham said and Bill walked towards the bench.
Tom followed his twin and hovered just behind him; he knew this was not going to be fun.
"You may choose which judge will initiate the contact," Graham told Bill and Tom did his best not to fidget.
"Then I choose you," Bill said simply and Tom did the only thing he could think of doing; he reached out and placed his hand on Bill's shoulder, giving his twin all his support.
Bill did not look round, but did bring up a hand to place over his.
"Are you prepared?" Graham asked.
Bill nodded again and then Tom saw Graham's eyes glow slightly. He needed to be strong for when Bill came out of this, so he closed his own eyes for a moment so as not to become lost in the connection as he had done that one time with Syb. Bill went completely rigid under his hand and he wasn't even sure Bill was breathing until a little gasp escaped his twin. It seemed to take forever as Bill gradually began to shake, but in reality it couldn't have been more than a couple of minutes. Total silence had spread across the whole room and only Bill's harsh breaths every now and then broke it.
Tom wanted nothing more than to pull Bill away and stop what was happening; he could all but feel Bill's distress. Yet, this was what Bill had asked for and breaking it now would only cause his twin more trouble. When Graham finally blinked, Tom moved instantly, because Bill began to fall. Bill was shaking from head to foot and breathing so hard, Tom thought his twin might start hyperventilating.
Tom gathered his twin into his arms and held Bill on his feet as he looked up towards the judges. This needed to be over soon. Graham closed his eyes and held out his hands to the two Strigoi sitting next to him and then held out their hands to the two on the ends. It took only a moment before they all nodded and Graham opened his eyes once more and fixed Nikols with a hard stare. The impartiality was gone now.
"Your defence is rejected," Graham said with the finality that begged no question. "Edward Nikols you are found guilty of all charges against you. There is but one sentence for such crimes. Evil such as yours will be ended by death."
Nikols seemed to change almost instantly, as if a mask dropped away.
"You little whore," Nikols screamed, lunging towards Bill, "you enticed me with your pretty face and your pretty voice and then you refused me. This is your fault."
Nikols was so quick that the two Strigoi standing either side of him missed him as he dove forward, but even as Tom tensed for an attack, none came. Gustav came out of nowhere and Tom had no idea when his friend had come down from the seats or how the hell Gustav had moved so quickly across the floor, but their drummer had Nikols on the ground in under a second. With the shackles and Gustav's knee in his back, Nikols was face down and going nowhere.
"Silence," Graham brought the court to order with one word and Nikols continued to scream obscenities into the floor, but they were muffled by the carpet. "Edward Nikols, you will be taken from the court and your head will be removed from your body. Your remains will be burnt and your ashes will be returned to the earth. Your bond mates will be held at the discretion of this court."
Tom couldn't help feeling relief at the verdict, but all he cared about at the moment was Bill. Bill was holding it together, but only barely, and Tom wanted to get his twin out of the courtroom as quickly as possible. As the two guards relieved Gustav of Nikols, Tom turned to find Syb, Markus and Georg just behind him.
"Court is dismissed," Graham said very loudly.
"This way," Syb said and indicated a small side door; Tom didn't need telling twice.
====
Bill couldn't really say what had possessed him to offer himself as a first hand witness; he had just been so angry. He hadn't been able to stand the idea of Nikols being allowed to lie so openly, even though he had known that Syb's testimony would bring the truth out. It seemed like a fit of madness now as he tried to pull himself together. When Graham had touched his mind it had been like he was back there with Nikols; if Tom hadn't been right there with him he was sure he would have been a gibbering wreck on the floor.
As it was, he was trembling uncontrollably and he couldn't seem to make himself breathe with any sensible rhythm. He was clinging to Tom as if his life depended on it.
"Just breathe," Tom told him in a gentle voice; "don't think about anything else, just breathe."
He wasn't quite sure where they were; he hadn't really followed leaving the courtroom, but they were in a small quiet room somewhere. He needed to pull himself together; he was not giving that creature the satisfaction of having torn him apart one more time, not even if Nikols would never really know.
"We need to get Bill home," it was Gustav spoke and Bill would added that they needed to all get home if he'd been able to take in enough air to not pass out and speak at the same time.
"The car will be here in fifteen minutes," Syb said and Bill found her voice comforting, even if she did sound a little on the stressed side.
In a weird kind of way it was comforting to know that not even his mentor could stay completely calm in the current circumstances.
"What," Bill decided he needed something else to occupy his mind and so he forced himself to speak, "what ... happens to ... the others?"
"Bill," Tom did not sound pleased with his question, "forget about them and concentrate on not passing out."
He looked his twin in the eye then.
"Need ... something ... else to ... concentrate on," he all but gasped out.
Tom pulled him close, but didn't argue anymore.
"Once they are free of the bond," Syb began to answer his question and he filled in the unspoken 'when Nikols is dead', "their minds will be examined. If they were unwilling bond mates they will be cared for and released if they wish. Without the bond they will live out normal human lives. If they were willing, they will be imprisoned so they cannot harm anyone else."
Bill remembered them helping Nikols to subdue him and playing with him themselves when they had felt like it. It was difficult to remember that they might have been as unwilling as he was and that it might have been Nikols' influence making them act that way. At least he could be sure that there would be justice.
The sound of a bell made his look up. It was a deep, ominous tenor bell and it resounded through the whole place.
"Tom," Syb said before Bill could try and ask what it was, "get ready."
Bill was confused; he had no idea what Syb was telling Tom to get ready for. Then he felt it, a sharp pain around his heart and he couldn't breathe at all. He collapsed against Tom as all strength momentarily left him and the whole room lurched. Nothing made a lot of sense, but he was peripherally aware of Georg putting out a hand to steady Gustav. Only as the pain faded away did he realise one indisputable fact; Nikols was dead. Until that moment he hadn't been aware that he knew his maker was alive, but now he knew, without a doubt, that the bastard was gone.
"What the hell was that?" Tom demanded, even as his twin held him tightly.
"They've done it," Bill said before Syb could reply and he found it strangely easy to say.
"The bell announced the execution," Syb added in explanation; "as Nikols' child Bill felt him die, and to a lesser extent so did Gustav. If Nikols let any of his other children live, they also know now as well."
"And you couldn't have warned us?" Tom sounded angry.
"Tom," Bill drew his twin's attention to him, "it doesn't matter. It's over; it's finally over."
He had managed to maintain the strange calm that the simple knowledge of his maker's death had given him for just a little while, but he knew it couldn't last. He didn't know if he was happy or sad, relieved or disgusted, all he knew was that it was done. Suddenly he was so tired and he didn't have the will to hold it together anymore. He wanted to go home, curl up with Tom and pretend that nothing else existed while he quietly fell apart and put himself back together ready to begin again.
Letting the tears come now was easy as part of him mourned, even though he wasn't quite sure what for and he let Tom hold him together for now. The nightmare was done; they could get on with the rest of their lives, but he just needed a little while for his tears to wash away the fear of what was finished. He knew that Tom would keep him safe.
End of part 19
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