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***Milo's POV***

Getting dressed is stressful. My hands are already shaking. I really don't want to do this. I don't want to be in a room full of strangers. I don't want to face my parents. I don't want their sins laid bare.

I know the town is aware of so many details. But, I just can't fathom having to relive the mortal hell I already packed safely away.

Standing in front of the mirror, I make an attempt with my tie. My hands are trembling so badly, it's hard to even succeed with the first knot. I ball my hands into fists and will them to calm down. I don't need this today.

"Come here." Batman whispers as he crooks his finger at me.

Sighing heavily, I walk towards my ultimate pillar of strength. Muscular arms work their way around my tense frame.

"I know this is hard. It will be over soon. You don't focus on anything but me and our family of friends. Don't you dare let them win. You are stronger than Marla and Steve. You are my Koala. You are beautiful and fearless. Don't let them take that away from you. If you need a break, you take one. If you want to cry, you cry. If after this, you need to hit something, we go to the gym. This is not your ending Milo. This is the final chapter of a life you already survived. You are a survivor. You are not weak. You are not a victim. Now stand up to the two pieces of shit and put them in their place. You deserve this." Neko says his speech with so much conviction. It grasps my soul and fortifies my spirit.

Neko's fingers work my tie into the perfect position. He straightens my collar. Then he leans down and kisses me softly.

"Me and you." Neko whispers. His fingers curl under my chin. His lips vibrate against my lips.

"You and me." I softly whisper. My head nods in agreement.

We meet all our friends to drive the two hours to Spokane.

The Wallaces ride with the Bennetts.

We take the Bennett's Lexus and pile ourselves along with Lux, Max, Natalie and Kyle into the vehicle.

The ride is pleasant. No one bothers to bring up what we are facing. Instead, we spend our time joking, laughing and singing off key to anything that Sirius chooses to play.

The trip is so short. I feel like we just entered the vehicle. Now, the large castle like building, stands tall in front of us. It's absolutely beautiful. It could be placed in the middle of Disney. Honestly, looks are so deceiving. Inside these walls are two of the worst humans in existence.

I pump my inhaler and breathe deeply. I expel the air before counting and repeating the process.

We meet Amy, Mike, Luke and Julie at the steps to the massive Superior Court building.

"You ready?" Mr. Luke grips my shoulder.

"I don't have a choice." I breathe out.

"You are not alone, honey. We are all here. We are here for you." Amy Bennett kisses my cheek.

"Thank you." I attempt a smile. Judging by the sympathetic faces of my entourage, I fail.

Neko grabs my hand and intertwines our fingers. He pulls me close and I lean into his side.

I can do this.

I have to.

We make our way into the courtroom and are all called to the lawyer's conference room. Kyle has to stay in the courtroom. He isn't a witness. He just came for support.

We are briefed on the steps to the hearing and the lawyers make us sign perjury affidavits.

I sign my name with sweaty palms and shaky fingers. I really don't even care.

We make our way to the front row on the prosecutor's side. I sit between Lux and Neko.

"We got you." Lux whispers in my ear. I turn my head and try to convey my gratitude through my nervous eyes.

"All rise." The Bailiff exclaims. We stand and the judge walks in to take his seat that overlooks the entire courtroom. I watch as the jurors take their seats, one by one.

The prosecutor turns and pats my hand so I sit.

"We will now hear the case of The State of Washington vs Marla Evans and Steve Evans."

The bailiff reads the long list of charges to the silent courtroom.

"We call Neko Evans to the stand." The prosecutor announces. Neko stands and I watch as he takes his right hand and places it on the Bible. He promises to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Neko sits and winks over at me. I nod in acknowledgement.

"Neko Evans. You are the only born son of the defendants, Marla and Steve Evans." The man states a fact.

"Yes, Sir." Neko answers but, I can almost feel his internal eye roll.

"You lived in the same house since birth, until what age?" He asks my Batman.

"18. I joined the military and was stationed in Hawaii." Neko explains.

"Did you come home often?" The prosecutor probes.

"As often as possible. I missed Milo." Neko informs the court.

"Milo is your adopted brother." The prosecutor confirms.

"Was. The adoption was overturned." Neko clarifies.

"Why was the adoption overturned?" The prosecutor leads.

"Due to the arrest of Marla and Steve, Milo needed a guardian. They were deemed unfit. I took temporary guardianship." Neko answers.

"Thank you. Now, you have heard the charges against your parents. Do you have reason to believe that their is any substantial evidence to convict them of those charges? If so, please recount any instances in detail." The prosecutor turns to the jury as Neko takes a long breath.

Max scoots beside me and grabs my left hand. Lux wraps his arm around my shoulder and holds me close. Kyle reaches over Lux lap and puts his left hand over my right one. I'm surrounded by love.

"As far back as I can remember, my parents blamed my brother for being alive. They wanted a daughter. They ended up with a daughter and son. Our sister, Laila succumbed to birth related complications at two. That's when it began. At first, it was harsh looks and stern tones that were unnecessary. As the years passed, Marla and Steve began being unusually hard on Milo. He developed a stutter, suffered from dyslexia and has a series of medical issues related to his own birth. They punished him cruelly for his educational shortcomings. They went out of their way to mock his speech impediment. They refused to cater to his medical needs or his everyday living requirements." Neko takes a breath.

The prosecutor takes the pause to ask "When did the alleged physical abuse begin?"

"At first, it was screaming in his face, leading to Milo reduced to tears. That fueled their anger. When he turned eleven, the heavy hands came into play. I'm five years older. So, I was 16. I started noticing peculiar bruises. When I asked, Milo gave believable excuses. At 18, I enlisted in the military to escape my parents. I couldn't handle being around them. I quickly got shipped to Hawaii. It was on my leaves to come home that more prominent bruising came on display. Milo began wearing long sleeves all throughout the year. He flinched when I hugged him. At night, I could hear him whimpering in his sleep. His wardrobe depleted and food became scarce. His stuttering had become so terrible, his sentences sounded discombobulated. His grades were less than average. He spent no time, outside of school, with his friends." Neko looks up at me and I give him a small smile.

"What occurred on your last leave? When you came home?" The prosecutor asks.

"Marla and Steve picked me up from the airport. Milo was there." Neko smiles. "He jumped in my arms and I couldn't let go. He was under weight and it was evident while he was in my arms. We got in the car and they said we were going to a seafood restaurant for dinner. I immediately informed them that Milo was allergic. After a brief argument we settled on Italian. While getting dressed for dinner, I noticed Milo had a bruise on his torso. I asked him where it came from, Steve was his reply. At dinner, I ordered Milo's favorite foods. Marla interjected saying he doesn't eat that much. We argued about the fact that Milo did not have access to proper food. I set up a home grocery delivery for my brother. They weren't even meeting his basic needs. At one point I noticed Milo had a flip phone. I had previously bought him an IPhone ten. After seeing that Marla had his phone, she lied and said that Milo offered it to her. Milo revealed that they had taken his IPhone. Little things didn't add up." Neko pauses again. He sips water from his glass. I listen intently.

"After dinner, Milo and I went to his room for bed." Neko gets interrupted by the prosecutor.

"You shared a room?" The prosecutor asks.

"I had my own bedroom. Milo always ended up curled into my chest. He said I kept him safe. Eventually, we didn't bother living apart." Neko explains.

"Thank you. Continue." The prosecutor gives Neko back the stage.

"Milo slept beside me every night, I spent everyday with him, ignoring my sorry excuse of parents. I took him shopping and replaced all his aged clothing. I set him up a bank account. I bought him a new phone and programmed my number under ICE, in case of emergency. I was praying that the contact never showed up on my phone. I left Milo that day, knowing I would take him home with me the minute he turned 18." Neko finishes.

"Did you find need for the ICE contact?" The prosecutor questions.

"A few days after I left, I was in the middle of Physical Training. I got a call and my Sergeant joined me to answer it. We were informed that Milo was in critical condition. He had been assaulted and I needed to get home fast." Neko's eyes water as he recalls the last page of our lives under Marla and Steve.

"What did you witness when you made it the hospital?" The prosecutor speaks slowly as if he doesn't want to ask.

"Milo was in ICU, fighting for his life. He had been beaten to the point of being unrecognizable. He had broken bones, lacerated internal organs, he had damage to his muscles. His jaw was wired shut. They did emergency surgery to save his leg. The doctor said my Milo was a fighter. I knew that already." Neko wipes the tears as the fall from his gorgeous dark eyes.

"Did you find out how Milo had gotten into that state?" The prosecutor audibly sniffles.

"Marla and Steve's house was being staked out. The two had beat him, leaving him to die. He crawled, dragging his abused body, to the phone and pushed the emergency pattern. Police showed up and transported him to the hospital, saving his life. They left him to die." Neko's voice rose, breaking on the last word. His chest was heaving and his fists were bawled tightly.

"Thank you, Neko. No further questions." The prosecutor sat down, letting Steve and Marla's defense start their round of questioning.

"You and your brother are close?" The defense attorney starts.

"Yes. Always have been, always will be." Neko promises.

"He tells you everything, you share everything?" The defense attorney states matter of fact mannered.

"Yes. We know each other like we know ourselves." Neko agrees.

"You believe him when he blames your parents" The defense attorney asks.

"Milo had never lied. I can't say the same for Marla and Steve." Neko grits out.

"Have you ever witnessed your parents physically assault Milo Evans?" The defense attorney smiles as he turns to me. The hair on the back of my neck stands up.

"I didn't have to. He was never let out of the house except for family social events and school. They aren't stupid. They made sure to hit him in inconspicuous places. They only hit him when the bruises would have time to fade. They were very good at covering their secrets." Neko defends.

"So, no." The defense attorney smirks.

"No. I did not witness the actual abuse. I just picked up the broken pieces when they were done using their son as a living punching bag." Neko argues.

"That's a matter of opinion and you are entitled to yours." The defense attorney smiles again.

"Are you and your brother sleeping together?" The defense attorney smiles wickedly at his open reveal.

"Yes, we're engaged to be married." Neko smiles brightly for the whole courtroom to see.

"That's incest." The defense attorney states.

"No sir, incest is sexual relations between two people who are closely related by DNA. Check your facts. Milo WAS my adopted brother. Therefore, it's nothing more than best friends who fell in love." Neko sits back and smirks coyly over his argument.

"It's still disgusting." The defense attorney cringes.

"That's a matter of opinion. You are entitled to yours." Neko let's out a small chuckle.

"No further questions." The defense attorney walks off to sit beside Marla and Steve.

"You may step down." The judge releases Neko from his place on the witness stand.

Neko hurries to my side. Max slides back over and Lux releases me into Neko's embrace.

"I love you, Batman." I whisper.

"I love you, Baby." Neko grips me tightly and we get ready for the next witness.