[JULIAN]

I watched as people walked into court. I was at home watching from Zeus' laptop. Leonardo Zeus' lawyer had pulled me aside to plead that I didn't come to court with Zeus. I had argued saying that Zeus needed me.

"A scandal isn't what he needs at the moment," I remember Leo saying. And I agreed so we came to a compromise, Leonardo took a camera in the form of a brooch to his suit so I could follow up live on proceedings.

"Order," the chief female judge said hitting the podium with her gravel. He looked a little over hair prime. Her caramel skin was already wrinkling at the corner of her eyes. I could see the hint of white hair beneath the wig.

"Thank you," she said, dropping the gravel.

"We are here today to review the case of Zeus Darcanius. He has been accused of living under a fake identity to which he pleads guilty. However, he wishes to have all charges removed on counts of a desperate cause. The case can now proceed."

Someone read out loud before returning to the seats resided to the jury. I closed my eyes taking a deep breath. Hearing the whole thing aloud made it sound or the more impossible to get out of. I opened my eyes to continue watching. I had to be there for Zeus somehow.

"Mrs. Parthoropeons please come up to the stand," the person reading the order said.

The camera diverted a little giving the view of a classily dressed woman taking her time to get up. My brain fumed with how much she resembled Zeus. Her hair and sharp facial feature being one of the things she passed on to Zeus. As she walked forward with elegance the court silenced, the white trail on her hairdo was like that of a skunk's. It was the first time I laid eyes on the woman that birthed Zeus.

"Your grace," she said, bowing before the judge before proceeding to the witness stand.

That's unnecessary. I thought as she finally got behind the witness stand.

"Are you religious?" the judge asked, carrying out the proceedings.

"No, I swear on my own head," she said, raising her hand in pledge.

"Mrs. Vera Parthoropeons, do you swear that everything you are about to say is the truth and nothing but the truth?" The judge asked.

"I swear," she said.

"You may begin," the judge said using gravel to hit her table again.

"Imagine me a mother to realize her only son had not died but run off..." Vera trailed.

"Describe your encounters before he went missing," the judge said, looking a bit uninterested.

"I had seen Zeus go off with his car late in the evening, he didn't return and we started looking for him about a day after. We found his car submerged under a nearby river and made our assumptions — "

"Objection," I heard Leonardo's lawyer say in a French accent laced voice as the camera got raised a bit.

"Accepted," the Judge said.

"A person isn't meant to be verified as dead until after a year."

"What did you expect us to think?"

"He never left with the car." Leonardo insisted sternly.

"You had proclaimed him dead just over three weeks of his leaving, you had already fixed a burial date, but I ask you with which body?" Leo stated as the camera got closer to the witness stand.

"It was symbolical."

"But you stated it like a normal burial in the newspaper, even mentioning the finding of his body." Leo continued.

"I said no such thing, I started a search for his body," Mrs. Parthoropeons said, her voice a bit strained. I'm sure she wasn't expecting Leonardo to be such a questioning lawyer; I don't blame her, neither did I.

"The car driven by Zeus at that time was a white Lamborghini, not the red Ferrari found in the river."

"He had a habit of using his father's car," she stated. A frown hard started to slowly knit on her face, it seemed she really wasn't enjoying the bombard of questions.

"We'll end it there to be able to accommodate our next witness. Mrs. Parthoropeons please exit the witness stand," the judge said, using her gravel to hit her table. Hera left the witness stand with as much grace as she entered it.

"Mrs. Andrews please take the stand," She said as I watched in horror as Linda came to view. She looked clean-cut in black dress trousers and a white blazer, her hair was neatly drawn back in a ponytail. No matter the amount of comportment she seemed to have as she walked up to the stand. I could see the burning hatred behind her brown eyes.

"Are you religious?" the judge asked, carrying out the proceedings.

"No, I swear on my own head," Linda answered, her voice a bit cracked.

"Mrs. Andrews, do you swear that everything you are about to say is the truth and nothing but the truth?"

"I swear," she said, turning to face the court.

"You may begin," the judge said making Linda nod lightly. She seemed to turn to look directly at the camera. My nerves picked up and I had to remind myself that she was facing Leonardo.

"Well, I don't really know where to begin..." she trailed, shrugging.

"I've never been in court before," she sighed, adjusting the microphone.

"I was doing some research on Zeus Darcanius when I came across the fact that nothing from the age of eighteen down was recorded in that name..." Linda trailed, shifting on the witness stand.

"So I did a little digging and realized that Zeus Darcanius was actually Zeus Parthoropeons—"

"He is not objecting to these claims," The judge said, making Linda look away from the camera to face her.

"I know your grace, but it seems I know nothing more," she said, turning back to the court.

"I'll tell you one thing though for someone not to report this for so long, clearly means the name change was not the 'only' option—"

"Objection," Leo said.

"Overruled," the judge said, urging Linda to continue.

"And if it did it was the 'only' option the party involved is obstructing justice by refusing to report the case, and that itself alone carries a charge."

And just like that Linda made the case all the more complicated. The jury went into murmuring and so did the court. Linda was smart, what she was saying did make sense but did she have to point it out.

"I'll destroy the both of you."

I remembered her words from one of the many phone calls she'd made after I left. I brought my hand to my head. I'm the one causing Zeus all this pain. If he hadn't met me Linda won't be on his tail.

"Order! The next hearing will be in the next two days. Linda Andrews, you may leave the witness stand," The judge said hitting her gravel on the table. The camera followed Linda as she walked out the pulpit and towards Hera and her Judge before the screen went blank with the disconnecting if the camera.

I sighed, shutting the laptop.

What have I done? I wondered, turning to face the ceiling. It was mid-afternoon and the sun rays that penetrated through the window curtains were sharp and distinct. I watched the small particles dance in the sun's rays for a while.

What have I done to Zeus? I asked myself, turning to the side.

Being with him can't be worth all this. I thought. I soon decided to get up from the bed. I stretched looking around the room that I'd come to share with Zeus. Am I selfish for coming here, for wanting Zeus?

I shook my head before heading out of the room. Spots needed to be feed. Walking into the living room, I spotted Spots in his dog playpen. He raised his head as I approached to open the small door.

"Time for lunch," I said, forcing a smile on my face. I was trying desperately not to think about what I'd put Zeus into.

Spots whined, licking my fingers as I undid the lock before tailing me into the kitchen. I poured out some dog kibble into his bowl. He started eating, tail in the air as I filled up his drinking bowl.

I let spots out the house to get some exercise before attending to some cleaning inside the house. It was six-thirty and Zeus wasn't back yet. Maybe he's realized it's my entire fault? What if he doesn't want me here again?

I started to feel my throat burn from the possibility. I knew what Zeus was like when he was mean. I didn't want him to look at me like that again.

I stopped the vacuum cleaner at the sound of the doorbell. I went over to answer it, and the figure behind the glass was enough to tell me who it was.

"Julian," Zeus whispered, pulling me into a hug. I hugged him back not knowing what to say, I'd caused this and I didn't know what to do.

"Julian..." Zeus trailed again, pulling away from the hug. His green eyes were blurred up with unshed tears.

"Whatever happens to me I just want you to know that I love you," Zeus muttered as my eyes widened, I looked away sharply not really prepared to discuss this. Zeus sighed taking my face in his hands.

"Please, Julian look at me," he pleaded, making me turn my eyes to his. I gasped closing my eyes, I couldn't look at him. He had it again, that look.

"Please..." he trailed as I felt him rub against my cheek with his thumb. I opened my eyes, looking into his green ones.

"I love you, Julian Andrews, I know it hasn't been a long time since we met, it's just over a year, and to think of it, most of the time we were arguing or getting mad at each other..." Zeus trailed chuckling.

"But you're the only person that has made me this happy, I love you and it's okay you don't feel the same, I—I can deal with it," Zeus muttered, looking down at the floor.

"Zeus..." I called, making him look up at me. I smiled bringing my lips to his. He moaned kissing me back, his hand running down my face to my hips. I wasn't sure of my own feelings, but I was sure the confession of his made me happy, too happy.