Full Circle Chapter 1
Full Circle Chapter 1
Full Circle is a novel length continuation of my "Alpha and Omega" series of stories (start with http://www.sofurry.com/view/286798 or http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7306205). I'll be posting a chapter every week or two as time allows. If you read all four stories before you read this, you'll understand exactly what's going on. If not, that's fine too. Be warned, while the chapter is "General", the stories are not. Future chapters will also contain gay wolf sex. So yah, there will be adult content. Also, yes, I took a bit of liberty with the way in which the defense attorney conducts his cross-ex. Sue me.
~V. ________________________________________________________________________
Full Circle - 1
"Let me remind you, Mr. Talcott, that you're under oath. Wasn't it your intent to provoke my client into attacking Jesse Pedersen? Isn't it true that that's the only reason you even told my client about Mr. Pedersen's sexuality?" Aaron Talcott fidgeted uncomfortably on the stand. "It wasn't like that. I never wanted-- Andrew Miller's defense attorney, a huge black wolf, interrupted. "Excuse me, but we've already heard testimony that suggests you knew exactly how Mr. Miller would react." "Objection," the prosecutor said flatly as he took to his hooves. A buck named Timothy Worthkins, he was young, no older than 23 or 24. Nevertheless, he already sported a rack of antlers as broad as his shoulders. With his hands planted firmly on the table, black-tipped fingers splayed wide, he leaned forward, peering up at the judge over the wire-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. "Your Honor, the witness is a student, not a psychologist. He can't be expected to testify as to the defendant's state of mind leading up to and during the attack." He motioned to Miller's attorney. "Defense counsel is simply badgering the witness at this point." The wolf took a step towards the bench. The sheen of his fur glistened in the muted yellow light of the courtroom. "Your Honor, this line of questioning leads directly to the crux of my client's defense; that this witness knowingly and willfully manipulated Mr. Miller into attacking Mr. Pedersen." The judge settled back in his chair, his robe flowing down around him. Glared at the wolf sternly. "Sustained," he intoned. "Mr. Williams, if you want to examine your client's state of mind, have his psychiatrist do it when you present your case. Do you have any other questions for this witness?" "I do, your Honor." The judge flipped his paw. "Proceed." Karl Williams refocused on the gray wolf on the witness stand. "Since I'm not permitted to ask you questions about my client's state of mind, I'd like to ask you a few about your own leading up to the assault on Mr. Pedersen. Now, you did disclose Jesse Pedersen's sexual orientation to certain individuals, correct? "Yeah." "Who?" "Jonny Youngston, Toby Johnson and Andy Miller." Williams half-turned and pointed at the small wolf sitting at the defense table behind him. He was wearing a black suit and was impeccably groomed. "That Andrew Miller?" Aaron nodded. "Yeah, that's Andy." "And what prompted you to disclose Mr. Pedersen's sexual orientation to Youngston, Johnson and my client?" "I dunno," Aaron said with a shrug. "I guess I was hurt or angry or something by what happened." "And what was it that happened, Mr. Talcott?" "Jesse was s'posed to be my best bud. My friend. We've known each other since we were little pups. We did everything together. Then one day I stopped by his house to find him with a guy-- "Which guy?" the attorney interrupted. "Jake Hamilton." "Continue." "Anyhow, I stopped at Jesse's house cuz we'd had an argument earlier at school and I wanted to clear the air with him and there's Jake and Jake just puts his arms around Jesse. It was then that I put two plus two together and came to realize that Jesse'd been lyin' to me pretty much the entire time about being straight. Like I couldn't be trusted or something. " Williams rubbed his chin and laughed. "'Couldn't be trusted...' You've certainly got that right." "Objection, your Honor. Badgering," the deer said without looking up from the notes he was scribbling. "Sustained. Mr. Williams, this is a cross-examination, not a vaudeville act. Cut the comments," the judge warned. Williams nodded in deference. "Apologies, your Honor." After snatching a sheet of paper from the defense table, he padded to the jury box, taking position directly in front of the foreman. Williams continued. "So it's your testimony that you were 'hurt' and 'angry' because you felt that Jesse - your best friend of 16 years - didn't trust you enough to confide in you that he was gay and that you only learned of his preference for males by finding him with Jake Hamilton, is this correct?" "Yeah, that pretty much sums it up." "And you consider yourself a trustworthy guy?" "I'd like to think so." The black wolf tapped a claw against the wooden rail of the jury box. "Trustworthy enough to, oh, I don't know, 'out' your best friend of sixteen years to three members of the wrestling team, knowing full well the news would spread across campus like wildfire? Is that what trustworthy guys do, Mr. Talcott?" "It wasn't like that!" "I'm sure it wasn't," the attorney shot back. "Permit me to ask you a simple 'yes' or 'no' question. When you told Toby Johnson, Jonny Youngston and my client about Jesse Pedersen's sexual orientation, did anyone laugh?" "I don't know. They might have." "Yes or no, Mr. Talcott." "Yeah. "So there was laughter. Who laughed?" "Everyone." "Including you?" "Yes." "Why? Is Jesse Pedersen's homosexuality a joke? Did you tell a funny, Mr. Talcott?" "No." "Then again, why were you all laughing? Was it because of Mr. Pedersen's orientation?" "I don't know." "I think you do. I think you saw Jesse Pedersen as someone to ridicule. To hate. I think you saw Jesse Pedersen as somebody to attack. You wanted to attack Mr. Pedersen, didn't you?" Aaron sat rigid on the stand. "No! I didn't want anything to happen to Jesse!" Williams smiled a toothy grin. "If you'll humor me, Mr. Talcott, I have another 'yes' or 'no' question. At any time when you were in the company of Toby Johnson, Jonny Youngston or my client, did you ever refer to Jesse Pedersen as a 'faggot'?" Aaron's mouth opened, then closed. "Again, I'll remind you that you're under oath." Williams spun about on his pads, speaking to the judge but playing to the jury. "Your Honor, if you'll allow me, I'd like to read from the transcription of Toby Johnson's testimony." "Go ahead, but keep it short." "Thank you, your Honor." Williams held up the paper in his paw-hand, letting the jury see it. "The following is from Toby Johnson's February 2nd testimony. ' Williams scratched behind his right ear, letting the words die away. He turned, locking eyes with his prey on the witness stand. "Is that what you wanted to do, Mr. Talcott, 'kick Jesse Pedersen's teeth in?'" Aaron stared down at his paw-hands. They were trembling. Sucked in a sharp breath. His ears were flat. He knew Jesse was in the gallery, listening to every word. He felt incredibly small, incredibly ashamed. "I was angry. Yes, I said that, but I didn't mean it." "What didn't you mean? The kick that broke Mr. Pedersen's jaw? The brick that smashed him in the head?" "It was Andy who kicked Jesse! It was Andy who threw the brick! I stopped that psychotic asshole, for Christ's sake!" "Your Honor, you ruled that this witness cannot testify about my client's state of mind..." "The jury will disregard the witness' statement referring to the defendant as 'psychotic.'" The judge turned to Aaron. "And if you curse again in this courtroom, you'll be spending the night in lockup for contempt." "Sorry, I just--" "Continue, Mr. Williams." The attorney nodded. "Mr. Talcott, did it ever occur to you that my client might actually act out your words? Did it ever occur to you that Mr. Miller viewed you as a friend; that he was anxious to please and impress you? That he looked up to you and that your words carried weight with him?" "No." Williams turned to the judge. "No further questions."
(***)
In the foyer outside the courtroom, the prosecutor clapped Aaron on the back. "Don't worry about today, okay? These sorts of things always happen during cross-ex. That's the point of leading questions." "So I really didn't shit things up?" Aaron asked. It certainly felt as if he had. The buck shook his head. "You did fine. Williams is trying to distract the jury from the fact that it was Andy Miller who tried to kill Petersen. We'll remind them during re-direct that it wasn't you. We'll patch up those holes." Worthkins flicked his wrist and glanced at his watch. "Hey, I've got a deposition in a half-hour, so I need to get going. Anyhow, be here at 8:30 tomorrow for prep, okay?" "Yeah, sure." Without so much as a second look, Worthkins grabbed up his briefcase and trotted off, the clomp of his hooves echoing through the cavernous room. Aaron stood alone, paw-hands shoved deep into the pockets of his suit slacks. The foyer was mostly empty. The light was hard and grey, filtering in through tinted windows. Flecks of silver dust danced and swirled in it. The wooden wall panels were the color of mahogany. The doors to the courtroom opened. A faint squeaking sound and the clack of claw tips against the floor played at Aaron's ears. A large gray wolf in a wheelchair pushed by a smaller wolf rolled into view. Jesse and Jake. His stomach knotted, chest seized. He fought the instinct to flee. This was why he hadn't left the courthouse yet, wasn't it? Aaron hadn't seen his friend in over two months, not since the EMT's had frantically loaded Jesse into the ambulance and rushed him, sirens blaring, to St. Joseph Memorial. "Jesse..." His voice was weak. Neither Jesse nor Jake responded. Aaron started after them. "Jesse. Jake, c'mon, stop..." The wheelchair stopped. Jake spun on him. His upper lip wrinkled, twitched. He said nothing. "Jake, I just need to tell him I'm sorry." "Jesse can hear you. He's heard everything," Jake growled. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean for any of this to happen." "I'm sure you didn't but that doesn't change anything." "Jake..." Aaron started towards them; Jake blocked him. "Jesse, please..." Jesse shook his head. "Let's go." Jake started pushing again. "I'm sorry!"