98- Courthouse Pt 1

Mick and Eddie got seated just in time for things to get underway. The setting was almost intimidating, with the room being finished in a dark wood and dark carpet that made things more claustrophobic than warm. The judge's raised pulpit stood as the domineering focal point of the space, with the raised jury box sitting just to its left.

Michael and Ryan made brief eye contact before things got started. Ryan and Scott were seated at the desk reserved for the plaintiffs with their lawyer, while the person representing the defense was someone neither Ryan nor Michael had ever seen before. There wasn't much time to think about that though. The bailiff's voice echoed through the space, giving the command:

"All rise!"

All but Ryan stood as the judge was introduced and took his place at the main podium. He was an older man, with a domineering gaze that spoke volumes on his low tolerance of nonsense. Yellow-white hair, and pressed black robes over a husky build completed the picture of a man who had decided the fates of others for many years. Michael couldn't help but reflexively scoot closer to Edwardo when the judge surveyed the court room.

The case was introduced as "Ryan Neel vs. the Shipping Company" on the grounds of willful negligence, discrimination, and worker's compensation. The opening statement given by Ryan's lawyer cut straight to the point. She directly blamed the management at the shipping company for failing to heed the claims of harassment as the full cause of the incident. She even had proof of every complaint left by both Ryan and Michael, along with statistics of anonymous omegas leaving complaints against the company across the country, and copies of various accident reports filed by the company's other omega employees. By the time she was done, it was clear that Ryan's case was not unique.

Michael kept half an eye on the jury box to judge their reaction to what the lawyer was saying. Most of them looked bored. Michael tried not to blame them for that. He'd heard serving on a jury tended to be dull. Not that he'd ever served on a jury. An omega wasn't allowed to do that. He just wished a few of them looked like they were paying more attention. Maybe this didn't affect them or anyone they cared about, but this was a big deal for Ryan and him, and in a way for all omegas in the city.

The defense had the floor next for their opening statement. Their lawyer, the very picture of some skeevy guy you'd hire off a billboard ad, first made it a very obvious point that this case was a waste of everyone's time. He insinuated that the whole incident, while unfortunate, was being blown out of proportion so an omega could take advantage of worker's comp. He insisted several times that the one at fault in the case wasn't the company itself, but the individuals who perpetrated the attack in the first place.

The guy continued along the same vein for a while, noting the very small percentage of documented fraud committed by omegas to supposedly "milk the system" and making sure to mention the average retention rate for omega employees in general, suggesting that an omega individual was only interested in working until they found an alpha to take care of them, suggesting that omegas were inherently greedy just by being omegas, suggesting that in some cases they already received more support than the average citizen…

Luckily the judge cut him off, warning him to stay on topic. Michael and Scott were both sporting looks that could kill, and their respective partners were doing their best to offer some quiet comfort. From the jury box, while some of the jurors clearly didn't believe a word of the guy's tangent, there were a notable few who had been nodding in agreement.

What followed was arguably one of the most dull things Michael had personally ever had to sit through. The entire proceedings up to the court breaking for lunch were nothing more than documents and paperwork being shared between the lawyers, judge, and jury. Neither he nor Ryan had been called to testify yet at all! Wasn't the point of this to get their side of the story?

At least they didn't have to leave the building to go get food. Scott and Ryan's lawyer had negotiated getting them all a meeting room for when the court was in recess so they wouldn't have to face the mob of reporters more than was necessary. Ryan, Michael, Scott, and Edwardo shared comradery around a conference table as they picked at the sandwiches they had delivered.

"Courtroom dramas lied to me…" Michael groaned.

"I can't believe they haven't had either of us testify yet," Ryan echoed his friend's excitement. "The suspense is killing me!"

"UGH! I know!" Michael pushed his food away. "And I swear I've never seen that guy the shipping company's got representing them! I bet he's just some corporate figurehead who's literally never set foot in our warehouse!"

Ryan nodded in agreement, sighing as he ran his fingers through his hair. Edwardo made it a point to slide Michael's food back in front of him, while Scott rubbed Ryan's back soothingly.

"The first day isn't over yet," Scott said, though the tension was still evident in his tone.

That's when Ryan took note of the opal on Michael's finger. "Mick, were you wearing that ring this morning? I don't remember seeing it. It's awfully pretty."

Michael covered his hand, blushing. "Eddie gave it to me…" He mumbled. "Before we went into the courtroom. It's supposed to be a promise ring…"

From across the table, Scott gave Edwardo a curious look. Edwardo was scratching the back of his neck, and the look he was giving Michael was a look Scott knew well. It was only natural for a decently raised alpha to want to cherish their chosen omega, and seeing how Michael and Ryan were such good friends, he was bound to be seeing a lot more of this Edwardo guy too.

Scott cleared his throat. "Hey, um, Edwardo? Can I talk to you in the hallway really quick?"

Slightly confused, Edwardo agreed, leaving Ryan and Michael temporarily on their own.

"What do you think was so important Scott wanted to talk to Eddie about?" Michael asked after they'd left.

"I don't have a clue…" Ryan replied.

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Out in the hallway, Scott got right to the point. "What are your intentions with Michael?"

Edwardo was a bit taken aback by the bluntness of the question. "Why would that matter to you? You've already got a fiance."

"What I'm saying is, your Michael is my Ryan's best friend. Ryan's mental recovery has been rocky enough already, and I know you two have already had a major fight. I'm sure you can appreciate my desire to keep drama to a minimum."

Edwardo leaned against the wall and groaned. "Mick hasn't had an easy time of it either. I don't know what to do. He's having nightmares, he won't tell me what's wrong, and he won't agree to therapy. And, I know I messed up. I messed up at the worst possible time because of something stupid that didn't even matter. I want to help him, but how do you help such a strong willed omega while still respecting their boundaries?"

Scott relaxed a little, satisfied with Edwardo's response. "I'm not surprised the poor guy's having nightmares. Despite everything, Ryan still gets them too." Scott crossed his arms, suppressing a shiver. "What happened, it was bad. I don't wish it on anyone. The world is stacked so unfairly against them. And sometimes, you can't protect them and respect their autonomy at the same time."

After a short pause, Edwardo asked what he knew only another alpha could answer. "How did you know Ryan was the omega you wanted to spend the rest of your life with?"

At that Scott smiled warmly. "At some point you just know. There's been so many studies, and people can't decide if it's biological or situational, but I think between alphas and omegas, something early on in the relationship just 'clicks.' Sure I was attracted to him at first, but it 'clicked' for me when I had strep and he came to take care of me despite how tired he was. Chances are, you won't have that moment at the same time. But, when you know, you know. That ring, you wanted to present it for engagement, didn't you?"

Edwardo nodded solemnly. "I haven't even worked up the courage to tell him I love him yet."

Scott gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "Come on, let's head back in. It's our job during times like these to look out for them, you know? The least we can do is make sure they actually eat."

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The first day ended with neither Ryan nor Michael getting to testify. Same with the second day. At least on the second day the court house realized the danger of the paparazzi and hired police to keep the walkway clear. On the third day, Ryan finally got to give his statement.

Ryan was called up to the witness stand, and after the judge verified his inability to walk, was allowed to park his wheelchair in front of it. Ryan, in a show of willpower and determination, actually wheeled himself up there on his own after turning down Scott's offer to help. It was more difficult on the carpet, and the amount of effort was clearly noticeable, but he did it. Unfortunately, there wasn't any time to celebrate that little victory.

He was sworn in, and their lawyer kept things short and simple, only asking him the questions she'd told him she would. He detailed a typical work shift within the company, general employee and supervisor attitudes, and how claims with HR were usually handled. Ryan was frank with all of it. He told her and the court exactly how he felt his and Michael's concerns were usually ignored, and how they'd given up on reporting most of the minor bullying because it was leading to more retaliation. She made sure to thank Ryan for his cooperation, and then it was the shipping company's lawyer's turn.

The guy practically loomed over Ryan, and the barrage of questions began. Did he provoke his fellow team members? How many times did he personally file HR claims against other individuals in the company? Did he do even half the work of his non-omega coworkers while employed? The questions kept coming and coming, trying to get Ryan to admit this was all somehow his fault. Ryan was doing his best to answer, but it was clearly getting to be too much.

The judge himself had to put a stop to it, warning the defense against badgering. Ryan was visibly shaken by the end of it, with a spaced out look in his eyes. The defense's lawyer released Ryan from the questioning with a look of contempt. Ryan struggled back to the plaintiff's desk, where he fell forward into Scott's hug. If you listened close enough, you could hear Scott whisper:

"You did so good. I'm so proud of you."

Michael caught Ryan wiping his eyes. At some point, he himself was going to have to get up there and go through that too. He spared a glance at the jury. At least some of them looked sympathetic. The judge too seemed to let his mask of indifference slip for just a moment, if for nothing else to show his irritation with the defense lawyer.

Michael leaned into Edwardo's side, seeking some comfort of his own. Edwardo wrapped his arm around him, giving him a little squeeze of reassurance. He wasn't looking forward to his turn. He wasn't looking forward to his turn at all.