~Little Tooth~

Chapter 28:

One Day More

-...-

Blood everywhere. Smoke in the air, however he was still able to breath. His face was scratched and his arms were shaking. He slipped in and out of reality, hardly even able to crawl along the ground. The ground that was covered in agony and pain and the lies kept from traveling back over seas to home. The man, gasping for clean air, reached out, only to have his fingertips touch a door. It was the door to safety, and on the other side, the closest he had to friends.

However, he was unable to cry or scream for help. He couldn't get himself in the right position to knock or bang on the door. He couldn't do anything to alert his friends on the other side that he was in need.

And so Mr. Hoover died there, only to be found a half hour later by his team-mates just as another attack took action.

-...-

"So. Mr. Kjellberg...What do you know about this story?" Mr. Ewell asked, watching the man as he sat at the Witness stand.

"I don't know very much. When I lived in little Apple, I didn't suspect anything wrong. I went on with my merry way." Felix answered.

"You didn't notice anything? Well, okay then." Mr. Ewell walked a few steps back and forth. "Tell us about what you remember from Little Apple Orphanage."

"I don't remember much." Felix sighed. "That's where I met my girlfriend, Marzia, as well as a lot of my close friends like Cry, Jackson, and Toothiana."

"Okay...Well, I'm assuming you heard about this all from Jackson, Correct?"

"Yes."

"What was your reaction?"

Felix paused. "I was surprised, but I didn't think he was lying. It all made sense to me, and frankly, it was about time I heard the truth about what happened to cause Little Apple to crash."

"Hm.." Mr. Ewell leaned next to his table. "You remember what Jackson told us yesterday. Was it the same story he told you?"

"Yes. Yes it was." Felix nodded his head.

-....-

"They call you Cry..." Mr. Ewell began questioning Cry after Mr. Finch finished his turn. "What is your real name?"

"I've been called Cry ever since I was dumped at the Orphanage. It's short for Cryaotic." Cry didn't like the attention. He wasn't a people person.

"You were old enough to remember what they called you back home, weren't you?" Mr. Ewell asked.

"Yeah, but they called me Cry too. I was passed around a lot, and all I remember was that someone who had me just so happened to name me after the thing I did a lot of. Crying." Cry sighed. "But I was a baby when that happened, so it's understandable."

Mr. Ewell wasn't pleased with the answer, but went on. "So...What happened when you began living at Little Apple?"

"Well." Cry started. "I was new so they all tried to get to know me. I wasn't very talkative and wore a mask in front of my face. I feel asleep in one of the empty beds, I think It used to be Toothiana's, and I woke up the next morning to everyone freaking out about a kid running away. That kid was Jackson."

"Is that it?" Mr. Ewell asked.

"I didn't think much of that and I just went on with life. Became friends with Felix and Nova and a few others." Cry shrugged.

"What did you think when you learned about what Jackson claimed happened?" Mr. Ewell smirked.

"By then I was already bothered by the fact that Alyss Hearts and a few other children from Little Apple were dead, so it did explain some things. Felix was bother too, so we both accepted the fact."

"Hmm..." Mr. Ewell sighed. "I noticed you did some work on the case before it took trial."

"I was asked to at least help look around. I looked around the Internet. It was hard to find anything." Cry answered.

"What did you find?"

"The only good I was able to pull off was confirm that Norm never stepped foot in the college that he was destine to attend. After a few calls and emails with their faculty, I found out that they were told Norm had come down with a terrible illness and was in no condition to cross the ocean or even leave his own bed. They said a month later they revived a letter saying the man was officially dead due to the illness." Cry said. "Obviously the letter was fake, however it was a letter by Mr. Auditore, who is a doctor and Norm's personal doctor to be more specific, so it seemed official."

"Have you ever thought that Norm really did get sick and die?" Mr. Ewell tilted his head.

"No sir." Cry didn't like Mr. Ewell.

"Well, maybe Mrs. Overland just kept poor Norm away so this illness didn't spread to you poor souls, killing all of you as well." Mr. Ewell added. "If it could kill Norm, It could kill any child younger then him."

Mr. Ewell knew what he was doing. Without proof to say Norm really was murdered, he was able to twist the words of Cry. He was able to tell the story further. But was it true? Was Norm only sick?

-...-

The questioning went on forever. Oliver followed Cry, and then after Oliver came a few other Little Apple kids. Mr. Ewell tried to form a story that made Mrs. Overland clean. He made Oliver Time look like a bad father went asked about the night Baby Tooth went after Jackson. He made it clear that none of the other children knew that anything bad was going on, and that they believed Mrs. Overland was a nice woman. He also made it clear that Jackson was the one who told them ALL about his story.

After the Little Apple kids, the employees were called up. Mr. Frosten, Mr. Kirkland, Mrs. Elizabeth, and Mr. Auditore were questioned. They all confessed to drug and alcohol abuse, however all claimed it was only because they were stressed over life as it was. They only started drinking long after Little Apple was gone. They had no reason or motive to hurt any of the children. They also have no idea what happened to Mrs. Hamilton.

The trial lasted longer then yesterday, however was cut off again. Tomorrow the last day of the trial will be held. Tomorrow 2 people will me questioned. Evidence will be gathered up as well as the final statements. And for the jury to decide.

"You ready for tomorrow, Toothiana?" Mr. Finch asked the young woman.

"Truthfully, I just want to get my questioning over with." Baby Tooth told the man as he packed up his things.

"They save the best for last. Figured you'd have some pretty nice things to say." Mr. Finch replied.

"Then why didn't Jackson go last?"

"Well, darling." Mr. Finch sighed. "He is the one who started this whole case. It was the best way to start off."

Tomorrow Baby Tooth and Mrs. Overland were going to get questioned.

Tomorrow, there are either lies or the truth.

Tomorrow, we could win... or we could lose.

-...-

Baby Tooth sat at the edge of one of the columns that flouted in the Tooth palace. She watched her siblings fly back and forth. Jackson sat next to her. He was entertained by the beauty of the fairies for awhile, but then was interested more in Baby Tooth's wonder.

"You seem to miss being like them." He said suddenly.

Baby Tooth shook her head and smiled. "I guess I do."

"If you could, say, go back to how it used to be..." Jackson asked. "Would you?"

Baby Tooth looked surprised. "Of course not!"

Jackson turned to look down at the clouds below. Their feet dangled over the edge. He wasn't scared of falling over. He'd be saved. At least, that's what Tooth told him.

"But you would have never been tangled into this mess with Little apple. You wouldn't have been almost killed..." Jackson said a bit louder then he meant to.

"Jackson." Baby Tooth sighed. "That's true, but then what would happen? I would have never met you or Oliver or any of the others. Maybe, just maybe, the course of history could have been altered just enough for you to have been killed or maybe someone else!"

"You think that whatever happened, it was for the best?" Jackson asked.

"I wouldn't know for sure..." Baby Tooth looked up at the sky. "But...The Man in the Moon said something about me being transformed for a reason...so i'd like to believe that."

"Did he?" Jackson smiled. "Well, good then."

Baby Tooth leaned back as a strong wind blew by. It felt amazing. She looked over at Jackson.

"You know." She said suddenly. "There was something I never did tell you..."

"Hm?" He turned to looked at her in confusion.

"When I was kidnapped by Mrs. Overland, she asked a lot of questions about you." Baby Tooth sighed, looking up above of her.

Jackson frowned, not replying. He just listened to her breathing.

"It was just a thought that I remembered...I'm going to have to tell that story tomorrow...it's all that's on my mind." She confessed.

"I know..." Jackson said, more to himself.

There was a long silence.

"What are you planning to do after this mess is over?" Baby Tooth asked.

Jackson leaned back, just like Baby Tooth had.

"I plan on finding out more about my real family. Maybe saving money to hire some help." Jackson said.

"Well...What about getting a better job? Something more then what you have."

Jackson paused. "It would be nice to have a fresh start. I'd go to college finally, but i'm afraid I don't know where i'd get the money."

"Would you ever move out of your small apartment?" Baby Tooth asked.

"I think I've made up my mind about that." Jackson answered quicker. "I won't move out."

"Why is that?" Baby Tooth frowned.

"I'm fine with the amount of space I have, and I don't want to live alone. I mean, I don't live with anyone in that apartment, but having people living in rooms all around you makes if feel like you're never alone." Jackson yawned, resting his arms behind his head. "But...I guess there is one reason why i'd move out."

"Hm?"

Jackson felt stupid answering. "I'd guess I'd move into a legit home if I ever married. But that's it."

Baby Tooth chuckled.

"Hey!" Jackson tensed up.

"No, I'm not trying to be mean!" Baby Tooth said. "It's just cute that you'd even consider it. It seems all you want to do is find your family, not make a family."

"Hey! No one in their right minds want to be alone all their lives!" Jackson hissed.

"You're right, you're right."

"Besides! Who's gonna take care of me in my old age?" Jackson began to smile. "That's what children and grandchildren are for, right?"

"Knowing you, you'd be a crazy old man!" Baby Tooth laughed at the thought. "But, no, seriously. I wouldn't mind caring for you when you're an old man."

"By that time you'd be old too, right?" Jackson asked. "I mean...you're not...oh.."

Baby Tooth realized it too.

"Hey...you were..um...immortal as a fairy...right?" Jackson asked.

"Yes...Yes I was." Baby Tooth sat up again, her eyes starring into her lap.

"But...you're growing up as a human..." Jackson sat up, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Baby Tooth, are you sure you don't want to be like your siblings again? If you stay human, you're bound to die at some point!"

"I want to stay human, Jackson!" Baby Tooth said.

"But we don't even know when you'd die! You could die tomorrow for all we know!" Jackson felt worried. "Humans do that! Would you really...really..."

Baby Tooth interrupted Jackson. "Yes. I would risk my life everyday just to be with you and Oliver and all the others. I like it the way it is right now."

Jackson said nothing. He pulled his legs up to his chest and turned to look up at the sky. The moon showed even when the sky was blue.

"I'm sorry..." Jackson said to himself, the words almost muffled. "I just can't stand the thought of you dying."

-...-

"Alright."

A man sat down at a desk. In front of him was Mrs. Overland, whom had a cop behind her and had cuffs keeping her to the chair. The man sighed, pushed a few things off his desk, and turned to the woman.

"What is the reason you requested to see me?" He asked.

"I request that you arrange blood testing for me and...for another." Mrs. Overland said calmly.

The man stared at the woman in confusion.

"That's insane, Mrs. Overland." He said. "What in god's name made you think to ask for that?!"

Mrs. Overland adjusted herself in the chair.

"Oh, I have reason." She smirked.

"Would you mind telling us, Mrs. Overland?"

The woman smiled. "But you must agree, good sir."

The man looked at the cop behind her. He was allowed to lie, and cops lied a lot to get the truth. He nodded his head and stared back at the woman with bored eyes. He took out a pen and a pad of paper to right things down on. Adjusting his glasses, he went on.

"Tell me when you are ready."

"You see..."

Mrs. Overland told the man why she needed the blood tests. She told him why she needed them done and back before tomorrow's trial. Her words left him in shock. The pen fell from his hand. He didn't even write anything down. The cop behind her, yet so silent, had not expected this either. When she finished, the man could hardly put together his words.

"Mrs. Overland...you mean...you mean to tell me-"

"I've come to the conclusion that there is no reason to lie anymore. I'm going to end this all tomorrow. Be sure to tell poor old Mr. Ewell that he did an amazing job convincing the jury when you see him after the trial."

Mrs. Overland was taken back out of the room by the Cop. The man sat there in silence. He wasn't sure if he could call Mr. Ewell right now. He wasn't sure if he could call Mr. Finch. He shook his head. He was going to do as she asked.

-...-