Our little group has always been
And always will until the end
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The Chicago Riots lead to the Trial of the Chicago Seven - right? Wrong - they led to the Trial of the Chicago Eight.
An Alternate universe where there was a female activist arrested a...
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THE TRIAL
Tom and Nancy entered the courtroom, their hearts pounding in their chests.
"You nervous?" asked Tom, and Nancy could see his hand shaking.
"Of course" said Nancy, her mouth dry, "I'd be crazy if I wasn't"
"Where the fuck is Rennie?" asked Tom.
"In the restroom, he needed to pull himself together" answered Nancy.
"He need's Fae"
"Well she's not here" said Nancy sharply, "And we're gonna have to start dealing with that"
"I didn't mean to - "
"I know, I know. I just - I can't believe it, that's she not here"
"You know she wanted to be here" said Tom.
"No she didn't, she didn't want any of us to be here" said Nancy, and sometime during their conversation Rennie must have entered the room and started noting down his names.
"What are you doing?" asked Tom, completely evading the question of where he was, "What is that?"
"I've been keeping a list everyday, American's who have been arrested since the day we were arrested" answered Rennie, not looking up from the file, "With the trial starting, it might be easy to forget who this is about" said Rennie, pushing up his glasses.
"It's a good idea" said Nancy, as Tom just started at Rennie - his eyes were unreadable. But she understood what he was thinking - Rennie was acting normal. Something that hadn't happened in weeks.
Bill and Leonard entered and the trio made their way to their seats - right next to the pair of lawyers.
"Fella's" said Bill, while sitting down.
Nancy coughed, giving Bill a look.
"And lady" he added, nodding at her.
They all sat down and Bill looked as though he wanted to say something.
"I just got a question about my seriousness" said Bill, a statement that was obviously aimed at Tom and Nancy, and they exchanged a look "Whatever is happening between you both and Abbie - keep it out of this building"
"Yeah" said Nancy.
"I just have the feeling this is gearing up to be - " said Tom, cutting himself off as two court marshals entered with a handcuffed Bobby Seale in between them.
The whole courtroom was whispering with shock, and Nancy could feel the cold and disbelieved looks from the Black Panthers seated behind her.
The took off Seale's handcuffs, and sat him down - he was in a better state than Nancy would have though, but that by no means meant that he was in a good way.
Bill made his way towards Seale, "Did you have breakfast this morning?" he asked.
"What?" he said, looking up in confusion
"I said, did you have breakfast this morning?"
"Yeah I did"
"Well what did you have?"
And before Seale could answer Fred Hampton interrupted, "What are you doing?"
"I'm talking to him about breakfast" said Bill, "Because that's the only thing I'm allowed to talk to him about"
"That's right" said Hampton.
"Bobby - "
"We have instructions from our lawyer" said Fred sharply.
"If you need me" said Bill, his inner compassion coming out, "I'm sitting right there, just look at me and say 'I need you'"
"We don't need you Bill" said Hampton, causing Nancy to roll her eyes - Bill was just trying to help.
"Are you two gonna be like this?" asked Seale his voice filled with annoyance.
"Where the fuck are Hoffman and Rubin?" asked Tom, drawing Nancy away from Bill's conversation with Seale and Hampton.
"They should be here soon" said Rennie, finally looking up from his notebook.
"Here they are" said Nancy, looking at the pair as the walked in.
"You seen the crowd outside?" asked Hoffman, stopping in front of where Bill was sitting.
"I have an egg" said Rubin, showing the table an egg.
"What the fuck" said Nancy under her breath.
"Well get rid off it" said Bill, looking as annoyed as Tom and Nancy.
"You don't think I want to" said Rubin, and Tom sighed.
"It's like we're... what's his name -" said Hoffman looking at Bill then turning towards Rubin, "We just met him"
"Yeah" he said, while putting his egg in his pocket.
"What's his name?"
"Who?"
"The greatest drummer ever"
"Gene Krupa"
"No I'm not talking - I'm talking about the drummer from Queen's we met him last night"
"Ginger Baker" said Rubin.
"Thanks" said Hoffman, putting a hand on Rubin's shoulder before turning back to Bill, "What I'm trying to say is that the crowd outside is as if we're Ginger Baker "
Bill looked at Hoffman in disbelief, "Are you stoned?" he asked after a pause.
"Yeah" said Hoffman, and the bastard even sounded proud of himself, "You?"
Tom looked frustrated, and the trial hadn't even started yet. But thankfully Hoffman and Rubin made their way towards their seats before he could say anything.
"Both of you, remember what I said" said Bill, turning towards Nancy and Tom.
"Yeah" said Tom, his voice catching slightly - his vulnerability showing, "And you remember to keep is out of prison"
"There's a lot of good advice here this morning" said Bill jokingly, turning towards Leonard, who gave a light laugh.
"All rise" said one of the officers.
The judge entered the room, he was an old man - well into the later years of his life.
"Hear ye, hear ye, September 26th 1969, 10 o'clock AM" said the same officer, "All persons having business in front the United Sates District Court of Northern Illinois, Southern District, Eastern Division. Draw near and you shall be heard"
'Shall be heard' scoffed Nancy, as if.
"Judge Julius Hoffman presiding, God Save the United States of America, and this Honourable Court"
"Be seated" said the old judge, the room all sat down, "Mr Marshall's bring out our jury"
The jurors came out, these people held the fate of the next 10 years of Nancy's life.
"May the record show that we've been joined by our 12 jurors and 4 alternates" said the Judge, "Good morning ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Mrs Winters, please call the case."
"69 CR 180" said the woman, "United States of America vs David Dellinger, Renard C. Davis, Thomas Hayden, Nancy Boyd, Abbot Hoffman, Jerry C. Rubin, Lee Weiner, John R. Froines and Bobby G. Seale for trial"
