A Moment Like This - Harry Styles Love Story.*ON PERMANENT HIATUS*

~41~

"We the jury find the defendent, Nathaniel Marcel Edwards, guilty of all charges." the head juror read from his slip of paper. Although it was something we were all expecting, Nate's guilty verdict was a hard blow. I placed my head in my hands, crying as Harry rubbed over my shoulders.

"It's okay, baby. It's alright." i shook my head. becauseof the way I'd raised him, my baby brother had ruined his life. Nate looked somewhat out of it and semi hostile, the emotions swelling, we assumed, from the withdrawl symptoms. Every time he looked at me, the sense of sadness and regret in his eyes made me want to sob. He knew what he'd done.

"Alli..?" He whimpered as he looked at me. "May i say something?" the judge sighed, looking at my brother with a heavy heart.

"The Guilty is permitted to speak." Nate stumbled up to the podium where the judge sat, looking solemn.

"I just wanted to apologize for the actions that caused the people i love harm while i was high. My mother, my dad, my friends..." he gulped. "And especially all the pain i caused my sister, Allison. I turned the whole world against her; I can never undo that." he looked at me with such pain that i physically wanted to scream. "I'm sorry, Alli-cat. I love you." after he was finished, my head was back in my hands, sobbing. Harry's arm tightened.

"Harry?" My brother said into the mic. I felt him tense, but Nate's next words shocked me.

"Take care of my sister." he got up from the podium, Harry gripping me tighter as my whole body shook with emotion. Sighing, Harry picked me up out of my seat, carrying me out of the courtroom to calm down.

The jury had found Nate guilty withut needing more than 20 minutes of deliberation; the eveidence was overwhelming. The police report, My testimony, and Harry's testimony was enough to convince them. They were going to break for lunch, and then they were going to sentence. The best Nate could get was 8 weeks in Teen Challenge. the worst was 5 Years in prison.

I hoped to god it wasn't prison.

I didnt think i could take it; my baby brother behind prison bars. I couldnt even think about it; the thought was repulsive. Nate, when he was sober, was a teddy bear. Prison would kill him. Harry continued to rock me back and forth, carefully whispering calming, loving words into my ears to calm me down, peppering kisses up and down my jaw bone and cheeks.

"Sh, shh, shh. It's okay, baby. It's okay. Shhh." I don't know how long we sat there, but suddenly, my Mom came out of the courtroom.

"Alli, they're ready to sentence." i nodded numbly, Harry carrying me back into the room just as the judge hit the podium with the gavel.

"90 days in teen challenge and 30 days in the minneapolis juvenile detention center." was all that I heard; I fainted.

~~~

"Alli? Alli! Wake up, love." Harry said. "Alli, we have to pack. Sweet stuff, please?" he began to lightly pepper kisses on my face; which is what finally brought me from slumber. I found myself lying on my bed, Harry stroking my hair back soothingly.

"What happened?" i asked, disoriented from the hazyness about me. Harry sighed.

"They sentenced Nate to Juvie and Teen Challenge; you fainted." My hands went to my mouth.

"No!" He gave me a sad look, sitting me up and pulling me into his arms.

"I'm so sorry, baby." he murmured into my hair. I was shell shocked from the whole thing.

"D-do i get to say goodbye?"

"No, baby girl; he's in the Juvinile detention center while he's waiting for Teen Challenge to accept him. they don't allow visitation. Your mum is pretty torn up." I nodded numbly.