Author's Note: I apologize for the late update, my reminder didn't go off on Friday, so I thought it wasn't supposed to go out for another week. The next chapter will still be Friday, October 5th.

Elsa rose from bed, leaving Tiana to sleep while she showered. By the time she'd finished making coffee, she heard her girlfriend stirring upstairs and set out another cup for her. After a few more minutes, Tiana made her way downstairs, wearing a pink bathrobe and yawning. She took a sip of her coffee and sat at their counter, covering another yawn with her hand.

"You're up late, today." It was a little past seven and decidedly unlike Tiana.

"I'm still on West Coast time." She interrupted herself with another yawn. She'd been just as bad when she'd come back from Seattle. After a week in California, Elsa could hardly blame her for being tired.

"Then go back to bed."

She shook her head. "No, it's too late for that, and besides I wanted to see you off before you left for court. Did you want me to watch?"

Elsa considered this. Having her there when she'd lost had meant a lot to her, but admitting that she wanted it would feel like she was saying that she thought she was going to lose. "It's fine. It's just the first day of trial. Besides, I actually have a case this time. You don't need to worry."

Her eyelids were drooping shut but she shook herself awake and forced a large gulp of coffee down her throat. "All right. I believe in you, Elsa. You'll do amazingly." Another yawn.

"Go back to sleep. Tiana, it's like four a.m. for you. It's not unreasonable to sleep more."

"No, I'm fine. I'm gonna go for a jog. After that and a nice warm shower, I'll feel right as rain." She stood from the stool as she drained the rest of her coffee. "You about to head out?"

Elsa nodded and poured some coffee into a travel cup. "Yeah. The case starts at 9:00. Figured I'd meet with Albert to make sure we had our strategy straight." She took a sip of her own coffee and eyed a few leftover muffins Tiana had baked the previous day.

"Yes, those are for you. Take them."

Elsa turned her gaze back to Tiana, smiling innocently. "I never take breakfast. Don't be ridiculous."

"Unless you're meeting Gaston at Oaken's, I don't see how you'd end up eating at any point then." I guess she's awake enough to lecture me.

"I hate eating this early. I'll just grab something at the coffee shop in the courthouse. I'll be fine."

Tiana rolled her eyes. "I'm not saying you need to eat them now. Just take a couple muffins and you can eat them later." Her tone brooked no argument.

"Fine." Elsa sighed and put a couple of the lemon poppy seed muffins in one of the untold numbers of Styrofoam contains that Tiana kept. "But I'm only taking them because they're delicious, not because you told me to."

"I'm too tired to argue. Fine, you are a strong independent woman, and you're not just doing what I tell you. I don't care."

"Love you too."

"You damn well better after I made those muffins for you." She poured herself another cup of coffee and drained it. "I'm gonna go change into some jogging clothes. Wait here a minute and I'll walk you out?"

Elsa pointed at the garage. "You wouldn't be walking me out anywhere. They're opposite directions. The front door is actually on the way to the garage if that's what you want. I could walk you to it."

Her eyes narrowing, Tiana spat back, "Just wait a few minutes, I'll be right back."

True to her word, two minutes later, Tiana came back down the stairs wearing purple jogging pants and a tightly fitting hoodie. "See, did that wait kill you?"

"Yes, twice."

Tiana just glared at her again.

"You're not fun when you're sleepy."

"Would it be fun if I spanked you?"

Elsa paused, taking her time to really think about this. After a moment she nodded, and smiled at her partner. "Yeah, that would be pretty fun. Why do you ask?"

She shook her head and slapped Elsa's ass. It was presented rather clearly for her, the way the black fabric of Elsa's dress clung to it. "Good. Now that you're having fun again, go get some kid off of his murder charges. I love you."

Elsa pulled her to her, their lips meeting in a heated kiss. Her arms clung to Tiana as she felt a surprised exhale before Tiana returned the favor, melting into the kiss. When they pulled apart, Tiana looked back at her through half-lidded eyes. "Don't fall asleep on me now, honey."

"No, that definitely woke me up. I might not even need that jog anymore. Other than for health and fitness reasons." She pulled her knee to her chest, stretching as she admired Elsa.

"I'll see you tonight. Have a good run."

She popped in her earbuds and slid her finger across the screen of her phone. "I always do."

Elsa and Gaston had almost finished competing to see who had the biggest ego when they sat down on a bench outside of their appointed courtroom. They still had half an hour, but they wanted to be there before their client arrived. It was never a great idea to leave them unsupervised. It could cost you a case. "I'm just saying, I think the closing would be much better in my hands," Elsa continued. "I mean of course we'll let you do your crosses, you're intimidating, you'll get them all to confess whatever you want, and your presence lends a lot to our case, but juries just don't respond to you the same way. I think it's safest if I close."

With a bark a laughter, Gaston smirked at her. "You keep saying this. I think you just don't like sharing. You do the opening, so that you can bring the jury in and make them trust us and trust our client. You're great at that, you manipulate and control, and you have this presence that makes no one question a word you say. You need me to do the closing though. I've been doing closing arguments for thirty years. I can read a jury. I know what every one of them will vote, and I know not to stop talking until I've convinced them."

Elsa shook her head, a grave expression on her face as she looked up at the burly man. "Now that's just absurd. You're not thinking things through. Like you said, no one would ever doubt a word I say, so if I tell them in the closing that there's reasonable doubt, then there's reasonable doubt." Gaston had done too good of a job distracting her. She didn't even think of the last time that hadn't worked out for her. She'd had a few cases since, and won all but one of them – a minor dispute where her client had violated far too many sections of the lease for the tenant to not be able to fight the eviction, but it was hardly the end of the world to see that asshole face some consequences – but she had been worried about her performance in another murder trial. At least, she had been until Gaston stoked the fires of her competitive spirit.

"Yeah, but they'll already trust you from the opening. You don't need to waste those powers on closing. Just let me take care of that. You can have sex with a gorgeous celebrity while I'm writing my closing argument. See, I'm doing you a favor." His teeth showed in his characteristic goofy grin. Elsa couldn't believe she'd once found it smug and punchable. She now knew it was dumb and silly, just like its owner.

"She'll probably be out of town anyway." She said she'd be here for the end of the trial. Maybe she can actually keep that promise for once. Well, not for once, she did it before. I just feel like I barely see her. "Really you'd be doing me a favor letting me take it off your hand. I'll need something to distract me from the empty house. I'm sure you have way more interesting things to do. Find your own celebrity girlfriend, or boyfriend, whichever."

He eyed her. "What was that?"

Elsa blinked, tilting her head to suggest her complete bewilderment. "What do you mean?" The old homophobe rears his ugly head again? Here I was thinking he'd changed.

"Is she really away that much? I mean I know you say it a lot, and now that I think about it the only time I've ever visited she wasn't there, but is it really that consistent?" Is that really what he was asking about? He's joking right? "She's not neglecting you, is she? I know my hypothetical celebrity boyfriend wouldn't reject me. I'm too pretty."

Elsa wasn't entirely sure she could process all that. So he's concerned for me, called himself gay, and is implying I'm ugly? Where do I even begin. "Like you could even get a celebrity boyfriend," she offered meekly.

"That's fair. I'll just have to settle for that cute blonde over at the coffee shop. Bet you a hundred bucks I can get her number."

Elsa let out a sigh of relief. This was a Gaston she could handle. Crass, maybe a little misogynistic, not whatever that previous incarnation had been. "I'll bet you a thousand, if I get to tell her there's a bet first."

With a snort, he crossed his legs and folded his arms across his chest as he stared at the door. "That's not playing fair."

"Fine, you can have the closing."

The goofy grin returned as he turned back to her, a cheerful glint in his eyes. "Now you're fun again."

Elsa lightly chuckled, but before she could offer any sort of retort, their client found them. "Oh, it was 3A! I thought it was 2A. I'm not late am I."

Gaston checked his watch. "Nope, you're right on time." He rose and smacked the young man on his back. "Let's get inside."

In the courtroom, once they were all seated again, Judge Vasilovich set the room in order. "I see a lot of press here, they've already been at work attempting to poison the jury pool, but I'll have you know, I will not allow any interruptions, hi-jinks, or hullabaloo." Hullabaloo? "You will remain quiet and treat my courtroom with the respect that it deserves. That goes for the lawyers as well. I know all about the chicanery the three of you are known for." How am I included in this? "This a serious case. A man's life is on the line and a woman's life is over." That's a bit melodramatic. We don't have the death penalty. "If any of you, the audience included, do anything to diminish the sanctity of this trial, then I shall hold you in contempt."

Elsa ground her teeth. She wasn't sure what he'd heard of her, but she couldn't imagine what she'd done that could be described in such a way. She wasn't entirely sure what she could do to avoid that. She ran her hands through her hair, toying with the neat braid she'd put it in that morning, as she watched the other two attorneys he'd just called out. Facilier seemed unfazed, his usual amused smirk stable on his face. Gaston on the other hand was almost snarling. He had been so excited to go up against Facilier. Both of them being hamstrung like this was clearly spoiling his fun. "Sure you don't want me to handle the closing?" she asked.

That managed to distract him. His teeth shone as he met her with a wolfish grin. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? If I just gave in, because the judge didn't want me to play. I'm going to knock that closing argument out of the park, Elsa. Just you wait and see."

With a shrug, Elsa leaned back in her chair. "Whatever you say, Asshole." Her ploy had done its job. His competitive spirit was back. He wouldn't be impotently gnashing his teeth over their judge's demands any longer.

Judge Vasilovich cleared his throat. He was apparently sparing with his gavel. "Now that you've had time to bemoan my rules, Mr. Facilier, would you care to give us your opening statement."

Facilier's eye's widened, and his hand flew to his chest. His mouth dropped open as he met the judge's eyes. "Me, your honor? I thought you didn't want me opening my mouth. I was kinda hoping you'd just keep it up and I wouldn't even have to try the case. Then I'd get a mistrial and could try again with a more fun judge."

Anya had always made Vasilovich sound so good humored, Elsa was confused by just how serious he was. I guess the robes can change anyone. Though that explanation didn't entirely hold up, as he was a judge then too. He's just a dick in court? I wish I could relate. I'm a dick all the time. "Mr. Facilier. I have been very accommodating so far, but if you continue, then I will hold you in contempt."

"Just so long as you hold me." He unbuttoned his garish green jacket as he stood, assuming a more relaxed posture. Elsa hadn't realized just how tall he was. "Well I suppose if you're going to allow it, I do have an opening statement I can give." He eyed the jury like a predator, his teeth bared in what must've been an affable grin. "Jury, friends, lovers, I know none of you want to be here today. Normally I'd try to make that fun, but instead, I'll just have to spend my time giving you the facts. This man," he pointed at Eric – he had fingers made for pointing, the gesture appeared dramatic and compelling, not at all hokey "has taken the life of an innocent girl. She had a future ahead of her. Ariel Neptunus, captain of the debate team at New York State, an anthropology major, a girl with hopes and dreams. A girl who he murdered. I'd love to make this fun, but it isn't. As Judge Vasilovich points out, this is a deadly serious matter. Don't let his charming looks beguile you, beneath those perfect black locks, that you just kinda want to stroke – is that just me?" He beamed at Vasilovich. "I'm sorry. If I don't try to make myself laugh at this, I don't think I could even face him. He is the most unrepentant monster I've ever had the chance to oppose in my tenure as district attorney." You've been DA for barely a month! "I hope that you will be able to see that. I will demonstrate that he had motive, means, and opportunity, while no one else did. Until then, I guess you'd best just try to sit through my opposing counsel's defense of this monster without hurling." He gave only a faint pained smile to the judge as he made his way back to his seat.

Elsa just stared before her, not moving an inch. She had no idea what had just happened. Was that a good opening? Bad? Did he minimize everything or did he just make me look like a monster for defending my client? I'm really good at this, I can tell every single mistake or triumph that someone has in court. This is my kingdom. What the hell did this jester just pull?

Gaston nudged her with his elbow and jerked his chin toward the jury. "Do I need to take the opening too?"

Elsa tried to shake some sense back into herself. I guess he did do a good job. He shook me. Well, I'll use that to my advantage. She didn't rise, she only turned a sad gaze to the jury. "I too share my colleague's disgust. Disgust that a good man could face prison for a crime he didn't commit. Disgust for a distract attorney who seems intent on making a mockery of this case. Disgust at a police department who investigated no one but my client. She stood, the dour dress giving her demeanor an extra touch of seriousness. "Eric Clements was worried about his girlfriend. He went to check on her and found her dead. In shock, he tried to save her life, using his CPR training in an attempt to resuscitate her. He then called the police, terrified and mourning the loss of a woman who was still very dear to him. To repay his diligence, they vilified him in the media and arrested him on camera, then and there. This is not justice, and that was not the behavior of a guilty man. Don't let the prosecution manipulate you into believing otherwise. You'll hear my client's testimony, you'll hear his pain over the loss of Ariel, and you'll see that this is no monster, this is a poor innocent man who has been through far too much in far too short a time." She met each of their eyes as she spoke this last sentence, conveying the pain that her client had experienced as sincerely as she could. She took her seat again, the jury watching her the entire way. She'd managed to undo any damage Facilier may have done, she was almost certain of it. She just had to hope she'd also compelled them enough that his litany of witnesses wouldn't overwhelm their newfound empathy.

After a quick recess, during which Elsa ate one of the muffins Tiana had all but forced her to take and finished her coffee, said litany finally began. The prosecution's first witness was called and sworn in and Facilier began his questioning.

"Professor McLeash," he began, "Would you explain your relationship to the victim? I'll remind you that you are under oath, so please be honest with us." He smiled at the jury, that same snake-like grin, as if he wanted to swallow them whole.

The professor fidgeted in his seat, twirling his hands and shifting back and forth in the chair. He cleared his throat, his almost black eyes searching around the room. "I didn't realize it would be quite so public. Are those cameras recording?"

Facilier turned his affably ravenous grin to his witness. "Please, professor, answer the question."

He grumbled and adjusted in his seat again, sitting up straight as he hung his head behind his lawyer, avoiding the cameras the best he could. "We were dating. Are there any protections as a witness so that I can keep my job?"

"Nope." he shook his head bending over slightly, revealing McLeash to any cameras that couldn't see him, "Now would you tell the jury what Ms. Neptuna told you about the defendant?"

"Objection," Elsa offered.

He waved his hand. "Come now, Ms. Agnarrsen, I thought we were playing fair. This would qualify as at least three exceptions to the hearsay rule."

Judge Vasilovich banged his gavel. How am I the first of us to get him to use it? "Sit down, Ms. Agnarssen, your objection is overruled."

She ground her teeth as she watched the proceedings. Gaston smiled warmly at her and she glared in response.

"Do you need me to repeat the question?" Facilier asked.

"No, I can answer it." He sighed. "Ariel had come to me a few nights before her death. She seemed terrified, she was shaking. She locked the door behind her and threw herself into my arms, whatever had happened, it had quite an effect on her. She told me that she was scared for her life, that she thought Eric would hurt her. That man there." He pointed. Great job coaching him, Facilier. "She refused to tell me what had happened, she said she didn't want to talk about it, only that she wanted me to keep her safe, that she needed to be with me. She even asked me to see if I could get him expelled."

"What did you do?"

He tugged awkwardly at his collar. "I looked after her all night, but I didn't have any grounds to expel him. I thought that maybe she was worried over nothing. He could be a bit of a creep, but I didn't think he'd actually hurt her." There we go. "If only I'd done something. It might have cost me my job but she'd be safe."

"It wasn't your fault. It was his." Facilier turned his venomous gaze to Eric as he returned to his seat. "No further questions, though I would like to maintain my right to recall him."

"Noted." Vasilovich turned to Elsa and Gaston. "Defense, your witness."

Before Elsa could react, Gaston had already risen. He whispered to her, "The jury trusts you, this is gonna risk alienating them, let me do it." He made his way over to the witness, adjusting the orange tie of his grey three-piece suit as he walked. He looked far more assertive than Facilier, like he owned the place. Elsa had never actually seen him in court before, now that she thought about it. I hope he's actually good. "Mr. McLeash, you say that you didn't take her claims seriously, isn't that correct?"

"I wish that I had now."

"But at the time, you saw no reason to think that Eric would hurt her? There was nothing to suggest it?"

He lowered his head. Elsa wasn't sure if he was hiding from the cameras or Gaston. "I knew that they'd had their issues before, but to my knowledge they were friendly, and she trusted him now. I wasn't all that involved in her social life."

"So you wouldn't know if she might have had anyone else that wanted to hurt her?"

"I think she would have told me. She didn't seem scared of anyone else, just Eric."

"That's what you said." Gaston leaned against the witness stand, his mouth almost conspiratorially close to McLeash's ear, despite speaking loud enough for the jury to hear clearly. "No one that we interviewed seemed to believe that he'd been violent to her. You're the only person who's had this story to share. Maybe you weren't all that concerned about it, because it didn't happen. Perhaps it was because she was killed by someone else, who then needed to cover their tracks. Maybe," he paused, as if he was considering, "someone like you."

"Objection!" Facilier called out, his chair flying back as he stood up, his finger pointing dramatically at Gaston. "This line of questioning is out of line, Mr. Gaston. I thought you were better than this." His sneer and his offense seemed genuine, but Elsa could was almost certain that it was an act. He'd set them up.

"You'd better have a good faith basis for this line of questioning, Mr. Gaston." Vasilovich glared down at him, his already imposing figure only added to by the height of his station.

Gaston's teeth flashed as he held his hands out to his side. "Of course, your honor. We've interviewed several of Ariel's closest acquaintances, none of whom had heard of any sort of incident with Eric in the time before her death. Dr. McLeash here, however has a clear motive. He was worried he'd lose his job. He's put that fear above everything else this whole time. If he'd just dumped her, perhaps he thought she'd tell the school board. He's clearly not against putting his livelihood at risk to get his jollies off, murder doesn't seem an unreasonable leap from there. Of course, the police didn't even bother looking into him, so we can't be sure, but he has a far more salient motive than my client."

Vasilovich considered this, stroking the coarse grey and black hair of his beard. "I'll allow it, but you're on thin ice, Mr. Gaston."

Gaston winked at Elsa. "I always am. Now, professor, would you answer the question?"

"I didn't kill her. Of course, I didn't. How dare you!" he snarled, a panicked expression on his reddened face. "Accusing me like this – in front of these cameras – I'll have your head. You'll be disbarred."

"So you didn't?" He smiled calmly and warmly, goading on the man's rage. He'd already just said he'd take his head, it wasn't hard to see it as a death threat.

His face stilled. He wasn't falling for this trap. "I wasn't even in town. I couldn't be the killer."

Gaston paused, hesitating as he stared at the witness, his mouth slightly open as if he had the next question but couldn't quite form it into words. "No further questions." When he sat down, Elsa could almost watch the pistons pumping as he tried to sort out just what hole he'd fallen in. "That was a setup," he whispered.

Elsa nodded.

Facilier rose. "I don't have any more questions for him at this time, however I would like to call Professor Harcourt."

"Your honor, they don't have a Professor Harcourt on the witness list," Elsa replied.

"Well, of course, I had no way of knowing that you'd accuse my witness of murder. He needs an alibi, and I'd like to offer that now."

Judge Vasilovich turned his gaze to Elsa and Gaston. "You opened the door on this. I'll allow it." He looked back to Facilier. "Will you be able to bring Professor Harcourt in today?"

"Of course. He's right outside. Should I go get him?"

Both Elsa and Gaston managed to maintain their composure. Barely. That settles that. He wanted to make us look bad. Great. He played us like fucking amateurs. Judge Vasilovich glared at him. "Am I to believe that you set this up entirely and that your man is waiting right outside, listening to another witness's testimony?"

"He wasn't a witness at the time. Though of course I was only joking. I'd only discussed the possibility with him. I can get him in tomorrow." Elsa watched him, wondering if he really had been joking. She was convinced that if she ran out right now, she could find this professor. Though, of course, she didn't know what he looked like, so it wouldn't amount to much.

"Very well. We'll adjourn for the day. Court shall resume at ten o'clock tomorrow. Court's dismissed."

Elsa and Gaston took their client back to the office to debrief him and prepare their case. They went to Gaston's office, it was larger and had more chairs. Elsa noticed a half empty bottle of Irish whiskey on a shelf amid an assortment of other bottles. Wonder if that's the same one from a month ago? I could go for some right now. Albert sat behind his desk with Elsa at the side of it, and Eric in a smaller, slightly less plush chair facing them. Elsa was annoyed that this chair was somehow even nicer than her office chair. I hunted down the best one I could find anywhere, how is this one more comfortable?

"Is there anything else we should know?" Elsa asked, using that same sincere voice. "Please, Eric, that was a major setback, and we need anything you can give us."

He looked between the two of them. Her words had bothered him. He was hesitant, but she wasn't sure about what, precisely.

"We can't help you if you're not honest with us," she continued.

He shrugged. Clearly he wasn't willing to give up whatever it was. "I didn't threaten her. She and I had had our issues. I wasn't always the best boyfriend, I know that. But we patched things up, she forgave me. I've really changed. I don't want to be that jerk anymore. I knew we couldn't be together anymore, but we were friends. I cared about her. I would never have hurt her – not again." That tells us absolutely nothing.

"How were you a jerk?" Albert asked, reclining in his chair, his feet resting on the mahogany desk. "I mean, I know how women can be. She made you angry? Maybe you had a few drinks, or too bad of a day, and she just wouldn't shut up?"

"It wasn't like that."

"She messed up dinner? Wanted to go out with her own friends? Maybe she just wouldn't stop hanging out with a guy you didn't want around her. We've all been there. You got mad, maybe you even pushed her around, and because of that they think they have motive. I know it doesn't mean anything, but I need to know what I'm dealing with so I can spin it." He winked at Elsa. "She gets it, she's a dyke."

Eric rose from his chair and snarled at him. "I would never hurt her!"

Gaston smiled. "Good. Say that on the stand, just like that. It's perfect."

"I'm leaving. You better not be trying to cost me my trial." With a huff, he stormed out of the office.

Asshole refused to face Elsa. She was glaring daggers at him, and he apparently didn't need to look to feel it. "What the hell was that?" she asked.

"I needed to push him, see how he'd react. You know Facilier will do the same."

"Call me a dyke again, and I'll show you just 'how women can be.'"

He deflated, his feet falling from the desk as he spun his chair toward her. "Elsa –"

She silenced him with a glare. "Albert, that was disgusting. I don't care how much you thought it would prepare him, all it's done is further alienate our client and piss me right the hell off."

He sighed, his eyes finally locking onto hers. She could swear she saw tears in them. "I don't want to be that kind of person anymore, but I still know how to be and I saw a chance where I had to use it. I really think our client is innocent, but I want to be sure. If he's the man that that witness described him as, then that should've set him off. He should hate women enough that he'd want to show it when pushed like that. I had to see how he'd react. I still feel sick from having to do it. I was never actually that bad, but I hate that I could have even been in the same ballpark before I started getting to know you. I barely even saw women as people, and the kind of person who would kill his girlfriend like that, that precisely, that violently, then they'd have to have some serious hate for women. They'd be like I was. Like I'm terrified I still am. If I had to channel that to get an answer out of him then I would do it a thousand times over, Elsa."

She faltered, staring at her friend. That Irish whiskey sounded increasingly amazing. "Albert –" she wasn't sure where to go from there, what to say. "Just don't call me a dyke ever again."

He nodded. "You're right. I went too far. I'm sorry."

"And never compare me to that."

He nodded again, his eyes locked on hers.

She let out a breath, trying to collect herself. She shut her eyes, finding that some tears had welled up there without her even noticing. She opened them and met his again. "Did you learn what you needed to learn?'

"I did. He's definitely hiding something, and I don't like it, but I really don't think he killed her."

With a sigh, Elsa stood. "Okay. Then we have one day to figure this out. What are we doing?"

They spent the next six hours going over everything they had with a fine-tooth comb. Trying to put the blame on McLeash had been a mistake, and one that they were going to pay for, but it hadn't ruined them. It was early in the case, and Albert had been wise to let it be him, Elsa shouldn't have risked the jury's trust. She may actually get to close, they'd have to wait and see how things went. Unfortunately, they couldn't find anything on this new witness. He had no connection to the case other than being at Ariel's school. She'd taken a few of his classes according to her records, but there was nothing to make him look like a suspect. There was almost no chance that either McLeash or Harcourt were the culprit. They may actually need to leave Harcourt alone. His testimony could hurt them, but all it should do was establish that McLeash wasn't the killer. It would put them back at square one, but it shouldn't make their case any worse. Badgering him would make them look bad, but leaving him alone may actually restore a bit of the jury's goodwill. They'd have to miss their opportunity. They wouldn't question him.

Once she was home, Elsa called her sister to wish Olaf a happy birthday. She was a little nervous about his present and had texted her a few times. It was so easy buying presents when she didn't know him, she'd just buy whatever seemed age appropriate, but now he had a personality, and interests, and actually liked her, and she couldn't just buy him generic stuff. She hated shopping for gifts. She was a little embarrassed to admit she'd gotten Belle's help with it.

Gaston and she had forgotten to order any food while they were working, so once she got off the phone, she was ecstatic to find that Tiana had fixed dinner for them. It was as amazing as ever, and she spent the rest of the night relaxing with her girlfriend and unwinding from the various stresses of the day.

On the way to the courthouse, Elsa decided to give Anna a call. She wanted to make sure that Olaf had actually liked his present, and she had been missing her sister. Anna answered on the second ring. "Hey, Elsa."

Elsa stared at her car's speaker before turning back to the road. "Hey. Sorry, I was expecting your voice mail. It's like six there, isn't it? I was just going to leave a message."

Anna laughed. "I just got out of the shower." She paused for a second. She was probably still waking up. "Just getting Olaf and me ready for school. Hopefully he actually stayed awake after I woke him up. I had to actually take your toy away from him to get him to go to bed."

Elsa's face lit up. It was even better than her coffee. "He really liked it?"

"Of course, he did! You're the best sensei/aunt anyone could ever ask for. He said so himself, in those exact words."

She couldn't stop smiling. She was hoping she could manage to look serious by the time trial started, goofily grinning the whole day would hardly look professional. "I'm so glad. I was really worried. I knew he liked Star Wars, but I didn't realize he was so into Star Trek, and I don't know what else he might be into, or if drones weren't actually that cool. I don't know what kids do, Anna! They're weird."

Anna's laughter was faint, like she was holding the phone away from her. It was for long enough that Elsa was growing concerned. "Sorry." She breathed heavily and another chuckle escaped. "I'm okay. I'm okay. That was adorable, Elsa. I'm really glad you like my son so much."

Chewing on her lip, Elsa tried to focus on the road. What if I'm wrong? What if I would actually like having a kid with Tiana? Maybe I'm worrying over nothing. I mean I'm great with Olaf and Lilo, but I don't have to do that full-time. And with Tiana away all the time – she shook her head and slammed on the accelerator. The light couldn't have turned green more than half a second ago and the car behind her was already honking and trying to pull around her in the two lane road. "Well that's great to hear."

"You're amazing, Elsa."

She wasn't quite sure what had prompted that. "So are you, Anna. You're the perfect little sister, and I'm so glad you're back in my life. I can't wait to see you this summer."

She heard Anna choke. Is she having breakfast?

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine! Totally, absolutely fine. Don't worry. Just getting ready. I need to make sure Olaf is ready for school. If he falls back asleep he could miss the bus. I love you, Elsa – love you, talk to you soon, bye."

The call ended and Elsa blinked. She'd arrived at the courthouse. They both had to get to work, so she supposed she'd leave Anna to her weirdness. Not like that's anything new.

By 10:10, everyone was seated, and Professor Harcourt was in the witness chair. "Professor, where were you on the date of January 20th?"

"I was in Las Vegas. At a conference on anthropology."

"Was anyone with you?"

"I was rooming with Professor McLeash."

Facilier smiled as warmly as he could manage. "Would Professor McLeash have been able to make it back to Portland, killed Ariel, cleaned up, and gotten back to the convention without you noticing?"

Harcourt laughed heartily at that. "Don't be preposterous. The man is no killer. Even if he was, I don't care how drunk we were, I would've noticed him being gone for the, what, 8 hours that would've taken? It was a two hour flight, you spend another two in security and waiting for take off, so that both ways. Everything that would involve, he'd have been gone for at least ten hours. He was never out of my sight for more than one or two."

"What if he drove?"

This prompted another bout of laughter. "That would have taken, what, ten hours? Fifteen? Then again for the drive back. There's just no way."

"Well, clearly, Professor McLeash is a diabolical man, as Mr. Gaston seems to believe, do you think there's any way he could have committed this murder? Perhaps he staged it so that it would only appear to happen once he was gone?"

He shook his head. "No, Mr. Facilier. There's not a doubt in my mind that he's innocent. I know he can have a temper, but there's not a violent bone in that man's body."

"Thank you, professor. No further questions."

Shit. "We have no questions for the witness at this time, your honor."

"Very well, Dr. Harcourt. You may step down. Mr. Facilier, the prosecution may call its next witness."

He winked at Elsa, prompting a shiver and an intimate sickly feeling that was almost indescribable. He was a very bad winker. She wasn't sure what it was about Facilier that disgusted her so, he seemed almost more like a monster than a man, and yet he hadn't done anything at all untoward or unreasonable. He'd just been obnoxious. And impressive. "The prosecution calls Detective Lyle Rourke to the stand." He leaned against the stand, next to the detective, as relaxed as a snake ready to strike. "What was your involvement in the case?"

The massive grey-haired man glared at Facilier. "I was the arresting officer. I secured the scene. I live in the area."

"Did you know the victim?" Elsa didn't bother to object, it would be useful to know.

"No. I don't think I'd even seen her in passing, I live a few blocks over."

Facilier smiled coldly. "Would you describe what you saw at the scene? Mothers, cover your children's ears, cameras zoom in."

Vasilovich sneered at him, but his gavel remained where it lay.

Detective Rourke sucked on his teeth, his eyes glazing over as he tried to recollect the image. It was some good theatrics for the jury, whether or not it was real. "She was lying in the middle of the floor, in between the kitchen and the living room, partly on the carpet, partly on the hardwood. I remember because of how the blood soaked into the carpet, but at the time it was still pooling on the wood."

Facilier clicked a button and the gruesome image showed on a slide projector. "Exhibit A."

"Just like that. You can see how many times she was stabbed. There were seven knife wounds, at least, one of them looked like it might've been a double. Whoever did this had a lot of rage."

"Objection," Gaston called. "He has no basis for asserting the killer's emotion."

The judge looked to Facilier. "He's an experienced detective with years on the force."

He shook his head. "Your witness shall refrain from testifying to anyone's emotional state but his own. He should stick to the material facts, and what he witnessed."

Facilier sighed dramatically, placing his hands on his hip. "Very well, detective, continue as unemotionally as you can."

Elsa watched the jury. They seemed a bit puzzled by this development, and she wasn't sure who that objection had really helped. She was surprised that Vasilovich had sustained it. He must really not like Facilier.

The detective cleared his throat, looking out at the cameras. Elsa wondered if this was the most attention he'd ever gotten. "I don't know where he could've hidden the murder weapon, but it seemed to be a large carving knife, and there just so happened to be one missing from the cutlery set in the kitchen. Mr. Clements was there, covered in the victim's blood, and we know that he had means, motive and opportunity. It was an easy arrest." There are so many things I can't wait to ask him about that.

Facilier's teeth showed, his smile sending chills down Elsa's spine. Had she missed something? "After you arrested him, what did you find out about the suspect?'

She watched each syllable leave the detective's mouth. "The victim had a restraining order on him."

Both she and Albert stared at their client, their eyes widening in shock. His own narrowed in anger as he met the detective with a death glare. For a second she thought he was going to leap out of his seat and attack the man.

"I have that restraining order right here." Facilier withdrew a paper from the briefcase at his table and waved it in the air, showing it to the room. "I've brought copies. I'd like to introduce Exhibit B at this time."

Elsa rose. "This is the first we're hearing of this. It wasn't submitted to us during discovery."

Facilier's jaw dropped as he placed his hand to his chest. "I would never. Could it have gotten lost?" He squinted, staring between the two of them. "Maybe an associate didn't think it was important? I know how things can be at those big law firms."

"Mr. Facilier, if I find that you withheld this information, I will dismiss this case with prejudice."

He continued his offended look as he stared at Judge Vasilovich. "I wouldn't dream of it, your honor. I hold you in absolutely the highest esteem, I would never do anything to impugn the integrity of your courtroom. Like I said, it must've gotten lost. I'm certain it was somewhere in all the boxes I gave them."

"Ms. Agnarrsen, Mr. Gaston, I'll give you a day to go over the document. It looks to be pretty straight forward. Discuss it with your client and we'll meet back here at ten o'clock tomorrow morning."

"Isn't this exciting," Facilier crooned. The bastard kept it as some shocking twist. He thinks this is a goddamn game. A man's life is on the line!

"Yes, your honor," she replied, glaring daggers at the district attorney. She was not looking forward to another loss. Facilier had controlled this entire game. She wouldn't take it lying down. He didn't know who he was messing with.