Hello all, how fare thee? I bring you a Klavier fic. Just yesterday, I had finished the AJ installment. I was skeptical at first, even more so, after Phoenix turned out to be such a hobo-joe with a deadbeat attitude(he did redeem himself in the end but still, I was not happy). But Apollo turned out to be not a bad substitution, I was happy to see Ema being the new Gumshoe and then there were the Gavin brothers. Kristoph made me squee immediately, because I have a soft spot for dudes with glasses and arrogant attitude XD (I will even ignore the fact of him being blond, lol) and then there was Klavier, who was already awesome by default, what with being prosecutor and rock star at the same time. Last case blew my brains away, it was almost as epic as Trials and Tribulations and I felt an urge to write a fic concerning the Devil and the gripe he had on those around him(obviously his little brother was the perfect victim to my plotbunnies, hohoho.) To be honest I have a very vague idea where this story will go. It'll be dark, that's for sure. And with love, of course(no bromance though :D) And who knows, maybe the Devil is not just a nickname.(Plotting as I go, haha)

Anyhoo, apologies for my English. Not a native speaker here. Do update when my muse strikes me(I had a dry spell for a long time and only recently it had come back to me. Probably should chain her to myself, just in case). Very occasional german is brought by Google Translate and my knowledge of Dutch(makes sense? hardly XD) Also, apologies for the short chapters. They are not always like that, I swear .

If you stopped by and read, reviews and opinions are always welcomed and loved. ^^

Cheers and rock on,

AngelT

The Darkness

(What is this awful noise?)

He reached out, trying to grab the alarm clock from the little night table. It took him several tries and the small digital clock in the shape of an electric guitar fell on the soft lilac carpet. However, the noise did not stop. It was crawling inside his skull and bouncing there, in the emptiness and darkness, magnifying in strength as the seconds passed.

(Not an alarm clock… Damn.)

Klavier rolled out of bed, only to realize that he was still wearing the suit from two days ago. He carefully pulled the expensive and, by now, quite stale-looking material and carefully sniffed it, cringing. Smelled of good ol' scotch, the kind only prosecution could buy with their fine fees after every trial.

(Even though the last one was… A while ago, ja?)

He could not remember. Last days (or month for all he knew) were a bit of a blur. Klavier Gavin was known for keeping perfect appearances. It came with being a performer. A prosecutor. Kristoph's brother. The latter, probably, being the most important of all. His brother… he was all about appearances and public image. So everyone else had to adjust themselves to his tune or some'bad' things would happen. And none would want to get on Kristoph's bad side. Klavier had his first and only lesson when they were still kids. This trial was one time in quite a while when he dared to go against his elder brother in court. Kristoph had clutched his claws deep into Klavier the very second he saw his brother disobeying his will. None could see it but even though after the Misham trial Klavier and Kristoph did not meet each other anymore, the claws his brother dug so deep in him that day did not disappear. In fact, they kept digging in Klavier's flesh day and night, robbing young prosecutor of peace, amongst other things.

But Klavier Gavin, the prosecutor and the star, was all about the appearances.

(Just maybe not right now.)

Gavin smirked sadly and, trying to ignore the annoying doorbell and steady knocking that was suddenly added to it, quickly started to style his hair, looking in the first reflecting surface he could find. He could try changing suits, but a person who did not visit the shower for a while will still smell like a pig amongst the roses, no matter how many roses there are.

(An unshaved pig at that.)

Hoping for someone insignificant Klavier, without even checking the peephole, opened the door, just as a young girl in a tall silk hat was ready to start banging with her fists again. Then there was what seemed like an endless forehead with two spikes on top. And somewhere behind all that massive forehead-ness Klavier had heard rhythmic sounds of Snackoos being crushed by the elegant jaws of law.

"Finally!" The young girl exclaimed and clapped her hands together. – I thought that I should maybe perform my famous "Beautiful Girl Passes Through The Walls" trick.

"You don't look so peachy, Gavin. " Said Apollo, hushing Trucy, who was definitely being too loud even to the Mr. Chords of Steel standard and way too loud for someone with a very bad hangover.

A head poked from behind Justice's shoulder, examined Klavier and pulled on a triumphant expression.

"You don't look too shiny, Mr. Kraut."

(What happened to 'glimmering fop'? Too old? Lost its class?)

Klavier shot one of his trade smiles at the detective Skye. She blushed and quickly returned to the violent munching. He may not look the part right now but he still got it, oh yes.

- Now, after all of you finished reflecting on my appearance, to what I own the pleasure?

Justice opened his mouth but Trucy beat him to it. She was all pokey elbows and teenage enthusiasm, sometimes Klavier was almost feeling bad for the Forehead; he had to live with this package of joy every day.

"When was the last time you saw sunlight, prosecutor Gavin? Neither Polly nor you had cases in a while so we invoke the right of going picnicking."

There was a long and probably meaningful pause. Klavier tried to digest the statement about a forceful picnic and how to wiggle his way out of this affair when a whole bunch of Snackoos hit him square in the forehead.

"Hey you! I was not dragged all this way for nothing, you know. Get dressed already."

A bunch of chocolate crisps in your face do carry a not-so-subliminal message. And Trucy was a Wright and they are 'wright' all the time, as her father had said once, a very long time ago, even though it was more of a joke. Klavier honestly could not remember how long he had spent being crammed in his apartment. Law blessed prosecutor Gavin with money and big fridge. They fit perfectly together, allowing him to hermit for a while, if necessary. Not that it ever happened before. Not before that trial.

"You have a point, little Fraülein." He smiled warmly at her, ignoring the rest. "If you give me ten minutes to get ready I…"

"Sure!" exclaimed Trucy and marched into his apartment. Apollo and Ema seemed to stall at the doorstep, understanding that Trucy self-invited herself in and not really sure what to do. Klavier rubbed his forehead; he really did not need all of this so early in the morning. Without saying a word he made a vague invitation gesture and proceeded in the direction of the shower, not bothering to see if Justice and Skye had followed his advice.

As the water poured down on his face and shoulders, soaking long strands of blond hair, he thought of what had just happened. Perhaps it was the sign. A sign for something. The darkness… he remembered a stare Justice gave him in the court when Klavier, stripped of all his self-control pleaded the defense attorney to confirm the facts. Justice saw that impenetrable darkness that was choking Klavier for as long as he could remember and as the years were passing by so grew the darkness inside him, shaping, changing faces, taunting and promising. That naïve boy thought that he might have helped him but that was not so. Sometimes Klavier thought that probably no-one would ever be able to help him.

He turned the water off and stepped out of the shower cabin. As much as he enjoyed the idea of Ema Skye bursting in, thinking he choked himself and seeing all that body, covered only by a loose towel and glimmering with diamond drops of water, Klavier would not be quite as thrilled if instead of Detective Snackoos it turned out to be Herr Forehead.

He wiped off some steam from the mirror when his heart suddenly felt as it had skipped a beat. Klavier stepped backwards, clutching his chest. He felt them, the claws, digging and nudging, the cold nasty feeling in his chest slowly spreading all over his body. Carefully taking short breaths, Klavier raised his head and looked in the mirror. There, for a split of a second he could swear he saw him. The light reflected in the elegant thin-framed glasses, teeth slightly bared in a smug and victorious smile Klavier knew oh-so-well.

"Geh weg*, Kristoph! Leave me alone!"

Quickly, without raising his glare from the marble tiles on the floor, Klavier got dressed, counted to three and opened the door, smiling at Trucy, who was admiring his guitar collection; at Ema, who was disdainfully holding an empty bottle in her hand and at Justice, who felt entirely out of place in this whole affair.

"Ladies and the Forehead, shall we?" Klavier gallantly gestured in the direction of the door, keeping warm smile glued to his face.

After all, prosecutor Gavin was all about appearances and public image.

* - Go away!(Germ.)