Her anger was bubbling and if Trevor Langan didn't shut up soon she was going to throw something at him. Not only was he a headache in the courtroom but his kid was still picking on Allie. Maybe we should have let her deck him again after that last comment, Alex thought as Langan finished questioning her last witness.
"Ms Cabot?" The judge asked.
Alex stood, "Prosecution rests your Honor."
"Very well," The judge said as Alex sat down. He looked over at the defense table and said, "Mr. Langan call your first witness."
Langan was barley finished saying the name when Alex shot up again. "Objection your Honor! That name is not on the defenses list of witnesses."
"Dr. Miller is an expert in the field…"
"You're Honor, they already have an expert on their list to try and counter what Dr. Huang has already testified too." Alex broke in, her face beginning to flush. She really hated when Langan played dirty, and yet there was a thrill about it. She loved getting into the courtroom and really battling it out with her opposition.
"Dr. Miller is not a physiatrist, or a profiler, or even a medical doctor." Langan said in that cool tone of voice that just grated on Alex's nerves. It really didn't help her option of him that he'd also hit on both her and Olivia at one point. God how she loathed this man. "He's a theologian who's testimony goes to the working functions of Mr. Cannon's religious beliefs."
"A religious defense?" Alex exclaimed with a roll of icy blue eyes. "I still object your Honor."
The judge banged his gavel. "Overruled, Ms. Cabot. Dr. Miller may testify."
If she didn't get a chance to blow off some steam she'd end up in a cell for contempt in about five minutes. "Then I ask for a recess, you Honor. The prosecution had no idea the defense was calling this witness and we need time to prepare a cross."
The judge looked down at the clock on his desk and then nodded his head. "Agreed. Court is adjourned and will reconvene at nine a.m." He said then banged his gavel again.
Alex was so tense that the muscles in her shoulders were starting to ache as she put everything back in her brief case, but all anyone saw was the ice queen, cold, calm, controlled A.D.A Cabot.
"Does he always do that?" Jessica Rossi asked as she walked with Alex towards the doors.
"Try to blind side the prosecution?" Alex replied as she walked with a kind of regal grace that was solely meant for the courtroom. "Yes, and it annoys the hell out of me. Though since he's done it so often against me I was kind of expecting it…"
"Alex?" Jessica said as they entered the hall outside the courtroom.
"I want all there is to know on this Dr. Miller. If we have too we'll call our own religious expert on our second go round. In fact, I want one in the gallery to hear what this guy says…" Alex went on.
"Alex?" Jessica tried again.
"There is no way in hell Trevor Langan is going to blindside me and win this case out from under…"
"Alex!"
Alex turned sharply to pierce the dark haired young attorney with icy blue eyes set behind dark framed glassed. "What?"
"Your kid," Jessica said calmly. "She goes to a private school, wears a uniform, really cute for a blonde haired blue eyes Jewish kid?"
"Yes, but she's only half Jewish, her birth mother was…." Alex paused then blinked. "Wait, why?" But before her junior A.D.A could answer there was a tug on her suit jacket. Turning Alex looked down and blinked again.
"Hi Mama." Allie said brightly.
"Um, hi?" Alex said still caught off guard. It was only one in the afternoon and Allie should still be in school. Looking up icy blue eyes meet eyes just a shade darker. "Serena?"
"Gas leak, so they sent the kids home." The other blonde former A.D.A said with a crooked smile. "Apparently I was the only one on the emergency contact list who answered her phone."
Alex blinked again as she shifted out of her hard as ice Alex Cabot persona into a warmer version of herself that still wasn't quite Mama Alex warm because of where they were. "Casey's prosecuting a case that Olivia's testifying in so their both in court and I was just in…"
"Yeah and now it's my turn." Serena cut in. "I'd take Allie all day if I could but I have to be in family court in a half an hour, and I couldn't get a hold of your neighbor."
"Mrs. Margolis went on a bus trip to Atlantic City with the senior center." Allie informed the adults. "She said she felt lucky."
Alex smiled a real smile that made Jessica blink. "Then it looks like you get to come to work with me for the rest of the day baby girl." Alex said as she looked down at her little girl. "Might not be much fun though. Mama's going to be kind of busy."
"That's ok Mama.. I brought…"
"Allison Cabot, did you take your DS to school again?" Alex asked with one hand on her hip as the other gripped her brief case.
Allie giggled. There were stages of trouble and she could tell how much she was in by the number of names her mothers used. Allison Cabot was fairly safe, she'd have been more worried if her mama had used Benson-Cabot. "Nope, you said I couldn't do that anymore. I was gonna say I brought paper and my color pencils and my homework."
"Oh," Alex said with a soft chuckle. "In that case I apologize for interrupting."
"S'ok, Mama." Allie said brightly.
"As much as I love watching this gooey side of you, Cabot, I have to run." Serena said before crouching down and giving her goddaughter a hug. "See you this weekend Squirt."
"Ok." Allie said. "Thanks for picking me up Aunt Serena."
"Anytime Squirt." Serena replied then headed down the hall towards family court.
It wasn't until then that Alex remembered she wasn't alone. She glanced over at the dark haired woman beside her who had the oddest look on her face. Then she looked at Allie. "Allison, this is Ms. Rossi, she's one of the A.D.As in my bureau."
Her mama had used Allison rather then Allie so she knew to be more formal then usual. She was eight, not stupid. She knew this was one of the people who worked for her mama not with her. She looked at the woman and offered her hand. "Hello, Ms. Rossi, it's nice to meet you."
Jessica took the offered hand after the touch of shock wore off. Kid was awfully polite and formal, but then again this was Cabot's kid. "Nice meeting you too Allison."
As they walked back to their offices Alex went over what she wanted Jessica to do without missing a beat. She didn't even bother to take in the odd looks she was getting as she walked with her daughter's hand in her own as she rattled off instructions. It was however, creeping Jessica out.
"Alright baby girl," Alex said in the privacy of her office. "I need you to stay in here ok? I'll be in and out a lot but I'll be in the area. If you need me for something just step outside the door and ask Eleanor to get me, ok?"
Allie looked to see who her mother was pointing out and then nodded. "Alright Mama." She replied then helped herself to her mother's desk chair.
Alex smiled then laughed a little. Allie looked adorable sitting behind her desk like that. "The remote for the stereo is in my desk drawer but you have to keep it low. Don't answer the phone if it rings and if anyone comes looking for me tell them to…"
"Ask Eleanor." Allie said with a roll of her eyes. "I'm eight Mama, not a baby. I'll be ok."
Alex laughed, walked over and kissed the top of Allie's head. "Ok baby girl. I'll be right back and we'll call in some lunch, ok?"
"Ok." The girl replied as she opened her backpack and took out her phonics workbook.
"Alex," Jim Steele said harshly as he flung open the office door and walked in while looking down at the case file in his hands. "We have to talk about this. The evidence is weak, we need to make a deal. I don't care if you think pleading this guy out will make the stats around here look bad. It's more important we get this ass…." He'd finally looked up and blinked when he saw a very small blonde sitting behind Alex's desk. It was the creepiest feeling, the kid looked like Alex down to the black framed glasses. "You're a kid."
"Um, yes sir." Allie replied with her head titled to the side.
"What are you doing in here?" Jim asked as he came closer to the desk. "This is a private office. How'd you get in here? You really shouldn't have those glasses on they're not yours."
"Um, actually they are." Allie said and then titled her head the other way. "You must be Mr. Steele."
"Yeah," Jim said looking more then a little confused. "Who are you?"
Allie looked at the framed pictures on her mother's desk and then up at the man standing in front of it. Yeap, her mommy was right, he wasn't very observant. "I'm Allison Benson-Cabot."
"You're Cabot's kid?" Jim asked.
The girl nodded which caused her long blonde hair to dance around her shoulders.
"You still shouldn't be wearing those glasses." Jim huffed.
"Why not?" Alex asked from her open doorway. "They're hers." She smiled a little at her daughter then crossed her arms to look at Jim. "The lenses are just plain glass. They were part of a Christmas gift." It had been Casey's idea to add the glasses to the junior lawyer kit Serena had put together. Now whenever Allie did her homework while Alex worked at home, she insisted on wearing them when Alex did. Olivia nearly had a memory card full of pictures cause of it.
Jim looked between Alex, who was wearing her glasses, and the kid. It was eerie and he was starting to wonder if the kid was actually adopted or if Alex had some skeletons in her closet.
"Was there something you needed Jim?" Alex asked still leaning against her door frame. She was enjoying the befuddled look on her colleague's face. Olivia would be loving this.
"He wants you to make a deal on his case cause he doesn't think he can win it." Allie said before Jim could open his mouth.
Jim blinked, his cheeks flushing with annoyance and perhaps a little embarrassment. Not to mention from the sudden slap to his ego. He opened his mouth to reprimand the girl but before he could get a word out she'd started again.
"What?" Allie asked at the look on the man's face. "There's two reasons to make a plea deal. To get a bigger bad guy or because you don't think you can win. You got a bigger bad guy?"
Jim blinked again then looked over at Alex who was grinning like a Cheshire cat. "How old is she?"
"Eight." Alex said.
"And a half." Allie added.
"How does she know…."
"My Mama's a lawyer, Aunt Casey's a lawyer, Aunt Serena's a lawyer, and Mr. Branch is a lawyer." Allie answered even though the question was aimed at her mother. "I pick things up."
Alex was still grinning from ear to ear.
Jim just shook his head and then looked pointedly at Alex. "We need to talk about the Quinn case."
"No," Alex replied as she finally came fully into the room. "We don't. You find the evidence and witnesses to strengthen the case and you take it to trial. I am not giving in on this."
"Alex be reasonable…."
"Bet my Mama could win it." Allie piped in.
Alex really wanted to laugh but instead she gave Allie a look. "Careful Allison before you cross a line. Mr. Steele is still an adult."
"Yes Mama." Allie said then looked at Jim. "I'm sorry." Then she muttered under breath as she went back what she'd been doing. "But she still could."
Outside the office it was taking a lot for Christina and Brain to keep from laughing as they passed the half open door. Jim Steele getting dissed by an eight year old Cabot clone was just too priceless.
"Ok, does anyone else think that's like some twilight zone thing or what?" Nick asked as he joined the others who were standing around peering though the windows of Alex's office.
"I think she's cute." Christina said with a crooked smile.
"Jim doesn't seem to think so." Jessica added.
Brain smirked. "I think he'd be the kind to eat his young."
Jessica gave Brian a look that he totally missed.
After Jim left the office Allie looked up at her mother and asked, "Is he always like that?"
Alex nodded. "Pretty much."
That explained a lot. No wonder her mama came home stressed out.
"Homework done?" Alex asked as she came over to stand beside her daughter.
"Almost." Allie replied. "I got distracted."
"Oh?" Alex asked.
Allie pointed to the windows. "I was watching out there."
Alex chuckled as she looked out the window to see her juniors scatter like mice. She raised a brow then smirked. They'd never seen her outside her icy persona, they must all be in shock. "What do you say we call in some lunch and we'll finish our work together?"
Allie smiled brightly. "Ok!"