Blackout
by: raileht
Summary: It was over. The fight in her was almost completely out and she was nearing total exhaustion. She was about to die.
Disclaimer: The ones you don't know are mine, the ones you do aren't.
Rating: T, to be safe
Spoilers/Timeline: post-finale but I've omitted some facts and scenes to better fit the story and you'll figure out which ones I hadn't included along the way. But if you have questions, just ask.
Warning: Bad words and a lot of violence right from the start. Will be a somewhat dark story so people will be in pain—physical and emotional. Maybe not for the faint hearted.
Warning#2:
Chapter Title taken from:
Gameface, Crash Course in Polite Conversations
-o0oo0oo0o-
Chapter Four: Crash Course in Polite Conversations
Seated in a small room with a two way mirror, a table and four metal chairs, Will could not believe that in less than an hour, he'd gone from being a lawyer to a client. He wanted nothing more than to scream, to demand to be let out, knowing full well it was simply impossible that he could have done something so despicable when never in his life had he ever hit a woman.
But he kept quiet, practicing an astounding amount of self-control he'd never expected to posses. Personal knowledge, common sense and Kalinda's words played in a never ending loop in his mind to ensure he wouldn't lose control in all the rage that was steadily building up inside him.
Alicia, as he grudgingly allowed under the watchful eyes of Kalinda, was currently holding the reins and so far, they were doing well. Or, at least, he hasn't been charged with attempted murder yet. Not that he doubted Alicia's abilities. She was sill a talented lawyer, after all.
"We will be filing a complaint," Alicia said as they sat in one of the interview rooms of the Chicago police station. "There was no need to drag my client all the way downtown especially since he's the only active principal of Lockhart & Gardner. You dragged him through the media and, in consequence, could paint him falsely and taint his innocence in the matter when he has been nothing but cooperative."
"As is your client's right, Mrs. Florrick," Detective De Luca. "Orders came from the Chief so, shall we?"
"Please do remember we've already stipulated that you can only have my client for one hour and one hour only," Alicia went on. "Mr. Gardner came of his own free will and humored you as far as taking your invitation to come here, despite your severe lack of evidence to even come to the firm other than to question employees about information concerning Miss Lockhart. You had no right to bring him in. He came willingly and freely and should rightfully be granted freedom to leave when he pleases."
"Of course, Mrs. Florrick," De Luca nodded, looking quite impressed. "Mr. Gardner?"
"Yes?" he managed not to snarl.
"We asked you to come here, Mr. Gardner, because we believe, working so close with the victim, that you might have an idea about what happened late last night," De Luca began. "Any information you may have might help further our investigation."
He opened his mouth to make a retort when Alicia managed to cut in, "My client will not be making statements, Detective De Luca."
"Telling us what took place between him and Miss Lockhart might help us, Mrs. Florrick."
"Yes, but only questions or we walk, detective," she said firmly, her dark eyes brazenly meeting the detective's in a silent invitation to a duel.
"You'll help yourself more by telling us straight up what happened than letting lawyers play middleman, Mr. Gardner," De Luca said, though he showed no disrespect as one would have expected after Alicia's response.
Will chuckled, "I don't need to help myself and I am a lawyer so, please, on with the questions so I can return to work and check in with the hospital. My partner is due to wake up today and I'd very much like to be there."
"Understandable," De Luca nodded, "I know this will be something you already know but before we begin, I have to recite your rights, sir."
"I'll suffer in silence."
The detective managed a smile then went on to deliver Will his Miranda rights.
Will met Alicia's eyes and she nodded at him. They were doing well and so far, whatever the detective was up to, De Luca did not seem to be outright gunning for him. He was starting to believe the decision to bring him in was really more not on his part, but that wouldn't change Will's displeasure of the embarrassment of being dragged in front of the press.
"Okay, shall we?" De Luca said. "Mr. Gardner, is it true you and the victim have not been getting along in the last few…weeks?"
"Her name is Diane," Will said, ignoring the hand that Alicia placed on his arm in an effort to stop him. "Diane Lockhart. And I'd prefer it if you addressed her that way. She may have been victimized, but she is not a victim in a sense that makes her sound weak because, I can assure you, she is anything but."
"Very well," De Luca nodded. "Answer the question, sir."
"We have disagreements," Will said simply. "But it doesn't mean we don't get along. We do, fairly well, actually."
"Alright," the detective nodded. "Can you tell us what the fight from the night before was about, Mr. Gardner?"
"It was not a fight," Alicia inserted. "Mr. Gardner and Miss Lockhart were simply having a discussion, nothing more."
"Then what was the discussion about?"
Will inhaled slightly, "Diane took a pro-bono case regarding an eighteen-year-old girl who got mixed with the wrong crowd. They picketed a major company and it turned into a mini-riot and the company happened to be one of our clients, mine mainly, so I wanted to talk to her about it, see if she knew coming in that she was basically going against a new major client."
"She took a client who was making a case against one of your clients?"
"No, it only happened on my client's property," Will answered and decided it was better not to mention that the case was being filed against the city and not Wentworth & Lennox. Cops tended to take that none too lightly. "But the fact that they were being picketed painted a bad picture of the company and, understandably, my clients were upset about the matter."
"That made you angry so you fought?"
"Asked and answered, detective," Alicia chimed in dutifully, "It was a discussion."
"When you discuss things with Miss Lockhart, do you normally shout at her, Mr. Gardner?"
Will opened his mouth, but Alicia beat him to it. It was better that way. He would have said something he would regret later. He was getting more annoyed with each question.
"Detective, again, asked and answered," Alicia said, obviously ruffled. "Move on or we'll have no choice but to leave."
"What did you do after your discussion, Mr. Gardner?"
"I sat in my office, tried to get some work done," he answered.
"Tried?"
"I couldn't," he answered truthfully. "I wanted to discuss the matter further with Diane, in a more relaxed atmosphere so I thought I'd follow her home. It's not unusual. Sometimes I get one of the guest rooms if she's not too cranky I woke her up."
"And if she is? Too cranky, I mean."
"I get the couch and make do," Will said with a slight grin.
"So, from your office, you drove to Barrington Lake? To Miss Lockhart's home?"
"Yes."
"But you live in the city, here?"
"Yes."
"And how long after the discussion did you follow?" De Luca was writing on his small notepad, but rarely took his eyes off Will.
"Minutes, maybe ten," he shrugged. "I can't be sure."
De Luca gave him a serious and hard look, "Mr. Gardner, are you and Miss Lockhart involved in an intimate relationship?"
"Detective—"
"No," Will cut through Alicia's objection. He had nothing to hide and the same went with Diane. "We are not in an intimate relationship, detective. We're partners. It would cause unnecessary conflict within the firm."
De Luca nodded, "Is Miss Lockhart currently involved with anyone?"
Will's mind flashed to the cowboy, Kurt McVeigh, but he hadn't seen him or heard anything about him since his last consultation. Rumors flew for a while of what Diane had done during a deposition with McVeigh and Cary in the opposing sides. From what he heard, Diane had showed no mercy and effectively crippled their case by scrapping his testimony.
"None that I'm aware of," he replied simply.
"But there must be someone, if you have any idea at all?"
"I'd rather not speculate."
"Your firm, how is it?"
"Good."
"You lost your third partner, Jonas Stern," De Luca said rather than asked.
"Is that a question?"
"No, this is," De Luca tilted his head to the side. "Is it true that from losing the third partner, your firm suffered a great loss and you and Miss Lockhart were considering breaking up?"
"It's always an option, if things don't go as planned," Will answered, slightly raising a hand at Alicia to stop her from objecting again. "But we've decided not to go with that until we've exhausted all possible options."
"Whose idea was it? Breaking the firm?"
"It's a mutual acknowledgment on both sides," Will said. "We both know we can do it any time. The partnership is dissolvable by either at will."
"Did that make you angry?"
"No. I see no use getting upset when nothing of the sort has happened yet," he replied. "But even if it did, I wouldn't be able to do anything."
"You'll start from the bottom, if Miss Lockhart just suddenly decides to quit?"
"You obviously don't know her," Will commented, nonchalantly brushing the front of his impeccable suit. "Miss Lockhart doesn't just decide anything suddenly. But yes, should that happen, I'll start anew. It's common practice among firms. Even biglaws aren't recession proof anymore, sad to say."
"Yes, sad," De Luca nodded as he kept writing.
"This has gone for long enough," Alicia inserted. "Detective, I'd like to advice you to stick to your previous line of questioning rather than inquiring about the status of the firm."
"I'm establishing an inquiry about your client's relationship with the vic—Miss Lockhart, Mrs. Florrick," De Luca answered evenly, eyes leaving Will to settle on Alicia.
"And you've established that they are partners and nothing more," she retorted smoothly. "Move along, detective."
"Fine," De Luca nodded "Mr. Gardner, when you arrived at Miss Lockhart's home, what did you first notice?"
"The lights were all off," Will answered. "I assumed she was asleep already, but…"
"But what?" De Luca leaned forward in his seat.
"I rang the doorbell anyway," he finished. "She'd just come in, I was sure, so I was hoping she'd still let me in, at least let me stay the night. I wasn't up to driving all the way back to the city so late and I hadn't realized I was quite tired already."
"Did you see or hear anything?"
"No, I don't think so," he replied, quietly. "It was quiet. It's always quiet there. Diane loves it."
"What happened next?"
"The door wasn't lock—that was unlike Diane so I went in," he continued. "I figured she might have been too exhausted to notice so I wanted to make sure she was okay."
"Would you mind telling the rest of what happened after you came into the house?"
"I've already stated that my client will not be making statements," Alicia cut in, but Will shook his head, stopping her. He hadn't given his side of the story yet and he knew it was better if he did.
"It's fine."
"Will—"
His eyes met hers, "Its fine"
Will didn't do anything wrong and so far, no one looked like they were trying to frame him so he felt it only proper to go ahead and explain his side. Not that he would need explaining since he arrived after the fact. If there was anything to be found to help Diane, he would do it because he saw no reason to use his Fifth Amendment right when he had nothing to hide.
"I went into the house," he continued and began recreating the scenes in his head, trying to bring up as much detail as he could, describing the abandoned shoes, the upturned furniture, Justice and all the way to the part where he'd found Diane in a crumpled heap in the kitchen.
"She was unresponsive," he said, his eyes falling to his hands, remembering how cold her fingers had been in the ambulance. This only happened mere hours ago, but to Will, they seemed a lot longer, farther into the past. "I tried to wake her up, but she wouldn't. She had a large cut on her head, her face was bruised and her body was curled up, like she tried to protect herself…I…I don't know. Then that large guy, uh, Mario walked in…she was still bleeding."
De Luca hadn't interrupted Will's account of what happened and by then, he was already nodding. He'd heard Mario's side of the story and though he wouldn't tell Will or anyone from his camp, he hadn't really seen any reason to bring him in as well. But orders were orders, someone wanted to see Will Gardner in the precinct, giving his testimony.
"That's all you remember, Mr. Gardner?" De Luca asked, glancing at Alicia who looked somber, the brash lawyer she displayed herself to be prior to Will Gardner's testimony shrouded by her show of obvious sympathy. The woman was still definitely human after all. "You didn't see or hear anyone?"
"No."
"Can you think of anyone who would want to hurt Miss Lockhart?"
"Honestly, no," he said, shaking his head slightly. "I-I never expected anything like this to happen to Diane, of all people. She's always been careful."
"Returning to your discussions," De Luca said as Will shifted slightly in his seat, "In all your discussions and disagreements. Have you ever come to physical blows?"
"What? Of course not," Will sounded genuinely affronted. "I wouldn't lay a hand on any woman, especially Diane."
"What about Miss Lockhart? Has she ever hit you?" De Luca asked, completely unfazed about having offended Will. "Or get physical when you have your discussions? Nothing instigated by Miss Lockhart?"
"No, of course not," Will said vehemently, the question taking away the somberness recalling the incident brought in. "Diane does not hit or get physical with anyone. She doesn't like violence of any kind. She isn't a violent person."
De Luca nodded, "I'll ask again, do you have any idea who would want to harm Miss Lockhart? Someone with a grudge maybe—ex-boyfriend or anyone like that?"
Will shook his head slowly, "Diane has had relationships in the past, but I've never heard or suspected any of them ending badly. She's private person, she prefers to keep personal things out of her professional life."
"Tell me, Mr. Gardner," De Luca said, leaning back as he watched the lawyer with hooded eyes.
"If her life or safety was being threatened, would Miss Lockhart tell you?"
-o0o-
Replying to one of Kate's many messages that morning, Annie found herself sitting by the hospital bed of her boss. So far, mid-morning, she was yet to see any sign of stirring from the unconscious woman. The nurse had come in earlier, attached an intravenous drip as per Dr. Nolan's recommendation to further help his patient along by making sure she was hydrated and was being administered proper nutrients.
Annie had watched while still attached to her phone, trying to track whatever she could help finish from the hospital in the office. So far, she had successfully passed on Diane's minor cases—the one from the Wentworth & Lennox protest included— to associates Annie knew she trusted implicitly, one of them being Julius Cain. Annie didn't have a problem with Julius either and was more than glad to be sure her boss' priorities would be well taken care of in her absence.
The last thing, she was sure, Diane needed the moment she barrels her way back into the office was to find her entire case files in disarray. Barrel being the operative word. Will Gardner was thinking he could make her stay at Dr. Nolan's two to three day advice for hospital stay, but Annie would give them a day and a half or, at the very least, as soon as Diane Lockhart could walk, talk and speak properly and perfectly before she decided to bust herself out.
Annie could very well guess the only thing that would keep her boss in bed was either to be made to sleep, meaning sedatives and/or the like or if anyone dared, to just chain her to the bed. She hid her smile on those two sad choices, because either way, if they were really intending to keep the firecracker of a woman in Mercy Grace then they better be prepared for some pain.
She imagines Diane Lockhart would be the first to ever perform emergency castration in Chicago using, being the nearest at her disposal, the tube of an IV line.
Shaking her head and looking forward more to her boss' return to the living, Annie also made a mental note to ask and/or beg Kate to messenger her report to her curmudgeon of a professor who didn't want emailed papers and instead demanded hard copy works. Annie was sure in the end she would be thankful to Diane for convincing her to do this, but the paralegal studies thing was seriously giving her second thoughts. It wasn't the first time, but still, it had to be worth it, in the end. She just needed to suck it up.
Once again, Annie wondered just how Diane managed to talk her into taking up paralegal studies. One minute, Diane was strolling out of her office on an unusually quiet day at the firm, ready for a chat next thing Annie knew, she was being lulled into "giving paralegal studies a try" since she "seemed so against trying law itself". Never in her life had Annie ever imagined she'd be taking up anything involving law. She always thought she'd become a teacher or something.
Diane thought otherwise and said so.
That day, as Diane sauntered off with a smile just as a client walked in to her side of the office, Annie already had a few names on a pad, in her boss' handwriting, about who to talk to for checking out the next semester. Two months later, Annie was stepping into her first class a half hour after she left the firm after work. Now, she only had less than a year left before it was over.
Annie was sure if Diane Lockhart ever decided to follow her father's footsteps, she would have no problem winning not only allies in Congress and other positions, but the voters' attention and admiration as well. She was charming and articulate, cunning and manipulative at will and had no problem talking to any type of people. The woman, it seemed, literally could do anything.
Which was why she had to wake up already and be in tip-top shape, Annie thought as she glanced at the sleeping woman and wondered for what seemed the millionth time how this could happen. Who would do such a thing? Was it a random act of violence or did someone really set out to hurt her? The latter choice sent more than a tingle of fear down her spine. It was terrifying to think someone had planned on doing this, had waited for an opportunity to hurt Diane.
Annie couldn't bear to think about that, but somehow she found herself running names through her mind. She was around Diane often and knew people who came in and out of her office, she took calls for her, sorted her mail and everything else so she knew she was one of the people closest to her. She'd seen the woman at her best and nearing her worst.
It would only be logical to think the police would come to question her since, as Kate had informed her, they also came into the firm to question a few people. Annie would tell them everything she knew but as she went through everything in the last few weeks and months, she was sure nothing had been out of the ordinary. Diane went about her work, sometimes met with a few friends, went to a few parties and dealt with her big cases and managed the firm. If they asked Annie if she had any enemies, she'd have to say no.
Diane was cutthroat in the business and she was a shark in the courtroom, but outside she was pleasant and only let her claws out when she was provoked. The last time Annie had witnessed Diane display any hostile behavior was when Malcolm Overby had come by a few days earlier, but even then, she'd covered it well.
Looking back on that day, Annie remembered she'd been curious about that exchange. The first time she'd seen Malcolm with Diane the woman had been smiling invitingly, standing close to him and allowing him in her personal space. Annie remembered her laugh echoing from her office. But then, after that, he hadn't returned and then, a day or two after, Annie had observed Diane had stopped taking his calls and he, after being refused so many times, gave up. Annie had been so sure there was something there.
Then he came back, just a few days ago and talked to Diane. The doors had been closed but Malcolm hadn't stayed long. He barely nodded a goodbye to Annie and Diane had shut her office doors closed the moment he left the threshold. For the rest of the day, Diane had holed herself up in her office and only came out to say goodbye.
Annie wondered if that was worth telling the police about then decided, glancing at Diane again, that while she didn't know the man enough to think he'd be capable of doing what someone had done to Diane, she'd have to tell them anyway. She was in no position to judge and therefore would leave that up to the ones who were. Annie wanted to keep Diane safe and if anyone posed a threat, she'd try and do something about it. If Malcolm did nothing wrong, then he'd have no problem with the police.
Convinced she'd come to the right decision, Annie decided it was time again to check Diane's email. She'd have to thank whichever god was responsible for technology because without her phone, email and wireless internet, Annie knew she was better off dead. They helped make her job and her life easier.
Suppressing a yawn, Annie only realized how tired she was already. She'd slept late the night before after going over her notes for one of her classes and then Will had called long before she was due to wake up. Grabbing the cup of coffee she'd sworn to stay away from for a while, Annie took a tentative sip then grimaced. It had gotten cold already, but the disgusting shock was enough to wake her up temporarily.
She had drawn the shades in hopes the soft sunlight would wake up Diane. She needed her rest, but Annie was also anxious to make sure she really was alright she thought let her go back right back to sleep after confirming that she was really alive and okay.
Maybe it was selfish, but Annie had spent the last the hour alternating between sitting in vigil and going in and out to take care of the calls she'd been getting from people who were concerned for her boss. Annie wanted to say she was fine and actually know she wasn't lying or saying anything by mistake.
There hadn't been any visitors and she'd expected that for reasons like the fact that Will Gardner had drawn up confidentiality agreements with the hospital, stating, among other things, that only Will and the people he allowed were permitted to confirm whether Diane was indeed in Mercy Grace or not. And since they'd only been there for a few hours, it was still much too early for people to dare go and visit.
Still, Annie expected people, or at least things to come soon enough. She'd been around long enough to know how things worked in politics and various Chicago social circles, many of which Diane was popular in. Whether she was loved or hated or simply admired, it didn't matter because either way, they knew who Diane Lockhart was.
By instinct, just as she was putting her coffee back, she heard the door behind her open. Immediately she turned to look then tensed when she saw a man enter the room, not wearing the hospital uniform, but rather an impeccable suit that could be Armani.
He was tall and lean with bluish-gray eyes that didn't spare one look at Annie as they settled unwaveringly on the figure on the bed. His sandy hair had tones of silver in it and Annie was sure this was a man her friend Jenny would easily purr 'Silver Fox' at. He was handsome with patrician features and would have been more so if his face didn't look as if it had been set in stone, his features hard and serious.
"Excuse me, may I help you?" Annie asked, her heart thumping against her chest. For some reason, she still had that fear that whoever hurt Diane would come back. It seemed silly to her at first, but now, seeing towering man with only her to be there for her suddenly vulnerable boss, Annie could not help but think it wasn't that silly after all.
The man's eyes flickered over to her and she realized he must have not noticed she'd been there when he entered. His features slackened, long fingers reaching up to run over his hair, messing up the strands a little but it did nothing negative to the way he looked.
"I didn't see you there," his voice wasn't scary, but it was deep and fit in well with his features. "Who are you?"
"Someone who should be asking you that question," she said coolly as she stood up, feeling incredibly small and vulnerable in her seat. Annie tried to stand taller though even then she knew she could not match the man with all of her five feet and two inches.
"Ah, a hell cat," he muttered, more to himself as he nodded. "Should have known."
"Excuse me?" Annie wondered if he was from the psych ward a few floors up. "Who are you?"
"Half the time of my childhood, I didn't know," he said simply. "But they called me Dan."
"Dan?"
"Or you can call me what my ex-wife called me, jackass," he said with a slight curl on the corner of his lips. "I'm kidding. She called me something worst, depending on her mood."
Annie tilted her head to the side, unsure whether or not she should be scared or nervous or both, "Okay. This conversation is getting weird. I'm Annie."
"Annie," he said, her name rolling off his tongue easily. "Okay, hello, Annie. I'm Dan."
"Yes, you said that but—"
"Daniel," he said this time, grinning at how he'd managed to wind her up so quickly. She was tough, but easily flustered. "Daniel Lockhart."
-o0o-
"…if her life or safety was being threatened, would Miss Lockhart tell you?"
"I'd like to say yes," Will said, "But in the recent weeks things have been…hectic. A few cases have left us little time to see each other outside of our firm. Last night would have been the first time in a long time I'd been able to drop by her place."
"So, no one?"
"No. I'm not sure, I could be wrong."
"Okay," De Luca nodded, "Mr. Gardner, do you know a Mr. Jeffrey Spellman?"
Will's brows furrowed, glancing at Alicia who looked just as clueless, "No, I don't think so."
"He was a drug dealer who was sentenced ten years ago for double murder," De Luca said as he began to flip pages in his notepad. "He was released on parole recently."
"What does this have to do with me or Diane?" he asked, though he had a feeling this was something he didn't want to know.
"When he was sentenced, he promised he would kill his lawyer," De Luca said as his darker eyes met Will's lighter ones. "Miss Lockhart was his lawyer."
Will straightened up, "What?"
He tried to remember if Diane had ever mentioned that name, but he couldn't, at least not at that moment. Will was sure that if she'd ever mentioned a case she'd lost and a client promising to come after her, he'd remember. He was sure that was something he wouldn't forget.
And the fact that the guy was even qualified for parole would have given him all the more reason not to forget about the matter. Decisions like granting paroles did not come easily and Will would have kept an ear out for any developments. It was easy enough to find out status of cases and inmates around Chicago, especially for someone with a lot of solid connections like Will.
"He made threats on Miss Lockhart's life as he was being taken out of court by the bailiff ten years ago," De Luca continued. "And we have it on good authority that after Miss Lockhart spoke against his parole hearing a few weeks ago. I'm willing to bet he made more threats."
Will clenched his fist, his jaw tightening up to the point his teeth were about to start grinding against each other. Diane hadn't told him anything about what the detective was telling him now. How could she not tell him? Her life was being threatened, how could she not? She spoke in his hearing, spoke against a man who murdered two people. How could she keep that from him?
"They let him out?" Will growl, barely feeling the constraining hand Alicia had on his arm.
Did Diane willingly risk her life just because she was angry at him? Had she stopped trusting him? Is that how bad things were getting between them? She didn't trust him with her safety and her well being. How could she? Did she not care for her safety? If she had talked to him, he would have done something. If she needed protection he wouldn't have hesitated to help her.
Will wondered what the hell was going on with her mind. She should have told him, as far as he was concerned, she should have told him. He deserved to know. It wasn't just a matter of their personal relationship, but it also touched base with professional. By leaving herself vulnerable, she ultimately did the same with the firm, as far as Will was concerned.
"A few weeks ago for good behavior, yes. You were not aware of any of this?" De Luca inquired needlessly. If the disbelieving tone in his voice wasn't indication enough, the mix of shock, anger and confusion would have been enough to tip a blind man off.
"No," he gritted out. "Do you think if I knew I would have let her walk around by herself? I'd have gotten her protection, made her take necessary precautions to make sure she was safe!"
"Detective," Alicia said, planting her hand firmly on Will's forearm, "Clearly my client was not privy to this fact and clearly, you already have a potential suspect. My only question is why he isn't the one being questioned right now?"
De Luca nodded, "We've contacted his parole officer and they're bringing him in, Mrs. Florrick. We just made sure to question Mr. Gardner about recent events concerning Miss Lockhart."
Will's eyes fell on the shiny top of the table, his mind recalling the events of the day and when he looked at De Luca again, he remembered to ask a question that had been niggling him the moment Kalinda had began to explain to him why they were on their way to the firm. "Detective, mind if I ask you a question?"
"Shoot."
"How did you know about the recent situation between me and Diane?" he was sure Kalinda had said it was an anonymous tip, but who would do something like that? There was a possibility someone was trying to make trouble for him at the firm.
"An anonymous tip called the station," De Luca answered. "Said something about you and Miss Lockhart not getting along and that we should make sure you had nothing to do about what happened to you partner."
"Do you have any idea who or where the call came from?"
"No," the detective replied. "With technology these days, it's not that easy anymore." He scoffed, "Plus those damned CSI shows don't make it any easier for us too. Makes our jobs harder, actually…giving people ideas what not to do so they won't get caught."
"I take it you're not a fan," Will muttered.
"You think? I'm a cop," De Luca replied, "You think I want a criminal to know I'd catch him if he sheds a hair? 'Course not."
A knock on the door interrupted what was supposed to be a questioning that had swiftly reverted to bashing of shows. A young cop poked his head in, motioning with his head for the detective to follow him. Will glanced at Alicia who looked just as baffled as him.
"'Scuse me," De Luca said, "Kid's new. The older ones know better than to interrupt…"
The detective pushed his seat back, making a grating sound with the floor and the bottom of the chair then lumbered out. He did not look at all impressed about being pulled out.
"It's almost over," Will said, glancing at the one way mirror where he knew, on the other side, held some interested viewers. He wasn't sure who would be there, but somehow he felt there was a reason why he was brought all the way to the precinct and it wasn't Detective De Luca.
Alicia nodded, "You've answered all—"
Suddenly, the door opened again and this time, De Luca did not look as neutral as before. His face had darkened, eyes almost black as he stood in front of the seated lawyers.
"What?" Will asked, standing uncertainly. He didn't like the look on his face and somehow, he felt his heart began to race, "It's not Diane, is it? What's going on?"
"We got a call from Spellman's parole officer," De Luca began. "He hasn't reported in to work since yesterday morning."
"What?" Will said in disbelief as Alicia stood up as well.
"Does anybody know where he could be?" Alicia cut in, her fingers sinking into Will's forearm like talons. She knew him, how he could react to this and she could not have him blowing up where there was an officer without strangling distance.
De Luca shook his head, looking grave, "He's in the wind."
Will clenched his fists, "You're kidding."
"We're sending out some people to track him down, putting up a BOLO—"
The detective went on to explain what they were doing, but Will couldn't listen to it. The stress of recent events, thinking of solutions on how to keep the firm above water, misinformed news, being dragged in front of the media and sitting in the cramp dirty box were beginning to grate on his lastfrayed nerve.
Will could not begin to fathom the thought of a criminal getting out and attempting to hurt his partner and the said partner being entirely aware of the possibility he was coming back for her without even talking to him or warning him. All this was happening for so many reasons and yet they came back to one person: Diane.
He was very angry, he felt betrayed and he was exhausted. He could feel his blood boiling in his veins, hear the pounding of his heart in his ears and felt his balled hands begin to tighten and tense further, nails digging into his skin enough to sting.
What the hell was she thinking? He seethed silently. There was a madman gunning for her and she didn't think it right to let him know? A hint, a sign, hell, even a goddamned office memo—whatever—as long as she'd have told him and he, at least, could have tried to do something. She hated being fussed at but that was not a goddamned excuse at all. She should have told him and he hoped, for her sake, she had an explanation for such a foolish move.
Half-assed, logical or even a convoluted yet believable reason—as long as she had one, he'd listen. She argued cases for a living and Will hoped she better argue this one like she'd never had before. Stubborn, self-reliant and certifiably insane woman, that's what she was. Will was so angry, he could wring her neck himself.
If Diane had told him, Will thought this could have been avoided. He'd have had her barricaded or even watched twenty-four-seven until they were sure she was safe.
Now the goddamned convict was in the wind and, hell, had he gone after Diane and skipped town? Will felt his jaw tighten at the thought, imagining so many scenarios how could have all been avoided. He was caught up in his anger at the situation, at Diane, at Spellman and whatever god was doing this to them all, before Will knew it, he was slamming his fist against the metal table in front of him, startling both Alicia and De Luca.
"SON OF A BITCH!"
-o0o-
"Oh, my god," she gasped. "I'm so sorry. I…I didn't know."
Dan smiled, "No, it's fine. I guess I got a little distracted, I didn't notice you." He glanced at his sister, "As for the name. Well, it's just something Danni and I like doing together."
"Danni?"
"My sister," he said as he walked to the other side of the bed, motioning for her to take her seat again. "She never liked her name and didn't like that I had a nickname," he smiled a little. "She took Danny, demanded she be called that with an 'I' and resigned me to 'Dan'. It confused Dad for a while, but he'd have brought her the moon if she asked. We got used to it so every time someone called me Danny, she'd answer."
Annie grinned, "She must have been something."
"She was," Daniel nodded, "Still is. I think we were six at that time."
Annie frowned, "We?"
"Oh, you don't know?" he turned to her, "Well, Danni's always been the private one and if it's not evident yet, I'm the blabber mouth. Danni and I, well, we're twins." He brought his pointer finger to his mouth, tapping his bottom lip, "I can't imagine why, of all things, she would hide the fact that she was a twin."
"Really? I mean, you're really twins?" she'd seen the similarities with their eyes, hair color and the height, but she'd easily chalked it all off to genetics. Her boss was a twin? She never said a thing. In fact, nobody did. Was it possible no one knew?
"Yes. We really are twins, but fraternal, of course," he continued, "Only Danni always hated I was born first."
"First?" Annie was starting to feel like an idiot repeating his words but the shock the recent revelation about her boss still had her on shaky ground.
"Two minutes and three seconds ahead," he said, looking smug. "I remind her, every year, and she pretends it still bothers her. She likes humoring me, you see." He shook his head as he stepped into the room, closer to the bed. "Not that it mattered. I was stronger, of course, but she was always smarter."
"Not that I minded," he said as he blindly, he tried to reach for her hand, but drew back when he touched something hard. "Oh."
"They-they had to put a cast on," Annie said helpfully. "She had a broken wrist."
"At least it wasn't her right one," he said with a slight nod. "It would have driven her insane."
"Yeah," Annie agreed, "I'm glad you could make it so soon. Would you like me to get you anything, Mr. Lockhart?"
"No," he shook his head as he pulled another seat next to the bed. "But thank you. And it's Dan. Mr. Lockhart was our father."
She nodded, "Your secretary said you just flew in…from Egypt?"
Annie hoped to make conversation as she tried to wrap her mind around the things she was yet to uncover about her boss. Her brother was definitely not off the mark saying she was private.
"Oh, yes," he nodded, "I went on a dig with some friends who invited me. I wasn't suppose to leave for another three months, but as fascinating as preserved dead bodies are, I have to confess it hasn't been all that thrilling trawling through the uncomfortable heat and lack of the pleasures I've grown shamelessly accustomed to…like ice and animals without halitosis."
Annie couldn't help but chuckle, "I guess you didn't enjoy camel rides?"
"You guessed right," he said with a smile, "But you," he looked at Diane. "You would have loved seeing that camel spit on me. Nasty little thing he was. You would have loved him, Danni."
She watched as slowly, he reached out and touched the bandage on his sister's head, closing his eyes briefly before taking a deep breath. Annie almost felt ashamed, feeling as if she was intruding on a moment that no one should have witnessed.
"Who hurt you?" Daniel whispered though Annie still heard him, "Tell me and you know I'll do whatever you want…like before." He let his fingers touch her hair gently, "I'm here now, Danni, and I'm staying. I'm here."
Deciding it best she leave them be, Annie slowly stood up, but was halted when Daniel spoke, "We protected each other when we were kids. It was always easier when we had each other. Do you have brothers or sisters, Annie?"
"One sister," Annie replied. "She's younger than me, the baby of the family."
"It's tough, isn't it? Being the older one," he shook his head, drawing his hand back from Diane and settling back in his seat. "As much as Danni hated it, she was always my little sister. Dad and I, well, we were old fashioned that way and she was always going to be the baby."
"Bet she didn't like that," she imagined Diane didn't appreciate being seen as someone that had to be protected. She liked protecting people, that was her personality.
"No, she fought it every chance she could," he replied. "Not that it made much of a difference. It kind of sucks being the big brother sometimes because I always used to know what to do, but…well, something changed."
Annie, at a loss of what to say, remained quiet as she resettled back in her seat.
"I suppose she grew up," he said, watching his sister sleep. "She grew tougher, stronger and she learned that she could take on anyone and anything. She was always like that, but realizing it was different for her. It changed her."
"She grew completely independent?" Annie guessed. She imagined it changed a lot of things, having gone through the same thing with her sister, though she silently agreed with Daniel. No matter what age, her sister would always be the baby of their family.
"Maybe," he shrugged, "I don't know, but she stopped needing me, needing anyone…well, except Dad. Every kid will always need their dad, right?"
"Definitely," Annie said, missing her own.
"It gave me the freedom to travel though," he said wryly. "Danni convinced me to do it, to see the world just as I always wanted. I was a big fan of Around the World in 80 Days and I always told Danni eighty days would never be enough."
"How long is enough?" Annie wondered, enjoying how much she was learning of her boss now. The more she knew, the more she appreciated the woman.
"I've been bouncing off one part of the world to another for the better part of twenty-five years," he said with a boyish grin that revealed a dimple on his cheek. If he wasn't her boss' brother, Annie was sure she'd be swooning now. "I'm not even close to done yet."
"But you're staying now?" Annie couldn't help but ask.
"The rest of the world can wait," Daniel nodded. "My baby sister needs me now."
-o0o-
After getting the call from a furious Will, Kalinda found herself heading towards Mercy Grace Hospital, driving hard and fast as he explained to her that while there were no solid suspects yet, Jeffrey Spellman was missing and the police were still in the process of trying to find him.
The local news stations, after only speaking with Kalinda, had once again made quite a blunder. Without waiting for the promised call from Will, one of the stations announced that they had made a mistake and that Diane was alive and recuperating after surgery. It would have been fine there after an apology was also issued, but they must have had an eager set of bunch because managed to add in which hospital Diane was staying in.
Will, sounding angrier than the investigator had heard in a while, had told her that there was a possibility if Spellman had not been the one responsible for what happened the night before, the information about where Diane currently was and that was she was, essentially, vulnerable might just alert Spellman to make a move. Kalinda did not need to be told twice and knew she would have come to the same conclusion so she didn't hesitate to head to the hospital.
They had sent uniformed officers to make sure Diane was alright, but Kalinda knew they would take a while to get there so she decided she'd wait for them to arrive. With any luck, nothing would happen, but with a basket case like Spellman, all bets were off. Kalinda knew too well people who commit double murder and deal drugs weren't the most stable individuals.
She was not entirely informed on Diane's condition, but she'd spoken with the few people involved in the investigation and had pieced together that while her boss had survived the attack, she had been hurt and would need to take time to recuperate. Having Spellman trying to take her out while in the hospital was indeed a volatile situation, one Kalinda was sure would not end well for them.
Packed with a loaded gun—and breaking the law carrying a concealed weapon—Kalinda slipped into the hospital entrance, quickly scanning the lobby for Spellman. She'd made sure to carry a copy of his mug shot and memorized the way he looked. Finding him nowhere, she headed up the elevators, keeping her senses sharp and focused while looking completely calm.
Watching the numbers glowing in the panel, Kalinda waited until the car hit three then stepped out, smiling at a little boy who waved at her goodbye. Heading to the nurses' station, she grabbed the first one's attention.
"Good morning," she said in a polite but firm tone. "Is there a patient under the name Diane Lockhart here?"
"I…" the young blonde nurse, probably fresh out of college looked uncertain. "Well…we, er…"
"Who would you be, Miss?" an elderly African-American woman asked, rising from her seat at the corner.
"My name is Kalinda," she replied. "I work with Miss Lockhart at Lockhart & Gardner," she pulled out her ID from the firm. "Will Gardner sent me."
"Mr. Gardner sent you," the woman repeated, reaching for a piece of post-it then nodded. "Full name, Miss?"
"Kalinda Sharma," she replied, glad that at least that they were taking Will's confidentiality contract seriously even if the reason for it had already been blown by the news.
"Of course," the woman nodded, "Room 316, Miss Sharma. There's already someone inside, so please, don't disturb the patient. Miss Lockhart needs her rest."
"There's someone there? You mean her assistant?" Kalinda asked, slipping her hand in her jacket where she'd hidden the small handgun she'd taken in. She had managed to get a gun inside the hospital, how much more Spellman?
"No, a man, but—"
"Thank you," Kalinda said with a slight wave of her hand, moving fluidly down the hall that would lead her to the room. She moved fast, hand touching her gun already while the other trailed steadily along the wall. She couldn't let the nurses think there was a problem otherwise, they'd just make things more complicated.
She easily reached the door with the numbers 316 were embossed and knocked. She counted in her head, deciding that if there was no answer after ten seconds, she was going on.
One, two, three…
"Kalinda!" the door opened after six with a very surprised Annie. "Hi! We weren't expecting you. Come in, please."
She let a ghost of a smile grace her lovely features as she stepped ahead of the brunette, eyes scanning the room and quickly finding a man standing by the bed where Diane lay. Tall was the first thing that came to mind, then handsome and rich followed. The man, with his unbuttoned Italian suit, retrousse nose and inquisitive bluish-gray eyes, oozed 'blueblood' at Kalinda.
Not the type of person she enjoyed mingling with, yet, as he smiled invitingly, she could not help but pass judgment for later.
"Good morning," he said with a slight nod.
She nodded back and noticed the lilt to his voice, well educated came to mind too and the way he spoke told her he came from Chicago but spent a while in foreign countries to have it blend his accents well. She imagined women would fall quite easily for his charms. He was older, but his demeanor was enough for the investigator to guess correctly that he'd often, if not always, be classified as dignified rather than just plain old.
Kalinda imagined girls with daddy issues easily folded around him.
"This is Kalinda Sharma, she's the in-house investigator of the firm," Annie said, smiling at her before turning to the man. "This is Mr. Daniel Lockhart, Miss Lockhart's brother."
"Ah, Miss Sharma," he said with an easy smile as he walked towards Kalinda with an outstretched hand, "My sister speaks highly of you. Call me Dan, please."
She's always had an excellent poker face, but even that one caught the Indian woman by surprise. Diane spoke about her? Interesting, she thought wryly as she shook hands with her boss' brother.
"A pleasure," he said with an easy smile. "I've been intrigued by you for a while now."
"Really," she said and she could easily imagine he'd be a pro at picking up women. He seemed the type, which she found rather intriguing. How different were the Lockhart siblings? Not that it meant Diane had trouble picking up men, but there were obvious differences there.
"Yes, it's a shame we're meeting at such…unfortunate circumstances," he said as he gestured to the seat he'd just vacated. "Please, sit."
"No, it's fine," she said, waving her hand slightly. "I'm here to make sure things are going okay."
Annie looked confused for a moment, "Okay? Of course, why?"
"Will called," she said simply.
"Oh!" Annie said suddenly, taking out her phone. "I'm sorry, I was suppose to call Mr. Gardner about Mr. Lockhart! I completely forgot…crap."
"Will? As in, Will Gardner?" Daniel said, refusing to take his seat back which left all three of them standing.
"Yes," Annie said, looking distracted now. "Kate mentioned he was speaking with the police so I thought I'd call him later."
"He's done talking now," Kalinda said though she didn't bother telling her about his mood. She wouldn't have to. Will was many things, but taking out his anger on subordinates was not something he did…much.
"I think I met him once," Daniel said as Annie excused herself. "Please, sit, Miss Sharma. I feel funny standing and my mother, along with a few other choice teachers, were all too kind to drill in my mind some silly thing they liked calling manners."
Kalinda nodded and took Annie's seat, if only to get him to stop talking about it.
"Thank you," he said with a smile as he returned to his seat, "Now that little Miss Annie is no longer here, why don't you tell me the real reason why you came? You hardly seem the type to drop by hospitals just to visit."
He was perceptive, she'd give him that.
"If it's pertinent to what happened to my sister, I'd like to know," he said, the smile gone now as it was replaced by a rather dark and serious look. Now, Kalinda could see the familial resemblance. That look was very much like Diane's.
"Your sister was attacked in her home last night," she said, looking him in the eye as she did so. "The police have no specific suspects except one, a Jeffrey Spell-"
"The bastard," Daniel spat, his face growing even darker. "I heard he's still living, no surprise there. How is the bottom dwelling son of a bitch?"
"Out on parole."
"Excuse me?"
"The police are trying to find him but his parole officer hasn't seen him since yesterday," she decided it was better to be honest with the man.
"You're saying they let that goddamned bastard out?" Daniel stood up and if possible, he seemed a lot taller than before. Kalinda could see he was more than upset by the news.
"She didn't tell you."
"No," he said with a slight snarl, looking down on his sister. "But how can I be surprised? She's partly insane, did you know that? This is proof."
He sat back down, "Why didn't you tell me?" he directed his question at the sleeping woman. "Of all the insanely stupid things you could hide, you hide this from me? Was it because I said I'd have him killed? I wasn't kidding, you know…or is that why?"
Clearly, brother dearest had no problem talking about killing and taking a life. Will the differences never end? Kalinda wondered thoughtfully.
"Danni," he sighed, sounding frustrated, "I'm telling you, ridding the world of one scumbag won't end it. In fact, by my calculations, it would increase the chances of it being better."
Kalinda watched as he bowed his head, fully resting it on the bed as he laced his fingers through the strands of his hair. He was obviously upset about being kept in the dark, just like Will and Kalinda wondered who else Diane had told, other than her.
The older woman had not even chosen to confide with her and rather only told her because she had to. She obviously did not want to know and wanted to deal with matters herself. Was it a matter of trust? Or had Diane grown so used to not having anyone to depend on, she'd mistakenly risked her life in the process of trying to be completely independent?
Not that she'd blame the woman. Kalida lived by the same rules in general. She was used to doing things her way and dealing with her own problems by herself. Granted, her new found allegiance with Alicia Florrick was somewhat of a change, she'd trust the woman with evidence and a few personal information, but would she freely bet her life and safety on her? Maybe, maybe not, but not because she didn't trust her—Kalinda just knew how to take care of herself better than Alicia could.
Then again, Kalinda wasn't stranded by her beliefs like Diane Lockhart. The woman gave up a gun because of her family's history, her beliefs and fear that she felt too powerful with the firearm. Clearly she was struggling with an innate battle of morals, personal history and her inability to accept the other shades of gray. Sure, Diane knew life wasn't just black and white, but certain beliefs tended to make her forget that sometimes. Case in point would be her love-hate relationship with guns.
A part of Diane obviously wanted a gun, for protection but didn't like the feeling of absolute power it brought with it. With a single piece of heavy metal, a lead bullet and a matter of where to aim, to her, the thing represented an unequivocal right to judge who lived or died. The woman wanted power, but not that kind of power. It was a contradiction of sorts and something she clearly struggled with.
"I'm not a homicidal maniac," Daniel said, pulling Kalinda out of her thoughts. "I just don't like anyone hurting my sister."
"Understandable," she replied. She'd kill anyone who dared hurt her brother. Ain't nothing but a family thing.
"They let that bastard out, I'll kill them too," he said resolutely. "The things he said to her, things he promised he'd do to her…son of a bitch was lucky she managed to make me stay away."
"I know he threatened her," she said, realizing she'd find out more if she prodded. He wasn't as secretive or tight lipped as his sister. "But she never told me how."
"He said he'd kill her, slowly," Daniel said, leaning back in his seat and resting his elbows on the arms of the chair, tense hands balled into tight fists. "Said he would inject her full of drugs and he'd laugh while doing it. He wanted to make her suffer until she begged for death. He accused her of making them lose. He knew she didn't approve being assigned his case."
Kalinda nodded, "What else?"
"He sent her a few letters the first few months in prison, but in time they stopped," he went on. "She never showed me, but they scared her enough to call me at four in the morning across the Atlantic. She doesn't scare easy, I'm sure you know that, so you can probably imagine the severity of the situation at the time."
"I can," she nodded. She often wondered how Diane would look if she was terrified or nearing a breakdown. It was perverted but it made her wonder anyway. The woman just looked too together ninety-nine point nine percent of the time, she imagines it must be exhausting.
"I'm sure she kept them," he scoffed. "Not sure if she ever opened them again. Hell, I'm not even sure if he sent her another letter. Did he threaten her when he got out?"
"Yes," no use lying.
"And they think he's responsible for," he gestured to his sister. "This?"
"He's a suspect."
"But they're not sure?" he asked inquisitively, "Tell me, exactly how many people want my darling sister dead?" He pulled his phone out, "I need an estimate to see how many people I need to have killed."
"Conversations like this could get you in trouble," blueblood or not, she was starting to find this Lockhart amusing in an all too different way.
"Well worth it in the long run, I think," he said, looking all too serious for this to be a joke. "So, have any answers for me, Miss Sharma? My sister thinks you're quite capable of getting…answers. I believe she called you a 'one-woman mafia' at one point. She meant it with complete adoration, of course."
"Of course," she echoed with a slight grin. Did Diane have any idea how talkative her brother was? He wouldn't make a very good secret keeper for anyone, it seemed. "But I'm afraid I can't give you what you want at the moment, but…given time..."
She let unspoken words finish her sentence. He'd get the message, he seemed clever enough. Kalinda was finding she liked the darker Lockhart heir. Diane had her moments, but compared to her brother—she was sure this one definitely had a gun.
"Name your price, darling," he purred. "Like I said, it's worth it."
"One," she held up a finger, "I'm not your darling. Two," another finger rose, "I'm not about to make a hit list for you if only because of your sister, my boss. Three," the third finger followed, "I'm a firm believer in time. Killing's too easy. Torture…that's another matter."
"Danni did always give me the impression you were kinky," he chuckled.
"Danni?"
"Why do people always react like that?" he sighed. "Don't you know anything about her?"
"I'm starting to find that apparently, we don't," she answered with a small shrug.
"Very well, not like I can blame you," he replied, feigning frustration. "She likes her secrets too much, I think, but since I'm the brother, I get to annoy her with little to no regard for my life, as is my familial right."
He gave her a wicked smile, "Danni is what I call my stubborn dear sister. And it was her choice when she stole it from me. It's Danni with an 'I', by the way, for future references."
She smirked, "Interesting fact."
"Yes, I suppose," he said, waving his hand dismissively then paused, then let a few seconds tic by then added, "You are a woman of a few words."
She smiled, a little.
"I like it!" he said, looking triumphant. "So let's chat. Tell me," he leaned forward, resting his chin on one knuckle. "What exactly do you know about my sister?"
"Not much," she said, tilting her head to the side, "Why don't you tell me?"
"Well," he said, rolling his eyes slightly. "Oh, I've got one! But this one is super secret so you can't tell ANYONE, okay? She'd kill me. Then you."
Daniel stood up, covering his Diane's ears childishly as he leaned across to Kalinda. He made sure to mind her injuries as he gave the younger woman a mischievous smile.
"She fantasizes about you."
- o0oo0oo0o-
I admit, Daniel has no shape or form at the moment and may appear…generic and blah, but don't worry. I'll wake up Diane and then we'll see some explosions. Siblings…ain't nothing but a family thing, right?
Kalinda got a bit off character, I think, so that means I'm going to have to watch some episodes again to nail her. Grrr.
But obviously, their conversation is FAR from over...lol.
Alicia, Will and De Luca's little shindig was not as explosive, right? But I hope it was believable.
There's a distinct possibility we might get a peek on Jeffrey Spellman next chapter, but I'm not sure yet. My brain's a bit fried and it was a bitch to write this chapter. I don't know what went wrong, honestly. Total FAIL. Yikes.
Anyhoo, onto brighter topics: BIG CONGRATULATIONS to Christine Baranski getting TWO nominations for the Emmys! Fingers and all the rest worth crossing crossed she gets them!
Same goes with Julianna Margulies, Archie Panjabi (I'd be lying if I said I wish she wins, sorry) and the entire cast and crew of The Good Wife. Definitely break-out show of the year! Yay!
As always, would love reviews and comments!
Note:
To Ellie
I hope the thing with Will was okay. They really couldn't arrest him without due cause. And you already know what I think of my Kalinda here so you be the judge. Hm, Kurt's taking a bit to get there but where exactly does he live again? For the life of me, I cannot seem to remember.
And I have admit, that "survived by" line was such a tease. You've met Dan and I don't like him right now but with Diane's help, I think I'll be able to shape him better in a bit and learn to like him more as mine. BUT AS FOR Matthew…I'm shutting up about that. Shh. Gimme a bit more time, I swear, he'll be…something.
And about the 'couples'…hm, I honestly cannot decide. Some days, there are scenes where Will and Diane look good, but then I remember scenes with Kurt that were just…wonderful. So, I'm on the fence. I'm not centralizing on romance at the moment yet anyway but I will explore it later, a few chapters along the way. As always, thank you for reviewing. I love your insights.
To Maija
Wow, I am very flattered for being your first review! You are too kind. Thank you for the kind words and thank you as well for understanding. I was worried people would stop reading because the following chapters lack the action from the first one, but I need to give them a break, right? I'm glad you see why it's gone a bit quiet.
Thanks very much! I'm very glad you like the little details. I can't help myself with them so I'm glad you guys like them. As for the Bad Guy…oh, who do you think it is? If you want, you can tell me and then we'll see in the end if you get it right. I swear I won't spoil it for you, but I'd love to hear theories on who could it be. Someone I like? Ooh. Do tell. I'm very intrigued.
EDIT:
To answer Ellie's question:
Yes, the last scene in the finale with Kurt and Diane was one of the scenes I shamelessly dropped. Basically, they never made up. Don't hate me. Teehee. I'll fix it in my own way later...a lot later, maybe.
