A/N: Oh, right, there was some sort of story I was writing at some point about some people who did stuff. I wonder what happened to that…

No, seriously, sorry to keep you all hanging for over a year. I got caught up in other things and lost my enthusiasm for a while there. But I think I have the inspiration to at least try this now.

So we're jumping right back in where we started! If you're an old reader and don't feel like rereading 9 chapters: the trial's going horribly for everyone on every side, pointing and screaming aren't accepted legal practices everywhere, Mello has PMS, Near thinks Mello is crazy, and Maya is the world's three greatest detectives.

So, you know, nice and simple.

Chapter 10a: An Unexpected Gift

It was the morning of the second day, and Phoenix was using the few minutes he had before court started to write up his resignation letter.

It wasn't that he wanted to resign (okay, maybe a little), but if he failed a case this high-profile, his career would be damaged for the foreseeable future. Not that he had had much of a career to begin with. He idly wondered if it were possible to have a negative career. Perhaps his clients would simply steal money from him.

At this point, going back to art school seemed vastly better. At least then he could eat the canvas if things got bad.

Raito was sitting nearby, the very portrait of dejection. Just looking at the boy made Phoenix debate changing his resignation note to a suicide note. Gloom seemed to radiate off him. Not that Phoenix could blame the boy for being depressed – he would be too, if he were about to be charged for around a thousand consecutive murders.

Just as it finally struck him that, as his own boss, Phoenix would be handing the resignation letter to himself, he heard a small cough behind him. He looked up with a quick yelp, practically falling off the couch as he met the steely eyes of Teru Mikami.

"Mr. Wright," the prosecutor said in a voice that made iron seem soft and comfortable in comparison. "The trial is starting soon. I trust you are prepared?"

"A-ah, yeah!" If by 'prepared' you mean 'praying for a miracle'. "I have everything ready."

There was a moment's pause where Phoenix was half-convinced that Mikami's gaze was about to actually lead him to catch on fire before the man turned to look at Raito instead.

"This is your client, correct?" he asked, and this time Phoenix looked up in bewilderment, not sheer terror. That wasn't the hard voice he had heard a moment ago. Mikami's expression now was almost… tender?

Raito looked up in return and offered something that was almost a wave, which probably would have been less pathetic if his hands hadn't been closely bound together.

"Mr. Yagami." Something that was almost a smile passed across Mikami's face as he extended one hand toward the boy. "I must say, I am hoping that things come to a clear light in today's case."

After a moment's hesitation, the boy returned the handshake as best he could. Phoenix was studying Mikami's expression all the while – given the range of expression Mikami had shown at yesterday's trial, the tiny smile at the corner of his lips was almost gleeful in comparison.

A second later, Mikami pulled his hand away and walked out of the courtroom without a word. Phoenix watched him go in silence, only venturing to make a comment once he was certain that the man was fully out of earshot. "Well, that was rather bizarre."

Raito's eloquent reply was a stifled gasp that could be best captured in letters as "ack."

Phoenix turned to look at the other at last, almost dreading what he would see. As it turned out, he was right to dread. Raito seemed paralyzed in an expression of fear and agony, mouth open in a silent scream.

"Raito? What's wrong?!" Phoenix asked worriedly. "Did he poison you? Tase you? Get you with a joy buzzer?"

There was no immediate reply, but slowly, Raito's expression began to change. His eyes narrowed and seemed to darken in some barely perceptible way. He grinned a wide grin that was really more of a smirk. His entire pose changed, gaining confidence and a certain air of smugness. It was as if something he had wanted to occur had occurred exactly according to some sort of plan.

"…A joy buzzer that also let a demon possess your body…?" Phoenix offered weakly.

As if the words had gained his attention at last, Raito's expression morphed again into a brilliant smile of the sort that could usually only be achieved with the effect of heavy doses of Prozac as he turned to look at Phoenix. "Ah, I'm just fine. Just had a brief dizzy spell there, I suppose."

That wasn't a dizzy spell. That was a scene out of the Exorcist! Phoenix's mind insisted, but he had learned long, long ago not to question his clients' insanity too heavily. At least the boy seemed less depressed now. That was surely a good thing, assuming that a demon wasn't consuming his soul.

"If you say so…" he said in a dubious tone. "In any case, court is starting soon. We should get into our places." He stood slowly, heading for the door with a few glances back to make sure that Raito was following and hadn't suddenly grown claws or horns.

Raito smiled at him each time he looked back and followed after him obediently, but when Phoenix headed through the door at last, he allowed himself one last smirk.

Mikami had done well.

And from here on out, everything would go just as planned.

A/N: Two references to plans and things happening according to them in this chapter! I'm so proud of myself, even if I do hate myself for the point of view shift at the end there. Ah well. It made the ending work.

So, you might've noticed that this is chapter 10a and that this isn't a full court day. Well, I'm still trying to get myself in the right spirit for this, so it was best to halve this chapter for now. 10b will be up soon and actually like have Near in it. Finally.

Also, I couldn't stop imagining Mikami wearing a cravat during this entire chapter. No idea why.

…He could also carry a whip.