Relief

Kisaki Eri sighed, sinking into the chair behind her desk. She loved her job, really, she did, but…some days were just plain terrible. She'd been working so hard to get the evidence against that man, pulling all-nighters and stressing herself until there were evident bags under her eyes, and for what? The day before the case was to go to trial, her client dropped the charges! After all the work she'd done! Who the hell did that bastard think he was that he could just use her to do the legwork and then drop it!? Well, of course, he was her client and she was prohibited from smashing his skull in, no matter how tempting it was.

Dammit, now was a time when she could really use some comforting. But no, all her outlets were unavailable. Ran was out with her surrogate little brother, her colleagues were all busy with there own cases, her secretary was out for the week, and Kogoro…there was no way in hell she'd go crawling back to that flirt!

She ground her teeth. Just thinking about that man made her upset. He was just so, so…so him! He didn't understand women at all, but he was perfectly willing to go to all the dime store sluts in the area. They didn't have to worry about him cheating on them. He didn't understand that all he did was make her worry.

She sighed, pulling open a drawer and pulling out a picture of the two of them, back when they were dating in high school. Things had been so easy back then, so carefree. She wished she could go back, sometimes…back to when the two of them could just be together without any problems, happy and in love. Then she always realized that going back would mean giving up everything she had accomplished. The Queen of the Courtroom did not take her reputation for granted. She loved her work, even with a day like today had been. But…if she did go back, could she not work her way back up again?

Eri shook her head. There was no point in contemplating the "what if's." It made no difference now and that was that. Still, she couldn't help but wish…

The phone rang, making her jump. She quickly picked up the receiver and said in as calm a voice as she could manage after her trying day, "Hello, Kisaki Eri law firm. Can I help you?" She said the words evenly, glad her voice didn't shake, even as she cursed her secretary for taking this week off. Not that it really mattered which week she took off; Eri would be left to man the phone all the same. But she was in a mood to rage and she needed someone to vent on that couldn't take offense. Namely, someone who wasn't there.

"Eri?" A slightly drunken voice asked.

Said women's eyes flew wide. "Ko-Kogoro! W-Was there something you needed?"

"Ah–I…well, I heard you lost your case…" He mumbled, barely audible.

"What? Who'd you hear that from?" As far as she was aware, news of the case hadn't been public, so how…

"Well…the man you were against…he came to the office."

"What!?" Eri yelled.

"Yeah, seems he wants to file charges against your ex-client now…"

"So why'd he go to a detective?"

"…"

"Anata?"

"Um, not sure. He sorta passed out before we got to that part." Kogoro muttered.

Eri groaned, placing her head in her hands. This was going to be a really­ long day. Still, she couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face as her husband tried to explain in incoherent sentences. She may not be willing to throw away her pride and go back to him, but he still managed to be there for her when she really needed him.