Ok, this is the last thing I wrote during my vacation, so from now on there are no more so quick updates. Enjoy!
Thanks to Senema for her help and proofreading. All remaining errors are my own, because sometimes I change things afterwards.
Chapter 6
Charlotte was a little surprised when a call from Dennis Radern, the firm's senior partner, woke her up at around four o'clock in the morning with the demand to come to his office immediately. She had only met him once or twice since she decided to go back to work and they had not talked much.
"Ah, Charlotte, please sit down", said Radern jovially after he got up from his office chair. Despite the early hour, he looked fully awake and somewhat nervous.
As she sat down, she pondered how strange it was that she was now reacting automatically to Charlotte as her first name and had even started thinking of herself as Charlotte.
"You are probably wondering why I called you into the office at such an early hour." Her boss said to start the conversation.
Charlotte nodded. "It's an unusual time and you made it seem quite urgent."
Dennis wiped his sweaty forehead with a handkerchief, even though it wasn't that warm in his office. "I received a call from an old acquaintance of mine to whom I owe some very great favours. His brother has been arrested for murder and I promised him that my best lawyer would handle this case."
Charlotte had a pretty sure feeling that it wasn't a normal acquaintance at all and that her boss was very scared of this man. "What's the name of my new client?"
"Elijah Mikaelson, he comes from a very influential and very wealthy family", explained Radern.
"Has he ever been arrested before?" Charlotte asked so that there would be no unpleasant surprises.
"No, according to all reports, Elijah Mikaelson is an honest and fair businessman, who has never before come into conflict with the law." Radern wiped his forehead again.
"Are you all right, Dennis?" asked Charlotte, now deeply suspicious.
Radern squirmed noticeable. "Klaus Mikaelson is a very dangerous man and while there may be no similar stories about Elijah Mikaelson, he is as dangerous as his brother. Please be very careful, when you are dealing with him! From what I've heard about him, he doesn't appreciate it in the least if someone disrespects him."
"So is it possible that he committed the murder?" Charlotte asked. She didn't care about the warning; a human couldn't do anything to her.
"Klaus Mikaelson is absolutely convinced that his brother is innocent." Radern hesitated again. "According to him, no one would be able to prove Elijah Mikaelson's culpability if he had committed this murder."
"That's not particularly reassuring", said Charlotte dryly, and Radern laughed slightly pained.
"Klaus Mikaelson will also come to Los Angeles and he is a very impulsive and violent man."
Charlotte rolled her eyes, Radern practically stank with fear. Those sacks of meat were so revolting, she didn't understand why Lucifer was so fascinated with them. "I will be careful." She got up.
"Thank you, Charlotte!" She was at the door when he said something else. "If possible, avoid being alone with any of them."
Charlotte snorted. That could hardly be prevented if she wanted to speak to her client in private.
Charlotte left the office and immediately made her way to the police station. When she stepped inside, she was surprised at how sparsely populated it was compared to during the day. She looked around until she saw a police officer she knew. "Hello Sam!"
"Hello Charlotte", said the older police officer. "What can I do for you?"
"I want to see my client, Elijah Mikaelson", Charlotte said politely.
"Well, that was quick", Sam muttered. "I arrested him and I have never seen anyone stay so cool and relaxed in a situation like this. No threats to us, no bragging how rich he is and that we will regret arresting him. He just remained polite all the way, but I'll tell you, sometimes I felt like I was in mortal danger." He shook his head. "Honestly, he gives me the creeps, so be careful. Right now he's in the interrogation room with Chloe."
"Thanks, Sam." Charlotte nodded and went to the interrogation room, where she pushed the door open forcefully.
After her amusing little banter with Chloe, Charlotte finally had a chance to take a closer look at her client. Dark hair, brown calm eyes, no older than thirty. He was sitting at the table, his hands handcuffed to it and he eyed her with interest. Charlotte remembered Sam's words and she had to agree, Elijah made a very relaxed and confident impression.
Charlotte asked Chloe to unlock the handcuffs, which she did without objection or hesitation, so she apparently did not consider Elijah dangerous to others.
Charlotte walked up to her client and introduced herself before holding out her hand. Elijah politely got up and took it.
What she then felt was indescribable and it seemed to go on for an eternity. She saw darkness, felt an indescribable and relentless thirst, loneliness, sorrow, regret, guilt, cruelty, loyalty, love, hope and all that mixed with a life experience and an age that no mere human could reach.
But what frightened her most was the underlying fragmentation in two parts. One part belonged to her and her husband's creation but the other part was artificially created. Somebody had done something monstrous and incredibly twisted to this man and destroyed everything he could have been. It was an atrocity, and she wished more than anything else to make, whoever had done this, pay for it.
Charlotte wasn't particularly compassionate, especially when it came to humans, but the part of her that was the goddess of creation wept for this shattered soul. Shaken she let go of his hand and in his eyes she saw the same shock and confusion that she felt.
xxxxx
Elijah patiently answered Chloe's questions and did not have to lie once, which he found quite unique. It gave him time to think about how best to tell Chloe about the really tricky part of the evening.
Of course, he also paid attention to what was going on outside and when he listened to the conversation between his future lawyer and the older police officer, he had to grin slightly. Sam had good instincts to be so cautious of him.
Therefore, he wasn't as surprised as Chloe when the door suddenly popped open. What surprised him was the strong smell of ozone that came into the room with the newcomer. What was it about Los Angeles and all those odd smelling humans?
Elijah watched the verbal exchange between the two women with amusement. He was relieved that Niklaus was taking this matter seriously enough not to play his usual games with him.
Within a short time, he was free of the handcuffs and when Charlotte Richards came to him and offered her hand, he took it.
Many witches had done many terrible things to Elijah in the course of his long life but what he felt now was beyond anything that came before. When he took her hand, it was as if he were standing in the sun without his ring and looked into a glaring light. He was on fire but at the same time it was cool and peaceful and the power he felt defied description. The part of him that was a monster, withdrew from this overwhelming power and for a moment he felt completely human again.
Startled, he let go and looked dazed at Charlotte, who looked equally shocked. Whatever she had felt, must have been as upsetting to her as his experience had been to him.
He struggled to regain control of himself and when Chloe asked him if everything was okay, he assured her that everything was fine with him. He saw from her unsure look that Chloe didn't really believe him.
In no time at all, Charlotte had gotten Chloe out of the room and made sure that all surveillance devices were turned off.
Elijah and Charlotte sat quietly across from each other and never let the other out of sight. He felt a little sorry for Chloe, who had looked so hesitant whether she should leave them alone.
As soon as the door had closed behind Chloe, Elijah took a deep breath and slumped down on his chair. Normally he would never have let himself go like this in the presence of a stranger, but after the experience they had just shared, she no longer felt like a stranger.
Charlotte looked as vulnerable as he did when she took a deep breath as well. "That was so bizarre!" She said in a trembling voice.
"I couldn't agree more", said Elijah, before he gave her a hesitant smile. "I am Elijah."
"Charlotte", she answered immediately. "I never thought I'd ask that, but what for heaven's sake are you?"
Elijah thought for a moment, then allowed his face to change until he was completely vamped out. Charlotte blinked but neither flinched she back nor did she look frightened of him. "I am a vampire. And what are you?"
Charlotte also hesitated briefly before answering slowly. "I am the goddess of creation, God was my husband. And I can't show you what I really look like because neither the building nor this city would survive it."
Elijah froze. "A goddess?" He finally whispered. As he went through the sensations he had felt in those few moments, it suddenly was quite easy for him to believe her. "Wow! And after what just happened, I will believe you without prove." Then he frowned in confusion. "But why does a goddess work as a lawyer?"
Charlotte sighed. "It's complicated."
Elijah bowed his head, he knew that expression on her face. "Family can get on your last nerve, right? And make you do things you never thought possible", he said sympathetically.
Charlotte jerked her head up and looked at him with her mouth open. "How do you know this involves my family?"
Elijah smirked. "I have the same facial expression when I have to worry about or deal with my family. Do you have any news about my brother Niklaus?"
"If you mean with Niklaus Klaus, he is coming to Los Angeles", Charlotte answered, shrugging.
"Of course he is", said Elijah with a sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Is it possible for you to get me out of here today?"
"Today is Sunday, so no", Charlotte replied immediately. "I'll make an application tomorrow but I warn you, your bail will be very high."
Elijah waved it off. "Money is off no concern to me. I have to get out of here before Niklaus rips Los Angeles to pieces in search of whoever was responsible for the murder."
Charlotte frowned. "I don't understand."
"My brother's most prevailing characteristic is paranoia. He won't even assume for a second that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He's more likely to think that someone set a trap for me, which means that they are a danger to our family. Niklaus doesn't react kindly to such threats." Elijah sighed. "To be honest, I can't even blame him this time because I'm also suspicious, some things simply don't add up for me."
"I understand. So you didn't kill the victim?" Charlotte asked hesitantly.
"I am responsible for a great many murders but not this one." Elijah smiled full of melancholy.
Charlotte nodded. "Okay then tell me what happened."
Elijah told her everything.
"For what reason did you actually pull out the knife?" asked Charlotte in bewilderment.
"To heal him." Elijah hesitated for a moment. "As a vampire, when I give my blood to a human, even the most serious injuries heal. Unfortunately, it was too late, he couldn't swallow my blood anymore and so he died."
"Interesting." Charlotte thought about it. "We can't tell that to anyone."
"Yes, I know." Elijah told Charlotte about the testimonial he made at the crime scene.
"Ordinarily I would say that making that statement like this at a crime scene is a very stupid idea but that's a good lie. I can build on that." Charlotte looked satisfied.
"I have a lot of practice and experience in lying", said Elijah succinctly.
"How old are you actually?" Charlotte asked curiously.
"A little over 1000 years", Elijah replied with a shrug.
"And your brother?" She asked next.
"He is a few years younger than I am. I mean, we were made vampires the same day, but he's my younger brother", Elijah explained.
"When I held your hand earlier, I felt many things." Charlotte looked distressed. "One part of you belongs to my creation but the other..." She shuddered. "It's like someone tore you apart and then warped the other part of you until there was nothing left. Who made you a vampire?"
Elijah flinched as he heard Charlotte's description. "My mother, at the behest of my father. It's a very long, very complicated, and very bad story."
Charlotte looked completely dismayed. "Your parents did this to you?"
Elijah smiled bitterly. "And afterwards they wanted to kill us for what we became. Witches call us an abomination and a crime against nature, and as the servants of nature they see it as their duty to kill every vampire."
Charlotte scoffed contemptuously. "The only abomination is what has been done to you. And believe me, if you were a crime against nature, you wouldn't still be living after 1000 years and I wouldn't allow you to sit here in front of me either." Charlotte's eyes gleamed maliciously. "And these witches, you told me about, seem very sure of themselves. Maybe they need a lesson from the goddess of creation to teach them manners about live and let live."
"Don't tempt me to give you the names of some very hypocritical witches who could use a lesson", Elijah said with a grin. He thought of Vincent and a few other witches, who would do well with a little humility.
Charlotte laughed softly. "My offer stands! Okay, how should we proceed?" Suddenly she thought of something. "When was the last time you slept?"
Elijah thought for a moment. "Yesterday, I slept until perhaps eight a.m."
"You don't need sleep?" Charlotte asked calmly. Elijah still looked awake and fully functional.
"Not as much as humans, but yes, we sleep and we dream, we vampires are still human enough for this", Elijah answered equally calmly.
"I'll ask that they let you sleep first before your next interrogation, it will buy us some time. You will be detained here in the police station, at least until you are brought before the judge." Charlotte looked questioning at him. "Do you need anything else?"
"Not at the moment, but tomorrow at the latest you have to smuggle a bag of blood in here for me." Elijah grinned slightly. "I don't think it is a good idea to use police officers or other inmates as involuntary blood donors."
"Would it kill them?" Charlotte asked interested.
"No, my control is too good, they would survive the experience. But the risk of being discovered is far too great for my taste", Elijah explained.
"Very sensible", said Charlotte simply. "I'm now going to ask Chloe to come in and then we'll exercise your right to remain silent until you can get some sleep."
"You're the lawyer", Elijah said, amused, before he got serious. "One more thing, if you see my brother before me, give him a message from me and repeat it word for word."
"What should I tell him?"
"Behave yourself, little brother, or I will make you regret it!" Charlotte looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "My brother can be very…", Elijah hesitated delicately, "temperamental."
"My boss is scared of him", said Charlotte. "He was sweating in panic the whole time." She laughed. "He warned me about you, too."
"Fear is a normal reaction my brother evokes in every human, who has to deal with him for a prolonged period of time. Or I should say, he invokes it in everyone, who has to deal with him and isn't family", Elijah said dryly. "His family at least he doesn't want to kill most of the time. And if your boss warned you about me as well, it means that he knows what Niklaus and I are."
"I concur!" Charlotte replied. "Shall I call Chloe in?"
Elijah turned his head to the door and grinned. "That won't be necessary. She is on her way. Apparently, Lucifer has found out that I was arrested and is determined to get me out of this predicament."
"You know my son?" Charlotte asked in surprise.
"Your son?" Now it was Elijah's turn to be surprised and then he began to make the connections. Lucifer Morningstar, the rebellious and fallen from grace angel, now the devil! No wonder, Linda had laughed and wished him luck for solving this puzzle.
The door opened, Lucifer rushed in and stood frozen when he saw Charlotte. "Mother?"
"Hello, Lucifer." Charlotte smiled at her son.
Chloe came in now too, looking pretty angry. "You can't just interrupt a suspect's conversation with his lawyer, Lucifer. Sorry, Charlotte!"
"That's okay, we're done here anyway. My client is tired, he has been up for more than 20 hours. He won't testify anymore until he had a little sleep", said Charlotte adamant.
Chloe sighed. "Okay, I will arrange that he is brought down to our cells."
Charlotte took out her appointment calendar and turned the pages a little. "And I suggest we meet around 3 p.m. later today?" She looked at Elijah. "Is that long enough for you to get a little rest?"
Elijah nodded. "Maybe we should meet half an hour in advance so that we can go over everything again." And I can drink my blood bag in peace, he added in his mind.
"My client should be in this room at 2:30 p.m., so that we can talk undisturbed and then your interrogation can start at 3 p.m." Charlotte smirked at Chloe.
"That is acceptable for me", Chloe said calmly.
"Very good." Charlotte looked now at her client. "Elijah, I say goodbye for now. As I said, you will not speak to anyone until the next time we meet."
"Of course not, like you said." Elijah yawned convincing. "And honestly, it was a long and turbulent day for me. I'm really not in the mood anymore for another interrogation."
Elijah saw how Lucifer stared very suspiciously at his mother. These two would surely argue with each other as soon as they were among themselves.
Chloe waved in two police officers Elijah didn't know. "Take him to the cells, he'll stay here until a judge decides if he gets out with bail or not."
"Of course, Detective", one of them replied.
Elijah was handcuffed again. He found it very irritating by now but at least for the moment he would tolerate and allow it.
Guest = This is the second season of Lucifer, so Charlotte is still the goddess.
