A/N: Thanks for continuing to read, review, and follow! I really appreciate it. I want to warn you upfront that this storyline could have some triggers because it does deal with a sensitive topic. Remember what work the Miranda Center does before proceeding. Please read the Author's Notes at the end of the chapter. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update!

/

Marissa was reviewing more of the research she had conducted herself when there was a knock on her door.

"Come in."

Ellie opened the door and quickly closed it behind her. "Marissa there is a young woman here asking to see you. She says her name is Tessa Mendes."

"Tessa is here?"

"Yes, and she is pretty distraught."

"Send her in and please hold all of my calls."

Ellie nodded and left. A moment later, Tessa rushed into the office.

"Marissa, I'm sorry to interrupt. I … I … I just didn't know what to do or where to go."

"It's okay, Tessa. What happened?" Marissa asked as she guided the younger woman to the small sofa in her office. It was evident from her red eyes that Tessa had been crying.

"I … I … I got a call from school." Tessa struggled to calm herself down.

"Okay. Take a couple deep breaths." Marissa breathed deeply as an example, and Tessa followed suit. "Better?"

The younger woman nodded as her breathing began to slow down. "Yeah. Thank you."

"It's okay. Take your time and tell me what happened when you're ready."

After a minute or two, Tessa was able to proceed. "I got a call from school this morning."

"Who called you exactly?"

"The A.D., well actually, it was his secretary calling for him."

"Vincent Turner is the A.D., right?"

"Right. The secretary transferred me to him after I answered. When he got on the phone, he said they had concluded their investigation to my claims against Landry."

Marissa raised an eyebrow. "They conducted an investigation and closed it already?"

"That's what he said."

"Other than when you initially reported what happened to him and your coach, have they talked to you anymore?"

"No. That was the only time I talked to them."

"Hmmm, I see." Marissa had her doubts about just how thorough the investigation could have been based on one brief conversation with her client. She was almost positive what the outcome of the investigation was, but she asked anyway. "And what did they conclude?"

"He said that their investigation didn't find any merit to my allegations against Landry. They believed that I simply misunderstood or misinterpreted his actions. I told Mr. Turner that I hadn't done either. I then asked about their investigation, who they talked to. He said they talked to Landry, and they believed him over me because his reputation outweighed mine. I said it sounded like he was calling me a liar, and he didn't comment on that statement. He offered me some advice instead. He said that if I continued that I, and I quote, 'would be ruining a good man's reputation and affecting his livelihood'. It would be in my best interest to let it go. He then said I had to see Landry again for my rehab."

"Wait. I thought that he and your coach told you that you didn't have to see him anymore, that you could see your own doctor."

"They did. Both he and Coach Pritchard told me that. When I reminded Mr. Turner of that, he said that was before their investigation. Since they found no wrongdoing on Landry's part, I needed to see him again to continue my rehab since he was the team doctor. He said I also needed to sign a non-disclosure agreement which would prevent me from telling anyone my story. I told him I wasn't comfortable doing any of that. Mr. Turner said that if I refused to see Landry there could be consequences. I could face being suspended from the team, or I could possibly be removed from it altogether. If I was, they would be forced to rescind my scholarship, and I would no longer be welcomed at Llanview University. My NCAA eligibility would be impacted as well. If I transferred to another school, I would have to sit out a year." Tessa's voice had been steady throughout her recounting of the morning's events, but now, it finally cracked, and tears started to well up in her eyes. "I could lose everything I've worked for, Marissa. First, Landry physically assaulted me, and now, he's waging this war against me and wants to take everything else from me."

Marissa moved closer to Tessa and took her hand. "I'm not going to let that happen. Landry, Turner, and Pritchard may have started this war, but you and I are going to finish it. They've underestimated you and your strength. We are going to show them just how big of a miscalculation that is. What do you think?"

"I think that would be awesome if we can do that." Tessa flinched when her cellphone notified her of an incoming text.

That flinch did not go unnoticed by Marissa. Tessa had flinched every time her cellphone went off while she was in Marissa's office. "I have to ask. Who are you avoiding? Every time you get a notification, you've flinched."

Tessa released a breath. "The A.D. After he told me about Landry, I told him I couldn't talk anymore and needed to go. I promise I was going to tell you this part. His office has called or texted me several times. In the last voicemail he left, he basically gave me a deadline to give him my answer. I have two days. If I don't let them know by that time, they'll make the decision for me."

"Is it okay if I look to see who it is? It might not be them."

Tessa thought for a moment and then nodded. "Okay."

Marissa picked up the cellphone from the coffee table in her office. It had sounded a couple of times since Tessa had been there, and the younger woman removed it from her purse and placed it on the table. It had finally stopped until that moment. Marissa first looked at the cellphone and then at Tessa.

"It's Bianca."

"Oh no! I was supposed to meet with her and Dr. Shelton at the Center this morning."

"Don't worry. It's alright. How about I call her, and let her know where you are? She and Jo can join us over here. How does that sound?"

Tessa nodded. She was much calmer now. "That sounds good."

Marissa smiled and pulled out her own cellphone. She stopped before dialing Bianca. "Did you save the texts and voicemails from him?"

"I did. Like I said, I was going to let you know about them."

"Good. I'm going to need to read those texts and listen to those voicemails. It will help your case."

"Okay. Not a problem. I'll pull them up for you."

/

Bianca was just about to set her cellphone down when it rang. "Hi, Rissa. What's up?"

"Hey. Tessa is here with me at my office. Something came up, and she needed to see me. Unfortunately, she forgot about her appointment with you and Jo in her rush to get over here."

"I guess you saw the text I just sent her then and that's why you're calling."

"You would be correct."

"How is Tessa? You said something came up."

"It did. She's doing better now. Is Jo there with you?"

The evasiveness of her wife's answer did not go unnoticed by Bianca, but she didn't press her further. Something told her that she would find out more soon enough. "Yes, she is."

"Do you think the two of you could come over here and meet with us?"

"Of course. We'll be there as soon as we can. Is everything alright?"

Marissa paused. "We've hit a small bump, but nothing that I don't think we can't handle, especially with Nora's input. Neither one of us will turn away from a good fight."

"Oh, don't I know it. Jo and I will see you soon."

"See you then."

Bianca disconnected the call and turned to Jo. "There's been a change in plans, Jo. We need to go over to Marissa's office to meet with her and Tessa, if that's okay with you."

"Sure. Why?" Jo asked as she started to gather her things.

"I'm not really sure. Rissa said that something came up, and Tessa needed to see her right away. I don't have any details other than that. Although, Rissa did say they hit a small bump, but she thought that they could handle it. It sounded like something she's going to bring up with Nora later today. Are you okay going over together? I'll drive."

Jo nodded. "Works for me. You can catch me up a little more about this case on the way over."

Bianca grabbed her coat and purse before she turned to Jan and Aya. "I need you to hold down the fort while we go meet with them. I'm not sure how long we'll be."

"Don't worry. We'll take care of things here." Jan assured her boss.

Aya nodded. "Let us know if you need anything."

"Will do." Bianca said as she and Jo headed towards the door.

/

To say Lisa was shocked when she listened to the voicemails Tessa had received from Llanview University's A.D. was an understatement. She couldn't believe how cruel and heartless he was, and the texts he had sent were no better. Lisa shook her head in an attempt to concentrate on her current assignment which was to complete her notes on the messages. Marissa had Lisa come to her office a little while ago and introduced her to Tessa. She then explained Lisa's role in the younger woman's case. After they spoke for a few minutes, Marissa handed over Tessa's cellphone to Lisa and asked her to transcribe the voicemails and texts. The cellphone would later be handed over to Mitch for him to make copies. The last thing Marissa wanted was for them to lose that evidence because it was vital to not only their civil case but also to the criminal one Marissa was almost positive that Nora would eventually file. Having Mitch make those copies would ensure that they wouldn't lose anything. Lisa knew that Marissa had already listened to and read everything, and she was impressed by the redhead's poker face. Marissa had not given away what she was feeling, and Lisa knew that was for Tessa's sake. It wouldn't do their client any good if her lawyer was ranting and raving in front of her. Lisa shook her head again and turned attention back to the task at hand. She needed to have it finished before Mitch stopped by.

/

Ellie smiled when she saw Bianca and Jo headed her way in lobby. She had gone down to the kiosk in the building's lobby to pick up something to drink other than coffee for Marissa and Tessa. "Hi, Bianca. Hi, Jo."

"Hi, Ellie. How are you?"

"I'm good, Jo. How about you?"

"I can't complain."

Bianca smiled at the younger woman. "Hi, Ellie. Your boss actually let you away from your desk?"

"Surprisingly enough, she does let me away occasionally." Ellie joked. "I'm getting her and Tessa something to drink. Would you like me to get you something? It's no problem if you do. Plus, the firm has an account here, and since you're meeting with Marissa about a case, it's an expense. I could get you your usual, Bianca." Ellie had picked up a drink there for Bianca from time to time and knew what she liked. "Oh, and before you ask, yes, she told me to get something for myself too, not that you're surprised by that."

"Very true. Oh, you know I can't resist that one. If you're sure it's not a problem, that would be wonderful." Bianca said gratefully.

"What about you, Jo? I could get you what I usually get Marissa." Ellie pointed to the drink that was Marissa's favorite.

"Ooh, that sounds good. Okay, you convinced me. Do you need help?"

Ellie shook her head. "No, I've got it. Thanks though. Go on up. Marissa is expecting both of you. I'll see you in a few minutes."

"Thanks, Ellie, and thank you for taking care of Rissa. I really appreciate it." Bianca was truly grateful that her wife had someone looking out for her at work.

"You're welcome, Bianca." Ellie smiled. They both knew there wasn't much that Ellie wouldn't do for Marissa, and it meant a great deal to her that Bianca always acknowledged that fact.

/

Marissa glanced at her office door when she heard a knock. "Come in."

Bianca slowly opened the door and entered with Jo behind her.

"Hi, Marissa. Hi, Tessa."

"Hi, Bianca." Tessa said.

Marissa smiled when she saw her wife and her best friend, and she motioned for the two women to join her and Tessa. "Hi, Bianca. Hi, Jo." The redhead turned back to her client. "Tessa, this is Dr. Jo Shelton. She is the psychologist Bianca and I told you about. Jo, this is Tessa Mendes."

Jo and the younger woman shook hands. "It's nice to meet you, Tessa."

"It's nice to meet you too, Dr. Shelton. Bianca, I'm sorry for not making it to your office earlier or calling you."

"It's okay. I know you had a good reason, and I'm really glad you're safe."

"Well, she definitely had a good reason." Marissa said.

"Yeah, the A.D. called me, and he basically called me a liar. He also threatened to take away my scholarship if I didn't let this go. He gave me a couple of days before I have to give him my answer."

Bianca saw the determined look in the younger woman's eyes. "Something tells me that you already have your answer."

Tessa nodded. "You would be right. After talking with Marissa, I do know my answer. I'm just not telling him yet." Tessa turned to Marissa. "I'm going to let my lawyer tell him. He doesn't scare me anymore, and there is no way in hell that I'm going to let him take anything else away from me. He can shove his generous offer. I'm fighting back."

Marissa smiled. "I'll be more than happy to tell him that. I'll put it in legal terms though."

Ellie poked her head inside the office. "Is it okay if I interrupt?"

"Perfect timing. Come on in, Ellie." Marissa waved her secretary inside.

After distributing the drinks, Ellie looked at her boss. "Do you need anything else?"

"Could you ask Lisa join us?" Marissa asked.

"I'll do that now. I was just going to take her drink to her."

"Thank you, and thank you for getting these for us." Marissa nodded towards their drinks.

"You're welcome."

/

"Hey, Lisa."

"Hey, Ellie." Lisa's eyes lit up when Ellie placed the drink on her desk. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome. Marissa wants to see you."

"Okay. It's good timing. I just finished with the texts and voicemails." Lisa said as she gathered several items together.

"Good. Bianca and Jo just got here." Ellie said as she led the way back to Marissa's office. "Vikki and Nora should be here soon. I think Mitch will be here shortly as well. Oh, Dr. Hubbard and Dr. Michaels will be dropping by later too."

"Things seem to be moving pretty fast now." Lisa noted. She knew it was going to get very interesting when the contingent from Llanview and the doctors from Pine Valley Hospital got there.

/

Hearing her office line ring, Marissa answered it immediately. "Yes, Ellie."

"Marissa, Vikki and Nora Buchanan are here."

"Thanks, Ellie. Please send them in."

A moment later, the women from Llanview entered to find Bianca and Marissa alone in the office. Tessa and Jo had gone to Lisa's office to talk in private while Lisa went to the firm's library to draft a request for a cease and desist order against Llanview University. Marissa wasn't going to allow them to intimidate Tessa further.

"Marissa, Bianca, it's lovely to see both of you again."

"Hi, Vikki. It's good to see you too. You as well, Nora." Bianca said as she greeted both women.

"What she said." Marissa flashed a cheeky grin as she followed suit in greeting their friends. "How was your drive?"

"Ladies, it's definitely been too long. The drive was uneventful, thankfully." Nora said.

Marissa nodded. "You're right. It has. I only wish this visit was under better circumstances. Please have a seat. Could I get either of you something to drink?"

"No thank you."

"I'm fine as well. So, let's talk." Nora said.

"A woman after my own heart." Marissa smiled. She appreciated the fact that Nora cut straight to the chase. It was an approach she followed as well. "I have client who is a student athlete at Llanview University. She suffered an injury and was instructed by a coach to see a doctor who is responsible for treating the athletes. It was during several of these alleged treatment sessions that this doctor sexually assaulted my client."

Nora leaned back and thought. To say that she had several questions would be a gross understatement. She had too many questions to count. Nora appreciated Marissa's brief and to the point summary. "What is your client's name?"

"At the present time, it's Jane Doe."

Nora nodded in understanding. "You said Jane is a student athlete."

"Yes, she is."

Vikki and Bianca watched in amused silence the back and forth between the lawyers. Nora and Marissa both held their cards to the vest when it came to any legal proceedings they were a part of. Marissa was protecting her client, and Nora did it for prosecutorial purposes. It was a practice that served both lawyers well, and the same was true now. At this point, it was simply a matter of who would blink first.

"The sport she competes in, is it team or individual?"

Marissa could tell Nora knew something and that she was fishing, and while she knew she could trust her friend, Marissa's priority was to protect Tessa's identity. "Yes."

"Yes? Yes what? Is it a team sport or an individual one?"

"Yes."

"What kind of answer is that?"

Marissa shrugged. "An honest one, and one that I'm going to stick with."

Nora raised an eyebrow. "Seriously."

"Think about it. There are a number of sports where you can compete as an individual as well as part of a team."

"I hate to say to it, but Marissa is right. There is swimming, tennis, gymnastics, track, golf …" Vikki offered.

Nora held up a hand in surrender. "Fine. I get it, and now that I think about it, you're right. There are sports, several of them, where you can compete as both an individual and as part of a team. Okay, I give. It's like talking to a wall, and I admire that."

"Same." Marissa smiled.

"Is your client a gymnast?"

It was Marissa who now raised an eyebrow at that question. "She is."

"And the doctor in question, would his name be Jerry Landry?"

That last question confirmed Tessa's suspicions that she wasn't the only one. "Yes. There are other victims, aren't there?"

/

A/N: Yeah, I'm going to give you a little bit of a cliffhanger, and it's been a while since I've had one. I won't be posting next weekend. I'm going out of town, specifically to Louisville, Kentucky. After living in the Bluegrass State my entire life, I am finally going to the Kentucky Derby! Mind you, I will totally be winging my bets on the races, but don't worry, I'm not that big of a gambler. I can't wait! That being said, since I'll be out of town, I wanted to get this up for all of you today. See you soon!