A/N: Sorry it took so long to finish this chapter. I never realized how hard it was to write the legal part of the L&O franchise, especially since I have no legal experience. Luckily, I've watched enough mothership episodes to (hopefully) make it sound at least partly believable.

"Docket ending 3709, People v. Audrey van Acker, one count murder in the second degree," the bailiff read off.

A young blonde woman stepped up as he spoke. "Deirdre Sullivan for the defense, Your Honor."

"How does your client plead, Ms. Sullivan?" the judge asked.

Deirdre nudged Audrey and motioned for her to speak. "Not guilty."

"People on bail?"

Carver eyed Audrey carefully. "People seek remand, Your Honor. The defendant brutally stabbed a teacher almost 50 times."

"She's a minor, Your Honor," Sullivan intoned. "We request that she be released into the custody of her parents."

"Let's meet her halfway, shall we, Mr. Carver? Bail is set at $100,000, cash or bond." He banged his gavel. "Next."

"So, Ron," Sullivan said as she and Audrey entered his office, "let's talk turkey. We're open to a deal."

Carver looked up from the reports he was reviewing. "Why should I offer anything when I have a videotape of your client committing the murder?"

Sullivan set her briefcase down beside her as she sat in one of his chairs. "No mercy, Ron?" she said. "My client isn't some 300-pound thug hitman for the mob. She's just a teenage girl who took her anger too far."

Carver raised his eyebrows. "That, Deirdre, is an enormous understatement." He leaned back in his chair. "Man 1, 12½ to 25."

"Man 2, 3 to 6," she countered.

He shook his head. "There was nothing reckless about it, Deirdre. Man 1 is my final offer."

"Well, in that case…" She pulled out an all-too-familiar piece of blue paper. "Notice of our intent to present an affirmative defense."

Carver scanned the motion, his eyebrows furrowing as he read. "Not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect?" He looked at Audrey, who hadn't said a word during the entire meeting. "Precisely what illness are you claiming she has?" he asked with confusion.

Deirdre stood up and motioned for Audrey to follow. "Antisocial personality disorder. She's a psychopath, Ron." The two of them walked toward the door. Pausing before they exited, Deirdre turned. "There's not a jury in the world that'll convict a poor, sick little girl." With a smirk, she guided Audrey out of the office.

"Insanity, eh?" Arthur said, watching Carver pace around the office. "You buy it?"

Carver sat down in one of the chairs across from Branch's desk. "I'm not sure," he said, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"You mean she's sick, but you don't know if it exculpates her," Arthur said, his Southern drawl drawing out his words. "You think a jury'll go for it?"

"Maybe." Carver let out a long sigh of frustration. "I've gone up against Deirdre Sullivan before, Arthur. She's a brilliant attorney. She could convince a jury that Aileen Wuornos was a battered wife."

Arthur chuckled. "You just get in there and show them that she's not crazy, just evil." He gave him a sympathetic smile. "Then you can come back here and help yourself to some scotch."

"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?" The bailiff solemnly recited the oath as Alex raised her right hand.

"I do."

"Be seated."

Eames took her seat on the witness stand. Standing up from the prosecution table, Carver approached.

"Detective Eames," he began, "you and your partner, Detective Goren, investigated the murder of Caroline Mercutio, correct?"

"Yes." She shifted uncomfortably in the hard wooden chair. Alex didn't like going to court, especially not since The Letter Incident.

"At any point during your investigation, did you interview the defendant?"

"Yes, twice. Once at the school and once at the station."

"What evidence did you find during your investigation?"

"We recovered a tape from the school's security cameras from the evening of the murder."

Carver turned to Judge Bradley. "Your Honor, at this time the People would like to show what is marked as People's 3, the Oakton security tape."

The judge nodded as the bailiff wheeled a TV in front of the jury. Carver watched the jurors' faces react with horror at what they saw. A few looked away when Audrey pulled out the knife. They all looked relieved when it ended and the lights went up again.

Turning back to Eames, Carver resumed his questioning. "Detective, after viewing this tape, what did you do?"

"We brought Miss van Acker into the station for interrogation."

"And what happened when you showed her the tape?"

Alex shifted again. "She confessed," she answered. "She told us that Ms. Mercutio insulted her, so she killed her."

"At any point during your time with the defendant, did she seem mentally ill?"

Sullivan stood up with a start. "Objection! Your Honor, this witness is not qualified to answer that."

"I'll rephrase. Detective, was the defendant…incoherent or...unstable when you spoke with her?"

"No, not at all. She was very intelligent and articulate."

Carver gave a small smile and nodded. "Thank you, Detective. Nothing further."

Sullivan took a last look at her notes before rising from the defense table. "Detective Eames, how did my client react when you showed her the tape?" she asked.

"She didn't seem to care at all. She just smiled and called us pathetic."

"She didn't get scared or try to deny it, nothing like that?"

Eames shook her head. "No, she just laughed and said that Ms. Mercutio deserved it."

Sullivan paced for a moment before she continued. "Detective, are you a doctor?"

Alex shook her head. "No."

"Do you have any psychiatric training?"

"No."

"So you really wouldn't know if my client had a mental illness, would you?"

Alex shrugged. "I guess not."

"Thank you, detective," Sullivan said with a smile. "No more questions."

"Mr. Carver, call your next witness," Judge Bradley instructed.

Carver stood up. "The People rest, your honor."

Judge Bradley checked his watch. "Let's call it a day, then, shall we, counselors? We're in recess until tomorrow morning." He banged his gavel, signaling the dispersion of the courtroom. Alex stepped off the witness stand to join a waiting Bobbyat the doors.

As Carver gathered his things, Sullivan stepped up next to him. "Ron," she said as he packed up his briefcase, "cut the girl some slack. Give her five years in a psychiatric hospital."

He straightened up and gave her a pondering look. He paused for a moment and looked over her shoulder at Audrey, who hadn't moved from her seat. She looked up and saw him watching her, giving him another one of her evil-looking smiles.

Turning back to Sullivan, he picked up the last of his papers. "No deal."