Before the week was over Markus's trial was ready to begin. A powerful figure had pulled some strings and ensured that the entire city was focused on Markus and instead of the mayor, and it was working in the worst way possible against Markus. Just as the courtroom was packed with reporters during the trial of Richard Perkins, the courtroom had cameras pointed at Markus as the deviant defendant sat at the defense table in a sharp gray suit and black tie. Skye was sitting beside Markus as she had chosen to continue to defend Markus even though she knew he was guilty, as she knew she was the only lawyer in the entire city who would give Markus a viable defense case. She had wisely hidden her L.E.D. behind her pulled back hair to ensure no one would throw shade at her for being a deviant, and it'd help hide her emotional responses during the trial.

In the rear of the courtroom Connor and Hank sat side by side at the seats furthest away from the defense table to watch the trial play out. Connor didn't want to be there but he felt like he needed to see the trial firsthand for the sake of his people. Having attended numerous trials himself Hank had no problem joining Connor and was his moral support during the tense trial.

The prosecution was being lead once more by Maeko Noriko. She was a skilled attorney without an bias for or against deviants which bode well for Markus, but whether or not she was in the mayor's back pocket had yet to be seen.

"Try to not look like we're at a funeral, kid." Hank whispered in the deviant's ear to keep him from getting embarrassed. "We have no idea how this'll turn out."

"And if Markus is found guilty of a crime that I got away with, how am I supposed to handle that?"

"We'll cross that bridge if we come to it. Try to not obsess over the details."

"I'm a detective. That's literally my job."

"Smartass."

The aged doors to the courthouse creaked open as three familiar deviants entered the space to give Markus moral support. All dressed in respectable attire North, Josh and Simon all slid into the bench nearest Markus to show that they were on his side and that they believed in him. The trio hadn't noticed Connor or Hank in the courtroom, but were relieved to see that it was Skye acting as his defense attorney.

North knew how stubborn Skye could be and was convinced that, despite being a rookie attorney, she was still his best chance at a fair trial.

"I guarantee that this case will end right here, on day one." Giving the deviant a casual glance to his left, Hank noticed that Connor was staring up toward the front of the courtroom and directly at Skye. He knew what had happened that night at the bar and knew Connor was still torn about what few words were exchanged between himself and Skye. "You still thinking about what she said?"

"...Yes. I can't get it out of my head."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I could tell her apology was sincere, but somehow it felt like I didn't deserve it."

"That's because you saw yourself as that very thing she accused you of being. You're not a monster and never were. Now that you know you're not a monster and that you're a good person her comments are confusing you instead of hurting you."

"Then... why can't I accept her apology and forgive her?"

"Because now you're angry with her."

"Angry?" The very notion made Connor's blue L.E.D. pulse a little faster in his right temple. "What are you talking about?"

"She insulted you, pushed you away and never let you explain yourself. Then, when she does break the silence and ask to speak with you, it's because of something else. Now you're convinced she only brought up your past relationship out of convenience instead of a necessity. As a result it felt like her apology was convenient, too."

"I think you're right. I know she was sincere but I can't help but feel like it was... sporadic. Not intentional." Looking at Hank beside him Connor gave his best friend a lost stare. "How did you know?"

"Do you think Barb and my high school sweetheart were the only women I dated? I'm old! Trust me, kid. Relationships, especially romantic ones, are always going to be full of conflicting feelings and emotions. I just managed to find a way to sift through that mess without going completely insane in the process."

"Will this type of conflict go away?"

"Eventually, yeah. You need to give your mind AND your heart more time to heal. You're still learning about emotions, Connor. It won't be an easy lesson to learn but I know you can do it."

"...Thanks."

The bailiff's voice called out demanding the courtroom to rise to their feet and show respect the approaching judge about to take the stand. Rising in unison the entire courtroom looked to the doorway leading the judge's chamber and held their breath. One on of the most important trials in all of Detroit's history was about to begin.

Entering from the side door Judge Floyd Aubin took the stand and brought the court to session. The judge was in his sixties, sporting thick gray hair, had a neatly trimmed gray goatee that stood out against his dark complexion, dark green eyes, a modest build and numerous aged lines along his eyes and mouth that emphasized the man's experience working in a high stress career.

"I think Markus has a shot at walking out of here a free man." Hank whispered with a sly grin on his face. "Aubin is one of the good ones."

"'Good ones'?" Sitting down along with the rest of the courtroom Connor tuned out the prosecutions opening line and ran a background check on the judge of interest. Discovering that Aubin had been a cop for four years before going to law school and becoming a defense attorney, gave Connor a modicum of renewed hope. "...Aubin was once a cop."

"And a damn good one, too."

"Why'd he change careers to that of a defense attorney?"

"You're reading his record, right? Look at the final case he handled."

Sifting through all the details Connor's soulful brown eyes widened and he now understood the change. "...His family was threatened when he brought down a powerful drug lord in the city. He had been shot... six times when he defended his home from intruders after being threatened."

"Yup. Tough bastard pulled through, resigned his commission and moved out of the city to make sure his family felt safe. He became a pretty well known and respected lawyer in Indianapolis. Once his youngest kid was off to college he came back to Detroit to become a judge, and continued to help us keep the scum off the streets."

"...And as a former defense attorney he knows it's important to remain objective and to examine all evidence."

"That's right. He's pretty damn hard on drug dealers but he's always fair. I imagine he'll be pretty lenient on deviants since he knows that the odds are already stacked against 'em."

"I hope you're right."

The prosecution argued with logic that the accusations against Markus needed to be taken seriously and investigated. Documenting the forty-six confirmed tips all accusing Markus of the singular crime and Markus's own confession, the prosecution was off to a strong start. In return Skye brought up the security logs from Markus's own mansion indicating that the property's sole owner was walking about the premises before, during and after the time of the reported assaults, giving him a solid alibi.

"As Your Honor can see," Skye presented her evidence in a calm and logical manner. "it's impossible for my client to be in two places at once. The security logs from my client's residence can confirm that my client never left the premises, let alone the city. As further proof, the detectives who investigated the property analyzed the security system for any sign of tampering, glitches, errors or malfunctions, and found the program to be entirely intact and in proper working order. As further proof, the security logs revolved around the unique signature of an 'RK-200' model of android. My client is the only 'RK-200' in existence."

Passing the evidence over for Judge Aubin to view for himself, Skye argued her point eloquently. Despite working on her first solo case and not having a mentor in the form of a more senior attorney to back her up, Skye seemed entirely calm and composed.

"This does seem to be indisputable proof." Analyzing the evidence and the authentication of the security logs Judge Aubin saw no reason to discount what the defense has presented. "Does the prosecution have anything to say in regard to the provided alibi?"

"The prosecution has no questions in regard to the provided evidence, Your Honor." Noriko stated in such a way that indicated she had an alternate method of disproving the evidence being presented. Standing up at her table Noriko slowly drummed her right fingertips over the table's surface as she proceeded to move the trial forward. "At this time the prosecution would like to call the first witness to the stand."

Skye's hazel eyes narrowed for a moment as she cybernetically refreshed herself in regard to the witnesses on the docket. There were three witnesses altogether; the three assaulted hunters from the forest.

One by one the three hunters would be able to give their testimony regarding that night and tell the world what they suffered through.

Internally swearing Skye took in a deep breath to calm her nerves as she refused to show fear in front of the three men who assaulted her, her best friend and six other innocent deviant refugees. She needed to be strong for everyone in that moment who couldn't be there to defend themselves.

As the first of the hunters, Chase Froth, was brought to the witness stand both Connor and Markus sank down in their seats as if afraid of a violent backlash from the man, despite him being in handcuffs and ankle shackles. Chase himself had changed his hairstyle from a long, blond greasy ponytail to a shorter haircut, and had swept some long locks of hair over his forehead to try to hide the scarred word engraved in his forehead. There was a small amount of cosmetic concealer plastered over the scar tissue to try to hide it, but the tissue itself was raised up and was still legible to anyone who looked at his face.

Chase told his story and the details of the assault with as much information he could remember. Painting the assault as a brutal and random act of violence that had no motivation behind it, Chase fed the courtroom a false sob story to make it sound like he was attacked for no reason. After claiming to be a victim and nothing more, Chase looked over at Markus and gave him an odd stare.

"The prosecution has no further questions." Noriko stated calmly as she turned the floor over to the defense. She seemed a little hesitant after summoning the man to the witness stand, but what had been said couldn't be unheard by anyone.

Rising from her seat Skye crossed the floor and stood before her desk as she looked Chase in the eyes. The cruel man didn't recognize Skye whatsoever, and whether that was because she was wearing her hair up, because the assault he inflicted on her happened in the dark, or because he never looked her in the face when he sexually assaulted her, she couldn't say.

Finding her voice and her courage Skye addressed the man professionally. "Mr. Froth, you claim you were assaulted in the forest by two supposed masked men, correct?"

Sounding smug and annoyed Froth answered the question in a gruff tone. "Yeah, that's right."

"Since the supposed two assailants were wearing masks how can you be certain that my client, Mr. Markus Manfred, is one of the supposed two who attacked you?"

"Forty other people said he did it, so it has to be him."

"The word of forty-six other anonymous tipsters is not hard evidence, Mr. Froth. Is there anyway that you can correctly identify him as one of your two supposed assailants that night?"

"Why do you keep saying 'supposed'? I didn't imagine this!" Pointing to the ugly word on his forehead Chase glared at Skye with pure venom. "Neither did my buddies! We were attacked!"

"I keeping saying 'supposed' because there is only one person currently on trial for the assaults, and yet you keep saying there were two assailants."

"Didn't that guy say he was out there? He admitted it!"

"'That guy' is my client, of whom you can't even name. We also have rock solid proof that he was in his home during the time of the assaults long before, during and after the documented time of the assaults according to your own personal account. The police have also confirmed that there was no tampering in the security logs. Can you explain how he was the one of the supposed two men who attacked you?"

"So he's just runnin' his mouth? Come on! He did it!" Chase was losing his cool quickly and wanted someone to burn for what he went through. "I know he did it! It has to be him!"

"What's your proof of this? Can you identify him by his face?"

"No, he was wearing a mask!"

"What about his voice?"

"N-No, their voices were all jumbled up. Like static."

"What about another identifying feature?" Stepping back to the desk Skye motioned for Markus to stand up and then waved her hands near his person as he stood tall beside her. "His eyes are unique in color. Did you see his eyes?"

"He was wearing a MASK! I couldn't see his eyes!"

"Oh. Well, he's fairly tall. Can you identify him by his height? Maybe his build?"

"I'm tall, too! Besides, I was drunk and knocked on the ground, the world was spinning around me. I wasn't sizing the guys up!"

"So what you're saying is there is no way you could possibly identify my client, or anyone else for that matter, as one of the two supposed men who attacked you?"

Chase looked angry and his pale complexion was turning red with anger. "No. I told you before, I. Didn't. See. Their. Faces."

"And yet you're so sure it's my client who attacked you."

"Look, bitch-"

Judge Aubin banged his gavel just once to silence the rude outburst. "Order! Mr. Froth, I will NOT tolerate that kind of language in my courtroom. One more outburst like that and I'll have you removed from my court, do you understand?"

Grumbling like a toddler being put in time-out Chase acknowledged the judge's orders. "...Yes, sir."

"Miss Skye," Judge Aubin looked over at the unshaken defense attorney and requested that she resumed her questions. "please continue. Just watch yourself and don't antagonize the witness."

"Yes, Your Honor." Returning to her line of questions Skye picked up a paper copy of several police reports regarding Chase's own history in regard to legal matters. "Mr. Froth, have you had problems with the law in the past?"

"You talking about that bull-" Stopping himself short Chase wisely changed his term of choice. "That the file from my ex-wife? She says I smacked her around and all I did was push her one time."

"According to the police report filed during that particular incident, you 'pushed her' so hard that it ruptured her right eardrum, blackened her left eye, cut open her bottom lip requiring stitches, fractured four of her left costal ribs, bruised her left kidney, created a spiral fracture of both bones in her left forearm-"

"What of it?!" Growing more angry and impatient with the report Chase could sense the jury now beginning to glare at him with righteous disgust. "What's your point?"

"Well, I find it strange that this report, and four others before it - all filed by your previous ex-girlfriends, all claim incidents of physical and sexual assault. Can you explain this?"

"They got drunk and handsy, and I defended myself." Snipping in frustrated response Chase wanted to get away from his own crimes. "That's all."

"Your first girlfriend spent a week in a coma after you 'defended yourself' against her, and she showed signs of sexual assault. Your second girlfriend went to the police after you threatened her with a knife, and they documented numerous bruises along her forearms that are indicative of defensive wounds. The third girlfriend walked into an E.R. bleeding heavily and mis-" It took her a moment to complete the term but she needed to do it, not just for herself but for the other victims he had assaulted. "She miscarried at fifteen weeks because you punched her in the face and stomped on her stomach four distinct times after you threw her to the ground. And the last girlfriend ran off and filed an anonymous complaint with the police stating that you were drunk, high and had beaten her to a near pulp. The report says you had a friend helping you during these assau-"

Growing redder and hotter Chase barked back at Skye in pure rage. "So what?!"

"So what this proves is that you have an lengthy history of violence, particularly against women, and that despite these numerous reports and the egregious photographic and forensic evidence confirming that you are indeed violent, you were never charged with anything."

"What about it?"

"Well, theoretically you'd have many enemies for what you've gotten away with in the past. Any names come to mind, or would that be too long to list?"

"Those don't matter anymore, 'sweetheart'. If it mattered I'd have been locked up years ago, but I wasn't. I got some real good connections."

"Clearly not good enough, otherwise you wouldn't be talking to me in an orange jumpsuit and shackles."

"You fucking cu-" Standing up from where he sat Chase tried to intimidate Skye but the bailiff quickly grabbed onto his shoulders to hold him down. "You better watch your fuckin' mouth, you stupid skank!"

"BAILIFF." Judge Aubin had enough and ordered Froth out of the courtroom. "Take him away! Have him held for later sentencing for contempt and for verbally threatening the defense."

"My pleasure, Your Honor." Dragging the belligerent prisoner out of the courtroom as he swore and kicked like a temperamental child, the bailiff was happy to remove the disgusting man from sight.

"With that I'm issuing a ten minute break." Judge Aubin gave Skye a stern yet proud stare as he made his decision. "I recommend that you take this moment to think about your next questions very carefully to prevent any further outbursts, Miss Skye."

"Yes, Your Honor." Tightening her hands into fists at her sides Skye stopped herself from shaking. "I understand."

"Court will resume in ten minutes."

Another loud bang of the gavel echoed through the courtroom as the trial took a brief recess. While most of the witnesses took their leave of the room to stretch their legs and the jury isolated themselves to avoid potential bias, Connor and Hank quietly filed out of the courtroom to process what they just witnessed out in the small lobby area on the other side of the courtroom doors. Everything was brief but very intense.

"That was interesting." Speaking with an intrigued lilt to his words Hank walked to a quiet corner with Connor right at his side. "I'm surprised the prosecution didn't interrupt Skye's questions when that prick got heated."

"Is that good or bad?"

"Well, it could go either way. It could mean the prosecution already has something damnable against Markus that she's waiting to unveil at the last minute, or she could be letting Skye unknowingly set herself up for a fall later on during the trial, or she could be using the witness testimony to her own advantage in a way we can't see just yet."

"Curious."

"All that aside, I'm impressed. Skye faced one of the men who..." Not wanting to say it out loud Hank stopped himself right there. "Well, she didn't back down and showed no fear. That's a hell of a gutsy thing for her to pull off."

"Yes, that's true." Looking back at the closed doors to the courtroom Connor realized that he may have in fact witnessed a truly brilliant defense in action, and hadn't even noticed. "Perhaps Skye being the defense attorney is playing on a deeper level than either of us anticipated."

"You think she's got a secret weapon ready to go?"

"It's possible." Unfamiliar with any type of tactics regarding defense cases or prosecution, Connor could only focus on the evidence and feel his blue blood begin to boil. The way Froth showed no remorse about what he did to the women in his life and actually bragged about being let off the hook thanks to the mayor's influence quickly pushed any lingering guilt Connor felt way down and out of his mind and his heart. "I believe she's going to reveal a clever ploy that no one could've anticipated."

The ten minute break was over and court returned to session. Markus was sitting still and silent with Skye at his side, and still had North, Josh and Simon sitting behind him. Connor and Hank took their seats in the back of the courtroom to resume watching the trial without saying a word to him. After Judge Aubin returned to the courtroom he resumed the trial and Noriko continued with the prosecution. While the prosecution didn't have much evidence against Markus beyond the statements, the prosecutor still needed to put up the best possible case in the name of justice. Trying to reiterate that forty-six separate tips all coming in accusing the same person of the same crime with consistent details couldn't be a coincidence, and then deciding to call in her second witness, Noriko never showed any sign of worry regarding her case.

As the second of the three hunters was shown into the courtroom and sworn-in, he too was wearing an orange jumpsuit with his hands and ankles cuffed, Dugal Karrar walked over to the witness stand and sat down heavily. Unable to hide the scars over his forehead behind any hair since he kept his head shaved bald, Dugal settled on wearing a blue bandana to hide the ugly word instead.

The prosecution finished her line of questions and turned over the floor to the defense for rebuttal.

"Mr. Karrar, you're here to give testimony in regard to being assaulted by two supposedly masked men." Skye began her next line of questions without showing any fear whatsoever. "Can you identify one or both of the men who supposedly attacked you and your friends that night?"

"...I never saw their faces." Karrar actually sounded timid as he spoke. "They were both wearing masks."

"Did they say or do anything that you could potentially use to identify them?"

"No. Their faces were hidden and their voices sounded screwed up."

"I see. Mr. Karrar," stepping a little to the side Skye continued with her questions. "do you know who my client is?"

"Uh, yeah." Craning his neck a little Karrar peered more efficiently around Skye to look at Markus sitting at the defense table. "Markus. That's the dude who led the android Revolution last year."

"That's right. So, you're familiar enough with my client to know his name and reputation, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Do you know why he's here today?"

"Yeah, he's one of the dudes attacked me and my friends."

"You just admitted that you didn't see the faces of either of your supposed attackers, so how can you be so sure about that?"

"Lady, a bunch of people came forward and said he did it!"

"And how does that prove anything?" Skye challenged as she continued to defend Markus with an impressive display of confidence. "We have evidence proving that he was at his private residence during the night of the assaults, during the time of the assaults, and you said you never saw the faces of either of the supposed two assailants who assaulted you."

"Well, he's an android." The reply was weak and pathetic. "Those things are defective and dangerous."

"Once again, we have proof he never left the city. You're going to have to try harder than that, Mr. Karrar."

"He's a machine! He can mess with other machines to make 'em act all screwy."

Ready to fight back Skye rebutted with a strong argument. "The detectives who examined his residence confirmed that the security logs were accurate and had not been tampered with in any way."

"Cops lie!"

"You're accusing the police of deception." Using the moment pick up a police report regarding Karrar's own shady past Skye gave him the same treatment she had given to Froth when the first man was on the stand. "Did they lie when you were charged alongside Chase Froth in four of the total of five previous arrests of assault and sexual assault against five different woman?"

"We were never charged, okay?" Looking frightened Karrar was clearly on edge. "It doesn't matter!"

"It does matter because it gives us an idea of who you are, who you associate with, and your overall attitude regarding laws and justice."

"It's in the past, it's done. What happened to us hasn't been properly investigated, and it's because the cops are biased!"

"If the cops were in fact biased wouldn't such bias be against the defense rather than the prosecution?"

Noriko heard enough and stopped the question. "Objection! The defense is leading the witness."

Judge Aubin agreed and ordered Skye to stop. "Objection sustained. Miss Skye, you know better."

"My apologies, Your Honor." Holding her ground Skye refused to let the cruel man get away with his crimes again, and changed her question in order to avoid leading him alone. "You claim the cops are biased, and yet the security logs have been authenticated by outside technicians that have no connection to the police. There was no way the logs were tampered with, by deviants or humans."

"So what? I mean, those deviant freaks were already walking around the forest, so maybe he..." Trailing off and paling considerably Karrar seemed to realize he just gave a potential motivation for why he and his friends were attacked, just as Froth had done before him.

"You've seen deviants in the forest before?" Skye keenly caught the slip up and focused on it entirely. "When?"

"Uh..." Sounding timid again Karrar managed to answer honestly. "During our other hunting trips over the summer."

"And what were the deviants doing?"

"...I don't know." Shrinking down in his seat Karrar couldn't look Skye in her eyes, which was probably for the best. "I didn't ask."

"Ask? You've spoken to the random other deviants in the forest?"

Noriko interrupted with a logical protest. "Objection! Your Honor? What does this line of questioning have to do with the trial at hand?"

Judge Aubin was curious about Karrar's reactions to the question and he wanted to know why. His instincts as a cop told him that Skye was on to something important and to let her ask her questions for a little longer. "Overruled." Turning to look at the defense attorney the fair judge gave her his permission to resume her line of questioning. "Miss Skye, you may continue with your questions, but keep the questions relevant to this trial."

"Yes, Your Honor." Acknowledging the request Skye looked back to Karrar and repeated her question. "You stated you've encountered deviants in that specific forest before while on previous hunting trips. Did you ever confront these deviants in any way?"

"...I don't remember."

"You're under oath, Mr. Karrar. If you don't answer the-"

"I-I plead the fifth!" Desperate to keep himself safe Karrar used the only weapon he had at his disposal and blurted out the response as if his life somehow depended on it. "I won't say anything else."

Skye backed off and stopped the questions immediately. "That's your right. No further questions, Your Honor." Sitting down beside Markus once more Skye cybernetically gave her client an update on the situation. 'While I can't necessarily say you didn't do it, I can keep putting your alibi on display while letting the world see those dangerous men as the deranged sexual perverts that they are. It isn't the most noble win, but it's your best bet.'

Despite everything going his way Markus still looked defeated. '...And what if I get asked to take the witness stand?'

'Then you answer the questions as you see fit. I'm not going to tell you to lie or to keep anything secret. You need to clear your conscience.'

The jury looked disgusted with the two criminal witnesses and never once shot Markus a dark gaze. It seemed they have been convinced that the deviant was entirely innocent, and being set up by convenience rather than true merit. Markus's innocence was practically guaranteed.

"Before the final witness takes the stand," Judge Aubin was eager to see the trial come to it's conclusion but didn't want everyone getting overwhelmed. "we will take another recess. Twenty minutes."

The gavel banged and the courtroom slowly filed out as it had before. Staying in his seat Connor looked up at Skye as she mentally went over her case notes and cybernetically kept everything up to date. Markus was sitting in his seat without moving, without speaking. Watching as North leaned forward to whisper something in his ear Connor could see that Markus had support and friends in spite of everything he's done, and was actually relieved to know he wasn't alone.

"Need to take a break, son?" Keeping his voice low Hank returned to the courtroom after using the restroom, and promptly rejoined Connor in the back of the courthouse. "There's no shame in needing to step out to get some fresh air during tense times like this."

"I'm okay, Hank. Thank you."

Nodding once Hank motioned to the group of androids before them and sighed. "What about them?"

"Skye is on to something big, I'm not sure just what yet." Speaking as Hank sat down beside him again Connor gave his analysis on the situation. "Markus seems resigned to live the rest of his life in prison. North is supporting Markus and trying to encourage him to not give up. As for Josh and Simon... I don't know. I think they're only here because they want to put on a good impression."

"Are you saying they're not really Markus's friends?"

"I think they're more allies than friends at this point. They know how it'd look if two of the four leaders of New Jericho didn't attend the trial today, and so they're here to keep up appearances. Josh is a pacifist by nature," explaining his reasoning to Hank the deviant detective was as sharp as ever. "and Simon likes to be neutral. It's hard for either of them to say they support what Markus is on trial for."

"Well, I can't say that I blame 'em for that."

"The trial seems to be going well in Markus's favor, but I can't help but feel as though something bigger is going to happen before the day is over."

"Me too." Crossing his arms over his chest Hank checked his phone and confirmed through a text message with Lucas that he wasn't going to be called as a surprise witness, and that he'd meet them at the house later that evening. "I can only imagine what the defense is working on right now."

The second recess came to its end the trial continued on right on schedule. Once Judge Aubin returned to the stand he requested that the prosecution continue to deliver its case against Markus, and to review the evidence and testimonies that had been previously delivered. Noriko finished reviewing the delivered testimony of the first two witnesses, and confirmed that while the first two witnesses were unable to identify Markus in any capacity as their assailant, she still wanted to hear the testimony of the third and final witness before resting their case. The defense had no objections and was ready to begin the final round of questions.

Setting aside the provided evidence that has been confirmed in favor of the additional testimony Noriko requested that the final witness take the stand. Same as before the final hunter, Irwin Syracuse, was shown into the courtroom by two court officers. He was wearing the same orange jumpsuit and had his wrists and ankles shackled to prevent possible escape. He too wore a blue bandana to cover the scar as he was incapable of growing hair to hide the shame. His towering height and broad build was still intimidating despite him being secured in the cuffs at his wrists and ankles.

Clearly uncomfortable speaking to Irwin as she picked up on his hostile nature, Noriko asked for his statement on the night he and his friends were assaulted, and every detail matched the previous two testimonies. He was clearly angry and ready for a fight. The way he was glaring at the defense made both Connor and Hank want to rush forward to provide additional security, but they decided it'd be best to stay in the back of the courtroom out of sight.

Ending her questions almost readily Noriko allowed the defense to begin their own questions as she sat back down at the prosecution table. She was trembling slightly and doing her best to not look Irwin in the eyes.

Needing a moment to collect her thoughts and steady her voice Skye rose from the table and forced herself to approach Irwin. The man had been the one to laugh in her face and spit on her after he threw her aside to bleed and cry in the forest when he finished using her. Reminding herself to be strong on behalf of the other victims she was now speaking for, Skye began her line of questions without showing any sign of trepidation or fear.

"Mr. Syracuse," speaking to her attacker with such formality left a sickening taste on Skye's tongue. "you've stated that you and your friends, Mr. Froth and Mr. Karrar, were supposedly assaulted by two masked assailants in the forest during your last hunting trip of the season. Can you identify one, or both, of the assailants who attacked you?"

"Yeah, I can." Pointing directly at Markus with an aggressive motion Syracuse named the lone defendant as he assailant. "It was that asshole, right there!"

The courtroom filled with shocked murmurs while Judge Aubin repeatedlybanged his gavel to regain control. In the back of the courtroom Connor tensed up and would've surely stood upright if Hank's hand hadn't grabbed onto his shoulder to hold him back in his seat. Markus's mismatched eyes widened with shock as he hadn't expected the man to point him out like that, and was unsure of what to do.

As the shocked voices quieted down Judge Aubin regained control and handed the floor back to Skye. "Order! I'll have order..." Putting his gavel down Judge Aubin looked back to Skye and nodded to acknowledge her. "The defense may continue with the questions."

"...Let the record show that the witness has identified my client, Mr. Markus Manfred, as his attacker." Maintaining her composure Skye continued her questions as instructed. "Mr. Syracuse, how can you be so sure it was Mr. Manfred who supposedly attack you on that night?"

"I saw his smug face when he held me down and cut up my forehead."

Sensing that he was bluffing, if not outright lying, Skye pressed his answer firmly. "At what point did the accused's mask supposedly get removed?"

"I managed to snatch it off his damn face when he was crouched over me."

Markus didn't move or react. He knew that Irwin was lying and refused to let the lying creep win. Knowing that Irwin was perjuring himself on the stand Markus now had a reason to fight back and defend himself. He wouldn't be able to undo the assault, but he'd be damned if he let himself got locked up because of a coldblooded criminal's lies. The fact that Irwin somehow correctly identified him but not Connor, even claiming that Connor left the area, reeked of conspiracy.

"And how did you snatch the mask of his face if you and your friends were all bound to chairs, and laying on your backs atop your arms as you all previously stated?"

Flashing a rabid sneer Irwin responded with utter condescension. "I'm strong enough to break through any knots any machine could ever tie."

"Then why didn't your friends also see the face of their attacker when you removed the attacker's mask?"

"I guess they were already unconscious. Like I said," responding in a contrastingly casual manner it seemed like Irwin knew exactly what to say. "we got doped up with our own tranquilizers and beer."

"By your own admission you were drunk, sedated once before, and then struck over the head before being bound. How is that you can somehow remember all of these events that your friends never mentioned with such vivid detail?"

"Look, I know what I saw. That freak over there," leering at Markus as if he had actually seen the deviant's face, Irwin refused to recant his statement. "did this to me. It was him!"

"What of the unidentified and unconfirmed second assailant your friends all claimed to have been there?"

"They pussied-out and ran off. Coward didn't have the guts to finish what they started..."

Judge Aubin banged his gavel and warned Irwin regarding his language, while in the back of the courtroom Hank bit his bottom lip angrily. "I've already warned your friend about using foul language in my courtroom. I wouldn't tolerate it then, and I won't tolerate it now. Watch it."

"Sure, 'my bad', Your Honor."

Skye wasn't going to be deterred and pressed Irwin for more answers. "If you knew the person who assaulted you and could so easily identify them, why didn't you go to the cops sooner to report what happened?"

Awkwardly pointing to the bandana over his forehead Irwin snipped his answer like a rebellious teenager. "Because I was busy trying to find a way to go back out in public without looking the disfigured freak he turned me into."

"And why didn't you tell the cops the identity of your alleged assailant when you did talk to them?"

"Didn't know his name at the time."

"But you managed to point him out so easily. Surely you could've just seen my client's face in the news since he's a local celebrity, and you've made a mistaken in identity."

"Not a chance, honey. I never forget a face."

Sensing her chance to blow Irwin's testimony away Skye held her breath and resisted the urge to call him a liar. If she revealed herself to be one of the eight deviants he assaulted in the forest and discredit his memory, if she showed the court that he couldn't even remember the face of a deviant he actively assaulted and spat on, let alone the face he supposedly unmasked int he forest, she could discredit his testimony easily. However, she'd also destroy her own strong case in Markus's favor as she would've been required to recuse herself from the case as a whole due to her personal history with the three witnesses.

Skye chose a new tactic instead, one that'd benefit everyone. "Let me ask you this, then. When you did go to the police and you gave your statement, you inadvertently admitted to physically and sexually assaulting eight female deviants in the forest. Your friend admitted to this fact not long ago."

"Nice try, we're not here to talk about that." Resisting the bait Irwin glared icy daggers at Skye. "We're here to talk about what happened to me."

"That is true, but it does bring something interesting to light." Picking up the final police report regarding Irwin's arrest history Skye read off his own police record for the court to hear. "Not only have you suffered numerous suspensions from numerous employers for workplace harassment and bullying, but two years prior you killed one of the 'Traci' models at the 'Eden Club'. You have a history of hating, assaulting and killing androids."

"Ha! You can't kill a machine, maybe go back to law school and-"

"You were also recently tried and convicted of physically and sexually assaulting the eight deviants you and your friends encountered in the forest." Not giving Irwin the chance to insult her Skye maintained control over the questions. "You have problems with authority and with machines. By all account my client," motioning to Markus behind her Skye tried to lure Irwin into back into her trap. "a deviant with a position of power must've really pissed you off. What better way to get in one last dig to the people who locked you up then by taking down their leader?"

"Hey! I ain't making this up!" Irwin took the bait and retaliated angrily. "He's the one who attacked me and my friends in the forest!"

"None of your friends could identify my client and they all claim to have been conscious throughout the entire ordeal until you were all tranquilized. Why is that? Why does your statement contradict theirs?"

"I'm the one who tore off his mask! He was leaning over me! It was dark," trying to stick to his plausible lie Irwin wasn't going to do down without a fight. "and it was hard to see through the blood by the fading campfire. Of course I'm the only one who would see his face!"

"Let's talk about the mask..." Skye wasn't going to go down without a fight either, and was determined to expose his lies. "Where is it?"

Irwin's expression blanked for a moment as the unexpected follow-up questions caught him off guard. "...What?"

"You said you tore the mask from his face to identify him. Where is the mask now?"

"...H-He must've burned it."

"In the campfire?"

"Yeah, in the campfire."

"What kind of mask was it?"

"It was one of those weird ones that use that refractory panels. That stuff that's ILLEGAL to own and use, by the way!"

"Did you know such material that allows that mask to function is an amalgamation of glass and metal?"

"So? What of it?"

"Let's look at the photographs that you and your friends turned over to the police when you filed your reports. The photos YOU took of the campsite the morning after the assault." Bringing up the photographs on the court's large monitor and Judge Aubin's personal tablet, Skye honed in on the remains of the campfire. "I can see fragments of timber, maybe bits of rope and a few beer cans. But no refractory panels."

"I said he might've burned it, not that I saw him do it! Open your ears!"

"If that's the case then the mask would've been destroyed in the forest or hidden away, and yet there was no sign of refractory panels in the forest area, in or around the campsite, or in the defendant's home. The police thoroughly combed the property and found only a small gun that belonged the defendant's now deceased father. No mask, no knife."

"Just because you can't find it doesn't mean it doesn't exist!" Irwin was arguing in such a way that Skye's definitive answers were being brushed aside. "Maybe that partner who ran off hid the masks for him! He even confessed to being the one who attacked us!"

"His alibi says he was at home. And as the leader of the deviants it's his job to protect his people." Crossing her arms over her chest Skye challenged Irwin's claim with a bold claim of her own. "He's one of the few high profile deviants in the entire city, and one of the few who'd stand a chance at a trial like this."

"Objection." Noriko sounded less than enthusiastic but she needed to do her job and present a solid case. "The defense is beginning to backpedal. The prosecution requests an explanation for this sudden change of heart."

"Your Honor," turning to face the judge directly Skye explained her logic. "the defendant has confessed to the crime, yes. But we have evidence that confirms he never left the city. The reason for said confession stems from his role as the leader of the deviants and needing to protect his people. Being in such a high position of power and recognition is an advantage for him, considering that android rights have yet to be fully accepted by others in power. This confession also explains why my client was unable to identify the second assailant. He never saw the supposed second assailant because he was never there!"

"Objection!" Noriko wasn't expecting such an answer and wanted to dispute it. "If that's the case then the defendant providing a false confession completely destroys the grounds for this very trial!"

Judge Aubin withheld his smirk as he looked to Skye and nodded once. "The prosecution is correct, Miss Skye. If what you said can be proven then I'll have no choice but to end today in a mistrial, and if we can prove conspiracy against his person I can grant Mr. Manfred double-jeopardy regarding this very crime."

"HEY!" Irwin was even angrier and turning red as he slammed his cuffed hands down on the banister that surrounded the witness stand. "That's not right! That's not what's supposed to happen!"

"ORDER!" Using his gavel again Judge Aubin silenced the violent man in a single swift motion. "Keep quiet!"

"No! That's not what I was told! He lied to me!"

"ORDER! I demand order!" Skye backed off and returned to her table to get as far away from Irwin as she could while the judge held control. Managing to get the belligerent man to fall quiet for a moment Judge Aubin gave the witness a terse stare matched only by his voice. "Mr. Syracuse, what do you mean 'that's not what you were told'? To whom are you referring?"

"Who do ya' think?" Remaining disrespectful and mad Irwin glared at the judge to his side. "Nero!"

"...Mayor Walter Nero?"

"Yeah, that idiot."

Thoroughly intrigued Judge Aubin asked for more information. "Please, elaborate."

"It's like this, the other day when the tips came in fingering that plastic-freak, I got a private message delivered to me by my buddy, the mayor." Reaching into his jumpsuit Irwin held up a letter for everyone to see. Letting the bailiff take it from his hands to pass over to Judge Aubin, the enraged man went into detail about his statement and the contents of the letter. "I was told that if I testified and said I saw that freak in the forest, then I'd be given a lighter sentence."

Judge Aubin read the letter and a thick grimace plastered his face. "According to this letter Mayor Walter Nero directed you to falsify your testimony and accuse Mr. Manfred as a means of pulling the public eye off of himself, and in turn he'd state that Mr. Manfred coached the deviants you were charged with assaulting into delivering false testimony of their own."

"Yeah," confirming what the judge just read Irwin glared at Skye and then Noriko bitterly. "the idiot said if all three of us were in on it, then it'd work."

"Unfortunately, it did not." Folding up the letter Judge Aubin addressed the jury to his left and gave them an apologetic look. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I'd like to thank you for your time and officially dismiss you from this case. Bailiff?"

The officer approached the bench respectfully. "Yes, Your Honor?"

"Escort this witness back to his cell. He's done here."

"Right away, Your Honor."

Turning to look at Markus after Irwin Syracuse was taken away Judge Aubin nodded once in his direction. "Based on what I've seen and what I've heard, I can confidently state that this entire case was a farce put into play by our disgraced former mayor. The evidence was fabricated, the testimony was coached and the anonymous tips indicating Mr. Manfred were clearly false as well, and made by contacts with the mayor himself, which is why they were all so consistent with the details. In this moment do you have anything you'd like to say to the court, Mr. Manfred?"

"N-No, Your Honor." Stunned by the outcome of the case and feeling oddly justified Markus just breathed a sigh of relief. "I have nothing to say."

"Will the defendant please rise?"

Doing as he was instructed Markus stood up and was joined immediately by Skye to his right.

"In light of this new evidence, as well as the previously accepted evidence that had proven your alibi, I have no choice but to declare this entire case a mistrial. It's clear that you were set up to take the fall for a crime that we cannot prove even happened due to inconsistent evidence and a lack of cooperation from the three men who filed the report with the police. I apologize for the inconvenience and for the potential tarnish that your good name may have suffered due to this near miscarriage of justice. Mr. Manfred, you are in fact not guilty and are free to go."

Banging his gavel once more Judge Aubin brought the case to a climactic close that filled the entire courthouse with positive energy.

"Case dismissed."

A wave of relief washed over the courtroom and Markus turned to hug Skye and then North over the banister behind him. It was finally all over and that horrible night in the forest could finally be forgotten.

Outside the courthouse Markus was delivering a statement to the press to request that the media respect his privacy, and to focus all their resources and energy into the mayor's impending trial instead. Knowing he could use his influence for good and to ensure that the corrupt mayor was given an even harsher sentence due to his underhanded tactics, Markus stayed positive and didn't stoop to the mayor's level of insults and illegal coercion. As he spoke to the reporters briefly and succinctly, Markus was aware of his friends hanging back and watching from the top of the courthouse steps behind him as they continued to support him.

Hovering just inside the courthouse doors Connor and Hank watched as Markus spoke to the media and stayed out of sight. They wanted to leave after the media left to ensure no one tried to ask them questions about what happened, or ask for their opinion on the matter as police detectives. It was a historic sight to behold as Markus walked free and the true criminals remained behind bars.

"She did it." Connor whispered as he replayed the court's events in his mind. "Skye managed to expose the lies without lying herself."

"Sounds like Skye was destined to be a defense attorney." Giving the deviant at his side a confident nod Hank was thoroughly impressed with how she handled herself in the courtroom. "She kept her cool, stuck to the facts and didn't let those assholes creep under her skin."

From behind the two detectives Noriko appeared and addressed them respectfully. "Excuse me, Lieutenant Anderson and Sergeant Wolf?" As the duo turned to face her the gracious prosecutor spoke up again. "May I ask for your assistance when it comes to the mayor's trial?"

"Us?" Hank answered for Connor and himself as he gave the woman an odd glance. "We're not the ones handling the case."

"I'm aware, but you both have experiences with the mayor in some capacity. Could you potentially act as chracter witnesses for the prosecution if it becomes necessary?"

"Uh... I guess so. I don't know how we could possibly help, but sure."

"Thank you. And if you see Miss Skye," she looked back and forth between Hank and Connor as she spoke. "tell her I'm impressed. She's the first rookie attorney to destroy one of my cases, and in a way I'm glad she did. Those men... They have the right to speak their minds and plead their cases, it's just too bad every word they spoke was a repugnant lie."

As Noriko took her leave of the courthouse as well Hank glanced about, and realized he didn't see Skye anywhere. "Huh. Wonder where Skye is?"

"...I don't know." Glancing about as well Connor found it odd Skye seemingly was no longer in the courthouse. "Perhaps she was summoned to the judge's chambers after the trial concluded."

"Maybe."

"...I'm going to find her. To talk."

"Sure." Picking up on what Connor was really saying Hank just asked a simple question before the deviant took off. "Want me to stick around?"

"No, it's okay. You can go home and I'll take a cab back to the house."

"Okay. I'll see ya' back at home. Hopefully there's been some progress on the house while we were away."

Setting out to find Skye and speak to her in a congratulatory manner Connor scoped out the courthouse, but saw no sign of the defense attorney. Almost unsure if it'd be appropriate to ask if anyone had seen her, Connor fell back into detective mode and easily followed her footsteps after scanning the floor in the courthouse. He then followed the faint trail of her shoe prints leading to the rear doors of the courthouse.

She had walked out to the street and gotten into a vehicle. An autonomous cab most likely.

"She must've gone back to the library."

Hailing a cab of his own Connor decided to meet up with the deviant so he could congratulate her for her success in the courtroom. She not only saved Markus from being locked away based on a criminal and corrupt man's lies, but she actually made history by being a deviant lawyer who saved the future of their deviant leader.

Arriving at the house Hank parked the Oldsmobile in the driveway as per usual, and was quickly impressed at the quick and efficient construction being made on the house itself. It was clear that the work was being performed by deviants and he was so glad that they were working so quickly as it meant the construction would be finished before winter arrived. The second room on the ground floor was nearly complete already, and the loft being attached to the newly developed second floor gave the house itself some intriguing character. The staircase reaching up to the second floor was being built into the livingroom, and would be accessed from a new doorway next to the bookcase along the wall.

Opening the front door Hank wasn't at all surprised to see Lucas laying on the livingroom floor with Sumo cuddled up over his abdomen. It was nice to see that the deviant knew he was welcome in the house at all times and wasn't afraid to make himself at home. Not only had Lucas been supervising the construction, but he had been wanting to spend more time with his family.

"Hey, Lucas."

"Hello, Hank." Sitting upright with mild difficulty since Sumo didn't want to budge, Lucas gave the senior detective a respectful nod. "I heard of the successful case and that Skye was able to inadvertently gain more evidence to support the accusations that the mayor is a corrupt politician."

"Yeah, one of the best cases I ever got to witness firsthand." Smirking devilishly as he knew that the mayor was now shaking in his boots. "Too bad you couldn't have been there, too."

"I chose to not go, I wasn't ordered to stay back."

"Oh?"

"Yes. I didn't want to be there in case I... Well, I'm the one who handled the evidence that was supposed to be used against Markus."

"Don't feel shitty because you did your job properly." Shrugging off his coat and shoes to place by the front door, Hank sat down on the couch and patted the cushions to call Sumo over so the massive dog would finally leave the deviant alone. "Besides, Markus is okay and the mayor's going to go down in flames like he deserves."

Agreeing a little Lucas glanced at the front door and realized Hank returned alone. "Where is Connor?"

"...He, uh, he went to talk to Skye."

Lucas couldn't keep the small grin from appearing on his face. "That's good."

"Do you know something I don't?"

"Doubtful." A casual shrug of his shoulders conveyed that Lucas was being sincere. "I'm merely implying it's good that Connor wants to speak to her rather than walk away."

"Fair point." Rubbing his right hand over Sumo's ears Hank watched as Lucas joined him on the couch, and then kicked his feet up on the coffee table. "So, how much do you wanna' bet he doesn't come home tonight?"

"I've learned very quickly to never bet against you whenever you're certain something will play out."

"Smart thinking..."

"In a way, I'm hoping he doesn't return to the house." Lucas sighed to himself and leaned back against the couch cushion behind him. "It could mean he and Skye will finally be able to make amends and move on with their lives."

"Together or separately?"

"That..." The question made his blue L.E.D. flicker to yellow for a cycle. "That I'm not sure about."

"Does he talk to you about her?"

"Only that she's the first deviant he fell in love with. I'm not sure how much she loved him in return, but based on the intense reaction he had after their fight I can only assume that their passion for one another, while kept unspoken, ran very deep."

"That's what I figured. I don't know what Skye went through or why she's so guarded, but I'm not going to judge her." Patting Lucas's shoulder once Hank asked the deviant about his own love-life. "How about you? Anyone special in your life?"

"No. I haven't found anyone I felt that particular way toward."

"Got a type?"

The question was both cryptic and esoteric. "...'A type'?"

"You know... Do you think brunettes are attractive? Do you like an athletic build? Maybe an accent?"

"O-Oh, now I understand. I will admit that I think Chloe is very pretty."

"What about her is pretty to you?"

"...I believe I like blondes. She also has very pretty blue eyes."

"Yup, you gotta' type. A classic type at that."

"Blonde hair and blue eyes?"

"Yup. Lots of people find that particular combination especially attractive."

"Good to know I'm somewhat normal."

"Yeah, just 'somewhat'. And, uh, you said you were drawn to Chloe. Are you only drawn to ladies?"

The second question wasn't cryptic but it was odd. "Are you asking if I'm bisexual?"

"Nothing wrong with that if ya' are. Just curious."

"So far I've only been attracted to Chloe and no one else."

"You need to hit the dating scene and meet other people." Crossing his arms over his chest Hank glanced at the new doorway to the second floor staircase over the back of the couch, and then sighed. "You never know who you'll fall in love with."

"Feeling lonely?"

"Nah, I got you boys and this giant oaf to keep me company." Receiving a grumble from Sumo in return Hank just resumed petting his ears. "Besides, I'm too old to deal with all that crap again."

"You're not old, you're experienced."

"Yeah, yeah... Still not interested in dating, kid. I'll give ya' some pointers, but I won't put myself back on the market."

Arriving at the library just as the sun began to set in the horizon Connor rushed up the front steps to the library, and located the pillar securing the hidden door leading to the second floor loft. Ignoring the burning glare from the librarian who watched the deviant detective's every move from behind the front desk, Connor unlocked the hidden doorway and quietly walked up the interior spiral staircase to get to the second floor. As he reached the top of the staircase and stood just inside the doorway, Connor could hear soft crying and knew that Skye was in her loft and she was struggling with her overwhelmed emotions after the tense trial.

Forcing himself to stand at the top of the staircase Connor peered through the doorway and saw Skye sitting on the bed pulled out of the sofa with her back to the staircase, and her tear filled eyes staring through the window before her. Unaware of someone watching her from afar Skye pressed her shaking right hand to her face as she wept through her pent-up emotions. Her left arm was wrapped around herself as if trying to give herself a hug.

"Skye?" Calling her name gently Connor saw her posture stiffen as she dropped both of her hands to her lap and tried to regain her composure. "...Can I come in for a moment?"

"...Y-Yeah. It's fine."

Crossing the floor with silent footsteps Connor stood beside the bed and looked at Skye's face being reflected on the clean window. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just... Just shaken. Really shaken."

"Because you faced your attackers without them knowing who you were?"

"No. It's because..." Pausing for a moment Skye struggled to articulate her feelings and her thoughts in that very confusing moment. "I realized how wrong I had been."

The confession left Connor perplexed and a little lost. "What about?"

"Connor," turning to look up at him as he stood beside her Skye's hazel eyes filled with fresh tears. "I was so wrong about many things. I used to think that it was so simple to separate good from evil. That it was so easy to just point to anyone who broke the law, and throw them behind bars. And now... I can see how foolish and myopic I had been."

Sitting down on the bed beside her Connor resisted the urge to wrap his right arm around her shoulders as he didn't want to accidentally overstep any personal boundaries.

"I was wrong to call you a monster for doing what you did. The way those three men showed no remorse or regret, and the way they look right at me and didn't recognize me as one of their victims... Now I now what a true monster looks like." Wiping away her tears Skye steadied her voice and managed to stop crying. "I also now understand the difference between doing what's right legally, what's right ethically and what's right morally. Good and evil, right and wrong, they aren't nearly as simple as we'd like to believe. What we tell ourselves to believe it because it's easier to believe a popular ideal than it is to understand the truth."

"Our world is very gray. It's not black and white like it was during the Revolution." Understanding her confusion and new reasoning Connor empathized with her entirely. "And that's how it should be; no two sides pitted against each other, a blended world of ideals, beliefs and the truth."

"You're right. Now I understand why you and Markus attacked those horrible men like that. And I now understand why it was so hard for you to tell me the truth, and that it must've taken so much courage to admit to what you've done. Those men are complete cowards," letting out a calming sigh Skye found herself a new inner strength to fall back on. "that's why they can't admit that they did anything wrong. You admitted it and Markus admitted, you're both truly brave and noble. It may have been a moral gray area, but it was the only way to bring us justice. Thank you for telling me the truth."

"You deserved to know the truth, Skye. You were going through something unimaginably horrible and you were desperate for closure. I just wanted to help."

"And in turn I attacked you and I said horrible things. You didn't deserve that." Turning away from Connor again Skye stared through her window and shook her head. "I understand why you won't forgive me, and I deserve it."

"No, you don't. Me intentionally being cold just to hurt you... That was wrong. You were speaking honestly, asking for my help and you apologized to me. I was wrong for brushing you off like that. I was being intentionally hurtful and I'm sorry for doing that to you when you did the right thing."

"...I guess we're both flawed and a little fucked up, huh?"

"That doesn't mean we're worthless."

"Thank you for saying that."

Noting the late hour and wondering if he was intruding Connor decided to test the waters. "...Do you want to be alone?"

"No, actually. But I can't ask you to stay, either."

"...Well, you could." Lifting his arm slowly Connor gave Skye a small hug up against his side to comfort her. "We may have had our problems in the past, but that doesn't mean we can't stay together. Even if that just means we're friends and nothing more."

"How do we know if we're better off as just friends or... more?"

Staring at Skye for only a moment Connor didn't move and didn't resist when Skye slowly leaned in for a kiss. Returning the kiss Connor shifted his weight as Skye wrapped her arms around his neck, and he wrapped his arms around her upper back and hip to lay her down on the bed with a very gentle motion. Moving slowly and carefully Connor let Skye engage in everything to ensure he didn't misread the situation or do something that would frighten her after she had been assaulted.

"Stay with me, Connor." Kissing him again Skye pulled her long, brunette hair out of its bun and slowly unbuttoned her blouse as the locks fell freely over her shoulders. "...Please."

"If you me want to stay then I'll stay."

"I do. I want you to stay." Wrapping her arms around his neck again Skye pulled him closer toward herself. "I want to know if what we have can still work."

Kissing her again Connor agreed to stay.

Deep down inside he knew that he and Skye needed to heal from their wounds, several of which were self inflicted, if they were really going to be able to move on with their lives. They needed to know what they meant to one another, they needed to know if what they felt was indeed love.

-next chapter-

Author's Note: Again, I'm not law savvy so take these details, terms and outcomes with a grain of salt. Also, yes, I'm aware that no evidence can legally make a dramatic appearance in a court of law. Any and all evidence must be provided beforehand to allow the prosecution and the defense ample time to review said evidence and determine whether or not it holds any merit to the case.