I'm back by popular demand. Well, one person wanted me back, anyhoo :p. I spent the last three weeks in Canada, and it is absolutely beautiful. I want to live there. So I'm sorry for the delay in updating, and on with the story.

It was a beautiful day. The birds were singing, the sun was shining, the cadaver was decomposing. Wait; that last bit wasn't good.

"PEOPLE, GET ME A BODY BAG!" Ema bellowed.

At once, several new police officers jumped to it, terrified of their superiors fearsome reputation. At first she had attempted to dissuade the rumours. No she hadn't tried to kill Klavier Gavin; no she had never actually thrown acid at anyone. In time, however, they became pretty useful in making sure her orders were followed to the letter.

Happy with her work, she settled back to watch her scurrying subordinates, whilst keeping a wary eye out for any forensic scientists out to steal her thunder. Gavin had been known to call them in just to irritate her, but it appeared today he hadn't bothered, which was both pleasing and surprising.

Unbeknown to her, two little girls intent on mischief were huddled in conference with a sheepish looking Detective Gumshoe.

"So all you have to do is go over and tell her that we're talking about her." Trucy was bouncing on the spot. "Got it?"

"Got it, pal!" The large detective shuffled away self consciously. He wasn't particularly scared by Ema Skye; he'd known her when she was still little and happy, it was just Wright's daughter that worried him. She took after her father.

"Hey, Ema!" He heralded her, breaking into a jog as he approached. "That magician girl was talking about you!"

"Trucy?" Ema mused. "What was she saying?"

"I don't know pal, she just told me to….."

"…"

"Nothing, pal." He slunk away, metaphorical tail between his legs.

Curiosity roused by the flash of a blue cloak behind one of the bushes, Ema crept over; pausing when she got within ear shot of the conversation. The least she could do was throw them off her crime scene.

"No, she's far too proud for that." Trucy paused to check Ema was listening. "And too moody."

Vera took her cue, stuttering. "B-b-but are you sure Klavier is so in love with her."

Ema clapped both hands over her mouth to stifle her gasp. Klavier was not in love with her. No way. He hated her. Didn't he?

"That's what Polly said."

"And did h-h-he want us to tell her?"

"He wanted to, but I talked him out of it. Can you imagine what she would say? She might cause some serious damage." Only the wish to hear more prevented Ema from protesting. She wasn't that bad.

"D-d-doesn't he deserve some love though?"

For once, Trucy sounded quite serious. "I can't think of anyone who deserves it more. He's had such a rough time of it. And he's so pretty."

Ema could practically see Trucy melting through the leaves and she couldn't quite ignore a pang of jealousy. She quickly chided herself for being so ridiculous: jealous of a fifteen year old girl.

Trucy carried on. "Anyway, Ema's far too proud to ever admit having feelings for him, even if she did."

"He is a nice man." Vera's confidence was growing.

"He's lovely." Trucy grinned. "And so talented. But Ema's hated him for so long I think she's incapable of seeing any good in him. She'd laugh herself silly if she knew Klavier loved her so much. Anyway, when are you going out with Apollo?"

Obviously it was a question she knew the answer to, but Vera blushed furiously and began to stammer again. "T-t-t-tomorrow."

"Yay!!" Trucy bounced up and down, clapping her hands together. Then she and Vera hastily retreated, leaving Ema to her thoughts.

The most predominate emotion was anger. "I am NOT proud."

She stuck her bottom lip out, pulling a particularly sulky face. "Do they think that badly of me? I wouldn't laugh at him. It's nice that he cares. And maybe – maybe I could love him back. Couldn't I? He's defiantly easy on the eye and it's not like he's ever actually mean. I bet he could be quite nice given the chance. He's always nice when he wants something."

Ema paused mid tirade. When he wanted something, he would use a certain tone of voice that managed to be pleading with out being whiney. And if that didn't work, he would sneak up behind her and wrap his arms around her waist. The feeling of his hard body pressed against hers gave her tingles. Nice tingles.

"This is not good." Ema muttered to herself, snack bag emerging with incredible speed. "I love him. I love that no good, irritating, remarkably sexy fop. And he loves me back."

For the first time in a long time, Ema returned to work smiling.

…

"He doesn't look like he's in love."

"I don't know. He defiantly looks less orange." The Defence Attorney turned to his companion and mentor.

The pair were speaking in hushed voices, pressed to the wall outside a certain prosecutors office, peeping in through the open door.

"How does that prove he's in love?" Phoenix puzzled.

"Maybe he's washed his fake tan off?"

The older man broke into guffaws that had to be hastily stifled by Apollo's hand.

"Seriously," Apollo continued "Ema hates his fake tan."

"Okay, I take you point." He nodded his acquiescence. "He's in love. Hopefully we've made the world a brighter place." He grinned sarcastically.

"Or at least a little safer." Apollo's answering grin was uncharacteristically wicked.

"Speaking of safer, I went to visit somebody today." Phoenix's face was suddenly grave."

He took Apollo's silence as encouragement. "Kristoph."

"Oh." As ever, Apollo became closed off when his old mentor was mentioned. "Why?"

"Actually, it's a funny story. He wrote to me."

Surprise flitted across Apollo's face, as Phoenix carried on his story. "He said he had some information concerning you."

"Me!?" Apollo choked on the word. "Has he taken out a hit on me or something?"

An ironic smile crossed Phoenix's face. "Nothing like that. He said he had some information for you, if you were serious about Vera." He paused. "Are you serious about Vera?"

Apollo baulked at the suddenness of abruptness of the question. "Well I-I-I think so…."

The other men continued to recount his tale, as though Apollo had never spoken. "He said Vera is in love with him and has been for some time."

Apollo physically flinched at the words. "N-n-no. She can't be. It's not possible. He's….evil." He was shaking his head as he spoke, turning greener by the second.

"I wouldn't believe him either. He said she has been visiting ever since her trial. At first she wanted to know why, as we all do, but now, now she seems to care for him. I left him without accepting his claim, but I couldn't be sure. I spoke to one of the guards."

"And…."

"And he gave me this photo."

Phoenix passed the photo to Apollo, who scrutinised it intently. The slightly crumpled image showed a blurry but definitely blue haired woman, in a long black coat entering the detention centre. The picture was poorly lit, so he could make out no other identifiable features, just the sweep of her long blue hair. Never-the-less, it was enough for Apollo already roused suspicions. He coloured, his expression clouded, and before he could explode, Phoenix pulled him away from Klavier's open door, from where the faint strains of a love song could be heard.

Phoenix, with some difficulty, dragged an immobile Apollo out onto the street in front of the prosecutors' office, where they met a grinning Trucy.

Trucy tipped forward onto her toes and winked at Apollo. "I just walked your Vera home." She giggled.

At these words, Apollo could no longer keep a hold of the intense anger building inside him. My Vera, your Vera, everyone's Vera!" He exploded; chords of steel rasping with strain.

Trucy exchanged a bemused look with her father. "But Vera never leaves the house…."