A/N: I know I keep saying this, but you guys truly are amazing. This is the most-reviewed story I've ever written, and I have all of you to thank for that. Honestly. This story will have one more chapter after this one, and then... well, who knows? I'm currently working on an original fic. So we'll see how that goes. Let me know what you think of this chapter!

Shannon: Thanks so much for your review! I love that you picked up on the title: It's my favorite James Taylor song too. I guess this chapter would be the closest to matching up to the words of the song, but I don't know how much it has to do with the plot. I pick titles based on songs I really like or songs that I can hear as part of a soundtrack to it. And this just happened to be the one that I could picture as part of the soundtrack. :D Thanks again!

Chapter 7

Arraignment
Part 42
Monday, April 23

"Docket ending one-two-eight-seven, People versus Wilhelm Braun, also known as Joseph Adolphus. Charge is two counts of murder in the first degree, fifty counts of attempted murder in the first degree."

"How does the defendant plead?" Judge Lena Petrovsky asked in a bored monotone, barely looking up from her desk.

"Not guilty," Braun answered loudly.

"What a surprise. People on bail, Ms. Novak?"

Casey looked up from her file and rested her hands on the sides of the podium. "The People request remand, Your Honor."

"Your Honor," Rebecca Balthus interrupted, shooting a condescending look in Casey's direction, "my client is a legal resident of this country, has a solid job in a well-known financial company, and has never been in trouble with the law."

"The defendant entered the United States under an assumed name, brutally gunned down two small children at a Hebrew school in Manhattan, and tried to blow up a synagogue in Brooklyn," Casey argued. "He's a dangerous man, hell-bent on re-enacting the Final Solution here in New York. Bail should be a moot point."

"Pure rhetoric, Your Honor," Balthus returned.

"It's evidence, Ms. Balthus." Petrovsky sighed and looked back and forth between the two women. "Defendant is remanded without bail. Fifteen minute recess." She banged her gavel, the sound echoing through the courtroom.

Braun looked over at Casey and winked at her. "Nice work, baby," he said softly as he passed her. She just glared at him contemptuously.

Balthus watched as her client was led away by two court officers, then turned to Casey. "Cards on the table, Casey."

The ADA shoved her legal pad into her briefcase and stepped away from her podium. "I have an airtight case against your client. He murdered two little boys and tried to kill another fifty."

"That doesn't mean he doesn't deserve some consideration."

"I offered him a deal. He told us where the bomb was, I'd consider the possibility of parole. But your client turned it down. So now, I'm going to make sure that he's at least ninety years old before he's ever considered for parole. His corrections officers' parents haven't even been born yet."

"Casey, you know he's just using this trial as a platform for his views. Now, normally I wouldn't object, but you know as well as I do that we're heading down a dangerous road here."

"I'm not willing to offer a deal to a man who gunned down two children in cold blood. And even if I happened to think your client deserved an offer, there's no way in hell my boss would sign off on it."

Balthus shrugged. "Suit yourself. But when this courtroom turns into a circus, I won't say I told you so." She glanced behind her, and her patented smirk slowly spread across her face. "By the way, your boyfriend wants to talk to you."

Casey looked past the shorter woman to see Elliot standing in the gallery, patiently waiting for her. She sighed and glared at Balthus. The legal aid lawyer slid past her and disappeared into the crowd of people.

"Hey," Elliot said with a smile as Casey walked up to him.

"Walk with me." She grabbed his arm and gently pulled him toward the door as the clerk shouted out another docket number.

"What did Balthus want?" he asked as she led him through the door and into the bustling lobby outside.

"A deal."

"You're not going to give it to her, are you?" He stopped suddenly and pulled her toward the wall. "Casey, this guy's evil. We have him cold, everything legal for once."

"I know." She gently touched his arm. "I'm not offering him one. But there is something else I want to talk to you about."

He raised his eyebrows and grinned. "We, uh, could talk about it at home."

Casey chuckled and shook her head. "Tempting, but not right now. I'm going to use Munch in the trial."

Elliot's grin slowly disappeared. "What?"

"Elliot, Balthus knows about us. She walked in on us practically making out in my office. If I put you on the stand, she'll ask you about our relationship."

"It's not prohibited."

"No, it's not, but do you really want the jury to infer that the case has been biased?"

"You can take care of that."

"I could try, but I'd rather not take the risk." She stepped closer to him and lowered her voice. "Besides, I thought we agreed that we'd tell everyone when we were ready. Do you really want them to find out about our relationship like this? And have it become public record?"

Elliot sighed. As much as he hated it, she was right. Again. "I guess you have a point."

Casey softly put her hand on his arm. "I don't like it any more than you do. But we have to be careful with this one."

"I know." A slow grin suddenly split his face. "Do we still get to go home together?"

She chuckled. "You didn't really think I'd let Rebecca Balthus get in the way of that, did you?"

Apartment of Casey Novak
Thursday, May 17

Casey sighed and rubbed her exhausted eyes. It was nearly midnight, and she was seated at her kitchen table surrounded by law books, case files, pictures, and legal pads. The Braun case had gone smoothly thus far. Munch was terrific on the stand as usual, and the jury had listened intently at the testimony from an Argentinean ambassador about Braun's nefarious heritage. O'Halloran had testified about the rifle and bomb, wrapping up the case for the People nicely.

The defense only had one witness – Braun himself.

And Casey was going to nail him to the wall with his own words.

So she really didn't know why she was up at midnight the night before he testified. It would be an open-and-shut case. The evidence was solid.

But she wanted to make sure. She couldn't afford to lose this one, even on some small technicality.

"Hey."

She turned around to see a sleepy, bare-chested Elliot standing in her bedroom doorway. "Hey," she returned with a smile.

"Are you coming to bed?"

Casey looked at her papers, then looked back at Elliot. She gave him a small smile and shook her head, her ponytail coming to rest on her shoulder. "I think I'll work a little while longer."

He yawned and walked up behind her, his large hands gently gripping her shoulders. "You should get some sleep." His lips brushed against her bare neck, and she giggled when his stubble tickled her cheek. "It's past your bedtime."

"I'll come in a little while."

"You're going to string him up by his balls, baby." He softly nibbled her earlobe. "We have an airtight case."

"I just want to be sure." She couldn't concentrate with him this close to her, his hot breath on her neck. Casey could feel arousal shoot through her veins like heroin.

"Well, you're sure not going to be able to do anything when you're tired."

"You're going to need to stop turning me on, then. Or I'll never get any sleep."

Elliot chuckled and massaged her shoulders with his fingers. "You know, you're something special."

"Mmm, I do what I can. Now you need to stop putting me to sleep so I can get some work done."

"Okay, okay." He released her shoulders and pressed one last kiss into her hair. "By the way, I'm really glad you said yes all those months ago."

Casey looked over her shoulder at him and smiled. "Me too." She tilted her head up a little, and Elliot gently kissed her lips. "Don't wait up."

"Don't stay up too late."

Trial, Part 46
Friday, May 18

Casey and Elliot flashed their badges at the court officer and squeezed past the metal detectors. "You didn't come to bed until after one last night," Elliot said quietly.

"I was trying to prep. Braun's a slippery character."

"Somehow I doubt he's going to slip out of this one. Especially with one of the finest DA's in the city prosecuting him."

She smiled. "Thanks for the compliment. Like I told you last night, I just wanted to be sure." Suddenly she felt someone jostle her, and she glanced up to see a handsome blonde man with a briefcase next to her.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," he apologized quickly.

"No worries," she replied with a smile. Her smile widened as the blonde man held open the door for her and Elliot. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." His smile never faltered, even as Elliot glared at him as he passed through the doorway.

"Jerk," Elliot muttered, following Casey toward the front.

"Jealous." Casey grinned at him.

"I just don't like guys hitting on my girl."

"He was being polite."

"Yeah, well, I think he had something else on his mind other than politeness."

Casey chuckled. "You're cute when you're jealous." She glanced over to see the blonde man slide in behind the defense table. Balthus and her client were talking animatedly, and Braun didn't even look up as the blonde man sat down.

"All rise. The Honorable Judge Walter Bradley presiding."

Bradley took his seat and motioned to the court. "Be seated. Ms. Balthus, is the defense ready to proceed?"

"Yes, Your Honor," Balthus answered as she stood. "The defense calls Wilhelm Braun to the stand."

Braun slid past his attorney and slowly made his way to the witness stand. Casey watched him carefully. Suddenly, she thought she saw him shift something under his jacket, under the sleeve. Casey shook her head. I must be more tired than I thought.

Then the unthinkable happened.

In the blink of an eye, Braun whirled around and rushed at Casey. A scream echoed through the courtroom, seemingly suspended there by some invisible power. In a flash, he'd pulled her up out of her chair and pressed the tip of a knife into her throat. "Don't you dare move," he hissed into her ear, wrapping his arm around her chest and pulling her against his body.

The courtroom erupted into chaos. People scrambled over chairs and benches to get out. A court officer rushed Bradley out the side door, and another bailiff ran toward them. Balthus ducked under the defense table, shouting at Braun to stay calm and not do anything stupid. It's a little late for that, Elliot thought.

"Don't get any closer!" Braun shouted. Casey gasped as the point of the knife dug deeper into her throat. Her eyes flitted over in Elliot's direction. He'd drawn his weapon.

"Casey, stay calm," Elliot said, keeping his gun pointed at the smirking Braun. He jerked his head toward the bailiff. "Get outta here." Behind him, Munch had his own gun drawn and pointed at Braun. The bailiff grabbed Balthus, pulled her out from under the table, and quickly ushered her through the side door.

"So, here we are, Detective," Braun said softly. "This is quite a twist, is it not?"

"Let her go, Braun."

"You realize I have absolutely nothing to lose. You said it yourself. I'll be going to jail for the rest of my life. And here I have the unique chance to take away something dear to you."

"She's got nothing to do with this."

"Actually, she has everything to do with this. You know what my grandfather told me? The way to break someone is to take away everything they love, everything they hold dear. Why do you think the Fuhrer took away the Jews' houses, businesses, families, possessions? He wanted to break them mentally before breaking them physically."

"Braun, you don't have to be like your grandfather. He was a coward. He preyed on people weaker than him."

"My grandfather was a great man!" Braun shouted. "He saw what the Jews did to his country. Charging interest where it wasn't deserved, controlling the banks, leaving the rest of the country in absolute poverty! And your country was just as guilty. You left us with nothing after the war! After both wars!"

"Listen, Braun. She and I had nothing to do with that. That was sixty years ago. The war's over. The movement's over."

"The movement is just beginning." Casey let out a whimper as Braun increased the pressure on the knife, and Elliot's grip on his gun tightened. "Soon, the true Aryans will rise up against your Jew-supporting government and take back what is theirs."

"It's a pipe dream, Braun."

"It's the truth! It's already begun, Detective. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold at Columbine. Charles Manson. The KKK. There are plenty of others willing to take up arms against the inequalities in this country. I am just the catalyst for it."

"Elliot," Casey whispered. "Elliot, shoot him."

"Yes, Elliot," Braun said mockingly. "Shoot me, and shoot the woman you love. Or let us go. Let me go on with the revolution you know is coming."

"You know I can't do that, Braun."

Braun put his mouth next to Casey's ear and softly nipped at it. Elliot's stomach twisted in anger and disgust. "I have an idea. I'll take her with me. We can have a little fun. Build our very own perfect race. Could you just imagine how beautiful those babies would be?"

Elliot's grip on his gun tightened with every word.

"Blue eyes. Beautiful blonde hair." Braun swept Casey's long hair back with his knife hand and pressed a kiss against her neck. She tried desperately to suppress the shiver of revulsion that rushed through her body. "The perfect Aryan children."

"Shoot him, Elliot," she whispered. "Just shoot him."

His blue eyes bored into Casey's. They stared back at him, filled with more fright than he'd ever seen in them before. "I love you, Casey," he said softly. Then he raised his gun and squeezed the trigger.

Bang! Bang!

Braun's head jerked back, and two small holes appeared right in the middle of his forehead, emitting a fine pink mist in the air as a thick stream of blood trickled down his face, some of it splattering onto Casey's jacket. The hand holding the knife jerked, and the knife crashed to the floor, shattering into a million pieces. Casey broke away from his falling body and stumbled to Elliot's side, falling into his strong arms.

As she buried her face in his shoulder, Braun's cold blue eyes rolled up to the ceiling, completely and totally empty of hate.