Well, as promised, here is the next chapter within the week. I asked for 10 reviews for the next update, and you all gave me 16. How generous! Thank you all very much.

The last chapter was mainly about how daily life was for them now that they were on their own and I wasn't too happy with it, but it was okay. It got no flames so that was a plus!

Man, all of you want Shizuru huh? Well, she is in this chapter. I don't plan on this one being very long, so we'll see what happens.

Enjoy.


Early morning settled as a grayness over the land, wetting the landscape in a fresh mist of dew. The sun hadn't risen fully yet and the sky was gray-pink color. Light birdsong flitted through the air to welcome the coming of daylight before it arrived, like a herald would call for his king. Very few people were awake to see this tender awakening of dawn, but there was one who was.

I leaned against the window, head pressed against the glass, and stared out into the world. I had been there a long time, simply staring at my reflection against the glass and the dark spots of the birds shooting through the air. From all that had happened the day before I couldn't get any sleep and had decided to occupy my mind with something so I made myself comfortable and stared out the window.

Still, no matter how long I stared outside and watched it turn from night to dawn, no matter how long I stayed up and stared at the stars, I couldn't shake away my problems. The thought of having one job still lingered strong within me, stressing me out in even more until it settled like a stiffness in my back. Even though I had Mai's help, it still wouldn't be enough. I had to do something quickly or else I would drown, and not just me but Alyssa and Anberlin as well.

I sighed, breath fogging up the glass of the window and smothering my reflection in a misty, white cloud. If only there was a way to make problems disappear with a flick of the wrist or a snap of the fingers. If that were possible then everything that I had tried so hard to achieve would be mine. I would be able to keep the house and my sisters with and give them a better life than this. If only . . . miracles did happen.

The alarm in my room began to blare and I closed my eyes. Another day had snuck up on me and I was far from ready for it. The court date was scheduled for later that morning and I had nothing to stand on. This trial would be the deciding factors of if I would be allowed to still keep my sisters . . . or they would be taken away indefinitely. It had been a hearing I dreaded for a long time and there was no way I would be brave enough to face it . . . but I had to. I had rebuked my privilege to run away when I had decided to step up and be an adult. I wasn't a child anymore.

Tearing away from the window, I half-heartedly made my way down the hall and into Anberlin's room.

Another day.


Breathing in deeply the rich aroma of coffee beans and vanilla extract, I tried to calm my nerves. My head rested in my hands as I leaned against the counter, trying to escape the fact that I had a trial in an hour. But not even the friendly chatter of the customers nor the warmth of the flowing coffee could ease my tension. By the end of the day my world could ultimately shift for the worse . . . again.

Mai interacted with her last customer before coming over to me. "Natsuki, you need to relax. You're psyching yourself out."

I looked up, exhausted an drained. Suddenly, I became very aware of how tired I was from a night of no sleep. "I can't help it. What's going to happen? I could lose my sisters, Mai, then what am I going to do? They're the only reason why I've stuck it out so long. If they're gone . . ." I lowered my head. I couldn't even think of what I would do if I was left alone.

Mai gripped my shoulders tightly and tugged me into a more private part of the shop where we could talk. She had Midori, a fiery aspiring actress, cover for us while we conversed. Placing me against the wall, Mai looked at me with stern, amethyst eyes. "Stop it," she ordered. "You're not going to lose them. You deserve to have your sisters with you no matter what. You take care of them and provide for them no matter what sacrifices you have to make."

I groaned. While all of that was very heart-warming and what I needed to hear, it did little to make me feel better. "The court doesn't care about sacrifice, Mai. All that matters is who makes a stronger case." I sat down backwards on a stool, forehead pressed against the steel back. "All I have is a pity case with no strong evidence . . . I don't even have a lawyer."

My long-term friend nearly lost it. Her eyebrows shot to her head and she stared down at me. "What do you mean 'you don't have a lawyer'? That's the first thing you should have done! You've had, what? A month to prepare for this?"

A frustrated sigh escaped me. I needed someone to confide in, not someone to yell at me for being forgetful and stupid and my anger boiled over. "I wasn't think about a damn lawyer!" I howled, shooting up from my seat to bear down upon her. I was screaming at the top of my lungs. "I had money to earn, I had food to put on the table! That was my main concern, Mai! I wasn't thinking about anything else. If I needed someone to tell me how stupid I am, I would have just stayed with my mother!"

I paused, suddenly very aware of what I had said and how I said it. Just because I was upset didn't give me the right to go off on Mai. She was the only person who was willing to help. I sat back down and hung my head in shame.

"Mai . . . I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell, I just . . ." I shut up. There was no excuse for how aggressive I was.

Calming her breathing, Mai kept a safe distance. I didn't blame her. I would be scared if someone went off on me like that too. "Natsuki . . ."

"I'm sorry," I apologized again. "That's been in there a long time."

"Are you sure you're okay to go to court?" she asked in a concerned voice. "It's going to need all of your concentration and if you're tired then -"

"I'm fine," I insisted, voice a little harsher than what I would have liked it to be. Taking in a deep breath, I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. I realized that it could have used a good washing, and my clothes were a little worse for wear. I was in no position to go to court . . . and win. "I just . . . I need it all to stop . . ."

Mai finally gathered up the courage and approached me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "You're not alone in this, Natsuki. You have me and your sisters. We'll all be there for you. As I said yesterday you won't fall."

A smile couldn't help but touch my lips. Those words always brought comfort to me, and I would never get tired of hearing them. In all of the crap that had polluted my world, those words were the only goodness I had, the only insurance I could afford.

"Thank you, thanks for saying those words. I really needed to hear them."

Mai smiled back at me and nodded, removing her hand to clutch her hips. "Now, pull yourself together and clean up good. Can't have you going to court looking like that."

The smile grew into a smirk and I raised myself to my full height, smoothing out my shirt. Combing my fingers through my hair, I pulled it back into a ponytail like I normally did whenever it needed to be washed. "But I don't have a lawyer. How am I going to go to court without a lawyer?"

"You let me take care of that," Mai insisted with a wink. "And the money I gave you to pay for one, you can just keep that. I'll pay for it."

"No, you don't have to do that," I moaned. I was never one to let others do anything for me. It always made me feel guilty.

"I know I don't have to, but I want to. You deserve this, Natsuki. It's my gift to you."

I was reluctant to accept that as an answer. If I deserved it then everything that had happened in my life I deserved which did nothing to improve my confidence. I couldn't imagine what I did to deserve that lifestyle I was living, but it must have been something horrible. Still, a lawyer was what I really needed and if I didn't have to pay for one, that made it all the better. Perhaps there was a silver lining to every cloud, no matter how dark they are.

"Thank you," I said again, a large grin on my face. "I don't know what I would do without you."

Mai could only beam.


The courthouse was on the other side of town from my job so I had no choice but to take a bus. It wasn't something I normally did, since I would have either walked or used my bike (which I still needed to get replace), but since I was pressed for time I didn't have much of a choice.

Digging into my pocket, I put in the exact change needed and took a seat near the middle so I could stare out of the window. For some reason whenever I looked out of the window, it gave me a sense of calm. Watching the people go by in a whir of speed, it really put "watching life pass by" in perspective.

I would often wonder what kind of lives each of the people were leading, what hardships they had to endure and what blessings. I imaged that all of them had better luck than me: a home, no debt, a family, love - all of the things I craved. It had always been a secret wish of mine what life would be like if I could step into another person's shoes, a more fortunate person, and taste the splendor of life rather than the tragedy. In all the years since Dad passed, I had survived but never really lived.

The bus stopped at another stop and when two men stepped on, I immediately shrunk back, turning my head so that they wouldn't recognize me as they passed to the back of the bus. Reito Kanzaki and Tate Yuuichi, two cohorts of Nao, were some of the most notorious narcotic dealers in Fuuka. Reito was the more docile one, allowing negotiations before he brought the hammer down, literally. Tate was a bum that would hang back, but when a fight was brewing he was usually the first one swinging. My heart hammered as they approached me and in my mind I could imagine them seeing me and jumping me. I would surely die if they caught me. If there was one rule I remembered from my days under Nao, it was that if you defected from the game, you died. I only relaxed when they found seats and sat down, talking in quiet whispers to themselves.

The energy left my body in one big wave and I couldn't help but slump down in my seat, eyes glued to their reflections in the window glass. Not once did I allow them out of my sight through the whole bus ride, hoping against hope that they would not recognize me.

It felt like forever until the bus finally arrived at the stop just down the street from the courthouse. Before it even stopped, I jumped up from my seat and raced down the isle towards the doors. My eyes were focused just on the doors and the sidewalk outside, never once looking back to see if Reito or Tate were following me. I jumped from the steps of the bus and landed heavily on the sidewalk, losing my balance and tumbling to the ground. My eyes were glued to the bus as it began to pull away from the stop, and I was stunned that they didn't notice I had gotten up in a rather conspicuous manner. Perhaps my lucky stars were shining down upon me.

Picking myself up from the street, I dusted my jeans and turned to hurry down the street. From the time I saw on the bus, I had ten minutes to hustle into court and get myself ready. Kicking my legs faster, I made it to the large courthouse and jumped up the many marble steps. My heart was pounding and the muscles burned in my legs and arms as sweat beaded on my face. My respectable image was fading, but I couldn't focus on that. All that mattered was I make it on time.

Passing into the building, I noticed the air conditioner was on which helped to cool some of the sweat. The soles of my shoes hammered hard upon the marble floor as I passed through a hallway, glancing at all the doors to see which one my case was in. My hope faded as I passed more doors without any indication, thinking I had missed my chance. If I wasn't going to have a fair trial, then I seriously wouldn't know what to do.

Salvation came in the form a black sign with white letters written upon it: Case 205: Kuga versus Thompson. A smile creased my face and a large sigh was forced from my lungs. I hadn't missed my chance! Taking another calming breath, I walked up to the doors and pushed them open.

The courtroom was nearly empty save for a couple of people that I didn't know. They all stared at me as I walked down the isle towards the stand, moving off to the side to stand by myself in the defendant part of the court. I glanced to my right and bristled, all stress flooding into me. My chest began to get tight and it made breathing difficult as well as a numbing pain in the middle of my back. A mirror image of myself looked back at me without any warmth or kindness, peering through the frames of her large glasses.

It was the first time in four years I had seen my mother and all of the animosity that had brewed from her leaving began to boil inside me like lava. There were so many things I wanted to say to her, to do to her, but I held myself back. Any mistake in this court would seal my fate and I would never win. Beside her stood one of the topmost lawyers in the city. I recognized him from all of the fancy commercials he had on the TV. Only the rich of the rich could afford him and I felt my courage began to dwindle. I was nothing compared to a big bulldog like him.

The judge called the court to order and shifted through a few papers on her desk. Adjusting her glasses, she picked up a paper. "Saeko Thompson, you're suing your daughter Natsuki Kuga for custody of your two other daughters, Anberlin Kuga and Alyssa Thompson."

My mother nodded. "That is correct."

I couldn't help but growl. She didn't even want her kids and now all of a sudden she decided to take them back? It baffled me and I couldn't help but wonder what other motive she had for getting them back.

"And on what grounds are you pushing for custody?" she asked.

"Child abuse and neglect," the lawyer replied. "We have evidence to believe that the defendant Natsuki Kuga has refused to pay for substantial food and housing and has repeatedly left a minor alone in the house for several hours without any way of providing for herself."

"That's not true!" I piped, no longer able to hold my tongue. "I've never abused my sisters. They're good kids."

"Ms. Kuga," the judge said, looking to me, "please refrain from making any comments unless permitted to do so."

The tense muscle in my back stiffened even more and I felt the urge to say something mounting in the back of my throat. I wanted so badly to say that they were wrong, that I had done nothing to wrong to my sisters, but I needed to play by their rules. Taking a step back, I quieted my voice. "Yes, ma'am."

She nodded then turned fully to me. "Now, Ms. Kuga, I see that you'll be representing yourself in this case. You have been charged with child abuse and neglect, how do you plead?"

"Not guilty," I instantly said then paused when she said I would be representing myself. There had to have been some mistake. "No, I'm not representing myself. I have a lawyer that's coming soon and -"

"Ms. Kuga unless you have a lawyer present at this moment then you are hereby representing yourself in this matter," the judge explained. "I am very busy and have other cases to get to and cannot wait on a lawyer to arrive."

The blood froze in my veins. Mai had promised she would get me a lawyer and I believed her, but since one wasn't here I began to think that after all these years . . . Mai had actually lied to me. My trust in my lifelong friend was shattered into a million pieces.

"No, Your Honor just wait a little bit longer," I insisted. "I'm sure someone will come."

"You're not getting me, Ms. Kuga," the judge repeated, "I cannot wait for someone to come in. If you can't afford a lawyer then you hold have taken it up with the court to provide one for you. If you can't meet any of the requirements for trial, then I will have no choice but to favor Mrs. Thompson's stand in the matter."

My knees began to tremble upon hearing all of these technicalities. I wasn't as prepared as I had thought. In my ear, I could hear my mother smirking, savoring her imminent victory over me. However, I wouldn't give her the satisfaction of giving in so easily. I would keep fighting.

"Your Honor please," I begged, something my pride wasn't beyond. Desperate times called for desperate measures. "I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. Everything is falling down around me and my sisters are all I have. I have waited so long to get a fair trial and if you wait a little longer then I'm sure someone will come to represent me."

She wasn't buying my sob story. "I'm sorry, but the law is the law. Now if nothing else will come up, then I have no other option but to side -"

The doors swung open suddenly, causing all of us to look back.

That was the first time I saw her.

"Sorry I'm late," Shizuru Viola called as she hurried down the isle. "I would have gotten here sooner had I not been caught u with another case."

The judge looked dumbfounded. "Shizuru?"

"How are you doing, Judge April?" Shizuru asked casually as she came to stand beside me, placing a briefcase down upon the table.

With her beside me, I was able to get a good look at her. She was a very beautiful woman of average height, perhaps an inch or two above. She was dressed in a black pinstripe vest with a wine-colored dress shirt beneath as well as a black pencil skirt, pantyhose and heels. Her long tawny hair fell in waves down her shoulders, stopping at her upper back while bangs hung just above her eyes. The deepest crimson eyes stuck out from beneath those bangs and for a moment I had to wonder if they even contacts. They looked so natural . . . yet unnatural at the same time. Her skin was smooth without blemish or flaw, as if it had been carved from the finest ivory the world had to offer. And when she spoke it was with an accent that could only be described as a Southerner from the States. She was beautiful, exotic and my lawyer.

"Cutting it a little close aren't you?" Judge April asked. "I was about to decide a verdict until you showed up."

"That won't be necessary Your Honor since I will furthermore be representing Ms. Kuga until this case is through," Shizuru said professionally as she retained a calm demeanor. "Now, as I understand it, my client is being accused of child abuse and neglect and Mrs. Thompson is pushing for permanent custody. Under what evidence is this proved?"

"We have witness testimony that they have seen Alyssa Thompson home alone as well as with a strange orange-haired woman whom the witness cannot identify," my mother's lawyer stated, pulling documents out of his briefcase.

"Which witnesses would this be now?" Shizuru asked.

He hesitated for a moment before answering, something I found interesting. "Surrounding neighbors have reported -"

"Are you able to identify these -?" Shizuru began.

"Ms. Viola, I'll ask the questions from now on," April said, effectively shutting Shizuru up. "Now, are you able to identify these witness and call them to the stand currently?" Shizuru smirked and gave a small chuckle, as if she had just heard a joke.

Once ore he stopped. "Well, they are currently unavailable as their jobs don't allow -"

"So you don't have any witnesses who will claim that child abuse and neglect have been taking place in the Kuga residence?" April asked, sitting back in her chair as if this whole case was a big joke.

"We didn't necessarily say-" the bumbling lawyer started.

"I'll take that as a no," Judge April decided. "Until the plaintiff can produce plausible and substantial evidence that such reports of neglect are valid, I'm deeming this case suspended for two weeks. Court date is set for the Thursday after next. Court dismissed."

"Excuse me, Your Honor," Shizuru spoke up. "In the meantime the defense requests that full custody be given to Ms. Kuga until further notice."

"Request granted." April slammed her gavel down upon the desk.

I couldn't stop a large smile from spreading across my face, elation surging through me like a drug. There was no describing such a powerful feeling, such joy that I had to catch myself from falling to my knees. I had full custody of my sisters and wasn't going to prison on a child abuse charge and I had a good lawyer. Things were finally looking up.

My mother came over to me, glaring daggers. Too high from my happiness, I paid her little attention. "This isn't over," she hissed. "I will get my daughters back."

My mood dampened and I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. "You don't even want your kids, why are you coming after them now?"

"Natsuki, you don't have to say another word," Shizuru informed me.

"Don't speak for her," my mother told Shizuru, pointing a finger in her face. "She wants to be an adult then she's going to fight her battles like an adult." Her poisonous emerald gaze turned to me. "One way or another I will get my kids. This is far from over." With that she met her husband in the isle and left with him, stealing a glance back to me.

So badly did I want to run after her and sock it to her, give her exactly what she deserved but something held me back. She wasn't worth the energy. With a huge sigh, I looked to Shizuru and smiled, thankful that she had come to my rescue just in time.

"Thank you so much. I thought I was a goner back there." I moved to let myself out into the isle.

Shizuru smiled pleasantly and nodded, following me out. "It's no trouble. It was rather last minute actually. I had come from a narcotics court case representing the people. I had to make it quick if I was going to come here."

A chill ran up my spine at the mention of narcotics and Reito and Tate's faces came into mind. Once again I was reminded how lucky I was to have escaped them. "I see . . . It's a good thing you came while you did." I frowned. "Hey, how you can be a lawyer for narcotics and family court?"

"Well, you're really not supposed to, but let's say I worked very hard." We both left the courtroom abreast, keeping alongside one another in the rush of people traveling to and from court.

"I see. So, did Mai send you?" I asked, thinking she was the person Mai had called up last minute.

Shizuru nodded. "Yes, she and I are old friends and she asked me for a favor. Something about bailing out a cute little kid who was caught between a rock and a hard place."

I pouted. "I am not cute, or a little kid," I argued back. That always seemed to rub me the wrong way, people thinking I was just some kid who didn't know what she was doing.

The lawyer chuckled to herself, a light soft sound, like a whisper meant only for certain ears. "Just kidding, but she said that you needed serious help so I told her that I would do what I could."

I was impressed. "Wow, thanks. I appreciate it."

"Anytime."

We both stopped in the lobby of the courthouse and stared at one another, as if unsure what to say to the other at this point. Clearing my throat, I said, "Well I had better get going. I need to pick up my sisters after school today."

Shizuru nodded. "Alright, I have another case coming up soon. How about tomorrow we do lunch and I can catch you up on all you need to know about what you're going to expect for the case?"

I blinked. Was it normally for attorneys and clients to have lunch together? I mean sure it was to discuss legal matters, but still. "Uh, I actually can't. I'm working a double shift and can't make it."

"Oh." Shizuru seemed a little disappointed. "Well, how about the day after and we don't even have to have lunch. You can just swing by the firm and we can discuss what we need to then?"

I thought a moment. That sounded a little more professional than meeting up for lunch and I wasn't exactly doing anything the day after anyways. "Alright, that sounds good."

"Great." Shizuru dug into her briefcase and handed me a card. "Here's my business card. It has the address and a number in case things change."

I looked the card over. The firm was close to where I lived, which made things much easier. I smiled and stuffed it into my pocket. "Great, thanks." My fingers brushed over the wad of bills that Mai had given me the day before. She had told me to keep it for other things, but I didn't feel right about having someone else pay for my problems. It wasn't fair. "Here." I handed them to her. "It's probably not enough to cover your costs, but it's all I have and I can get more to give you later -"

"No need." Shizuru folded the bills back up and pushed them into my palm. "Keep it."

I blinked. "I don't understand."

"I promised I would do this as a favor to a friend," she explained. "This one's on the house." She gave me a bright smile when my jaw dropped.

"A-Are you serious?" I asked, shellshocked. There had to be some catch. No one just did this for old friends!

"As a heart attack," she replied, "and let's hope neither of us have one. Really Natsuki you're going through a tough time and it wouldn't help if I sucked away all your money would it?" When I nodded, she copied my movements. "Good, then we have an understanding." She reached out and we shook hands. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Ms. Kuga. Mai speaks very highly of you."

I shook her hand firmly. Her skin was so soft! "Thanks."

"No problem. Drop by around two or so, I'll just be going on break and a client cancelled on me so we'll have more time." As she pulled away, her finger tickled my palm gently, sending a chill throughout my spine. I pulled my hand back as if I had been bitten. Shizuru paid no heed to my behavior. "Goodbye Ms. Kuga. Take care of yourself."

I watched her turn and leave, holding my tickled hand back in case she would reach for it again.

That was the first time I had encountered Shizuru Viola. I had been ecstatic when she came to my rescue at such short notice, but had I known what I know about her now, I would have turned her away and just represented myself. By the end of the court case, I would truly know what betrayal and heartbreak meant.


I know this was late and I'm sorry! I had a lot of things going on last week with my birthday and all so I didn't have time to write. Not to mention my muse went out the window, so I was completely brain dead for a while.

Length wise this chapter was a little shorter than the last one so, I hope no one minds.

Well! Another chapter down and look! Shizuru's here to throw monkey wrenches in things! Woo!

I have no clue how court systems work so I was just throwing random crap out there in the hopes of it sounding legit. Hopefully I didn't butcher the legal system too bad.

Chapter song: Empire State of Mind Part II by Alicia Keys
(Has nothing to do with the chapter but I really like the song XD)