Disclaimer not mine

Authors note. Sorry for the delay!

Bea verses James

Alesha stared at herself in the mirror, unhappy with the way her collar lay in her robes she was pulling at it as Bea McCardle walked in to the female changing area of the Robes Room. She smiled at the younger woman as Alesha gave up on the collar.

"You and James ready for this?" Her soft Irish accent almost sing song as she spoke. Alesha nodded. The truth was she felt far from happy to be there.

"It's just the pre-trial hearing Bea. Not the real thing" She stepped back.

"Mmm" Bea answered "But that's just it. Why are you even here? I thought George Castle and James Steel were the prosecuting counsel"

"They are. We are working on more than one case you know" Alesha smiled. "I just wanted to be around. I know I won't be able to go in the Court Room but I just wanted to be here" Alesha didn't know why she was telling her friend's ex wife why she was there. She knew she didn't have to.

"So? Wasn't it your boyfriend my client is alleged to have shot?" Bea smiled sweetly as a distinctly male voice could be heard from behind her.

"I think that is what you would call badgering the witness Beatrice. Alesha can be in this building if she wishes. She does work here" James stood in the doorway.

"Indeed" Bea smiled. Alesha smiled gratefully at James as he held the door open.

"So, are we ready?" James asked as Alesha slipped past him in to the main waiting area of the Court.

"Lead the way James, lead the way" Bea's heels clicked on the tile floor as he rolled his eyes. Sometimes, just sometimes he wondered how he ever fell for Bea McCardle let alone married her and had a child.

"It's my weekend to have Andy" He muttered as she raised her eyebrows.

"Calm down James. You'll see him, as soon as this bloody case is over and I know he's safe." She stopped in the doorway, inches from her ex husband.

"I'd never put him in danger!" James hissed.

"I know that! Of course I know that" Bea looked towards the outer room before turning back to James "But you know as well as I do that the man I am defending can't harm any of us, but his friends can. He knows James. He knows exactly who sent Matt and Alesha that card, who sent Angie and Natalie the flowers. And I have to defend him." She folded her arms. The disgust in her voice palpable.

"You believe he's guilty?"

"Is the Pope Catholic?" Bea shook her head "I think he shot Matt Devlin, scared Chloe Franklin and gave Ronnie Brooks the run around. Do I think he sent all that crap? No. You have to make him tell the truth. I have to fight you all the way. That's the way it is James" She stepped back as he smiled and shook his head. Bea would never change. She wanted to win and nothing was going to stop her, not even knowing her client was guilty.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ronnie sat on a bench overlooking the Thames eating a bag of chips as Matt sat down beside him.

"Give us a chip then" Matt stole one from the bag before Ronnie could protest.

"You are supposed to be on the sick" He looked at Matt over the top of his glasses.

"Yeah" He smiled "And you are supposed to be on a health kick"

"Point taken" Ronnie offered him another chip as Matt laughed. The pedestrians around them didn't take any notice. Matt smiled as he saw a dark haired woman walk past and link her arm through the arm of the serious looking man she was with. They both looked deep in conversation about something, both oblivious to anyone around them. He briefly wondered if he and Alesha would be like that in a few years.

"Who sent that stuff?" Matt asked.

"Dunno mate but I think I might know where to start" He scrunched the chip paper in his hands and stood as Matt followed him. "Remember Karl Donovan?"

"Yeah"

"Well he was staying with this right gobby bird, Tracey Evans. Think it might be worth checking if she has any friends at the flower shop" He walked off as Matt nodded. He looked back to see the bench where they had sat was now occupied by the brunette and her companion he had spotted earlier. Shaking his head he followed Ronnie - seeing the couple now on the bench he began to think that there was hope of him and Alesha really having a future.

James walked out of the Court Room with George Castle at his side. Both men were deep in conversation as Bea McCardle walked past them.

"See you on the 16th then" She smiled at her ex husband as George nodded once briefly.

"Look forward to it Ms McCardle" The older man answered gruffly as she rolled her eyes and walked towards the female Robe Room. Alesha stood as the woman walked past her.

"James? George?" She looked more nervous than George had seen her in a long time.

"Ah Alesha, you waited" He stated the obvious.

"Yes" She was holding both her hands as she looked at her superiors.

"We go to trial on charges of Murder, Attempted Murder, False Imprisonment and Perverting the Course of Justice. Alesha, Morris will pay for his crimes this time" George patted her shoulder as James pulled at the starched collar at his neck.

"Trial, Nov 16th" James answered her unspoken question as she closed her eyes and sighed. They had only stalled Morris and Donovan so far, now they had to make sure whatever vendetta he had against them was over for good.

authors note. More soon. Next time the trial.