Author's Notes:

Aha! We've finally reached the drama. I do hope I kept them in character enough... :(

I do owe you all a long chapter for all the slow updates, and of course, as a thank you for all the wonderful reviews. I do love the input and commentary :)

For those who don't like reading so much, I do apologize, but the length was necessary for the events that will play out in a minute or two. So please bear with me.

And due to the length of this chapter, I must confess that the end notes will be rather lengthy too. I do have a number of things to address :P

Seeing that this chapter does revolve around Turnabout Beginnings, I don't think I need to point out that there will be spoilers for it. And if you do find any of Mia's actions here questionable, I do invite you to check out what I have dubbed The Great Mia Fey Personality Debate in my end notes :)

Without any further ado, I bring you chapter 4~

Chapter 4

Mia had never been so nervous in her life. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, her hands felt clammy and she was unusually jumpy. She tried closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, while internally chastising herself for taking such an impossible case. Her mind drew a blank as she scrambled to remember why she'd made such a ridiculous decision.

A large figure suddenly appeared before her. She jumped, startled, only to realize that it was her client. Attempting to calm her nerves, she tried to make small talk with him, but it frazzled her even more, as he seemed even jumpier than she was. Mia bit down on her lip; her client wasn't shedding any light on the case, making the task before her seem even more daunting and impossible.

"Ha...!"

A faintly familiar voice interrupted her nervous jumble of thoughts. It was a voice she hadn't heard for over a month. Mia spun around, bewildered at seeing the man who stood before her. She had been expecting Mr. Grossberg, if anyone, to come and watch her first trial. In fact, she had almost completely forgotten about Diego in the weeks of his absence.

"Y-You're...Why are you here?"

"I came to see how our little kitten was doing all alone in the big, scary lion's den...I thought you might like someone to play with."

Mia couldn't say she cared much for his blasé, teasing, confident attitude, but she could sense something more behind that signature grin of his. There was a certain steely determination in his voice, and she was sure that he was just as determined as she to find justice. His confidence was unexpectedly reassuring, and his presence oddly comforting. It was better than anything Grossberg could have provided.

"Well, it's about time to head in, Kitten. Sharpen those claws of yours. It's go time!"

Mia didn't even realize she was hesitating until she felt his hand on her back, gently urging her forward into the courtroom. Mia could almost feel herself shrink as she walked inside the intimidating room, and couldn't help but notice the numerous pairs of eyes looking on from above. It certainly didn't help her confidence to see the young man across from her not looking even slightly ruffled.

Mia nearly bailed and ran out of there, but she glanced at the defendant's chair and saw her client's terrified and helpless expression. He had no one to help him but her. There was no way she would leave without putting up a fight.

Diego was eying the new prosecutor warily, giving him a once-over. He wasn't sure if Mia was up to fending off the smug arrogance that was practically emanating out of him.

"Don't let Mr. Frilly bully you, Kitten. Show him what you've got," Diego leaned over to whisper.

Mia managed a small smile. Don't let him notice how much you're shaking!

Mia herself wasn't sure how she was ploughing through. She tried not to think about everything that was at stake, but rather just uncover one contradiction at a time. As the case unfolded before her, she slowly began to piece it together, though she had to admit that she couldn't have gotten so far without the man beside her urging her on, even when she blundered and stumbled.

Finally, she could feel the case reaching a conclusion. She nearly had the culprit; every nerve in her body felt it. She just needed that one last testimony to tear apart the prosecution's case. It felt almost as if there was some sudden strength inside her, pushing her, propelling her towards the answer.

And then, suddenly, everything derailed, twisting in a rapid plunge to the tragic scene before her.

She watched him die.

She saw her client crumple on the stand before her very eyes, saw his eyes close, heard that echoing crash. Everything seemed to freeze, and the sudden frenzy of movement all around her seemed to fall into slow motion. She turned to see the prosecutor across from her slam his hand onto the desk, yelling something, yet somehow, Mia couldn't hear him.

Her eyes turned slowly back to the body slumped on the stand, and she choked out something between a sob and gasp.

"Mr-Mr. Fawles!"

And suddenly, there was that steadying hand on her arm, and the firm voice that cut in to snap her back to her senses.

"We were so close to the truth. It was right there in front of us. You were just a little too soft, Kitten..."

"It's my fault! It's all my fault that Mr. Fawles killed himself!" She closed her eyes, a trail of tears leaking down her cheek.

"Don't cry, Kitten. You're going to make my coffee all salty."

She gave no response. Diego wasn't even sure if she'd heard him.

"...Don't you get it? You can't cry yet. The only time a lawyer can cry is when it's all over."

She wanted to believe him, to trust the conviction in his voice, but there was no way she could forgive herself so easily. And he was wrong. It was over. She couldn't do this anymore. Not after she'd just made her client die.

She turned away from him. "Lawyer? I don't deserve to be a lawyer. I don't need to sacrifice any more lives to realize that."

Part of her wished that he hadn't believed in her so much; she felt like she had completely let him down, undeserving of all the faith he'd put in her. She felt ashamed as she watched his hand bleed from the broken glass shards he now held, as he stood there watching her silently. He'd been their backbone throughout the whole trial; she'd been so useless, and despite all the effort she thought she'd given, she was just the one to cause the tragic ending.

She didn't want to face him. She couldn't face him. Especially when she couldn't face herself. So she did the only thing she could think of.

She ran.

Mia didn't know where she was going. She just blindly pushed through the crowd and through the heavy courtroom doors, and ran until she was alone outside. She fell back against the wall of the building, and feeling the strength drain from her body, slid to the ground and buried her head in her arms.

Why was she such a failure? Why did she seem to bring tragedy to everyone she cared about? First it was her father who died when she and Maya were so young, and then her mother disappeared soon after. And now, she had caused an innocent man to die.

At the memory of her parents, Mia started to sob. She had tried to be strong for Maya all these years, but she felt so weak and vulnerable, especially now. How could she be a good older sister when she couldn't even protect the life of Mr. Fawles? She wished so much that she wasn't alone to fend for herself, that she was a little girl again, when hiding under the covers would make the monsters go away. She couldn't handle this; she wished she could cry out and have her mother make everything better again. Instead, she was all alone to fight for herself, completely useless and weak.

"Mia?"

How had he found her so quickly? She was suddenly aware of her soaked sleeve, and tried vainly to wipe the tears from her face with the back of her hands.

He bent down beside her and held out a tissue. She took it silently as she sniffled, trying to quiet the shaking sobs that were escaping her.

"What happened to you, Mia?" His voice was unexpectedly grave.

How was she supposed to answer a question like that?

He continued without waiting for her answer.

"The Mia Fey I met ten years ago would never have given up and broken down so easily. What happened to you?"

"W-What?" She was reeling from surprise; that was definitely not a response she was expecting. What was he even talking about?

He said nothing, just held her gaze for a moment, considering something.

"Can I bring you somewhere?" he asked finally.

She hesitated. She was dreading to go home, to return to her dark little house and wallow in her sadness all alone. But at the same time, she didn't want anyone to see her like this, and she was unsure of what Diego had in mind.

As if reading her thoughts, Diego reassured her, "No one will be there where we're going."

Taking her silence for an answer, he gently helped her up. She made no effort to resist as she let him guide her around the courthouse and into the parking lot. When he opened the passenger door for her, she couldn't help but ask where they were going.

"You'll see," was the only reply he would give.

Diego was preparing himself to strike up some light conversation to distract Mia from thinking about the trial in the car. Surprisingly, she beat him to it.

"What was your first trial like?" Mia asked quietly.

The question took Diego by surprise. So much for wanting to avoid the topic. "Do you mean the first trial I was defence for, or the first trial I participated in?" He spun the steering wheel with his unbandaged hand as he made a smooth left turn.

"You went to court before becoming a lawyer?"

"I was pretty young at the time. A few months after my sister died, one of my deceased father's sisters filed a lawsuit against my mother, accusing her as the one responsible for my sister's death. My aunt had never liked my mother, but she loved my sister, and she was especially bitter towards Mom after my sister died."

Mia's eyes were wide with pity, momentarily forgetting her own anguish. "You lost your father, then your sister, and then watched your aunt accuse your mother as the one who caused your sister's death? How did you handle all that?"

Diego gave her a sideways glance. "It was all because of a little girl that I met shortly after my sister's death. She encouraged me to be strong and to believe in my mother, and it was her words that gave me the strength to be a witness for my mother. That day, in the courtroom, as I watched the defence attorney valiantly fight to clear my mother's name, I vowed that I would be the one to protect her and other people around me from then on."

Mia felt a lump in her throat. "You were so young and you could face all that. But I..."

"Don't discredit yourself, Mia. You were just as strong as I was. First your father died, then your mother disappeared, and you were the one left to raise your little sister."

"How do you know all that?"

Diego opted not to reply, but simply said, "We're here."

Mia glanced out the window to see a cemetery. Diego was certainly one to keep the dreary mood. Mia stepped out of the car, trying to understand why they were there. It wasn't possible that Mr. Fawles was being buried already, and besides, Diego didn't seem the type to make her watch the burial.

Diego walked up behind her, and she was surprised to see her scarf in his hands.

"That's mi-"

"You left it in the car," he explained, folding it in half, and tucking one end through the loop on the other end around her neck.

That small, familiar action triggered an unexpected memory from the back of Mia's mind. Her eyes widened.

"You...You're-"

"Shh," he hushed her, taking her hand. "Questions can come later."

He led her through a maze of headstones until they reached one with a bouquet of simple daisies.

Mia read the name. Isadora "Izzy" Armando.

"Izzy," Mia breathed, recognizing the name. "She's your-"

"Sister," Diego finished for her. "My older sister."

Mia nearly staggered backwards as the memories pieced together in her head. So she had been right when she'd thought Diego seemed familiar.

"When she died, I thought that somehow, it had to be my fault," Diego began quietly. "Maybe if I had taken better care of her, or if I had been with her, I could have stopped that car from hitting her. Maybe if I had helped out at home more, my mother wouldn't have been away working, leaving Izzy to be the one to pick me up. If I'd been bigger or stronger, maybe I could have protected her somehow. But I failed that, and I was convinced that her death was my fault."

Mia's eyes were starting to brim over again and she squeezed his hand gently. She knew how it felt to blame herself; she'd gone through the same emotions as Diego had when her dad died and when her mom disappeared.

He turned to look at her. "But one day, a little girl appeared at my house, and somehow seemed to understand me. I had shut out everyone after Izzy died, but yet, this girl made me face her death and stand back up after the grief nearly crippled me. She made me realize that so many things were beyond my control, they were just facts of life. People that we care about will die, they'll leave us, but we have to move on and continue living. If that girl had never brought me to understand that, I don't know if I would be here now."

Diego looked at her until she lifted her gaze to his.

"You were that little girl, Mia.

And yet, today, when Mr. Fawles died, you chose to blame yourself, to run away, to give up. You've already pulled through so much, so why would you just throw it all away and give up now? What happened to the little Mia who helped me up all those years ago? You told me all those things with so much conviction, but today, you ran away from your own words."

Mia was crying. But this time, it wasn't for blaming herself for the death of Terry Fawles. It was for how easily she had wanted to give up, for how she had nearly let Mr. Fawles' death be for nothing, and for losing that fighting spirit that had been in her all those years ago.

Mia felt Diego embrace her gently.

"I know how much of a shock it was to watch him die like that. I was right beside you. I know how much you wish you could rewind it all, or just throw it all down and never have to face it again. But don't let all our effort go to waste. We will catch Dahlia Hawthorne. As long as you and I are around, that demoness won't have a day of peace."

Diego pulled back to look at her. "If we just give up, Dahlia Hawthorne wins. Don't let that happen no matter what you do. You can't give up, Mia. Not now. Not ever."

Mia took a moment to wipe her eyes, then looked at him, the fighting sprit having returned to her. She gave him a small smile and nodded.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Diego's determined gaze softened as he smiled. "You don't need to thank me, Mia. I'm just returning an overdue favour."

End Notes:

Okay, here we go...

Firstly, I apologize for the lame chapter ending. I know it's kind of open-ended. But I didn't want to drag it out much further, because then it would have just gone on forever...

As for you Edgey-poo lovers, I send you my sincere apologies for calling him "Mr. Frilly" and saying that he looked arrogant. (Okay, I love him too, but he was the opponent! Come on!)

As promised, here comes The Great Mia Fey Personality Debate :)

Before you and I have a huge argument over whether Mia should or should not have acted the way she did after the trial, at least let me present my case.

Mia is a completely new lawyer. She's been under a huge amount of pressure her entire life, and now, she's just watched her client die. She is completely convinced that it's her fault. Is she strong enough to face something like that yet? Maybe not. Would the 27 year old Mia have run away? No. Would the 23 year old have? Maybe.

And maybe she wasn't that strong all those years of her life. She needed someone like Diego to remind her of that spark she had inside. She might have still had that fighting spirit, but only once she could stop blaming herself.

I know Mia has such a tough-as-nails, cool, calm, collected personality, but she can't always have been like that every single day of her life. After all, it's only through our stumblings that we find the strength to stand back up again.

Okay. I think that's everything. Now you can all hit me with your verdict :P

You may have noticed that I did some minor tweaking with the actual script so that it flowed better with my storyline. I know that at the end of the case, we all assume that after Diego's ever-famous quote "The only time a lawyer can cry is when it's all over", Mia accepts that it's not her fault, and gets back to her feet to go after Dahlia one more time. But was that one sentence from Diego really enough to reinvigorate her, and convince her that it wasn't her fault?

And lastly, some of the nitty-gritty technical stuff:

~ Just so that you don't all fret about Mia having left her car (does she even have one?) at the courthouse, don't worry, let's just say she took a taxi because she didn't think her nerves were ideal for driving.

~ Mia and Diego met when they were little just a month after Isadora died. Thus, when they met, it was still one or two months before Diego's aunt filed a lawsuit against his mother.

~ Um...what do you put on a headstone? I've never been to a cemetery before, so I just put Isadora's name and left it at that. Let's pretend that Mia was so shocked when she read the name that she didn't even read the rest of what was on there.

~ When Diego makes that comment about how much different Mia was 10 years ago, "10 years" is an approximate value/figure of speech. (That was for all you nitpicky people out there :P)

Whew. I think that's all. I'm very sorry about all my ramblings -.-