Special thanks to sparkyCSI, my wonderful and patient beta.

Chapter 5 – Trials and tribulations

Flack got out of bed the following morning and saw a sulking Lily at the kitchen table.

'Rough night?' he asked with a smirk playing in his lips.

She glared at him.

'Mrs. Aberdee –one of my elderly clients- called me at three in the morning saying her house had been broken in,' she paused to take a sip out of her lemon tea.

'Didn't she call the police?' he asked.

'According to her, your guys were destroying her stuff,' Lily gave him a meaningful glance.

'Lab?' he asked amused.

She nodded. 'So I get to her house and they were examining the place at the same time as Mrs. Aberdee was yelling at them. Something about police brutality.' He raised his eyebrows. 'She calmed down after my twenty-minute rant about protocol, investigations and law enforcement. That's when one of your guys comes and tells her a kid broke the window while playing football and she bursts. The old woman starts yelling about how corrupt policemen are and that she's going to sue them all.'

Flack was laughing really hard and she couldn't stop from chuckling.

'She stopped yelling after I told her I was heading home and she should go back to sleep.'

'You still haven't recovered?'

'I came home…', she looked at her watch, 'ten minutes ago.'

Flack suppressed a grin and asked her about the other night.

'I have told you all about it.'

'I'm talking about your date with one my friends,' he said pointedly.

'I don't kiss and tell, Don.'

'You didn't kiss him, so you can tell.'

'Same principle. Besides, he's your friend; don't you think it would be weird?'

'What?'

'If I told you he's too dull.'

'He's a fire-fighter, you can't get more interesting than that,' said Flack shocked.

'Doesn't he have a twin brother or something? Because the guy's boring,' she said and shook her head.

'So you didn't have a good time?'

'No.'

If she hadn't turned around to leave the cup on the kitchen sink, she would have seen Flack rejoicing at her answer.

The clock went off at six in the morning, as usual. But today wasn't a normal day. Lily had to go to a trial. What was unusual about this? That she wasn't the lawyer.

She got ready and at five past seven she was arriving at the DA's office. She knocked on the door and a young man answered. He was rather lanky and he was smartly dressed.

'Lily! You're early,' he said in a jolly way.

'You know me, Chris,' she said with a small smile and entered the office.

'I was going over the case again. Want to help me?' he asked, already knowing the answer.

'I'd like to.'

Forty minutes later, both Lily and the DA Chris Shultzer were on their way to the courthouse.

Things were going really well so far. Chris had won the jury's heart at the opening statement and the witnesses had been convincing. Now it was time for Lily to get on the stand. She didn't want to recall those awful memories and feelings but she had to. So she stood up and walked to the stand where she swore to tell the truth. She sat and Chris started the questioning.

She told the story and when it came to that morning in which she thought she was going to die, they did a reconstruction. It was really accurate, leaving no details out. Now it was the other lawyer's turn to ask the questions.

'Ms. Stewart, how does it feel being on the other side of the stand?'

'Let's say I like the other side better.'

'According to your reconstruction Mr. Dusby and you had a nasty fight.'

'Yes.'

'And we've been hearing for more than twenty minutes about your ugly bruises, but what about my client's scars? The ones you inflicted on him?'

'Oh, yes, how could I do that to him? It was so rude of me! To scratch and hit a man who was trying to kill me, what was I thinking?' she said with contempt.

'I was just stating for the record that Mr. Dusby also sustained injuries.'

Lily rolled her eyes.

'Remember that I know all the tricks. Making me look like the guilty one is no use because I didn't do anything wrong.'

'I'm appalled Ms. Stewart that you think I'm pulling tricks on you. I'm definitely not.'

She gave him a look that said 'Yeah, right. And I was born yesterday.'

'Let's continue with the questions, shall we?' He paused for a second, 'I'm curious, Ms. Stewart as to why you went to the house. You're one of the best lawyers at the firm, why didn't they send another person?'

'The fact that I'm one of the best lawyers at the firm doesn't mean I don't work hard.'

'You're not answering my question.'

'What I mean is that I don't have special treatment. If any of the partners send me a case, I have to take it.'

'Even at the early hours of the morning?' he asked disbelievingly.

'Some lawyers, unlike others, have extended working hours.'

'Let me congratulate you on your acting talents, Ms. Stewart,' said the lawyer with a smirk.

'I haven't performed since I was at college, Mr. Collins and I doubt you saw me in Romeo and Juliet eight years ago. So, what are you talking about?'

'I'm referring to the reconstruction of that night which sounded pretty much like a sob story to me.'

'Then you should get your ears checked.'

Judge Harris gave her a warning glance.

'I'm still wondering why you didn't cry; it would have been a fantastic end to the acting.'

'The fact that I'm a woman doesn't mean that I'm weak. Even if it is painful to recollect those memories, I'm not going to give him the pleasure of seeing me broken,' she said looking at Dusby. 'I'm wondering why you're focusing your attention on what I may have done wrong and not on your client's innocence, which you seemed really certain of at the beginning of the trial. It's a pity some questions won't be answered,' she said sharply.

His smirk faded for a moment but he recovered quickly.

'Why do you want to put my client on the spotlight so much?', he asked.

'Because he's the one who tried to kill me and is being judged today. Try to put yourself in my shoes (if you can). Even if I don't want to admit it, that man scared me for more than a year and if it wasn't for Don, he would have killed me that day,' she said, losing the harsh tone.

'Isn't it questionable that Detective Flack was the arresting officer seeing that he's a close friend of yours?' Mr. Collins asked with malice.

'Detective Flack is not only a great person and friend but an outstanding member of the force, so please don't accuse him of being a bent cop in my presence.'

'I wasn't saying that. I was just asking you if it's ethical for your boyfriend, with whom you're living together, to arrest the man who was harassing you.'

'Well, just for the record: he's not my boyfriend and if we're living together is because he thought I would be safer form your client living with him.'

'And all the dinners and meetings you had over the past months?'

'We're two school friends who hadn't seen each other for a decade and after a chance encounter decided to rekindle our friendship. As simple as that. Men and women can be friends as long as neither wants to get into the other's pants,' she said giving a pointed look to the attorney.

'No more questions, your Honour,' he said nervously and then recovered, 'seeing as the witness doesn't answer them …'

After Lily's testimony and the ending statements there was a break. She and Chris got out of the courthouse together.

'You can get really nasty if you want to,' said Chris with a smile.

'What are you talking about?' she answered innocently.

'You brought up that incident that Collins had some years ago.'

'The sexual harassment complaint against him filed by his secretary? I didn't bring it up, I just said that even though it's impossible for him, some people can be friends with members of the opposite sex,' Lily paused for a second, 'I've got lots of male friends (you included) and I don't sleep with any of them.'

Chris smiled at her once more but didn't say a word.

They were in the courthouse again, waiting for the jury's verdict. Lily was holding her breath and when the words 'guilty of all charges' reached her ears, she let go of the air she'd been holding.

Chris and Lily were walking towards the front door.

'You were fantastic, Chris.'

He shrugged.

'You really were. Want to come to my place tonight? I'll cook dinner and we can catch up.'

'What about the detective you live with?'

'Oh, I'm sure he won't mind if you join us for dinner.'

He nodded a bit reluctantly.

They had gotten to the door and they parted with a smile and a 'See you tonight.'

Evening came and Lily was cooking. Before putting it on the oven she went to change. She decided on a blue satin strapless dress and blue shoes. When Flack arrived, twenty minutes later, her hair was in a bun and her jewellery was on, as well as her make up.

When he saw her all dressed up he was nonplussed for a bit.

'Going somewhere?', he asked with difficulty, still not taking his eyes off her.

'No, a friend's going to join us for dinner, hope you don't mind.'

He shook his head.

'One of 'The girls'?' Flack asked with a smile forming on his lips.

'No. You're not going to meet them.'

'Why not?'

'Because you like women too much, Donny,' she explained. 'My friends don't need a man like you.'

'A man like me?'

'Someone who'll break their hearts.'

'Lily, I …'

'That's alright, Don,' she interrupted, 'it's who you are. But don't expect me to take my friends into a death trap. We both know you can't resist.'

Flack didn't know what to answer, so he changed topic.

'A male friend of yours is coming?'

Lily nodded.

'Don't you think that dress is a little too low cut?' he asked concerned.

She looked down at her chest and said no.

'Is it a date? I mean, should I go to the restaurant in the corner?'

'I would never kick you out of you apartment. And it isn't a date.'

Before any of them could speak again, the doorbell rang. Lily moved to the door and opened it. She motioned the man to come in and that's when Flack saw him.

He was a bit shorter than him and slimmer. The man had brown hair and eyes of the same colour which were covered by glasses and he was wearing a black suit and a striped shirt. In one of his hands he carried a bag.

'Don, this is Chris,' Lily introduced them.

Both men shook hands.

Chris suddenly remembered the bag in his hand and gave it to Lily.

'I brought wine,' he explained.

She left the bottle at the table and told him to make himself comfortable. Lily sat on the couch and Chris sat beside her, leaving Don to sit at the armchair.

'You look wonderful,' said Chris. 'You're the girl in blue, just like when I met you.'

'Thanks,' she said and blushed a little. 'I met Chris when I was working as a legal aid for the NYPD, six years ago,' she explained to Flack.

'And what do you do?' Flack asked the other man.

'I'm a State Attorney. And you?'

'I'm a first grade Homicide Detective.'

When dinner was ready they moved to the table and ate. Flack gave Chris a hard time. He was in the 'tough detective' mode. After coffee, Chris left and Lily confronted Flack.

'What's wrong with you?', she asked him, quite angry.

He raised his eyebrows. This made her angrier.

'Chris is my friend and a charming man; you have no right to treat him that way.'

'In which way?'

'Like if he was one of your suspects.'

'He's not charming. He's an arrogant idiot,' said Flack, his temper rising.

'How could you know? You judged him from the moment he walked through the door, you didn't give him a chance!'

'I gave him a chance and discovered he's an idiot,' he answered.

'Why did you behave like this?' she asked, her eyes showing she was hurt.

'You really want to know?' he asked angrily.

'Yes.'

'Because …' he paused, doubting if he should continue or not but keeping the anger in his tone, 'Because …'

Thanks for reading! I ended this chapter with a cliffie to see if I can get a response from you. You can review to make suggestions, tell me your opinion, say it was really mean of me to leave a cliffie, to say: I hated this chapter or I loved it; anything. Prepare for next chapter (which is almost done).

Chapter six - Vendetta

Where Hawkes is in trouble and Lily helps him. Where Mac is the key to the mystery. And where you discover Don's reasons to be mad at Chris.

LaUrIsHa-just me