And I'm back! Got a little caught up with reality but I'm back now and hopefully for good so I can finish the remaining chapters left in this fic.
- Santana's POV –
"I'd like thank you for meeting us at such short notice, gentlemen. We assume you know what we called you in for?" I start off, leaning back on my chair and smile plastered across my face.
"The merger, of course." Cooter Menkins chimes in with a devilish grin.
"That, or we have no business to talk about at all." Hunter interjects, eyes roaming around the conference room. "And who is she? Where's Sebastian? I thought he was in charge of this." He adds, motioning to Quinn sitting beside me.
"Quinn Fabray." Quinn cuts in, grinning. "The Bert to your Ernie has been personally taken off the case by Santana, who's in charge of this merger in the first place. I'm stepping in for him."
"That's enough niceties for today. Forgive me for not introducing my co-associate but I had the impression that we're past the point of having manners if we're going by your standards." I say, eliciting a curious expression from both gentlemen.
"Care to expound on whatever it is you're implying?" Hunter trails off with a warning tone.
"My pleasure." I say and slide the file in front of me towards him. "You can toss your little act out the window now. We know what you've been up to and the little deceit you played when we weren't looking. We're almost impressed, actually."
"To put it simply, we know what you did and we're here to rectify the damage you've done." Quinn joins in. "We had a little meeting with Shannon yesterday and turns out Justin Timbergay here thought he could outsmart us by hiding something during negotiations."
"What do you mean?" Cooter speaks up, glancing curiously at his counsel.
"We don't care if you're in it too but the gist is that Clarington most likely assumed that our client's propensity for locking in huge clients and sports companies in a loquacious, unique but surely effective and passionate manner scared the hell out of you with all the risks involved if you were to proceed with the merger." I say. "That, or deceiving Shannon from the beginning to gain control of her company was your game plan all along."
"Which is why when we looked into Beiste Sports' profitability, we discovered that not only were its stocks and shares acquired one by one off the market for the past 48 hours and still going but moreover, they seem to be currently bought, scaling from the smallest outfits towards the bigger ones, by your company, Mr. Menkins." Quinn hands them another document.
"W-What is this?" Hunter voices out.
"Oh, I'm sure you're familiar with the Crown Jewel defense. After all, you've been studying us, right?" I say, eyebrow raised.
"Basically, we're selling off Beiste Sports' three most lucrative sectors around the world: Shanghai, London, and of course, New York. The latter amounting to approximately 40% of the company's profit and collectively amounting to 75% of the company's earnings, yearly. Give or take about 2 billion dollars per annum. All of which are going on the market in," Quinn coyly glances at her wristwatch. "Oh, look at that, 10 minutes."
"And if it weren't clear yet, it means that your little hostile, pathetic takeover would be rendered useless and you'll end up selling them eventually due to corporate pressure. You try to buy off the small ones while we sell the huge ones. That's your 25 cents to our 2 dollars." I chuckle bitterly.
"Oh, come on. You're bluffing, Lopez! No client would agree to that!" Hunter exclaims with a little nervousness in his voice.
"That's true but my client is unbelievably passionate about her company and the sports industry itself. She's not afraid to start over with the billions she'll be getting when her company goes on the market. Money, connections, and foundation as a well-known businesswoman are synonymous to her name in the sports industry. Beiste Sports would be bought off seconds after it goes on the market in the same manner as selling Beyoncé' concert tickets in the street. This is a normal Friday for Beiste." I start off.
Quinn nods and motions to continue. "However, Mr. Menkins here has everything to lose. Not only did your bad advice cost him millions to buy off the stocks he acquired and triple the amount he's guaranteed to lose, he's also susceptible to countless lawsuits as soon as he's out the door."
"But we have a merger!" Cooter cuts in, agitated.
"No, you don't. At least not anymore." I say. "Sebastian might have set up the merger and even finalized it but unfortunately for you, Beiste still holds majority of her company's control and has the power to make final decisions while your client's firm quite frankly, is just a little investment in the vast companies that Beiste Sports has acquired over the years in her countless business expansions. You're hold over her and her company is completely worthless, if I may say so. Ironic, since that's how you've treated her in the past few weeks, Cooter." I add, shaking my head in disbelief.
"All Shannon wants is for you to give back all the acquisitions you've managed to buy off in the past two days and call off the merger yourself. So, not only is your merger non-existent but any deals prior, during, or after that with and using Beiste Sports is rendered void." Quinn hands them a file document. "You have the option of submitting to that deal or risk the scary amount of lawsuits we have in our back pocket plus all the amount I'm pretty sure will force you to file for bankruptcy in the next few days among other things, Mr. Menkins." Quinn utters sternly.
"And to think that all our client wants is a simple merger, you've completely went behind her back to stab her like this after all the trust she's given you. How can you even sleep at night?" I say in disgust, eyes on Menkins who looks ashamed of his actions.
"Don't listen to them. This is all a little play so you'd back down on acquiring the remaining assets of Beiste Sports." Hunter seethes.
"Oh, you still think we're kidding?" I mockingly chuckle, taking a peek of my watch. "Well then, if you're so keen of knowing whether we're bluffing or not, how about we wait for three more minutes so we can all find out? Maybe a cup of coffee so you can all settle comfortably in your seats, gentlemen?"
"She's bluffing!" Hunter exclaims angrily.
"Okay, calm down! Fine. We are bluffing." Quinn speaks up innocently then grins mischievously right after.
"Yes, we are. Or are we?" I chuckle, throwing Quinn an amused look. "I must say, smart of you to use Sebastian against us like that, knowing full well that we can't sue him for fraud and collusion without a full-blown investigation in the firm. Asking for our files and employing our own strategy all while thinking that you can take us by foolishly going at it like a rookie. Boy, you can't imagine how embarrassed and humiliated you will be once we're done with you."
"Your class in Yale must be the stuff of legends in the Underworld." Quinn chimes in. "Two more minutes. I mean, I'm just counting down to noon since as you say, we're bluffing."
Immediately, Cooter nervously glances at Hunter. They engage in a heated debate that neither of us can hear but judging by their anxious demeanor, we can tell that we've accomplished our mission for today. All of which further affirms our thoughts when Hunter furiously grabs the document detailing our deal for Cooter to sign.
"Touché of you to give me a dose of my own medicine, Lopez. But if you must know-"
"That I'll see you again and you'll crush me or you'll exact revenge on me in the worst possible way. Ugh." I roll my eyes and sigh exasperatedly. "I've heard that all in the past and I'm quite sick of it, Hunter. You're not any different than the ones before."
"Oh, I'm different because unlike you, I'm not bluffing." Hunter motions to stand up, fixing his suit. "Have fun with your Junior Partner promotion, if you'll ever get it. Your life's about to get real complicated, I assure you of that."
- Brittany's POV –
"Hey, beautiful! Are you busy?" I greet Santana as I enter her office after her successful meeting with Cooter Menkins. She doesn't react and looks deep in thought while staring at her computer screen.
"Babe?" I repeat, still getting no response as I settle on the lounge seat in front of her table. "Santana!" I snap a finger in her line of sight, finally getting her attention.
"W-What? Were you saying something, Britt?" She utters, quite fazed.
"Not really. Is everything all right? Are you okay?"
"Y-Yeah. I guess I'm a little hungry and sleepy. Not a good combination."
"I see. Quinn's having a lunch meeting with a client downtown. We can go eat now, if you want." I say and she nods absent-mindedly. "What were you thinking just then?"
"It's just this thing Hunter Clarington said a while ago. He mentioned our promotion but I'm sure not a lot of people know that. I'm wondering how he knew about it. And the way he threatened me back there, it's as if he magically knows what's going to happen in my life soon."
"Maybe Sebastian told him? They were in the same fraternity and class, after all."
"Maybe but- I don't know. I just have the feeling that everything is all coincidental but not really. Am I making sense?" She looks at me with confusion.
"I'm sure you do, San. Maybe you already know the answer. Who knows?" I say, smiling. "Besides, getting that Junior Partner promotion is long overdue for you and Quinn. Do you know when you'll officially get it with the contract signing and everything?"
"Yeah, when Mother comes back. She's teaching at Harvard today and attending a case somewhere I've no idea of. Probably next week, give or take."
"So, a little celebration is in store, am I right?" I whisper seductively.
"It's time you know that the only reason I want that promotion is so I can score with you, babe."
"'Score'? What are you, a 15-year old horny teenager?"
"That's exactly what we've become, haven't we?" She jests as we both chuckle.
"Anyway, do you have any big cases to work on for the rest of the day?" I start off, biting my lip.
"Not anymore. Why? Oh no. I know that look. What happened?" She rambles on and I motion for her to calm down.
"No, nothing happened. It's just that- Well, I was hoping you had some food in you before I bring this up but yesterday-"
"Castle approached you, didn't she?" She interjects in a calm manner. "What did she say?"
I blink a few times. "Yes. She gave the usual spiel and also this." I give her the transcript that Laura handed to me during our unfriendly run-in. "It's the transcription from your deposition and yes, I read it. This is getting out of hand, San. You need to let me in on the case. I can help, you know I can."
"No. We can't let you, Britt." She reasons out in a stern tone.
"But sooner or later it's going to happen anyway."
"No. That's what Castle wants. She's going to involve you as much as possible. Once you're involved in the case, it's going to be non-stop attacks on you."
"It's going to come to that either way. We all know it-"
"Britt, you promised me." Santana cuts me off. "You promised me that you'd trust me to take care of this and you won't get yourself involved into our mess."
"I know but-" I try to speak up but her tired face says it all. Now's not the time to argue but at least I tried. "Alright. There's one other thing I want to talk to you about." I tread lightly and hand her the other document in my hand.
She gives me a curious look then proceeds to read the piece of paper. "Wait. This is-"
"It's a formal offer from the District Attorney's office. They want me for the Assistant District Attorney position.".
"Britt, this is," She pauses and turns to me with a huge grin. "This is amazing! You're perfect for the job!"
I give out a shy smile as I take a deep breath. "I'm not taking it, San."
"What? Why not? You can't let this chance pass up, Britt. Not everyone gets an offer to work there."
"I know but we can't have that right now with all the attacks we're fending off in the firm. We need all the help we need."
"Yes, I understand. But this is the exact reason why I didn't want you to be dragged in Castle's case. You really should take this, Britt."
"I can't and I'm not, San. I already told them this morning." I sigh. "The timing isn't right. There's still tons of work we need to do and there's no way I'm leaving any of you."
Santana gives me a once over. She knows that I'm right in this matter. "Alright then, if that's what you really want."
I smile sympathetically and place a kiss on her lips. "So, lunch?"
- Santana's POV –
"You feel better, San?" Brittany utters, tugging my hand as we round the corner to the firm.
"Yeah. So much better, Britt. Thank you." I say, raising our intertwined hands and placing a kiss at the back of hers, eliciting an obvious blush from her face.
We walk in silence until we see Quinn who's busy with her phone as she exits through the building's glass doors.
"Give me your wallet!" I shout, complete with scary hand gestures when we're close enough that I startle her.
"What the hell-" Quinn exclaims in shock, immediately stepping back and assuming a defensive stance.
Brittany howls in laughter while I receive a few uncalled for slaps on the arm from Quinn. "You scared me! I thought I really was getting mugged or shot!" She adds.
"Now who would shoot you, Q?" Brittany chimes in, handing Quinn her afternoon coffee.
"Oh, babe. I've got at least three names at the top of my head who'd do that and at least a whole Christmas list of people she'd like to murder on a daily basis. It's some Family-Feud-survey-says kind of thing. 'Survey says Sebastian Smythe with 99 people agreeing!' It's complicated. Don't ask." I chuckle, waving a hand in disregard.
"I hope I'm not included on that list." The unmistakable voice of the Antichrist echoes somewhere around us. Quinn confirms my suspicion when she glances behind me and gives a disgruntled look.
I sigh and turn to face Castle who's walking toward us while sporting a smug face. "You are." I speak up. "Depends on her mood but I'm pretty sure it's a tie between you and Smythe for the top spot right now."
Castle laughs, eyes darting towards my wife. "Ah nice to see you again, Brittany. You two, not so much but it can't be helped anyway."
Brittany flashes me a knowing stare. I nod once and subtly motion for her to go ahead but not without Castle throwing in another barb that makes her stop in her tracks.
"You know, I'm getting the feeling that you're trying to avoid me. Or maybe you're trying to hide something that I definitely should know about? Wink if it's true, Britt."
"She's not 'trying', Castle. She is avoiding you because you're batshit crazy." Quinn interjects. "I'm still in awe how you seem to be so clueless that everyone around you thinks you're a psychopath. You should be a Netflix series."
Castles laughs heartily while Brittany gives Quinn a subtle headshake that masks her slight amusement.
"I'm sure that it's bound to get more entertaining to listen to the three of you exchange sassy remarks but you'll have to excuse me since I still have tons of paperwork to catch up on before the boss comes back. Play nice." Brittany utters, smiling slightly with a quick glare at Castle as she walks away.
"You've really done well for yourself, Lopez." Castle trails off, eyes lingering on my wife as she enters the building.
"I wish I could say the same for you but instead, you grew up to become the sociopathic bitch that you are." I retort bitingly. "Cut the bullshit and just tell us what you want. We have tons of work to do."
"If only you didn't go on an extended lunch then you'd have more time for work, right?" Castle mutters with a smirk.
"What? Are you stalking me?" I say, my forehead creasing.
"No. But that's what the little birdy intern said when I called in to ask for you, you know how stupid they can be most of the time. You really should get a secretary or maybe an associate. Oh wait, you're not a Junior Partner like me yet so you can't be entitled to one."
"And what exactly do you need Santana for? We told you. You don't have a case so we have no obligation to answer to your every whim." Quinn throws in.
"Nothing, actually. Just wanted to check up on you. I mean, you must have been devastated after you and Brittany broke up three years ago. Devastated enough that you had to go away unannounced to England to try to win her back?" Castle grins devilishly.
Quinn and I share a questioning glance at each other. Castle cuts us again before we can say anything else. "How do I know, you ask? It's just an assumption but other than that, the details of your 'business trip' or lack of it are all stated in the files you sent me. I even have a copy here, let me show you." She chuckles, fetching the file binder from her purse then handing it to us.
I stare at her for a few seconds, gauging whether or not this is some kind of ploy she's playing to shake us up. I grab the file binder from her and hastily go through it. The moment I lay my eyes on all the files though, I know that we're in big trouble.
The first document I see is a memo detailing my sudden disappearance from the firm. In an email-like fashion, it states a discussion between Quinn and Harris Electronics that revolves around the explanation of why she had to take over for me. It would have been fine but the next document is an internal memo detailing my uncalled for absence in the firm with a few slips of absences and tardiness leading to my departure which strengthens the unexplained disappearance. In addition to that, my client list prior to losing all of my clients and the letters sent out that all of them are changing counsels are in here as well. Lastly, there's three different resignation letters that I sent out from my personal computer dated strategically while leading to my being AWOL, all of which are rejected.
You'd be a fool not to put two and two together and see that something's up during that time.
"Where did you get this? These are all private files." I utter with disdain as I hand the file binder for Quinn to survey.
"I told you. I got everything from the ones you gave me." Castle shrugs. "Everything was found as it is. The list of the files you sent me are also in there just in case you think I'm bluffing or at the very least planted anything." Castle adds innocently.
"Bullshit!" I scoff. "You planted that! I've never seen those in my life!"
Castle clicks her tongue while sporting a triumphant grin and holding up a finger. "Be careful of what you say, Lopez. I might just challenge that and add your false presumptions on me to your growing number of lawsuits."
"Lawsuits? What?!" I exclaim angrily with Quinn holding me back by the arm with a subdued expression of keeping it calm.
"This proves nothing, Laura. For all we know, you really did plant this. You might have a copy of the list but we still have to see if our copy is the same one as yours. If we don't see this shit you've produced, expect a bunch of lawsuits that'll come fast to slap you right in your goddamn face before you can even react fast enough to run for your miserable life."
"Aww… How sweet of you, Fabray. I was hoping you'd say that." Castle mockingly utters, getting a few documents from her purse yet again. "In the meantime that you try to prove me wrong which I'm going to say, would be a waste of time, here are a few lawsuits of your own." She adds, handing me the documents.
"You and Lopez Hayward are being sued for Fraud alongside your own Malpractice suit." Castle grins. "We have enough pieces of evidence to pin you down for your crimes and before you say anything else, the statute of limitations for your unethical act isn't bound by fraudulent concealment. And for Fabray here," She pauses to look at Quinn. "You're being sued for Malpractice and Collusion to commit Fraud by conspiring to cover up Lopez's lie and enabling it when you should have reported it to the Ethics board the moment she took off in the middle of her many proceedings without any warning. Due to both of your acts of misconduct, Harris Electronics has probable cause to sue you two for everything. Needless to say, you've both been served."
I feel my heart rapidly beating, not entirely sure whether it's from the sudden surge of reality that Castle has a real case against us now. That she has a leverage to hold on to above our heads and by the looks of it, putting the pieces of the puzzle on her own by the mistakes I've carelessly scrambled for her to find and causing a havoc for everything I care for in my wake.
"Anyway," Castle's voice snaps me out of my short trance. "that's all I came here for. I would have let others serve the papers but seeing the priceless look on your faces after that big win with Beiste this morning is just too good of a chance to pass up, you know. It's always a pleasure to see you lose one way or another."
"This doesn't mean anything, Laura. My client is innocent until proven guilty." Quinn sharply answers.
"That's what they all say, Lucy Caboosey. I can't wait to take this to court and hand you two a career-destroying, heartbreaking loss." Castle smiles wickedly. "So, this has been fun! I'd love to stay and catch up but not really. I've always had this moral thing wherein I'd rather not try to get too attached to the people whose lives I'm about to ruin but I'll see you guys next week for the deposition though. I'm off for some little R&R in Vermont. Do tell Brittany that I'm most excited to see her, that sweet, innocent nugget." She rambles quickly, paying us no mind as she fumbles with her phone. "Keep those files too. I have tons of copies of that so no worries."
"W-What are-" I try to utter but come up short with actual words.
"Ooh, coffee. I love myself some mediocre drip from my nemesis every now and then. I'm taking this since I'm sure you'll be doing a bunch of coffee runs for the next few hours. Or days. There's no coffee in prison, so might as well enjoy them. Thanks." Castle remarks with a devilish grin, grabbing my coffee from the tray in my hand before I can protest. "Lopez, Fabray." She addresses us prior to walking away.
It takes a few seconds, both of us completely at a loss for words. My best friend and I feeling the same tension and anxiety brought about by Castle's presence.
"W-Were those documents really in the pile we sent to her?" I tread as lightly as I can.
"I-I- It can't be. I triple-checked everything with the interns when that list was made. I even have a copy of everything in my office. Even if those are genuine files that were included in the ones we sent out, I could swear that I've never seen them myself as well. Do you remember seeing them before or making any of those letters?"
I sigh deeply, trying to jog my memory. "I remember making letters of resignation but there were days that I was drunk and I'm not sure if- I-I honestly don't know. It was a long time ago and shit- I don't r-remember."
"It's got to be a planted document, S. I-It has to be or-"
"Or we're both done." I state, swallowing the lump in my throat. "What are we waiting for? Let's go find out."
Without further ado, we head inside the building. Countless thoughts running through our minds as we wait for the elevator to reach our floor. Shortly, we round the corner upon entering through the glass doors when an unfamiliar sight greets us in the conference room before our offices.
I see Brittany seated in the conference room with a worried expression, talking to a familiar woman with mahogany hair in front of her. Quinn and I share a curious glance at each other prior to entering the room. Brittany looks up just in time to see us.
"Hey, Britt." I trail off anxiously. The British doctor turns around to face us with the same expression on her face. "George, hi. Is everything okay?"
"Santana, I'm sorry for barging in. I don't know anyone else who can help me." George trails off. My wife nods encouragingly for me to address the situation that I'm pretty sure I have an idea of.
"Excuse me, I'll just have to get something from my office." Quinn chimes in, throwing me a knowing look which I nod slightly at. As soon as Quinn's out the door, I turn my attention back on Georgina.
"Of course, we'll help in anyway that we can. What happened?" I speak up, taking the seat beside Brittany.
"I received this a few hours ago at the hospital." George utters, sliding me a piece of paper.
I skim through it, forehead frowning upon reading the gist of the letter. "You're being sued for medical malpractice for a do-not-resuscitate order?"
"Yes. It came out of nowhere." George utters softly. "It was this surgery I did a few days ago. I'm not going over the exact details but there is this thing we call a do-not-resuscitate order which as you know, instructs us medical practitioners not to do CPR if our patient's heart stops beating or if they stop breathing." She adds while I nod and motion for her to continue.
"Anyway, the surgery was successful. Although there was a little complication when he stopped breathing for a while and we thought we were going to lose him but thankfully, I applied CPR to get him back. To be perfectly clear, there was no order of any kind that was agreed upon beforehand or given to me prior to the surgery which is why I did my job of saving the patient." George pauses. "I thought that was it and I handed in the usual report following the procedure. However, yesterday I received a memorandum from the hospital telling me that I violated the patient's DNR order." George adds and hands me the said memorandum that I take a peek of while she goes on to continue talking.
"I was shocked and tried to appeal the complaint since I was neither informed there was even one nor given a notice about it but the patient's lawyer was adamant about pursuing the case. Then like I said, I was suddenly served the papers this morning before I left the hospital. I didn't do anything wrong. I swear there really wasn't a DNR order or else I would have followed it as we're instructed." She finishes her statement, heavily frowning.
"I saw her talking to the receptionist outside just as I got off the elevator. She was looking for you and Quinn so I led her here to talk about the problem while you took care of business a while ago." Brittany chimes in.
I breathe deeply and nod once while I try to remain calm as much as I can. Was there really a do-not-resuscitate order to start with that she missed out on? Or is this part of a bigger issue? Something about her story doesn't sit right with me. Even though we weren't together for that long, I've gotten to know George quite well in the few months we dated. Based on her stories and that of other people she worked with that I knew, she's quite the diligent person when it comes to her job. Meticulous and thorough even.
I glance at the papers in front of me and read it for a second time which unsurprisingly, reveals nothing out of the ordinary for subpoenas. Or so I assumed until a random thought comes into mind.
"Would you happen to remember what the patient's lawyer looked like? Or what's his name? Anything else out of the ordinary that happened?" I squint my eyes at George. She tries to recall by looking up while Brittany throws me a curious glance from the side.
"She. The lawyer who came yesterday was a woman." George trails off. "I can't recall her name but I do remember that she's a redhead and quite menacing to talk to. I'm afraid there wasn't anything out of the ordinary although she talked quite fast and said that she'll sort things out when she gets back from Vermont. Why do you ask?" She adds innocently.
I close my eyes for a moment out of exasperation, aggravation, or just plain anger. I ball my fists tightly and grit my teeth. I look at Brittany and notice her displaying the same disconcerted demeanor that I am upon putting the pieces together.
Laura Fucking Castle. Bitch has really gone up to a higher level of evil just to try and break me down.
"Santana?" George speaks up again. "Is everything alright? Should I be even more worried than I am right now?"
"N-No." I half-lie. "Laura Castle. That's her name. We went to Harvard with her and let's just say that she and I don't have the best of records when it comes to making friends or having a decent, civil human interaction." I sigh and hang my head low before locking eyes with George.
"Santana, w-what-"
"I'm going to be honest with you. We wholeheartedly believe that you did nothing wrong and there really was no DNR order to start with. The only reason you're being sued for something you didn't do and falsely at that, is because Castle has a grudge on me and wants to make my life a living hell. She's been trying to get me to settle for an ongoing case and this is her sleazy way of doing just that." I reason out.
George seems to try and process it, dumbly staring at Brittany and I as she does so. "Why does she have a grudge on you? And why am I being hauled into this?"
Brittany and I immediately share a look and this time, my wife takes over to explain. "It's quite a long story." She says simply with a hint of remorse. "We guess that Laura never really grew up after graduating from Harvard. Going after you is her petty way of making Santana feel terrible while hoping that she'll settle out of guilt, I think."
George stares skeptically at us. "So, the reason why I'm being falsely sued for this DNR order and presently threatened to be deported with my medical license on the line is because of you and whatever it is you did back in law school to her that she never really moved on from?" She reiterates, her squinting eyes trained on me.
I blink a few times and running out of words with a migraine slowly kicking in, I resort to nodding slowly. "I-I'm really, really sorry for dragging you into this mess. I had no idea she was going to pull this act and-" I ramble before stopping myself with a sigh. "I'm sorry, George. I can't apologize enough."
"Wow. You must have done something unforgivable to make her get back on you like this, Santana."
"It's the other way around, actually. Santana only fought back." Brittany interjects shyly.
George nods once and appears to think of how to address the situation. "I'm not going to jail, am I?"
"With Santana at the helm? I doubt you'll even get to take a step inside the Courthouse." Brittany offers, flashing a warm smile that somehow calms Georgina.
"I'll have this sorted out immediately, George. Rest assured that we will do everything we can to absolve you of any accusations. I'll personally make sure of it." I voice out. "I'm sorry again for getting you into trouble-"
"Santana," George cuts me off with a small smile. "it's clearly the deranged woman's fault, not yours. Just kick her bloody arse and it will all be fine."
I hear Brittany chuckle beside me, a sound that warms my heart when I realize that this is the first time we've all seen each other since George and I broke up. I smile back at George as she motions to stand up, something Brittany and I mirror.
"I think I'll go ahead. I have the feeling that your hands are full and I'm probably in the way of things." George trails off. "Thank you for taking the time again out of both of your busy schedules to talk. I appreciate your help."
I open my mouth to speak but Brittany beats me to it. "We're relieved you came to us about this. Please don't hesitate to call any of us if something else comes up."
"Of course. Thank you, Brittany. And before I forget," George nods then flashes a big smile with her gaze alternating between Brittany and I. "Congratulations on getting married."
Brittany and I both chuckle and grin widely. "Thank you, George. How did you know?" My wife utters.
"Oh. Your grandmother." Georgina retorts, gesturing to Brittany. "She came by the hospital a few weeks ago for a charity function with Doctor Lopez and we caught up a bit. She called me 'Englishwoman' and 'Ginger Spice' several times in the short span of time that we talked."
"Yep. That sounds like her." I chime in, as we all laugh. "Anyway, we won't keep you from your day's activities anymore. We'll keep you posted if anything comes up at all." I add and shortly, we bid George goodbye.
I take a deep sigh as soon as she exits the conference room. My head feels like exploding and if I didn't know any better, it's getting a little harder to breathe.
"San, are you okay?" Brittany speaks up, placing a hand on my lower back with worry washing over her features.
"Y-Yeah. I guess I'm just tired and-" I reply but get cut off when my phone rings. I glance at the caller's name and clear my throat before picking up the call then putting it on speaker.
"Grams, I'm in the middle of something important. I'll have to call you back-"
"Selena!" Grams shouts a little too loud from the other line. "Can someone please explain to me why the damn hell is your little Ronald McDonald friend back? I thought that bitch was dead?"
I share a quick glance at Brittany and decide to take a seat for what must be another roller coaster ride. "Oh no. What happened, Grams?"
"If you must know, I had just come back from a lunch meeting downtown when Wendy from that little school of yours just happened to be outside of my office building a few minutes ago saying that she'll sue me for something I'm sure was a figment of her sociopathic imagination if I don't cooperate with her to get you to confess your guilt of a crime I have no idea of!"
"What?! What did you tell her, Grams? Did Castle threaten you with something else?"
"I told her I don't have time to entertain fans like her and that she should get a job and a proper life." Grams responds nonchalantly. "Then I told one of my bodyguards to give their therapist's card to her. She looked a little taken aback by that especially when I said that she'll have to take up all legal matters to my Maribel, who's my lawyer. That seemed to shake her up a bit, I think. She left when she realized I'm the biggest 'badass', or whatever Brianna calls me on a regular basis, she's ever seen."
I hang on her words for a bit, surprised that she's taking this lightly. "That's it?"
"Well, yes, what do you kids expect I do? She's about as menacing as a newborn Chihuahua. Fifi and Lord Tubbington look like supermodels if we're going by inner beauty." Grams grouses. "Besides, this isn't the first time someone has threatened me like that. I've lost count already but yet, none has succeeded in their nasty endeavor, Selena. So, can someone explain why Pennywise is in town? Am I live here? Is Britty and Quinn there?"
"I'm here. Quinn is in her office-" Brittany chimes in but gets cut off when her own phone rings. "Hold on, Grams." She adds, grabbing the gadget in her purse then turns toward me again. "It's Tina."
"Answer it, babe. Maybe it's important."
Brittany nods and picks up the call, walking to the side for some privacy. I go back to facing my phone to address Grams again when an incoming call registers on the screen from Kurt. My forehead creases at the notion of the sudden influx of calls coming from our friends. Or maybe I'm just being panicky.
"Grams, Kurt's calling me on the other line. Can I call you back?"
"Toodle-oo!" Grams responds cheerfully then cuts off the line. I immediately answer Kurt's call and press the phone to my ear as I take it off speaker mode.
"Hell-"
"Santana, what the hell is going on?! Can someone please explain to me what the frick frock is happening?!" He rambles angrily.
My eyebrows raise in surprise of his tone just as I look up to catch a glance of Quinn through the glass walls as she makes her way back to us in the conference room with a piece of paper in her hand while talking disapprovingly with someone on her phone.
"Slow down, Kurt. Just calm down, okay? Tell me what happened first."
"Alright." Kurt sighs. "I was having a peaceful lunch with Isabelle a while ago like usual when all of a sudden, this guy comes up to me and serves me papers!"
"Papers for what exactly? And where's it from?"
"Malpractice. It says that I committed malpractice by concealing your act of misconduct from the Ethics Board and failing to notify them immediately as it should be." Kurt utters. "I had an intern look it up and it's from a New York firm called Smith and Mayer."
Smith and Mayer. Castle's firm. I take a long, deep breath as I feel my heart drop as soon as Kurt mentioned the firm's name. I sense the anxiety and panic creeping back in just as Quinn enters the room.
"We've got a problem." She greets. "I have Rachel on the other line. She's been served papers for a malpractice suit like mine."
"Shit. Berry too?!" I spit out.
"Yes. And I checked the list of the files we sent and- Wait." She cuts herself off with a curious look at me. "What do you mean 'too', S?"
"Guys," Brittany breaks off our conversation, covering her phone with one hand. "I have Tina and Mike on the phone. They said they've been served a malpractice suit a few hours ago. Mercedes called just now as well, she'd been served the same subpoena after her show last night. She's on her way to the Changs."
"I heard that." Kurt speaks up. "Oh my God. What is happening, Santana? Who's behind this?"
"K-Kurt, it's- C-Castle's back. She's going after me." I almost whisper, hearing a barely audible gasp soon after. "Look, I'll deal with this, alright? I'll get back to you as soon as I can." I add and cut the phone call before he even gets to speak.
"I don't think there's a proper time for this but I'm just going to blurt it out." Quinn chimes in, motioning to the paper in her hand. "Everything Laura showed us awhile ago is in here. She didn't plant anything."
"W-What-"
"I-I don't know how it happened, S. It's virtually impossible. I told you, I triple-checked everything and made sure there wasn't a single file that would implicate you for anything before we sent it. I even included an HR report justifying your absence and the document where Maribel signed off on your 'business trip' to London back then to cover your tracks but it's not here or on the list. I'm not sure if it's the interns' error or mine but Castle didn't plant or concealed anything. I-I-" Quinn stops her rambling and looks down in shame.
As I'm about to speak and grapple the situation, a pizza delivery guy carrying two large boxes of pizza knocks on the glass door of the conference room and enters without saying anything else much to our bewilderment.
"Babe, I'll have to call you back in a few minutes." Quinn mutters to her phone then glances quizzically at me and Brittany upon putting the gadget down. "Did you order pizza? Who ordered pizza?"
"No one." I respond calmly.
"Hi. I'm looking for a Brittany Lopez-Pierce?" The pizza guy chimes in.
"Tina, let me call you back. I gotta go." Brittany voices out absent-mindedly, eyes on the delivery guy. "There's a great chance she's here but we didn't order any pizza, sir."
"Look, miss. I'm just here to deliver the pizza." He sighs, setting one of the pizza boxes on the table while holding on to the other. "The receptionist told me she's blonde, tall, and in this room, so you must be her. Are you Brittany Lopez-Pierce?"
Brittany throws us a look then back on the pizza guy. "Yes, I am."
The delivery guy opens the pizza box like she's about to propose to Brittany. Rather than a large pizza set inside the box, a single document is seen instead. A look of surprise washes over my wife's face and without much to do, she grabs the file from the box and surveys it.
"You've been served." The pizza guy utters as he closes the box. "You're being sued for Malpractice." He adds and in a few seconds, he's out of the room.
I swallow the huge gulp in my throat, my head spinning at the sudden turn of events as I watch Brittany swiftly read through the paper, knowing full well what's in it and where it came from.
"She's suing me for the same case just like the others." Brittany speaks up as she turns the paper to unveil a post-it on the last page which elicits a worried expression from her.
"Britt, what is it?" I say, walking towards her side to take a peek.
"It's from Laura." Brittany starts. "She says that we should all savor the pizza as much as we can since we'll be needing the strength to power through and that there's no way I can avoid her anymore." Brittany gives us an apprehensive glance. "I'm the first one up and she'll see me on my deposition next week."
Quinn and I share an uneasy look. We both know what Castle's plotting behind her twisted ways. She won't hesitate to take Brittany to court if it's what will take for me to give up and allow her to have her way. She's going to drag all my loved ones into this just so she can see me lose. And of course, what better way to do that than immediately cutting me off at the knees by way of using my wife against me. By utilizing my one weakness to get through me.
We need someone who hates me as much as Laura Fucking Castle does. We need someone who won't back down no matter what. We all know what needs to be done.
"You want me to do what?!" Sebastian exclaims, swiveling his chair to face Quinn and I standing across from him, all while he's sporting an incredulous look on his face.
"Was I speaking in Spanish? I speak up, unfazed.
"So, you barge into my office like this and demand for me to do your bidding because as you both say, I 'owe' you?" He raises an eyebrow while Quinn and I share an indifferent glance at each other.
"You heard me, Smythe."
And as expected, Sebastian laughs out loud. "Are you both high? Why on Earth would I do that?"
"Because we saved your ass back in the Beiste case which you owe us bigtime. If it weren't for us, you'd be fired, facing multiple raps for your unethical behavior unbecoming of a lawyer, and possibly dead since you managed to piss off a bunch people because you're a big jerk." Quinn answers.
Sebastian nods knowingly. "Is that something you both pray for? Or a thing you your future entails for me?"
"Oh, believe me, Sebastian. If it's only the future we're talking about then I would love to slap the crap out of you that a psychic would be able to read my future from the hand imprint on your face." I say with a mocking grin.
"And yes, I pray every goddamn night to Hades after I kiss your 8x8 picture in my personal gallery shrine of people-I'd-like-to-murder-out-of-anger." Quinn retorts, erasing the smug look of Smythe's face.
"If you two are trying to get someone to do what you want then you should know that neither of you are doing a very good job so far." Sebastian trails off. "You should have sent Pierce here instead. That girl could ask someone to jump off a building with a 'please' and 'thank you' and that person would probably pawn off all their belongings to her with a big 'thanks' before leaping to their death."
"Oh, believe us when we say you'd want to do what we want, after all." I mutter innocently.
"And why would I? I hate you both as much as you hate me. Probably even more with you." He snaps back, eyes on me.
"Exactly." Quinn cuts in. "Which is why if you play your cards right, you'll get to do the one thing only Brittany has ever done before. It's an opportunity for you to get back at her." She grins devilishly and places both of her hands on Sebastian's table. "You'd get to beat Santana and humiliate her with a loss in front of everyone in this firm."
"It's a chance for redemption and payback. Make no mistake though, there's no way I'd let you win easily." I chime in.
He seems to contemplate it, looking back and forth at us. "I don't trust either of you. Your plan seems so simple. For all I know this is all a trick to humiliate myself in front of everyone."
"Gayladdin, there's not one bone inside of that stone cold Slytherin body of yours that we trust either. What makes you think I ever planned for you to get the slightest of chance to have an option no one has ever had before? I'd say that this is all fair. Besides, you've already humiliated yourself after your merger fumble in the Beiste case. Plus, you do owe us this after we saved your ass this morning and it's not like you have anything better to do either." I add, sighing.
Sebastian squints his eyes at us. He gets up from his seat, puts his hands in his pockets then walks over to his office window with his back towards us in a dramatic fashion.
"We know you've wanted to do this since the day you met Santana, Sebastian. And it's actually fun taking her on in court, I did it back in Harvard and a mock trial with her is something that goes down in the books. Or at least ours did." Quinn treads lightly, sneaking a knowing glance at me. "What better way to use this as an outlet for all the hatred you have for her in your freezing, lifeless heart?"
"What makes you think I'm on your side? Has it ever crossed your mind that maybe I could be helping Laura to take you down?" He exclaims, looking over his shoulder.
"It has. At the same degree that we thought you colluded with Hunter which turned out to be a ruse to trick all of us." I voice out. "We know you don't need anyone's help even if you had a plan in the first place. I couldn't care less."
Sebastian chuckles bitterly and turns around to walk towards in front of his table where he leans to half-sit on the edge of it, positioning himself across from us.
"Let me reiterate what you want me to do and to get this straight, ladies." He trails off, taking a deep sigh prior to continuing. "You want me to participate in a mock trial next week where I will play the role of Laura Castle, who I went to Yale Law with for a year and someone I consider an acquaintance. A mock trial where I will be representing Harris Electronics against Fabray and you, Lopez, both of whom will represent Brittany Pierce in this imaginary proceeding." He pauses to consider his words. "You're giving me the chance to humiliate you in front of everyone who works here should you lose in this mock trial we're talking about because I hate you and won't stop at any cost to bring you down in probably the same manner as Castle?"
I remain unfazed and calm. "Yes." I say sternly.
Sebastian chuckles sharply, shaking his head in disbelief while holding out his hand. "No mercy?"
I stare at his hand for a second then back at him. I hold out my hand and shake his hand firmly. "No mercy."
He grins devilishly as he retracts his hand and walks back to his seat. "Well then, you better get ready. I'll see you in court, bitch."
I smirk as we motion to leave his office. "Bring it on, you little shit."
Drop by my tumblr (kpgleek13) if you have any questions whatsoever ;)
3 chapters left. Let's go finish this. Will update soon :)