A/N: Homework, babysitting, people and my computer exploding are all valid reasons as to why this is so late. But alas, that makes me feel no better so this one is a long 'un.

Disclaimer: The dude's who own this wouldn't suck this much _

The utter shock and horror on Gavin's face was mirrored on hers as she was pushed out of the way against her wall as they rushed him out of there.

Gavin had time to look over his shoulder and see her staring after him. She followed out onto the stairwell and felt all her words catch in her throat.

"Fraulein! Ema! Please, call Herr Forehead, I seem to be in more trouble than I feared."

To say that Apollo was surprised to get the call was an understatement.

He didn't know which was more outstandingly shocking; Klavier Gavin being suspected of murder, or Klavier Gavin asking him to be his defence attorney.

Before answering his plight Apollo asked why Gavin had requested him. Sighing, Ema told him that it was probably because Gavin knew he was good, since he kept losing trials to him. Deeming this explanation acceptable he agreed, and between them decided to meet Gavin later at the Detention Centre.

Ema knew she had to go down to the office before she could take a look at the crime scene and hopefully figure out what had happened. She knew speaking to her boss wouldn't be easy, since by now he would know that Gavin was at her apartment, and she wasn't sure how she was going to explain that yet. Promising to herself that she'll cross that bridge when it got to it she left her apartment and headed to work.

***

Upon arriving there she was immediately pulled to the side by Winston Payne, who was of course the prosecutor for the trial. He handed her the case summary and told her to get to the crime scene with a smug smile.

"Murder seems to run in the family doesn't it?" He said to her, enjoying every minute he had knowing that without Gavin around he'd be the most in demand prosecutor.

"Klavier is nothing like his brother, Sir." She retorted, knowing full well that Payne wouldn't understand her emphasis on 'sir', but feeling better about it all the same. She stalked out of the building and hailed a cab to the crime scene, reading the case summery on the way.

The victim's house was much grander than she had expected, though she didn't know why she was surprised, considering he was a former football star. She ducked under the police line and headed into the mansion in front of her, immediately clocking the markings on the floor indicating where the body had been. She spent five minutes taking a look around the room before asking one of the forensics to fill her on what they've found so far.

"No sign of forced entry, which means either the victim or his wife let the murderer in, their mistake I guess. The victim was found by his wife and body temp suggests that he was killed between five and seven this morning. COD was blunt force trauma to the head with… where is it? This! Pretty impressive trophy huh? One of his own. Oh, and we found four sets of fingerprints."

This caught Ema's attention. "Four?"

"Yes. The victim's, his wife, unknown fingerprints; most of them partials, and Mr Gavin's." She finished, a sheepish look on her face, not expecting the look of turmoil on Ema's. "Are… are you ok?"

"What? Oh, yes, yes. It's just, I didn't think he'd have been here. This case is looking easy for the prosecution so far."

In response Ema received a nod before being left alone again to investigate and hopefully talk to the witness, but upon hearing that she was with Mr Payne she decided that she'd pay a visit to Gavin sooner.

***

"You going to clue me in on what's happened then?

Gavin looked at her angrily, "Why? I can see right there that you have the basic outline of the case before investigation, and I know that you wouldn't have hesitated for a second to read it after it was handed to you. And I know you've already investigated the crime scene, so why don't you break it down for me, Fraulein? Tell me why I'm in this god forsaken place!"

Ema huffed noisily and opened the file. "Fine. But I need to ask that question again in a second anyway. But back to the most important part- Victim is Brian Green, wealthy former football star. Died this morning between five and seven AM. Cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head, weapon is an old trophy of his." Ema looked up at him briefly and saw his eyes calculating something. She flicked to the next page and read aloud again. "Witness is the victim's wife, Vanessa Green, claims she saw the killer enter their house and kill the victim while he slept. Next page is suspects, but I'm sure I don't need to go into that."

Ema closed the file and looked at Gavin, who unlike before looked extraordinarily livid.

"I... I can't believe she did this! She knows I wasn't there! She knows!"

Ema looked wildly back at him in panic. "Who, the witness? And- wait, she knows you weren't there? You're claiming innocence? And that she's lying? I think it's about time you told me what happened, Gavin."

"I'm going to wait for my attorney to get here. You should be investigating the case, I assume you convinced Winston that my being at your apartment was out of the blue and strictly professional?"

"He didn't even ask."

"Oh, by the way Fraulein, before you depart, what was the other question for? The one you said was less important then what has happened with the case."

"Oh," Ema blushed. "That. Well- last night is hazy, but now isn't the best time to talk about that, is it?"

"Not now Fraulein." He smiled at her, but it was a heart-rending one. He knew something she didn't, and boy, did she really want to know.

Walking away from him seemed to be a lot harder then she thought it should be and every person she passed could see it plainly on her face that her heart was dropping with every step.

***

"So... what- what actually happened?"

"Yeh? What have you done?"

Ema looked between Apollo and Trucy and felt a pang of compassion. Despite being professional enemies they still cared about Gavin.

Gavin looked up at them, a desperate look in his eye.

"I can't believe she did this to me!" Was the first thing that he said. Was that really desperation she saw or was it anger?

"Who?"

"The witness!"

"You mean you can't believe the witness called the police?" Trucy piped in from next to Apollo.

Gavin did a double take at her and Ema swore he almost laughed.

"No, Fraulein, I can't believe what she has done, because what she 'witnessed' didn't happen."

Apollo and Trucy all let out a breath they didn't know they had been holding. Gavin had said he hadn't done it, that's all it took Apollo to believe it, and while his methods weren't always conventional, if he believed that his client was innocent, he would do everything within his power to get the right verdict.

"Right, shall we get down to business?" Apollo asked nervously.

The three looked at each other when Gavin didn't answer him. "Well," Apollo continued, "Did you know the victim?"

"...Yes." He finally answered and upon Apollo asking him how he told him he was an old fan.

Ema couldn't hold it in any longer, "That's rubbish Gavin and you know it! You were brought up in Germany so you're not expected to support a foreign player; you know that won't settle in court if I can pick holes in your statement so easily."

"Again, how do you know the victim?"

"Through his wife." Gavin sighed.

"The witness? How on earth do you know her?"

"We're acquaintances from the music world."

"So... why would she have it in for you?" Trucy asked him, "If you were old friends?"

"I didn't say that we were friends, Fraulein, and… I can't tell you that." He said, his eyes flickering towards Ema for a second and then back to Apollo.

"Why not?" Trucy asked him, her usual teenage excitement ever present at the thought of a mystery.

"Because it's not relevant. Even if she is trying to frame me for the murder of her husband."

Apollo looked at Ema with a certain air about him and Gavin could tell instantly that he knew what was going on.

"Do you have an alibi at all?" Ema finally asked, hoping for the best but expecting the worst.

"Nein, I was alone in my house, in bed. Asleep. No one can verify that."

"Asleep? Between five and seven? You were awake then, you get into work around the same time I do, so you must be up around half six." Ema shot at him.

Klavier looked away from the three spying eyes for a moment, unknown shame written plainly across his face. "I had a late night so I stayed in bed a little longer than usual. And I have a question for you," He said, looking directly at Apollo. "Tell me, Herr Forehead, have you seen the case file yet?"

Apollo nodded his head and pulled a copy out of his bag as proof.

"Have you spotted anything odd in it?"

Apollo looked through the file very briefly, "You mean apart from you being suspected of murder?"

Gavin smiled at him and it would have been clear to anyone who could see Gavin that his patience was being tried.

"Well…. Errrrmmm." Apollo flicked desperately through the sheets of paper trying to find something, "I don't see- hold it! I got it! Why did the witness wait to call the police until 8 if she witnessed you doing it?"

"Exactly Herr Forehead. I hope you take this line of questioning in court. Which reminds me, why did you take my case?"

"Because you don't take cases to win them, you care about justice."

***

"Fraulein Skye?" Klavier called to her as the three of them started to leave, "May we have that word now?"

Ema said goodbye to the other two and made her way back to Gavin.

"I don't know what you want me to say Ema, except nothing that bad happened. But perhaps it was best you didn't go to work this morning."

"Why's that?" She asked nervously.

"Well, I'm assuming you remember getting into the car? And arriving, where might I add you were particularly grumpy-"

"Watch it, Gavin."

"Of course. Well, after you had a few to drink your dance style became rather… erratic shall we say?"

"What?!" Ema asked, a blush forming already on her cheeks.

"Erratic, Fraulein, but I must say you were what you're thinking as well." He added while winking at her.

"Not the time Gavin." She said curtly.

"I know." He said softly while smiling at her. "We danced, we kissed, and I took you home."

"Is that it? Whoa hold on a second there! We kissed?!" Just at that second she suddenly remembered that very moment that they had complicated things further than they should have.

They were holding onto each other in a very personal manner. Their hands had found each other's hair; her hands had managed to roam free across his chest, and he had somehow managed to keep his hands attached to his arms after they had fallen considerably lower from her back several times.

So it was only a matter of time before they were not themselves enough to experience their first kiss. It only lasted a second, but for that one brief second when his lips pressed hardly against hers both their hearts set on fire.

"We were both in a happy mood Fraulein, think nothing of it." He said, his soft smile intruding on her brief flashback.

She nodded weakly in agreement and rose from her chair, momentarily stopping to wave as she left the room and then the building. This was the second time that day she had walked away from him that day, this time feeling worse. She knew he had lied to her. He'd told her that he hadn't been to the crime scene but his fingerprints proved otherwise. She didn't know how to take this information, and prayed that Apollo would pick up on fingerprints so she could tell him before the trail, that being the only way she could inform him of them. Once she was outside she deeply breathed in the fresh air and headed to the office, hoping the unidentified fingerprints had a name and face to them, and praying that Gavin had a valid reason for lying to her.

...Hopefully not so late next time ^_^'