TRIAL I

"The Court would like to call the defendant's attorney to the stand," the Court Officer announced. Ross and Rachel gasped as a familiar face stepped before the court, dressed in a dark suit and tie, a briefcase in hand.

"MIKE? Mike is Chandler's new lawyer?" they exclaimed in horrified unison. The courtroom burst into excited chatter. Joey glanced frantically around the courtroom trying to understand the instant commotion.

"Silence in the Courtroom," Justice Courtenay announced. The Courtroom fell silent.

5 seconds later than everyone else, comprehension dawned upon Joey's face, and his eyes widened in shock. He grabbed Phoebe's arm, exclaiming, "Pheebs, M-Mike… is… Chandler's lawyer!"

Phoebe cringed. Justice Courtenay glared at Joey warningly. Joey blushed, shrinking in his chair.

"Pheebs, maybe you should go up there and tell Mike you don't want him taking sides," Joey whispered loudly in Phoebe's ear.

"I was the one who asked him to represent Chandler," Phoebe said tensely, through gritted teeth.

"What? Why would you do that? I thought we were gonna give them all equal support, you're the one who told me not to take sides!" Joey exclaimed.

"Sir, I will throw you out of this Courtroom if you do not cease your chatter," Justice Courtenay warned.

"Sorry dude, I mean... uhh Your Honour," Joey muttered, shrinking further into his seat.

"Joey, it's more complicated than that now, okay? Just trust me on this," Phoebe whispered fiercely. Phoebe had but one priority right now. And that was to do everything within her power to ensure Chandler never ever tried to take his life again.

Joey watched his old friend uncertainly, feeling a strange distance between them. Lately she seemed so secretive. He often caught her on the phone in quiet furtive conversations with shady friends from her past. He wondered how much he really knew her at all. How much of Street Phoebe lay dormant in her seemingly good heart? He hoped to God she was still a good person.

Mike thought about the night he pressed Phoebe to explain why she was taking sides, insisting that he would refuse to budge on the case till she was honest with him. She had replied pleadingly, her eyes spilling over with desperate tears, "Mike, you know how much I wish I could tell you, but I can't. All I can say is Chan needs me more than any of the others do, so please, just do this one thing for him, don't make me beg you."

"Well? Attorney Hannigan, who are you calling to the stand?" Justice Courtenay prompted, breaking Mike out of his private reverie.

Mike cleared his throat. "I'd like to call Mrs Rachel Karen Geller to the stand for cross-examination," he announced.

Rachel stepped onto the podium, feeling that life could not possibly get any stranger. Here she was, in a Court of Law, testifying against one of her best friends, and getting interrogated by the husband of one of her other best friends.

"Mrs Geller, you-"

"Christ, Mike, just call me Rach, it's not like we're strangers," Rachel interrupted, bewildered by her friend's formalities.

"Right, okay Rachel," Mike muttered uncomfortably, "You are the mother of the plaintiff, Emma Geller, is that right?"

"Yes I am."

"As Emma's mother, could you tell me at what age Emma began to form memories?"

"I don't really understand what you mean…" Rachel mumbled.

"What I mean is, babies and toddlers do not have the capacity for memory. Memory is something that one develops in early childhood. Would you agree with that statement, Rachel?"

"Yes, sure," Rachel sighed, knowing full well where this was going.

"Right, well my question to you is this. At approximately what age did Emma begin remembering things, anything. For instance, if you were to promise to take her to Disneyland, at what age do you suppose she would remember this promise and hold you to it?"

"I think she began to remember things shortly after her fourth birthday," Rachel said shortly.

"Could you elaborate? What sort of things would she remember?" Mike pressed.

"Oh, y'know, she'd repeat things she heard on tv, quote lines out of storybooks."

"Did she repeat these lines accurately?"

"Well, no, of course not, a few mistakes here and there. I mean, c'mon, she's just a little girl," Rachel replied, flustered and defensive.

"Ah. Emma Geller makes mistakes here and there… She's just a little girl… This is EXACTLY my point. So if you would clarify for the court, Rachel, given Emma's young age of four, is her memory inaccurate?"

"Sometimes," Rachel admitted reluctantly.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, please take note that the plaintiff's mother has just admitted that sometimes the plaintiff's memory is inaccurate, that she's just a little girl, and therefore occasionally makes mistakes here and there." Mike paused for effect, before adding, "That will be all Rachel, please be seated."

Rachel stepped shakily off the podium feeling disturbed by how cold and distant Mike had been. She felt waves of anger course through her veins. How could Mike do this to them? How could Phoebe agree to this? And God forbid, did Phoebe put Mike up to this? Why were they choosing Chandler over Emma?

Mike felt chilled at the way Rachel had watched him with such bewildered hurt and betrayal in her eyes. The guilt was eating him alive. Why was Phoebe putting him through this? If Phoebe hadn't wept before his very eyes, he would've rejected this case in no uncertain terms. From across the room, Mike saw Phoebe seated in the docks, staring at her feet, her cheeks inflamed with shame.