*I don't really care much for this chapter but it moves things along*

*apologies*

*also, how quickly karma's car jumps to 60 is supposed to be a demonstration of how expensive her car is. it's also a demonstration of how mad amy was to push the pedal that hard and not know what to do right after. if i wanted to be super accurate i should've said: SHE STEPPED ON THE PEDAL FOR EXACTLY 2.4 SECONDS BEFORE REMOVING HER FOOT. but i honestly don't feel bad that i didn't because this is fanfiction and i'm writing it fast to get it out there but yes you are right, even fast cars need at least 2. some-odd seconds to get to 60 on average.*

*also, amy and reagan will have an encounter later on. that's definitely bound to happen! i've been building it up for exactly that. their relationship is a big part of this fic and i kinda love it.*

Chapter 11

Donut Daze

For an hour or so things were perfect. Just one hour. That's how long it took for Karma's world to interrupt her again.

She'd never been in that donut shop before.

"Amy Raudenfeld! When you gonna win me a case?" The lady behind the counter teased. Her name was Mrs. Ling and Amy loved her.

"You know I'm not that good," Amy said, "even I know you don't want me defending you in court," she laughed. Karma watched from a table nearby as Amy ordered, paid, and grabbed a tray filled with hand-picked donuts, milk, and the coffee Amy insisted that she try. "Maybe this one'll take your case," Amy teased, pointing at Karma. "She wins everything."

"Ahhh, really?" Behind the counter the older woman was squinting and sizing Karma up. Then her expression changed when she recognized Karma from the news. "Oh wow, that Karma Ashcroft. Everyone know her! Hi Karma Ashcroft," the woman waved.

"Hi," Karma let out a small laugh and waved back. She found herself feeling small again like when her Mom would take her places and make her meet all the people who knew too much about her for some reason.

Amy sat down and felt guilt eating her again. The guilt had come back at the sight of Reagan but then Mrs. Ling recognized Karma and it was just like being hit twice in the stomach with a bat. Karma really was this hotshot. To Amy though, she almost didn't seem like it now. How could Karma's public life and her private life be so different? In public she was this huge winner and in private she was this sad lonely girl. Amy hated to think of her that way but that's all she could feel while she sat with her like this. Plus, she was too beautiful to be sad.

"She knows you," Amy sat. She felt herself slouching and wished she could've changed just as Karma had done before. Wearing courtroom clothes made her feel stuffy and strange. She was sure Mrs. Ling probably didn't recognize her when she first came in. Amy never dressed like this for Ruiz and Ward. Ruiz and Ward were more about being real than being put-together.

"People usually know me," Karma said in a rather droll town. Her eyes fluttered up in her head because to her Amy was this odd little anomaly. It wasn't painful anymore to think that Amy didn't know her. At first when Karma realized that Amy knew nothing about her it really stung. But that had more to do with Lauren and the job offer than anything else. Shane had made it sound like Amy was just dying to get onto the firm. Karma could see now that Shane had been lying in every possible way. Amy was too honest to hold up one of Shane's crazy lies.

"I guess," Amy said. Hunger took hold of her quick. No more time for guilt when food was set before her.

Karma took a sip of her coffee and watched as Amy practically devoured her first donut.

"Holy shit," Karma muttered under her breath. "I haven't seen anyone eat like that since I was back in high school."

"Shut up!" Amy said, throwing a packet of sugar at her and hitting her in the chest.

"Hey!" Karma laughed. The coffee felt good in her throat. At the firm they had been drinking some weird coffee Liam liked. All of her people complained. Right now she understood why.

"So, Miss Famous, whatta you wanna do next?" Amy teased. She had a smile on her lips and to Karma she seemed so silly somehow. She was a grown up but something about Amy really hit a chord with Karma and reminded her how non-serious life could be. Yeah, Amy had her dark moods. But right now like this? With the donuts in this place and the way she just sort of tagged along like a child would? Karma was starting to feel something she hadn't felt in a while. Something good.

"Well, my husband left me so I guess I'm free now," Karma scoffed. Her dark mood was a hard thing to cure. It had been a dark few years.

"Karma…" Oh the way she said her name… And with that deep sigh… Karma heard it, the way Amy said her name like that, and it soothed her. Amy said her name like Liam used to back when they first began. Back when there was hope and love and a light behind his eyes. Back when it had been him chasing her and not the other way around. It'd been a long time since someone actually seemed to care. Karma didn't like to think about it too much but it was all she could think.

"Hmm?" Karma squinted at nothing and then snapped out of it, looking back towards Amy. She found herself lost somewhere between her past and her future. Before her sat this nice girl who had no reason to be where she was, no reason to be comforting her on this day or any for that matter. I mean, unless it was all some sort of act. Karma didn't think anyone could be that could at acting oblivious though.

Karma was thinking too much and she couldn't stop herself.

"I know, this is weird but… You can talk about it if you want," Amy said. There had been an awkward silence. Amy had no idea what Karma was thinking.

"What happened with Ruiz and Ward?" Karma asked. She was a good Lawyer for a reason. She never dropped an important subject. Never skipped a beat.

"Wha? Ahhh, nothing happened," Amy sighed uncomfortably and picked at her half-eaten chocolate covered cake donut. If she was any good at all she could dodge this question but Amy was bad at stopping herself from telling truths. "I quit, it was stupid," Amy sighed. "I should've done things better, should've been better."

"Shane says you won them cases," Karma wanted her to feel less stress about this new change of hers. Here the girl was trying to comfort her when her world was a mess too.

"Lauren thinks I won cases," Amy said, being real. "Ruiz and Ward are really good," Amy pushed, a true fan of her friends til the very end, that was always an Amy thing to be.

"Amy a good Lawyer!" Mrs. Ling yelled from behind the counter. She'd been eavesdropping. She wanted to tell her daughter about Karma visiting. "She won Chicken-Dance. Very big case!"

"Chicken dance?" Karma asked, her smile sneaking up on her.

"Mrs. Ling!" Amy said, looking back at her and waving her hand to get her to stop.

"So bashful! You keep her," Mrs. Ling pushed. "She better than your guys," Mrs. Ling went on.

Karma looked to Amy with a sort of playfulness in her face, her eyebrows raised and the offer just out there. Would Amy stay or would Amy go? She seemed resigned to stay but Karma didn't want to keep anyone who didn't want to be with her. "Okay, explain that?" Karma asked.

"There's nothing to explain. I was there I guess, I helped them win cases. It was my job." Of course she had insight. She went to school didn't she? Amy was thinking about it and it was all bothering her. Anyone on any case is a help, right? That's what she thought anyway. Karma on the other hand knew how useless certain people could be. And then there were the few cursed who somehow made things worse instead of better. She'd seen it all in her day.

"Well, she's obviously seen Liam and Shane in action. We're on the news all the time," Karma wanted Amy to understand. "If you're better than them it makes perfect sense that you join us."

"Karma…" Amy didn't like that this had turned into some sort of pitch for Karma's firm.

"What?" Karma asked. She didn't want to be pushy but she was suddenly sure that she needed Amy in her life. Her selfishness was starting to rear its ugly head. In truth she wanted Amy to stay just to hear someone say her name the way she did. "You've seen I need help. Those guys just up and leave and I'm just…"

"Can we just talk about life and be normal people right now?" Amy groaned sadly, cutting her off. "Why does everything have to be about work? I hate work. I do," Amy groaned.

"On the house," Mrs. Ling said, bringing out an extra coffee and setting it down in front of Amy.

"Thanks Mrs. Ling," Amy said in her defeated voice. Donuts couldn't cure all ailments and coffee made Amy nervous sometimes but she was happy to distract herself from the talk that just seemed to always come back to her. She liked learning about Karma but she hated talking about herself, and Karma was interested in knowing her for some odd reason.

"Hey," Karma said, touching her hand over Amy's and snapping Amy out of her sadness. Amy flipped a strand of hair out of her own face by knocking her head to the side just a bit and blowing at it. "Don't downplay your talent," Karma advised. "You'd be surprised how many people would kill to be smart like you."

"I'm not-"

"You are," Karma said matter-of-factly. As far as she was concerned Amy was, smart and modest and lovely, a true gift.

Amy looked up at her and wanted to be able to believe her. Looking at Karma though she just felt inferior in pretty much every way. "You don't even know me, Karma," Amy said sadly.

"Yeah well, I know enough," Karma pushed.

She took her hand away and picked her first donut up at last. Amy watched as she brought it to her lips and took a modest bite.

"Mmmmm," Karma moaned. "I love this place," she smiled, mouth full. Somehow she felt sleepy and safe all at once. But she was sure it had more to do with Amy than anything else.

"Really?" Amy asked, her smile spreading wide again.

"Oh yeah," Karma said, using both hands to pick at her donut and put another piece in her mouth. "This is delicious."

"Mrs. Ling! Karma Ashcroft likes your donuts!" Amy yelled and teased, to be a little shit.

"Amy!" Karma said with a surprised stare.

"You do," Amy teased.

"I do," Karma relented.

What she really liked though was the company.