It was Bianca who noticed Carol backing away from the podium the second accusations were made of blackmail.
As the lawyer slipped through the doors back into the courthouse, Bianca moved to follow; Marissa wasn't far behind her.
The other side of the double doors they caught sight of Carol Robinson hurrying down the hallway. Marissa set off in hot pursuit. Bianca followed at a much slower speed, cursing her leg and her damn crutches.
…
In her panic to get away Carol took a wrong turn and found herself in a dead end corridor that only led to the judge's chambers. She could hear the sound of running feet behind her and quickly turned to track her way back to the main corridor and out through the fire escape. She was too late though. Marissa skidded to a halt at the junction blocking her escape.
"You!" cried Carol in dismay.
"Me." said Marissa, stalking down the hallway towards her.
Carol bent double as if catching her breath, but really she was taking a moment to gather her thoughts. It was only Marissa, there was no one else following, which meant she only had to get past one woman. True, the younger woman was much fitter than her and would win if this turned into a fight, but when it came to a battle of wits Carol was sure she'd have the upper hand. Thanks to months of research she knew this woman's every weak spot. Something she was more than happy to exploit.
"Just you is it?" asked Carol coldly, straightening up. "For a moment there I thought I was in trouble."
"Oh you are!" said Marissa coolly, but Carol just laughed and made a move to walk past her.
"Sorry but you're not that intimidating!" she said heartlessly. "Step aside."
"No." said Marissa, blocking her escape.
"I said move." demanded Carol, going almost nose to nose with Marissa.
"Not a chance!"
Carol sighed.
"You can't keep me here. I haven't done anything!"
"You've done plenty." said Marissa angrily.
"Maybe to you." said Carol, stepping back with a smug smile on her face. "But that was hardly a crime when you were such an easy target. You like to pretend you have a backbone but you really don't. Do you have any idea how easy it was to manipulate you? All you ever do is run to the richest fool who will take you in, first JR and now Bianca. Well you're on your own now!"
"I can handle you!"
Carol shook her head.
"Big talk! You know, you haven't earned any of your so called achievements. I know you, you just coast through life looking for the next sap who will pay your way! I must say you've hit the big time now, found yourself a billionaire, and all you had to do was 'tip some velvet' to achieve it! You saw it wasn't working with JR so you turned to the next victim you could reel in."
"That's slander!"
"It's not slander if it's true." said Carol stalking forward.
"I had amnesia." said Marissa defensively, taking a step back. "I'm sure you think that made me weak but it's made me more sure of myself than ever, more in love with Bianca. I'm whole again now and back to being a better lawyer than you'll ever be."
Carol was openly laughing out loud now.
"Better than me? I can't believe you have the cheek to call yourself a lawyer? I've got more legal expertise in my little finger than you've got in your entire body! Correct me if I'm wrong but you've only every won one case and even then you had to rely on someone else to bail you out. If JR hadn't paid off Reese you're girlfriend's kids would be living halfway across the globe."
"That's not true."
Carol just grinned evilly back.
"Oh it is and you know it. You are a doormat Marissa. You've spent your entire life as a doormat. Even your own mother didn't want you. She had twins and you're the one she decided to dump! Sold you to the first strangers that came along. Do you know how much you cost Marissa because I do! Your mother sold you for seventy bucks. Enough cash to catch the first bus out of town!
"That's a lie!" cried Marissa.
Marissa tried to hold her ground as Carol continued to stalk forward; they were almost back to the main corridor.
"Oh what are you going to do? Come on you've never stood up for anything in your life! Stop pretending you can stand up to me!"
"I stood up to JR!" retorted Marissa. "I protected my son!"
"Your son! He's not you're son! You stole your sister's child and then you pretend that he's yours so that you can believe someone will love you. You're just pathetic!"
Marissa took another step back from the onslaught of vicious words.
Carol continued ranting, she saw victory in her grasp, they were only a few paces from the corridor and her escape route
"You are so worthless you were giving actual massages in that low rent sex parlour you were working in. Why? Was your whining, pathetic nature so repulsive even the johns didn't want to sleep with you?"
Carol grinned triumphantly as Marissa took another step back.
"Hey!" cried an angry voice by her shoulder, "That's my girlfriend you're talking about!"
Carol turned suddenly to see Bianca glowering at her.
"You!" she exclaimed.
But Bianca was just a distraction.
"Hey!" cried Marissa drawing back Carol's attention, "Just shut up, will you!?"
As she turned, Carol didn't see the fist flying towards her, she just felt it impact her jaw, knocking her to the ground.
When her ears stopped ringing, Carol looked up to see Marissa standing over her nursing her right fist.
"See I do fight back." the red head said, glaring down at her. "I just like waiting for the right moment to strike!"
"You hit me!" Carol gasped.
Carol noticed a police officer hurrying down the corridor towards them.
"Arrest her, she attacked me!" she called, pointing to Marissa. "Charge her for assault!"
"She fell." said Marissa, as the officer approached. "It was an accident."
"She fell," agreed Bianca. "I was a witness."
"You know what, I believe you." said the policeman, as he hauled Carol to her feet, ignoring her protests. "Madam you are under arrest, for perverting the course of justice. You have the right remain silent…"
At which point Carol screamed with rage, drowning out the Miranda rights as she was dragged away.
…
Marissa looked across to Bianca.
"Are you alright?"
"Am I alright?" Bianca exclaimed. "All those things she said! How did you keep your cool for so long?"
"I knew you were coming with the cavalry, I just had to keep her talking… That woman really has no redeeming qualities what so ever!"
"How's your hand?" Bianca asked, noticing the way Marissa was holding it.
Marissa shook her right fist.
"Punching hurts… who knew!"
"I'm sorry." said Bianca sweetly, taking the hand in hers and kissing the reddening knuckles one by one.
"Hmm." sighed Marissa with satisfaction. "It was worth it!"
Bianca grinned back, still holding Marissa's hand close you her lips.
"And do you know something else." Bianca asked quietly.
"What?"
"When you let fly with that right hook you have never looked sexier!"
Marissa gave her an amused grin.
"Not that I am condoning violence or anything." added Bianca quickly.
"Of course not."
"I'm just saying! That was hot!"
…