Chapter Text
January 5, 2027, 1:32 pm
Gavin Law Office
Apollo Justice’s Office
Kristoph paused, his fist hovered over the surface of the door. Apollo’s nameplate, recently returned to the door, glinted in the fluorescent light from above him. It had been an awkward three months, to say the very least, in the office since his return. He was three months into his nine month probation, his “punishment” for his tampering of the scene of the crime last April. The nine months was also the “reward” for his statement against Zak Gramarye that led to the other man’s subsequent conviction. The Bar Association had since decided Kristoph’s fate: he hadn’t been stripped of his badge, he just wasn’t allowed to practice as a defense attorney for nine months and was relieved of his position on the Bar Association’s Ethics Committee (which made sense; hard to be on the Ethics Committee when you admitted guilt to being unethical). Overall, it was basically a slap on the wrist as so many of the scathing remarks hissed regarding the decision, and Kristoph had a long way to go to regain the trust and prestige he had secured before the events of last April.
His office, thankfully, had been kept running in his absence. As he had predicted, many of the older attorneys of the firm had left to save their own asses and distance their reputations from Kristoph’s name. The only ones who had remained with Andrea were Adam, Jamie (who had gotten her badge during his incarceration), a few other paralegals, and, in a way, Apollo.
Apollo. His bright and tenacious student. Their relationship had been strained these past three months after Kristoph decided to reveal all he had discovered about the young man he spent the last seven years guiding and teaching. Of all the reactions that Kristoph had expected when he revealed the identity of Apollo’s mother, his impassivity had not been one of them. The young man had returned to the house hours after dropping off Trucy at the office, trading her presence for Klavier, as his best friend Clay was now living at the space center getting ready for training for his mission. Apollo explained that he was going to stay with Klavier for a little bit to process everything, something Kristoph had understood and accepted as inevitable. He knew that Apollo needed time to deal with everything that had been thrown at him, and his usual response when confronted with overwhelming information was to curl into himself and hide away. He nodded and told Apollo to be safe, which thankfully Apollo wasn’t being too vindictive and responded with his usual response before petting Vongole and leaving with Klavier.
Apollo had returned to the office at the end of October. Apollo was welcomed back with open (openish from Adam) arms and there were smiles all around. Apollo settled back in like he never left.
A week later, Trucy came into the office with her father in tow with a proposition for Kristoph. She revealed that Phoenix was going to take the Bar Exam again since he had been cleared of involvement in the Gramayre Trial, and she wanted to have Kristoph’s offices represent her Agency. Before Kristoph could even mention that their focus was on criminal defense, Andrea piped up with the information that she did have an entertainment attorney on retainer, something that Kristoph had let slip his mind as something that she had informed him of; in order to keep the offices open, she contracted some other attorneys to be on retainer from different legal fields. Throughout these interactions, Phoenix stoically stood with a disaffected scowl, eyes looking off to the side.
“And what does your father have to do with this, Miss Trucy?” Kristoph inquired.
Trucy took a glance at her father before she answered, “It’s part of his way of making up for his actions.” Kristoph tilted his head questioningly and she continued, “Daddy also knew about our mom, but did you know that she was still alive, Mr. Gavin?”
Kristoph’s eyes widened. “What?” He hissed and looked at Phoenix in disbelief. Alive? Thalassa Gramarye was alive?
Trucy’s eyes cast down to the floor. “Yeah…Polly didn’t want to meet with her just yet. I spoke to her on the phone…she asked for space to collect her thoughts. It’s hard to come to terms with recovering your lost memories.” She explained sadly.
“Lost memories?”
Trucy frowned and folded her arms. “I would have thought Polly would have told you…” She muttered. “After the quick draw accident, mom had amnesia and went to Borginia, or was sent to Borginia; she doesn’t really remember, but there she became a singer named Lamiroir.” Kristoph’s eyes widened in shock. What a twist of events. Kristoph remembered learning about Lamiroir from one of Apollo’s cases. “She decided after Machi’s case to have surgery to regain her sight and with that came a flood of memories. She wanted to wait to reveal herself to us and asked Daddy to keep her secret.”
“And you telling them spoiled all of that.” Phoenix spat petulantly, his first words since the pair’s arrival.
Kristoph gave the man a sidelong glance. “I told you in the hospital that it was a bad idea to keep their shared parentage a secret, and so I made the executive decision to tell them. I didn’t know you were aware Thalassa was alive.” Kristoph retorted coolly.
“And how is that working out for you? I notice someone is conveniently not with us right now.” Phoenix shot back. Kristoph glowered at Phoenix but held his tongue. Apollo had been keeping his distance from Kristoph since he returned to the office. He’d been the epitome of the type of worker that Kristoph expected from his staff and it bothered him. He had missed Apollo’s snarky banter during his incarceration and had hoped that it would return when they both were in the office, but Apollo had his walls firmly up. He was professional and respectful, but gone were the long conversations, the pithy back and forths, and the mindless chitter-chatter. Kristoph knew this would be the consequence for his silence regarding his knowledge about the younger man’s mother, but it didn’t mean it hadn’t hurt.
“Daddy.” Trucy scolded firmly. Phoenix huffed and settled back. “So, she’s dealing with a lot right now; we all are, and you said you would help me if I needed anything, Mr. Gavin.” She reminded him. Kristoph nodded but felt a knot in his stomach start to twist as he started to realize why she might be here.
“I did…but is everyone on the same page here, Trucy?” Kristoph said hesitantly.
Trucy’s smile twisted and Kristoph was eerily reminded that Trucy was indeed Apollo’s sister.
“It’s part of the deal he and I made. And Daddy wouldn’t go back on a deal, would you?” She turned her head and sent the other man a faux innocent smile.
Phoenix tilted his head down and frowned, remaining silent. Kristoph sighed and folded his arms. This was the third time he was being backed into another corner by a Gramayre. He sighed and shook his head. At least this possibly wouldn’t result in his arrest in some way…he hoped.
“Andrea.” He called. Andrea stepped up a bit and cocked her head, waiting for instruction. Kristoph sighed again and flipped his bangs out of his face. “Can you call whoever it is on retainer for entertainment to write up a contract for a formal partnership between us and the Wright Anything Agency?” Andrea nodded and strode out of the office. Kristoph shook his head. “Trucy, the moment that this partnership with your father goes sour, I am breaking it off.” He warned.
“Not even an ‘if’?” Phoenix grumbled. Kristoph narrowed his eyes towards Phoenix, whose mouth clicked shut.
Trucy nodded solemnly. “You have an agreement, Mr. Gavin.”
“Oh, I will be drawing up papers for this. I may be on probation from practicing law right now, but that doesn’t preclude me from writing contracts myself. And I will have an unbiased lawyer look over it before presenting it to you, and you may have someone on your end look over it before you commit to it,” he snapped as Phoenix surged up to interrupt. “Is that acceptable?” Phoenix’s jaw snapped shut and he glowered at Kristoph. A beat passed before Trucy took her elbow and jabbed it into Phoenix’s side. He yelped and then nodded grimly. Kristoph smirked as the phone rang. “It was a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Wright and Miss Wright. I shall be in touch with you soon.” He grabbed the phone as Phoenix and Trucy stepped out of the office.
After a few days of back and forth with Miles Edgeworth (because of course Phoenix would drag him into this), the agreement was made that Phoenix would directly work in the Gavin Law Offices alongside his attorneys to relearn the legalese needed for the Bar Exam. Once Phoenix passed the exam and was sworn in again, Phoenix would then operate out of The Wright Anything Agency as a branch of the Gavin Law Offices. He could then run his Agency how he saw fit.
Phoenix’s presence didn’t really change office dynamics much. The younger attorneys were in awe of him and his accomplishments prior to the disbarment and were excited to help him in his return to law. The only attorney, understandably, that showed indifference was Apollo. Apollo kept to himself and hadn’t taken on any cases since his return, and Kristoph hadn’t been pushing, giving the younger man the space he wanted.
Until today.
Kristoph sighed and let his knuckles fall against the wood to knock sharply on the door. He waited a moment as the sound of shuffling feet against the floor came closer before the door opened. Apollo stiffened and lightly tilted his head in a polite greeting. “Good morning, Mr. Gavin.” Apollo said.
“Good morning, Mr. Justice. May I come in?” Kristoph asked. He hated the stiffness of the interaction so much, but at least Apollo hadn’t slammed the door in his face or ignored him. Progress. Apollo stepped to the side to let the older attorney pass. Kristoph stepped in as Apollo closed the door behind him, taking in the layout of the younger attorney’s office. It looked almost exactly the same as it had the previous April with the exception of two new photos on the windowsill. Next to the photo of Kristoph and Apollo from when the younger man had been sworn in as an attorney (the same one Kristoph had in his own office) was a framed photo of Apollo and Trucy at what appeared to be The Gavinners’ concert and the other was of Apollo and Klavier.
“We weren’t as subtle as we thought.” Apollo interjected as he came back to the desk. Kristoph tilted his head. “Lele took that photo years ago at that first party I went to. He sent it to me a few weeks ago. I like it.”
“It is a nice photo of you two.” Kristoph agreed. It was a candid photo of the two of them laughing. It was rare to see both of them so open and free.
“What can I do for you, sir?” Apollo asked as he sat back down in his desk chair. Kristoph took a seat in the chair at the front of the desk, as he had often done so many times throughout their time together.
“How have you been, Apollo?” Kristoph asked. Apollo scoffed and folded his arms tightly.
“I’m going to stop you right there, sir.” Apollo said sharply. “I am not in the mood for small talk. Whatever it is you need me to do, just say it.”
Kristoph grimaced. “Understood.” He muttered. He should have known better than to try to force answers out of Apollo when he was still fuming, but he hazarded a try anyway; the only time Kristoph had a chance talk to the younger man face to face was at work, but Apollo shut himself in his office from the moment he arrived until the moment he left. He assisted the other attorneys with whatever they needed and did respond to Kristoph’s emails for work, but their in-person conversations were stilted and formal.
“I have a case for you.” Kristoph revealed. Apollo pressed his lips together tightly. “I wouldn’t be asking if the client hadn’t asked for you specifically.” Kristoph explained.
Apollo’s eyes dropped to Kristoph's right hand before asking, “Did they?”
Kristoph sighed and pushed up his glasses. “She had initially asked for me, but circumstances as they are, I told her that I was unable to defend her, but I knew someone equally as competent that I trust to handle it.” Apollo frowned. “I know you have been taking a well deserved break from heading your own case, but I don’t trust anyone else for this client.” Kristoph insisted. Apollo remained silent, looking down at the desk pensively. “It’s Dr. Pyst.” Kristoph revealed and Apollo’s head snapped up.
“What?” Apollo hissed, eyes widened in shock.
Kristoph folded his arms and nodded. “She exercised her right to an attorney, me in this case. She was accused of the attempted murder of the gym teacher at the high school-”
“Coach Nasium?”
Kristoph nodded again. “Yes,” he answered. “He was found unconscious in the weight room crushed under a barbell at the weight bench.”
Apollo’s spikes drooped in front of him as he grumbled, “No offense, but I don’t see Dr. Pyst being able to lift heavy weights unassisted.”
“The prosecution would be able to explain that away and you know it, Justice.” Kristoph retorted. Apollo hummed and leaned back in his chair. “So that’s all that I can tell you. Thera insists that she did not do anything, but admits she has a motive. She didn’t tell me what that motive would be. You know as well as I that the conversations in prison are monitored. I turn to you as your boss, but also…as her friend. If you don’t wish to take this, I will simply pass it on to someone else-”
“No!” Apollo insisted quickly. “I’ll do it.” Kristoph smiled.
“I appreciate it…” Kristoph said. He watched as Apollo looked down and bit his lip which Kristoph knew meant Apollo was trying to work up the courage to say something. He waited patiently as the wheels continued to turn in Apollo’s head. “Something on your mind, Justice?”
“I just…I don’t know whether I’m angry with you or not anymore.” Apollo muttered. Kristoph cocked his head and Apollo sighed. “I think I stopped being angry with you after Mr. Wright told me our mom was alive. I just tried keeping up the pretense…” Apollo’s nose scrunched and he folded his arms.
“To…protect yourself?” Kristoph offered. Apollo nodded sharply, allowing his bangs to bounce slightly in the air between them. Kristoph nodded. “You are allowed to be angry, you know that right?”
“I know. I’ve had time to think about it and Clay to bounce ideas off of…and Klavier.” He muttered the last part lowly. Kristoph chuckled. “He is the one that gave the most perspective, offered his own thoughts on the matter and supported that withholding the information until the right time was better than outright lying about it…like Mr. Wright.” Apollo explained.
“I still am very sorry about how it all turned out.” Kristoph offered.
“I appreciate it…but, it is what it is.” Apollo shrugged. “Maybe one day, but not now.” Apollo sighed and shook his head before giving Kristoph a smile. “Welp, that’s enough Apollo talk for now. We have a client to talk to, sir.” Apollo chirped brightly.
Kristoph pushed his glasses up onto his nose and frowned. “Not exactly, Apollo.”
“What do you mean?”
“I am not permitted to help you as co-counsel this go around.” He explained. “I merely can supervise until my probation is lifted.”
“Oh, I suppose I could just go at it alone.” Apollo muttered, pressing a finger into his forehead in thought.
“Or you could take another attorney with you.” Kristoph suggested. Apollo narrowed his eyes at his boss.
“The only attorney available right now is Adam.” Apollo pointed out darkly.
Kristoph smiled. “That’s a great idea, Apollo.” He praised.
Apollo’s frown deepened. “I don’t think it is, sir.” He argued.
“Oh, so you don’t want to have a case where you’re the lead and can boss him around?” Kristoph countered.
Apollo's eyes rolled as folded his arms with a pout. “Ugh. I do, but…”
“Adam will have to learn how to work with you as well. This is probably going to be a big case and you don’t want to be stretched thin.” Kristoph pointed out. Apollo sighed.
“You’re right,” Apollo muttered. Kristoph smirked.
“It’s nice to hear you say that; say it again?” Kristoph teased. Apollo rolled his eyes.
“Okay, you can leave now.” Apollo grumbled, standing up and starting towards the door. Kristoph laughed and stood up.
“After all the progress we’ve made? I’m hurt.” Kristoph drawled dramatically. Apollo opened the door and gestured to the hallway. “I’m going, I’m going.” Kristoph conceded and strolled out of the office.
“I’m going to go talk to Adam and go to the detention center.Then I will be coming home with Mikeko tonight.” Apollo said.
Kristoph turned at the door and smiled. “Vongole will be very happy to see you two.”
“I’ve missed her. I’m sorry for leaving Rayoh, but you have the yard.” Apollo said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.
“It was no trouble. It helped Vongole cope with your departure.” Kristoph explained. Apollo sighed.
“I appreciate you allowing me the space to deal with this.”
“It was the consequences of my actions, so it was the least I could do for you.” Kristoph assured him before letting out a short huff. “Now enough sappy stuff and get to work, Justice.” He ordered.
“Yes, sir!” Apollo cheered and started down the hallway to Adam’s office. Kristoph chuckled and turned the opposite way towards his own office.
January 5, 2:32 pm
Detention Center
Visitor Room 2
“Thank you.” Apollo said as the guard gave him back his belongings. He stepped to the side to reorganize himself as well as waiting for Adam to be cleared to enter the detention center as well.
Adam, surprisingly, had jumped at the idea of helping Apollo with this case, and the two of them were off to the detention center to go speak to Dr. Pyst in record time. It was a surreal feeling, Apollo mused as he walked into the visitor’s room, coming to see his former guidance counselor like this after all these years. The last time he had seen her was at his high school graduation where she had congratulated him for his accomplishments. Apollo had scoffed and grumbled about how it was unfair that he was denied his earned valedictorian status, but after a pointed stare from Craig, he thanked the woman for her complimentary words as well as thanking her for helping him get to this point. Apollo had thought about her every now and again as he worked through his college courses and law school; she had been one of the only adults who had believed in his abilities and tried to break down the walls he had built up. Now with a more level head and quelled hormones, Apollo could appreciate her efforts, but hadn’t been sure how to get that message to her with little embarrassment. He supposed he could do it now.
Adam sat next to him quietly taking out a notepad as the door opened and Dr. Pyst was led inside by a guard. Her eyes widened as she looked over Apollo. Apollo performed his cursory glance to make sure she wasn’t being mistreated while in prison. The woman hadn’t really changed all that much in the almost 5 years since Apollo graduated high school; she still retained her kindly face with the soft smile that Apollo used to loathe seeing as it always meant she was going to give him advice contrary to what he was saying in their sessions.
“Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes, Mr. Justice.” Dr. Pyst said wearily as she sat down. “I guess it wasn’t in the cards for our next meeting to be at your high school reunion, hm?”
“Dr. Pyst.” Apollo greeted. “It’s good to see you again…despite the circumstances. I’m sorry that this is happening to you.”
Thera shook her head. “No need for polite small talk, Mr. Justice; it was never your strong suit.” Thera insisted cheekily; it seemed she still remembered him well after all these years.
Apollo sighed. “The sentiment is genuine, even if it is tedious.” Apollo grumbled. He caught Adam’s gaze bouncing between the two, questioning silently. “This is Adam Gibralski, he is an associate of mine. Adam, this is Dr. Thera Pyst, a guidance counselor at Cristóbal Aguilar High School.”
Adam sent the woman a tight but polite smile. “Pleasure to meet you.” He said simply and turned his attention to writing down the information Apollo just gave.
“Mr. Gavin gave me a short overview of what happened. I was wondering if you could tell me more about the circumstances surrounding your arrest?”
Thera shifted and pushed her glasses up onto the bridge of her nose. “I suppose…I’m afraid it doesn’t sound good when it's said out loud.” She warned softly.
Apollo’s mouth twisted in a sardonic smirk. “I’ve had my fair share of twisted and messed up cases in the past year. I can handle it.” Apollo assured her.
Thera twisted a lock of falling brown hair around her finger and threaded it around the loose bun atop her head as she sighed. Apollo swiveled his wrist on his lap under the desk as he felt his bracelet start to tighten. “Very well…I suppose the best place to start is with what happened. I was still at school late yesterday; we had the Culture Day Trip and there were still things I needed to do in the office.”
“What’s that?” Adam blurted. Apollo sent the other attorney a sharp side-eye which was promptly ignored.
Thera gave a noncommittal shrug before explaining, “The school board implemented a school wide series of field trips that seek to expand students’ exposure to different experiences.”
“What was the trip you had chaperoned?”
“As usual, I went to the Natural History Museum.” Thera answered. “They had a new exhibit on the newest discoveries out of Egypt, so there were a fair amount of students that went. We came back around 3:30 and I went to my office after the last student left the foyer. Around…I want to say 4, but I didn’t look at the time, I went down the hall to grab something from the faculty room. I was on my way to my office when I heard a loud thud coming from the weight room. Naturally, I ran over to check out what happened. My curiosity was rewarded with the sight of Coach Naisum wheezing; crushed under the weight bar. His face…” She paused, turning her head away from Apollo and from the shifting of her body, she must’ve been twisting something—her hands? Apollo rubbed at his wrist. “...he was turning blue.”
“Then what happened?” Apollo asked.
“I tried to get the bar off of him, but it was loaded with heavy weights, so I couldn’t even lift it.” Dr. Pyst turned her head guiltily. “I…went to call 911 and a few moments later, EMTs came in and were able to get the bar off of him. They took him to the hospital and once the police showed up, I was questioned and arrested.”
“What were you arrested for? You found the body and tried to help.” Adam questioned.
Dr. Pyst crossed her arms and pursed her lips. “I…we had a bit of a heated exchange when we got back from the trip before he went to practice with the boys and I went to my office.” She bit out reluctantly. “Someone must’ve told the police.”
“Sooooo motive…gotcha.” Adam muttered, turning back to writing furiously.
“What about?” Apollo asked. Dr. Pyst’s arms tightened and Apollo pressed his lips together. “Dr. Pyst, I’m going to find out one way or another whether it's in here or in court. Save us both the trouble.”
“How the turntables, hm, Mr. Justice?” Dr. Pyst muttered sardonically, giving the attorney a wry smile causing Apollo to cock his head in confusion. “I spent four years pressing and pulling words out of you only to now be in that position myself.”
Apollo smiled and joked, “Sucks to have the shoe on the other foot, huh Doc?”
Dr. Pyst sighed and looked down at her lap. “Jim was…having an affair with one of the substitute teachers. I caught them a while ago…”
Adam huffed and grumbled, “Shucks it’s not a student, could have pulled the heartstrings by saying she was defending a child’s honor.” Apollo huffed as well, prompting Adam to look up at him with an indignant look on his face. “What? Am I wrong?”
“A little more tact, Adam…and that’s coming from me.” Apollo shot back. “How old is the teacher?” He asked.
“23.” Dr. Pyst bit out. Apollo’s eyes widened slightly. The Coach had been in his late 40s when Apollo was in school. Adam looked over at Apollo curiously who shook his head. “A little on the young side. If I were diagnosing her, I’d say she has an Electra Complex of some sort, but off the record, she just likes attention of any kind. I caught them about three months ago, but the affair must have been going on longer than that. Principal Andrade is starting to grow suspicious of them; she told me so herself, so I thought it prudent to warn him. He got defensive; started telling me not to meddle in his business and that this was not one of my little ‘psycho’ cases.” Dr. Pyst clicked her tongue. “He continued to say they were both consenting adults and that he would be damned if anyone got in the way. That’s when he stormed off to the gym and I went to my office. That’s all.”
“She couldn’t lift the weights.” Adam pointed out. “Are there any cameras?”
Dr. Pyst shook her head. “Not by the weight room since it is adjacent to the locker rooms. The best I could tell you is the cameras in the hall by my office have me coming and going at the times I said.”
Apollo looked over at the clock. He had time to get to the school before many of the staff left. He needed more information. “Dr. Pyst. Thank you. We’re going to the school now. If I have any more questions about what happened, I’ll be sure to come back.” He informed the counselor. She gave Apollo a strained smile.
“I’ll be waiting…not much else I can do.”
“Have you spoken to the prosecutor for the case yet?” Adam asked. Thera nodded.
“He was kind for someone who is tasked with proving that I almost murdered a man in cold blood.” Thera answered. “Prosecutor Endark, I believe he said his name was.”
Apollo allowed a bit of relief to wash over him; Danice Endark was a fair prosecutor who knew Apollo well from his time working with Kristoph, and at least would be willing to allow Apollo time to investigate the crime scene.
“You seem relieved.” Thera noted. Apollo flinched as she chuckled. “It’s nice to know that while you’ve gotten older and more professional, there is still a bit of you I recognize, Apollo.” She teased.
“The prosecutor is a fair man.” Apollo explained. “So at least that can be in our favor.”
Thera sighed. “I have nothing to worry about then. Kristoph trusts you and you trust the prosecutor. The truth will be found one way or another. Of that I have no doubt.”
Apollo gave her a reassuring smile. “You can be sure of that.” He affirmed. “Goodbye for now, Dr. Pyst.”
“I hope your investigation yields some good news for the next time we meet.” Thera said.
“Me too.” Adam muttered before bidding the therapist goodbye.
The two attorneys went out to the parking lot where Adam’s car was waiting. “So we’re off to the school?” He clarified. Apollo nodded and pulled out his phone.
“I’ll put it into maps.” Apollo said and swiped at his screen to start looking up the address.
Adam rolled his eyes. “Justice, I have GPS in the car.” He retorted. Apollo blinked at him.
“Oh…cool then.” Apollo muttered and slid into the passenger’s seat. Adam closed the door and put in the school’s name. He clicked the result on the screen and pressed the button to start the route. He then pressed the ignition button to start the car.
“Alright. Hopefully the traffic isn’t too terrible.” Adam commented, putting the car in drive.
Apollo scoffed. “Adam, it’s Los Angeles. The traffic is terrible all the time.” He reminded the other attorney.
Adam rolled his eyes. “Dr. Pyst was right, you suck at small talk.” He grumbled as he turned out of the parking lot. Apollo let out a short laugh and then settled in for the drive.
January 5, 3:32 pm
Cristóbal Aguilar High School
Foyer
“The security at my school was nothing like that…you had to do this every day?” Adam whispered as he put his belt back on. Apollo shrugged as he tightened his belt buckle.
“You get used to it,” Apollo shot back. “Also, they beefed up security since I graduated.” Apollo sighed as he straightened his vest, spying a few detectives walking in the halls up ahead. “You ready to investigate?” Adam nodded and pulled out his notebook from his bag. Apollo started down the hallway towards where a group of detectives were milling about.
“So how do you want to do this?” Adam asked. Apollo stopped and gave the older attorney a curious look. “What? It’s your case, I’m trying to be a supportive co-counsel. Is that so hard to believe?” He grumbled defensively.
“Between you and me? Yes.” Apollo admitted.
Adam sighed. “This isn’t the place to discuss the past seven months. Maybe later over drinks.”
Apollo put a hand to his chest exaggeratedly. “Are you asking me out, Adam? Was all your shit just pigtail pulling?” Apollo asked, his tone lightly teasing.
Adam grimaced. “Gross, absolutely not.” He muttered.
Apollo gasped. “Homophobia? Now you’re sending me mixed signals, Gibralski.”
Adam’s eyes widened. “Not gross as in homophobic, gross as in you’re like 10 years younger than me.” He babbled.
“Six years younger and calm down, I'm joking.” Apollo corrected.
“You’re also dating Klavier Gavin, you think I wanna get between that?” Adam muttered and started towards the reception area where the detectives were gathered. Apollo blinked after him, wondering if he just heard that. He started to powerwalk towards the older attorney.
“How did you know?” He hissed, coming to a stop in front of Adam.
Adam looked down at the attorney incredulously. “Andrea.” He said simply. “And you’d have to be an idiot to not see how the two of you flirted with each other all the time. It was only a matter of time before you’d figure it out.” He explained. Apollo bit his lip. Well, yeah he had a point.
“I just didn’t think you would notice.” Apollo mumbled.
“I noticed, I just never bothered to say anything. Not my problem.” Adam gestured to the detectives. “You want to talk to them or not? Time’s awasting.”
“Fine. Over drinks then.” Apollo relented. Adam smirked and walked around Apollo.
The two attorneys strode over to the detectives and Apollo was relieved to find a familiar face. “Detective Skye.”
Ema looked over and gave Apollo a smile. “Justice. Nice to see you. You're involved, I guess?”
Apollo nodded. “Yes, I’m Dr. Pyst’s defense attorney. This is my co-council, Adam Gibralski.”
Adam held a hand out to Ema who wiped her hand on her capris before taking it. “Pleasure.” Adam said politely.
“Nice to meet you.” Ema replied. She looked back at Apollo. “So, you’re back at Gavin’s?.”
Apollo nodded. “It’s…a little complicated, but I work out of Gavin Law Offices at the moment.”
“Weird to not see Trucy with you as co-council. She’s entertaining.” Ema commented, putting a few Snackoos in her mouth. “Not that I’m saying you’re not good on your own, Justice.”
Apollo chuckled. “I didn’t take it that way, Detective. Is there anything you can tell us regarding the crime?”
Ema shrugged. “Forensics are in there right now, but nothing really has turned up. It seems cut and dry for the most part.” She answered. Apollo nodded.
“And the victim, how is he doing?”
She sighed. “They intubated him to get the pressure off his lungs while his chest heals. The bar nearly broke his sternum and cracked four of his ribs.” She explained. Adam jotted what she was saying down into his notebook. “He was lucky his lungs weren’t punctured, but it probably hurts to breathe.”
“So getting him to talk right now is a bust?” Adam asked. Ema nodded.
“Yep. He was put under anesthesia so he’s sleeping as of right now,” Ema explained. “Intubation stops him from being able to speak, eat, or drink. There’s ways of interviewing him when he’s in a better state, but it might not be in time for the trial.”
“Shit.” Apollo muttered. Nothing could be easy, could it? If the coach was able to verify who had dropped the weights, it was possible to clear Dr. Pyst before the trial even had to begin. But, alas, why would it be that simple?
Ema popped a snackoo in her mouth. “You’re telling me.” She grumbled. “At least working with Prosecutor Endark is worlds away from working with the fop.”
“Is he simmerous enough for you?” Apollo asked cheekily, recalling a comment she had made previously to him. Ema threw a snackoo at Apollo who ducked out of the way with a chuckle.
“Less annoyingly glimmerous at least. He’s very cheerful but not frustratingly so.” Ema explained as she chewed thoughtfully on her snacks. “And now you may go on your way, Justice. Unless you have any more questions?”
Apollo shook his head. “Not at the moment. If I think of anything, I’ll come find you.”
Ema smiled and tilted her glasses onto her nose. “Glad to hear it. Good to meet you, Adam.” She said with finality and turned to walk to another part of the investigation.
“Where to first?” Adam asked.
“I think we should avoid the crime scene for a little bit longer, at least until most of the detectives clear out. I don’t think we will find anything major at the scene that the detectives would overlook.” Apollo explained. “That leaves going to the front office to look at the cameras. Maybe there’s something there.” Adam nodded in agreement.
Apollo turned and walked down the hall to the front office. He noted how much had stayed the same in the seven years he hadn’t been in high school, but also how different it was. The awards on the walls highlighting the excellence of students in the school had grown.
“You’re on this one.” Adam commented to his right. Apollo looked. It was the Principal’s Excellence award which was awarded to the student with the highest GPA of their year.
“Yes, but I didn’t get to say a speech at graduation.” Apollo grumbled. He had mostly gotten over the slight over the years. Mostly. Adam cocked his head questioningly. Apollo shook his head. “A topic for over drinks,” Apollo explained. Adam sighed and relented, continuing their quiet walk to the main office. Two detectives were there along with Prosecutor Endark looking at a computer screen. Good they got here just in time to see some footage.
Danice looked up from the screen thoughtfully and, having caught sight of Apollo at the door, broke into a cheery grin. “Ah. Mr. Justice! I was wondering when you would be coming around.” He greeted cheerfully.
Apollo returned the smile and came to the counter before the office cubicles. “It’s good to see you, Prosecutor Endark.”
“And Mr. Gibralski, how have you been?” Danice asked, looking at Adam.
Adam gave a short nod and answered, “Doing well, thanks.”
“Welp, come on over and take a look at the footage.” Danice said, beckoning them over with a delicate flip of his hand. Apollo and Adam crossed through the small doors dividing the space and came around the computer. The forensic analyst scrolled back the feed.
“This was around the time the students were returning to the school from their field trip.” He explained. Apollo watched closely, seeing the teenagers file in on the screen silently.
“Do the cameras pick up audio?” Adam asked.
The analyst nodded. “Right now it’s muffled and the sounds are overlapping so it’s hard to discern any clear statements.” He explained. “They’re decent enough microphones that it picks up noise, but we’ve found if the sound is below enough decibels, you cannot hear anything.” Apollo nodded in response. “So here is the defendant coming back in. The victim followed right behind her.” He continued. Apollo watched as the students filed off to their respective spaces while Dr. Pyst said something to Coach. Coach turned around and walked back towards her. Apollo spied a blonde woman passing by Coach. She must’ve also said something to Coach because he turned his head to acknowledge her.
“Do we know who that is?” Apollo asked. The analyst paused the feed allowing Apollo to point out the blonde woman.
“Not at the moment. But we can certainly find out.” One of the detectives flanking Prosecutor Endark answered. Apollo nodded.
“May I take a picture? Perhaps my client would know.” Apollo asked. Danice nodded and Apollo took his phone to snap a picture of the screen. He had a feeling he knew who the other woman was, but needed to confirm it with Dr. Pyst. The analyst pressed play once again and sped up the footage a bit. The halls cleared out leaving Dr. Pyst and Coach behind. Coach’s back was to the camera while they could see a clear angle of Dr. Pyst’s face. Apollo was quite acquainted with that face; it was the one he used to see when he made a really bad self-deprecating joke or tasteless comment.. It was a look of utter disappointment and seriousness. She was saying something to Coach but her mouth was barely moving, so Apollo couldn’t read her lips even if he knew how to read lips.
“Were any other camera angles able to get a clear picture of the victim’s face?” Danice asked.
The analyst grimaced and shook his head. “We took a look at the other cameras,” he gestured to the different pictures on the other computer screen showing video feeds in a grid. Apollo could see different places in the school marked by location. “And the other angle in this hallway does not give a clear view of the pair, only of the defendant. And their voices were so low that neither camera could pick up anything being said.”
“It seems the teachers know the best ways to hide from the cameras.” Adam muttered, furiously writing down what was being revealed. Apollo scoffed. It would seem the teachers were just as savvy as the students in how to get around the security in the school.
“Here the two exchanged a few words and then afterward-” The analyst explained as he pointed out the coach stomping away from Dr. Pyst. The feed paused and then the screen shifted to another hallway. “-The victim went towards the gymnasium, where his offices were.” They watched as Coach stomped down the hall and disappeared. A few clicks and the image switched again. The video was unpaused and caught Dr. Pyst came down the hall to her own office and went inside, closing the door behind her. “We’ve watched the feed further to verify that the defendant left her office exactly once, about a half hour after she arrived. Then we have on her way to the gymnasium.”
“There is not much camera access in the gym itself as the architecture of the building limited where cameras could be installed without invading student privacy to the locker rooms.” Danice explained. Apollo nodded. It was consistent with what Dr. Pyst told him already. He held back a sigh. This wasn’t going to be easy to solve, but he knew one thing; Dr. Pyst didn’t do it. If he held onto that belief, then the truth would come out eventually.
“Thank you. This was enlightening.” Apollo said stiffly, feeling a little like he wasted his time on this.
“But not revealing or helpful.” Danice shot back. Apollo flinched causing the prosecutor to laugh. “I’m sorry. It was too good to pass up. You’re doing that thing that Kriss-toph does when he doesn’t get an answer that satisfies him.” Danice explained. “I’m not surprised that rubbed off on you as well, Mr. Justice.” Apollo pressed his lips together, feeling a little bit too seen at the moment. Danice then cleared his throat. “In any case, I feel satisfied with the video footage. Thank you, gentlemen.” Danice said and gave a small bow to the officers around the computer. “Feel free to stay here as long as you deem necessary, Mr. Justice.” Danice turned to Apollo. “I want you to be at your best tomorrow, for I think it will be quite the show, but only if both sides have the same exposure to the choreography, so to speak.”
Apollo folded his arms and smirked. “Don’t go easy on me, just because I’m a rookie.”
Danice laughed again, throwing his head back elegantly. “I wouldn’t dream of it. I’d never hear the end of it from your mentor.” He promised before becoming serious again. “I know you will come prepared to give it your all tomorrow, Mr. Justice. Please do me that honor. I have waited a long time for this day.”
“Of course.” Apollo promised seriously.
“Good. And with that. I will take my leave.” Danice gave an elegant wave of his hand and started out, his shimmering jacket glittering in the light. Somehow Apollo thought an iridescent jacket was more glimmerous than his boyfriend’s shining necklace, but then again, he was slightly biased in that regard. Apollo thanked the detectives who said a copy of the admissible footage would be uploaded into the court record when it was entered into evidence in the trial. At the moment, Apollo wasn’t sure it was helpful for his case; quite the opposite in fact, but all evidence was integral to the truth being heard.
“Well, shall we go to the weight room?” Adam asked, sliding the notebook in between his elbow and his waist. Apollo nodded and followed the older attorney out.
The weight room buzzed with activity as detectives were moving around collecting evidence. The weight bench was cordoned off with the usual tape. Apollo came as close to the tape as he could to get as close up to the crime scene as he could without getting in the way. The tape outlining where Coach’s body was found was shortened and twisted, highlighting the fact that he was trapped. There were black skid marks on the grey mat that spidered erratically away from the bottom of the bench. Apollo took in a short breath as he pictured how those marks were made. His eyes darted away from the weight bench and to the smaller room off to the side; Coach’s office. He could see through the open door Coach’s cluttered desk and the whiteboard with various scribbles of what Apollo could guess were ideas for sports plays. He could also see a white garment hanging over the chair that seemed out of place in the office somehow.
“Uh, Justice?” Adam called out softly. Apollo looked over at him. “I’m not sure I’m reading this right.” He admitted. Apollo scootched over to meet his co-worker at the top of the machine. “How familiar are you with weight training?” Adam asked.
“Not much, I'm afraid. I know that my best friend has to do a lot for his training, but we really don’t talk about the logistics." Apollo admitted.
Adam pressed his lips together and nodded. “That tracks.” He muttered. “Anyway, our victim is like in his 50s right?” Apollo nodded. “Right, so the discs are of different weights and you add them to the bars in order to bench press that weight. You should never lift weights alone.”
Apollo nodded, following along. “So there had to be someone else here?”
“Unless Coach was into practicing bad habits, I think so.” Adam answered.
“A witness for tomorrow, maybe?” Apollo surmised. “Though you would think we would have heard of a potential witness before this point.”
“Welp, that’s law for you. Don’t reveal your whole hand before the end of the round.” Adam muttered. “Another thing to take note is that unless the victim had the strength of Hulk, he would have definitely not been able to bench press that amount of weight,” Adam pointed at the bar situated at the top of the bench. “The disks over there are called plates. The different sizes indicate different weights. The smaller the plate, the lighter in weight.” Apollo leaned over and looked at the plates. There were three plates on either side of the bar. Adam walked around and looked at the bar closely before coming back to Apollo. “The bar is going to be 45 pounds if it's an Olympic bar and then two of the plates were the same size indicating 45 pounds each so that’s four times 45 plus another 45.” He paused and looked at Apollo for a second before adding, “We’re at 225 pounds of weight. Then the smaller weights are the 25 pound ones so multiply by two and you come to 50 pounds on top of the 225 pounds. That means this man was bench pressing 275 pounds of weight.”
Apollo blinked at Adam. “The bar is 45 pounds?!” He exclaimed.
Adam huffed. “That’s what you’re stuck on?” He shook his head. “The bar has to be able to hold the weight of the plates and be lifted up and down over and over; you can’t have the bar snapping under the weight so you have to make it a solid metal bar.”
“How do you know all this?” Apollo asked curiously.
Adam chuckled. “You have your interests, I have mine. My older brother was into weight lifting. Mom and dad bought him an at home gym set in the basement.” He explained. “So now, unless Coach was used to pressing that amount of weight, alone, I might add, someone had to be spotting him.” Adam concluded. “But if he could, he could have been able to lift it enough to get himself out from under it.”
“I could use that tomorrow. Dr. Pyst would have had to be able to grab the bar and lift the entire 275 pounds in order to drop it on him.” Apollo surmised. “I don’t believe she would be able to do that without assistance.” Apollo hummed and looked at the crime scene. Nothing was standing out to him as suspicious or odd. “I guess we could try to talk to Dr. Pyst again, see if she knows the woman from the video and if she saw anyone else in the weight room when she got here.”
January 5, 4:42 pm
Detention Center
Visitor Room 2
“How did your investigation go?” Dr. Pyst asked as Apollo sat down. He had called ahead to make sure she was available to speak to him before the center closed.
“I have a plan of attack for tomorrow. I just need you to answer a few questions.” Apollo said.
“If it’ll help my case for tomorrow, go ahead.” She insisted.
Apollo flipped his phone around to show Dr. Pyst the picture of the blonde woman. “We watched the video footage of when you arrived back at the school after the trip. We saw when you and Coach Nasium spoke and then this woman passed by you. Who is she?” Apollo asked.
Dr. Pyst flinched and grimaced. “That is Paige Turner…the substitute that I mentioned before.” She answered. “She was telling Coach Nasium that she would be seeing him after practice and she was going to work in a classroom.”
“So she was still in the building?” Apollo asked. “Do you think she would be named as a witness?”
“I didn’t see anyone else around at the weight room. Practice had been over for a while and the security had already been going around telling the other students to begin making their way out for the day.” Dr. Pyst explained.
“She did just see an almost dead body.” Adam pointed out. “Perhaps she missed something.”
“It’s highly probable.” Dr. Pyst agreed. “Traumatic events tend to lead to suppression of information in order to save the brain.”
Apollo sighed. “I don’t think I want to pull out the ‘suppression of events’ card just yet, if it’s all the same to you both,” Apollo mumbled, feeling his hair droop into his eyes.
Dr. Pyst giggled before her face shifted to a guilty visage. “I apologize that I can’t be more helpful to you right now.” She admitted with a sigh.
“Would it comfort you to know you have been the least unhelpful client I’ve had so far?” Apollo snarked. It was the truth; he had a string of unhelpful clients after his first case including his own boss. “It’ll all work out in court tomorrow. I promise.”
Dr. Pyst smiled. “I know. Thank you.”
Their time was up after that. Apollo sighed as they took her out of the room. Adam put his book in his bag and let out a huff. “Welp, nothing else to do. You hungry?” He asked. Apollo looked at him curiously before giving a hesitant nod. “Good. Come on.”
January 5, 5:25 pm
Perch
Floor 15 Main Dining Room
“Thank you,” Adam said with a polite smile as he turned over the menu to the waiter after he finished ordering. The waiter returned the polite smile and walked away to put in their order. Adam took a sip from his glass before turning back to Apollo. “So, sorry about the venue. Forgot you’re afraid of heights.” He apologized sheepishly.
Apollo gave him a tight smile of what he hoped was reassurance. “As long as I’m not by the floor-to-ceiling windows, I’ll be fine.” He took a sip from his drink.
“And why am I not surprised that your cocktail of choice would include coffee in it?” Adam teased.
Apollo chuckled and put down his fancy espresso martini. “Probably just as surprised as I am at the fact yours sounds like something you’d get on a yacht.” Apollo shot back. Adam rolled his eyes causing Apollo to chuckle. “So. What do you want to talk about first?” Apollo asked. Adam took another sip of his drink.
“I don’t think you drank enough to openly talk about yourself, so I guess I should start with what happened over the last seven months.” Adam mumbled ending with a sigh. He looked weary when he looked up at Apollo again. “It was rough after Mr. Gavin was arrested. It was like…everything collapsed all at once. Andrea did the best she could, but she couldn’t shield us from the fall out.” He started. “I will admit, I was relieved to come back and see your office empty after we were allowed back into the building once the investigation was complete. I was so angry at you. I blamed you for taking away everything. The older attorneys left; they didn’t want to be tied to a sinking ship. Attorneys outside of the firm didn’t want to hire us; they thought we were ‘tainted’.” Adam grimaced and rubbed the back of his neck. “I…I had tried to interview out while still working for the firm. They basically laughed in my face. One afternoon, after another failed interview, Andrea confronted me. I had to be in or out. She gave me an ultimatum. She promised a fair severance package.” Adam looked down at his drink. “It was kinder than anything I had been dealing with so far, and then I felt guilty. Mr. Gavin, though firm and sometimes cold with me, had been willing to give me a shot and Andrea was still willing to give me the same despite me trying to leave like all the others. The whispering hadn’t stopped and the cases were far and few in between, but the camaraderie was unmatched.”
“I…I’m sorry.” Apollo whispered. Adam had outlined his exact fear when Mr. Gavin had been arrested after Zak’s “murder” and everything that happened in the aftermath.
Adam shook his head. “It’s water under the bridge. The anger basically faded away once that Jurist System case had come to close and Mr. Gavin had been found innocent. We’ve been building that back up. So it makes no sense to keep antagonizing you when we’ve been working so hard to bring up our reputation once again. Well…friendly teasing aside.” Adam concluded.
Apollo finished his drink. “Well, I appreciate your help today. I wouldn’t have been able to figure out the weight thing without help.”
Adam chuckled and folded his arms. “You’re smart enough to have been able to figure it out eventually.” Adam said.
Apollo grimaced. “Yeah, no this is really weird with you being nice. Maybe there’s a middle ground where we can be mean but not disrespectful.”
Adam let out a loud laugh. “Yeah, I even was weirded out at being so nice to you.” He admitted. “We’ll figure it out. Give it time. You just got back after all.”
Apollo took another sip from his drink as his phone rang, startling him enough to almost spill his drink down his vest. “Shit.” Apollo put his glass down quickly and pulled out his phone. “Sorry, let me take this.” Apollo got up and stepped to the foyer to take the call. “Justice speaking.”
“Schatz? You okay?” Klavier’s voice worriedly called through the speaker. “You said you were going to let me know after you were done today so we could get your stuff home to your house.”
Apollo gritted his teeth. He had been so consumed by his case he forgot what he said this afternoon to Mr. Gavin and his brother. “Sorry, Klav…I got carried away…I’m at dinner right now.”
Klavier gasped. “You get your first case back and you’ve already replaced me as your dinner companion!” Klavier whined.
Apollo rolled his eyes. “It’s…dinner with Adam. We’re…bonding? I guess.”
“Adam? As in your co-worker Adam ‘this man is the lawyer equivalent of beans on toast’ Gibralski?” Klavier said incredulously. “I know Kris had put you two on the case, but you stopped hating him enough to be able to eat with him?”
Apollo pouted. “I don’t hate him.” He argued. “He was just annoying. Like you.”
Klavier scoffed. “You hated me for a while, schatz.” He reminded Apollo.
Apollo rolled his eyes. “Well…you got me there.” He admitted before letting out a sigh. “After dinner, Adam is gonna drop me off…somewhere…I hadn’t gotten that far yet.”
“Do you want me to come get you?” Klavier offered. “Then we can go home and get some stuff to take back. We can get the rest after your trial.”
“Okay. I’ll send you my location and I’ll let you know when we’re wrapping up.” Apollo told him. Klavier chuckled and said goodbye and hung up. Apollo sighed and returned back to the table seeing their meals had arrived. “Sorry about that. It was…my boyfriend.” Apollo said stumbling over whether or not to reveal Klavier’s name out loud in public. They were still keeping their relationship still private. Which reminded him. “So you know about me and…Klavier?” Apollo asked as he started to eat the food in front of him.
Adam nodded and swallowed the bite he had taken before affirming, “It was written all over both your faces when he would stop by, though we could tell you were trying not to show it.”
“We?”
Adam hummed. “Yeah, me and Jamie. We took bets on when you guys would actually get together.”
Apollo rolled his eyes. “Wonderful…” He grumbled.
Adam chuckled. “We take bets on anything. They’re relatively harmless.” Adam said in a reassuring tone.
“Did either of you pick October of 2026?” Apollo asked, purposefully waiting to when Adam would be taking a sip from his glass.
Adam almost spit out his drink. He put the glass down coughing lightly, “You did that on purpose you little shit.” Apollo smirked and took a sip of his own drink. Adam took a breath and shook his head. “You’re kidding right? It took that long?”
Apollo cocked his head. “Why do you sound surprised? I…we were no contact for a while.”
“We just thought it was because of the tour and you were starting the end game before the Bar.” Adam explained. “We didn’t really think about it.”
“So you two thought I was with him already?” Apollo asked. Adam nodded. Apollo grunted before shrugging. “Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but it’s true. We didn’t start going out until last October.”
“Well, we both lost, anyway.” Adam resigned. “You seem happy, which I think is what matters.”
“Thanks. I am.” Apollo said, ducking his head to hide his smile.
They wrapped up dinner without dessert which was fine with Apollo. Surprisingly Adam insisted on paying the bill as part of his apology and determination to mend the bridge between them. Apollo thanked him and offered to pay for drinks next time, which was something he’d never thought he would have ever said to Adam in his entire life. They waited for Klavier to come pick up Apollo, continuing their small talk now on sports which, while Apollo really didn’t have favorite sports teams, he was able to navigate the conversation well enough. Klavier’s car pulled up (thank the Holy Mother; Apollo still wasn’t too fond of travel by motorcycle) and Apollo turned to Adam to bid him good night.
“I’ll see you at the courthouse at 9 tomorrow, okay?” Adam said. Apollo nodded and slid into the passenger’s seat with a smile to Klavier. “Good night, Prosecutor Gavin.” Adam said.
“Klavier’s fine.” The blonde said with a smile. “Any friend of Apollo’s is a friend of mine.” Adam simply nodded and started to walk to his car. “Should I be worried about Herr Work Husband?” He teased.
Apollo rolled his eyes. “Oh shut up.” He grumbled and flipped the volume button off on the radio. “Did you purposely put on ‘Cross-Examine My Heart’ before you got here?” Klavier’s been known to do that before, finding sick pleasure in how much Apollo hates that particular song of his.
“Me?” Klavier asked exaggeratively, “Never.” He pulled out onto the street and started their way towards Klavier’s apartment. “Clay took Mikeko over a few hours ago so hopefully he’s a little less startled being transported again.”
“I’m sure he was fine the minute he spotted Vongole.” Apollo pointed out. “As much as he’s a little bastard, he loves her and missed her so much.” Apollo turned to look at Klavier. “Thanks again for taking me in for a bit.”
“As I’ve told you so many times already, it was no problem at all. The apartment is big enough for two.” Klavier smiled at the other man softly. “Now it will feel a little too big for me again, but the lease is almost up anyway so I’ll find something a little more suitable for me.”
“You put yourself in a position where it was me against your brother, even if it didn’t look like that.” Apollo reminded him. “You had spent so much time trying to build back your relationship with him. I’m not used to someone choosing me, so it meant a lot more than just temporary housing.”
“Kristoph knew you needed space and I think he appreciated that you were with me rather than in some rundown apartment you wouldn’t be able to break away from that easily.” Klavier argued, turning down the next avenue. “We all knew it was a matter of when, Schatz.”
Apollo sighed. “Well, at least we know we can live together...when it comes to that.” Apollo said softly. He could see Klavier trying to bite back a grin. They were taking things at Apollo’s pace at both their insistence. Klavier knew his own impulsivity would immediately want to move them in together and get married whereas Apollo was still hesitant on everything regarding his own feelings. Klavier didn’t want to push and kept telling Apollo over and over that he could afford to put Apollo in his own apartment if he wanted. Apollo had hated living by himself for the six months Mr. Gavin had been gone, and insisted he wanted to have a roommate at least. Klavier had been a great one and Apollo quickly found himself wanting to continue living with Klavier even after making the decision to go back home earlier than today. They needed to have a conversation about it at a later time, but Apollo wanted Klavier to know that he was willing to move forward with the idea.
Klavier pulled up to the garage for the apartment and the two quickly got to work, getting the necessities Apollo needed for the next week before they were ready to move him completely back over to Kristoph’s house. The drive over was in comfortable silence and suddenly Apollo was faced with a familiar looking stoop. He pulled out his keys and unlocked the door, hesitantly stepping inside with Klavier at his back.
A familiar jingle of chain started to get closer and closer as Vongole turned the corner, happily panting. She pushed past Apollo and started pressing up against Klavier letting out a happy bark and wagging her tail so fast it thumped against the door.
“Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes, Clams?” Klavier cooed, shifting the box in his hands to balance against his shoulder so he could run his hand against the dog’s head.
“She’s been eagerly awaiting whatever was coming since Clay dropped off Mikeko.” Kristoph said as he came over from the living room. Apollo felt his eyes prickle with an emotion he couldn’t quite identify. Kristoph smiled. “He’s fine. Took him a half hour to figure out where he was and once he realized that, he started on his usual shenanigans like he never left.”
“Thank you, sir.” Apollo said softly.
“Welcome home.” Kristoph said simply, giving his protégé a smile. “Come, settle in, and get me up to speed on your case.”
Apollo and Klavier dropped off Apollo’s stuff upstairs in two trips and settled into the living room. Vongole plopped herself onto Klavier’s lap and Mikeko wound himself around Apollo’s legs before curling up next to the younger attorney. Apollo relayed his case from everything he had pieced together so far and gave his mentor his plan of attack. He was sure there had to be a witness to the crime, one that Dr. Pyst hadn’t seen for the prosecution to be so sure of their case. Klavier stayed silent as he was unable to weigh in as a prosecutor himself. Kristoph hummed in agreement but waited until Apollo was done to give any thoughts of his own.
“It looks pretty clear to me you’re on the right track, Apollo.” Kristoph said. “Though the case looks open and shut, the fact of the matter is, you’re going to have to dismantle the idea that Thera could lift the bar on her own. So that either makes an accomplice known or someone else had to have done it.”
“Exactly.” Apollo agreed.
“At the very least, you know that Danice will give your thoughts a listen rather than Payne simply striking them down.” Kristoph continued.
“It’s reassuring to know, but I’m still a bit nervous.” Apollo admitted, running a hand over his head, pushing back his spikes flat and letting them pop up.
“Understandable. Your last trial was quite the spectacle.” Kristoph commented. “But I believe that you will be fine tomorrow, as you always are.”
Apollo smiled. “Thank you sir. I think I’ll head off to bed now.” Apollo stood up and turned to Klavier. “Thanks again for bringing me here, and…well for everything else.” Apollo said, leaning down to give the blonde a kiss on the cheek. “Drive safe and I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay?”
Klavier smiled up at him. “Ja, baby. You got it. I’m gonna stay and talk to Kris for a little bit more, but I’ll let you know when I get home.”
“Thanks.” Apollo said and turned to Kristoph. “Are you coming to the trial tomorrow, sir?”
Kristoph nodded, “I wanted to see how you do tomorrow. As well as give support to Thera.”
“Okay. No pressure, right?” Apollo teased. Kristoph chuckled and shook his head.
“Good night, Apollo.” Kristoph said pointedly to Apollo as his answer. Apollo let out a laugh, picked up Mikeko and started up the stairs. He closed the door to his room for the first time in months and smiled. He was home.