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"This is Twenty Five Acts all over again", Liv sighed.
Sonny waited a while before asking,
"What's that?"
Rollins teased him,
"You don't know? It's Barba's most famous case to date"
While Sonny jogged his memory, Fin came in.
"Barba's agreed to sue them both. But that's not the fun part", he grinned, "The vic's mother has a witness she insists on calling. Guess who it is?"
When no one could come up with an answer, he told them.
"Barba's girlfriend"
Rafael explained,
"Damian Royce says he raped Allison Lee because of Benedict Stiles' book True Kings. Your part is saying on the stand that you refused to edit the book because of its violent content"
"I didn't refuse to edit the book. I edited it and asked Benedict to delete the rape scenes and those vilifying passages from his book but he wouldn't listen. Clark thought it was going to be a bestseller and didn't want to lose him, so they gave it to Heather. And I hope you sue their ass too"
"Let's focus on one thing", he said, "If you agree, you are going to testify in open court under oath. The opposing counsel is Buchanan, a real slimeball, and he will ask you questions you might not be used to. I will do my best to prepare you"
"I don't know, Raf", Annie said, "Is it really necessary that I testify?"
"Your testimony would show that the book actively encourages rape and that Stiles was advised against it but he still chose to go forward"
She seemed to understand. Rafael took her hand in his.
"What is it, querida?"
Annie turned her face to him. The lack of a smile gave it the sombre touch her personality lacked.
"I don't think me testifying is a good idea"
"Like I said, I'll prep you. But if it makes you uncomfortable, you don't have to do it"
"Will they bring up my past? My father?"
He assured her,
"No. That is completely irrelevant to the case"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes"
"Okay then"
She added as an afterthought,
"When I'm on the stand, can you call me darling? It would be so cute"
He chuckled,
"I cannot call you darling. I'll be calling you Miss Dalton"
"That is boring!", Annie whined, "Can I call you baby cheeks?"
"A thousand times no"
"But you are my sweet baby cheeks! Beautiful eyes, sexy nose, baby cheeks - it's a strange combination but it works"
"What's sexy about my nose?", he smiled, a bit proud.
"The way it rubs against my..."
"Oh god"
He facepalmed. Annie pointed,
"...when you go", she gave a little whistle, "downtown"
Rafael watched her point to downtown.
"It means my vagina"
At his despairing look, she put her arms around him and kissed his cheek.
"There's no use glaring daggers at me. I know you love me"
"When did that happen?"
On receiving a deft pinch on his arm, he grinned and tried to compensate.
"You left me no choice. The moment I knew you, I loved you. There's nothing I could have done to prevent it"
"That's better"
"Now will you get off me so I can work?"
"No"
He sighed and reached around her to retrieve the files.
Once Sonny heard his friend was going to testify against Stiles, he volunteered to help her prepare.
"Rafael has it covered, Sonny"
He still wouldn't stop giving her tips on being a good witness. Between Sonny's goodwilled meddling, her work, her routine chores, Aunt June's medical check ups, Annie would be too tired when Rafael asked her to rehearse. One such evening, he was standing before the witness box (their bathtub), snappy suspenders and quirky tie still in place. Annie, halfway through her shower, waited for him to speak.
"Miss Dalton, how do you know the defendant Benedict Stiles?"
"I edited the first draft of his book True Kings. But he wasn't happy with my editing, so my boss assigned another editor to him"
"What changes did you make to Mr. Stiles' first draft?", he paced the floor.
"I striked the rape scenes he was trying to pass off as sex scenes"
"This is where Buchanan will object", Rafael advised, "Remember - you cannot give witty replies. If he senses a personal interest or detects any emotion on your part, he will try to annoy you. And when you snap, he will move to declare you as a hostile witness"
"Got it"
"Now", Rafael went back to pacing, "Miss Dalton, is it true that you live with ADA Rafael Barba?"
Considering it a part of the questioning, she answered,
"Yes"
Rafael watched her silhouette behind the shower curtain,
"Do you have physical relations with him?"
"Yes. We're engaged"
"Do you love him?"
"I do. Is he going to ask me..."
"And I'm sure he loves you too. May I join you in the shower, give you a helping hand in soaping those lovely breasts?"
On realizing what he was really doing, Annie peeked from the curtain.
"Raf!"
He bit back a grin,
"You didn't answer the question"
She rolled her eyes, smiling simultaneously, and pulled the curtain right around.
Rafael said, "I guess we are adjourned", eliciting a laugh from her.
*****
Not that she was nervous, but a court was an intimidating place. People's lives were decided here. And she was putting on lipstick.
Sonny had promised to be by her side throughout the day and he was. His lips moved in sync with hers as she looked into her hand mirror. Annie asked,
"You want some cherry smooch too?"
He looked away. Then he looked back at her again.
"Why are you dressed like that?"
"Like what?", she glanced down at herself.
He waved a hand dismissively.
"Y'know, you look pretty"
Annie grinned,
"Then say I look pretty, pazzo"
"You do. You don't want Barba to be able to concentrate or what?"
"It's not like that. We're having lunch after this"
Just then, the bailiff came in for her. They walked together to the courtroom, Sonny lingering a few feet behind. The doors were open as she walked in, all eyes turned to her. The ones that interested her most were a particular shade of green. The prosecuting attorney opened his mouth to speak. And he couldn't make a sound.
"Mr. Barba?"
The Judge tried to bring him back to earth. Rafael talked then, but his eyes roved all over his girlfriend's form. With her casual ponytail, distracting glasses and that form-fitting vintage dress, she looked the prim and innocent woman she wasn't.
'Sadist', he thought to himself.
Once she took the stand, Annie's inhibitions fell away. Rafael didn't ask her anything he hadn't covered in the prep.
"No further questions", he said.
Sonny gave her a thumbs up from the back of the courtroom crowd. The defense attorney, big boy Buchanan, questioned her from where he sat.
"Miss Dalton - it's not Mrs. Barba yet, is it?"
Rafael frowned,
"Objection"
"My bad", Buchanan came to her, "You say you asked Mr. Stiles to exclude the rape scenes. Was it the first time you had suggested such changes in a book?"
"No"
"Incarnate Misery", Buchanan smiled at her, "Does that ring a bell?"
"Yes"
Buchanan presented a paperback to the jury's eyes,
"Incarnate Misery is yet another book the witness edited. Is that right, Miss Dalton?"
"Yes"
"There is a scene in this book, particularly brutal, if I may say so", he smiled, "Where 13 people rape and sodomize the female protagonist. Do you remember that?"
"I do"
Buchanan shrugged,
"If you can let that pass, rape scenes in True Kings are not half as violent"
"I let that scene..."
"Moving on..."
Annie said,
"Please don't interrupt me, sir"
Before a stunned Buchanan could retort, she had half explained the reasons behind the Incarnate Misery rape scene.
"In Incarnate Misery, the scene is not erotic or romantic. It is violent and written so that the reader may feel chagrined at the plight of the character. That scene shows what rape is about - power and dominance. In True Kings, the protagonist takes women by force despite their repeated objections and says gems like 'A pussy has to be conquered, or it don't get wet'. The book urges its readers to..."
Buchanan got a hold of himself,
"The witness is flying off the handle here. She..."
Rafael stood up,
"Miss Dalton has an experience of over 12 years with editing erotic and romantic fiction. It is safe to say she knows what she is talking about. The court should allow her the latitude due to an expert witness"
The judge said to Buchanan,
"You heard him, Counselor"
Annie was beginning to smile at Rafael but Sonny shook his head in disapproval. She cleared her throat and looked away from them both.
Sonny held Annie's arms as he told her,
"You were great in there! I'm so proud"
She was happy too.
"Thank you. That Buchanan guy looked like he wanted to kill me"
"Yeah", Sonny laughed, "No one's ruffled his feathers in a while"
Annie was whisked away from him by Rafael's arm around her waist. They hadn't even seen him coming.
"Excuse us, Detective", he said.
When they were out of hearing distance, he asked her,
"You had to wear red, didn't you?"
She smiled at him,
"How did it go?"
"Jury will reconvene tomorrow"
"I didn't make any mistakes, did I?"
He smiled too, still looking straight ahead and walking them out of the building,
"I'll answer that once we get home"
"Home? What about lunch?"
"I have never been so horny for a witness before, Annie. We will go for lunch wherever you want to, but I have to take that dress off of you first. Otherwise", he hailed a cab, "I'll go crazy"