by Anna Lewis
“She can visit,” Jack said with a smile. “I’m sure she would love to see you soon. Has she stopped by?”
Xander shook his head.
“We’ll make sure you get visitation clearance soon. Now, I do have to warn you that they might bring her in as a key witness to the case. We have to make sure she says the right things,” Jack explained.
“I’m sure what she’ll say is the truth,” Xander said.
“I don’t doubt that, but their lawyers will try to twist what she says against you,” Jack went on. “I just want you to be fully prepared for how this will proceed.”
“I appreciate that, Jack,” Xander said.
“Has Elu contacted you?” Jack asked.
Xander looked down at the table, tracing the edge of it with a finger. He shook his head slowly.
“Not a word,” Xander replied.
“Well, that’s good. It would likely compromise his case,” Jack explained.
Xander raised his eyebrows with some interest.
“Would it? How?” he asked.
“Conflict of interest,” Jack replied.
“And what does that mean?” Xander asked again.
“It means he would be risking exposure of his own evidence. He would also be subject to scrutiny of manipulation. Speaking to you without a lawyer present would be suspicious due to the circumstances,” Jack explained.
“I see,” Xander commented.
“So, if you ever do get a call from him, I need to know immediately,” Jack said while closing the documents. “Here’s how the court will proceed—they’ll ask if you want the plea bargain. If you don’t accept, they’ll proceed with key witnesses and evidence to build a case against you. Our job will be to sway the jury into lessening your sentence and giving you some semblance of your life back.”
Xander nodded, though he was uninterested in the explanation.
“I’ll prepare you for every angle. We won’t let anything go over our heads, okay?” Jack assured him.
Xander smiled.
“Alright,” he said. “Are we good for today?”
“Yes, that should be everything for today. I want you to work on a little speech explaining your side of the case. You can be as open with your explanation as you want, but try to make it sound remorseful,” Jack explained.
“I do feel remorse,” Xander cut in. “I feel it every second of the day while I think about the beautiful relationship I had. It was totally compromised by this entire ordeal.”
“That’s good. Use that,” Jack said while gathering his things.
“You know I’m being honest, right?” Xander asked.
Jack closed his briefcase and set it on the table, folding his hands over it with a small smile.
“Of course I do, Xander. I’m your lawyer. I have to believe you,” Jack replied.
Xander chuckled.
“I just wanted to be honest,” he admitted.
“That’s good, Xander. Hold on to that trait,” Jack said. “I’ll see you next week. Take care.”
“You, too,” Xander replied.
After Jack left, he followed his guard back to his cell. There, the guard removed the steel cuff from his wrists. He rubbed his sore wrists and lay back on his bed with his arms behind his head while waiting for the guard to leave. When the guard was gone and he was alone, he procured a small picture from his underwear. It was Anna Leigh and Elu. She had printed a picture in the hospital when he was under her care, slipping it next to his soup one day during lunch.
It brought a smile to his face.
“I’ll see you soon, my love,” he whispered while stroking the photo. “I promise.”
***
“Agent Elu, it’s good to see you, sir,” said a tall man with a stiff business outfit.
He saluted Elu who stood firm in response, raising his hand to his forehead.
“Good afternoon, Agent Ruo. How is the Federation treating you?” Elu asked. They both relaxed.
“It’s been good, sir. I hear you’re back from a lengthy mission. We applaud your extended efforts for the Federation,” Agent Ruo replied.
“I appreciate that, sir,” Elu commented as they walked up the corridor. “How is the felon in custody?”
“He has yet to resist any accusations and is in the process of being held till trial,” Agent Ruo explained. “It seems like it’s going to be an easy case for you.”
“Too easy,” Elu commented. “I didn’t imagine he would buckle so quickly under pressure.”
“On the contrary, sir. We didn’t need to apply pressure at all. He confessed as soon as he was brought in with his lawyer,” Agent Ruo explained.
Elu stopped and eyed the agent next to him.
“Is that so?” Elu asked while continuing to walk. “May I speak to the felon?”
“I’m afraid that would be inappropriate, sir,” Agent Ruo responded. “The captain doesn’t want you in contact with him unless it’s at the trial.”
“Am I not allowed to interview my own collars?” Elu asked angrily.
“Of course, sir, but orders are orders. I’m not permitted to allow you near him for any reason at all,” Agent Ruo said.
“Not even for questioning about the case?” Elu asked.
“Correct, sir.”
Elu frowned slightly. It was odd. He had never been forbidden to speak to a suspect or prisoner whom he'd caught, but he had also never before become romantically involved with one, either. While he had heard of honeypots, he had never undertaken one himself as he felt they were far too misleading. This was exactly why he hadn’t wanted to get involved in the triad, but it had been so rewarding and exciting.
“That’s preposterous. Let me see the captain at once,” Elu demanded.
“I’m afraid he’s in a meeting, sir,” Agent Ruo responded. “I have other matters to attend to. I will see you later, Agent Elu.”
Before Elu could protest, Agent Ruo strode away and left him in a small crowd in the hallway. A variety of carbon-based life forms jostled past him, running towards meetings and court proceedings. They all passed him in a blur as he stared after Agent Ruo. The green-colored man had disappeared down another hallway and around the corner, cutting right into a restricted access area. Elu frowned, and turned to head to the payment office.
What are they trying to keep from me? I’ve never been under such restriction before.
As he entered the office, the woman behind the counter smiled as he approached the glass.
“Hello, Agent Elu,” she said. “How can I help you today?”
“I need to collect my paycheck,” Elu replied.
She typed into her touch pad and then printed a receipt.
“The funds have been deposited to your account,” she informed him. “Enjoy your vacation, sir.”
“Thank you, Missy,” Elu said while taking the strip of paper.
He turned on his heel and immediately bumped into a tall man with a steel briefcase who stumbled briefly before composing himself.
“Excuse me,” he said quickly.
“My apologies, sir,” Elu said while brushing his pants. “Are you alright?”
“I am fine. Thank you,” the man said quickly.
Elu eyed him suspiciously, memories of previous cases returning to his mind.
“Well, I’ll be damned. It’s Jack Brown,” Elu said with a friendly smile.
“Hello, Agent Elu,” Jack said.
“You’re Xander’s lawyer, aren’t you?” Elu asked.
Jack nodded with a polite smile and looked around the small payment office.
“How is he doing?” Elu asked while folding his arms across his chest. “I mean, I haven’t even been able to interrogate him.”
“I’m not at liberty to share any information about my client,” Jack replied with a grin.
Elu nodded.
“Well, I understand. I was just asking as a friend,” Elu explained.
“You are no friend to me, Agent Elu,” Jack said. “You�
�re merely someone who I bump into at the payment office.”
“That seems a bit unfair, don’t you think?” Elu asked.
“Why’s that?” Jack asked while shifting his briefcase to his other hand.
“Because we’ve known each other for a long time and we’ve worked on many cases together,” Elu replied. “It’s only fair we get to chat off the record.”
“It seems like you’re trying to pull information for personal use. We can’t let that happen, Elu,” Jack said.
“I’m just concerned about Xander,” Elu claimed.
“Well, maybe you should have thought about that before tossing him into a federal prison,” Jack said pointedly.
Elu sighed and looked down at his black boots, blinking hard as he kept his fists firmly at his sides.
“Some things change,” Elu said.
“Is that so?” Jack asked.
“That is. I care about Xander still,” Elu said firmly.
“Well, he hasn’t asked about you,” Jack said.
“Really?” Elu asked.
“Nope,” Jack replied sternly.
“Anna Leigh won’t even accept my calls. I don’t even...” Elu trailed off, realizing he was giving away too much information.
“That sounds like a personal problem, Elu,” Jack commented. “Maybe you’ll figure it out after the case is closed.”
“I plan on it,” Elu said while walking towards the door.
“Good day, Agent,” Jack called after him.
Elu held up his hand in response and left the payment office, fuming as he walked towards the elevators. He just wanted to sit alone in his own office and tinker with the information he had collected, far away from the judgmental gaze of the lawyer Jack. When the elevator beeped, he stepped out and walked briskly down to the end of the hall where it was far quieter than the halls downstairs. He sat behind his desk.
A sigh escaped his lips and he turned to look out the great window overlooking the Capital City of the Intergalactic Federation. While those little bodies moved around in their neat suits, Elu sat up in his office considering what he had done. He frowned at the two suns in the sky.
“Maybe I should try calling Anna Leigh again,” he said out loud.
He shook his head at his own voice.
It seemed silly to continue pursuing her when Xander was behind bars, their hearts each torn slightly from the incident at the hospital. He cradled his head in his hands while leaning against the desk, taking deep breaths as he tried to come up with some excuse that would cause him to call her.
Maybe she could be a witness.
“Am I really considering flipping this case?” he asked himself while running his hands through his black hair.
This was unusual. He had never repealed a case from the federal courts once it had been submitted. There was not much he could do to reduce the damage of the evidence against Xander, save for discrediting his own name, thereby calling into question the quality of the evidence he'd submitted. He thought of what Agent Ruo had said, playing the scene back over in his mind before a small grin crossed his lips.
He would just have to interfere with the investigation. Tampering with evidence held huge ramifications, so he settled instead on disrupting procedures. It wasn’t like his feelings about his relationship with Xander and Anna Leigh were unreal. Everything he felt during their time spent together was absolutely genuine, their hearts bonded by the sweet alien girl who had swept them away. Her black hair, her red lips, her green skin, her bright eyes... everything was beautiful in those moments and he hated that he chased them away with his job.
This job has cost me far too much, he thought. And I refuse to suffer through it any longer.
As he tinkered with different plans, his phone rang and he lifted it from the receiver to press to his ear.
“Hello?” he asked.
“Agent Elu, you have a visitor,” said his secretary.
“Who is it?” he asked.
“Her name is Anna Leigh Black. Should I buzz her in or make an appointment?” the secretary asked.
Elu froze.
“Sir?” the secretary persisted.
“Buzz her in, Hilda. Thank you,” Elu said quickly.
He set the phone down, quickly tidied his desk, and then waited patiently for her to walk inside. As the door opened, he hastily grabbed for something to busy his hands. He could feel her presence, feel the strong feminine force and beauty that emanated from her body.
He didn’t want to look up.
“Hello, Elu,” she said in a shaky voice. “May I sit or…?”
He raised his eyes to find hers, the swirls of galaxies staring right back. There were already tears welling up in them. He gestured to the chair in front of his desk with a grim look and then looked back down at his desk.
“Hello, Anna Leigh,” he said. “How are you doing?”
She shrugged, offered a small smile, and then looked down at her nails, hair falling into her face.
“I’m fine,” she replied. “And you?”
Elu took a deep breath before responding, trying hard to stifle the sob that was quickly crawling up his throat.
“I’m fine, too,” he said.
“That’s good,” she said while nodding. “I just saw Xander.”
“Did you?” Elu asked, sitting upright in his chair. “How is he?”
“He’s fine. He’s dealing with everything you put him through,” she replied.
Elu sighed as she covered her face and shook her head.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I don’t mean to sound angry. I am angry, but I also understand what he did was wrong.”
“It was,” Elu agreed. “But I still feel guilty throwing him out like that. It wasn’t my attention to drag you in with it. I’ve been conducting this investigation for years and it finally came to a head...”
Elu bit his lip, begging his body to quit shaking. He placed his hands calmly on the desk and took another deep breath.
“I understand,” Anna Leigh said with tears in her eyes. “It’s just been so hard, Elu.”
“I know. I’m so sorry,” he said. “I’ve been waiting for weeks to apologize to you in person. I didn’t expect you to come by.”
“I figured it was the right thing to do. Besides, I have something to tell you,” she said.
Elu raised his eyebrows with interest.
“What’s that?” he asked, leaning forward across the desk.
Anna Leigh smiled nervously and looked towards the digital paintings on the far left wall, her eyes darting across the picture before it faded into another one.
“Well, it seems I am truly in love with you both,” she explained. “In my heritage, the women get smooth scales on their back when they’ve met their life mate. You and Xander seem to be the ones who are meant to make me happy.”
Elu smiled wide while looking at the digital picture of them sitting on his desk. He reached out to take it and then held it up for her to see, beaming when she smiled in response. Tears were freely falling from her eyes and her hands were shaking as she accepted the picture. She chuckled lightly.
“Oh, that day was exceptional,” she whispered. “I can’t believe you two ate that many hot dogs.”
“It was pretty silly,” Elu commented.
“I just wish we could go back to that time,” she said, her lower lip quivering. “I can’t stand being without you both.”
“I’ll admit it’s been a relatively heavy weight on my shoulders. I’ve been trying to come up with something to help Xander,” Elu admitted.
“What do you mean?” Anna Leigh asked.
“Well, I’m considering revoking my charges,” Elu explained.
“Really?” she asked, sitting up straight in the chair. “That would be amazing because...”
When she trailed off, Elu gave her a concerned look. He reached across the desk to take her hand.
“What is it?” he asked.
Anna Leigh blushed, looking down
at the digital photo in her hand with hope in her eyes. She traced the picture of Xander with a red nail and then looked up at Elu as the tears came faster.
“I’m pregnant.”
***
Anna Leigh bit her lower lip and tittered when Elu practically flew across the desk to embrace her. It caused her a joyful giggle and she stood to wrap her arms around his broad shoulders, immediately buckling when his hands touched her body.
“I’m so happy, darling!” he cried while tears of joy ran down the length of his face. “I can’t believe it... Is it ours? I mean, it’s Xander's, too, clearly, but how does this work?”
“My species is capable of combining the sperm of two men. It was only a matter of time before the three of us made a child,” she explained.
Elu blushed.
“Does Xander know? Did you tell him when you visited him?” Elu asked excitedly.
“I didn’t get the chance... the guard scooted me away after ten minutes because he’s a moderate risk felon, or whatever he called it,” Anna Leigh replied.
“Well, we can certainly fix that,” he said.
“How?” she asked.
“I have some clearance in extending his visiting times,” Elu replied.
“But your evidence put him in jail. If you were to interfere, wouldn’t that cause someone to become suspicious or maybe even hold it against you?” Anna Leigh asked, her hand immediately covering her stomach.
“My job no longer concerns me. This is my family we’re talking about now. I wish only to secure us a safe place to live where we can raise our beautiful child together,” Elu replied.
Anna Leigh smiled warmly. Her thoughts had been fuzzy since she found out earlier in the afternoon, her stomach bubbling with excitement as the little plastic pregnancy test beeped. In an instant, she was out in the living room crying with her mother while also expressing her concerns.
“Everything will be alright. I’ve said my prayers for you and your boys. There’s no way the gods will ignore us at such a stressful time,” her mother had said.
“But what if Xander can’t get out of prison? And what if Elu wishes to keep him there?” Anna Leigh asked. She stirred her cup of tea.
“It’s only a matter of time before he comes to his senses. He can’t ignore you now that you’re going to have his child. You just need to go talk to him. Be strong and take this charm with you,” her mother replied.