fic: Breaking Even
Jun. 3rd, 2018 11:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bonnefoisTitle: Breaking Even
Series: Ace Attorney
Character/pairing: Nahyuta/Ema
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Ema accidentally breaks something precious while going to meet Nahyuta, and tries to hide the evidence. As the week goes on, she becomes more and more paranoid that she will be discovered, and lose everything she'd worked so hard for.
Word count: 4507
Author's note:
From this prompt.
Going through some of the investigation points in late Turnabout Revolution revealed that Amara's tomb actually cost 800 million dollars to create, but drew in a great deal of tourism.
Ema had spent plenty of time in the royal castle. But she hadn't ever been deeper into this part. The hall to Nahyuta's room loomed forward, with all the promise that could entail. They hadn't gone that far yet. And this left her with a mix of anticipation--and yes, some nervousness.
When she couldn't find him to deliver her autopsy report, she'd first tried his phone, his prosecutor's office, the usual meditation spots, Tehm'pul Temple, and finally she'd ended up in the garden and inner courtyard.
Fragrant pink flowering ivy hung from the stone balconies. Ema stepped up over the little bridge. Underneath, huge and hardy goldfish swam between lotuses. Inga's residence had been left unused, and still hung like a ghost in the halls of Khura'in, though Queen Amara's tomb drew even more tourism now that she had been revealed to be alive.
Ema drew her gaze away from the lovely gardens, and ducked into the left door, beneath the overgrown flowers. Previously, he'd lived in the Prosecutor's quarters. But he'd moved back into the castle after taking the title of Prince Regent. She kind of figured he'd actually have been fine living in the surprisingly small quarters alloted before. For somebody who wore ornate enough clothing to give Prosecutor Gavin a run for his money, Prosecutor Sahdmadhi definitely preferred his lodgings spare, with nothing but the essentials: books, and lots of them, a bed, and a desk. It'd been a bit of a contention to them while traveling, because he would've slept in a storage closet as long as it had books and a bed, but Ema preferred a little more room.
"You could almost say he lives like a monk," Ema said to herself. She smiled at her own joke.
Now, both Queen Amara, Princess Rayfa and Nahyuta all resided in the same hall. And she figured if she found at least one of them, she'd have a lot better chance at telling where he was.
"Hello? Prosecutor Sahdmadhi? Are you in here?" Her voice echoed through the stone walls, but there was no response. She stepped in a little further, into the red-carpeted royal residence.
She couldn't believe there wasn't anybody stationed here. The staff had been doubled since the fall of the last regime, and she hadn't passed any since she got permission to go into the gardens.
Maybe she caught it at the changing of the guards, or something.
She recognized Princess Rayfa's room right away. It was grand, imposing, and with fancy doors covered with embossed flowers, and butterflies, just like the ones she had to pass through. No way Nahyuta would ever choose his room to be so--ostentatious. The second one was smaller, and with a lotus flower embossed in gold paint. This had to be Queen Amara's room.
She'd gotten so used to indulging in Princess Rayfa's whims, and giving up parts of herself, making herself smaller for her family.
The last one a giant gold spider across the wood, and a big statue of a spider looming over it. Hadn't Prosecutor Sahdmadhi had something like that on his glove? She'd asked him what it meant once, but he'd become so terse and closed off that she figured it had to be some symbol deep in Khura'inese religion that he was forbidden to share with outsiders.
"Okay, this has to be the one. You just have to knock and..."
Deliver the paper. That was it. Then she could go out to lunch. Her stomach ached at the thought of lunch. Plus, this whole journey had left her famished.
Never mind that she'd taken a snack break on the way here.
She started to rustle in her bag. She knew there was one last package in there, but it was wedged just a little bit deeper, beneath her tools. And under that was the autopsy report. Just then, her phone went off. That could be Nahyuta right there. She tried to pull it out of her pocket, and stepped back, only to realize she had bumped into the pillar with her hip.
Ema nearly shrieked at the statue of a giant spider went flying, and smashed into thousands of pieces all across the floor.
Ema stared in utter horror at the mess. She stepped back, hearing an ominous crunch under her every step. Oh, no, no, no! Knowing the decor here, it was priceless and probably centuries old. She couldn't pay for it if she tried. Guards were coming now, she could hear their boots.
Ema did the only thing she could in this situation, and threw herself in the nearest room. It wasn't Nahyuta's, but some side room, filled with books. Maybe he'd turned one of the servant's quarters into his personal library. He was pretty stubborn about people not taking care of him, in more than one way. She quickly locked the door and tried to catch her breath.
The guards talked in Khura'inese much too fast for her to understand. She shut her eyes tight, but it didn't make this whole nightmare go away.
Well, you did it. Nahyuta will be pissed as hell at you now. She'd probably broken some sacred artifact of his religion. There's no coming back from something life that.
A throbbing had started in her head, inches away from a deep headache. She couldn't figure a way to fix this situation she'd gotten herself into. She rested her head against the cool stone walls and fought back this horrible feeling in her chest. Like she'd wrecked her entire life with one little misstep.
Her fingers trembled as she pulled out a Snackoo and took a bite to calm herself. But sweets weren't taking the edge off of what had just happened.
When Nahyuta found out, there'd be no way he'd be so understanding. Not when she ruined The Holy Mother's Personal Sacred Spider statue or whatever it was. Then they'd break up, she'd have to be quit--if she wasn't fired for breaking sacred stuff, the worst possible crime in Khura'in, and she'd be back to L.A. in disgrace.
In one move, she'd ruined her work life, her love life and her life, period. That had to be a new record for Ema Skye, personal wrecking ball. Life had finally gotten better, and no, she had to mess it up.
Except--then it came to her. The security systems weren't installed yet. No one had been around when it broke. Even if her hair and DNA was found around there, so what? No proof that she'd been the one to do it. Besides, she'd be the one processing it.
Besides, she was dating Nahyuta now. She could just say she'd come to visit him, and imply it was saucy, but had just missed him. The court wouldn't press her on details.
All she had to do was lie low and lie a lot. Eventually they'd all get caught up in some other case and forget all about it.
She forced her breath to become even. "I can do this...."
Evidence...evidence...already she'd left crumbs in his library, and down her shirt. She tried to sweep as much as she could up into her bag.
When the hall was quiet, she dared to ducked out the door and into the gardens. The mess had been cleaned up, but surprisingly there was no tape put up, or chalk outline where the statue had broken apart.
Thankfully, the hall and gardens were empty of guards again. Except for the one guarding the door in. He was on older, even jolly sort of guy who was too talkative for his own good. Ema's mouth grew dry as he opened the door for her. He had to know about the breaking issue by now.
"Oh, Detective Skye. Did you find Prosecutor Sahdmadhi?"
Ema flinched. "A-ah, no! I looked in the gardens, but he wasn't meditating there. I think I'm going to try the temples again. See you!"
She didn't wait to hear his response. God, could she have acted anymore guilty? She might as well have painted it on her forehead in neon letters.
She grabbed something the vending machines--both her lunch and her alibi--on the way out. Prosecutor Sahdmadhi had installed these, just for her. It'd been such a sweet gift then. He hadn't wanted her to miss things from L.A. so he'd began to modernize the country at a very quick pace.
Well, some of it was probably his own growing caffeine and junk food addiction. But he'd definitely thought of her too with these choices.
But now? It was a bittersweet reminder that the clock was ticking on her time here.
Cut it out. I can pull this off. Nobody needs to know it was you. Just breathe and calm down already.
Her phone rang again. In the fallout of the shattering (of the statue, of her life) she hadn't had a chance to pick up her phone.
But the minute she saw his name come across her phone read out, the creeping fear came back ever as strong, and shadowed her everywhere she went.
A text came through. She'd been the one to convince him to convince him to upgrade to a better phone. Hap'praki. Meet me in my office.
When Ema left, she felt like she was going to her own execution.
*
Ema waited for the judgment. Surely, Nahyuta would look over to the crowd and go who among you committed this most putrid act? But there was no case started. Every time Nahyuta spoke about bringing in the accused, Ema flinched.
She'd be next on that list. And have to tell the judge how she'd completely wrecked a priceless, probably ancient statue.
She kept fiddling with her phone to give an excuse as why she wasn't meeting his gorgeous green eyes. He was so handsome, it hurt to think she'd have to let go of all this if she got caught.
"Ema, did you do it?"
Her bottles clanked together, in such a sharp sound. "W-w-what? W-why would you even think that?"
"Did you do the autopsy I requested?"
"Oh! Oh! Um, yeah. Let me just--" she pulled it out from her bag. A little wrinkled, a little sticky from food, but hey, it was still in one piece, and pushed it across the desk. Unlike other prosecutors, Nahyuta had gotten used to food stains. Back in the day, she'd gotten a few stern words, but he'd given up. Now they got a faint knowing smile.
"Thank you. The case will come to a close soon. Are you busy tonight?"
Ema knew she froze and had a complete deer in the headlights moment. As much as she wanted to curl up against him and eat popcorn until her fingers were coated in grease, what if she let it slip? No, she had to stay away until she calmed down a little. Maybe tomorrow or the next day she'd finally get rid of this overpowering fear and be able to look him in the eye again.
"A-actually I'll be cleaning up the post-trial stuff, so I'll be swamped all night. Sorry!"
"Ah, of course. Then once this trial is done, we can have some time together."
"Yeah..." Ema said. "Um, well, I've got to get to work."
Ema all but rushed out of there. He was her boyfriend, and he was supposed to make her heart race. Except right now, it was racing because she felt like she had a target on her back.
*
Ema had tried to sleep, but her mind was filled with all the ways this could go wrong. So she ended up back in the lab, working on the evidence of the case backlog from Queen Ga'ran's regime.
She'd been in this state of mind before. When Lana was tried, when she'd failed, and failed again over and over. Back then, it'd felt like she'd given a part of herself away at the test every time. Insert fee of parts of your self-esteem, dreams and self worth before submitting this score which will affect your entire life.
There wouldn't be anymore late night talks about history, science and religion, no wrapping up the evidence together, trying cases together, layovers and lunches out. Everty time she tried to steady herself, more things she'd lost with one little bump came to her.
She sighed as she looked at the read out. Maybe by next week she'd be less jittery.
In her mind, all her swirling thoughts came out like a case. The defense stood beyond seemingly insurmountable odds.
Nahyuta wouldn't hate you, even if he wasn't unhappy that you broke something like that. If he can take you trying to ruin his case, he can take you making a mess of things again. He likes you, remember?
Then all the negative possibilities rose up. It seemed so woefully unbalanced.
Objection! Even if he does like you, he'd be forced to break it off to stop a riot. This is Khura'in we're talking about. Even if he forgives you for wrecking everything, which is a very big if, he may have to break it off with you and fire you just to save your life. Did you every think of that?
Great. Now she had new worries to pile on the growing tower of discontented thoughts.
It was going to be a long night.
*
Apollo, and several guards, and much to her displeasure, Chief Prosecutor Payne. Nahyuta glanced around the room. His gaze softened just slightly as he caught sight of her.
"Ah, Ema. There you are. Just in time for the meeting."
"I think you all know why I've called you into here," Nahyuta said softly.
Dammit, he'd seen right through her. Had someone seen her that day? She was sure that she hadn't been followed. She hadn't seen any guards, but of course that would be too easy. Had she forgotten to clean up all the crumbs?
"Someone has been sneaking around..."
Ema took in a breath. Here it came, the end of her and her and him, and her job for that matter. Everything would come crashing down in his next few words.
"...and taking my lunch from the work fridge every day."
"Because of the many duties of my stations, as well as how many cases have had to be fixed due to the..previous Queen, I've had to fit my lunch in-between cases as opposed to eating at the usual times.'
"I eat with the Magister," Proseuctor Payne said smugly."His wife is a wonderful cook."
"I always pack my own food," Apollo said. He held up a wrinkled brown paper bag, and pulled out a bruised apple from inside.
The guards stared back, with no tell of guilt.
"I always buy from the market after my stipend," said one guard.
"And I always go home. Nothing beat's my wife's cooking," said another.
"No one?" Nahyuta said.
"Usually the criminal leaves some kind of mark. Or returns to the scene of the crime," Apollo said. His gaze meaningfully came to rest on her.
Ema brushed crumbs from her lab coat. "I bring my own snacks," she said. She showed a Snackoo in her mouth. "And sometimes I come in for coffee and food, but so what? I work in the prosecutor's office. I was under the impression that eating from that fridge was allowed under the whole stipend thing."
The room fell silent. "I believe, we have found our culprit," Nahyuta said slowly.
Ema dropped her Snackoo. "Wait, it wasn't for everyone?" Ema said suddenly. "Because I was under the impression that the work stuff was fine and anybody could get what they wanted."
But, Nahyuta didn't look angry. Far be from it. He simply nodded. "Usually it is so. However, I have been missing meals due to work, and had to request it be kept for me. That solves this case. I will request a larger portion starting today."
Jeez, it wasn't enough that she had to break that sacred spider statue, she'd gone and accidentally stolen his food too. She really was racing herself to rock bottom at this point.
Ema stared down sadly at her bag. "Er, sorry? I thought it was okay to eat. I didn't know it was yours."
"What is mine is yours," he said. "The case is dismissed. "
"It wasn't even a real case," Ema said.
"A force of habit," Nahyuta said. He turned back to the prosecutor's staff, and Apollo.
"You may all go. Except for you, Ema. I wish to speak to you."
Ema felt like she was on the witness stand in the Gant case all over again. She clutched more tightly to her bag. He's going to figure it out. He'll see right through me. And then this—all of this—will be over.
His hand rested at her back. Instead of nestling closer to him, like she wouldn't any time before the breaking happened, she flinched.
"Ema," he said softly, his voice full of concern. "I am sorry if this was unwelcome. Is it you wish to go more slowly?"
"No--it isn't you. I'm just still antsy because of this--meeting, mock trial, whatever you want to call it," Ema said. "It kind of reminded me of other trials, and..." she let the sentence hang. He knew about what happened with Gant.
"Ah, so that is it. I am sorry; I hadn't thought how it would affect you. I never thought you would be the culprit."
"I didn't mean to!"
He smiled. "I know. I am not angry in the slightest. Shall we eat together tonight?"
The guilt wrapped tight around her, until she could barely breathe. Would he still smile when he found out what she'd done? "Um, maybe next time. I still have some things to do for that case, so..."
"I see..." Nahyuta said. "Yes, you are right. We should focus all our efforts into reading the last rites of the dead. Until later, then."
Ema excused herself. The only thing she had planned for tonight was eating lots of Snackoos to try and calm down.
*
A week and Ema was on the verge of snapping. She couldn't even be in Nahyuta's presence without feeling like she'd spill it all and ruin everything. Which meant no cuddling and watching Forensic files, no walks through the marketplace, and no cute shared lunches or reading together.
All the things which cheered her up.
Apollo was downright wary, as if she might start launching her food at him again. Even the guards gave her plenty of distance.
So much for just getting over the nerves. No matter how hard she tried, she kept going back to that day, and thinking of all the ways she'd ruined her life.
She stood before the door of his office for several seconds before she finally came in.
"Did I mess up something again?" Ema said without looking up.
A lack of vitamin Nahyuta, and the weight of the guilt was worse than jetlag crankiness. Hell, it was worse than working under Prosecutor Gavin, jetlag, PMS and lack of Snackoos all in one.
"No, it is not that... Ema, what troubles you? You have avoided my presence recently."
Ema couldn't answer that one without revealing all she'd done. The more she didn't speak about it, the more visions of doom her mind could present her with.
" ...Is it that you no longer love me, and cannot bring yourself to tell me....? Do you feel like dating was a mistake? Or... have you found someone else?"
There was such pain in his voice that it made her chest ache. Dammit, she'd gone and hurt him, and the news would be salt in the wounds.
"No! Was that what you thought? That I was breaking up with you?"
"I could not think of why you would suddenly shy away from me so. You even flinched when I touched you earlier this week."
"No, it's not you. It's just...It's my fault! I didn't mean to--but I broke it and then I hid it like a coward."
His brow furrowed in confusion. "You broke it?"
Ema stared down at her feet. Anything to keep from seeing the disappointment in his face when he realized. "That statue around your room. I was trying to find you to deliver the autopsy report. I'd looked everywhere and thought you might be in your room. But before I could knock, the phone rang and I... I bumped into it and it completely destroyed that sacred spider statue thing. I couldn't even have pieced it together if I tried." Ema let out a long sigh. "I know It's probably really expensive, and I'll never be able to pay for it. I guess you'll have to dock my pay for ages. If it's even something that can be replaced and not some sacred artifact. And...."
She'd even run from the scene of the crime. At least she hadn't framed anyone else.
"I knew you'd be angry and probably wouldn't ever forgive me. And then I'd get fired or have to quit and everything would be ruined! You and me, Khura'in, this job. Everyone would hate me."
"So that's what it was..."
Slowly, he rose up from the desk. Revealing it all hadn't exactly made her feel better. If anything, she felt on the verge of crying.
"Come here," he said softly.
It was only now that she dared look him in the eye. There was no anger there, only compassion, and deep affection there.
His arms enclosed about her. It'd always felt so remarkable, how her head would fit just under his, like they fit just right.
"Then you were the one that freed me? You have my utmost gratitude."
"...Freed you? Come again?"
He leaned in to kiss her forehead. His hands softly ran through her hair.
"That was her emblem. The former queen. She made me wear it, and put it near my chambers to remind me of who I belonged to. ....I wanted to eradicate every part of her and the hold she had over me. But I had been trained so thoroughly, that every time I try to raise my hand, a sudden unease came over me. Memories of what she would do to anyone she thought was not sufficiently loyal to her." He shook his head.
No wonder he spent all his time in the prosecutor's chamber, rather than constantly be reminded at her emblem every time he returned to the castle.
"I was driven to inertia again. I could not bring myself to take apart the remainders of the webs which bound me for so long. Even as she was banished, the ghosts of her remained."
Ema didn't have to ask. She'd seen a hint in that trial that was Ga'ran's downfall. From openly blackmailing her own family, attempting to kill her own sister, and threatening to take down Nahyuta with her, her viciousness knew no bounds.
"So, when I asked you about that glove, and you didn't want to talk about it..."
"She was reminding me who I answered to," he said. "But that is the past."
He bent down and kissed her, this time full on the mouth. After so much holding back, Ema desperately clung to him. Her nerves still felt on edge, like she'd consumed too much coffee and that floating anxiety went with her.
"It isn't the first time you freed me from her grips, and I doubt it will be the last."
"Jeez, I'm glad. I thought I'd really wrecked everything this time. And it hurt so much, because I really like you. I even think I lo---" she flushed, unable to say the words. They were still really new. It was hard enough to learn the language of love in her own country, let alone taking into account the translation issues of how Khura'in went about things. More than often, they'd come into translation errors.
He brushed her hair back from her face. "Ema, even if you did break something important, I wouldn't abandon you. It would merely be a thing, while you are my most precious person. You are priceless, and no artifact, whatever significance it has upon this world, will ever mean more to me than you do."
The defense had won after all. Even as overwhelming as the negative thoughts and possible outcomes, the only true thought among them all had been he cares about you.
Ema smiled up at him. "You think there are any of those statues left? I didn't get a chance to take a baseball bat to her when she was queen, but I'd gladly take one to her emblem."
"I will personally call the guards and have them bring every emblem and vestige of her, just to watch you destroy them."
Ema chuckled. "honestly, I could do with the stress relief. This week has been hell on my nerves."
"I would love to watch you destroy every last hold she has upon me. But I hope with it goes any thoughts that I would ever abandon you for the sake of Khura'in, or a petty argument," Nahyuta said.
"I know. This whole thing could've been solved by the magical power of talking things out. I just...freaked out. I like it here, and I like you. The thought of losing my job and you like that just really messed me up." She took a deep breath, and continued. "So, after I smash up an entire regime, you up for some Forensic files tonight? I've got some catching up to do," Ema said.
"Yes, I am. And Ema...I will be counting down the seconds until then."
It was so dramatic, but so him, too. She felt such a wave of relief. He did care, more than anything. All her fears were baseless ghosts. And after she'd done some breaking of her own, she'd get to cuddle up with him under the covers and watch unsolved mysteries together.
Maybe she should break things up more often. After all, it was breaking up his case which got them talking late into the night the first time. It'd led to her traveling to Khura'in, her job, and oh yeah—their first kiss.
Trusting him even when things were hard and broken down wasn't going to be easy. But Ema was willing to keep trying, no matter how messy it got.
Series: Ace Attorney
Character/pairing: Nahyuta/Ema
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Ema accidentally breaks something precious while going to meet Nahyuta, and tries to hide the evidence. As the week goes on, she becomes more and more paranoid that she will be discovered, and lose everything she'd worked so hard for.
Word count: 4507
Author's note:
From this prompt.
Going through some of the investigation points in late Turnabout Revolution revealed that Amara's tomb actually cost 800 million dollars to create, but drew in a great deal of tourism.
Ema had spent plenty of time in the royal castle. But she hadn't ever been deeper into this part. The hall to Nahyuta's room loomed forward, with all the promise that could entail. They hadn't gone that far yet. And this left her with a mix of anticipation--and yes, some nervousness.
When she couldn't find him to deliver her autopsy report, she'd first tried his phone, his prosecutor's office, the usual meditation spots, Tehm'pul Temple, and finally she'd ended up in the garden and inner courtyard.
Fragrant pink flowering ivy hung from the stone balconies. Ema stepped up over the little bridge. Underneath, huge and hardy goldfish swam between lotuses. Inga's residence had been left unused, and still hung like a ghost in the halls of Khura'in, though Queen Amara's tomb drew even more tourism now that she had been revealed to be alive.
Ema drew her gaze away from the lovely gardens, and ducked into the left door, beneath the overgrown flowers. Previously, he'd lived in the Prosecutor's quarters. But he'd moved back into the castle after taking the title of Prince Regent. She kind of figured he'd actually have been fine living in the surprisingly small quarters alloted before. For somebody who wore ornate enough clothing to give Prosecutor Gavin a run for his money, Prosecutor Sahdmadhi definitely preferred his lodgings spare, with nothing but the essentials: books, and lots of them, a bed, and a desk. It'd been a bit of a contention to them while traveling, because he would've slept in a storage closet as long as it had books and a bed, but Ema preferred a little more room.
"You could almost say he lives like a monk," Ema said to herself. She smiled at her own joke.
Now, both Queen Amara, Princess Rayfa and Nahyuta all resided in the same hall. And she figured if she found at least one of them, she'd have a lot better chance at telling where he was.
"Hello? Prosecutor Sahdmadhi? Are you in here?" Her voice echoed through the stone walls, but there was no response. She stepped in a little further, into the red-carpeted royal residence.
She couldn't believe there wasn't anybody stationed here. The staff had been doubled since the fall of the last regime, and she hadn't passed any since she got permission to go into the gardens.
Maybe she caught it at the changing of the guards, or something.
She recognized Princess Rayfa's room right away. It was grand, imposing, and with fancy doors covered with embossed flowers, and butterflies, just like the ones she had to pass through. No way Nahyuta would ever choose his room to be so--ostentatious. The second one was smaller, and with a lotus flower embossed in gold paint. This had to be Queen Amara's room.
She'd gotten so used to indulging in Princess Rayfa's whims, and giving up parts of herself, making herself smaller for her family.
The last one a giant gold spider across the wood, and a big statue of a spider looming over it. Hadn't Prosecutor Sahdmadhi had something like that on his glove? She'd asked him what it meant once, but he'd become so terse and closed off that she figured it had to be some symbol deep in Khura'inese religion that he was forbidden to share with outsiders.
"Okay, this has to be the one. You just have to knock and..."
Deliver the paper. That was it. Then she could go out to lunch. Her stomach ached at the thought of lunch. Plus, this whole journey had left her famished.
Never mind that she'd taken a snack break on the way here.
She started to rustle in her bag. She knew there was one last package in there, but it was wedged just a little bit deeper, beneath her tools. And under that was the autopsy report. Just then, her phone went off. That could be Nahyuta right there. She tried to pull it out of her pocket, and stepped back, only to realize she had bumped into the pillar with her hip.
Ema nearly shrieked at the statue of a giant spider went flying, and smashed into thousands of pieces all across the floor.
Ema stared in utter horror at the mess. She stepped back, hearing an ominous crunch under her every step. Oh, no, no, no! Knowing the decor here, it was priceless and probably centuries old. She couldn't pay for it if she tried. Guards were coming now, she could hear their boots.
Ema did the only thing she could in this situation, and threw herself in the nearest room. It wasn't Nahyuta's, but some side room, filled with books. Maybe he'd turned one of the servant's quarters into his personal library. He was pretty stubborn about people not taking care of him, in more than one way. She quickly locked the door and tried to catch her breath.
The guards talked in Khura'inese much too fast for her to understand. She shut her eyes tight, but it didn't make this whole nightmare go away.
Well, you did it. Nahyuta will be pissed as hell at you now. She'd probably broken some sacred artifact of his religion. There's no coming back from something life that.
A throbbing had started in her head, inches away from a deep headache. She couldn't figure a way to fix this situation she'd gotten herself into. She rested her head against the cool stone walls and fought back this horrible feeling in her chest. Like she'd wrecked her entire life with one little misstep.
Her fingers trembled as she pulled out a Snackoo and took a bite to calm herself. But sweets weren't taking the edge off of what had just happened.
When Nahyuta found out, there'd be no way he'd be so understanding. Not when she ruined The Holy Mother's Personal Sacred Spider statue or whatever it was. Then they'd break up, she'd have to be quit--if she wasn't fired for breaking sacred stuff, the worst possible crime in Khura'in, and she'd be back to L.A. in disgrace.
In one move, she'd ruined her work life, her love life and her life, period. That had to be a new record for Ema Skye, personal wrecking ball. Life had finally gotten better, and no, she had to mess it up.
Except--then it came to her. The security systems weren't installed yet. No one had been around when it broke. Even if her hair and DNA was found around there, so what? No proof that she'd been the one to do it. Besides, she'd be the one processing it.
Besides, she was dating Nahyuta now. She could just say she'd come to visit him, and imply it was saucy, but had just missed him. The court wouldn't press her on details.
All she had to do was lie low and lie a lot. Eventually they'd all get caught up in some other case and forget all about it.
She forced her breath to become even. "I can do this...."
Evidence...evidence...already she'd left crumbs in his library, and down her shirt. She tried to sweep as much as she could up into her bag.
When the hall was quiet, she dared to ducked out the door and into the gardens. The mess had been cleaned up, but surprisingly there was no tape put up, or chalk outline where the statue had broken apart.
Thankfully, the hall and gardens were empty of guards again. Except for the one guarding the door in. He was on older, even jolly sort of guy who was too talkative for his own good. Ema's mouth grew dry as he opened the door for her. He had to know about the breaking issue by now.
"Oh, Detective Skye. Did you find Prosecutor Sahdmadhi?"
Ema flinched. "A-ah, no! I looked in the gardens, but he wasn't meditating there. I think I'm going to try the temples again. See you!"
She didn't wait to hear his response. God, could she have acted anymore guilty? She might as well have painted it on her forehead in neon letters.
She grabbed something the vending machines--both her lunch and her alibi--on the way out. Prosecutor Sahdmadhi had installed these, just for her. It'd been such a sweet gift then. He hadn't wanted her to miss things from L.A. so he'd began to modernize the country at a very quick pace.
Well, some of it was probably his own growing caffeine and junk food addiction. But he'd definitely thought of her too with these choices.
But now? It was a bittersweet reminder that the clock was ticking on her time here.
Cut it out. I can pull this off. Nobody needs to know it was you. Just breathe and calm down already.
Her phone rang again. In the fallout of the shattering (of the statue, of her life) she hadn't had a chance to pick up her phone.
But the minute she saw his name come across her phone read out, the creeping fear came back ever as strong, and shadowed her everywhere she went.
A text came through. She'd been the one to convince him to convince him to upgrade to a better phone. Hap'praki. Meet me in my office.
When Ema left, she felt like she was going to her own execution.
*
Ema waited for the judgment. Surely, Nahyuta would look over to the crowd and go who among you committed this most putrid act? But there was no case started. Every time Nahyuta spoke about bringing in the accused, Ema flinched.
She'd be next on that list. And have to tell the judge how she'd completely wrecked a priceless, probably ancient statue.
She kept fiddling with her phone to give an excuse as why she wasn't meeting his gorgeous green eyes. He was so handsome, it hurt to think she'd have to let go of all this if she got caught.
"Ema, did you do it?"
Her bottles clanked together, in such a sharp sound. "W-w-what? W-why would you even think that?"
"Did you do the autopsy I requested?"
"Oh! Oh! Um, yeah. Let me just--" she pulled it out from her bag. A little wrinkled, a little sticky from food, but hey, it was still in one piece, and pushed it across the desk. Unlike other prosecutors, Nahyuta had gotten used to food stains. Back in the day, she'd gotten a few stern words, but he'd given up. Now they got a faint knowing smile.
"Thank you. The case will come to a close soon. Are you busy tonight?"
Ema knew she froze and had a complete deer in the headlights moment. As much as she wanted to curl up against him and eat popcorn until her fingers were coated in grease, what if she let it slip? No, she had to stay away until she calmed down a little. Maybe tomorrow or the next day she'd finally get rid of this overpowering fear and be able to look him in the eye again.
"A-actually I'll be cleaning up the post-trial stuff, so I'll be swamped all night. Sorry!"
"Ah, of course. Then once this trial is done, we can have some time together."
"Yeah..." Ema said. "Um, well, I've got to get to work."
Ema all but rushed out of there. He was her boyfriend, and he was supposed to make her heart race. Except right now, it was racing because she felt like she had a target on her back.
*
Ema had tried to sleep, but her mind was filled with all the ways this could go wrong. So she ended up back in the lab, working on the evidence of the case backlog from Queen Ga'ran's regime.
She'd been in this state of mind before. When Lana was tried, when she'd failed, and failed again over and over. Back then, it'd felt like she'd given a part of herself away at the test every time. Insert fee of parts of your self-esteem, dreams and self worth before submitting this score which will affect your entire life.
There wouldn't be anymore late night talks about history, science and religion, no wrapping up the evidence together, trying cases together, layovers and lunches out. Everty time she tried to steady herself, more things she'd lost with one little bump came to her.
She sighed as she looked at the read out. Maybe by next week she'd be less jittery.
In her mind, all her swirling thoughts came out like a case. The defense stood beyond seemingly insurmountable odds.
Nahyuta wouldn't hate you, even if he wasn't unhappy that you broke something like that. If he can take you trying to ruin his case, he can take you making a mess of things again. He likes you, remember?
Then all the negative possibilities rose up. It seemed so woefully unbalanced.
Objection! Even if he does like you, he'd be forced to break it off to stop a riot. This is Khura'in we're talking about. Even if he forgives you for wrecking everything, which is a very big if, he may have to break it off with you and fire you just to save your life. Did you every think of that?
Great. Now she had new worries to pile on the growing tower of discontented thoughts.
It was going to be a long night.
*
Apollo, and several guards, and much to her displeasure, Chief Prosecutor Payne. Nahyuta glanced around the room. His gaze softened just slightly as he caught sight of her.
"Ah, Ema. There you are. Just in time for the meeting."
"I think you all know why I've called you into here," Nahyuta said softly.
Dammit, he'd seen right through her. Had someone seen her that day? She was sure that she hadn't been followed. She hadn't seen any guards, but of course that would be too easy. Had she forgotten to clean up all the crumbs?
"Someone has been sneaking around..."
Ema took in a breath. Here it came, the end of her and her and him, and her job for that matter. Everything would come crashing down in his next few words.
"...and taking my lunch from the work fridge every day."
"Because of the many duties of my stations, as well as how many cases have had to be fixed due to the..previous Queen, I've had to fit my lunch in-between cases as opposed to eating at the usual times.'
"I eat with the Magister," Proseuctor Payne said smugly."His wife is a wonderful cook."
"I always pack my own food," Apollo said. He held up a wrinkled brown paper bag, and pulled out a bruised apple from inside.
The guards stared back, with no tell of guilt.
"I always buy from the market after my stipend," said one guard.
"And I always go home. Nothing beat's my wife's cooking," said another.
"No one?" Nahyuta said.
"Usually the criminal leaves some kind of mark. Or returns to the scene of the crime," Apollo said. His gaze meaningfully came to rest on her.
Ema brushed crumbs from her lab coat. "I bring my own snacks," she said. She showed a Snackoo in her mouth. "And sometimes I come in for coffee and food, but so what? I work in the prosecutor's office. I was under the impression that eating from that fridge was allowed under the whole stipend thing."
The room fell silent. "I believe, we have found our culprit," Nahyuta said slowly.
Ema dropped her Snackoo. "Wait, it wasn't for everyone?" Ema said suddenly. "Because I was under the impression that the work stuff was fine and anybody could get what they wanted."
But, Nahyuta didn't look angry. Far be from it. He simply nodded. "Usually it is so. However, I have been missing meals due to work, and had to request it be kept for me. That solves this case. I will request a larger portion starting today."
Jeez, it wasn't enough that she had to break that sacred spider statue, she'd gone and accidentally stolen his food too. She really was racing herself to rock bottom at this point.
Ema stared down sadly at her bag. "Er, sorry? I thought it was okay to eat. I didn't know it was yours."
"What is mine is yours," he said. "The case is dismissed. "
"It wasn't even a real case," Ema said.
"A force of habit," Nahyuta said. He turned back to the prosecutor's staff, and Apollo.
"You may all go. Except for you, Ema. I wish to speak to you."
Ema felt like she was on the witness stand in the Gant case all over again. She clutched more tightly to her bag. He's going to figure it out. He'll see right through me. And then this—all of this—will be over.
His hand rested at her back. Instead of nestling closer to him, like she wouldn't any time before the breaking happened, she flinched.
"Ema," he said softly, his voice full of concern. "I am sorry if this was unwelcome. Is it you wish to go more slowly?"
"No--it isn't you. I'm just still antsy because of this--meeting, mock trial, whatever you want to call it," Ema said. "It kind of reminded me of other trials, and..." she let the sentence hang. He knew about what happened with Gant.
"Ah, so that is it. I am sorry; I hadn't thought how it would affect you. I never thought you would be the culprit."
"I didn't mean to!"
He smiled. "I know. I am not angry in the slightest. Shall we eat together tonight?"
The guilt wrapped tight around her, until she could barely breathe. Would he still smile when he found out what she'd done? "Um, maybe next time. I still have some things to do for that case, so..."
"I see..." Nahyuta said. "Yes, you are right. We should focus all our efforts into reading the last rites of the dead. Until later, then."
Ema excused herself. The only thing she had planned for tonight was eating lots of Snackoos to try and calm down.
*
A week and Ema was on the verge of snapping. She couldn't even be in Nahyuta's presence without feeling like she'd spill it all and ruin everything. Which meant no cuddling and watching Forensic files, no walks through the marketplace, and no cute shared lunches or reading together.
All the things which cheered her up.
Apollo was downright wary, as if she might start launching her food at him again. Even the guards gave her plenty of distance.
So much for just getting over the nerves. No matter how hard she tried, she kept going back to that day, and thinking of all the ways she'd ruined her life.
She stood before the door of his office for several seconds before she finally came in.
"Did I mess up something again?" Ema said without looking up.
A lack of vitamin Nahyuta, and the weight of the guilt was worse than jetlag crankiness. Hell, it was worse than working under Prosecutor Gavin, jetlag, PMS and lack of Snackoos all in one.
"No, it is not that... Ema, what troubles you? You have avoided my presence recently."
Ema couldn't answer that one without revealing all she'd done. The more she didn't speak about it, the more visions of doom her mind could present her with.
" ...Is it that you no longer love me, and cannot bring yourself to tell me....? Do you feel like dating was a mistake? Or... have you found someone else?"
There was such pain in his voice that it made her chest ache. Dammit, she'd gone and hurt him, and the news would be salt in the wounds.
"No! Was that what you thought? That I was breaking up with you?"
"I could not think of why you would suddenly shy away from me so. You even flinched when I touched you earlier this week."
"No, it's not you. It's just...It's my fault! I didn't mean to--but I broke it and then I hid it like a coward."
His brow furrowed in confusion. "You broke it?"
Ema stared down at her feet. Anything to keep from seeing the disappointment in his face when he realized. "That statue around your room. I was trying to find you to deliver the autopsy report. I'd looked everywhere and thought you might be in your room. But before I could knock, the phone rang and I... I bumped into it and it completely destroyed that sacred spider statue thing. I couldn't even have pieced it together if I tried." Ema let out a long sigh. "I know It's probably really expensive, and I'll never be able to pay for it. I guess you'll have to dock my pay for ages. If it's even something that can be replaced and not some sacred artifact. And...."
She'd even run from the scene of the crime. At least she hadn't framed anyone else.
"I knew you'd be angry and probably wouldn't ever forgive me. And then I'd get fired or have to quit and everything would be ruined! You and me, Khura'in, this job. Everyone would hate me."
"So that's what it was..."
Slowly, he rose up from the desk. Revealing it all hadn't exactly made her feel better. If anything, she felt on the verge of crying.
"Come here," he said softly.
It was only now that she dared look him in the eye. There was no anger there, only compassion, and deep affection there.
His arms enclosed about her. It'd always felt so remarkable, how her head would fit just under his, like they fit just right.
"Then you were the one that freed me? You have my utmost gratitude."
"...Freed you? Come again?"
He leaned in to kiss her forehead. His hands softly ran through her hair.
"That was her emblem. The former queen. She made me wear it, and put it near my chambers to remind me of who I belonged to. ....I wanted to eradicate every part of her and the hold she had over me. But I had been trained so thoroughly, that every time I try to raise my hand, a sudden unease came over me. Memories of what she would do to anyone she thought was not sufficiently loyal to her." He shook his head.
No wonder he spent all his time in the prosecutor's chamber, rather than constantly be reminded at her emblem every time he returned to the castle.
"I was driven to inertia again. I could not bring myself to take apart the remainders of the webs which bound me for so long. Even as she was banished, the ghosts of her remained."
Ema didn't have to ask. She'd seen a hint in that trial that was Ga'ran's downfall. From openly blackmailing her own family, attempting to kill her own sister, and threatening to take down Nahyuta with her, her viciousness knew no bounds.
"So, when I asked you about that glove, and you didn't want to talk about it..."
"She was reminding me who I answered to," he said. "But that is the past."
He bent down and kissed her, this time full on the mouth. After so much holding back, Ema desperately clung to him. Her nerves still felt on edge, like she'd consumed too much coffee and that floating anxiety went with her.
"It isn't the first time you freed me from her grips, and I doubt it will be the last."
"Jeez, I'm glad. I thought I'd really wrecked everything this time. And it hurt so much, because I really like you. I even think I lo---" she flushed, unable to say the words. They were still really new. It was hard enough to learn the language of love in her own country, let alone taking into account the translation issues of how Khura'in went about things. More than often, they'd come into translation errors.
He brushed her hair back from her face. "Ema, even if you did break something important, I wouldn't abandon you. It would merely be a thing, while you are my most precious person. You are priceless, and no artifact, whatever significance it has upon this world, will ever mean more to me than you do."
The defense had won after all. Even as overwhelming as the negative thoughts and possible outcomes, the only true thought among them all had been he cares about you.
Ema smiled up at him. "You think there are any of those statues left? I didn't get a chance to take a baseball bat to her when she was queen, but I'd gladly take one to her emblem."
"I will personally call the guards and have them bring every emblem and vestige of her, just to watch you destroy them."
Ema chuckled. "honestly, I could do with the stress relief. This week has been hell on my nerves."
"I would love to watch you destroy every last hold she has upon me. But I hope with it goes any thoughts that I would ever abandon you for the sake of Khura'in, or a petty argument," Nahyuta said.
"I know. This whole thing could've been solved by the magical power of talking things out. I just...freaked out. I like it here, and I like you. The thought of losing my job and you like that just really messed me up." She took a deep breath, and continued. "So, after I smash up an entire regime, you up for some Forensic files tonight? I've got some catching up to do," Ema said.
"Yes, I am. And Ema...I will be counting down the seconds until then."
It was so dramatic, but so him, too. She felt such a wave of relief. He did care, more than anything. All her fears were baseless ghosts. And after she'd done some breaking of her own, she'd get to cuddle up with him under the covers and watch unsolved mysteries together.
Maybe she should break things up more often. After all, it was breaking up his case which got them talking late into the night the first time. It'd led to her traveling to Khura'in, her job, and oh yeah—their first kiss.
Trusting him even when things were hard and broken down wasn't going to be easy. But Ema was willing to keep trying, no matter how messy it got.
