Title: Guilty

Author: Alison (aka Alleyb)

Disclaimer: All of the characters belong to David E Kelley Productions and “The 
Practice”, they are not of my creation, however the story is.


It was dark by the time Jimmy and Roberta Kittleson sat down at the candlelit table in 
the busy restaurant. It reminded Jimmy of their first date, but he didn't want to say in 
case he seemed too eager. He couldn't figure Roberta out sometimes. She could be 
eager and affectionate sometimes and at other times, distant and cold. He hated it 
when the conversations turned to the others in the firm, Donnell, Young, Dole and 
Frutt because he knew about the fantasies she'd once had about Bobby. Roberta 
leaned forward.

"Do you remember the first time we came here? You were so comforting to me that 
day."
"It was a good day."

They paused. Jimmy wondered whether she had remembered that they were 
supposed to go to some party the next evening.

"So tomorrow should be fun. Uh, if you still want to go out that is."
"Well, we go to trial tomorrow. The drunk teenagers."
"Bobby and Lindsay's case?" As soon as he said it, he regretted bringing their names 
into the conversation.
"Yes, I'm not sure whether I'll have enough time tomorrow night."
"Maybe another time."
"That doesn't mean you can't come over to my place though, we can relieve some 
stress."

She reached under the table and rested her hand on him as she often did. As always 
Jimmy was lost for words and smiled, hoping nobody was watching.

Meanwhile at Helen and Lindsay's apartment Bobby and Lindsay were preparing for 
trial the next day. Neither of them had their mind on the work and to make it worse, 
Helen was the DA on the case and she was diligently working in her room, it was not 
the best of arrangements. Lindsay looked at Bobby who was trying to kiss her neck 
she pushed him away.

"Are you sure we can't get a continuance on this? We need more time."
"Go ask Helen, she's in the next room"
"You go ask her. You're first chair on this."
"She's your friend."
"No continuances!" Helen called from the next room.
Bobby and Lindsay looked at each other in surprise. 
"Maybe we should got to your place."
"Hmmm. More privacy."

He pulled Lindsay down to the couch and for a moment she struggled to free herself 
from his embrace, knowing that there was a lot of work to do before the trial. She 
soon gave up and kissed him back. Helen walked in to get some coffee and saw them 
on the couch.

"Can't you guys keep your hands off each other for five minutes? We go to trial 
tomorrow."
"We’re ready Helen," Lindsay sighed and disentangled herself from Bobby.
"Yeah right. Oh well, easier for me if you guys have no case." 

She smiled and headed back to her room. Lindsay picked up her legal pad and 
looked at Bobby. He rubbed his face, knowing that there wasn't going to be any more 
fun that night. He went to get some coffee so that he could concentrate.

"So tomorrow, you cross the cop and I'll do the daughter," she called to him in the 
kitchen.
"Right."
"Do you really think this will work Bobby? They were way over the limit, even if it 
wasn't their fault, they still hit the poor woman."
"But DUI is better than manslaughter."
"The jury is going to hate them. Rich white kids who get drunk and run over a 
grandmother. We have no case."
"You're always so pessimistic."
"No, I'm realistic."
"Whatever."

At about two, they decided to give up and go to bed, aware that Helen's light was still 
on.
"Do you think she's been listening to us?"
"No. She wouldn't do that."

They awoke to find Helen still working in the kitchen. Lindsay turned to Bobby.
"See, this is why I'm realistic."
Helen looked up, "I just don't want to lose any more murderers."
"They're not murderers Helen."
"Lindsay, they ran over a grandmother. That makes the murderers to me."

Helen packed up her briefcase and left without another word. She couldn't believe 
how lightly Lindsay took this and all the other cases. How she could represent these 
obviously guilty clients every day was beyond Helen.

It was a long day in court for all involved. They heard a heart-wrenching story from 
the daughter of the grandmother. All of the spectator’s pews were filled with 
mourning, innocent grandchildren. Every time the witness said something graphic 
about the accident, sobbing would erupt from the group. It was getting on 
everybody’s nerves, including Helen’s. The daughter added an emotional edge to the 
case and Bobby could see the hatred in the eyes of the jurors when they looked at the 
two defendants. He knew then that it was going to be hard case to win. Lindsay was 
right, they had no case. The day wore on.

To escape Helen, Bobby and Lindsay decided to work at he office that night. Neither 
had the motivation to get deeply involved in the case, though they despised the parents 
of the defendants who had let the kids take out the sports car when they were drunk. 
The parents likewise despised the lawyers and made no effort to help them save their 
kids. It was simply a case worth forgetting, but with appeals and sentencing, it was 
likely to be months before they could file it away and forget about it. The stress was 
getting to both Bobby and Lindsay and they tensely made last minute decisions.

"I'll question the kids, maybe you should do the closing," Bobby decided.
"No, if I do the closing, the jury might think I'm being soft. You close."
"You always want to do the closing!"
"Well I don't think I should do this one."
"Okay. I really don't mind, I'm just surprised that's all."
"Lets go home, Bobby. I'm sick of always working late."
"You call this working?" 

He smiled and pulled her onto his desk. She gave in entirely, not wanting to work on 
the case at all, and he began to pull off their clothes. Lindsay was sure she heard the 
front door opened, but dismissed it as her imagination. But she could no longer ignore 
it when she heard what she was sure were footsteps. 

"Bobby....Did you hear that?"
"Hmmm?"
"I think I heard something. Someone's out there!"
"Come one it's after midnight, who would come to the office at this time?"
"Shhh!"

They both listened carefully and sure enough, they heard footsteps outside the door of 
Bobby's office. Booby got up and pulled his clothes back on. He passed Lindsay 
hers, and she hid behind the desk, putting them on. Bobby opened the door and 
stepped back in surprise.

"Uh...Your Honor! What are you doing here?"
Lindsay heard and narrowed her eyes, still uncomfortable with Judge Kittleson ever 
since the infamous photo was found.
"Bobby, I'm glad you're still here. Can I talk to you for a moment?"
"It's after midnight. Can’t it wait until morning?"
"I assure you its quite urgent."

She stepped past Bobby and into his office, only to see Lindsay still buttoning up her 
blouse.

"Oh! I'm sorry! Am I interrupting something?"
"Not at all." Lindsay replied with a red face.
"Uh...well, I just came to talk to Jimmy and obviously he's not here. I'll see you both in 
court tomorrow."

They watched her rush out of the office and turned to each other, Bobby could see 
that Lindsay was going to explode in outrage.

"I bet she came here to tell you about more fantasies. She's crazy Bobby, we should 
tell someone about her."
"Let's go home."
"We should ask for a mistrial."
"We're not going to get a mistrial. Anyway, it gives us something to appeal should we 
lose."
"She can't be impartial if she's still having dreams about you."
"Let's just give her the benefit of the doubt."
"You always take her side."
"I'm not taking her side."
"Yes you are. Do you enjoy it when she tells you her fantasies?"
"Of course not, you're being ridiculous. Can we drop this please?"
"I'm being ridiculous!? She's creepy Bobby. We should at least tell Helen."
"That would be too embarrassing for everybody, including Jimmy. The trial will be 
over tomorrow. We'll just avoid her as much as possible. Okay?"
"I guess."

The next day was a disaster as far as the case was concerned. The teenagers sounded 
guilty and worse, they showed little or no remorse on the stand. Helen smiled happily 
when the foreman announced a guilty verdict. She just wished that they had been 
charged with something more serious than manslaughter. Lindsay wasn't even thinking 
about the trial at all, she had been fuming all day about Kittleson and when the judge 
had overruled an objection she had almost lost her temper. Bobby was unsure how to 
handle this. It wasn't as if it were the first time that they had fought over the judge's 
intentions, but this was certainly the worst. Lindsay could just get so jealous 
sometimes. He sighed, not looking forward to the tirade he would get at home; he 
hoped that Helen would be there. As it turned out Bobby stayed at the office and 
Lindsay went home to find Helen making coffee. She sat down and put her head in 
her hands. 
 
"Are you two fighting again?" Helen asked.
"Maybe."
"What about?"
"It's not important."
“Lindsay, you almost lifted the roof off the courthouse when the judge overruled your 
objection. Something is wrong and I would guess that it ahs to do with Judge 
Kittleson.”
“Just drink your coffee, Helen.”
“You have nothing to worry about Lindsay, he’s not going to leave you for a judge. 
That would just be scary.”
“Helen!”

At about the same time, Judge Kittleson was entering her chambers, glad for the guilty 
verdict on the trial. She sat down and looked at her phone messages, not wanting to 
answer any of them. It was dark and cold outside and she shivered, knowing that she 
lost her chance to explain to talk to Bobby. Jimmy knocked on the door and entered, 
to see the Judge sitting and staring into space with the hint of a smile on her face.

The End