Perfect Illusion - Tagged

[Theodore Bennett]

Elena had far too much on her plate that day, it was right after lunch and she was running late in her head. Yes she had ten minutes to find a Kyle Andrews social worker before she was officially running late for her meeting. She knew the case she was fighting like the back of her hand, Mrs Louise Watson, her husband had beat her for years and now she had finally decided enough was enough. Social workers were involved and there was a child to think of too. Elena knew that it was always going to be difficult for people but she wanted to know everyone was on the same page as she made her way into the offices.

She asked at a desk and waited patiently as she took a seat in the waiting area. Her bag and folder were placed neatly in her lap as she glanced around, to think that lives had come to this as she was more than happy to support Mrs Watson and her child with everything she could do but then to think that there was so much bad in the world. To her life was the very thing that was good, how people could commit the crimes they did turned her stomach and yes she was hardly the one to shout about good and evil but her father was a police officer and after the stories she had heard.

It always amazed her that he could still keep doing what he did, to her defending people made the difference to her. To try and put the good back in the world one case at a time, naive yes but then her father always had a saying. If good people do nothing then evil will always win. She tried to think that if the good could outshine the bad one day at time then the world might just be that little bit better though her sunny outlook and ideas had rarely changed over the years. She simply had her eyes opened to the worse that humanity could provide and even then there was always worse.

It was why she was sat there waiting to see if she could make a difference for Mrs Watson and to make sure that there was something everyone could do even if it was a small thing. Elena knew the legal side but that was where her knowledge left which was why she was waiting there to see if there was anything else to do or to start on.

@kyle

[Deleted]

Theodore Bennett

It had been a long day for Kyle and it was showing no signs of slowing down any time soon. It was only just before 1:00, but he had been on the job for going on 28 hours now, having worked through the night on a variety of cases, including the one he was about to meet with Elena Cortez on. He had been briefed on the case of Mrs. Watson earlier that day, but had just gotten the time to fully devote his attention to it just about a hour ago. The details were still coming in, but so far, it looked a lot like a lot of the other cases he had worked on. Married for just four years, the beatings had stared pretty much before the honeymoon ended. In fact, Kyle was quite sure that the first one had happened ON the honeymoon. She had stuck it out for a few years, especially after little Brittany was born, hoping that he would get better for the sake of the child, but of course, that had not happened. Britt was three now, and Louise was scared that her husband would soon start turning his attention to her and now wanted to take legal action against him. She was leaving him and taking Britt and that is where he came in.

She was leaving with nothing as he had made sure he can controlled everything in the marriage, especially the financial aspect. It had worked for a time, it kept her from leaving at first, but she had decided to take a chance and had looked for help, and that was where Elena came in. Thinking of everything gave him a headache, but he pushed his own personal discomfort aside. He had a job to do, and he wanted to do the best he could for Louise and Britt. The first step in that process was meeting with Elena and devising a plan between the two of them. Walking through the spacious hallway, he pushed his way through the door leading to the waiting room and made his way to the seated Elena. "I am sorry to keep you waiting Ms. Cortez. I trust you were not waiting too long"? 

[Theodore Bennett]

Her heart honestly broke for Mrs Watson and her daughter, the firm she worked for handled all types of cases but the ones she felt really mattered were the ones like this one. The cases where it was about more than just corporate things or criminal justice it was about the lives of two very deserving people getting to have their fresh start. Those were the cases that made her day and were the very reason she had chosen to become a lawyer other than her father being a cop. His stories were fantastic but also the criminals that were unjustly put away, she wanted to make a change to that.

Elena was glad that there was help there for Mrs Watson, leaving was never easy and when they had no money to do it with that was worse but if there was one thing they could do that day was to make the progress a little easier for the two of them. It was a good day to be them. They needed to come up with a plan that kept both mother and daughter safe and Elena knew how important that was for them to start over. Being connected to the CPD she knew how easily things could go wrong if any part of a plan fell apart for whatever reason. A simple slip or the husband finding them for any number of things, she was just glad that they would hopefully get a chance at something new.

Elena looked up from her files as she heard a voice talking to her, Ms. Cortez she still had to get used to that as she usually just had people call her Elena. “Hello, Mr. Andrews.” She said as she glanced up at him for a second before she placed her bag and files in one hand and outstretched her free arm and hand as she stood up from the chair. “Pleased to meet you and no I’ve not been waiting long, thank you for your time today. I know you’re a busy man.” She said appreciating the time he was taking to meet with her. After all he hardly had to do it and likely it could all be over email or phone as she knew a few of the others in the department liked to do.

@kyle,

[Deleted]

Due to the nature of their jobs, Kyle had worked with Elena Cortez on more than one occasion. Most of the time it had been on cases just like this; people who literally had nothing, often used and abused, and wanting nothing other than to get out of their current hellish existence and make something better for themselves. He often thought that it took a special kind of person to do the kind of job that the two of them did...often seeing the worse that humanity had to offer and somehow trying to put the shattered pieces together again, which is what they had facing them in this case. 

Still, it was helping these people that made his job so worth it. He smiled as he took her outstretched hand. "Oh don't worry about it. My time is best spent helping Mrs. Watson, so it's really no trouble". He gestured to the empty waiting room. "Shall we have a seat? I would invite you to my office but...well, it is a bit overrun at the moment and if you found a seat, it would be a wonder". That was a bit of a lie. His office was perfectly organized. He just had another client in there that was in the process of putting himself together after a minor mental breakdown. Kyle took client confidentiality very seriously, even when it meant lying to an attorney.  Since the waiting room was empty, he felt comfortable discussing the Watson case without anyone overhearing. Is someone came in, the could simply lower their voice or find somewhere else to talk.

"We have quite a bit to discuss regarding Mrs. Watson and Brittney, and I am sure that we both have the same concerns".  


That was putting it mildly. They had A LOT of the same concerns he was sure, and Kyle was determined to at least get started on addressing those concerns as soon as possible.


Theodore Bennett

[Theodore Bennett]

Elena found it hard to imagine that there was so much bad in the world, it was her downfall the insistence that there must be something good left in a person. She refused to believe that people could be so evil and yet the evidence stared her in the face each and every day. Often she felt that the only thing that allowed her to do her job was to try and see the good, a good outcome, a case won anything that might shine a light onto the darkness that seemed to creep into everything a case could deal with.

“Thank you, I’m glad you think so.” She said as she smiled and nodded toward the empty waiting room. She had worked with Kyle before and she believed what he said glad that to her he seemed to be one of the good guys around there. The type that cared about the client and the job rather than just the pay cheque. “Yes that would be great and I am sure your office is fine. Mine on the other hand, I think I had a desk in there somewhere but the paperwork takes up most of the space. Seat space consists of folder boxes so if you were okay with those feel free to visit any time.” She explained as she smiled.

Elena stood up to follow Kyle to the waiting room he had motioned to, “We do and I have a few concerns yes.” She explained not sure where to start on things exactly. It was going to be a mine field she felt of information holding and withholding, trying to get them the fresh start they needed all the while keeping their privacy. “Again thank you for seeing me about this, it’s just always tough when there are children involved and their story just.” Elena stopped; broke her heart was that really what she was going to say as she hardly wanted to come across as the bleeding heart type that might make her sound as if she had little experience in life in general. “It is just horrifying.” She finished deciding that was a little stronger.

@kyle,

[Deleted]

Even in the midst of this horrible case, lack of sleep and trying to run on nothing but granola bars, bottled water, and hope, Kyle still found a small bit of happiness in just simple interaction with another adult. Even though they were discussing something very serious, Kyle was grateful for the break. He was not surprised that she had some concerns about the case. He did as well, and it kind of felt good to talk about it. At least they could attempt to make some progress and ideally get the ball rolling to get her some help.

He laughed when she described her own office. All the lawyers he had known and worked with basically had the same office, and he was relieved to know that he was not alone. 

Shaking his head, he cleared his thoughts of trivial things and got into social work mode. "Yes, it is horrifying to say the least, one of the worse I have seen, and in this city, that is really saying something". He paused here, trying to gather his thoughts. There was a lot to wrap his head around. "I am glad you have some concerns because I have some of my own. For one, my first concern is getting Mrs. Watson and her daughter a roof over their head. Right now they are living at a local battered woman's shelter, but they have to be out of their in no more than two weeks. That gives us a little time, but not much. There is also the matter of keeping them safe, and I assume that is where you come in". 

Kyle gave a deep tired sigh. There was a lot to do, and not much time to do it. He wanted to to what was best for this family, but often, what was best and what was actually feasible was not the same thing.

Theodore Bennett

[Theodore Bennett]

It was the one handy thing she had learned in her time, microwaves were like gold dust and granola bars were the best food source. When was there time to sit and eat a straight meal, perhaps at the end of a day but given her hours it was practically a case of sleep and work and eating just seemed to be a snack along the way at times. Elena just wanted to know that Mrs Watson and her daughter would be safe, it was what anyone deserved to be she just hoped they could work something out in the mean time.

Elena smiled when he laughed about the state of her office, it was easier to meet other places for the simple fact there was no tidying involved in it at all. Elena nodded when he spoke of how horrifying it was, she had never seen anything as bad and it turned her stomach to think that a person was capable of such things. She should have known better but then her believe that the good must win through was simply the one thing she had to fend off the evil.

“A battered woman’s shelter, she has a daughter is there any place we can put them that would give them their own space? Anywhere permanent? I can make some calls around the city but I have no guarantees for it.” Elena asked, she would have offered to put them up herself but she had no space or much in the way of saving for that kind of thing or she would have done it in a heartbeat. Hearing his deep sigh Elena smiled and nodded hoping to give the man some hope in the matter of keeping them safe.

“I’ve put in for the restraining order but we all know how easy those are to break, paper means nothing but... this is where it gets a little better. I can hide her name on the paper trail so if we get a place the husband won’t find her or at least it will make it a lot tougher.” She said taking a breath as she fiddled with the sleeve of her shirt lightly for a moment. Elena knew that using her family connections was a bad idea; it had been done with the first law firm she had worked for unbeknown to her. The idea that she had a hook in with CPD seemed to suit them until she left when she realised she was hired for the connection alone.

With this case however she could never forgive herself if something happened to the mother and child and she said nothing. “Given the severity of this I’ve called in a few favours with the CPD, my dad he’s a cop so I’ve agreed that a cop will stop in every now and again to make sure they are alright. It can’t be forever but short term it might help.” Elena knew it was hardly a lot but at least that way the restraining order would be easier to enforce.

@kyle,