It was late. The sun had gone down ages ago and yet, Jacqueline was still holed up in her office. She'd turned the overhead lights off, opting for the single lamp on her desk. Jacqueline sighed heavily, removing her glasses and setting them down on top of the papers littered in front of her. She pinched the bridge of her nose and slid her hand up to run through her hair. This case was a mess to say the least. And her client certainly wasn't making this any easier.

She told herself when she took on the case that it didn't ultimately matter what the history was. Of course, she told herself that when all she knew was the case right in front of her. That was her first mistake. Her client had a laundry list of infractions leading up to this one and an attitude to match it.

This latest incident has landed her client in some serious hot water. If she couldn't get a 'not-guilty' verdict, her client was looking at some serious jail time. And, honestly, Jackie isn't even sure if her client is innocent or not. Real hard to work any angle when she doesn't quite believe anything out of her client's mouth.

Jacqueline looked at the strewn out papers across her desk and shook her head. She had a meeting with her client in the morning. Normally, she'd just leave it all here and head home, but the trial date is coming up far too quickly. So, she packed up some of the files and headed for the door, ready for another long night of looking over the case.

**

Jacqueline arrived at her firm just as the sun crested the horizon. Coffee in one hand, tote full of paperwork in the other. She wasn't always the first partner to arrive, but today she was. Her client was supposed to be in early. Hopefully.

Jackie began to set up for the day just like any other. Turned on her coffee maker in the corner, booted up her computer, set out the files she'd immediately need for this meeting. Of course, all of that got interrupted as a call hit the phone on her desk.

She walked over and immediately felt a headache coming on. It was the local jail. Because of course it was. She let the automated message of "an inmate at.." play in her ear before she answered with a simple: "Yes." Before her client could even get a word out, Jackie cut her off. "Don't. Say anything. I'm on my way."

**

Jackie stalked into the private room with her client, fixing the orange-clad woman with a look that screamed both "I'm disappointed in you," and "I kind of want to wring your neck." She was irritated as hell and barely held it in until the officer left the room. "Just what were you thinking? Do you understand that getting picked up by the cops while you're out on bail does not help your case?" she questioned, exasperated. She let the silence stretch between them as she folded her arms across her chest, causing her navy blouse to pull taught across her shoulders. "Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"