As happy and settled as Desmond had become these last few months since the attempt on his life, it was time to go back to work. One last case before moving to Rhy'Din permanently, and it was a big one. The Nicoletti Trial. Des had only met with Elena De Luca once before, back in New York before she'd been put into witness protection, before she had disappeared from public view. She was the key witness and without her testimony, there might not be a trial, hence it was of paramount importance to keep her safe, no matter the cost. This was the most important case of Desmond's career, not only on a professional level but a personal one. It wasn't just about the attempt on his life, but all the innocent blood that had been spilled. Des had personally vowed to put Samuel Nicoletti away for life, but more importantly, he wanted his Old Man.

Elena just wanted everything over and done with. It had been ten months since she was first arrested and made her deal, since the D.A.'s office had begun compiling their case against Sam. Ten months since she'd last had a drink, somehow managing to make herself a credible witness because of that fact, which was incredibly important. If her testimony wasn't believed, Sam could get off on the murder charge, and no one wanted that. But in order to get it over and done with, she had to be prepared. She'd been expecting the summons to the Watch House, thankfully, ready to meet with Desmond Granger once again, despite rumors of his death on Earth. Escorted to the private interview room that had been set aside for this meeting, she waited until the door was closed behind her before allowing herself to meet Desmond's gaze, a little pale but mostly in control. "Hey - uh, I mean, good afternoon, Mr Granger."

"Miss De Luca," Desmond returned the greeting, looking very dapper in a navy blue suit, dapper enough to give his movie-star brother a run for the money. "Please, have a seat," he said, gesturing toward a chair across from him. "Would you like some coffee" A donut?" Yes, even at the Rhy'Din Market Watch House, coffee and donuts were a staple and in plentiful supply. "This is very informal, so try to relax. You're not on trial here. This is just to prepare you for what to expect."

"Uh ..." Her smile was nervous but genuine as she moved away from the door, neatly taking a seat in a manner that would have surprised Michael if he'd been there. He was more used to her draping herself all over the furniture - and him - without much care for how she presented herself. "Thanks, I'm good," she nodded, refusing the offer with another awkward smile. "Have to say, you're looking good for a dead guy."

A small smile flickered across his face, albeit briefly. "The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated, and I'm hoping to keep them that way for at least a little while yet." Once she was seated, he took a seat across the table from her, a cup of coffee close at hand, a thick manilla folder in front of him. "I hear your sister is my brother's best friend. Small world," he remarked, hoping to put her further at ease. He wasn't there to accuse her or blame her for anything. They were allies in this, with one common goal - to put Samuel Nicoletti where he belonged.

It worked - she laughed a little, her smile fully relaxing as he pointed out that he wasn't as inhumanly cool as he first appeared. He was Jon Granger's brother, and that made him a little less of a gorgon. "Yeah, it is. I worked with Jon a little while back." Though that brief jaunt back on stage had been enough to tell her she never wanted to act again, it was a gold star in her book - she'd held down a job for the length of time she was contracted. Big points when it came to swaying a jury. "I, uh, I was told that this is a briefing" Something about already knowing what I have to say, I just need to be reminded what the process is."

It was a bit strange knowing Elena's sister probably knew his brother better than he did, but it didn't really matter. Des was building a life for himself in Rhy'Din, and part of that life was getting better acquainted with the family he had here, including his younger brother. He folded his hands on top of the folder that was situated in front of him on the desk, as she turned the conversation back to the reason for their meeting. "The process isn't what?s important. What's important is that you need to understand that the defense is going to do everything they possibly can to discredit you and break you down. Their goal is to convince the jury that you aren't a credible witness. You know what that means."

"I know." And that was what she was afraid of, among other things. The danger didn't concern her even half as much as the courtroom itself. "I know that my counsellor is giving a character statement before I go on the stand; hopefully that'll give people a better idea of what I was and what I am. The other lawyer is gonna pick holes in me, isn't he?" She bit her lip worriedly. "They're gonna say that because I was drunk then and I'm sober now, there's no way I could remember it clearly."

Though his expression remained neutral, there was a hint of very real compassion in his eyes. He might be a trial lawyer, but he was still a human being, and the reason he'd gone into criminal law was to help and protect people like her and get scumbags like Nicoletti off the streets. "I'm not gonna sugarcoat it. This is serious stuff. They are going to use every means at their disposal to discredit you. That means digging into your personal life and putting it on public display." He paused for a moment to lean back in his chair, either in quiet observation or thought for a moment. "Tell me again what happened that night." He wasn't asking to refresh his own memory, but to make sure they found any holes in her story now before they got to trial.

Not for nothing had Elena made a career out of acting until relatively recently. As soon as they settled into the meat of the conversation, she relaxed, and when he asked her to tell the story, she gave him her statement, almost word perfect, delivered in a calm voice that only wavered when she reached her own involvement in the clean up of the murder itself. It wasn't a role; she was playing Elena De Luca to the best of her ability, relying on that gentle buffer to keep herself from cracking even under this gentle pressure.

He didn't want to do it, but this was where his job became difficult. He needed to play the part of the defense and attempt to crack her, to break her down, to poke as many holes in her story as he could, so that between them they could repair the holes and prepare her for the defense. And with that in mind, he started grilling her, asking her for more details, minutia even, making sure she remembered it all in as much detail as possible. He asked her to repeat the story again and again, until she could tell him what had happened in her sleep. It was unpleasant, but necessary. He needed her to be prepared, not only for the sake of the trial, but for the sake of her own sanity and self-confidence. Her tears didn't matter. Tears were good. Tears would make her human and would gain sympathy with the jury, so long as she didn't break down completely. "I'm going to have to ask you about your personal relationship with Sam. I want you to tell the jury exactly how he treated you. Don't hold back."

Elena bore the minute grilling with an odd kind of dignity, confident that he wasn't doing anything to her that his counterpart wouldn't when she was on the stand. Even when the tears came - and they came, the memory was too distressing not to hurt - she kept talking, clear and concise, holding his gaze no matter how bullied she felt. Yet as soon as he mentioned her personal relationship with Samuel Nicoletti, Elena flinched. It was raw and visible and sharp, and there was no way in hell she was faking it. "Are you sure they'll ask about that?"