A Dancer's Heart

Chapter Twenty-Four: Innocent

Alessia sighed while rubbing her temples. The pile of cases kept getting bigger and bigger. They had less officers now. The side door of her office opened then closed.
"Are you doing alright?" Lin's voice spoke as she nodded.
"Just a never ending pile of cases." Alessia spoke while sitting back in her chair. Lin had set a cup of coffee on her desk. She smiled and grabbed it to drink.
"You know me so well." Alessia smiled softly at Lin who gave her a quick kiss.
"Of course I do. Anyways. You'll get used to it. I am going to question Mako. I was hoping you would join me." The older woman asked as she crossed her arms. Alessia nodded her head and stood up. Setting the case files to the side and grabbed Mako's before following Lin to the large metal room where they did the questioning.
"Why is she here?" Lu asked as Gang gave her a look.
"She's here on my request." Lin snapped. She seemed to be already irritated. Working with these two, Alessia didn't blame her. They made her mad as well.
"Sheesh chief cranky pants." Gang snickered.
"That's a strike!" Alessia spoke while opening the door to enter. Mako was sitting in the chair as Alessia set the file down before standing by the wall. Hands behind her back. Mako frowned at her as Lin was standing near Mako.
"Where did you get the explosives?" Lin began.
"They weren't mine." Mako replied. Alessia's mismatched eyes met Lin as Alessia sighed a little. Mako was telling the truth. She just knew it.
"Then why were you reported?" Lu asked as Gang was eating a doughnut. 'Did those two ever stop eating?' Alessia thought. She felt disgusted on how he could eat right now.
"I told you! I was set up!" Mako replied. Alessia felt a headache coming up. She touched the side of her head to rub it. Then the door slammed open.
"He is innocent! I swear!" Asami shouted.
"Get her out of here!" Lin shouted. Alessia touched Asami's shoulder to lead her out of the room.

"I'm telling you! Mako didn't steal anything!" Asami shouted.
"I know." Alessia spoke softly. Asami glared at her. She sighed and opened her office door for Asami to enter. Closing it behind her.
"Look, you can't just barge in here especially if the chief is doing an integration." Alessia explained as Asami sighed.
"I'm sorry for that. It's just you arrested an innocent man." She spoke.
"Innocent or not, Asami, all the evidence points to Mako. If he is innocent, then it will unfold in time. For now, we have to do things by the book." Alessia explained.
"God, you're such a cop." Asami sighed.
"I mean I am one. I told Mako I will do everything I can to prove his innocence. I just have to be careful on how I do it." She spoke as Asami nodded. "Now, can you promise me that you won't barge in anymore?" Alessia asked while crossing her arms.
"Yes. I apologize again." Asami spoke. Alessia opened her door for her friend as she watched her leave. Seeing the questioning is over as Mako was being taken back downstairs to the jail. Once he was out of sight Alessia went to work on the cases before hearing her door knocked upon. She went over to answer it.
"Bolin? How can I help?" Alessia asked while giving him a hug. Seeing he was in fancy clothes. "Look at you!" She chuckled while patting his shoulder.
"I wanna see Mako." Bolin spoke. Alessia nodded.
"Wait here. I have to ask the chief." She spoke as Bolin nodded. Alessia knocked on Lin's door before opening it to peek in.
"Yes?" Lin asked.
"Bolin is here to see Mako. I'm going to take him down. I was letting you know." She spoke as Lin nodded.
"Be quick." Lin instructed as she nodded. She closed the door and led Bolin down the stairs. Seeing no one else was down there she opened the cell door with ease with her metal bending.
"Visitor Mako." She spoke as Bolin walked in. She closed the door and locked it but stood there to listen. Bolin explained he had his finale tonight. Alessia was excited for him.
"I'm so proud of you Bolin!" Alessia exclaimed as Bolin pulled out a poster.
"Can he keep this?" Bolin asked as she nodded her head. She listened to the two of them talk about criminals and Varrick setting him up and what not.
"Wait Bolin, if I am right about Varrick, something might go down at your premiere." Mako spoke as Alessia let Bolin out.
"Whew, that insanity defense if gonna work." Bolin spoke. Alessia had a bad feeling that Mako was right.
"Alessia. Tell the chief that it's a tip off." Mako spoke.
"I can't lie to her." She frowned.
"Come on. I know you two are close. She'll believe you." Mako frowned.
"Again Mako. I am not lying to her." Alessia frowned in return before leaving. She was back in her office and was pacing back and forth. She was restless and sighed. The premiere was not long from now. She kept trying to figure something out as she was still pacing. Hearing a knock and looking up.
"My men said you are making them nervous with your pacing." Lin spoke as she closed the door and sat in Alessia's chair.
"Correction, I'm making you nervous." Alessia spoke as Lin nodded.
"Spit it out." Lin spoke.
"Mako wanted me to lie to you and say we got a tip off about something going down at the pro-bending arena." Alessia spoke.
"Were you thinking up a lie?" Lin asked as Alessia leaned against her desk.
"No. I told Mako I couldn't lie to you so I was thinking there might be a way to go by the book just in case. I have a bad feeling that he is right." Alessia frowned.
"You need to go by your brains and not your feelings." Lin explained as Alessia nodded.
"I know. It's just the President is going to be there." She added as Lin's eyes went wide.
"Why didn't you just start with that?" Lin asked as Alessia raised a brow at her.
"If the President is going, I am taking a team there for security. I want you on it. My right hand." Lin spoke. Alessia couldn't help but show a hint of pride. It wasn't because they were together but it was because Alessia showed nothing but hard work and loyalty to Lin. Always going above and beyond for her officers.