indomitus | f. castle

XVII.

"So you have super hearing to make up for your lack of sight?"

XVII.

"We need you to take the stand." Foggy tells Frank as we converse in a holding room during the courts recess. Frank was cuffed to the metal table. Karen was outside trying to get ahold of Matt.

"Why would I? We're not gonna win this thing." Frank questions him.

"No, but we can still reduce the charges." Foggy explains to him. He shakes his head.

"Look, that might not be important to you but it is to me." I cut in. I sigh and tuck my hair behind my ear.

"I'll give you two a moment." Foggy stands up from his chair and walks out the room.

"Frank, they all think you're a monster-all of them. But I know that you're not." He looks distant, but then his eyes meet mine.

"You sure about that? What if I find these men that did that to my family? What if nothing changes? What if this is just me now?"

"Then don't you deserve to know that too? Frank, in the little time I've gotten to know you, I know you're not who they say you are. You're not. You're a man who loved his wife and kids and would do anything for them, you're a damn war hero and I know you don't want to hear praise for that because Colin hated that too but it's true. Please, Frank. Please take the stand. Maybe you don't care what your sentence is but I do." I bite my lip waiting. He's going to prison at the end of all this regardless, we can at least shorten his sentence, although that means it's game over for us it doesn't mean I will ever stop caring for this man.

"Damn, Em, you practice that in the mirror?"

"Frank, I sweat to god if you don't start taking this seriously so-"

"Jesus, it was a joke."

"Your jokes are never funny, Castle." I huff. He smiles.

"I'll do it."

Word had gotten out about Frank testifying, there were many people in the gallery with signs either praising Frank or hating on him. It was crowded with more people than the last two days.

"Matt better show." Foggy says looking down at his watch.

"Damn right. I didn't convince Frank for nothing." I sigh.

"It's going to be okay." Karen places a hand on my shoulder.

"With Frank on the stand that can not be guaranteed." I go to take my seat and I look to my left to see Matt coming in and over to us taking the seat at the end.

"Karen, I'm so sorry about-"

"Foggy wanted to go over some stuff with you." Karen cuts him off and looks down at her papers. She had explained to me what happened when she went over to his place yesterday to ask him to be here today. She had found some woman in his bed and after kissing him awhile ago she found it in ill taste and if I was being honest it was pretty disrespectful but then again Matt doesn't seem like the guy to go from woman to woman and he could have an explanation that doesn't involve him sleeping with another woman.

"You wanted me here." Matt says to Foggy. Annoyance laced in his voice.

"You're not here because you're a better lawyer or person. You're here because you're almost as crazy as Frank Castle, and that's it."

"So you called me here to insult me?" Matt points out. I roll my eyes having enough of their bickering. I stand up and walk closer to them.

"Do you two hear yourselves? You both are great lawyers and right now you sound like children. Frank is taking stand and we need him to tell a story that keeps him alive and out of prison. Frank means a lot to me and if you guys don't get over whatever issue you have with each other and focus on Frank I will literally quit. And I know you guys need me considering none of you know what the fuck you're doing with your malpractice insurance or lack thereof or the fact that you guys don't know how to accurately utilize profit through equipment and salary, and other people would charge you quadruple what you're paying me. Please, this is about Frank." They both sigh, I can tell they're biting their tongue cause they know I'm right. When they first hired me and told me Karen was helping with accounting that statement could not be more wrong. She wasn't really doing anything but writing shit down, I love her but she knows nothing about accounting.