Abyss (R) (Smash) Part 15
Title: Abyss
Author: blackpoetcat
Rating: R
Character: Derek Wills
Disclaimer: NBC owns all, just playing drama with
Summary: Everyone knows he doesn't give a shit about anything but the show. So when Derek's life capsizes, will anyone give a shit about him?
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10,
Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14
As the whole procedure of full re-confinement would be too extensive for just a two-hour break, Derek was locked into another cell, not far from the courtroom. Though he hadn't eaten much breakfast because he had felt so nervous he feared to throw up right away, the served lunch went back nearly untouched as well. His stomach felt as if it was built of pure knots and therefore he didn't dare to force much food down.
With a deep sigh Derek closed his eyes and leaned the back of his head to the wall. Part of him was looking forward to watching Bellamy tear the harassment allegation to shreds, but he also felt sorry for Karen. The more he learned how difficult and exhausting those examinations really were for the witnesses, the more he started to worry not only about her, but Tom and Julia as well. This was war and Nichols was obviously not out to capture, but to kill every soul necessary to achieve a conviction. To Derek it seemed that the prosecution deputy was cut from the same cloth and for the first time he felt quite uncomfortable with that kind of character.
In addition to all those firsts he'd experienced during the last weeks it was still a strange and somewhat frightening feeling for him to discover concern for others -- especially being glad about Ivy not testifying for her well-being instead of his own...
But he also realized that in the end it wouldn't matter how he felt, and so his rational ego slowly started submitting to the fact that the prosecution held the stronger arguments; ironically not only because of the evidence, but because of his personality as well. A bitter laugh escaped Derek. For so many years he had built up and performed what he considered the perfect man: successful in business and bed; strong, and absolutely self-reliant, allowing no weakness, neither in himself nor anyone else. And now he was on the verge of losing everything because of exactly those character features he had so intensely cultivated.
***
"Bad news, Mr. Wills." Worry was clearly readable in Bellamy's eyes. "Mr. Levitt just told me that Ms. Houston is not able to return to court today."
"What? Why? Is she okay?"
The thought of something happening to Julia seemed to twist the knots in Derek's stomach even further when his attorney came to his cell a few minutes before the trial would resume.
"She started vomiting shortly after leaving the court and now feels too sick to attend. Perhaps a kind of food poisoning..."
"No." Derek at once negated his attorney's assumption. "Probably stress. She..."
He hesitated a moment before he decided to confide Julia's secret.
"Julia is with child. But as she is getting a divorce over the affair that led to her pregnancy, I'd rather not expose her condition to anyone."
The lawyer's eyes went wide.
"Don't tell me..."
At first Derek didn't grasp Bellamy's conclusion and just stared at him; but only seconds later he raised both hands and shook his head.
"Definitely not! She... well, let's say she got re-involved with another cast member who was her lover some years ago."
"God, is there anyone in that entire show who hasn't messed up his or her life yet?" his attorney wondered aloud and sighed.
"Tom," was Derek's spontaneous answer before he bit his lip and tilted his head. "Is it possible to withdraw Julia from the witness list?"
His question caused Bellamy to frown.
"Nichols needs to agree, but I doubt he would object. On the contrary, one less witness to your defence would make him quite happy."
"I don't care if this would make him bounce," Derek stated. "Withdraw her."
"That would mean we have only Dr. Stanton, Mr. Levitt and yourself left to testify on your behalf!" Bellamy was visibly concerned. "Are you certain, Mr. Wills?"
"Absolutely."
A determined smile accompanied Derek's nod. In her current condition he would not expose Julia to Nichols' attacks and potentially risk her or the baby's health.
***
After the audience's murmur over the unexpected withdrawal of one of the defence witnesses had ceased, Bellamy approached the stand.
"Ms. Cartwright. Let's get back to the private casting session. You told us you performed ‘Happy Birthday, Mr. President' in nothing but a shirt and your panties while Mr. Wills was fully clothed. Is that correct?"
"Yes," Karen replied. After the break she seemed somewhat more composed; at least Derek supposed her to be because she had stopped fumbling with her bag.
"Whose shirt was it?"
"Pardon me?" Surprise was written in her face, she blinked a few times.
"The shirt you wore; was it yours?" Bellamy inquired further.
"N... No..."
Derek quietly sighed when he watched the fumbling starting again.
"So, whose shirt did you wear, Ms. Cartwright?"
"His. I mean, Dere... Mr. Wills'."
From the corner of his eye Derek noticed that Dev was nearly jumping from his seat, but stopped dead in his tracks when Judge Salamon once again reminded the murmuring audience to stay quiet.
"Aha," said Bellamy. "And did he offer it to you?"
Swallowing visibly, Karen shook her head and slumped down a little.
"Please answer audibly for the transcriber to hear, Ms. Cartwright," Judge Salamon admonished her, causing Karen to swallow visibly before she finally obeyed.
"No. He didn't."
"So how did you get it, Ms. Cartwright? By the way, I'd appreciate if I don't have to drag every detail out of you."
"Yes. I... I went to the bathroom after Mr. Wills told me what he wanted to see," Karen now hastily explained. "I was afraid and angry, but didn't know what to do, because I didn't want to blow any hopes of getting into the show. Then I saw the shirt hanging there and... He wanted something sexy, so..."
"So it was your own decision to undress to your panties, slip into my client's shirt and therefore approached him almost naked, close enough that both your legs touched." Bellamy finished the sentence.
Karen just nodded and pressed her lips together while Derek saw Dev's jaw dropping.
"I don't like to repeat myself, Miss," the judge's now slightly impatient voice reminded Karen of the necessity of being heard.
"Yes."
"Interesting. Pray tell, Ms. Cartwright... did Mr. Wills ever offer you the main part of the show or any other advantages in exchange for physical courtesies? Did he ever touch you in other ways than usual in rehearsals or for encouragement?"
"No." Karen's voice was barely more than a whisper, her eyes started to fill with tears. "But the evening Dev met him in the street, Derek came to apologize for that private session," she cried. "If he hadn't thought of something other than casting he wouldn't have had a reason to!"
Bellamy raised his eyebrows and shrugged.
"Be that as it may -- you can't accuse someone of sexual harassment for a supposed thought of getting you laid. Despite his reputation, it is definitely not my client's fault that you made assumptions and acted on them. Thank you, Ms. Cartwright; that's all."
Though Derek felt pretty disappointed in Karen and her obvious inability to asses his character at all, he had to admit that he couldn't actually blame her. Eileen and he knew each other for a decade and she not only dropped him but presented herself confident of his guilt. So why should a girl from Iowa, who was introduced to the Dark Lord just a few months before, think any differently?
Continued in Part 16
Author: blackpoetcat
Rating: R
Character: Derek Wills
Disclaimer: NBC owns all, just playing drama with
Summary: Everyone knows he doesn't give a shit about anything but the show. So when Derek's life capsizes, will anyone give a shit about him?
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10,
Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14
As the whole procedure of full re-confinement would be too extensive for just a two-hour break, Derek was locked into another cell, not far from the courtroom. Though he hadn't eaten much breakfast because he had felt so nervous he feared to throw up right away, the served lunch went back nearly untouched as well. His stomach felt as if it was built of pure knots and therefore he didn't dare to force much food down.
With a deep sigh Derek closed his eyes and leaned the back of his head to the wall. Part of him was looking forward to watching Bellamy tear the harassment allegation to shreds, but he also felt sorry for Karen. The more he learned how difficult and exhausting those examinations really were for the witnesses, the more he started to worry not only about her, but Tom and Julia as well. This was war and Nichols was obviously not out to capture, but to kill every soul necessary to achieve a conviction. To Derek it seemed that the prosecution deputy was cut from the same cloth and for the first time he felt quite uncomfortable with that kind of character.
In addition to all those firsts he'd experienced during the last weeks it was still a strange and somewhat frightening feeling for him to discover concern for others -- especially being glad about Ivy not testifying for her well-being instead of his own...
But he also realized that in the end it wouldn't matter how he felt, and so his rational ego slowly started submitting to the fact that the prosecution held the stronger arguments; ironically not only because of the evidence, but because of his personality as well. A bitter laugh escaped Derek. For so many years he had built up and performed what he considered the perfect man: successful in business and bed; strong, and absolutely self-reliant, allowing no weakness, neither in himself nor anyone else. And now he was on the verge of losing everything because of exactly those character features he had so intensely cultivated.
***
"Bad news, Mr. Wills." Worry was clearly readable in Bellamy's eyes. "Mr. Levitt just told me that Ms. Houston is not able to return to court today."
"What? Why? Is she okay?"
The thought of something happening to Julia seemed to twist the knots in Derek's stomach even further when his attorney came to his cell a few minutes before the trial would resume.
"She started vomiting shortly after leaving the court and now feels too sick to attend. Perhaps a kind of food poisoning..."
"No." Derek at once negated his attorney's assumption. "Probably stress. She..."
He hesitated a moment before he decided to confide Julia's secret.
"Julia is with child. But as she is getting a divorce over the affair that led to her pregnancy, I'd rather not expose her condition to anyone."
The lawyer's eyes went wide.
"Don't tell me..."
At first Derek didn't grasp Bellamy's conclusion and just stared at him; but only seconds later he raised both hands and shook his head.
"Definitely not! She... well, let's say she got re-involved with another cast member who was her lover some years ago."
"God, is there anyone in that entire show who hasn't messed up his or her life yet?" his attorney wondered aloud and sighed.
"Tom," was Derek's spontaneous answer before he bit his lip and tilted his head. "Is it possible to withdraw Julia from the witness list?"
His question caused Bellamy to frown.
"Nichols needs to agree, but I doubt he would object. On the contrary, one less witness to your defence would make him quite happy."
"I don't care if this would make him bounce," Derek stated. "Withdraw her."
"That would mean we have only Dr. Stanton, Mr. Levitt and yourself left to testify on your behalf!" Bellamy was visibly concerned. "Are you certain, Mr. Wills?"
"Absolutely."
A determined smile accompanied Derek's nod. In her current condition he would not expose Julia to Nichols' attacks and potentially risk her or the baby's health.
***
After the audience's murmur over the unexpected withdrawal of one of the defence witnesses had ceased, Bellamy approached the stand.
"Ms. Cartwright. Let's get back to the private casting session. You told us you performed ‘Happy Birthday, Mr. President' in nothing but a shirt and your panties while Mr. Wills was fully clothed. Is that correct?"
"Yes," Karen replied. After the break she seemed somewhat more composed; at least Derek supposed her to be because she had stopped fumbling with her bag.
"Whose shirt was it?"
"Pardon me?" Surprise was written in her face, she blinked a few times.
"The shirt you wore; was it yours?" Bellamy inquired further.
"N... No..."
Derek quietly sighed when he watched the fumbling starting again.
"So, whose shirt did you wear, Ms. Cartwright?"
"His. I mean, Dere... Mr. Wills'."
From the corner of his eye Derek noticed that Dev was nearly jumping from his seat, but stopped dead in his tracks when Judge Salamon once again reminded the murmuring audience to stay quiet.
"Aha," said Bellamy. "And did he offer it to you?"
Swallowing visibly, Karen shook her head and slumped down a little.
"Please answer audibly for the transcriber to hear, Ms. Cartwright," Judge Salamon admonished her, causing Karen to swallow visibly before she finally obeyed.
"No. He didn't."
"So how did you get it, Ms. Cartwright? By the way, I'd appreciate if I don't have to drag every detail out of you."
"Yes. I... I went to the bathroom after Mr. Wills told me what he wanted to see," Karen now hastily explained. "I was afraid and angry, but didn't know what to do, because I didn't want to blow any hopes of getting into the show. Then I saw the shirt hanging there and... He wanted something sexy, so..."
"So it was your own decision to undress to your panties, slip into my client's shirt and therefore approached him almost naked, close enough that both your legs touched." Bellamy finished the sentence.
Karen just nodded and pressed her lips together while Derek saw Dev's jaw dropping.
"I don't like to repeat myself, Miss," the judge's now slightly impatient voice reminded Karen of the necessity of being heard.
"Yes."
"Interesting. Pray tell, Ms. Cartwright... did Mr. Wills ever offer you the main part of the show or any other advantages in exchange for physical courtesies? Did he ever touch you in other ways than usual in rehearsals or for encouragement?"
"No." Karen's voice was barely more than a whisper, her eyes started to fill with tears. "But the evening Dev met him in the street, Derek came to apologize for that private session," she cried. "If he hadn't thought of something other than casting he wouldn't have had a reason to!"
Bellamy raised his eyebrows and shrugged.
"Be that as it may -- you can't accuse someone of sexual harassment for a supposed thought of getting you laid. Despite his reputation, it is definitely not my client's fault that you made assumptions and acted on them. Thank you, Ms. Cartwright; that's all."
Though Derek felt pretty disappointed in Karen and her obvious inability to asses his character at all, he had to admit that he couldn't actually blame her. Eileen and he knew each other for a decade and she not only dropped him but presented herself confident of his guilt. So why should a girl from Iowa, who was introduced to the Dark Lord just a few months before, think any differently?
Continued in Part 16