@rumbelleorderinthecourt / rumbelleorderinthecourt.tumblr.com
I know, FINALLY! Sorry for the delay. Creators, please check to make sure your contribution is on the archive. All are Rumbelle unless otherwise indicated. If something is not Rumbelle and it is not marked, please send us a message!
Don’t forget to send love to the creators! Thank you to everyone who participated!
If your contribution to this event has not yet been reblogged, please PM us! Hoping to have the archive up by Saturday. Thanks to everyone who participated!
My contribution for @rumbelleorderinthecourt
Rating: Explicit (NC- 17)
Summary: "And they say jury duty isn’t any fun!“
Storybrooke is experiencing a heat wave, and the small town power system just couldn’t support the access use of air conditioner units. As a result, power is spotty and the heat is sweltering! But the two jurors in the corner of the jurors box appear to be experiencing a very different type of heat indeed! Tantalized by Belle’s open blouse, Mr. Gold can’t quite help himself and the two quickly begin to tease each other. But what will happen when they are caught and sent to the judges chambers?
Happy Reading Everybody! xx
The sun was sweltering. It had been an unusually hot August in Storybrooke Maine. The town’s power supplies had not been prepared for the influx in air conditioner usage and as a result power supply had been spotty, and the heat, vindictive.
Today was one of those days. The sun was shining in through the windows, the heat reflecting off the glass window pains and burning into the skin of the poor soul who got stuck in the crossfire. The air was humid and sticky, traveling through lungs with a burning feeling. Sweat was beading off brows, eyes were heavy lidded with exhaustion, and minds were idled stupid by overwhelming heat.
The Storybrooke courthouse happened to be one of those places in Storybrooke left without air conditioning - in fact all of the town’s owned properties, except for the mayor’s office of course, were left without air conditioning.
But the unpleasant stench, shortened patience, and down right nasty attitude of most Storybrooke citizens was not shared by two. In fact the couple sitting next to each other in the juror’s box at the Storybrooke courthouse was feeling an entirely different sort of heat.
Nicholas Gold was eyeing Belle French out of the corner of his eye. He had to pretend to be paying attention to the prosecution of course, he was in fact on jury duty, but he couldn’t help his eyes wander over the lovely woman beside him. Besides, jury duty hardly mattered in a small town like Storybrooke. Everyone in town had either witnessed any crime possibly committed, or if it wasn’t witnessed everyone sure as hell would have heard about it from all the gossip in town. Plus, Killian Jones was on trial for piracy and there was no doubt in Gold’s mind that Mr. Jones was guilty of stealing whatever it was this farce of a trail was about.
The point was that nothing remained secret in Storybrooke, and that was precisely why his little triste will librarian Belle French was dangerous.
Belle shifted in her seat, causing her black pencil skirt to ride up slightly, revealing more of her porcelain thigh. Gold cleared his throat and loosened his tie, suddenly he began to feel the heat in the room as he eyed her body. Belle reached forward to the the ledge in front of them, grabbing her cup of water and bringing it to her lips. Gold watched intently as her lips touched the cool plastic, her throat bobbing as she swallowed the refreshing liquid, leaving her lips slick and moist. Gold wanted to bring his hand to his pants, shift around the constricting fabric, but he knew it would be to obvious to her at this point. But Gold was weak, and Belle was playing to all his vulnerable points. He covered the movement of his hand with the clearing of this throat, attempting to look as if he was fidgeting to gain comfort, but Belle watched as the heel of his hand scraped over the outline in his trousers.
Here is my contribution for the Rumbelle Order in the Court event! Yay rumbelle + law stuff + smut!
This is actually just a bit from a much larger fic that I am writing, but this part stands alone and is perfect for this. I’ll post the prequel chapters after the ROITC event.
Rating: Explicit
Words: 1743
Beta: @mariequitecontrarie
On AO3 here.
Below the cut because.
Written for the ‘Order In the Court’ event
This is a continuation of ‘Leaving to Spend More Time With His Family’ which was written for Fluffapalooza 2017 and can be found here
Belle was grabbed by Ruby Lucas before she even retrieved her shoes from the security scanner at the Federal Courthouse. “Granny said she was going to send someone from the paper to cover the argument, but I didn’t think we’d get the famous Belle French from the Congressional and National News desk.”
“I volunteered.” Belle explained. “Rum’s a friend. And this looked like a good story to put a face on this new round of deportations. They’re kids, right? These folks that you’re trying to stop from being deported?”
“Yeah, me and some of the other pre-laws have taken on the defense of some minors that ICE is holding.” Ruby went on. “We got twelve cases we’re working on. Tonight we’re going for a restraining order to keep them from deporting three of them. One is a seventeen year old that has lived here for fifteen years and has looked after her little brother, whose and American citizen by the way, since their Mom had to go back to Honduras because their Grandmother got sick. The other two are two sisters from Syria who’s parents sent them here to stay with some cousin. Except it turns out the cousin was undocumented and now ICE wants to send these two little girls back to Syria even though we can’t locate their parents.”
Belle made some notes as they rode up in the elevator. “And how did Rum get involved in this?”
Summary: Gold is very pleased with his decision to fire his secretary.
Yes, I’m late to the event as usual, but this is Part 2 of You’re Fired Ms. French for the @rumbelleorderinthecourt . It picks up right after part one.
Rating: Explicit, of course! NSFW Words: 1451 Read it here, or on (Ao3)
Gold’s office chair was reclined all the way back as Belle sat in his lap. The hem of her skirt was pulled up over her hips, and her blouse was unbuttoned and opened wide. The wheels of his chair were barely staying on the floor. He made a mental note to thank his partner Regina for wanting to get rid of his beautiful assistant, because without Regina’s ultimatum, he never would have had the chance to have this sexual encounter with his former secretary, right now, here in the office of his law firm.
“Tell me, Ms. French.” Gold said between kisses, alternating them from her lips then to her neck. “Was this your plan all along?”
Belle tilts her head back, giving her ex-employer better access to her sweet spot. “From the moment I saw you, Mr. Gold.”
“Then why did you let me hire you?” He asked, working his way down her neck, dragging his tongue along her collarbone.
“It was my opportunity to get to know you,” Belle said, running her fingers through his hair and grinding on the erection in his pants. He let out a small gasp, his breath was warm against her skin and only fueled Belle’s fire more.
Gold looked up at her. “So you mean to tell me, you took this job just to get to know me. Then once you did, you came up with a plan to get yourself fired?”
“Yes. I couldn’t very well do this while being employed by your company, Mr. Gold.” She explained. “I would have hated for you to set a bad example for your employees.”
Gold chuckled. “Well Ms. French, that was still a very naughty thing to do. I do believe you more than deserved this pink slip for deceiving your employer.”
Belle loosened the knot of his tie, pulled it from his collar and tossed it to the floor. Mr. Gold held onto her waist and watched her unbutton his shirt agonizingly slow before tracing her fingertips along his chest, then placing a kiss there.
“Can you blame me?” She asked, wearing a lofty little smile. “You’re so influential and persuasive. I was surprised I didn’t come out of my panties in my interview.”
Mr. Gold was utterly blown away. He never knew this side of his assistant. He always assumed Belle to be a straitlaced individual, but he supposed that even the most innocent looking women held dark and passionate secrets.
“I hardly remember your interview. Do you mind refreshing my memory?” He asked.
“Of course. I was sitting over there,” Belle began, using her finger to point to the sofa in front of his desk. “And you were here, in your big powerful attorney chair, reviewing my résumé. ”
“I think I’m starting to remember,” He said coquettishly, powerless to stop the coy smile that arose on his lips. “And then what happen Ms. French?”
“You read my job description. Declaring your ridiculous demands that I have your coffee ready every morning before you arrived, and your notes ready for your daily morning meetings.” She explained, taking one of his fingers and puts it in her mouth. Belle closed her eyes and pulled it out slowly before running his hand between her breasts.
Gold watched awestruck, if she did that in her interview, he would have hired her on the spot, without checking any of her references. He barely managed to pull himself together to speak again. “And my condescending demands didn’t frighten you?”
“No, they turned me on.” She revealed, a bit shyly as she told him the truth of her desires. “To be honest, I liked how controlling you were.”
“Is that a fact?” He asked, cupping her by the chin so he could look into her blue eyes.
“Yes.” She answered. “That was the first time I fantasized about having sex with you on your desk.”
“Well since we are being honest with each other,” He said, looking into her eyes as his hands went to unhook her bra. Belle shimmied it off, and Mr. Gold placed it in one of his desk drawers. “Your references weren’t the only reason why I hired you.”
Belle smiled with a quirked brow, overly delighted to know he felt the same way. He kissed her again, wrapping an arm around her waist and picking her up. He stood up as well and cleared his desk with his other hand, making enough room for the gorgeous, newly unemployed woman that he’d fired only moments ago. Mr. Gold gently plopped her down on the forgotten, large printed scheduling calendar. He didn’t make an effort to move it. The schedule provided an excellent visual representation that all his free time was now gone, and booked by Belle.
Using only her elbows, Belle kept herself propped up, watching him slide her wet panties down her hips and placing them in the same drawer as her bra. He moved over her, in between her thighs and continued to kiss her hungrily, smearing Belle’s red lipstick on her lips and his. He sent a hand down between their bodies to where she was dripping with arousal and brushed his fingers through her wet folds. She closed her eyes and moaned low, his touch was soft, but at the same time needy.
“Do you always get this wet when you’re around me?” He asked, squeezing her breast, and taking her nipple into suck it until it was hard.
“Always.” She murmured. “Extra panties were always essential when I came into work.”
Fuck, he internally cursed himself. He should have just asked Belle out, and this would have happened a lot sooner than now, but patience was a virtue, and it looked like it worked out for the both of them in the end. Gold’s fingers rubbed her clit attentively, trailing hot kisses down her stomach and running his tongue around her belly button.
“And these form fitting dresses you always wore,” He said, tugging the ruffled skirt around her hips. “Were they for me?”
“You seemed to like it.” She explained wearing a smile as the color increased in her cheeks, reaching for the bulge in his trousers, stroking it and giving it a good squeeze. “Sometimes I couldn’t keep my eyes off your pants.”
He groaned low as her hand teased him, making his cock strain against his pants. He bit her side in return for provoking his torment. He removed his fingers from between her legs, unzipping his pants, and letting them fall around his ankles.
“Let’s not keep you waiting any longer then,” He said.
Belle’s head fell backward as he ran his cock a few times through her wet pussy, rubbing her clit, and coating himself with her own makings. Belle’s body tensed up at knowing what was about to happen next. She waited so long for this. Even acting the part of an incompetent secretary just so that this scene would play out.
Gold slipped himself inside of her, making a low pitched noise that matched Belle’s high pitched moan. He picked up her legs, letting them rest on his hips and pushed himself deeper inside of her, over and over again, making her back arch off his desk. Belle clutched the edge of his desk as her breathy moans grew louder and more obscene. It was the end of a work day in his office, and thankfully most of his co-workers had left for the day. But Gold was certain the remaining staff that was still lingering around the office could hear the echoes of her sensual voice. Begging for him not to stop and to keep going. Her moans were the sweetest melody he had ever heard, and Gold was far beyond caring how loud she became. Belle was no longer his employee anyways.
He held onto her hips, keeping a steady pace before speeding up to meet her pleas to go faster. Belle was teetering on the edge of her orgasm. She reached for his hands that were on her hips and intertwining her fingers with his, squeezing each other’s hands as they climaxed simultaneously.
Gold was hunched over her, looking down at Belle, still unable to believe that he was lucky enough to fire this beautiful woman and then have sex with her, all in the same day. Unlike the paperwork that was strewn about the floor, Gold’s chair was thankfully close by for him to take a seat and catch his breath.
“ I must admit,” He rasped between deep breaths as Belle sat up on top of his desk, fixing her clothes and combing her fingers through her hair. “ Firing you may have been my best executive decision, Ms. French.”
xox0xox
Synopsis: When Lacey French gets hit with twenty hours of mandatory community service she’s furious, but she soon discovers that it has it’s perks when she meets Lachlan MacAldonich. However, it also has it’s problems. Soon she finds herself taking risks she would never have dared take before, including maybe breaking her golden rule not to fall in love.
Note: Written for @rumbelleorderinthecourt. I know this one is probably a bit of a reach for the prompt, but the prompt was defined as any “legal setting”, so I’m hoping a parole office suffices. For @ripperblackstaff who talked this over with me months ago and probably thinks I forgot. I tried to work in as many of your prompts as I could. Thank you for brainstorming with me, you are the best! :) Enjoy!
Warning: It’s nsfw, rated explicit.
Chapter One
‘This was total BS’ Lacey thought angrily. Honestly what a load of crap! So she’d been drunk, so she’d screamed at some idiots, so freaking what? Getting slammed with a drunk and disorderly was just a bullshit charge, and this community service crap was fucking annoying. Growling she stabbed her trash picker forcefully through the can, digging it deep into the grass underneath. Nineteen more hours of this and she was done, she was counting the damn seconds.
“You break it, you buy it,” the man next to her pointed out.
Lacey whirled round, her eyes quickly raking him from head to toe. He was dressed far more appropriately for the work, in jeans and a light sweater. The California sunshine was nowhere to be seen today. Obviously the weather had decided to match her mood because working in the fucking drizzle made everything that much more dramatic. He was wearing dark glasses that told her he was working off a hangover and she instantly felt solidarity, along with a stab of attraction. She didn’t know if it was the gravelly Scottish accent, his long dark hair, or his lean build, but suddenly community service had an unexpected perk.
“You got that lecture too then?” Lacey snorted.
“Oh yes. I’m Lachlan.” Lachlan held out his gloved hand and smirking Lacey took it. “What brings you to this lovely place?”
Title: Closing Arguments Rating: NC-17 Summary: Jaded defence barrister Mr Gold finds himself inexplicably drawn to the Crown Prosecution Service’s rising star, prosecutor Belle French.
A/N: Written for @rumbelleorderinthecourt, and posted five minutes before the deadline! Fair warning, you’re going to learn a few things about the UK court system, since this is set in London.
A few starting points:
Gold had made any number of mistakes in his life.
However, the one that haunted him this morning was not his failed marriage, or his estranged relationship with his son, or how easily he’d let work and greed isolate him from the rest of the world.
This morning, Gold lamented one thing: telling Mal Vincent, in a moment of weakness, that he was not a morning person.
At the time, Mal had been a colleague, another QC working out of his Chambers who was disgustingly capable and put-together first thing in the morning. He’d been heavily hung-over that day, as far as he recalled, and she had breezed into Chambers in her pristine grey pantsuit, her hair coiffed and make-up perfect, and scoffed at his five o’clock shadow and dependence on his coffee cup.
Synoposis: With the mayor’s attempt at closing the town’s library everyone in town is surprised that Mr. Gold simply known as the Crocodile decides to take on the case pro bono.
Written for @rumbelleorderinthecourt event. Smut of course.
Belle was sitting in the chair on the side of the plaintiff, having to do her best to be perfectly still and look composed.
The Mayor had made a motion to shut down the library and any conventional means, had been met with a wall of silence. No one could think of a reason why the mayor and her office would want the only library in town to be shut down, as it was quite beloved by those that lived there.
But gathering signatures, showing that nothing was wrong in their very limited budget or anything had helped.
It looked like the library was doomed… unless they took legal action against the mayor’s office. Though that was a costly affair and Regina Mills could either stall the case until they had no choice but to concede or her team of lawyers, the worst being Mr. Alan Spencer to crush what ever public attorney they could come up with.
It came therefore as a great shock to anyone in town that Mr. Gold himself, who was a lawyer, though rarely took on cases as he hardly needed to do so with his wealth, had said he would not only take on the case, but do so pro bono.
Prompt-verse: Belle & Gold are rival attorneys with benefits. When one attorney wins a case against the other then the loser must give pleasure to the winner.
Part Three Posted for @rumbelleorderinthecourt prompt: Rumbelle have sex in any legal/courtroom situation.
***
Archie frowned as the rest of court began shuffling out. “Gold. French. I’d like to see you both in my chambers.”
Belle looked up from the paperwork she’d been stacking into a briefcase. “Sir?”
Gold crossed his arms, leaning back in his seat with a sour expression. “The case was dismissed, I hardly think…”
Archie shook his head. “This isn’t about the case. I’d… I’d just like a quick chat with you both. If you don’t mind.”
Belle’s gaze slid sideways to Gold, who was studying the judge with a casual arrogance. Her hands clenched so hard, her nails dug into her palms. The older man - her professional rival and sometimes lover - had been pushing every damn button all day. What should have been a pretty open and shut hearing had dragged out into a complex web of ridiculous proportion. She had stacks of casework sitting on her desk back at the office that were still untouched. Now, thanks to Gold’s maneuvering, she’d be stuck taking care of that well into the wee hours of the night.
On top of that, the case ended up with a dismissal due to a technical error. So, neither of them had won and there was no reason to celebrate in their usual manner. Not that she felt very celebratory at the moment. She was just as likely to claw Gold’s eyes out as she was to rake her nails down his back.
sexual misconduct in the court (2211 words) by desdemona_1996_writes Chapters: 2/4 Fandom: Rumbelle - Fandom, ouat Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Belle/rumplestiltskin mr. Gold Characters: belle/rumplestiltskin mr gold belle once upon a time - Character, rumplestiltskin mr gold, Belle once upon a time, Belle&rumplestiltskin mr gold Additional Tags: Rumbelle Order In The Court, lawyer AU, Courtroom AU, courtroom antics, banter foreplay, Kinky sex, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Rough Sex, objects sex, sex with objects, Begging, Dirty Talk, Handcuffs, very light, Light Bondage, Fingering, Vaginal Fingering, Oral Sex, Naughty Touching, Teasing, Sex in semi pubic, Dirty Sex, sex in odd places, I think that’s it? - Freeform, Rumbelle - Freeform, Rumbelle AU - Freeform, Alternate Universe Summary:
a series of short smuty one shots written for the rumbelle order in the court prompt event!
“disclaimer” all my legal knowledge/ jargon. comes from watching too much law&order svu! lol
Synopsis: Boston PD is in dire financial straits so the Police Foundation decide to hold an auction - win a date with one of Boston’s Finest. Resigned to her fate Detective Belle French goes under the hammer. The winning bid belongs to the notorious defense attorney Carl Gold, but he never had any intention of using the date, and tells her to just enjoy her night off. Instead Belle decides to honor their deal, surprising him at his office at the designated time of their contracted date.
Note: Written for @rumbelleorderinthecourt. Enjoy!
Warning: It’s nsfw, rated explicit.
Gold’s lip curled as he looked around the packed ballroom. This was obscene, and degrading, and the fact that it had become the ‘must attend’ event of the year was appalling. The who’s who of Boston’s elite was here tonight, ostensibly to support the Boston Police Foundation, but really here to rub elbows with each other and network for personal gain. It was a world he’d bought a place in, with his very lucrative and very successful law practice, but it wasn’t a world he liked.
The police were feeling the financial squeeze, the same as the rest of the world, the same as everyone apart from those in this room and others like them. Boston PD was in dire financial straits; with pay and hiring freezes for another consecutive year, layoffs, no money to replace equipment or for additional training. Gold knew a lot of police couldn’t be trusted, he’d seen the worst of law enforcement as a young child growing up poor, but he had seen them occasionally do good things since.
That was why he was here tonight. The cities elite had got tired of benefit dinners, so the Police Foundation were trying something different to get them to put their hands in their pockets, they were trying an auction. ‘Win a date with Boston’s Finest’- and they had turned out in droves because of the novelty. His reputation demanded his attendance at events like this, but only one person could have made him attend this travesty of human decency - Detective Belle French.
Summary: Barrister Gold’s gown and wig have gone missing. Lacey knows where they are…
Written for @rumbelleorderinthecourt, 11/04/2017
Rated: NC-17
=====
Upstanding for the Judge
He very nearly didn’t notice. If he hadn’t been paying attention then he could very well have got all the way home before realising anything was amiss. As it was, Gold noticed when he picked up the long garment carrier from where it was hanging up in the changing room and he found it to weigh significantly less than it had done earlier in the day. Barristers’ gowns and wigs were in no way the lightest of things to carry around, and sure enough, when he unzipped the bag, it was empty.
Gold sighed. There was really only one reason why his wig and gown would be missing, and that reason could be summed up in a single word. Lacey. Lacey French had been the bane of Gold’s existence ever since she had first started interning at his chambers. At least, that was what he always told her, because if she got wind of how he actually felt about her then he’d never live it down. Unfortunately, he was sure that Lacey already knew and was just waiting patiently for him to admit it both to her and to himself.
My contribution to the Rumbelle Order In the Court Event Pairing: Golden Lace Fandom: Once Upon A Time Rating: M (FFnet) E (AO3) Warning: Fic contains adult themes ISMUT!!) Summary: Lacey is sure she is going to jail and has had the hots for her lawyer for some time. Knowing she won’t be having sex for a while, she jumps Gold in his office. She isn’t expecting him to win her case, nor is she ready to fulfill her part of their side deal, or is she? Perhaps, she should have gone with the public defender? Read it here on AO3: http://archiveofourown.org/works/10595697 or here on FFnet: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12442820/1/
Synopsis: The trial of the decade might have brought them together but it’s also why their relationship has to stay secret. Both Belle and Gold know that a case of this importance can’t be risked just because the lead detective and the ADA prosecutor fall in love. However, when the attorney’s for the defense hack the security cameras at the DA’s office, it seems the months of sneaking around have been worthless, unless they can get the video file back.
Note: Written for @rumbelleorderinthecourt. A big thank you to @worryinglyinnocent for helping me fix my plot after I wrote myself into a corner. I wrote four fics for this event but I have to confess this one is my personal favorite. I hope you’ll all enjoy it as well :)
Warning: It’s nsfw, rated explicit.
Detective Belle French hummed happily to herself, tapping her foot lightly as she waited for the elevator to arrive. She smiled at the officer on duty at the desk, and he nodded back respectfully. In the last few weeks she’d become a common sight at the DA’s office, so much so that holding a container of takeout didn’t even draw a curious eyebrow now. The Mills/Jones trial, which started on Monday, had practically turned into the trial of the decade.
The police department was so anxious to finally put Cora Mills behind bars that her caseload was now pretty much just trial preparation. Ordinarily the DA would have taken a case of this importance themselves, but Mallory Ficent had declined. A case like this would have been all-consuming, and her estranged daughter Lily had just come back into her life. So instead the case had fallen to ADA Donald Gold. By rights he should have been the DA but he had always spurned the appointment, he had no patience for the politics that came with the position.
That was probably why the officer wasn’t surprised she was here at gone seven on a Friday night. Gold rarely lost a case, perhaps because of his well known attention to detail. He was notorious for grilling detectives and witnesses for hours. Nobody would blink if they were here half the night, which suited her quite well. Belle smirked in anticipation as the elevator binged and the doors opened. She stepped inside and pressed the button for the twelfth floor. This was a career making case but that wasn’t why she would be forever grateful to it.
This fic was written for the @rumbelleorderinthecourt event.
Summary: A beautiful young girl approaches attorney Douglas Gold on a train, and he rebuffs her, not wanting to make conversation. When he arrives in court, he is stunned to see the same girl sitting in the Judge’s chair. She asks him to meet her in her chambers. Smut ensues. This one shot was written for the Tumblr event “Rumbelle Order in the Court” and don’t expect much plot or build up here.
Also note that a great deal of inspiration for this fic was derived from this photo posted by @emospritelet.
Belle French hopped onto the train in a rush, dressed in sweat pants, a pair of worn tennis shoes, and a t-shirt that was faded and worn. Her hair was damp and pulled back in a ponytail and she was certain that her makeup was a mess. Belle glanced at her phone and let out an exasperated sigh, hoping that she would have the time to fix it. Plopping herself down in the nearest available seat, and carrying nothing but a small pocketbook, Belle snickered out loud at the bag of the man seated next to her. He was perfectly dressed; suit, tie, the whole works – he had long hair that was immaculately groomed, and he smelled heavenly. He also carried himself in a very stiff, stoic, aloof manner. All of this was the reason her eyes, after they finished eying him up and down, were quickly drawn to his bag, which read “Keep Calm and Party.”
“Is there something wrong?” the man asked, as Belle continued to snicker. He had a Scottish accent, which only added to his attractiveness as far as Belle was concerned. She wondered how obvious she was being.
“Oh – just – your bag. It just – doesn’t seem to fit you,” Belle told him, and the man rolled his eyes and looked away. “I mean – you don’t look calm at all, you look quite nervous. Or – suspicious might be a better word. And just by looking at you, I’d venture to guess that you’ve never ‘partied’ once in your life.”
“Yes, well from the looks of you, I’ve venture to guess that you’ve done plenty of it,” the man remarked.
“So what have you got in there then?” Belle asked.
“I’m sorry – I don’t go around revealing the contents of my private belongings to complete strangers.”
“Well you don’t have to be so rude, I was just trying to make polite conversation.” An angry pout came across her face as Belle looked away from him; she remained silent until the train reached her stop. To her surprise, the man disembarked the train at the same place that she did. He was going in the same direction that she was – the courthouse. He carried a cane an moved slower than the flow of the crowd, and she slowed her pace to stay behind him. After walking for a bit, he stopped, turned around, and looked at her.
“Are you following me, dearie?” he asked.
“What? No, of course not! It just appears that we’re going to the same place.”
“You’re hardly dressed in courtroom attire. May I give you a bit of free advice? Whatever you did, appearing in front of a judge looking like that won’t do you any favors, Your lawyer should have instructed you on proper appearance. If they didn’t, I’d advise you to fire him or her and find a lawyer that knows how to actually win a case. I’d give you my card – but from the looks of you I’d say you can’t afford me.” The man turned around and marched toward the courthouse. Belle stood there, dumbfounded, for several minutes, then she followed suit.
“Jackass,” she muttered to herself as she made her way into the building. Sexy, she thought to herself. But still a jackass. Belle certainly pitied the poor judge that would have to contend with him that afternoon.
Douglas Gold arrived in the courtroom with his client. He began to organize his papers, which he pulled out of the ridiculous bag he had been forced to carry that day. He had been warned that this judge was new to their court circuit; he was told she was rigid, strict, and would put up with no nonsense or ill-preparedness. He hadn’t lost a case in over two decades; he certainly wasn’t going to lose this one because of some hard-assed judge with a chip on her shoulder.
“All rise for the honorable Judge Isabelle French,” the bailiff stated. Gold looked up at the woman entering the room, and his heart sank. It was her. The girl on the train. Of course it was. But how – she was too young, how on earth could she be a judge? He wasn’t even out of law school at her age, for crying out loud! How was he to know, she looked and acted like some sort of delinquent. Well, alright – maybe she didn’t act like one. Maybe she was just trying to be nice. And he behaved like an ass. Shit.
Summary: After losing her case, lawyer Belle seeks comfort from a long time friend, courtroom clerk Gold. Their frank conversation takes a turn that both want, but neither had dared to hope for.
Written for @rumbelleorderinthecourt, 11/04/2017.
[NB: This is set in the UK as I’m much more familiar with my own legal system.]
Rated: NC-17
=====
Win or Lose
There were days when Belle thought of her job as more than a career, as something similar to a calling. She had known what she had wanted to do with her life as soon as she was old enough to understand the function of a lawyer in society. Truth, the pursuit of justice, being a voice for those who could not advocate for themselves… These were all things that she believed in with a passion and things that she had always worked tirelessly towards. No matter how heavy the day was, no matter how emotionally draining a case might be, Belle knew that she was doing the right thing, a good thing, and that was what kept her going through even the most unsavoury of discussions. She’d had her fair share of sleepless nights throughout some of the cases that she had worked on, but she could always rest easy once she knew that the victim had seen justice and the perpetrator had received the punishment that they deserved.
There were other days when Belle absolutely loathed her job and wondered if she could ever make a true difference in the world, considering packing it all in and going over to her back-up career of being a children’s librarian rather than a CPS prosecutor.
Today was one of those days.
