sam_mm (sam_mm) wrote in morningstar_mnr, @ 2008-03-21 23:22:00 |
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Entry tags: | jane, shila |
San Diego, CA, Shila, the OG boys and Jane... Closed.
This morning Jane had woken up in her bed in the hotel room, with absolutely no recollection of how she'd gotten there. Not only that but her jeans were across the chair by the vanity and her sneakers were underneath that. However, she didn't recall any bad dreams, and the sheets were not all twisted and tangled. She'd felt, for some reason, absolutely fine. Which considering the events of the night before was rather amazing. Today had been the second day of the hearing and it had been even harder for Jane to walk into the courtroom. She would have balked, turned and run, only Muerte and Bomb had been a solid wall behind her. Just as well really, or she would have missed all the fun. Shila had run rings round John's lawyer, her black eye used to stunning effect to overcome almost every objection raised, and leaving Jane totally stunned and unable to take anything in after a couple of hours.
It wasn't until they were back at the hotel that Jane even dared to ask, but then, with a cup of tea in her hands she looked over at Shila, "So, um, I'm not entirely sure, I got lost somewhere before mid-morning I think, but, how did it go in the end? Is it over?"
"The divorce is over, yes. But now there's a couple more things you'll have to do. Testify in the murder trial, and at the assault trial; Assuming, of course, that he doesn't just give up and plead guilty on those charges. The assault trial will likely be sooner than the murder trial, but neither one will be any sooner than a couple of months, if not half a year, from now." Shila's work, however, was nowhere near complete. She'd already filed motions and injunctions against John and his company, preventing him from getting rid of anything or liquidating the company. Forensic Accountants were now in charge of the company for the time being, and Tre was busy watching the house be photographed and inventoried.
"But I'm free? Well, once the paperwork comes through right?" Jane couldn't help a little spark of hope, "And he can't come near me ever again?"
Shila held up one of the papers both he and the judge had signed. "By law, he can't be within one hundred yards of you."
"I suspect given a hundred yards headstart I could outrun him, especially after last night." Jane actually smiled, "I think it might take a while to sink in though, and I can't wait to go home. Not least because my boss would likely kill me slowly if I'm not back."
Shila smirked. "If he tries, quit. It's not like you can't afford to live there as a tenant ..."
"Well, maybe I could, once the finance stuff is finalised, but, I'd rather not jump into anything, just in case." Jane was still somewhat cautious, the figures mentioned being so far outside her expectations that she was frightened to say it out loud in case anyone laughed and told her she was dreaming.
"Even before then," she promised. "For one, you now have access to your old bank accounts. He kept them open, it seems, to be able to track your use. By the end of next month, I should have enough pried loose for you to live comfortably for the next year. By the end of the year, I'll have everything in your hands, barring any accounts he's hidden from the best accountants the state of California can afford."
"I don't even know if I still have the cards and stuff for those old accounts. I might need new ones?" Jane had been so careful not to use them, "If I have still got them, well, they might have expired by now. It's been a while since I even looked at them." She smiled a little wryly, "At least I didn't use them when he could have tracked me by them, I was tempted sometimes, but, I always managed to not do it in the end."
"The banks will be closed monday, and in any case you want to leave tonight, right? So since I'm sticking around another week or two I can have it fedexed over."
"That sounds, so organised, I guess, well, I hadn't expected it to wind up so easy, especially after last night." Jane knew she had to pack, but, she wasn't quite ready to do anything other than relax right now. "Are you sure you're alright?"
"I'm fine, thanks." Shila grinned. "Winning so soundly helps a lot." She went to the minibar and picked out a couple of the little bottles of whiskey. "Shall we celebrate?"
"That reminds me," Jane frowned at the bottles, "Exactly how did I get to bed last night? And how much of one of those did I drink?"
"You had one," Bomb spoke up, "Then passed out. I carried you to your room and Shila got you undressed and under the covers."
"Oh," Jane blushed, a bright red before she ducked her head downwards, "Perhaps I'd best not then, at least, not one of those." She chuckled, "I think Jazz gave me a brandy once, and it had much the same effect? White wine isn't so bad, is there any of that?"
She was still blushing when she looked back up, but it had faded somewhat.
"Got white and blush. Are you picky about the brand?" She held up a Gallo white by way of example.
"Oh no, I so rarely drink it's ridiculous to say I have a favourite, um, white though? And please, don't let me pass out again, that is so embarrassing." Jane shook her head, "I can't believe I did that last night, I am so sorry to have been such a lot of trouble."
Bomb and Muerte both laughed. "Tell you what. You're a big girl, if you pass out, you deal with the consequences." Muerte went to the bath and brought back a can of shaving cream and a disposable razor. He waggled his eyebrows at her. "And when you get back home, you can explain why you have no eyebrows ..."
"Maybe I'll just go right to bed..." Jane chuckled a little, still ever so slightly nervous of the men, but realising more and more that they weren't exactly as tough as they looked, a bit like oversized puppies, unless provoked of course. "I don't think one glass of wine is going to knock me out, I think I had at least two at the New Year's Ball, and I was still standing when that finished."
From her perspective, that could be true. Shila knew how dangerous the men really were, but then again, she'd seen their rap sheets. However, they'd developed an affection for the slight redhead and in knowing that they were protecting not just some rich bitch but a little woman who'd suffered years of abuse.
"And what, you're not going to eat?" Shila asked.
Jane hadn't thought about food, see, quite out of it still. "Um, now that you mention it, I am very hungry. What are we having?"
"We're going to make another stab at the restaurant downstairs," Shila decided instantly.
"But that should be, um, OK tonight right? No more, um, unwanted visitors?" Jane wasn't entirely sure it was a good idea, but, she really needed to eat.
Shila nodded. "No more visitors. I swear." She stood up and grimaced. "After I get out of these shoes and into some jeans and sneakers."
Jane nibbled gently on her lower lip, "No more visitors means no having to keep up, honest, and knowing how many floors there are? I really don't think I'd want to try that again."
Shila headed into her room and changed quickly. She was rather hungry. She came out in a loose-fitting sweater and jeans.
Jane was already in jeans, it had been the first thing she'd done on getting back to the hotel room, so she grabbed her purse and a lightweight woolly wrap, and stood up. "Ready then? I'm almost tempted to say I could eat an Ex-Husband, but, I really don't want food poisoning."
Everyone laughed, spirits high as they headed down to the lobby. Once there, Bomb and Muerte checked everything out as they walked, and Shila relaxed only when they slid into the booth.
Jane settled into her seat, and took the menu offered by the waiter. A quick look at it and she'd already made up her mind. A small steak, medium-rare, baked potato with sour cream, and a salad. She set it down and looked around the room, "It's quite nice in here, shame we didn't make it in here last night."
"Yes ... I'd been here once before you came. Really top-notch service, too." Shila picked out crab-cakes and cobb salad for herself.
"I'm just glad I get the chance to try it out." Jane smiled, "Would have been a shame to miss it completely." She paused for a second, "So, do I have the proof documents, the what did you call it? Decree thingy? OR am I still waiting on those, because, I should really get my name sorted out, so that I can start being paid properly by the Manor. I know some of the other maids know I'm paid cash, and it rankles a little with them."
"I'll have them faxed over Tuesday, when I can get them verified by the court." She settled back into her seat. Muerte slipped his arm around her shoulders.
Jane smiled, "Oh good, I'll be at work then, um, where were you going to fax them to? Would it be better to have the originals sent?" She wasn't entirely sure what to make of the two of them together, but, it really wasn't anything much to do with her, so she tried to ignore it mostly.
"I'll be faxing them to my home office so you can pick them up." It was only a brief fling, her and Muerte, and both knew it. It was convenient.
"Oh, you mean the one in your apartment?" Jane relaxed a little, "I can get in there with my pass key, and that would mean I could just hand them in, unless the boss wants the actual originals." The waiter came back to take their orders and sort out drinks, so Jane ordered her food and a glass of white wine, along with a bottle of still water.
"They'd do to get you started on the process while I finish up here."
"Well, in that case, I'll pick them up before I finish for the day on Tuesday." Jane grinned, "And the boss can have them first thing on Wednesday. Hopefully that means I can carry on being me, and not having to worry about anything making me look different now. That will be good." She paused for a second, a slight frown crossing her face, "Now, do I go back to being Melissa? Or was I happier as Jane and if so, do I choose to keep using that?"
"Your legal name is Melissa, but you can call yourself whatever you want. That's the beauty of the modern western society ... you could even change your name to 'indecipherable squiggle' as a rock artist once did ..." Meaning 'Prince.'
"I could? I mean, I knew I could get away with being Jane since it was my middle name, and reverting to my maiden name wouldn't be a problem, but, I just, don't know how I feel about Melissa anymore. All those, um, bad memories?" Jane shook her head, "I guess I can decide when I'm ready huh?"
The waiter reappeared with their drinks, and Jane sipped at the wine she'd ordered, before pouring out a glass of water from the bottle.
"Hon, with the laws regarding name changes, you can change it at any time, as often as you want. Personally, though, if I can give you some unasked-for advice, keep it. If nothing else, it's a tie to the little girl your mom brought into the world. You just don't have to use it. Checking accounts, rental contracts, everything except passports and driver's licenses can all be under whatever name you want. And the kinds of people who read your name from those won't be calling you by your first name anyway. It'll either be 'Miss' or 'Miss Franklin.'"
"I guess, I just, when John called me that, I just froze, instantly, I couldn't think, couldn't function, and, well, I panicked obviously." Jane looked downwards, fingers twisting in a napkin. "I'd hate for that to happen again, especially if it was someone who didn't know why." Not that Jane had any intention of advertising what had gone before, or rushing to get into whatever came next, she just, didn't want any nastiness with anyone because of a simple slip.
"You're a survivor. Eventually you'll wonder just how long it's been since you last had a scared thought about him," Bomb chimed in.
"Oh I hope so," Jane managed a small smile, "I just, don't want to be a burden to anyone else, or cause them any upset simply because of a name. I guess I still need to think about it, but, I can sort that out before I see Mr Abrams, or Miss Vale, with the paperwork next week." Jane managed another smile, "In the meantime, I want to thank you guys for looking after me, and Shila for getting that divorce through. No way could I have coped without all of you." She wasn't entirely sure she'd coped anyway, but, best to put a brave face on it right?
"You did just fine," Muerte asserted as their salads and soups arrived.
Jane couldn't help the small chuckle, "Even for a rabbit?" She asked Muerte, "It's ok, I don't plan on doing that ever again, my legs hurt like hell in the morning." SHe picked up her cutlery and started on the salad, "I just, still can't believe I ran up forty floors?"
"If you don't believe it, ask my legs, or Muerte's ..." Bomb chuckled. "And if anyone ever calls you a liar, tell 'em you've got two witnesses ..."
Jane smiled, "Oh I will, and I'm sure Shila will know how to get in touch if I need to call on those witnesses?" It felt better to sit and eat, even if Jane had picked a seat with her back to the wall and a reasonable view of the room (when she could see past Bomb that was). Sipping at her wine Jane began to feel relaxed, and lighter, which was strange. "Oh, don't let me forget to get back to the airport? I mustn't miss my plane, it's the last one out tonight."
"Tre'll be waiting at the entrance to the lobby in the wheels two and a half hours before you're supposed to fly," Shila promised. "All you have to do is make sure you let us chivvy you off."