Day 53: Sun Room

[gald_digger]

When the intercom came on to announce the shift change, the feeling of dread returned. Anise had calmed down considerably since the morning, and she felt more ready to discuss the previous night with Ilia... but not as ready as she wanted to be.

Since the Music Room was bound to be noisy and crowded, Anise opted for the Sun Room instead, hoping that Ilia would come to the same conclusion. She took a seat on one side of a couch in the middle of the room, and waited there. If Ilia didn't show up after a while, she'd go try the Music Room.

Even though this talk had been on her mind all day, Anise still didn't know what she would say. And if she explained the truth behind her shadow's words last night... what would Ilia think? On the one hand, Ilia had shown herself to be a compassionate person, and it was hard to picture her treating Anise differently. But on the other hand, Anise hadn't known Ilia that long... and Ilia was a soldier. She would understand the gravity of Anise's actions, and the sorts of consequences that usually waited for people like her.

With these worries weighing on her mind, Anise leaned against the arm of the couch as she waited.

[For Ilia.]

Comments

[fourstonewalls]

"I think all this has made it very clear that I didn't know you at all." Open sorrow was something she'd avoided as carefully as happiness, until now. Her eyes. The last word was little over a whisper. "Sir."

She'd seen it so many times; heck, she'd seen it with Darke. One little crime, one tiny transgression, just a pebble cracking loose, too small to hurt anyone. Then another, to cover the first, and then panic was an avalanche sweeping over anything in its path. That's how Darke would have been caught, eventually; some things couldn't be hidden. But the death toll might have been staggering.

Lana didn't know where Damon had started; she'd never caught him in a lie before SL-9, not one she could prove, but she couldn't claim she hadn't had suspicions. Mia had been so certain that the rot went deep; she hadn't lived to learn that Lana hadn't been able to escape it, either. It wasn't a blessing. Death never was; too final, when humans were fallible. Executions couldn't be taken back; neither could oversights.

All Lana could do was give them both a second chance. Not a free hand, mind you; she didn't presume to let Damon Gant run this case any more than he'd be running any others back home.

"Further killing would be grounds for suspicion." She'd told Harvey. She'd tell others. "There are quite a few people here who know, but I'm prepared to keep that number small," she said, making sure he knew that concealment really was off the table. She had to make that clear before revealing her key condition; it wasn't one that would surprise him, but listing conditions meant opening the door to compromise, and that was never without risk. "If you agree to leave Ema out of it."

[gargantuanlaugh.livejournal.com]

That was perhaps the hardest thing he'd had to hear throughout this entire conversation. As easy as taking advantage of her weaknesses was, hearing that she had taken his betrayal to heart... Well, he should have expected it. But it was still startling to see the stone woman lose her cool. What could he say? Nothing that would make her feel better about it, that was certain.

"The world is full of disappointments, Lana. Wish I could say your old partner was squeaky clean but..." He shrugged. Nothing could change the past. Not even a time-flippy institute like this place.

Her condition was surprisingly simple. He couldn't help the raise of his eyebrows. "Keep Ema out of it? Sure. No problem." Really, that was the least he could do, and it's not like it would be all that difficult. Using Ema to control Lana here just wouldn't yield the same results as it would be home. And Damon held no ill will towards the girl either, even if she had helped Wright put him in chains before.

And when all was said and done, there was one thing they were all striving for. "Look, we're all trying to find a way out of here and give Landel what for. I'd rather we all cooperated in this." And just for good measure, he added, "I'm not out for revenge. No worries there."

[fourstonewalls]

Then what are you out for? The truth? Justice? The latter was possible, if for Martin Landel was added to the end. They all wanted that. Ema's safety from Gant was part and parcel -- Landel was the one who could hurt her, not her old partner. She nodded, accepting his assent at face value. He couldn't hurt either of them with Darke any more, and he had nothing else.

Now, when everything seemed resolved, when there didn't appear to be traps lurking in any of his statements -- now she was nervous. What was he expecting her to say? Did he sincerely expect her to pull out her notes on Landel and start strategizing? He just might. That was one thing she had to give him credit for; an indefatigable, occasionally insufferable ability to take everything in stride. A smile, and a few laughing words couldn't make a murder accusation go away like some minor slip-up, but he was trying. Did having her tolerance, if no longer her trust, still mean something to him? Could she even allow herself to think that?

She'd faced him almost every day for the past few years. She could do so now.

"I'm afraid I can't share all of your optimism. Landel seems well aware that co-operation is one of our few assets. Last night saw the demise of a number of working relationships, if I don't miss my guess." Tacit in her statement was the trust they'd once had in each other's gut feelings; she had never lied to him. It also stood as one final warning -- she was guessing, not stating a fact drawn from experience, and she'd laid that neatly between the lines.

[gargantuanlaugh.livejournal.com]

No dismissal. No complete break off. Gant wasn't sure what their relationship was at this point, but it didn't seem completely ruined at least. Whatever it was, he would take it!

And, surprisingly, he found himself breathing easier. Did the thought of loosing her support really bother him that much? Sometimes he wasn't sure what to think about their partnership. He hated the idea of relying on someone, but when it was Lana he had no qualms. Well, like before coming here, he wasn't going to dwell on it. It would serve no purpose in the long run.

"All the more reason to co-operate, don't you think?" He smiled a little too widely. He really was much too happy about retaining her support. "If he fears our strength in numbers, maybe that's what we should all strive for. I've been trying to make ties with people outside our normal circle of friends. I'm sure if anything would unite them, it would be a mutual abhorrence of his place and the Head Doctor."

[fourstonewalls]

Other people. Strategies. Yes, she could do this. It was harder, when the lines were so much less clearly drawn. Funny how freeing a lack of choice could be, if one was willing to ignore how much it hurt. Focusing, as he had suggested, on Martin Landel would have been a better choice if she'd chosen it herself, though it helped a little.

They had a lot in common, at times. Landel and Gant, or perhaps she had too vivid an imagination, conjuring up a smile to go along with the intercom messages.

"Oh? Anyone I should be aware of in particular?" Who had he been talking to? She had her own list, which she was prepared to start giving if it seemed prudent, but it would be better if she could send advance warning.

[gargantuanlaugh.livejournal.com]

As far as Gant could tell, he would lose nothing by being truthful with Lana in this matter. While her presence in his affairs could potentially leading to a revelation about his past, there was also the chance that having her around would guarantee him some security. Not that he expected her to stick her neck out for him but she wasn't likely to betray him, either.

"Well, I believe you've already met Dent," he began, starting with someone they were both aware of. "As for the others, I think the only one of interest to you would probably be this pesky vigilante kid. Goes by Niikura. He's..." Gant wasn't sure how he wanted to represent the kid to Lana. Best to just keep it vague, and hopefully Lana would keep her promise about keeping her mouth shut concerning her trial. "... a little extreme. And then there's Grenny! He's a musician! But he seems to be good at information gathering."

Gant pulled a bit at his bangs, thinking of the other acquaintances he'd made. Most of the others were still fairly shaky relationships. "I'll have to let you know a bit later on some others. But on another note, I met up with Detective Baddo today! Seems he's an ex-detective nowadays, though." Certainly was a lot of ex-officers and attorneys around this place. More depressing was they were just about all from L.A. area.

[fourstonewalls]

Two names before he switched to nicknames, and Dent instead of Harvey. He was taking this at least somewhat seriously.

Which meant Lana needed to supply at least some information in return. She didn't dare mention Detective Gumshoe; she didn't trust herself not to give him away as her informant. Prosecutors von Karma and Gavin could quite honestly claim innocence in that regard, as well as demonstrably not fingering Gant as a murderer despite ample opportunity. For that matter, neither had Gumshoe, though whether that heralded prudence or ignorance, she wasn't entirely sure.

She was still cataloguing names when he mentioned Detective Badd. So that's who had torn Kay's note, hmm? And from the future, too. There was a story there, though she couldn't tell whether Damon knew it, or was just piecing together fragments from the bulletin as well. Gant hadn't known about his retirement before coming here; that much she could tell, which meant there was another one who post-dated them both. If he thought he could keep everything a secret, he was deluding himself.

She could keep her silence, then, in good conscience; if it needed to be said, it would be, and not by her.

"I've met a few others from home as well. Prosecutor von Karma's daughter, and a young man named Gavin, both also prosecutors. It's good to hear the office has some fresh new faces to look forward to." She meant that, too. Both of them seemed friendly enough, and Gavin's odd behavior on the bulletin was easily explained as caution. "Other than that -- Dent, obviously, and both my roommate and Ema's are scientists, which makes for pleasant company." Except when Agatha had been brainwashed and armed, but that didn't need to be mentioned.

[gargantuanlaugh.livejournal.com]

He almost expected her to keep quiet, or to change her mind about believing him and just walk away. Instead, she listened quietly, processed his information and offered some of her own. Nifty! Almost felt like they were back sleuthing together in the precinct. Almost.

"Oh, right! Little Fran!" He had sincerely forgotten about that little meeting. Probably not his best move. If she had anything like her father's skills and hadn't inherited just the cold heart and attitude she would be worth remembering. Well, remembering was too much to ask when they hadn't had very long to talk. "'Fraid to say I haven't met with Gavin, but it certainly is good news! What with so many of us older folks dropping out..." Gant, Lana, Badd... and with Manfred dead and gone, even if he was alive here, it was enough to make one worry about the state of law enforcement's future in L.A.

The mention of scientists really caught his attention. He had yet to run into someone so valuable. Maybe he could count Showy in there... but no. He was more of a specimen than a scientist, if he had understood their conversation well enough at lunch. "I'm sure little Ema's been enjoying the company. Didn't get to ask her myself, but I hope she hasn't lost her taste for the field after a tainted place like this."

Really, it would be a shame to lose such a dedicated young woman to this place. And if Ema had half the drive Lana did with her work, surely she was bound for greatness. Really, the crimes the Skye sisters might have solved together! Shame it would probably never be, not after that trial.

[fourstonewalls]

"If what we did didn't blunt her enthusiasm, I don't think anything could." Lana's expression was perfectly, perfectly composed, the same false carelessness she'd used for every report she'd delivered to him after SL-9.

The difference was that this time it covered triumph. She couldn't change the past, but she'd never expected to have a future, or to be able to give Ema such a bright one.

Prosecutor Gavin had confirmed it, after all. Though Lana had the sneaking suspicion he hadn't told her everything. Nothing bad; she wouldn't have let him slip away so easily if it had been more than a bit of childish glee in knowing the future.

That, of all things, cemented her opinion of his sincerity; he hadn't, as incredible as it seemed, known the details of what she'd done, and he didn't seem to hold any of it against either of them. She hadn't asked him to trust her, though, and she wouldn't. Merely to work together to a common cause, the same olive branch Damon seemed to be offering.

"Well, I believe that's all I can offer at this point. I'm afraid personal concerns have put a damper on my ability to investigate freely, but that shouldn't be at issue any longer." Bland, bland, but if she pushed it any further, something would break. Power was intoxicating, and she'd do well to avoid the temptation. She'd made her points. She gathered up her notes, made a bit of a show of putting them in order, and walked over to the bulletin board, turning her back firmly on Damon Gant in one final, oblique show of, if not trust, the wary truce they'd agreed on.