CHARLOTTE RICHARDS HAD THE MAGICAL POWER of making a usually cool and confident Gemma a nervous mess. There weren't butterflies in her stomach, more like angry bees, making her shift uncomfortably on her side of the booth that her and Charlotte had claimed from the diner nearest to the lawyer's office. They had both ordered coffee – Gemma took hers black whereas Charlotte required lots of milk and sugar – and as the Moretti quietly stirred her cup despite its simple contents, Charlotte observed her in amusement but also concentration, picking apart every little thing about her face, from the twitch of her lips to the scrunch of her nose.

"Do I make you nervous?" Charlotte asked bluntly, a hint of a smile on her painted lips as she lifted her own mug to her mouth and drew a careful sip. Her question got Gemma to look up from the whirlpool of coffee in front of her, her eyebrows lifted as she faced the woman. She felt caught, like she hadn't done such a good job of hiding her agitation, after all, and it pushed an awkward chuckle out of her.

"What are we, schoolgirls?" Gemma snorted, sipping her own coffee before crumbling under the insistent look in Charlotte's eyes. "Alright, a little bit. You're just very... no-nonsense type of gal. And impressive in so many ways", she admitted, warmth creeping up to her cheeks as immediate regret for her embarrassing confession kicked in. Before she could blurt out anything to dig herself in more of a hole, she brought the coffee mug to her face and drowned any further admissions into the drink.

Instead of making fun of her, though, Charlotte seemed a little hurt, her curt expression softening as she put her own coffee down. "Well, this might surprise you, but I don't always like being that way. It's just what my job requires if I want anyone to take me seriously", she shared quietly, flashing a faint smile as she looked down at her sharp nails in thought. Gemma swallowed, suddenly feeling bad for how defensive she always was with the woman – she hadn't considered that it was an occupational hazard to be so aggressive. She supposed it made sense with the competitive line of work, not to mention the number of men she had to work with. Santiago was much more mellow than Charlotte but it was enough for his co-workers to approve of him. For Charlotte, maybe it was a different tale entirely.

"I understand that", Gemma chimed in, giving Charlotte a sympathetic look. "There's these two detectives at the LAPD, Graham and Paolucci, and they always give me crap and think they're so much better than me. There's no feeling better than getting to shut them up and prove them wrong", she continued with a satisfied smile at the mere thought of wiping the smirks off of the detectives' faces.

Chuckling, Charlotte nodded. "I've had to deal with a lot of frustrating men for the past couple of years. Sometimes co-workers, sometimes clients", she countered, and humming in intrigue, Gemma tilted her head at the woman.

"Clients, too? You'd think they'd be grateful for you", she contemplated out loud. She came face to face with plenty of bitter people who hated her just for doing her job, but the difference between her and Charlotte was that she was bringing them to the front of the judge and the jury, and Charlotte's goal was to get them free of that role. Maybe, though, they were both trying to make justice happen – even if Gemma didn't necessarily stand on the same side with Charlotte.

"You would think. They don't refrain from calling me a bitch just because I'm trying to keep them out of jail", Charlotte rolled her eyes, and her words caused a deep-set frown to appear on Gemma's face. She had heard plenty of nightmarish stories from Santiago about how difficult the job of a lawyer could be, but she hadn't realized just how much pressure was on them at all times – especially if you were a woman.

"Well, that sounds pretty unfair to me", Gemma lamented while resting her face on the back of her hand and sighing. Charlotte's lips spread wide at the sentiment, but before she could think she had charmed her way out of their past arguments, Gemma continued. "I still don't think you should have represented Montague, though. He's a murderer", she pointed out matter-of-factly, making Charlotte laugh.

"I suppose so. I do feel as though I shouldn't have thrown the dead wife in your face while you were on the witness stand. It was a low blow, I'll admit", the woman directed an apologetic look at Gemma whose smile faltered at the mention of the wife. She still felt undeniably guilty about how it had turned out – maybe, like Charlotte had said, she could have prevented the poor woman's death.

Sighing, Gemma cast an ashamed look down. "You made a valid point, though. Maybe there was something I could have done. I regret it very much", she noted, frowning when she looked back up at Charlotte who was quick to shake her head.

"No, there really wasn't. I was just trying to put pressure on you. The M.E's report said she was long gone by the time you got there", the Richards revealed, and taken aback, Gemma straightened her back and dropped her arm from the table. With wide eyes, she studied Charlotte's face for any hint of a joke or another game she was playing, but she only found sincerity and honesty. She wasn't sure how to feel about that – being toyed with, her moral compass going haywire at the thought of costing someone her life.

"Oh, you are good", Gemma finally spoke up, earning a grin from Charlotte. "Still, it was an important lesson for me. Hopefully, there won't be a next time, but I'll know to approach the situation differently if there is", she added, and nodding with an impressed look, Charlotte smiled.

"You're good at your job, too, Moretti. Even if my client is going to prison... I'm glad I came to you about it", she spoke with what sounded an awful lot like praise to Gemma, who immediately glowed and grinned back at Charlotte.

"Careful, now, Richards. Someone might think you're going soft", she taunted, only for Charlotte to make a doubtful sound in the back of her throat.

"For you? Keep dreaming."

///

ANOTHER DAY GONE BY CURSING THE BROKEN ELEVATOR IN HER BUILDING, Gemma carried herself up the flight of stairs, humming along Fade to Black as she made her way home. Her encounter with Charlotte was making her feel some type of way – she couldn't explain it, but there was an excited buzz in her chest as she thought back to the way she had made the intimidating lawyer smile and laugh. She chose to believe it was just overall amazement that Charlotte was, in fact, capable of joy, and there was nothing deeper to it – after all, she couldn't possibly like the woman and her questionable morals. Sure, they were both driven, but Gemma would never defend a murderer for a paycheck, and it was that awful behavior that convinced her that she could get along with Charlotte, but she could never like her.

With a yawn slipping from between her chapped lips, Gemma snuck her key into the lock of her apartment and slid in through the doorway, making sure to seal the door behind her. As she pulled her sneakers off and shrugged her leather jacket from her shoulders, she greeted Talia who, concluding from the sounds of the TV, had huddled up in the living room with her next project.

"Welcome home", Talia responded, the words muffled as she balanced a pin between her lips, a clump of fabric in her arms that she would no doubt turn into a stunning outfit soon enough. "There's pizza in the kitchen. The top box is yours, unless you're in the mood for mushrooms", she continued, and grimacing at the mere idea of mushrooms in her mouth, Gemma shuddered.

"Thanks. How's the outfit coming along?" she called out to Talia while heading for their relatively small kitchen, fit for only one person at a time, with a rumble in the pit of her stomach agreeing that it was time to eat. She grabbed a slice of pepperoni pizza and made her way to the living room, lazily seating herself on the back of the couch while watching Talia cut the denim on her lap.

"Don't even ask. I'm definitely going to be pulling an all-nighter", she sighed, earning a chuckle from Gemma who reached to give Talia's shoulder a comforting pat with her free hand. "What happened with the trial?" the dark-haired woman added, her eyes never leaving her project but her concentration split between it and Gemma, who didn't mind in the least. She was used to catching up like this, well-aware that her roommate was busy but still cared about her.

"He was found guilty, actually", Gemma smiled, genuinely relieved that a bad guy was off the streets, even if it had been too late for his wife. Her update got a happy sound from Talia, and nodding to agree, Gemma cleared her throat. "And then... I got coffee with Richards", she revealed, her eyes glued on Talia to watch the surprise bloom on her defined features – and sure enough, those words were what finally got her to look up from her busy hands, wide eyes meeting Gemma's who innocently munched on the crust of her pizza slice.

"Richards? The Richards who always gives you a hard time? The Richards you've been avoiding since you got the job? The Richards who represented aforementioned murderer in court today?" she listed in disbelief, all of it painfully true, and the realization got Gemma to bury her face in her hand. Talia's incredulity eventually turned into amusement and the woman barked out a laugh, shaking her head and making her soft curls bounce as she turned back to the fabric in her hands.

"Yeah, I'm not sure why I agreed. But it was a nice time, I think. She's really not that bad, after all. Turns out she's only incredibly mean and scary because no one at the office would take her seriously otherwise", Gemma repeated what Charlotte had told her, not quite sure why she felt the need to defend her so vehemently. She had already found peace with the fact that she didn't like her – so why did she want to paint her in a better light to Talia now?

"Fair enough. I'm sure it's a tough business to be in", Talia shrugged, "doesn't mean she has to be so tough on you."

Deep in thought, Gemma nodded to agree with her. Her and Charlotte certainly didn't have a rosy past, but she liked to imagine that now that they knew each other a little better, the atmosphere at the office could be less vindictive. She didn't usually tend to be such an optimist, but something about her wanted to have faith in the future and her relationship with Charlotte – purely because it would make work much more pleasant if she didn't have to look over her shoulder all the time.

A knock on the door tore her out of her own thoughts, and before Talia could even ask for Gemma to answer it, she was hopping off of the back of the couch. Wiping the crumbs off of her hands, she made her way to the front door and with one swift motion, opened it only to find her sister and niece waiting on the other side. The sight made her sigh in defeat – not because she wasn't happy to see them, but because she knew exactly what her sister needed at this time of the night.

"Sorry, I know it's late. Could you look after Fiona tonight? The director wants me on set to shoot some night scenes", Beck pleaded, a pout on her lips as she gestured at her daughter, waiting patiently with a Barbie in her arms.

Trying her best to hold back her tongue, Gemma nodded. "Sure. Come in, peanut. There's pizza in the kitchen", she flashed a smile at Fiona who quickly cheered and ran into the apartment where Talia greeted her happily. Once the girl was out of earshot, Gemma turned back to Beck with all the fondness in her eyes gone, a stern look rooted deep in them, instead.

"Don't give me that look. You know I'm just trying to make a living", Beck grumbled, shifting uncomfortably on her heels under Gemma's glare.

Scoffing, Gemma folded her arms over her chest. "It's hard to become a star, you know that. I've directed you to multiple jobs that would pay well and much quicker than this movie you've been working on for months. If you just wanted what's best for Fiona, you'd look into them", she retorted, frustration bubbling up to the surface as she stared at her sister. In the beginning, she had been all for Beck becoming an actress, and she knew she had the talent for it, but over the years, it had become harder and harder to support that dream. Every other night, Fiona was in Gemma's bed, relying completely on her aunt when her mother should have been there for her. Gemma loved the girl, adored her, even, but they both knew it wasn't the same.

"I'm about to make my break, I can feel it. The director, he even said I could be in a movie with Chloe Decker some day!" Beck insisted, but it was the same old song Gemma had heard time and time again.

"So you say. But while you're out there chasing something that might never happen, your daughter is growing up and you're missing out on all of it. You know who that sounds like?" Gemma gritted her teeth, and in an instant, the hopeful smile on Beck's lips faded entirely.

"Don't say that", she warned Gemma. She had been called a lot of names, but they both knew that being compared to their mother was rock bottom. Their mother hadn't been much of a mother at all, never having the time or interest in her children, and with their father in the wind, they had been reliant on one parent alone. One parent who didn't want to act like one, and instead, had shipped her daughters off to their aunts – much like Beck was doing to Fiona right now.

"I dare you to prove me wrong", Gemma stated simply before stepping back into the apartment and shutting the door. She rested her forehead against the wood and sighed deeply, releasing all the tension in her shoulders. She hated arguing with her sister – each other was all they had had growing up, and she so badly wanted to have that same relationship as they used to. But she knew that coddling didn't work, it hadn't up until now, so tough love was the way to go. Still, didn't mean she had to feel good about it.

In that moment, she couldn't help but wonder if this was how Charlotte felt every day, good at her core but pressured by the circumstances to be the worst version of herself.