"It's not my area, Al knows that."

Alexander sighed. "I know, but you probably know better than that shit lawyer she got saddled with." He played with his glass of beer. "I don't know how else to help her." He'd been looking for a counselor that could and would take up Emma's case, but it seemed nobody wanted to cross a Dorsey. His last option was Byron Wayne, a young lawyer he'd met through one of his architect friends.

"Come on, By," Alan Barrow – his architect friend – pleaded, "you can do anything." He grinned, rising his drink.

Byron rolled his eyes. "Guys, as much as I'd like to help, I'm a civil rights lawyer, nothing to do with criminal justice."

"But you learn the same things, no?" Alan laughed, already mildly drunk, even though they'd arrived at the bar barely an hour earlier.

"Are you the same as an environmental architect, Al?" Will, the bartender, scoffed, gaining a dirty look from his tipsy friend. "If you want to give this girl a fair shot at getting out of prison, you need one hell of a lawyer."

"Byron here comes highly recommended." Alexander frowned.

"By whom? Al?" Will scoffed. "No offense, By, but I've heard about this Nancy chick, she's a ruthless machine. She's never once lost a case."

"How do you know about her?" Alexander wondered, somewhat distrustful. Would Nancy hire someone to spy on him? She'd had him followed or had followed him before, it wouldn't be out of her character to just plant a bartender there to listen in for her.

Will shrugged while preparing a drink for another client. "I keep myself informed."

Alexander was unconvinced. Same as Byron, Will was Al's friend, and he knew Alan Barrow as a stand-up guy, they'd immediately become friends when Al had joined his firm. Sure, it'd only been something less than a year, but still, he was one of his closest friends. So, if Al trusted Byron and Will – Alexander thought –, he could as well.

He gulped down the remaining of his beer – gaining a dirty look from the bartender when he slammed down the glass forcefully enough to almost break it –, and shook his head. "Al, I thought this would be the solution to my problems," he said, then gestured for another beer, "but no offense, your friends are useless."

"Your girlfriend is in jail for attempted murder," Will argued, handing him his third beer, "and her best chance at getting out is the one person that's incriminating her." He half smirked. "It would be kinda poetic if it wasn't so tragic."

"She didn't try to kill anyone," Alexander grumbled, "from punching a guy to attempted murder, it's quite the leap."

"Indeed. Meaning this Nancy is doing her best. I don't know the backstory here, but the way I see it, there's not much you can do about it." Will concluded, grabbing his phone from his back pocket. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I gotta have phone sex with my girlfriend before she starts whining that I don't pay attention to her." Having said that, he left, heading to the back exit of the bar.

Confused, Alexander frowned. "Did he just say phone sex?"

Al laughed, getting another drink from another bartender. "Yeah, Mel's quite ... challenging for a girlfriend. Willy can hardly keep up."

"Right. Well, so," Alexander turned to the lawyer on his left, "you really can't help me?"

Byron sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I'll review her case, see what I can do." Before the other could cheer, he held up his finger. "I promise nothing. Don't get your hopes up."

"Oh, my God." Alexander gasped when he opened the door. "Oh, my fucking God!!!" Unable to say anything else, and before she could, he grabbed her arm and pulled her into him, feverishly kissing her all over, as if afraid it was only a dream.

"Calm down," Emma laughed, "you're going to suffocate me."

"Are you kidding me?!" He yelled, squeezing her in his arms. "You're really here! That was way faster than I expected, Byron said it might take months!"

"Who's Byron?" She asked, confused.

Alexander pulled back slightly, without leaving her. "Your new lawyer?"

"Uh ... no, her name is Kayla Jensen?"

"What?"

"What?" She laughed.

He remained interdicted for a few moments, debating what would take precedence – learning what happened and how did she get out of prison so fast, or just celebrating her newfound freedom? "You know what," Alexander said, pulling her into the apartment, "doesn't matter," he laughed, kissing her deeply, "you're here, that's all that counts."

"Daniel? THE Daniel?" Alexander gulped, slightly moving away.

Emma laughed, pulling him back, to cuddle in his arms. "Don't be jealous now." She teased, her hand drawing circles on his naked chest, head on his shoulder.

"I mean, we're talking about your ex here, the one meaningful relationship you've ever had, as you yourself put it ..." he frowned, "and he basically pulled a prince charming move, saving you from the evil queen. He's even rich enough to be a proper prince charming."

"He may have helped me at a crucial time like this," Emma stated solemnly, "but he would never be my prince charming. Especially because I'm no damsel in distress." She pouted, half laughing.

For his part, Alexander was amazed at the sole sight of such a carefree, cheerful Emma. It was true that their latest moments had brimmed with love and passion and hopes for a brighter future, but they'd been also clouded by the reality of the storm that was about to hit them. Yet now, right this moment, Emma was happy.

"Ow." She frowned when he pinched her. "What was that for?" She asked, laughing.

"Just trying to make sure this is real." Alexander claimed, staring at her, halfway between amazed and worried it might end as soon as he woke up.

She rolled her eyes. "You should pinch yourself," she said as she indeed pinched his arm, "not me."

He grinned, caressing her cheek. "Well, now we're both sure this isn't a dream." He pecked her lips. "You're really here."

"Last time we were here, lying in this bed, trying to prolong a night of intense passion ... NYPD came knocking." Emma teased.

"Well, unless you lied and it wasn't a regular trial, you just escaped prison, we shouldn't worry."

She half smiled, well aware that their troubles weren't over. "Judging by Nancy's face in court, when I was acquitted, we have a lot to worry." Emma said gloomily, eyes on his chest.

"I wish I could have been there for you."

"It was all quick, like last time. Nancy doesn't wanna make a fuss about it."

"You mean not making a fuss about falsely accusing and incriminating her friend just because said friend slept with her fake boyfriend after she gave them permission to?" Alexander summed up, trying to cheer her up a bit.

Emma chuckled. "When you say it like that, our story sounds like a soap opera."

"Well, it kinda is. But you know, sometimes reality is way more creative than fantasy." He claimed, moving to straddle her. "Whichever reality this is, I love it," he kissed her gently, "and I love you."

"Oh, really?" Emma teased. "I haven't heard that the other hundred times you said it." She laughed, to which he followed.

"Are you making fun of me, Hudson?" Alexander smirked, tickling her, "you know what happens when I punish you ..."

"No," she exclaimed amongst guffaws, "no, no, you don't get an excuse to get kinky now." She jokingly slapped his nude chest. "Especially not after this whole ... lovesick charade where you live all alone in our love nest."

"I didn't feel like going home." Alexander admitted sweetly, caressing her cheek. "This was the last place we were in together, and we were ... somewhat free." He pursed his lips. "I guess I hoped for a miracle ... and what do you know, my wish was granted."

Emma smiled, welcoming his cuddles and kisses gladly. "Don't you feel like something's hiding behind the corner?"

"Nancy isn't one to hide. If she has an ace up her sleeve, she'll use it soon." He conceded. "But all we can do is live in the moment," he grinned, "last time taught us that, at the very least."

"Ugh, not again." Alexander grumbled, rolling over on bed.

"It's the phone, not the door." Emma chuckled, hiding underneath the blankets.

"Right." He sighed, sitting up. "Where is it?"

She let her head emerge from under the covers, only to send him a teasing smirk. "Oh, I have no idea ... you went a little too kinky on me last night, nothing's where it should be."

Alexander frowned for a moment, still sleepy, then laughed. "So, this is carefree, guilt-free Emma, huh? Bold, fierce, and above all ... kinky." He smirked. "I like it."

She stuck her tongue out to him, grinning. If this was really what happiness felt like, then it was much more familiar than she'd ever imagined. While Alexander looked for his phone everywhere in the room, Emma thought about her past. She saw this young girl having fun, laughing off with her father about anything and everything. It was probably the last time she'd ever been carefree.

When Alexander stood up, grumbling that he still couldn't find his phone, Emma sat up on the bed, covering her nudities with the sheets. A smile on her face, she watched as he checked every corner of the apartment, looking for the lost phone even though it had stopped ringing. "You are aware that you're giving a show for our neighbors, right?" She half shouted, since he was in the living area.

"Huh?" He answered distractedly, turning around.

Emma laughed, pointing at his nudities. "You're stark naked, babe."

Alexander smirked. "Babe?" He teased. "Since when we use nicknames?"

She covered her mouth, amused. "Oops."

They both laughed, truthfully cheery. When they stopped, Alexander moved to stand right in front of the large window in the living area, next to her art supplies. "Do you think they're gonna call the cops for lewdness?"

Rolling her eyes, albeit still half chuckling, Emma stood from the bed – careful to keep the sheets with her –, and walked down the couple of steps that divided the living area from the bedroom. "On the contrary," she said as she went to him, "they may like it, and that's not allowed." She said as she covered him with the sheets, making sure not to expose herself.

"What, you're jealous now?" Alexander teased, half smirking.

Emma glued their bodies together, sliding her arms around him, so that the sheets could more effectively cover them both entirely. "More than you'd think." She admitted, pecking his lips. "What's mine is mine." She stated as she let her hands slide down to his buttocks.

"A couple of months in prison and you turn into a gangster?"

"No," she pushed him against the window, "I just take love very seriously."

"Love?" He teased.

"Yeah, yeah," Emma rolled her eyes, grinning, "I love you ... happy?"

"If you repeat it a billion times more, sure." He laughed.

She smirked impishly. "I can find better ways to keep you happy." Having said that, Emma dropped to her knees, losing the sheets in the meantime.

"Here? Really?" Alexander wondered, his voice mildly affected when she took him in her mouth. She didn't reply, went on pleasuring him, but he made sure to cover her with the sheets, not wanting neighbors to accidentally witness the show in its entirety. "Oh, man, you're full of surprises ..." he moaned.

Emma stopped, and stood. Much to his surprise, she positioned right in front of the window, fully exposed. She placed her hands on the glass. "Maybe we need curtains," she teased, bending down a little, "but in the meantime ..."

Taking her off guard, Alexander did as she expected – positioning behind her –, but made sure to cover her with the sheet. "No, no, as you said ..." he claimed, pushing in, "what's mine is mine, what's yours is yours. Neighbors can watch porn."