Author's Note: Hey, look at that. I managed to get chapter eight up fairly quickly, didn't I? Go me! Anyways, I hope you like this chapter better than the last. I know I do. A word in advance, I am not a lawyer, judge, etc. I have very little familiarity with how the judicial system works. So if there's anything wrong with the statements or whatnot that I wrote in the case section of this chapter than I apologize in advance. I looked up a few laws here and there so I think it's pretty accurate. If you notice anything wrong, could you practice a little forgiveness on a poor author? Thanks. :) Well, enjoy.

Please review and leave me some advice/constructive criticism! Your responses give me a little boost and I tend to work better under a reward-based system, if you catch my drift. ;)

Disclaimer: I would think you should know the drill by now. Christopher Nolan, you are a lucky lucky man.

The Trial

Chapter Eight

Jenna sat facing the television, the screen flashing fluorescent lights upon her dark face. Her legs were pulled against her and she hugged them loosely. A discarded popcorn bag and ice cream bowl lay next to her, her blanket hanging half way off of her body. Growling lightly, the young woman tried hard to focus on the show that was playing.

A dirtied man raced across the screen. He seemed angry as he rushed out of the shot. What was his name again? Suddenly a woman appeared on the screen. She looked upset as well. The man grabbed her despite her attempts at avoiding his hold. He looked down at her sternly...intensely...lovingly. She broke, tears rolling from her eyes. With one final moment of silence the two lunged for each other in a passionate kiss.

The heiress watched, yet found that her mind was far from the show. Instead she was thinking of certain man—a certain mouth. How would their kiss have been? Would it have been passionate like the one on the television? In the middle of a fight they both give into the passions and take one another in each other's arms, her hands tangled in his hair. No...his hair was always too well done for her to run her fingers through. Though, that only made it more tempting. And how would his lips taste? She imagined he kept them up well considering he always kept everything he had looking and feeling as sharp as ever.

Soft and supple? No, too feminine. Calloused and rough? Perhaps, but he seemed too neat and tidy for that, too put together. No, the feeling of his lips would be rough yet soft; searing hot yet cool to the touch; familiar yet mysterious; inviting and yet reserved.

Jenna sighed in exasperation, her hands leaving her legs to cover her face. It was the night before the hearing and here she was up way past midnight imagining what it would be like to kiss Bruce Wayne. The Bruce Wayne. God, what was she thinking? Just a few days ago she was obsessed with kissing Ethan, now it was the Prince of Gotham? She had sworn to hate him for the rest of her life the day she had met him and yet here she was wondering what his mouth would feel like. She was pathetic. How could she go from loathing him to finding him attractive in a matter of one night?

The heiress couldn't deny that he was attractive. The way he slicked back his hair, his bronze skin and thin lips, the way he held an air of dignity that demanded respect were all qualities that Jenna found appealing. Even so, she couldn't put the fact that she still didn't like the guy behind her. Yes, he was perfectly agreeable at the hotel gathering and had even shown interest in her family, but that did not dismiss the way he had treated her the first time they had met. Plus, he was a playboy after all. He probably only wanted one passionate night with her and then he'd be on his jolly way. Still, he had seemed sincere. And he had mentioned wanting to change her idea of him the first night on the balcony. Yet even if he did change her mind, he was still no Ethan.

Ethan...she hadn't talked to the young man since she had invited him to the hotel opening. She had hoped he would call, but her phone had remained strangely quiet throughout the day. Jenna had been distracted with getting her work done earlier, yet now she wondered why he hadn't called her.

Perhaps he was busy with appraisals and volunteering. But a phone call only took a minute. Jenna shook her head. She had no right to be upset. She was, after all, thinking about what it would feel like to make out with a billionaire playboy. Lifting herself off the couch, Jenna grabbed her emptied dishes and discarded them in the sink. Her eyes wandered to her cell phone. She quickly looked away pushing thoughts of calling Ethan out of her mind. She had called him first after their date so now it was his turn to call her.

Jenna grabbed her phone, turned off the television, and headed to her room. Slipping into bed, she pulled out a book from her nightstand—Pride and Prejudice. Jenna opened to the page she had last left off. Her eyes scanned the script with vague interest. Elizabeth was finally putting aside her prejudices against Mr. Darcy after finding out that he had helped her family and encouraged the engagement between her sister and Mr. Bingley. They were now crossing ways, both fallen in love with one another. Jenna's eyes caught as she read of their tender kiss.

Is that how it might happen between her and Bruce—two people with prejudices against one another ultimately falling in love? Would their paths cross in the future only to bring them together in a tender kiss? Jenna threw the book down, her head snapping to the cell phone beside her bed. First kissing Bruce, now falling in love with him? She had to call Ethan before her thoughts ran any wilder.

Grabbing her phone, she quickly dialed Ethan's number. She waited patiently as it rang. After a few more moments his voicemail picked up. Should she leave a message? She didn't have time to think before the beep sounded.

"Uh, hi Ethan. It's Jenna Van der Pol. Um, I was just calling, because I hadn't heard from you. I know it hasn't been that long. Actually, it's only been a day." Jenna closed her eyes realizing how creepy she was starting to sound. Why had she called Ethan again? Oh right, because she had been imagining a passionate make out scene with another man. "I guess I had just thought that you would call me today. I'm sounding really pathetic, aren't I? I'm going to go before I embarrass myself any further." She quickly snapped her phone shut.

God, what was she thinking? Could her night get any worse? Jenna dared a glanced at the clock—three in the morning. Would she be able to get enough sleep for the hearing tomorrow? Probably not. The court case was at nine in the morning, but Gordon wanted her at his office at eight, which meant that she had to leave her apartment around seven, which put her alarm for waking up at around five thirty. She would definitely not being getting enough sleep. Sighing, Jenna collapsed into her sheets trying desperately to forget about Bruce and Ethan. They would have to wait until after the hearing.

Jenna groaned as her alarm clock beeped loudly in her ear. Reaching over she quickly snoozed it before falling back to sleep. Ten minutes later she was jerked awake again as the alarm sounded once more. Sighing, she slowly sat up before shutting it off. Stretching out her stiff muscles, she looked around the room groggily. Her eyes glanced briefly at her phone. Nothing new, of course. Had she expected Ethan to call her at four in the morning? She shook her head before leaving her bed to make her way towards the shower. She rinsed off quickly, disappointed that her water didn't warm up until she was already done. Grabbing a towel she quickly wrapped it around herself before starting on her hair and make up. Her mind wandered to the hearing. She thought of the defendant and a small shiver ran down her spine. The heiress bit her lip.

Could she go through with this—testifying against such a powerful mobster? What if she was arrested as an accomplice of his drug enterprise and the murdering of her stepfather? Was she being ridiculous for thinking she could be digging her own grave? Jenna swallowed thickly. She new a fairly good amount about the law, yet she didn't know how far jurisdiction went when it came to a young child living in a house full of drugs and witnessing deals made between her stepfather and a mob leader.

Jenna thought of what Hugo had said. She would be doing Gotham a huge favor by testifying, yet her fear was starting to get the best of her. The heiress thought of all the people counting on her. She knew she couldn't let them down. She'd lose her job, her allies, and her reputation if she didn't show up at court. Yet no one knew she was putting her own freedom at stake. The young woman finished putting her hair and make up together before quickly dashing to her closet to find an outfit.

Once ready she poured herself a cup of coffee, grabbed her keys, and then made her way to her car. Jenna watched the sun rise from the city skyline as she drove across the bridge into the Narrows. It was a beautiful morning.

Pulling up to the police station, she quickly grabbed her folder and evidence before making her way into the building. Jenna smiled tightly at the secretary before continuing to the commissioner's office. "Good morning, Commissioner." She hoped he hadn't noticed the tremor in her voice.

Gordon glanced up, dark circles lining the bottom rims of his eyes. Had he been up all night too? No doubt for different reasons, Jenna thought. She shook her head as he smiled warmly at her. "Morning, Jenna. You're on time I see."

"I always am," She answered, taking a seat across from his desk.

"Are you ready for today?"

Was she? Jenna hardly knew. "Of course," She lied. Should she tell him about Russo? Could he do anything for her even if she did?

"Good," He answered with a nod. "Because you'll need to be. Russo has men paid off in the hearing today and I can only assume he has a plan of escaping if he's convicted."

"So what should we do?"

"Make sure he doesn't get away." Gordon answered with a small smile. "What do you have for evidence?"

Jenna's eyes dropped to the folders in her lap. She quickly flipped them open and revealed the contents one by one. "I have here files of eyewitness reports of drug deals being made between Russo and his clients. The eyewitnesses have given recorded testimonies, but refused to testify in open court."

Gordon took the printed reports while Jenna reached into her bag to pull out of the tape recorders. He nodded as if to say he was satisfied and she quickly put them back. "Next, I have a copy of the interview between one of my co-workers and an inmate that shared a cell with one of Russo's men. He reported that the mob member offered to sell him quality drugs for a cheap price if he agreed to join their mob. The member told the inmate stories about Russo's business, which are included in the report."

Gordon again looked over the papers. Jenna glanced down at her last piece of evidence. Staring up at her were pictures that had been given to her by Batman. She picked them up slowly.

"What are those?" She glanced at the commissioner as she heard his voice.

"These are pictures of deals being made by Russo and his different clients. They show him meeting with fellow mob leaders and members." She handed them to Gordon.

"Where did you get these?" He flipped through them, eyeing each one through his spectacles.

Jenna hesitated. "A friend," was the only adequate answer she could muster.

Gordon half smiled. "He informed me he had given you some evidence to use." Jenna rose an eyebrow. "Great work, Ms. Van der Pol." He handed the pictures back to her.

"Now when you're called up to the stand I want you to report all the history your station has collected on Russo. Every drug deal, every crime committed, every meal eaten, everything you have on him I want you to report. Don't leave a detail out. Can you do that for me?"

Jenna nodded. "Of course." She paused. Now was the time to say something. Should she stay quiet or tell him of her past?

"We better get going if we want to make it to the courthouse on time." Gordon stood, his hand reaching for his coat.

Jenna stayed quiet as she stood as well. She hastily followed the man out of the station, thanking him as he opened the passenger side door to his car. Shuffling the folders on her lap, she cleared her throat as they pulled away from the police station. She felt the commissioner glance at her.

"Everything alright? You're awfully quiet."

She tried to laugh, yet it only came out as a dry choke. Jenna quickly quieted. "I'm fine. It's just..." She waited; so did he. "I sort of have a history with Sergio Russo."

Gordon's gaze darted to her once more as he stopped for a red light. "What do you mean?" He questioned.

Jenna bit her lip. Was he upset she hadn't told him before? "My stepfather was involved with him when I was a child. I'm not sure how far, but Russo used to stash drugs at our house and every once in a while he'd come over to drop them off or pick them up."

Gordon was quiet. Jenna didn't speak as he remained in thought. Finally he sighed before saying, "There's not much we can do now. We need you on that stand. If the subject is brought up, we'll find a way to defend you."

Jenna nodded, though she wasn't convinced she was out of the woods just yet. Her stomach fluttered as her nerves began to consume her. She wanted to run, yet she couldn't move a muscle. How could she run anyways? She was in a moving cop car heading towards the city courthouse. She had no escape; it was now or never. As they pulled into the parking lot behind the court, Gordon turned towards Jenna with a gentle smile.

His hand reached out to grasp her shoulder lightly. "Hey," He said in a soft voice. His eyes scanned her face and Jenna found that she grew a bit less petrified as his hand squeezed her shoulder. "It's going to be alright. You're doing the right thing, and no one can punish you for that."

Jenna nodded. "Thank you," She murmured. His hand left her shoulder, the skin there growing cold as they exited the car.

The heiress rose her hand to shade her eyes as she glanced up at the courthouse. The alabaster building shown brightly in the morning sun, people already scattered around the steps on their way to the hearing. Jenna shut her door and fell into step with the commissioner as they headed towards the structure. As they neared the place, people were scrambling all around. Some appeared to be lawyers who were prepping their clients, others disheveled witnesses about to testify, and some confident criminals ready to be released. Gordon opened the court doors for her, the two making their way inside in silence.

Their hearing was the fifth door down the left hall. Jenna took a deep breath as the commissioner led them into the room. Already people were taking their seats waiting for the case to start. Multiple policemen scattered the outskirts of the area, watching as people found their seats. Gordon directed Jenna to the front row. After taking a seat, Jenna glanced around at the people that were filing in. Some looked to be ordinary citizens, most likely connected to Russo through some sort of violent act against someone they knew. Perhaps the little boy in the back row lost his father to Russo just as Jenna had lost her stepfather? Did the woman with tissues lose her husband to the mob leader's ruthless violence?

Jenna's eyes made their way to the other visitors in the room. She assumed the group of men in Italian suits were Russo's guys come to support their leader. Their hair was slicked back, their faces clean-shaven. One even had a cigar peeking from within his coat pocket. Were they planning on the release of their boss? Jenna turned back around to face the front of the room. The judge's seat was empty along with the seats were Russo and his lawyer should have been sitting.

Moments passed by, each ticking away at Jenna's psyche. Her insides were on the verge of unraveling. How much longer? Why couldn't they just start? She desired nothing more than to do her part and be done with it. Her eyes glanced to the back as she heard the doors open. She caught sight of Russo with his lawyer. He wore a small smirk on his face, the scar along his features more prominent than ever. He was dressed in a pressed suite and Italian loafers. As they neared the front his eyes locked with hers. Jenna felt her throat tighten as she tried to swallow. Russo's smirk grew as he stared at her for a few moments before turning to sit down. He knew he was unnerving her.

Jenna turned her vision away from the mob leader, her breathing shallow as she waited for the hearing to start. Finally the judge made his way in and the trial began. Each side stated their case before the jury, after which witnesses started being called up. The defendant had the floor first followed by the prosecutor. He called up Russo's men to question, each having a well-rehearsed story of where their leader was during such-and-such event.

"It's reported by eyewitnesses that Sergio Russo and a few other men were seen entering Mr. Ramos' house at eleven forty-five p.m on May 15th. Neighbors said they heard shouting and loud noises coming from the house a little while after Mr. Russo had entered the premises. At one fifteen a.m. neighbors say they saw Mr. Russo leaving the house with his men. The next day Mr. Ramos' body was found in the living room of his house with five stab wounds to his chest and neck. Do you agree with this account?"

The mob member gave a cheeky smirk. "Of course not. Mr. Russo ain't a murderer. He ain't hurt nobody. I've known him since we was in high school. He's a good guy. Got a good wife with some nice kids and a nice house. What would he want with this ah-Mr. Ramos?"

"You tell me." The prosecutor countered. "If he wasn't at the premises at the reported time, then could you possibly tell me where he was?"

"Yeah," The mobster answered with a grin. "He was out to a club with me and Johnny Voltero. We like to go hit the bars on the weekends and catch up. That's wheres we were that night."

"Can you tell me what the name of the club was?"

"Somethin' French. Les Di? Les something." The man paused for a moment. "Oh yeah, Les Deux. That was the place."

"Why is it then that neighbors identified the man going into and leaving Mr. Ramos' house as Sergio Russo?" The lawyer questioned as he walked up to the stand.

The man shrugged. "It was dark. How do they even see the guy's face? It coulda been anyone. I betcha it was that guy Gambol's boys. They're always hittin' up places. You should be questioning them."

"Do you or Mr. Russo know Mr. Gambol well, then?" The lawyer questioned.

"Heard of him," The mob member answered. "But we've never met the guy. Like I said, Mr. Russo's an honest guy, same as I am."

Jenna waited as the prosecutor finished with the defendant's witnesses. Next the prosecutor called up his witnesses to be questioned. A few were pulled to the stands before Jenna, each giving their accounts of things they'd seen or heard of Russo. A few were neighbors of some of Russo's victims while others were inmates who had been asked to join the Family. Finally it was Jenna's turn.

"I'd like to call Jenna Van der Pol to the stand, please."

Jenna stood shakily before making her way to the front. She rounded the pulpit and took a seat before handing her folders and evidence to the judge to review while she was questioned.

The prosecutor smiled at her gently before asking, "Jenna, what organization is it you work for?"

Jenna cleared her throat and sat up a bit straighter. "I work for the Gotham City Drug Control and Investigation Offices."

"And what exactly do you do at your job?" The lawyer leaned up against the pulpit.

"Our office collects the files and paperwork the police station sends in for us to document. These documents usually are reports of eyewitness accounts of drug dealings, murderers, etc. Our office both documents and investigates for the police. My job is to do research on reported drug dealers and mob members to collect and file their history from childhood to mob life." Jenna folded her hands in her lap feeling a bit more confident as she spoke. She purposefully avoided glancing at the defendant's table.

"So do you have eyewitness reports with you today?"

"Yes, I do," Jenna answered. "The judge can refer to them in the folder titled 'Firsthand Accounts."

The prosecutor continued questioning her on the evidence she received along with the firsthand reports and tapes she had with her. Luckily she had personally interviewed each witness before the trial and easily could answer any and all of the lawyer's questions.

"Thank you, that will be all." With that the prosecutor took his seat and the defendant's lawyer stood.

Jenna glanced at the man, her eyes catching a glimpse of Russo's devious grin. The heiress felt her skin grow hot as her hands began to ring together in her lap. Taking a few deep breaths she attempted to remain calm. This was it. She could do this. Jenna glanced at Gordon who sat in the front row still. He put on a small smile, yet even he did not seem to bring any comfort now. The young woman glanced back at the lawyer.

"Jenna Van der Pol." The man stated. "I'm assuming the daughter of Charles Van der Pol of 'Van der Pol Industries?'"

Jenna nodded. "Yes, that's right." She reached a clammy hand up to tuck a few dark strands of hair behind her ear.

"And daughter of Rosaline Davies?"

"Yes." Jenna wondered where he was going with this. What did all of this have to do with the case?

"And is it true that your mother remarried after your parent's divorce to a man named Lyle Moretti?" The lawyer's lips held a hint of a smirk.

"Yes, that's true."

"You're point, Mr. Lewis?" The judge asked, his fingers tapping against his pulpit.

Mr. Lewis smiled before continuing. "Is it also true that your stepfather was acquainted with Mr. Russo?"

Jenna bit her lip. How could she answer that? Could she lie? No, she had already taken the oath. If she lied she'd go to prison. If she didn't lie...well, she would probably go to prison either way. She tried to swallow dryly.

"Ms. Van der Pol?" The judge asked drawing her attention back to the question.

"Y-yes, my stepfather and Mr. Russo knew each other. The defendant came over to our house once or twice, but they were nothing more than acquaintances." Jenna felt her voice shake as she spoke.

"Are you saying you have met the defendant before this hearing?" Jenna's eyes darted to the judge who was frowning down at her.

She nodded meekly. Her hand reached up to grasp lightly at her stomach as she suddenly felt sick. It was over; she was going to jail.

"I'm afraid that you cannot be counted as a witness then. Please scratch all statements made during the questioning. Your evidence will be considered. You are dismissed from the stand." The judge turned to Mr. Lewis. "Please, call up your next witness so we can keep moving."

Jenna felt herself let out a deep breath as she was directed back to her seat by the bailiff. What had just happened? She glanced at Gordon, yet he only smiled at her before turning back towards the case. Jenna sat in her seat with her hands shakily folded together in front of her. The judge had just let her go. She wasn't arrested. She glanced at Russo who was watching as his lawyer question another witness. Her mind raced as she tried to think of why he had been so cocky about having connections with her family. Hadn't his plan been to get her arrested? Jenna's brow furrowed. No, he didn't want that. He had used his connections to her so that she'd be dismissed as a witness, because he knew she had valuable information on him.

The heiress felt her entire being suddenly become engulfed in relief. She slumped slightly in her chair as the hearing continued. Every fear and anxiety she had held before the hearing was now gone. Jenna vaguely listened to the rest of the case, yet she found that no matter how she tried she could not concentrate. Her attention was on her nerves, which were still unwinding from the stress she had been under over the last few weeks. Finally the case ended in a stalemate. The judge scheduled another hearing for a later date and the court was dismissed.

The heiress and Gordon made their way back to his cop car. Once inside Gordon gave Jenna a quick pat on the back before they made their way back to the station. "You did a great job," He commented.

Jenna scoffed. "If being dismissed from the case was a great job, then yes I guess I did."

Gordon chuckled. "It wasn't ideal that the judge dismissed you as a witness, but he kept the evidence so we have that for now. Plus, we might be able to convince one of your eyewitnesses to testify at the next hearing."

The young woman nodded. "I can contact them and arrange a meeting." She paused. "By the way, why was I dismissed from the case because of my family's acquaintance with Russo?"

Gordon didn't glance at her as he answered, "You can be used as a witness with prior knowledge or relations with the defendant if you're an eyewitness, victim, or close relation to a victim. Since you were an evidence-based witness being questioned about the knowledge you have from your office, by law you're required to have an unbiased opinion, giving only facts in your answers. Since you knew the defendant personally you were dismissed, because your answers could have been biased for or against him."

"I see," Jenna murmured with satisfaction and relief once again.

The rest of the drive was silent and Jenna figured they'd go over logistics back at the station. She hoped that she wouldn't have to play much more of a role in the case. The thought of three piles of paperwork on her desk at her office was lingering in the back of her mind. Finally they made it back to the police station. Jenna and the commissioner exited the car and made their way inside.

"We'll have to get a hold of the witnesses by next week," He stated as he rounded his desk to take a seat. His eyes scanned over various notes left on his desk by his secretary.

"I can arrange that," Jenna responded.

"Good," He responded absentmindedly. Gordon glanced up at her. "We'll also need anything else you can gather as evidence. If you find anything, let us know."

Jenna nodded.

Gordon smiled. "You helped us out a lot, Jenna."

"Just glad I could do something," Jenna offered with a smile. She paused for a moment as the commissioner turned to grab something from his fax machine.

"Is there anything else I need to do today?" Jenna asked. Gordon didn't respond as his eyes read over the fax that had been sent to him.

"Sir?"

He glanced up. "No, that will be all. Your work here is done for now." He laid the fax on his desk as he held out his hand for Jenna to shake.

As she reached out to shake his hand her gaze was drawn to the fax. She felt her breath hitch and her eyes widen as she was met with a black and white picture of Ethan. She quickly let go of the commissioner's hand and pointed to the picture.

"Who's that?"

Gordon glanced at the picture of Ethan. "Oh, just some low class criminal. There's a warrant out for his arrest. Apparently he was caught trying to rob a bank yesterday. He's been in and out of Arkham Asylum a few times on the insanity plea. He recently goes by the name of Ethan Grey."

Jenna felt as if she might faint. She tried to speak, yet nothing came out. Was she just imagining all of this? It had to be a dream. Ethan was a criminal? No, no, not just a criminal—he was an insane criminal. The heiress put a hand to her head as she tried to keep herself from falling.

"Do you know him?" Gordon asked causing Jenna's gaze to flash to him.

She briskly shook her head. "N-no," She stammered as she finally found her voice. "I've never seen him in my life."

There's a reason why Jenna denied her relationship with Ethan which will be revealed in future chapters (probably the following one, actually). Little cliffhanger for you? Hope you liked it!

Don't forget to please review! See you next chapter.