NY Legal Ch. 02

"He's not a pet." Bridget whined.

"I bet that's not what you were sayin last night." Jackie smiled.

"Awww." Will grimaced.

"That's my sister! Come on! Hey, you got coffee." Donnie said as he slipped passed Bridget to her kitchen. Leaving Jackie and the two uniformed officers with Bridget and Sami.

Bridget sighed in frustration as the group moved to the kitchen's bar. She hung her head and followed. She could tell she would have to make more coffee. When Michael stepped out he had buttoned his cuffs and tucked in his shirt but the vest still hung open. Even without shoes he still took her breath away.

Everyone had fallen silent as Michael looked at the two uniformed policemen. "Man, she said she was eighteen."

Donnie replied, "She lied." As he nodded.

Bridget hit Donnie's shoulder as she finished pouring what remained of the coffee into cups. "Sami, will you put out the cream and sugar please?"

Sami nodded as Bridget began to refill the coffee pot. Michael collected his shoes from the kitchen floor and slipped them on.

Bridget began introductions as she poured the water into the pot. "Everyone, this is Michael."

"Hi Michael!" Everyone exclaimed as if they had rehearsed it.

Michael smiled stupidly and waived. Bridget continued with the introductions for Michael of her younger brother, Detective Donnie Fonta, his partner Detective Jackie Esposito, their baby brother Sargeant Will Fonta and his partner Patrolman Vanessa Janowitcz.

Sami had been standing on the far side of the kitchen during the introductions but once they were done she stepped out from behind him and asked, "So, when are you going to tell mom you're not done being a criminal?" She smiled with a sweetness that she obviously did not feel.

He shrugged. "I don't know. When are you gonna tell your mom you wanna be a cop?"

"What!?" Bridget looked at Sami who had gone white. The room was suddenly quiet. Even Michael looked stunned.

"I... I..." Sami was looking around the room for some support but everyone was too shocked to help. "How did you know!?" She yelled at Michael when she could think again.

He shrugged dumbfounded. "I didn't." He shook his head. "I was just trying to..." Sami was now resting her elbows on the bar hiding her face in her hands. Mike rubbed his face. "This is one of those conversations you have to have right now. Isn't it?"

Bridget nodded. "Yeah."

Michael nodded and walked over just before kissing her on the cheek. "When you decide to stop being mad at her and want to start being mad at me again, give me a call. OK?"

Bridget's eyebrows went up as she rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah."

Michael put on his jacket and overcoat as Donnie said, "We better go too."

The others mumbled their agreement as they all bumbled out the door to the elevators.

"OK! Yes! I'm sorry! I DO have to learn to keep my big mouth shut!" Michael stated to the silent group once they reached the elevators.

Donnie patted his shoulder and grimaced. "You really do, Mikey."

"I assumed she wanted to be a lawyer, like her mom or her dad." He shrugged.

Will commented. "We did to." He looked at Donnie. "Did you know?"

Donnie shrugged and shook his head.

Bridget was lightly pounding on the bar with her fist until Sami finally pulled her face out of her hands and looked at her. "OK. Let me have it."

Bridget licked her lips and shook her head in thought. "What was your plan? To wait until you were in the academy to tell me?"

"Yes."

"What!?"

"That was the plan. I thought it would be easier than trying to convince you before I was accepted."

"Sami!?.." She shook her head some more. "When did you start feeling the need to hide things from me?"

It was Sami's turn to shake her head. "I knew what the conversation was going to be. In a minute you'll comment about how I probably don't remember Uncle Robert's funeral. Or how you don't want to stand over my grave while some jackass you've never met hands you a flag as if that will somehow fill the hole left by your daughter." She said as she rubbed the back of her neck.

Bridget shook her head some more. "I've never said those words... but they DO capture the terror I'm feeling right now." They stared at each other for a moment before Bridget sighed. "Why do you want to be a cop?" she whined.

Sami stepped closer and rubbed her mom's arm. "Because this is the business we're in. Why -didn't- you become a cop?"

Bridget sighed again and rubbed her face before answering. "Because your Grandmother made me promise her I wouldn't." Sami looked stunned. "She said she could live through Pop's funeral if it came. And she thought she could survive my brothers funerals. But her little girl?"

"That's why you became a lawyer?"

"No." She shook her head. "The relief I felt when she made me promise is the reason I became a lawyer. I wasn't sure I had what it took and it scared the hell out of me." She pulled her baby close and hugged her. "Are you absolutely sure this is what you want?" She could feel her daughter nod. "OK." She said as she stepped back to look her in the eye. "You have two years left of college. If you doubt this, at all, when the time comes. Promise me you'll drop it."

Sami smiled. "I promise."

"OK. But if you're sure... then you should do it."

"Thanks, mom." She said just before she hugged her mother again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Michael was just getting out of the shower when the latest interview with ADA Bridget Fonta came on the news.

"Miss. Fonta, how was dinner?"

She smiled as she stopped trying to force her way passed the reporters clogging the steps. "I had a wonderful evening. Thank you for asking."

"Did the money have any effect on your decision to go to dinner with Michael?"

She shook her head. Michael could tell what she was thinking. 'Give these idiots an inch...'

"Does anyone have any questions pertaining to the DA's office?" She countered.

"Yes ma'am. What action do you think the Attorney General is going to take now that they've settled with Mr. McKean?"

"I couldn't say. But with a price tag of $70 Million I can assume they will do something, but what that is? I will let you know as soon as they let me know." With that she slipped passed the reporters to go up the steps and in to work.

Michael turned off the TV and started putting on his Navy Blue suit with a royal blue tie. He had to get to the old neighborhood. There were people there who wanted to talk about micro loans for the community.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bridget checked her computer, it was almost one in the afternoon. She rubbed her eyes. "How are we looking, Tony."

"Not bad. I've got a ton of notes on my complaints about the case and I reference your comments as well. Plus we have the emails where the DA outright overrode you to push the case forward." He nodded. "I think your good."

"Alright. Let's forward these on to our offsite email account's just to be safe and we can call this one "done." Just then her office phone rang. "ADA Fonta... He is?.. He did?.. Well, I don't know. What did he bring?.. Oh no, definitely send him up. Yes. Please." She smiled as she hung up.

"Who was that?"

She looked at Tony. "Michael McKean brought lunch. Duck Confit." She smiled.

"Never had it." He stated flatly.

Bridget sighed. "It's a bird, Tony. Pretend it's chicken."

A few minutes later Michael was knocking at her door with bags of food. "Can I come in?"

"Yes, you may." She beamed. "Michael, this is my investigator, Tony Schirripa." She said as she took a plastic bag of food from Michael.

Mike shook his hand just before handing him a dinner. "I thought you might be here so better safe than sorry on the third dish."

"Thank's for lunch. I was tellin Bridget I've never had it before."

"Well, it's duck in a garlic onion sauce with a side of potatoes. I think you'll like it."

As it turned out Tony did enjoy it and they were having a wonderful conversation about food until Detective Donnie Fonta poked his head in the door and pointed at Mike. "You!"

"It's been like five hours, man! What could I have done?"

Donnie walked into Bridget's office. "Somethin. I had a long talk with the Organized Crime Task Force. Ringin any bells?"

Michael let out a sigh as he dropped his fork into his dish. "Do we need to go somewhere private to discuss this?"

"NO." Donnie stated emphatically. "I want her to hear what her boyfriends been doin today."

Tony was looking at Michael funny. "What?" Michael shrugged.

"I'm bettin it has somethin to do with Bobby Conter?" Tony asked.

"How small is this town that you know about that already?"

Tony shrugged. "I don't. But I know you're tight with him."

"How tight?" Donnie asked.

Mike Shook his head. "I've known the guy since the third grade. He owes me his life."

"How's he owe you his life?" Donnie asked.

"It's a figure of speech."

Tony laughed again. "That's not what I heard."

"Well, I think you heard wrong."

Michael looked at Bridget when she commented, "Michael? You promised me you wouldn't lie to me."

"Yeah. I promised -you-. Not these two." She took a moment before she gave a reluctant nod. "Anyway, I had a meeting with him earlier today."

Donnie shrugged back. "OK. How'd things go?"

"Why is this important?" Mike asked as he squinted and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Because Organized Crime unit thinks you're one a Bobby's lieutenants." Donnie answered.

Michael's expression was suddenly blank as he looked up at Donnie with dead eyes.

Tony laughed again. "You look insulted."

"No." Mike shook his head. "No, I just swallowed some of that duck wrong." No one looked convinced. Mike sighed. "Fine. Bobby sent three idiots bumbling through the neighborhood to collect a vig from the business owners. I found out about it and... -convinced- them to take me to Bobby so we could talk."

"Talk?" Donnie stressed.

Michael shrugged again. "Yeah. I met up with him at Che Shay." He held up his plate of food as evidence as the packaging showed the restaraunt's name on it. "Apparently it's his daughter's place. Opened about five years ago."

Bridget sighed in exasperation. "We know it! What happened with Bobby?!"

"Guy's. Look. I been gone seven years and when I come out, I'm wearing suits, got money and I'm dating the Police Commissioner's daughter..."

"...Oh we're not dating."

Michael smiled at her. "Whatdya wanna to call it?"

Bridget cleared her throat and set her fork down. When she spoke, Michael saw she was staring at her food. "...Does all of this mean -you- run things for the Irish in your neighborhood?" She looked up with an expression that seemed calm but he could tell she was dreading the answer.

"No." He shook his head. "I am not in the mob. I have never been in the mob. And I have no plans to join the mob." He could see Bridget let out a sigh of relief as she looked down again.

"So if you're not a mobster then why're you mad about bein called a lieutenant?" Donnie asked.

"My pride was hurt." He shrugged. "A lieutenant? That's it? And workin for a guy I had to..."

"What?" Bridget demanded.

"Nothing. It was insulting. That's all."

"Bull!" Donnie stated.

"Yeah." Michael smiled at him. "But try proving it."

"Michael?" Bridget whined.

"Word is that 'The McKean' took out Gary Shulster and his boys because they were knocking off lieutenants of the previous Captain. Bobby was one of those lieutenants and called Mike to save his ass." Tony stated just before he took another bite of duck.

Michael was sucking something out of his teeth as he stared at Tony. Suddenly he looked at Bridget to say, "Pure conjecture, your honor." She did not looked convinced. "Look, what are we saying here?" He looked back at Donnie. "What is it you want to know?"

Donnie nodded several times quickly. "I wanna know if my sister's goin out with a gangster!"

Michael sighed, shook his head and shrugged. "I don't deal drugs, I don't run whores and I don't extort people for money. How's that?" Donnie grimaced a frown. "OK. You sir, have put me off my duck!" With that, Michael stood up and started to put his things in the trash before walking behind the desk to Bridget. She stood up to meet him. "Will I see you tonight?"

"I don't know." She whined out.

"Baby, come on. Don't do this to me." He shook his head.

It was her turn to shake her head. "No. I mean... There's going to be a family meeting tonight and I'm not sure I'll be good company after that."

Mike nodded. "OK. Well, here's my number and where I'm staying." He wrote his information on a scrap of paper on her desk and handed it to her. "Give me a call if nothing else." She took the paper and nodded. But when he leaned in to kiss her she turned her face to the side. "Really?" He leaned back up and looked at Donnie. "This is your fault!" He pointed. Donnie smiled and nodded. "She's giving me the cheek."

"Stop it." She said as she swatted him on the chest. "It's just that there's..." She shrugged. "people here."

"Oh!.. Yeah, no. Screw those guys. I hate those guys." He motioned at Donnie and Tony before leaning in and giving her several big wet kisses.

She finally managed to push him away. "Go!" She pushed with a smile. "Go! The AG's inquisition may already be here and I don't know when they'll get to me."

He nodded. "Alright. Let me know if you need anything. Tony, it was a pleasure to meet you."

"You too. And thanks for the duck."

"Anytime." He smiled before looking at Donnie and losing all emotion from his face. "Donnie." He said flatly.

"Mikey." Donnie countered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bridget sat in her car rubbing her face and thinking about just how long of a day it had been. The AG's investigator had been saving her for last and from what she could gather from the few hints he dropped it was because DA Wurster was indeed trying to frame her for the whole debacle. Thankfully her emails and Tony's notes as well as the investigators attention to detail would put paid to that. But it still took an hour of exhaustive discussion to get the man out of her office. THEN came the phone call from her grandfather.

"Sooooo... Santini's huh?"

"OH MY GOD! Not after the day I've had, Grandpa."

"I'm just sayin..."

"Sami wants to be a cop."

"......I WANT to say that's great, but how are you feeling about it, baby girl?"

"I don't know... Scared?"

"That is understandable. We can discuss it tonight. You gonna show?"

"Yeah, I'll be there."

"OK. We'll see ya soon. I love you, baby."

"I love you too, Grandpa."

And so she went and what followed was a two and a half hour conversation with her two brothers, her father and her grandfather. All of whom had great concerns about her taste in men. Donnie had gone so far as to inquire if she could be persuaded into becoming a lesbian as her taste in women couldn't possibly be as bad.

They were able to talk her into feeling much better about Sami's choice of becoming a police officer. Which was no small feat. She was grateful she had gone to the meeting just for that, but their misgivings about Mike... And she wasn't one hundred percent sure they were wrong. Mike... was...

It had been a long day. She needed rest. So why was she sitting outside the condos where Michael was staying? She couldn't stay here. All of her clothes were at home. AND she was tired. And if she went up to his place there would be talking and hugging and eating and sex and drinking and sex and laughing and sex and laughing while sexing. And sex with Michael was unpredictable. Last night he took something beautiful and wholesome, like cunalingus, and turned it into something just -nasty-. She needed rest. She just couldn't do this right now.

Michael checked the peephole before opening the door.

"Hey, gorgeous. I didn't think I'd see you tonight." He said before pulling her close and kissing her. "You OK? You look wiped out."

"I'm just tired." She said weakly.

"Well, come on in." He said as he helped her off with her coat. "I do have some company." She looked at him as she removed her gloves and hat to stuff them into her coat pockets. "My friend Darren brought Mrs. Tara Gordy by to talk to me."

Bridget squinted in pain. "Tonitia's mother?" He nodded. "That woman hates my guts."

Michael eyebrows went up in surprise before he nodded. "Maybe it's time we got that settled?"

"I don't want you laying into her. She's been through so much already."

He shook his head. "I'm not going to be mean to her. Come on. It'll be fine." She nodded and walked into the apartment with him. "Hey Darren, Tara, Bridget is here." he said as he walked to the dining table with her.

"Great." She heard Tara comment.

The other man sitting across from Tara waved and smiled at Bridget.

"Bridget, this is Darren..."

"Graves." She cut in with a nod. Mike looked at her surprised. "Organized Crimes came by after you left. Showed me his picture and said he was the guy running things while you were in prison."

Michael asked cautiously, "Did they mention anyone else?"

When she frowned and shook her head, Darren smiled. "Well, that's a win!" He said just before he and Mike high fived like kids. Tara was shaking her head at their juvenile antics.

"Why is that a "Win?" bridget asked with suspicion.

"It's very flattering is all." Darren answered. Bridget appeared to be unconvinced. "I mean it. Michael gave me control of his business interests, all legitimate. Loans and such, nothing crazy, and now the cops are watching me? Cool." He smiled and nodded like a teenager.

Tara shook her head again. "Miss. Fonta, you have to forgive them. They are good men but at their core?.. They are morons." She nodded. Bridget shrugged and nodded with her as Darren reached over and rubbed Tara's back.

Darren smiled again. "Awww. Thank you, baby."

After a moment Michael segued the conversation with, "Tara? I didn't know you had a problem with Miss. Fonta until just now. Why is that?"

She looked at him and sighed. "I told that woman since day one, you didn't kill my baby girl. And if you were gonna kill her, you'd've done it that night when you were killing those other fools. She knew it and did she do anything? No!"

Michael nodded. "I cannot believe how often I have to say this, she was doing her job. That's all."

"She's Bridget Fonta. She coulda done more."

Bridget watched as Michael grumbled, clenched his fists and stared at the ceiling like he wanted to hit something but couldn't hit a woman. "Which of us spent seven years in Rikers?"

Tara looked like she didn't want to make eye contact with him but eventually she conceded. "You did."

"OK. And if I'm not pissed at her, what makes you think you have a right to be?"

Tara sighed again. "I am Sorry I've been rude to you in the past, Miss Fonta."

Bridget shook her head. "Don't feel sorry. I agree with you. I always have."

"Then why didn't you stop it?!"

"I didn't think I could sell it." She shrugged. "Every favor I would've cashed in for him would have been to people who honestly felt safer with him behind bars."

Darren commented, "Rather flattering actually." Mike looked at him like he was crazy. Darren just shrugged.

"Anyway," Michael commented. "I plan on having Bridget around for a very long time, if I play my cards right. So, it would be good if you could get over whatever issues you have with her." He directed to Tara.

Tara nodded. "I will. It's just all this stuff has dredged up old pain and I'm... Well, you know." She sighed with obvious fatigue.

"Is there anything I can do?" Bridget asked her.

"No!" Michael answered quickly. Bridget looked at him a little stunned. "Tara wants me to escort her and Darren to the hearings for this, Jackson LeBanc, turd."