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“Casey. Casey.”
“What?”
“Your son is barking.”
“He’s our son.”
“You adopted him.”
Casey groans, and looks at the clock on their bedside table. Four in the morning.
“Maybe he just saw some bird outside,” Casey cuddles back into her pillow. “He’ll probably stop in five minutes.”
Apple doesn’t stop in five minutes. In fact, he only barks louder.
Alex lightly pushes Casey with one hand. “He’s not stopping,” she murmurs, stating the obvious.
Casey has no option but to groan again, and leave the very, very comfortable bed.
“I want a divorce.”
“Love you too,” Alex replies.
Downstairs, Apple is barking at their front door. Casey curses quietly, because she knows exactly just who is behind that door.
“Down, boy,” commands Casey, and Apple obeys. He sits dutifully beside her like a knight as Casey mentally prepares herself for the headache she’s about to endure.
“Goooooood morning!” Comes the too-enthusiastic voice of Michael Ford, the translator for the Onoch people. He wears a brown suit, pants, and a fedora. Beside him is F’sheo (Casey still has no idea how to pronounce it properly, and quite frankly with the way they keep bothering her, she doesn’t plan to learn any sooner), representative of the Onoch.
One of the humans had a complicated case against the Onoch about a year ago, and after a bit of convincing, Casey gave in and let the case go. Apparently, this is how The Onoch show their gratitude:
“Cregaod oklidin Sisma,” F’sheo says, bowing his octopi-head slightly. “Casey Novak, ferandi tilmu pola.”
“Lord Ambassador F’sheo has offered you another chance to become one with The Onoch!” Mike says, as if she was just offered one million dollars.
“At four in the morning?”
“Why, there’s an Onoch saying, Miss Novak–”
“‘An early bird gets the worm.’ Yeah, yeah, that’s what we say too.” Casey sighs, and faces the Ambassador. “Lord Ambassador, with all due respect, I decline your offer. I already have a religion.”
Mike translates it for the Ambassador, and the Ambassador simply shakes his head and says something else. “Lord Ambassador F’sheo says, the Onoch is not just a religion– it is a way of life. It preserves tradition, seeks peace within each heart, trains discipline and commitment–”
“Did you not hear what I just said? I’m not interested!”
“Whoa, Miss Novak, no need to get emotional,” Mike chuckles nervously. Casey wants to punch him in the face just to show him how emotional she can be. F’sheo raises one hand, and begins to walk away. “Lord Ambassador F’sheo and I completely understand,” Mike continues, “however– just in case you change your mind,” he takes two things out of his pants pocket: a leather bracelet– which Casey assumes is made out of skin from an animal from the Onoch’s home planet– and a small bottle with yellow-ish liquid inside. “Just wear the bracelet, and drink this concoction, made by our potion master. In that order. Trust me, once you’ve done that– we’ll know.”
Casey sighs once more, but takes things anyway, just because she knows otherwise Mike won’t leave her alone. “I have one question– are you planning to join them, too?” Not that she actually cares, really.
“‘Course not. It’s all just business, sweetheart,” Mike winks, and he should thank whatever God he prays to for business that Casey still has the restraint not to sic Apple on him.
When Casey goes back to the bedroom, Alex has already been waiting with open arms. She places the concoction and the bracelet on the bedside table, before burying herself under the blankets and tucks her head under Alex’s chin.
“The Onoch again?” Casey hums. “Be patient with them. They’ll leave us alone eventually.”
“With Michael Ford as their bridge, I doubt that.”
She feels Alex kiss the top of their head. “You always do a great job with them. I love you.”
“Mmhm. I love you too. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
*
It’s midday when Casey gets the call.
She’s currently busy doing paperwork– if she could get everything done before the evening, she’d make it to the reservation Alex had made for the both of them. So she put her phone on silent.
It’s only when she needs to stretch her back, cracking her spine, that she gets to check her phone. There are about five missed calls from an unknown number.
Just the slightest bit panicked, Casey calls the number back. “Hello?”
“Miss Novak, finally. This is Jessica Merrill, translator for the Kaliath people,” a soft, girlish voice says into the phone. “I called to inform you: your wife, Miss Alexandra Cabot, has been arrested.”
*
The Kaliath Compound (though it is an apartment, really) is located in West Village. All nations on Earth are below The Alliance, an intergalactic federation of many species, therefore when an alliance is made between mankind and another species, governments must prepare living accommodations for the aliens involved. Kaliath was one of the first ones to seek refuge on Earth from the war in their system, and in turn they give whatever country they live in shipments of Areid, a special type of mineral that could pave the way for flying cars in the future. The US president was, of course, happy to give them the finest apartments in New York City.
Casey appreciates the many cultures in the city she loves, really. New York is her home, and the differences between people living in it adds to the beauty. Right now, it is not the matter of that– right now, what matters is that Alex is in jail. She doesn’t care what kind of alien race does it, all she cares about is getting her out. Because Alexandra Cabot does not belong in jail, any type of jail.
As of now, she’s currently pacing back and forth in McCoy’s office with Kim Greylek, legal representative for the Kaliath people.
“What do you mean they can’t drop the charges?” Casey asks Greylek, her arms crossed over her chest. “Alex didn’t do it, and you know it!”
“Casey, there’s video footage,” Greylek answers calmly. Casey hates it. She hates her. She hates how calm she is. “Cabot threw away a cup of coffee in front of the compound. Deliberately. You know the rules.”
“My wife does not litter! She cares about that go-green stuff!”
“Casey,” McCoy says. “She’ll be out by tomorrow. Just, let it go.”
“Let it go? Jack, what if it was your wife?” He doesn’t answer. Casey sighs. She knows it’s wise to just do as he says. But the thought of Alex being far away from her, alone in a cold cell for a whole day, and with her sleeping problems she definitely won’t get any sleep tonight. And tomorrow morning there’ll be a big trial for her. “Fine, then. If I can’t get the charges dropped…”
“Just what do you intend to do, Casey?” McCoy asks, looking scared.
Casey grabs her bag and produces two things from inside of it. “I intend to file a lawsuit.”
“Against who?” Greylek frowns.
“The Kaliath people.”
McCoy coughs loudly in surprise. “Casey, you want to sue… An entire race of aliens?”
“If that’s what it takes to get my wife back, yes.”
“Sir, this is ridiculous,” Greylek says. “There is nothing the Kaliath people have done to her personally.”
“She’s right, Novak. What is your basis for this legal action?”
“Onoch v. Jameson, sir,” Casey says with much confidence. “Under no circumstances the wife of a husband is permitted to be outside of the husband’s view for longer than twelve hours.”
“You’re not even Onoch!” Greylek says.
Casey clasps the bracelet from the Onoch people around her wrist. She downs the yellow concoction like it’s a shot of whiskey. Strangely, it tastes like grape juice. “I am now.”
“One more thing, sir,” Casey says before leaving the room. “I request a Bridge who could translate the Kaliath’s language without bias.”
Casey doesn’t bother to turn around when Greylek follows her behind. “You’re playing with fire here,” she warns. “You could risk a war between the Onoch and Kaliath.”
“Greylek, we all know you only became a defense attorney because of your bad break up with Carmichael,” Casey rolls her eyes. “Lawyers talk.”
“T-that has nothing to do with–” Greylek’s cheeks redden. “I won’t go easy on you, Novak. I’ll see you in court.”
*
“Objection, Your Honor! Speculation!” Casey yells, her blood starting to boil.
“⏁⊑⟟⌇ ⟟⌇ ⌇⟟⋔⌿⌰⊬ ⍀⏃☊⟟⌇⋔,” Tenai, the Ambassador of the Kaliath, says.
“He said it’s, uh,” Translator Emily Prentiss clears her throat.
“Translation, Miss Prentiss?” Judge Alonso presses.
“He said that Miss Novak’s cause of legal action is based on, uh, prejudice.”
“A racist? He called me a racist? I’ll show you a–”
“Miss Novak, this is your last warning!” The Judge said.
“Your honor, should I translate that?” Prentiss meekly asks.
“No!”
So, the trial is going well. Casey has got “the last warning” for the second time. Judge Alonso has only given so many chances because Alex is his friend.
Greylek has somehow been fired, and the Ambassador, having been absolutely offended that a human would sue all his people, decides to take the stand himself.
If this were any other case, Casey would tell herself that she’s going too far. But for Alex? There’s no such thing as going too far.
*
Later around midnight, Alex Cabot is back at her home, arms wrapped around her wife. She sighs contentedly, despite having to wake up in three hours for a jog– an Onoch tradition which has to be done before dawn. This is their life now, but it’s alright.
“I can’t believe it. You sued an entire race… For me?” Alex says incredulously– but there’s something else in her eyes. Something beneath her shock and confusion and exhaustion from standing in the cell all day (she refused to sit on anything).
Casey raised her head to kiss her wife’s chin. “I’d sue the entire galaxy for you.”
“That’s the hottest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
A pause.
“Want to make some Onoch babies?”
“Absolutely.”