Title: HSU - Bare Necessities, 3/?
Author: Emmy
Timeline: After Maxed Out 3

Part 3

"Hey, what are you doing out of...." The look on the Nurse's face as she marched swiftly down the hall convinced Dorotea that she probably shouldn't ask any questions.

For her part, Darry didn't even notice the Librarian with her back pressed to the wall. The only reality to the Nurse was that she was still five days away from having to leave the Clinic and that she carried the singing bass in her hand.

Dorotea followed close behind, not being able to resist the intrigue. Whoever was setting off that alarm was in for a good clobbering.

Darry marched through the kitchen and straight out the back door. She maintained a rapid stride as she made her way toward the pool. She paused momentarily and then flung the fish into the pool.

Dorotea gasped. And then she wondered where Xani and Logan were.

Darry swiftly turned around and saw the smile on Dorotea's face. "Don't. Even. Think. About it."

"What?" Dorotea responded defensively as Darry stormed past her and headed back to the Clinic, threateningly showing off her sparking fingertips to every Ho she passed.

~*~

"How many times do I have to tell you, MY briefcase had FIVE tiaras!"

Sargent Smiley frowned at the crazed woman sitting proudly in the precinct office.

"I demand that you find whoever stole my tiaras!" Emmy charged.

Detective Darling sighed and rubbed his forehead. He leaned over to Smiley and said, "Shouldn't we make sure we get an attorney in here. This one's trouble."

"We read her rights. I don't think that silence is a concept she easily grasps," Smiley muttered back.

"What are you saying about me?" Emmy interjected. "I demand to have my attorney here! I haven't gotten my phone call. I want my phone call!"

Smiley looked at Darling. Darling looked at Smiley.

"NOW!" Emmy yelled, pounding her hand on the desk.

"There's the phone," Smiley said, pointing to it.

"Well," Darling said as Emmy sat there glaring at them.

"Hello, Joe Friday! I need a phone book! You think I have my attorney's number memorized? I am a law-abiding citizen. And let me just add that I will take both of you for everything you're worth for this shoddy treatment!"

Smiley rolled his eyes. "Who is your attorney. We probably have the number."

Emmy looked around the rundown precinct. "I doubt it," she sniffed.

"His name?" Darling said.

"Bobby Donnell."

"Who?" Smiley and Darling said.

Emmy glared at them.

Smiley rolled back in his chair to reach for a phone book. "Alright, what city?"

"Coruscant and Boston," Emmy said.

Darling sighed. "Ma'am, it's doubtful that your attorney is even licensed to practice law here."

Emmy stood up, "He is licensed EVERYWHERE, and you will get him here IMMEDIATELY before I use my phone call to contact the ACLU!"

Smiley stood up. "Sit. Down."

Emmy put her hands on her hips and stuck out her chin.

"If you don't sit down," Smiley said, "I'd be happy to have to wait in a holding cell."

Emmy arched an eyebrow and then grumbled as she sat down.

~*~

"Brenda, have you seen Emmy?"

Brenda nearly knocked her phone off her desk as she hurriedly stuffed the nekkid General brochure under a pile of paperwork as the very real, and unfortunately clothed, General stood in her doorway. "Uh.... She said she was going into town to....do some shopping."

"Hmm," the General said as he walked forward, swaggering as naturally as breathing.

"Everything alright?" Brenda said.

"Yes," he nodded. "Everything is fine," he said not entirely convincingly. Emmy had now stood him up on her second appointment of the day. It could mean one of two things. Either she was dead or she had gotten herself in a tight spot. Figuring somebody would have called by now if she were dead, the General shrugged and then flashed Brenda a smile. "Sooo, Brenda," he said, taking her hand. "Perhaps we should discuss," he ran his lips across the top of her hand, "your anger with me."

Brenda felt her knees wobble, but she stood her ground. Then she smiled. "It would be my pleasure."

"Yes, it will," he purred in her ear.

~*~

"What do you mean you can't find his phone number?"

Smiley didn't smile. "So you were recently arrested for shoplifting a tiara from a jewelry store on Coruscant. This...Booby--"

"BOBBY!!"

"Got you cleared of these charges."

"Give me that phone!" Emmy yelled. "YOU," she charged, pointing at the smug Smiley, "are going to be SORRY!"

Smiley rolled his eyes as Emmy dialed the phone.

~*~

"Should you get that?"

"Mmmmm?"

"The...phone....."

"Nnnggghhhh...."

"Ooohhh...baby...."

~*~

"Thank you for calling the Hestia State University Public Relations Office. Your call is very import--"

"Dammit, Brenda!" Emmy yelled, slamming the phone down. "What the hell else could she possibly have to do??" the Diva groused to Smiley and Darling.

Smiley and Darling shrugged.

"Do you two actually *solve* any crimes, or do you just harass people?"

"We just harass people," Darling said.

"This is just great," Emmy said. "This entire city trusts its safety to people who can't even find a frickin' phone number."

"Well, since it hasn't been too long since you've seen this attorney of yours, maybe you should carry his number with you," Smiley said.

"Listen, Ponch," Emmy said. "I *do* carry his number. But it's IN MY BRIEFCASE!!"

"Oh," Darling said, "but we have your briefcase."

"THAT'S NOT MY BRIEFCASE!!"

Smiley stood up again, "Alright, just shut up."

Emmy gasped. "What did you just say to me?" She grabbed a pen and paper and began taking notes.

"What we're going to do is call someone at the Public Defender's office," Smiley said.

"WHAT??"

"That way, we can get things going, and he can help you track down this attorney of yours and then he can take over at any point," Smiley said.

"You can't do that! I have a right to choose whichever attorney I want!" Emmy protested.

Smiley looked at Darling. Darling looked at Smiley.

"Alright then," Darling said. "We'll take you down to the jail and let you wait there until we can find your attorney."

"Do we need to remind you that you were arrested with one million dollars cash and a kilo of cocaine?"

Emmy crossed her arms and legs. "Fine. Call somebody."

~*~

Emmy pouted, having ended up in jail anyway once the half-asleep public defender went through the procedures to put her there since it was too late to get her case on the docket for a bail hearing. Emmy choked down a sob as she looked down at her orange jumpsuit. She hated orange. And it definitely clashed with her manicure. She, of course, had argued to be able to keep her own clothes. But she was informed that possession of hard drugs and a million dollars in cash was not taken likely by the county's fine judicial system.

Whatever.

"Okay, you get to make a call," the burly guard said as they approached the guard station.

Emmy stared at the phone. And then she dialed.

"Thank you for calling the Hestia State University Mediator's Office. Your call is very imp--"

"LAURE!!!!"

"Sorry, call's over," the guard said.

"Wait, I have to leave a message," Emmy complained as the guard tried to wrestle the phone away from her.

"Oh well, you'll get another call tomorrow."

"Laureit'sEmmyI'minjaildowntowndon'ttelltheGeneralcallBobbyNOTLindseyh elphelphelp!!!" Emmy cursed as the guard yanked the phone away. "YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" Emmy yelled as the burly guard corralled her toward the guard station.

A loud buzz echoed in the corridor as the gate opened and the guard pushed her through.

"Dead man walkin'!" the guard at the station yelled.

Emmy turned and gave him a wild look.

The guard broke into a laugh. "Sorry, sorry," he guffawed. "But the look on your face," he said, pointing at her and gasping for air as he laughed.

Emmy harumphed and turned her head and walked confidently forward.

"Woooo! Fresh meat!"

Emmy whimpered as the clanging and banging echoed throughout the jail.

~*~

The General stood in the doorway of Emmy's room, hands on his hips, while he looked into the dark - and empty - bedroom. Something just wasn't right.

Then, suddenly, a Nutella jar appeared in his face.

And it was connected to an arm.

He slowly turned his head to find that the arm was connected to, of all things, a slightly smirking and very sultry female.

"Hungry?" Shana asked.

"Always," he responded with a positively feral grin."

~*~

Laure tip-toed into her office and quietly closed the door to her private quarters as the RB slept soundly. Having emptied the last bottle of drugged merlot during the evening, Laure knew she needed to get her hands on another bottle before he curled up into a little ball again.

Noticing the message light on her phone, Laure paused at her desk and picked up the receiver. She dialed the code to retrieve her messages and casually examined her manicure. Then her breath caught in her lungs and she flopped down into her chair with an unpleasant groan. Laure carelessly hung up the phone and dropped her head to the desk with a thud.

She sat like that for several moments and then finally sat up and quickly slumped back in her chair. She blew out a heavy sigh as she glanced at the clock. Then she stood up and threw her arms out to the sides. "Oh well, too late to worry about it now. Tomorrow is another day," she said with a tired sigh as she made her way through the darkness in search of more merlot.

TBC