#I was thinking about pdau and that moment came up

[fratboykate]

I say this with love...hotshot judge/lawyer and dumbass criminal AU *big eyed pleading cat cartoon gif that I can't insert but you know the one*. I loved the idea of that one. Don't tell me it died on the vine. (I will understand, you have SO MANY! You're a one-woman AU generator to put AO3 to shame!)

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I’m curious about the public defender au. How did they meet? What was their first impression?

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I propose a rule that you stop mentioning amazing AUs if you're not going to even feed us crumbs about them. Love frat boy, mom, celeb, etc but you got me hooked on Public Defender!Kate and Mafia!Yelena and ahve never mentioned it again.

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Don't ever tell me I don't give the people what they want. Here's 1.5k of the billionth Kate/Yelena AU I've been bamboozled into starting. Officially introducing...PDAU.

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Yelena sits in the cold courthouse holding cell, surrounded by bare walls painted in a lifeless grey. There's no place to lie down and no comfortable spot to rest, just a desk and a few chairs bolted to the ground. A small window, high up near the ceiling, lets in a sliver of daylight. The fluorescents flicker overhead, casting an unflattering glow on Yelena's face and highlighting the bags under her eyes. The orange jumpsuit she's now wearing for the first time in her life only heightens the bleak atmosphere. The stench of stale sweat and urine assaults her nostrils while she shifts on the hard metal seat, trying to find an enjoyable position. The edges of the chair dig into her skin and the clinking of her ankle cuffs each time she fidgets has started to grate on her nerves.

"Сука.” [Bitch.]

Yelena glares at the cuffs trapping her hands and mutters a string of curses in Russian under her breath.

The sound of the creaking door unlocking interrupts Yelena’s outburst. An impeccably dressed young woman strides in and her frazzled appearance hints at the weight of her responsibilities. Her crisp suit accentuates her professional demeanor, and her hair is pulled into a neat bun. The pounding of her distinctly expensive high heels against the concrete floor echoes through the room. The woman sits down across from Yelena, carrying a bulky file in her hands. The blonde leans back, a sardonic smirk playing on her lips as she sizes the brunette up.

“Good morning, Miss Belova. My name is Katherine Bishop and I’m the court-appointed public defender assigned to your case. Let’s see what we’re working with.”

Kate opens the file and begins flipping through the pages. Her eyes widen in disbelief as she reads through Yelena’s rap sheet.

“You’re a real one-woman crime wave…Assault in the Third Degree, Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, Resisting Arrest, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree, Petty Larceny, Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree, Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Third Degree, Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree, Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, Assault in the Fourth Degree, Criminal Mischief in the Third Degree, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, Grand Theft, Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, Criminal Trespass in the Third Degree, Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle in the Third Degree, Burglary in the Third Degree, Criminal Trespass in the Second Degree…” Kate stops herself from reading through the entire record and looks up at Yelena. “…Impressive list. How do you have time for anything else?” Kate asks, shocked.

“You left out jaywalking and littering. Those are important.”

“I just don't have all day to read through this.” Kate looks up from the file, exasperated.

“Only doing my part to keep the economy going.” Yelena replies with a sly grin.

“If you’re trying to single-handedly prop up the criminal justice system, you’re doing a bang-up job.”

“I like to be the best at anything I do.”

“And what is it you do exactly.”

“Little bit of everything. I work in the family business.”

“What’s the family business?”

“We own a restaurant. The Red Guardian. You heard of it? Best shashlik in the city.”

“What do you do at the restaurant?”

Yelena leans away in her chair, feeling cocky.

“Let’s just say I’m not the one who makes the pirozhki.”

“Got it. So, you've been in and out of the system for years, but you've always managed to stay out of prison. How?”

“Luck, charm, and a few friends.” Yelena utters nonchalantly.

“Or good lawyers. What do you think happens when your ‘luck’ runs out?”

Yelena shrugs.

“Then I finally get to experience the joys of prison life. What could be better than three hots and a cot?”

The air between them is thick. Both women are locked in a silent battle of wills, neither giving an inch as they stare each other down. Kate can sense Yelena's gaze burning into her, but she refuses to let the older woman intimidate her. Yet, as she looks at the file in front of her, she can't help but wonder if maybe she's in over her head. On the other hand, Yelena feels a sense of satisfaction that the power dynamic has shifted in the room. She's used to being the one in control, but she can feel the palpable resistance coming from Kate. After a beat, Kate finally breaks the eye contact, opting to focus on the file in front of her instead.

“Seems your lucky streak continues, Miss Belova. I’m here to keep you from learning about ‘the joys of prison life’ for a little longer. I’ll make sure you can carry on being quite the model citizen.”

Yelena chuckles dryly.

“I do what I can to stay out of trouble.”

“Is that so?” Kate answers, skepticism lacing her tone. Kate flips to the last page of the file. “You’ve been arrested seventeen times in the last two years.”

Yelena leans forward and stares directly at Kate.

“How old are you? Twenty-two? What’d they give me, the intern?”

“Not that you need to know, but I’m twenty-five and graduated summa cum laude and with Order Of The Coif honors from Cornell.”

“When? Yesterday?”

“Miss Belova, I’m what you have. Even with this record, you’ve somehow managed to stay out of jail and I intend to keep it that way. Tell me what happened so I can help you.”

“It’s not what you think. I didn't do what they're accusing me of. I'm being set up.”

Yelena doesn’t add anything further. Kate leans forward, her eyes fixed on Yelena.

“And I supposed all these other charges are nothing but a misunderstanding too?”

“Some of them, yeah.” Yelena retorts defensively.

They’re at an impasse. Both continue sizing the other up, trying to figure out the next move. Kate breaks first, trying to reason with her.

“I'm here to help you, but I need to know what I'm dealing with because you’re facing some serious charges.”

“I was just there trying to retrieve some stolen property.”

Kate looks at her skeptically.

“What kind of property would that be?”

“The kind that belongs to my family.”

“I see. And how’d that go?”

“Well, I’m here, with you, in these…” Yelena lifts the handcuffs. “…so not great.”

“If…and that’s a long shot with this record…but if I get the judge to agree to bail, can you cover it?”

“They let the rookies talk to judges now?”

Kate clenches her jaw. Yelena might be pushing buttons too far now.

“I’m one of the best court-appointed lawyers in the city.”

“Yeah?” Yelena asks, raising an eyebrow, clearly doubtful.

“I know my way in a courtroom and can talk circles around most prosecutors.”

“I’m sure you can.”

“Does this normally work for you? Does being an ass to your attorneys get you far?”

“They’ve never given me one of the greenhorns before.”

“I've secured acquittals for more than half of my clients this year and negotiated plea deals for the others that resulted in reduced sentences. If you stop being antagonistic, I can help you too.”

Yelena is intrigued now.

“You think you can beat this? Not scared of taking it on?”

“I’m a public defender. I don’t scare easily.”

Yelena pauses for a beat, studying Kate. After a long moment, she nods.

“Alright, counselor…” Yelena tells her with a hint of a derogatory undertone. “…Tell me what to do.”

“Call your family. Tell them you’re going to need money. I’ll get you out on bail. Then we can start working on your defense.” Kate instructs firmly prior to standing and starting to head for the door. “But Yelena…” Yelena looks up at her. “If you’re lying to me, you’ll be back here before you know it. Got it?”

“Loud and clear.”

Kate exits the cell, the booming of her stilettos reverberating through the empty corridor as she shuts the door behind her with a resounding clang. She takes a deep breath, trying to shake off the tension that has built up inside her since she walked in. As Kate turns to walk away, she can't help but steal a glance at Yelena, who still sits with her fingers linked atop the metal table. Kate can see the anger and frustration written plainly across Yelena's face, but she also detects a hint of something else. Perhaps it's a tinge of fear or maybe even a grudging respect. Whatever it is, Kate has a feeling this encounter has left an indelible mark on her, perhaps even both of them.