First of all, I want to apologize for the delay in this update. My real life has been insane, and I was briefly waylaid by other fandoms. No excuses!


After Sophie left, Freddy stood in the foyer, and allowed the panic to simply pass through him. Fueled with adrenaline, he quickly considered his options. He could show the document to Larry and him explain himself. Or, he could call Hilde and ask her to pick him up. Sever all ties, immediately and completely. The sheer weight of the decision suddenly dawned on him and he had to lean against the back of a chair to compose himself, just counting his breaths. In and out. Minutes passed and he made the conscious effort to push himself away and enter the lion's den.
Larry was splayed on his back, arm folded over his head. He rarely snored, but often slept with his mouth slightly agape, a habit that had consistently melted Freddy heart. No longer. He felt little more than numbness, head buzzing with a strange sense of disconnection.

"Sophie was just here," he announced without preamble.

It had the desired effect. Blinking, disoriented, Larry pushed himself onto his elbows, confusion evident on his face.

"Huh?"

"She's not the type to panic, is she Larry?"

Larry's features settled like stone.

"What did she say?"

"That they know about the HSBC deal, and the hammer's about to drop. She doesn't know when, just that it'll be soon."

Breathless, almost giddy, Freddy waited for Larry's reaction. All he needed was an excuse to leave, but the agony that flickered across Larry's face threw him for a loop, as did the whispered entreaty:

"Oh god."

The bed creaked as Larry moved over to make room for him, patting the mattress. A small tendril of hope bloomed in Freddy's chest. Still on guard, he lowered himself next to the warm, familiar body and struggled to remain immune to the lingering scent of their earlier love-making. Larry curled an arm around him and spoke, voice strong and measured. He told Freddy everything: the esoteric financing, the investment and securities fraud. The fictitious promisory notes. And finally, impossibly, how a major bank like HSBC would soon be the key to expanding their operations.

Hearing it all from Larry's mouth was sobering in a way he hadn't anticipated. Freddy burrowed into the curve of his arm, face pressed against the bare expanse of his chest, and just allowed himself a moment to make sense of the situation. He didn't even realize he was shivering until Larry pulled the covers over them.

"What're you thinking?"

"Thanks for telling me," Freddy managed, voice muffled.

A few moments of uneasy silence passed, Larry's hand running soft circles over his back.

"You hinted that you never passed the bar. Have you ever posed as a lawyer, or signed anything under the pretense that you are a lawyer? Did Cabot ever willingly misrepresent you as a lawyer with your knowledge?"

The questions tumbled out, leaving him breathless. Larry leaned back and studied him, expression inscrutable.

"What are you saying, babe?"

"You might not be fully complicit if you were being misled by your boss regarding the legal ramifications of--"

"Wait a second there, I was fully aware of what we were doing. I need you to know that. Look at me. This is who I am."

Freddy gripped Larry's arm, fascinated as the firm muscle depressed slightly beneath his fingers. It felt like he was watching a movie of someone else's life.

"I know," he whispered, "but if you want any chance of getting out of this, you'll have to plead ignorance and give them Joe."

"What if we take off? Greece? France? Just the two of us."

His heart crumbled along with Larry's resolve.

"I can't. Larry, I love you, but I have to draw the line somewhere. Take a plea bargain. Let me help you."

The mattress compressed as Larry fell back and stared at the ceiling, eyes unseeing. For a brief, hopeless moment, Freddy was certain that they'd reached a permanent impasse.

"I've known Joe for twenty years," Larry croaked, dragging a hand across his face.

"They're looking for a scapegoat, the bigger the better. He's got to know that he's a sweeter target than you. Would he hesitate in any way to fuck you over if it meant a lighter sentence?"

"I don't know."

The tension in Larry's voice said otherwise.

"If they get him, they get HSBC execs as well. Turn before he can. Sweeten the deal for them. Make yourself indispensable. You know I'm right."

"How many years would I be looking at?"

"I don't know," Freddy answered truthfully, not daring to make eye-contact. Instead, he placed a few soothing caresses against Larry's chest, "the more you give them, the better. I'm talking names, documents. Concrete evidence they can use in court. I don't want to give you false hope, but corporate crime is more likely to invite leniency. You could be looking at a nothing more than a fine."

The indecision was evident in Larry's eyes. Freddy watched him as he agonized silently, weighing his options, calculating the likelihood of every probable outcome. He knew the exact moment Larry made up his mind.

"My kingdom for a kiss," Larry sighed, leaning forward to breathe against his lips.

They tasted each other, deeply, laden with the reality about to descend upon them.

.•:*¨¨*:•..•:*¨¨*:•..•:*¨¨*:•.

His finger tightened around the phone cord. It rang once, twice.

"Hello?"

"Hilde, I need a favor."

Silence. When she answered, it was apparent that she knew his request wasn't a frivolous one.

"Freddy? What is it? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I just need the name of the best corporate defense lawyer you can get. I'd ask my professors, but I need to step back from this. I've got an emotional stake in it."

"What did he do?"

"I won't talk about this, Hilde. Not on the phone. Don't ask me to."

"I can't believe that fucker got you caught up in his shit. I'll kill him--"

"Don't. You know how I feel about him. Just... do this for me. Please?"

A deep, pained sigh. Freddy pressed his forehead against the doorframe and mouthed a silent prayer.

"I'll get back to you. I can't promise anything."

The dizzying relief was so intense it felt like someone had cut him off at the knees.

To be continued