In which Len goes on trial and the yet-to-be-built STAR Labs gets its first employee.

Took me long enough!
I rebelled this year for NaNoWriMo (like I usually do) by continuing to work on this story rather than starting something brand-new, and this chapter marks the beginning of this month's word count. But for reasons unknown I just kept dithering with it, and dithering, and dithering some more, and even though my work schedule really hasn't changed any (I mean, we're busier at work due to the HallowThankMas shopping season but the number of hours I have at work versus free time at home haven't changed sufficiently enough to account for the delay) I just... took my sweet old time with editing this one.

Regina Brown (name randomly chosen by me-I had one from a random generator I liked but never noted it down), David Ortaga (first name randomly chosen by me, surname by a name generator), Cid "Monty" Cooper (first name Final Fantasy reference, nickname because he's the inventor of the Montgomery security systems-haven't decided where he got the name from, yet, but part of me wants to claim he got the nickname from some superhero he used to read comics about-surname the closest I could find to a "meaningful name" that I actually liked to go along with him being an inventor), and random unnamed extras, copyright me.

Everyone else, copyright DC, CW, et al.

Need to see the approximate order these stories take place? Check out the list on my profile!

Starling City Hall, April 20, 2000, noon

Leonard wasn't sure what to expect from meeting with the District Attorney, but whatever it was, this wasn't it.

First there had been Quentin's warning when he'd come by to escort Leonard to one of the jail's shower rooms. The room in question was private, intended to allow former inmates to clean up when they were released, unlike the larger shower room used on a daily basis by the jail's current residents, but Leonard was under no allusions about his impending freedom. He still needed to persuade the DA and a judge to go along with their plan before he could officially be released; even assuming success in that area, the threat of the Santinis made confinement to an unfamiliar city, while working for someone who had every reason to hate him at that, only slightly less worrying than confinement to a prison cell.

"If you want to make this work, you're going to have to make a good impression on her," the detective had told him. "Let her see that you're taking the whole thing seriously."

Leonard half-listened as he undressed. He watched the detective while he did so, but Quentin had already turned away, allowing the thief a semblance of modesty.

Leonard wasn't sure if that was technically allowed; Quentin's job right now was to guard him and make sure he didn't try to escape or worse. But as uneasy as the thief felt about having company while he showered off, he wasn't about to take advantage of the gesture by trying anything nefarious.

"That means no snarking," Quentin continued. "No sarcastic remarks, nothing like that. You know what you did was wrong, Dr. Wells thinks this is the best way for you to make up for it, and you're willing to cooperate with him. That's it."

Leonard couldn't imagine why the detective had taken such an interest in him. As the arresting officer, it was hardly surprising that he would show an interest in the case, but Quentin almost sounded like he was trying to be the thief's lawyer!

"And whatever else you do, drop the 'scared little boy' act," Quentin finished. "You're almost thirty, for god's sake; it's nobody's job to mother you, and the DA won't be impressed if you try that angle."

What act? What was he... ah. Leonard blinked. Was that why the detective was so focused on him? Why any of them were so willing to help him make things better, even Harrison and Tess? The thief hadn't realized his panic had made him seem childish, though it stood to reason with how often Lewis had tried to beat him into hiding his fear, and he didn't care for the idea that that's how they saw him. But the unexpected benefit was intriguing, so he filed the thought away to examine as soon as he the had leisure to do so.

Then there was the matter of the group he was meeting with. Not only were Quentin and DA Regina Brown present, but Tess and Harrison had also shown up to help explain their plan.

There was also, as Harrison had predicted, Monty—whose real name Leonard discovered was Cid Cooper, and the thief had to remind himself to focus on the meeting instead of puzzling out where the name "Montgomery" had come from—a man who looked like he could bench-press Mick without breaking a sweat, but who acted positively nerdy over the prospect of picking Leonard's brain.

The final face in the room was David Ortaga, the university's chairman, a man who sneered so often Leonard would have thought his face was fixed that way had the expression not vanished whenever he faced Regina. The oddity there was that he was just as likely to look down his nose at Harrison as at Leonard; the thief couldn't decide if he was the arrogant sort who saw himself above the scientist, or if he simply viewed Harrison as guilty by association.

The final oddity was the meeting itself.

—FLASH SIDEWAYS: TESS—

Regina looked up from the case files and fixed her gaze on Leonard.

The thief tried not to squirm under that gaze; it was only his anxiety about the proceedings, but she gave him the impression that she could out-glare Lisa, and right now the woman was being pleasant!

"Mr. Snart," Regina said, "Detective Lance tells me that you and Dr. Wells have been discussing the possibility of working off your sentence?"

Leonard nodded. "Yes, ma'am," he murmured. That Harrison had only suggested it yesterday was hardly what he would call a "discussion," but it was close enough for the purpose.

She smiled. "I imagine Detective Lance also told you that my office has been trying to push the convict employment programs for years now." The smile vanished. "If you are serious about this, my office can certainly represent you at your trial. But I must wonder if you—if all of you—have considered all of the factors involved? We aren't talking about short-term community service. Most such programs assist convicts for up to five years to find a job after they've served their sentences, to help reintegrate them into society, but if your objective is to avoid prison you could expect to have to be employed by Dr. Wells for at least that long."

"You mean I'd be stuck here for five years?" Leonard protested. "Er... sorry, ma'am," he added, as he felt Quentin's glare burning into the back of his head. Five years in Starling? The family would track him down long before then!

"Isn't that a little excessive?" Tess asked. "That's the sentence he received back when everyone thought he shot Mr. Darkwood, but he didn't hurt anyone or steal anything..."

"That is true," Regina replied. "But according to the case files, the break-in resulted in a quarter of a million dollars' worth of damage; that amount will be factored in when the judge delivers his sentence."

"Ah, begging your pardon, Ms. Brown," David said. "It cost the university half of a million dollars to replace those security panels. Not that I expect him to pay all of it back; even if his wages were garnished to the end of his days, Dr. Wells could hardly pay him that much. I imagine the only way he could ever pay for the damages is if he had a fortune sitting around from whatever else he'd stolen over the years. I simply wish to be sure that the records are... accurate."

Leonard tried to swallow the lump in his throat. Half of a million? They couldn't seriously expect him to come up with that kind of money without stealing it! He had money hidden away from Lewis, true, but it wasn't enough. Not nearly enough. If he sold his grandfather's house he might be able to pay for one of the panels, but there would be nothing left for Lisa.

"He's bluffing," Monty murmured to the thief. "He can't make you pay that; he's just trying to rattle you."

Yeah, well, he's succeeding! Leonard thought. "How can you be sure?" he murmured back.

"Wait and see," was the engineer's only reply.

Regina shook her head. "According to the records your insurance assessor provided, only one unit—the one Mr. Snart had left dismantled—was damaged sufficiently to require replacement, and they covered that expense. Mr. Cooper himself had assessed the other as in perfect working order, and it was only at your insistence that he had both of them replaced." The smile she directed at the man could not be interpreted as anything but predatory, and Leonard shivered just from being in the same room with her. "If you wish to file a civil lawsuit against Mr. Snart for the cost, you are welcome to do so, and I would be glad to ensure that the judge has copies of the records made by both the police and the insurance assessor, as well as the university's own security footage. But until you have filed that claim, there will be no discussion of garnished wages. Am I understood?"

"Er, uh, yes, ma'am," David replied.

Leonard glanced back at Monty, but the engineer made no attempt to explain.

"See that you remember," Regina. "Speaking of wages, Mr. Snart, you will also need to consider the question of suitable housing. I trust you were not planning to spend the next five years in a hotel?"

Leonard shook his head. He had thought it was an option before Regina had suggested that timeframe, but even the crappy motel he'd stayed in before didn't run cheap enough for a long-term arrangement; now he didn't know what he was supposed to do.

"The job comes with a housing allowance," Harrison told Regina. "It will be more than enough for a decent apartment if he can't afford a place of his own—"

"Like anyone outside of the Glades will take him," David muttered.

One of Regina's eyelids began to twitch.

"—and with his paycheck," Harrison continued as though the other man hadn't spoken, "as long as he's careful he'll have enough for the occasional luxury, as well."

"You want me to move here?" Leonard asked. "To live... in Starling." No doubt they'd have someone watching him for all that time, leaving him almost no chance to look in on Lisa. He tried not to grimace at the thought; he didn't want her too close, not if the Santinis tracked him down, but he hated the thought of having to stay so far from her for so long.

Though if he could establish a safe house in Starling, that might give him a chance to get her out of their reach. It would at least be a start.

"In your case, Mr. Snart," Regina said, "part of the objective is to distance you from certain negative influences in your life. I understand if you are concerned that Starling is not distant enough, but I'm afraid that anything further is outside of our jurisdiction; the only way you could be certain of additional protection is if you entered the Witness Protection Program... which requires a willingness to act as a witness."

Leonard shook his head. "Would you believe I just feel weird about accepting charity?"

David snorted.

"Ah. Then you're in luck." Regina smiled. "This isn't a charity; the purpose of these programs is to help people like yourself reach a point where you can support yourself—Mr. Ortaga, I am exceedingly curious what you expect to gain from forfeiting the privilege of being here. If you wish to indulge my curiosity, then please let me know so I can have security escort you out. Mr. Snart is being respectful; I should not have to ask you to follow his example." She watched the chairman for a few seconds, then continued. "To reach a point where you can support yourself legally, and hopefully give back to the community at the same time. That requires both steady income and suitable living arrangements."

"And it isn't charity on our end, either," Harrison added. He frowned. "Or, well, by a certain definition I guess it kind of is? But it isn't one we're singling you out for, if that's the part that's bothering you. This is something Tess and I have discussed before you came along."

Tess nodded. "We don't want financial need to be a barrier for anyone worth hiring," she said. "One's personal skills should always be the highest priority. While there are some problems we wouldn't be able to help with right away, a housing allowance is at least an easy short-term solution."

Regina nodded. "It sounds like you have everything planned out, then."

You mean it's been planned out for me. Leonard suppressed a sigh. Was he always going to live at the whims of others, a puppet dancing to whatever tune they played?

"That will make it a lot easier to convince the judge that this is the best course of action," Regina continued. "Was there anything else you'd like to add?"

There are no strings on me... "I was just wondering..." Leonard frowned and tried to decide the best way to offer his suggestion; if he could get just one thing out of this mess that was his, and his alone, it might be enough, but to manage that he'd have to play by their rules. "Is there any rule that says that it has to be an apartment? Dr. Wells?"

"Not technically," Harrison replied. "In theory you could get any place you can afford, as long as you haven't been legally barred from the area. But I'm afraid the housing allowance may not be enough to cover anything more substantial, especially if we're only planning for the next five years."

"You had something specific in mind?" Regina asked.

"Just a random thought," Leonard replied. "I was actually thinking about commute time, to be honest. I know there are some apartments in the middle of town, nearer to where Dr. Wells is setting up his labs, that might work. But then I realized they'd also be a lot more expensive than anywhere else in town, and even if the... the allowance was enough to cover them—" he glanced at the two scientists.

Tess waggled a hand back and forth. "Probably not," she said. "It would be worth a look if that's what you want, but it might be cutting it close even if it was enough."

"Right." Leonard nodded. "And even if it was enough, like Mr. Ortaga said, there's a good chance that nobody would want to lease one of those apartments to me. But then I remembered that you have a few run-down houses in the same part of town, places that need rebuilding..." He shrugged. Such a house, leased rather than bought, would not be his any more than an apartment. But in this, the choice was all that mattered.

"You're talking about the renovation projects," Regina said. "No charge for the lease in exchange for a promise to restore the place. Dr. Wells, would he be allowed to use your housing allowance for repairs instead of rent?"

"If that is what he prefers, then yes," Harrison replied. "Essentially his housing expenses would be billed to the lab's payroll department—rather to us until we have the department properly set up, hiring Leonard on is just premature under the circumstances—and on paper renovations will still fall under that category; that's the part that will be important." He shrugged. "Again, the biggest obstacle would be whether he is accepted for such a lease and can afford the repairs."

Regina nodded. "You do realize, Mr. Snart, that the cost to rebuild one of those houses would likely be more than the rent for a simple apartment? Especially if you expect to manage it in only five years, while working full-time, instead of a normal twenty-five-year lease."

"You did say you expected me to give back to the community," Leonard said. "Wouldn't something like that help?" Especially since it would only be a lease; thief or no, he couldn't exactly sell a house for profit if it never belonged to him.

"Hmm." Regina tapped a finger against her chin as she regarded the young thief. "Don't get your heart set on this plan just yet. First we need to persuade the judge to let you work off your sentence. After that... I can make some inquiries, but you will need to allow the possibility that you simply won't be able to lease one of those houses."

"Yes, ma'am," Leonard replied.

—FLASH SIDEWAYS: TESS—

Starling City Courthouse, April 22, 2000, noon

Regina promised Leonard that with the judge she had arranged for, the trial would almost be anticlimactic.

Leonard wasn't convinced that that would be a good thing. No matter how the trial turned out, he was still facing imprisonment of a sort; the possibility of a job and his own home meant he'd have a little more freedom of movement than in prison, but he hardly expected to be allowed the run of the city, and his encounter with Scribe proved that even the police watching his every move didn't—couldn't—guarantee his safety. And far worse, his confinement to Starling City meant that he couldn't guarantee Lisa's safety.

In the end, only two thoughts helped him fight his panic. The first was that the Santinis might not have learned that he had survived that encounter, or so the lack of activity following Christopher's threat allowed him to hope. The second was the knowledge that, if their plan succeeded, he would be spending most of his time with the two scientists, a plan they surely would never have agreed to if they expected danger to follow him. But that still left Lisa's eventual fate in doubt.

And a fight to remain calm was exactly what it was. He had never in his life depended so completely on anyone else for a plan to succeed, not Mick or Lisa, not even the lawyer the court had assigned him when he'd first been accused of shooting Christopher. But today, if he expected to have any hope of a positive outcome, he'd have little choice but to allow Regina absolute control over his part of the proceedings, even to the point of requesting a bench trial simply because she told him to.

On the one hand, the suggestion made sense. By eliminating a jury and allowing Regina to focus entirely on the judge, he eliminated the complication of having more people to persuade.

On the other hand, a bench trial meant there would not, officially, be any witness testimonies. And while officially nobody present was on his side, as Harrison and Tess both had to join David as the prosecution and Monty was a neutral party, everyone but the chairman had made it clear that they wanted this plan to succeed.

The only real benefit Leonard could see was that the chairman was similarly dependent on his own lawyer, a man whose name the thief never heard and who didn't appear keen to prosecute.

—FLASH SIDEWAYS: TESS—

"You broke in to the university," the judge said, "causing $250,000 worth of damage to the security system. Is that correct?"

"I hadn't realized I'd done so much damage, Your Honor," Leonard admitted. Even if he hadn't taken an oath, he refused to speak anything but truth about that. "But yes, I did break in."

David shifted in his seat to glare at the thief.

"There was something you needed to add, Mr. Ortaga?" the judge asked.

The lawyer glanced at Monty, and shook his head. "No, Your Honor, my client has no further additions at this point. 250 is the number both the insurance assessor and Mr. Cooper provided."

"Good." The judge nodded. "Then, Mr. Snart, perhaps you can tell me why you decided to break in to the university, a few weeks after..." He glanced at one of the papers. "After you were arrested for trying to kill one of their security guards?"

Leonard cringed. No judge would ever understand.

"Well, come now," the judge said. "Speak up."

"If I may, Your Honor," Regina said. "That arrest was expunged from my client's record. SCPD received video evidence that proved that his own father was the one who had shot the security guard."

"His father... Lewis Snart?" the judge said. "A former police officer himself."

"Yes, Your Honor," Regina replied. "And as such he would be familiar with how the system works. He, or an associate of his, planted the evidence in my client's home in Central City to frame him for the crime."

"And does Mr. Snart know the identity of this alleged associate?" the judge asked.

Regina shrugged. "Detective Lance and I have tried several times to persuade him to give us a name. I'm afraid after he was assaulted in Iron Heights—and we believe the purpose was to prevent him from providing that information—he has more confidence in their ability to punish him for a perceived betrayal than in the police's ability to protect him." She glanced at Leonard. "My client understands that keeping quiet will never work as a long-term solution, but Detective Lance assures me that there are extenuating circumstances, and I've agreed not to press the issue in the short term."

The judge frowned. "What kind of extenuating circumstances does your client believe are worth allowing people who might be threatening him to continue to do so?"

"Ah..." Regina hesitated.

"He has a sister," Quentin replied. "Similarly at risk from these people."

Leonard winced at the reply. If only Lisa had stayed away from the hospital, he could have continued letting the authorities think that he was the only one involved in this mess. But Quentin had met her while the thief was still in a coma after the encounter with Scribe, and the detective had been given no reason to know that she should be kept secret.

"We have people trying to find her," Quentin continued. "We're hoping that once she's in protective custody, one of them would be more forthcoming about the identity of whoever it is that's been threatening them."

Fat chance of that happening. Thanks to Lewis, Lisa didn't trust the police any more than Leonard did; they'd never find her unless she decided she needed to be found.

"Fair enough," the judge said. "Hopefully he will see fit to allow them to be brought to justice before they can hurt anyone else. That only leaves the problem of sentencing Mr. Snart for the recent break-in. I can't very well send him to prison under the circumstances—I would be grossly negligent if I left him vulnerable to this unnamed threat—but neither can I allow him to go free without a suitable penalty."

"We actually have a solution for that," Regina said. "When we met a few days ago, Mr. Cooper had suggested, given the complexity of the security system and how easily my client had broken in, that his skills would be far more valuable in service to the community than if they were allowed to atrophy from lack of use. Not in use as a criminal, of course, but to spot flaws like the one that allowed him to break in so that those flaws can be addressed."

"You want him to work off his sentence," the judge said.

"I would like him to try," Regina replied. "A simple ankle monitor would allow the police to track his movements and satisfy the need for imprisonment while allowing him to make reparations for his crime. And we would have the option to revisit his sentence at some future date if he is unable to work for the entire duration."

Leonard jerked his head up and stared at her. An ankle monitor? If one of the Santinis hacked into that system, he'd never be able to hide from them!

He'd never be able to see Lisa again. He wouldn't dare...

He forced himself to try the breathing exercise Henry had shown him.

"Breathe in through the nose..." the doctor hold told him. "Slowly. Focus on your breathing, pay attention to how it feels. Good, now hold it for three seconds... and then let it out slowly through your mouth. The more you feel it, the more you notice how it's happening, the more you can control it."

He was just as surprised now as he had been then to see how easily the exercise helped calm himself down.

"Breathe from your stomach while you're doing this, not your chest," the doctor had instructed. "You breathe deeper that way. You'll take in more oxygen, convince your body that you're not in any danger. That's all this is, is a survival mechanism; your body thinks you're in danger because it isn't getting enough oxygen and that triggers a stress response, and that feeds right back into your panic. Just keep practicing; you'll be fine."

The judge shook his head. "Ms. Brown, you know I admire your dedication to the employment programs and wish you nothing but the best, but you also know that funding is not yet sufficient for that type of approach."

"That's because it's all tied up in the prisons," Quentin muttered.

"That won't be a problem," Harrison said. "Tess and I have already agreed to hire him for the purpose, if he is permitted to serve his sentence in this manner. And as my employee he would have an allowance to help with housing expenses in addition to his paycheck. I assume the only substantial expense the court would need to deal with is the ankle monitor, as having someone to watch him shouldn't require any more resources than if he were on parole."

In... hold... three... out...

"You've all planned this out already?" the judge asked.

"Er... yes, your honor," Harrison admitted. "We have discussed the option a few days ago."

"Very well," the judge replied. "Mr. Ortaga?"

"My client has no objections," the lawyer replied. "Provided Mr. Snart stays away from the university."

The judge nodded. "This is what you want, Mr. Snart?"

In... hold... three... out...

"Mr. Snart?"

"What?" Leonard blinked. "Sorry, yes. Yes, Your Honor, I'm willing to try." He glanced around the room; he couldn't tell if anyone had noticed his panic attack, but with the exception of the frown Harrison sent his way, nobody appeared to even react to his lapse.

"Very well," the judge said. "You're charged with breaking in and entering. Due to the damage assessment, I hereby sentence you to five years in service to Dr. Wells and Dr. Morgan in the capacity as their employee, with the option to assess your progress and revisit the sentence after a year has passed. You are not permitted to enter the university grounds during the period of your sentence. Dr. Wells, what sort of hours are we talking about?"

"I would prefer that there be room for negotiation," Harrison replied, "but I assume a normal nine-to-five schedule would work." He glanced at Leonard, and the thief nodded.

The judge nodded again. "Detective Lance, take Mr. Snart to have him fitted for an ankle monitor. He can pursue housing options under the direct supervision of a legal authority such as yourself or Ms. Brown; once he has an established residence, he will have an expected curfew of..." He cocked his head. "You will need to discuss the commute and a finalized schedule with Dr. Wells, but I expect a curfew of six thirty in the evening will suffice for the moment, with the restriction that he will not be allowed to leave his home until eight the following morning. This will also allow him time to shop for necessities on the days he is not working, during which time he should not require any more supervision than the monitor. You are all dismissed."

"Yes, Your Honor," Quentin replied. He reached out to take Leonard's arm, and the thief flinched. "Jumpy, aren't you?"

"Sorry," Leonard muttered. They wouldn't agree to this if they expected danger to follow me, he reminded himself. And with the police keeping an eye on him, by extension they'd be able to watch the two scientists as well, and even Lisa if he could arrange for her to join him.

But he couldn't stop himself from wondering if this would really be any better than prison.

I haven't decided if Monty will ever tell Len how he knew that Ortaga was bluffing and related details, but for the audience's benefit, here is the situation:
1 Monty doesn't believe that Len damaged the second panel. At all. He doesn't have proof, per se-he hasn't seen the footage from the security camera-but after inspecting the condition of the first panel he came to the conclusion that Len was far too skilled and careful in dismantling it to have caused the damage that Ortaga reported for the second.
2 The photos taken by the police do not match up that closely with those taken by the insurance assessor. The damage the insurance covered was not present in police evidence. Monty thinks that Ortaga attempted to have the panel replaced after the fact so as to avoid having to pay Monty's company to do it, and only turned it in to insurance when his own people damaged it in the process. Thus, he is almost certain Ortaga committed insurance fraud.
3 The equipment is proprietary (as per my own headcanon), and all repairs must be conducted by a representative of Montgomery Systems; if Ortaga attempted to have the panel repaired without the company's involvement, then he violated the university's contract with them.
Between the DA's "predatory grin" when she mentions the various forms of evidence she would hand over for a lawsuit, and the lawyer's own disinclination to prosecute, I'm fairly confident that that's exactly what happened. Len would not get off for the actual crime of trespassing, but Monty doesn't think Ortaga could make him pay for the damages because such a lawsuit would uncover the chairman's own actions and the man would be facing criminal charges and a lawsuit of his own from the security company.

Next chapter... will most likely involve "Slice of Life" style time jumps depending on whether I come up with anything else that needs to be expanded after the fact. (Case in point, the trial was originally a data dump of maybe three paragraphs.)