Title: Hearts in Ice
Chapter One
Author: Mitchy Spex

Hi guys. Well, here I am with a sort of new fic. I say sort of new because I wrote this FIVE years ago! Can you believe that? Anyway, I have the rest of the chapters written. I am thinking around 5 chapters. It’s a short fic. This fic is set after the last season. No Ally and very Nelle-centric!

Disclaimer: I don’t own Ally Mcbeal. If I did then it wouldn’t have been cancelled.

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It was another usual staff conference at Cage, Fish, Porter, and Associates. Everyone was present, except for Liza Bump or rather Liza Fish. Richard and John were seated at the two ends of the long rectangle table. Richard was stationed on the end behind the window, and John was behind the door. Nelle was seated to the right of Richard on the long end of the table. Wilson was seated at the left of Nelle, and opposite of Nelle was the empty seat where Liza would have been seated. Correta sat across Wilson; Raymond was in the middle of Correta and the empty seat.

“Where is Debbie?” Nelle asked Richard curiously using Liza’s real name. “Never mind, who cares anyway? First up…” she continued, but was interrupted by Richard.

“She—ah… She left,” Richard replied absently. Everyone suddenly froze. It has been almost eight months since jenny was fired, and Glenn left to start a law first with her. It has also been eight months since Ally moved away with her daughter Maddie to New York City. Right after Ally left, Nelle was made senior partner.

“You or the firm?” Nelle inquired, not really caring about Richard’s feelings. She had a sarcastic smile on her face that made John almost want to throw up for finding it attractive before. Correta and Wilson glared at her with disapproving looks. Raymond, being the jackass he was, just chuckled.

“Me and the firm... bygones!” Richard informed them sadly, but then threw it away with his usual saying.

“What do you mean she left you? Just like that after only seven or eight months of marriage?” John asked outraged sitting up from his seat. Everyone else except Nelle seemed surprised by the news.

“Oh please, how long do you think they would have lasted? Ten years? Oh wait, let me guess, forever? Besides, we have worse problems than that! If she leaves, the clients that she brought in before will most probably follow her. We’re short of staff… good lawyers. In short, the firm will lose clients, and I will lose money,” Nelle bit out.

“Ice queen!” Correta remarked hiding it with a pretend cough.

“I don’t recall asking frost the snow girl what she thought!’ John responded bitterly.

Richard titled his head to the side for a bit as if considering everything. “John, Nelle is right. It wouldn’t have lasted anyway. People marry and end up with a divorce. What I need to think about, however, is my bank account. I’m sure she’ll be after my money. I want Nelle to handle my divorce. John, don’t let her into your office to get her tings. I am sure she will try to steal client files.” He turned to the blonde. “Nelle, I need your freezing temperature heart for these rough times.”

She smiled sweetly. “You can count on me, Richard. Let’s move along then… Client Raven Foresam?” She was reading over the client files in front of her.

“That would be my case, but I’ll need a second chair. Maybe John or Wilson can help me with it?” Correta suggested long around.

“Wilson, you can would with her. I have a huge case to prepare for and trial stars tomorrow,” John told him before Nelle could answer.

“Alright, now that has been settled, I was thinking of hiring a new lawyer even before Debbie left. I felt I needed to since some of us here aren’t productive enough. And, I think they know who they are,” Nelle started glancing briefly at Correta and Wilson’s direction. “Anyway, I will be meeting with Kate Benet today.”

“Who is Kate Benet?” Correta asked looking around and noticing uncomfortable movements from almost everyone in the room. Only Richard gave a smile… his face lighting up the room.

“The call her ‘the mini subzero’ after out own ‘Subzero-Nelle.’ She works at the firm where Nelle used to work. She has a lot of portables and will surely be a rainmaker. She even won a case against John Cage recently.” Raymond casually said making Jon’s nose whistle.

“Oh great, like we need another Ice Queen.” Correta argued looking from John to Richard.

Fish simply tapped his pen excitedly. “What we need is more money, Correta, something that you can’t do for us. She’ll be a wonderful addition to the firm. Let’s all pray she doesn’t end up like Nelle,” he said referring to her trying to steal client files to start her own firm. “Now go on all of you and try to be good lawyers.”