A\N: Sorry I'm a little behind schedule, everybody. This chapter is about the trial. And Officer Montoya's going to be in it. Remember that indicates dialogue spoken in Spanish. Enjoy.

Six Months later

"I look like a cup cake," Luci whined, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her wild curls had been tamed into a French braid, and she was wearing a frilly (ugh!) pink (double ugh!) dress and white ballet flats (somebody shoot me now).

"Looking nice for the jury will sway them to your side," Selina explained patiently.

"Can I at least wear my hat?"

"That old thing? No, Luci. I think you've worn it to death. It's all dirty and torn by now."

"But it's special. Papi gave it to me."

Selina got that look on her face. That "I've-been-in-the-life-so-I-know-what-you're-going-through-and-I'm-so-sad-for-you" look. Luci was starting to get tired of it.

"I know, sweetie," she said. "I know. Just be patient, okay. This will all be over soon."

There was a knock on the door of the hotel room.

"That must be the police escort," said Selina. "Remember," she instructed as she walked toward the door. "Maven, Dr. Thompkins, and I are going to be there. Just look at us. Everything's going to be okay."

She opened the door. "Hello, Officer Montoya."

Luci looked and saw the cop who'd interrogated her the night of the raid. Shit. This is not going to be a good day.

Luci sat in the back of the police car, watching sky scrapers fly by. Normally, she'd be thrilled to be in the capitol of New York State. Right now, though, she could only feel an unpleasant tingling in her stomach.

"Do you like living with Ms. Kyle?" asked Officer Montoya.

Luci's head jerked up at the sound of Spanish. It'd been so long since she heard it. She used to hear it every day when she lived with Papi.

"I guess," she answered, relieved to be speaking her first language again. "I mean, she's really cool, and she's done so much for me. She introduced me to Dr. Thompkins, who's helped me a lot. And I really like Maven too. I even got to meet Bruce Wayne, who's a lot nicer than I thought he'd ever be. But none of them really know what I've been through. I mean, Selina knows a little bit 'cause she's been in the life too. But none of them know exactly what I lived. None of them know what it's like to be me." Luci realized she was babbling. "Sorry. Sometimes I talk too much when I get nervous. Papi didn't like it."

"Well, I don't mind. It's a long drive to the courthouse, and I'd whether talk than be quiet the whole time."

Luci was shocked. "You mean you're not mad at me for the way I acted that night that you were grilling me?"

"No. I know you were scared out of your mind."

"It's not that. It's that you were feeling sorry for me. That's what set me off. I don't like it when people feel sorry for me."

"What do you like?"

At first Luci didn't know how to answer the question. Nobody had ever really asked her for her opinion before. "I like it when people listen to me," she said finally.

"Well, you've got a captive audience."

" It's just-It's just so funny. I'm really scared of Papi. I mean, you're escorting me to the courthouse because he could kill me. I know what. But I really, really miss him. He gave me this hat. It was my favorite color. I've been wearing it every day since I got free. I even sleep in it. You must think I'm crazy."

"No. I think you're very brave. And I'm not saying that because I feel sorry for you. It takes real guts to do something like this."

Luci blushed, a small smile creeping onto her face. "I never told you my real name that night. It's Luci."

"Luci, you can call me Renee."

Luci was just starting to relax when the car pulled up in front of the court house. There were reporters and t.v. cameras everywhere. Luci started shaking. I can't do this. I can't do this.

" It's okay, Luci,," said Renee. "I'll pull around back." She drove into the back parking lot. Shaking, Luci got out of the car. Renee put a hand on her shoulder and guided her through the courthouse's back door.

I can't do this. Luci thought again as she looked around the courtroom. The judge looked like the Grim Reaper in his black robe. The jury's gaze cut into her like a knife. And then. . .then she saw Papi. His squinty eyes met Luci's. They were black as coal and hard as iron. What the hell was I thinking? Papi was all I had. Now he's gonna hate me.

Luci took her place at the witness stand and swore herself in. The prosecutor, Gotham District Attorney Janet Van Dorn, approached her for questioning first.

"Ms. Rodriguez, do you know the defendant?"

"Yes, ma'am," she replied, just as Selina had coached her.

"How do you know him?"

"He was my pimp." Dr. Thompkins had helped Luci understand that Papi wasn't her boyfriend but just a person who used her. But this was the first time she'd ever said "pimp" out loud. The word sounded so ugly.

"Is this you?" Ms. Van Dorn gave Luci a photo. It was the Checkers ad that showed her in the lingerie and hat. She winced. Of all the photos they could have picked, it had to be that one. Just my luck. "Yeah, I mean yes ma'am. That's me," she said out loud.

"Exhibit A, ladies and gentlemen," said Ms. Van Dorn as he handed the photo the jury. Several male jurors raised their eyebrows as the ad was passed around, while the female jurors grimaced. Luci resisted the urge to bury her face in her hands.

Ms. Van Dorn's interrogation continued. "Ms. Rodriguez, did you know the victim, Connie Pasquelino?"

"Yes ma'am."

"How did you know her?"

"Me and Trix-Connie, both worked for Papi-I mean Mr. Torres."

"When did you last see Ms. Pasquelino?"

"Last summer."

"Can you tell us about the last night you saw Ms. Pasquelino?"

Luci looked at Papi. He was staring straight at her. She couldn't read his expression. That always meant trouble. "Mr. Torres wanted Connie to work in the afternoon instead of the night. But she wanted to sleep. She told him, 'I ain't gonna do it.' He slapped her across the face real hard. Said he was gonna teach her some respect. Then he dragged her out the door by her hair. That was the last time I saw her."

"What was Mr. Torres's explanation for Ms. Pasquelino's disappearance?"

"He told me he sent her back to her foster parents."

Selina, Maven, Dr. Thompkins, and Renee were in the back row, looking at her. Luci tried to focus on them. But her eyes kept drifting to Papi.

"Was Mr. Torres violent with Ms. Pasquelino any other times that you can remember, Ms. Rodriguez?" asked Ms. Van Dorn.

Luci shuddered. "Not with her. But he beat some of the other girls. We all knew that we couldn't make Papi-Mr. Torres-mad and get away with it."

"Thank you, Ms. Rodriguez. I have no further questions at this time." Ms. Van Dorn sat down. Papi's defense attorney approached the stand. He was a short, squat man with a ratlike face. "Ms. Rodriguez, how did you meet Mr. Torres?"

"He found me when I was sleeping in a park back in Illinois. He bought me a hot fudge sundae and took me shopping."

"So he was kind to you?"

Luci squirmed. "I guess."

"Did he force you to go with him? Hold a gun to your head? Threaten your family?"

"Wasn't no family to threaten," Luci replied, getting defensive.

"So you went with him because you wanted to?"

"At first."

"How long did you stay with him?"

"A year, I think."

"And Ms. Pasquelino also went with Mr. Torres because she wanted to?"

"I think so."

"Ms. Rodriguez," said the defense attorney," Did Mr. Torres ever force you or Ms. Pasquelino to have sex for money?"

Luci wracked her brains. She tried to remember how she and Connie started having sex. She tried to remember Papi doing something sinister. But she couldn't. Connie had wanted to do the club stuff. As for herself. . .Luci only remembered Papi's kind smile. She only remembered him saying, "Chica, I love you. You're so beautiful. You'll only have to do it just this once." Her lip trembled. "I guess-I guess he didn't-I mean, not exactly."

The defense attorney pounced, a triumphant smirk on his ratlike face. "Ms. Rodriguez, isn't it true that you only agreed to testify against Mr. Torres for Ms. Van Dorn because she promised not to bring prostitution charges against you?"

"Objection!" shouted Ms. Van Dorn.

Luci burst into tears. "Papi, I'm so sorry."