"The defense calls Ellie Danville to the stand"

Here we goo. I apologize I had defense and prosecutor switched! Prosecutor would be the good lawyer going after Russ.

CHAPTER 11

Ellie looked up at Jo, as soon as the lawyer spoke.

"You can do it honey. I'll be right here." Jo smiled as she squeezed Ellie's hand.

Adam and Danny leaned over and whispered encouragement while squeezing her shoulders. Mac and Tyler each took one of Jo's hands, as Ellie made her way to the bench. Russ watched as Ellie walked by. He could feel Jo and Tyler's eyes burning into the back of his head. He didn't risk turning around. Jo sat there and focused all her energy on Ellie, as did the rest of the team.

"Ellie, what happened the day of the kidnapping?"

"My mom dropped me off at school. I told her I was going to Sophie's house after school got out. As soon as school ended we were walking down the sidewalk, I….I didn't even hear the van pull up behind us." Ellie softly spoke with tears starting to form

Jo shuddered as a chill went down her spine. Don remembered running to that call, unaware Ellie was involved at the time.

"Then what happened?" The defense lawyer pressed

Jo wanted to yell out "You know what happened!"

"One moment I was walking with my best friend, the next I was being shoved into a van. Sophie…Sophie, she tried helping me get away. They pushed her to the ground and threw me into the van." Tears coming down now as the memories came back.

"Did you call out for help?"

Mac rolled his eyes, "What the hell kind of question is that?!" Don leaned forward whispering to Mac.

"Of COURSE WE DID!" Ellie exasperated in an "Are you kidding me?" tone.

Jo smirked, even the judge gave the lawyer a look.

"Sorry" He mumbled out. "What do you remember next?"

"I woke up, I was tied to a chair. I spotted someone setting up a camera. The next thing he did he untied me and then picked me up. I looked to see where we were going when I….I noticed the partially buried boxes. I tried asking him why and begging him to please not put me in there…" Ellie was now balling but the lawyer pushed on.

"This isn't fair!" Jo leaned into Mac's ear. Mac just shook his head, Russ begged his lawyer to stop.

"She's only 15! Give her a break!" Russ yelled

The judge silenced Russ.

"He…apologized. The man burying me apologized. He then handed me an oxygen tank to TRY and survive for six hours. He also mentioned that this was to punish someone" Ellie finished keeping her head down wiping her tears.

The team wanted nothing more than to grab Ellie and get her out of this courtroom.

"No final questions your honor." The defense lawyer finally said as he sat down next to Russ.

The prosecutor stood up and had Ellie go into a more descriptive detail of everything from being snatched to being in that box for that whole time. What thoughts were running through her mind, did she think she was going to live?

Jo was sitting there trying to be understanding as to why the prosecutor was pushing Ellie so hard. She knew he wanted the jury to want to put Russ away as well as everyone else. She just felt so bad watching and listening to her.

As soon as the prosecutor sat down, the defense stood up and started picking apart all of Ellie's detailed story. Going as far as to questioning every little detail, pointing out possible flaws in her story. All the way to the point of causing Jo to jump up and shout "Enough! Good lord how much more pain does she need to endure?!"

Mac pulled Jo back down as the judge told her to sit back down or she would be removed. Jo shot Russ a look before she reclaimed her seat. The judge did, however agree with Jo and told the defense they were done and she had heard enough.

"You may go back to your seat Miss Ellie" The judge said thanking her and then glaring at the defense lawyer.

Yup, that judge had kids. Jo summed up in her mind.

Just as Ellie stood up to move back to her seat, the doors burst open and two shooters appeared. They opened fire just as everyone turned to see what was going on behind them.

"Ellie!" Jo shouted as Mac pushed her down "No I need to get Ellie!" She pleaded. "You'll get shot!" Mac yelled back as he made sure Jo's head was covered. Jo found Tyler's hand and they locked eyes.

Everything seemed to play out in slow motion as Ellie was brought to the ground by the judge, covering her head as bullets seemed to spray everywhere.

"Are you ok?...Jo?...Jo?" Jo was brought back to the real world by Mac whispering into her hair. "Yea..yea I'm fine" Jo said pushing herself up after Mac got off her. As soon as Mac assured himself she was ok, him, Flack, and Danny ran out the door the suspects exited through.

Ellie glanced up from where she laid. The judge had moved off of her to check on others. Ellie was pushing herself up slowly as she scanned the room. She looked down as she felt liquid under her fingers. Blood was sticking to her hands and her eyes followed the stream to where it was coming from. Ellie gasped and a look of horror covered her features as she shook her head, "oh no"

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Jo was searching the movement of bodies for her daughter. Her eyes finally found her, still on the ground, her hands covered in blood.

"Ellie!" Jo said leaping over the gate and around people, sliding to a stop in front of her daughter. "Honey you ok?" As she quickly was scanning her over. Ellie didn't speak, she only stared. Still so in shock, still glancing at something behind Jo. "Ellie?" Jo said with concern washing over her. She spun around and noticed Russ lying there. "Russ?!"

Tyler heard his mom call out to Russ as he was helping a woman stop a gunshot wound to the arm from bleeding anymore. He couldn't see Russ from where he was. A paramedic came over and thanked him for staying with the woman. Lindsey, Adam, Sid, Lovato, and Sheldon were scattered around helping everyone they could. Tyler found his mom pressing down on Russ's gunshot wound.

"Shit" Tyler said as he ran over.

"You can't die Russ, c'mon!" Jo said as she continued trying to stop the bleeding

Tyler walked over by Ellie and held her as they watched and waited. Tyler might have hated what his dad had done, but this isn't what he deserved.

"Jo…Jo I'm so sorry" Russ barely choked out

"Shh. You're gonna be fine" Jo whispered

"Jo..I..I'll always love you…I'm…I'm sorry" Russ's eyes closed and Jo quickly started CPR

"Russ? C'mon now" She said as tears started streaming down her face

Jo didn't even notice Sheldon walk over until he stopped her hands and removed them. She looked up at Sheldon and he shook his head confirming what she already knew. Russ Josephson was dead. She sat back on her heels staring at her bloody hands, stained with his blood.

She turned and faced Tyler and Ellie. Tyler's eyes locked with Jo's and Tyler just pulled Ellie closer as Jo wrapped her arms around both her kids.

Mac, Danny, and Don re-emerged after helping to apprehend the gunmen. Danny and Don helped people out of the courtroom along with the rest of the team. Mac spotted Jo, Tyler, and Ellie in the middle. Hurrying over as an EMT just covered Russ with a white cloth. Another EMT was giving something to Jo to wash her hands with. Mac placed a hand on Tyler's shoulder and was surprised when Tyler turned and folded himself into him crying. Lindsey held Danny close and same with Lovato with Don, as the whole team stood and realized what had happened.