The case was on recess so Mac went back to the lab to see what Stella was up to. As the trial went on, Mac began to wonder what Noelle was going through and if there was any sense to her attitude. Noelle's statement wasn't enough for the D.A. Her testimony against Jeffery was what they wanted. When Noelle was called, Mac could see that she wasn't comfortable with the situation. Jeffery's attorney grilled into her about how she was the one who actually let Zoey lie there and die. When Noelle got off the stand, she sat back down with her head in her hands. It wasn't over for her yet, Noelle knew she might be called up again. Mac went to the office where Stella was.

" Stella."

Stella was reading a stack of papers when he came up.

" Is all this on Noelle?"

" Yep. This isn't the first time Noelle has testified in a courtroom. That's what she meant when we thought we knew. You need to take a look at this."

Mac began reading the article Stella had given to him.

" She testified in court against the man who raped her back in Michigan."

Mac nodded his head.

" She was only 19 Mac and it was someone she knew. Plus, her father wasn't there for her at that time either. According to that article, he was too busy to even consider it."

" Now it makes sense on why she acts the way she does. According to this, it was a former classmate she kept in touch with."

" She's hurting Mac. Noelle acts out because she is scared."

Meanwhile, Noelle was outside the courthouse not happy at all with the situation she was going through. Flack ended up coming up to her.

" How are you holding up?"

Noelle looked at him.

" Fine. What's it to you?"

" Will you stop with the attitude. Believe it or not, I do happen to care."

Noelle looked away.

" I know you don't like this and I know deep down, you're scared."

" So I am scared. So what? I told you I have nobody to support me."

Flack sat down next to her.

" I know what happened to you back in Michigan."

Noelle looked at him.

" How?"

" It's a part of my job to investigate."

Noelle shook her head.

" You don't trust anyone do you?"

" I don't have a reason to."

" If it's anyone you can trust, it's a cop."

" Right. You didn't think of sharing your information with Detective Taylor? You just let him grill into me?"

" He has his own way of doing things."

Noelle got up and paced around.

" Things went downhill after my family moved here. I was only 12. My older brother was 15. Things were fine at first, but then my father thought work was more important. My mother got fed up and after the divorce she moved back to Michigan. When Christopher was old enough, he got out too. He now works for our uncle in Miami. I don't even have him here. I have nobody."

" Have you talked to your father about how you feel?"

" I tried. All he told me was that I was going to be okay. I'm far from okay detective. I'm pissed at him. You want to know why I don't trust anyone and why I'm even afraid of the cops."

Noelle again sat down.

" I've learned to love New York. I got into trouble to get my father's attention. It didn't help much. Yes, he bailed me out those times. I need him now and he doesn't care. I'm jumping around here. I don't care for cops because they carry guns. I hate guns. I was raped at gunpoint by someone I thought I could trust. Turns out I was wrong. The only person you can trust is yourself. My heart feels so empty right now."

Noelle then got back up.

" I'm going back inside before I do something stupid, like run off without you knowing."

Flack didn't really know what Noelle was going through and there was nothing he could say to reassure her. He just watched her as she went back inside.

Back at the lab, Mac was going over more paperwork. Stella ended up coming into his office.

" I don't know if you noticed the time, but isn't it time to get back to the courthouse?"

" I thought about going to talk to her father. The building he works in is a block away from there."

" Do you think that would help? He might tell you what Noelle told us."

" This man isn't much of a father Stella. He might be a high powered accountant, but Noelle doesn't deserve to be treated this way. To be ingnored by your own father must be devestating for her."

" She had tears in her eyes Mac. Noelle might not be happy right now, but she loves her family. They mean everything to her."

"They let her down. I'm going to talk to Lyle Foster and knock some sense into him. Noelle needs him."

Mac left his office and went to go talk to Noelle's father, it might be a waste of time, but it was worth a shot.