Anastasia paced the floor of the great room anxiously. Christian had received a call from Detective Benson who was coming to visit with the Assistant District Attorney who would be prosecuting Jack Hyde. A trial date had been set and the first day was in just a week's time.
Christian was devastated for Ana, she had been doing so well with Michelle Whitney and had gone from looking at photos of the street SIP was on and the picture of the outside of the building and was now able to drive to SIP, stand on the street of SIP and even stand directly outside the building looking up at it without much of a reaction. Now here she was again, crumbling into tiny pieces knowing that she was going to have to face Jack Hyde again in a week's time.
"Detective Benson, ADA Hernandez right this way." Taylor's voice caught Ana's ears and she stood stock still and wiped her sweaty hands down her skirt.
"Mr Grey, Detective Benson, ADA Hernandez." Taylor introduced and Ana watched closely as Christian shook both women's hands.
Detective Benson immediately looked in her direction and gave her a genuine kind smile. Ana tried and failed to return it, she felt too sick and nervous.
"How are you doing?" Benson asked as she walked towards Ana. Ana struggled not to step back, her body had gone into that heightened alertness once again and she was fighting the instinct to run.
"I'm ok." Ana lied.
"Ok, myself and ADA Hernandez just want to prepare you for Monday, that's why we're here." Benson explained. Ana gave a timid nod.
"Why don't we sit?" Benson said signalling the couch. Ana wasn't sure if she wanted to sit, she wanted to run. She complied anyway and took a seat on the very edge of the couch for an easy get away if she needed it.
"So ADA Hernandez you'll be trying the case?" Ana asked nervously.
"Please call me Reina and yes I'll be trying the case for the prosecution."
Ana studied the woman in front of her. She was young, maybe too young to be able to try such a high profile case. She had tawny tan skin, dark eyes and long straight black hair. Her face was long and wrinkle free. Ana couldn't fail to see her beauty and wondered if that would be a distraction for the jury in court.
"Ok, so on Monday we will start with opening arguments, that will be me and his defence attorney introducing our cases. I am going to say you won't be able to be in the court at that time."
"That's ok I don't want to be there anyway." Ana replied curtly. Benson couldn't help but give her a sympathetic smile and she offered her hand to Ana for support. Ana gratefully took it.
"Then I will call you as my first witness." Reina continued, she know this was hard for Ana but it was going to be harder on Monday. At least this way she would be able to feel a little more prepared about what was going to happen. "I will ask you very open questions." Reina continued. "So I will ask you what happened in the office on that day and you just answer as clearly and as concise as possible. I know it isn't easy…" She gave a very apologetic look. "But you will need to give as much detail as possible, including using the correct terms for his and your anatomy."
"I know." Ana replied, she knew from when she gave her statement a penis had to be a penis.
"Ok." Reina nodded softly. "Then when the defence attorney comes to asking his questions, they will be a lot more closed. He won't want you to expand on them but if you want to you can try to and if the judge wants to hear what you have to say she will let you finish. Otherwise I can object to his not letting you and ask the judge to let you finish." Ana gave a timid nod, she was terrified of the thought of being cross examined.
"I will be in the court room the entire time, if you get nervous or scared you can look in my direction." Detective Benson replied softly. Ana just gave a nod, she didn't want to think about that.
"Then if necessary, if I think that something needs clarifying or something was missed I can ask for a redirect. That means I can ask you a few more questions." Reina continued. "It will all depend what the defence attorney asks you about and stuff. It might be necessary but it might not be."
Again Ana gave a small and timid nod. This was killing her and she just wanted to curl up and pretend it wasn't happening. The thought of being in court with Jack Hyde looking at her was making her feel suffocated.
"It's ok Ana, he won't be able to get to you." Benson said as though she was reading Ana's mind. Ana's tear filled blue eyes looked at the Detective. "He won't." She said again, this time there was a firmness there and Ana knew she was being serious.
"After you've testified you're allowed to be in the courtroom for everyone else's testimony if you want to be there. Some victims find that it can be therapeutic to be there and hear their story being told. Other's don't want to and that's ok. Whatever you want to do." Reina was putting no pressure on Ana, if she wanted to stay she could stay, if she wanted to leave then she could leave.
"You'll be there for it all?" Ana asked turning to the Detective.
"I can be if you want me to be." She replied, in other words she would only be there if Ana was. Ana gave a timid nod, she figured she would know after testifying if she could stomach remaining in the courtroom or not.
"Mr Grey…" Reina said turning to the man who had been hovering at the edge of the room, there in case he was needed but not interfering or getting in the way.
"Yes." Christian replied coming closer so that he could hear what the ADA would say to him.
"You will also not be allowed into the courtroom until after you've testified." Hernandez explained. "You are fourth on my list after Jason Taylor and Claire Williams."
Ana was surprised to hear Claire's name, she worked at the front desk in SIP but why was she testifying in this trial?
"Claire's testifying?" She decided to ask because she knew if she didn't she'd have to be in the courtroom to find out.
"She was a witness to the aftermath of your assault and the murder of Luke Sawyer." Reina explained gently. Ana gave a nod, she didn't need to know anymore than that.
"Ok Ana, if you have any questions over the weekend I want you to call me any time day or night." Benson said handing over her business card. "It has my cell on it and I'm on call so it will be on."
"Thank you." Ana said softly, she was very grateful to know if something arose over the weekend there was someone she could turn to.
"Try and rest this weekend and relax, it's going to be hard but easier than you're anticipating." Reina said as she stood. Ana guess this was over now and the next time she'd see the ADA was in the courtroom.
"Thank you both for coming." Ana replied and she nervously shook both women's hands as Christian came to her side. He slipped an arm around her to comfort her, a move that wasn't missed by the other two women.
"Yes thank you." He repeated before also shaking their hands. Taylor entered the room to show them out and Ana turned to Christian, wrapping her hands around him while she cried. She didn't have a clue how it was going to play out on Monday but what she did know was that she was terrified.
