Alex was just as surprised as Olivia was at Casey triumphant return. She only knew Casey from the work she did on her own case when she came out of witness protection. She knew that the young ADA had been disbarred, but clearly that was all in the past. After Casey and Olivia finished hugging each other they all sat down and started to discuss how best to proceed with Haddie's case.

"Ok so basically in order to make this go our way neither one of you can touch it. Alex shouldn't even be in this meeting right now, but because you are her legal guardians for the time being you have a legal right to be in the room. Elliot was the primary arresting officer anyway so that shouldn't be an issue, but they may call you up to the stand because you were the one who talk to her in the hospital. You recorded the whole thing right?"

"Every word that was spoken is on the tape, at one point Haddie used Sign Language and there was no way to record that."

"I'll check on the security tapes, she was still in the ER and they keep the camera footage on archive. Past that it's a matter of testimony, Olivia's shouldn't be that hard to navigate, but we need to go over Haddie's." Casey looked at the teenager who had until that point been reading a book, but perked up when her name was called. Olivia knew she was still scared about testifying, but they needed her in order to shut this case quick. Olivia sat down next to Haddie and held her hand, "I know it's scary, but you can do this and Alex and I will be right there in the room with you ok. Just go through what happened that night and tell the truth and I promise you this will be over soon ok."

The teenager nodded and turned towards Casey, "where do you want me to start?" After about an hour of going over testimony Casey decided that they had gone over everything that they needed to and that there was no real reason for them to stay at the office any longer. Casey stopped off in Liz's office before all four women headed out of the building. Olivia got Haddie and Alex settled in the car and then turned to say goodbye to Casey.

"I'm really glad you came back Casey. I don't know if I would trust anyone else with this case."

"I'm glad I could help, she seems like a sweet kid, smart too, she just has to be ready for the defense attorney to throw some mud at her."

"I know, we'll work with her. I should get her home before she falls asleep in the backseat. Seriously Casey, thank you for this."

"It's my job Liv, and if I can help you out then that is an added bonus."

Olivia got in the car and headed home with Haddie and Alex. When they got there Haddie barely made it in the door of her bedroom before she was asleep. Alex and Olivia made some tea and settled on the couch before they went to bed.

"You think she's ready for tomorrow?"

"She'll do great, it's going to be hard and it may get ugly, but she's strong and we'll be right there with her."

"But your forgetting, Liv it's not like we can hold her hand she is going to be up on that stand all by herself with some stupid defense attorney pushing her to break."

"Alex she has the one thing that the defense doesn't have."

"What's that?"

"The truth." Alex smiled and gave Liv a kiss on the cheek before grabbed both mugs and putting them into the sink. "Come on babe, we have a very big day tomorrow and so does our girl, sleep might do us both some good." Olivia followed Alex into the bedroom and within a matter of moments they were both sound asleep in each other's arms. When the morning came Alex woke up 15 minutes before the alarm sounded and carefully extracted herself from Olivia's grasp and hopped in the shower. When she got out Olivia was still asleep so she decided to go wake up Haddie and make sure she was getting ready. Alex found Haddie, not in her room, but once again on the balcony just starring out at the city as it started to move with the hustle of the morning commute. Alex took a seat next to her and waited for her to say something.

"Do you think I can do this?"

"I know you can do this, the question is do you think so?"

"I'm scared, but I know I can do this."

"Good that makes my pep talk drastically shorter. Look you know Liv and I will be right there with you, but things may get a little harsh when the defense questions you."

"What do I do if they attack me?"

"Remind yourself that you have the one thing that they don't have; you have the truth." Haddie smiled and Alex gave the teen a soft hug before heading in side to get dressed. She walked past Olivia who handed her a cup of coffee, "how is she doing?"

"So far she's fine, but maybe you should go give a little more courage before she gets dressed." Alex disappeared into the bedroom to get ready for court leaving Olivia with Haddie. Olivia grabbed the first aid box and headed outside to where Haddie was sitting.

"You going to try to give my pep talk too?"

"Maybe, but if you want I can just change the dressing on your arm and leave."

"No, I'm sorry I'm just a little on edge."

"It's ok to be scared you know."

"What am I supposed to do if I get scared while I'm talking or I say something wrong?"

"Listen to me ok, you are going to be great, just remember what I told you that night I met you in the hospital. Do you remember what I told you about Esther?"

"She saved her people even though it meant risking her own life. You said that my name was the definition of strength."

"Exactly. When she risked her life don't you think she was scared, scared she could mess up and her people would die, or that she would die? She didn't let her fear change what she knew in her heart to be the right thing to do. She trusted in God and knew that she wasn't alone. You aren't going to be alone today and you just have to remember courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear. You are going to do great and no matter what happens just remember you not alone up there ok." Olivia kissed the top of Haddie's head, "now come on inside and eat something before you get ready."

Olivia, Alex and Haddie all finished getting ready and soon were out the door and at the courthouse. Judge Petrovsky was the presiding judge for the case which could be good or bad depending on what happened, she generally had a soft spot for kids and the cases attached to them. The Morino's sat at the opposite table with their lawyer, a new guy that neither Olivia nor Alex had gone up against before. Court came to order and opening argument came and went quickly. Casey only had two people on her list of witnesses and the recording of the 911 call. She called Elliot as her first witness.

"Detective Stabler, you were the arresting officer in this case can you tell the court what happened between you and your partner arriving at the hospital and you making and you arresting the Morino's?"

"My partner and I met Hadassah at the hospital and my partner conducted the interview because it was clear that the victim didn't feel comfortable with a man in the room. When she gave me the green light and the tape of the interview I took it to the only judge who was still awake at that hour and got an arrest warrant. The Morino's lawyered up right away so we collected the evidence from their apartment and the hospital and now here we are."

Casey asked Elliot a few more questions about the arrest and then the defense was up to bat.

"Detective Stabler, does your partner make it a habit of taking in every child that you come into contact with in your line of work?"

"Objection your honor, relevance?"

"Your honor Detective Benson and her girlfriend took Hadassah Morino in after she was discharged and I wonder if this is a common practice."

"You have five minutes Mister Barker, otherwise move on."

Elliot answered the question, "no, but this girl was special, she was being released and she wouldn't have fared well in a home."

"But why this girl Detective, why not a child you helped last week or last year?"

"You'd have to ask her that, I can't read her mind."

"Nothing further Detective." The defense called in a few other witnesses, none of which really helped their case and when they were out of witnesses, Casey called the only other name on her's.

"Your honor, the People call Hadassah Morino to the stand."

Hadassah got up from her seat in between Olivia and Alex and approached the witness stand. The bailiff stood up and placed the Bible in front of her and swore her in and she took her seat. Judge Petrovsky leaned over and covered her microphone and asked, "do you need the ASL interpreter dear?"

"No thank your honor, I can do this myself." Judge Petrovsky smiled and allowed the court to continue and with that Casey stood up and began her questioning.

"Hadassah can you tell the court what happened that night of July 12th?"

"I was in my room reading and working on some music I was working on and I heard my dad yelling from downstairs. I tried to ignore him, but he stormed upstairs and came busting into my room with my mother standing behind him. He said something about how someone at school had seen bruises and that he got a call from CPS. He yelled at me about being careless and the more he yelled the closer he got to me. Finally he pulled his hand back and punched me in the face. I don't know what happened I guess I just got tired of not fighting back and I snapped, I threw my hand open palmed upward towards his face and broke his nose. It was the first time I had ever hurt him before and I was in shock and before I could move he had his hands around my neck and he was strangling me. He let go after a little while, just before I passed out. I fell onto the floor and that's when my mother came up and started to kick me in the ribs. When she left the room my father pulled me up by my shirt and threw against a wall and hit me in my face a few more times before he let me fall to the floor and her left the room." By the end of her explanation, Haddie was in complete tears and Alex and Olivia both had tears in their eyes also.

"Hadassah, did you fear that your life was in danger?"

"What do you mean was, they're still technically free people, my life is still, at this moment in danger, but yes I thought they were going to kill me that night."

"Nothing further, your witness."

Mr. Barker stood up, "Hadassah, you were treated for your injuries at the hospital, but there was also a note for a Psych consult, can you tell us about that."

"Legally I don't have to tell you anything about the consult itself, its privileged information, everything you need to know is in that file already." Alex smirked at the rather brazen f-you to the defense attorney.

"According to this file, you were also treated for self-inflicted injuries. Are you a cutter Hadassah?"

"Yes, I'm in therapy for it, but yes I am."

"So you're crazy, unstable?" Before Casey could even object Hadassah spoke up for herself. "Crack open a DSM-IV councilor, self harm is an illness that is categorized within its respected pages. 1% of the population of the world are involved in self harm, 72% of that population are cutters, 14% of them do a combination of cutting, head banging, bone breaking or trichotillomania. So, to answer your question, no councilor I am not, nor have I ever been crazy. Depressed yes, but then again most abused children are."

The entire court was stunned silent at the teenager's eloquent speech that caused the baby defense attorney to stumble for a moment.

"Why didn't you tell someone that your parents were hurting you?"

"They told me they would kill me and they almost did so I would say my fear was well founded."

"I see, can you tell the court what happened on November 16th of last year?"

Hadassah's face got red, "I was hospitalized."

"Why?"

"I was 5150'd for trying to kill myself."

"How did you attempt to end your life?"

"I slit my wrists. I passed out from blood loss and a neighbor found me, called 911."

"So what I am hearing is that your psychological problems caused you to be suicidal and that maybe you didn't tell anyone about the abuse because secretly you wished your parents would kill you, make it easy for you."

"Objection your honor, the defense is badgering a teenager and is stepping way out of line."

"The jury will disregard the last statement made by defense and you Mr. Barker are on my last nerve and very thin ice."

"My apologizes your honor, no further questions."

"You honor may I say something. I'd like to answer Mr. Barker's question/comment if I may." Judge Petrovsky smiled at the teen, "if you're sure you want to, then the floor is yours Ms. Morino."

"Mr. Barker if that is what you think you are hearing from my testimony then check your hearing. Yes I did want to die, but I lived. I survived, and I have to believe God kept me alive because I was meant to do something good in this life, in my life. I never, never wanted my parents to hurt me, I hoped and prayed that one day they might love me, but that day never came and it never will and I have to make peace with that. I didn't think that anyone would listen to me so I kept my secret and I almost took it with me to my grave. Mr. Barker do you know what my names stands for? I'll tell you; my name is the Hebrew name of the greatest Queen Persia ever knew and one of the strongest women in the Bible, Esther of Susa. God raised her up from nothing and made her a Queen so that she could save her people. God saved me, kept me alive, and while I may not need to save an entire race of people today I am standing up to you and my parents and saving myself. I deserve a better life than the one they have given me. You kept asking why Olivia took me home and I honestly cannot answer that question, but what I can say is that in 3 days that woman and her partner have given me the first real home I've ever had. In three days they have loved me like I was their own flesh and blood; they have loved me like parents love their child."

Haddie stood up from the witness stand and walked down so that she was nose to nose with the defense attorney, "Mr. Barker this morning a very smart woman told me that I have the one thing you don't have and that is the truth. All you have are lies my parents told to try to save their own skins and the fact that you are still standing here defending them is something that you will have to live with for the rest of your life. Today you played dirty Mr. Barker, but you underestimated me. You saw me as a weak and defenseless child, but I am anything but weak, I may not be as strong as my namesake, but I stood up to you and them and that is a hell of a first step. Watch me closely as I walk out of this courtroom today Mr. Barker, because I will walk out of here with my head held high and your dignity in my hand. Learn this lesson once Mr. Barker; never underestimate the power of a woman or in this case, a teenager, with a copy of the New York Penal Code." And with that Haddie slammed the book on the defense table and as she turned to leave the room she turned around and looked her parents in the eye and said, "God forgive you, because I never will." After soaking in the pale look on her parents' faces and the few tears that formed in Mr. Barker's eyes Hadassah walked out of the courtroom leaving a very shocked courtroom.

Alex and Olivia quickly ran after the teen and found her bracing herself against the window outside the courtroom. They quickly walked over and Olivia started to rub the teens back which caused her to wrap her arms around Olivia ad hold on for dear life.

"I screwed things up didn't I?"

Olivia and Alex both laughed, "you're joking right, you just made a defense attorney cry and I think he had to look up what one of those medical terms even meant."

"I've been a lawyer for a long time kiddo and I still haven't made one of them cry in open court. You did beautifully." About half an hour later a court officer called the women back in to hear the verdict, which came in rather quickly.

"Has the jury reached a verdict?"

"We have your honor, in the above titled case, we find the defendants guilty of attempted murder in the first degree."

"Defendants are held at Rickers until sentencing." After the Mornino's were led out of the room the Judge's eyes fell on Haddie, "Ms. Morino would you please approach the bench." Haddie walked slowly to the front of the room and stood before the judge

"Your honor."

"Apparently hanging around Alexandra has rubbed off on you and even she hasn't reduced a grown man to tears in court before. Promise me something dear."

"Anything your honor."

"When you go to college give some serious thought to law, it would be a waste to do anything else and if you tune those skills of yours, you could be greater than all of us."

With a huge smile on her face Haddie responded, "I will do that your honor, thank you." Haddie walked back to Olivia and Alex and all three women grabbed Elliot and Casey and headed out to celebrate a job well down, a closed case and the bright future of the future DA that was growing up before their eyes.