Hey guys, I'm back to updating. I'm going to shoot for a weekly update, but it may be bi-weekly sometimes. This story only has a few chapters remaining. After it's concluded, I will be doing one-shots of Alex and Casey's life together, post this story. I hope you all read them!

Anyway, here is the update. Bear in mind that I am not up on all the proper courtroom procedure so this many not be accurate. Either way, I spent a long time on it. Enjoy!

As soon as we are out the courtroom doors, I turn to Rebecca and let her have it. I hold back nothing.

"What the hell was that?! You sat there and let that weasel discredit Casey and nearly destroy her on the stand! I didn't have any reservations about your ability before today, but I can see I was wrong. I could have done a better job in there in my junior year of high school!"

I'm shouting and my hands are shaking, but I can't help it. What I just watched was the hardest thing I had to ever see. You don't want to have to ever see the person you love most in the world being destroyed that way. Having people who don't even know you look at you and silently judge you.

"Mrs. Cabot, I understand how you feel. But we need to establish –"

I hold up my hand to silence Rebecca. I don't want to hear it right now; I can't hear it right now. All I care about at the moment is finding my wife and comforting her. Court is in recess until tomorrow morning. I want to take Casey home and show her a good time today before she has to get ripped apart again tomorrow.

I walk off without another word to Rebecca. I can't remember the last time I was this angry. I can feel eyes on me as I stalk off down the hall, but I turn my invisible shield on and ignore them. I have only one mission right now – Casey.

I finally find her after several minutes of frantic searching; she's outside on the courthouse steps with Amanda and Olivia. They are sitting on either of side of her and I'm thankful they got to her before I did; at least she didn't have to sit out here alone.

Amanda moves aside as I approach so I can take her spot next to Casey, and as soon as I sit down, Casey rests her head on my shoulder. I smile and slide my arm around her back. I can tell by the way she is sniffling that she has been crying. "I'm so proud of you, Casey," I tell her gently.

"For what? I lost my temper. That was awful, Alex. I didn't know it would be that bad." She inhales sharply. "I can't go back in there."

I feel my heart break; she's lost her confidence. I sneak a glance at Amanda and then to Olivia, signifying that I would like to be alone with Casey. They both tell her she was great today, promise their support, and then leave us alone.

"Court is in recess until nine AM tomorrow," I tell her softly, rubbing small circles on her back. "Why don't we go home and watch a movie? Or we could go out, maybe take a long walk with Blaze? Get your mind off everything?"

Casey gives no indication that she heard me at all. Instead, she says, "We're going to lose. I fucked up by not going to the hospital. We both know it."

It certainly does complicate things, but I can't fault Casey for it at all. She went through a traumatizing experience. I can understand now why sexual assault victims don't want to come forward. I witnessed firsthand the shame they feel, and how those close to them can disbelief them.

"Rebecca Blacke doesn't have any right being a prosecutor. She never should have let that happen. You better believe I'm going to make sure something is done about this. I'm so sorry you had to go through that, Casey." I don't intend to sound so angry, but it can't be helped.

"It's not her fault," Casey says quickly. "You can't be blaming everyone else for things that are my fault. Would you want this case? No evidence, everything based on hearsay? A psycho defendant who is able to twist words and actions and has no remorse? I should have gone to the hospital. I should have gotten the rape kit. They would have been able to tell that it was rough and unwanted. I should have had a tox screen. I messed up, and it's all my fault." She starts to cry and buries her face in my shoulder. "I've been trying for so long to be so strong…I don't want to anymore. Can this just please be over?"

My breath hitches in my throat as I listen to Casey's heartbreaking words. Her confidence is completely shattered and she believes she has lost already. But I know better; I believe in Casey, even when she doesn't believe in herself. This is not over. The jury is going to see right through Jenna's artificial act and she's going to pay for what she did. And if by some chance they don't…well then we still won, because Casey confronted her demons.

"It will be over soon," I promise her. "And we're going to win. Either way, whatever the verdict turns out to be. We won, because you're so brave, Casey. Because you stood up to her and you didn't sit back on the sidelines and let this go away. You agreed to take a very tough to prosecute case to trial and you sat there on the stand and faced the person who violated you in the worst way possible. Whether or not you believe it, you are strong. What you did is not weakness; it's strength."

Casey raises her head and looks at me. I smile and tuck a stray strand of her red hair behind her ear. She is so beautiful, and I'll never tire of telling her that. I take her hand and we gently intertwine our fingers. "You, Casey Cabot, are amazing. I love you so much. You aren't in this alone; I'm on this ride with you. I always will be."

I can tell I'm getting through to her. She sighs contently and meets my eyes. "This is just so hard, Alex. I can't wait for it to be over. I don't know how much more I can take."

I give her another squeeze. "You don't have to take any of it. We will take it, together."

The two of us know more than anyone how powerful love can be. Sometimes it's the only weapon you need.

Casey's POV

It's day four of the trial and Senator Palmer is set to testify today. I'm sitting beside Alex, and her hand on my leg instantly stops my shaking. She gives me a reassuring smile and takes my hand in hers.

Before today's proceedings, I had apologized profusely to Senator Palmer for involving him in this. He was nice enough to give me my job back, and now he has to go through the publicity of testifying in a trial. He assured me it was no problem and was happy to help any way he could, but I still feel badly about it. Everything that's happened here is my fault. Alex works hard to make me believe it isn't; but I know it is.

Once Senator Palmer takes the stand, it doesn't take long for, Burt Saunders, Jenna's scumbag defense attorney, to start in on him.

"Senator, you were involved a sex scandal before you met Casey, isn't that correct? In fact, isn't that how she met you? Wasn't there a case pending against you, to which Casey – then an assistant district attorney – was assigned?"

I knew they would bring this up; took them all of thirty seconds. This scumbag will do anything to discredit anyone the prosecution brings forward.

"Yes, that is correct. The allegations were false and the case was dropped," he says, concisely and to the point. He knows not to elaborate or give too many details. The best you can do when testifying for the defense is to just answer their questions; not to give too many details.

Saunders paces in front of the stand. "Are you attracted to Mrs. Cabot?"

I can tell Senator Palmer is caught off guard and he starts to answer when Blacke objects for relevance. Saunders quickly rephrases his question. "Do you find Mrs. Cabot to be an attractive woman?"

"Yes. But I don't see what that has to do with anything."

"This fundraiser where these alleged 'events' concerning my client took place was at your home, is that correct?" Saunders asks.

"Yes."

"Can you tell us what you witnessed that night, regarding Casey Cabot?"

"I was introducing her around to people in the political circuit. I believed then – and still believe – that Casey has quite a future in a politics and I wanted her to meet the right people. She had been talking and meeting people for a couple hours and took a break to get something to eat. I wasn't around her at this time."

"What did she do on this 'break'?"

Senator Palmer glares at Saunders. "As I said, I was not around her at this time."

"Did you see Jenna Hastings kiss her?"

"No."

"Casey claims this kiss took place and it was unwanted. What do you believe?"

"As I stated, I did not witness the kiss. But if Casey says it was unwanted, then it was unwanted. I believe her completely."

Saunders seems to be expecting this. He nods. "Did you see Casey drink at this fundraiser?"

He hesitates a moment and then says, "Yes."

I feel my heart fall. Of course he couldn't lie, but I had hoped Saunders wasn't going to ask him this question. He is going to play the angle that I was drunk again, this time with a witness.

"After this little 'break', when was the next time you saw Casey?"

I can tell he doesn't want to say. He shifts uncomfortably before speaking. "The next time I saw her, she seemed to be incapacitated."

I swallow harshly and look at Alex. She squeezes my hand reassuringly.

"She was drunk?"

Senator Palmer sighs. "At the time that is what I believed, yes. But I know now that was not the case."

"Can you describe how she was acting? What led you to believe she was drunk?"

"She was stumbling, slurring her words. I assumed she was drunk as I had seen her drinking prior to this happening."

"What did you do then? What actions did you take?"

He looks down at the floor for a moment before looking back up. "I didn't want her to hurt herself, and I didn't want her to be humiliated in front of the people she had met. So I asked Jenna Hastings to take her upstairs to the guestroom." He then looks directly and me and Alex and says, "That was the worst mistake of my life; I regret it every day. I am so sorry."

Saunders cuts him off pretty quickly. I offer Senator Palmer a small smile in appreciation for what he said. But I am shocked that Saunders asked this leading question; he placed his client upstairs alone with me.

"Of all people, why had you asked Jenna to take Casey upstairs?"

He looks down again. "I had thought they were friends."

"Did Jenna take Casey upstairs alone? Did you join them at any time?"

"Yes, she took her up alone." He glares at Saunders again. "People usually like to be alone when they rape someone."

A few people in the crowd gasps and I have to stifle a smile. The judge pounds his gavel and tells the Senator he will refrain from "damaging" comments, but it doesn't matter; everyone already heard it.

After a short recovery, Saunders says, "Casey claims that she had flashbacks to 'sexual activities'. This could have been with anyone. Did you see anyone else go upstairs that evening?"

Senator Palmer glares again. "I wouldn't call sexual assault 'sexual activities'." This time the judge lets it go. "I did not witness anyone coming and going on the stairs. I was working the fundraiser."

"Did you go upstairs?"

I knew they were going to accuse him. I look away, ashamed that this had to happen.

"I most certainly did not," he spat out.

"So anyone could have gone upstairs? Casey could have had sex with anyone at the fundraiser – whether it be consensual or non-consensual? Do you agree?"

He looks out at Alex and myself, as if apologizing for what he has to do. "I believe every word Casey has said. She – "

"Just answer the question, Senator. You did not see Jenna Hastings have sex with Casey. You did not see anyone go upstairs or come down. So you don't know really know what happened."

He sighs and looks down. "Yes; that's correct. I didn't see anything. Every guest at the party had access to the upstairs."

The Senator is asked a few more questions before he steps down, but I'm not able to pay attention. I'm looking at the seat in front of me, holding my wife's hand and know exactly where this is going.

After lunch, when court reconvenes, Burt Saunders has a surprise for us; a big surprise.

He calls Alex to the stand to testify for the defense.

As Alex is being sworn in, I can see the worry and weariness etched into her face. She's not worried for herself; she's worried for me. About how I am going to deal with this, about the kinds of questions I'm going to have to hear her answer.

Saunders starts out with a few procedural questions, just feeling Alex out. She never wavers in her answers; they are direct and her voice never gives way to emotion. She isn't easily rattled, and Saunders is about to discover that. My wife is the strongest person I know; he picked the wrong person to try and break on the stand. Of course it isn't his intention to break her; he wants to break me.

"Had you met Miss Hasting prior to Casey attending the fundraiser?" Saunders asks.

Alex stiffens at the mention of Jenna's name.

"Yes, I had. At the Senator's state office where Casey worked."

"What had been your impression of her?"

"Casey had told me that she was overbearing and acted as if she and Casey were friends. She had told me she was uncomfortable around Jenna, and – "

"I didn't ask what your wife told you about her. I asked what you thought about her."

Alex has an immediate answer, "I found her perceived friendship and apparent attachment to my wife to be strange and out of line."

"Where do you think this 'attachment' and 'perceived friendship' came from? Do you believe Casey said or did anything to lead her on?"

"No. I know Casey would never do that. She had no interest in Jenna. Jenna was always trying to force her friendship on Casey and Casey was never interested."

"We like to believe the people we love would never betray us, Mrs. Cabot, but oftentimes that's not the case. My client alleges she was having an affair with your wife that went on for months, leading up to the allegations of sexual assault. She claims they would get together whenever your wife traveled to Washington DC for her job. Did you ever accompany her on these trips?"

"No, I did not. And Jenna Hastings is full of shit. Casey never willingly touched her."

To hear my professional wife say those words is indescribable; but at the same time, it feels incredible. It would so easy for her to believe Jenna's lies. To dismiss my story and choose to believe what makes sense, what is easy. What the media is telling her actually happened. Any other spouse would just give in and encourage their wife to not take this to trial, to just let it go. Save themselves the publicity and humiliation. Alex is the District Attorney, after all.

But that's not Alex. She loves me completely, and always wants what is best for me. She would never believe false accusations about me; she knows me better than that. She knows me better than I know myself.

It's amazing how much she has transformed since we have been together. She used to be career-driven and somewhat cold to those around her. She would never let loose and have a good time. Now she leaves work at work, and values the time we have together.

I know I'm damn lucky to have her in my life at all, let alone have her as my wife. Watching her on the stand right now; it makes me so proud.

"Why didn't you attend the fundraiser with your wife?"

Alex visibly stiffens. I know how badly she feels about not attending the fundraiser with me. In some ways, I think she blames herself for what happened to me. Even though Jenna is and always will be the only one to blame. I think Alex feels she should have been there to protect me.

"I had to work. I'm sorry every day that I did not attend with her." Her eyes travel to Jenna and she locks onto her hard. "I could have prevented this. I should have gone."

Her sad eyes finally lock on mine, and in them I see the sorrow she is trying to convey. It breaks my heart and I smile back at her. It wasn't her fault; if it hadn't happened that night, it would have happened on another.

Saunders does not allow Alex any time to feel bad. He starts right back in on her. "How soon after this alleged 'attack' did Casey inform you of it?"

"I didn't find out for a couple months. I spoke to Casey the next day and went out to Washington to be with her."

"You stated you didn't accompany her on her trips to Washington. What made you go that day?"

"I could tell by talking to Casey on the phone that something was wrong. She said she was sick, but to me it sounded like…" she hesitates. "Something else. I was worried about her."

Saunders nods. "Don't you find it strange that Casey waited over two months to tell you what happened? Why wouldn't she have called you that night, told you what happened? Why wouldn't she have gone to the police, gone to the hospital for an exam?"

Alex's eyes grow cold again. If looks could kill, Saunders would be dead right now. "Victims of sexual assault often feel shame about the attack. They feel it was their fault, one way or another. They feel as if those close to them won't believe them. A high percentage of sexual assaults go unreported for these reasons. So no, I don't find it strange at all. I'm the closest person to Casey; of course she was going to have difficultly telling me. Casey struggled so much. She fell into a deep depression…" I see her eyes start to water and I have to look away from her. I know her mind is going to when I left her, and when I attempted suicide. "I almost lost her." She means that in more ways than one. "When I found out what happened, I believed Casey. Everyone who knows her knows she is telling the truth. As for why she didn't go to the police or the hospital; she had been drugged. She passed out after the attack. When she woke the next morning, she was too sick and ashamed to do anything. She told me showered right away. This is common with sexual assault victims; they can't wait to wash the rapist off them. Would it have been easier if Casey had gone to the hospital? Yes. But this isn't about what's easy. This is about what's true and right."

Spoken like the fantastic prosecutor she is. I feel my eyes welling with tears; I'm so damn proud of her. Nothing rattles her. Not even the bottom of the barrel, scummy defense attorneys.

"My client alleges she had an ongoing affair with your wife that ended after that evening. Perhaps it took Casey two months to concoct this story, knowing you would believe it. Knowing you would never believe she would commit adultery."

I expect Alex to fly off the handle, but she remains surprisingly calm. She leans onto the stand and says, very sternly, "Where is her evidence that they had any kind of affair?"

He leans right back towards Alex and says, "Where is Casey's proof that she was raped?" Alex sits back, and I can tell she's struggling to keep her composure. "This was nothing more than affair gone bad. Instead of having it be revealed that the way of a prominent figure in Manhattan had an affair, this story was brought to light. This story to which there is no evidence of." He turns back to Alex. "And no witnesses."

Alex is glaring once again. "Perhaps you can explain why Jenna hid in our house and attacked me with a baseball bat. I nearly died. She was obsessed with Casey, and wanted me out of the way. If Jenna is the real victim here, maybe you can explain why she did that. Doesn't sound like a stable, innocent person to me."

"This trial is not to determine Miss Hastings' mental capacity, Miss Cabot. Please answer the questions presented to you."

Alex doesn't waste a beat. "I believe I have been doing that. You're dancing around the obvious issue that your client is insane."

I'm taken aback; Alex does not throw that word around lightly. In fact, I don't think I've ever heard her use the word 'insane' in reference to someone before.

I can tell Saunders is getting rattled. He is in a hurry to get her down off the stand before he damages his case, and after Blacke cross-examines Alex to try and win some points for our case, Alex comes back and sits next to me. I whisper in her ear that she was great. And for the first time, I feel a little optimistic about this trial.

It's the last day of the trial. Everything is out in the open now; Saunders has dredged up my overdose, and somehow found out about me briefly leaving Alex. Our most private moments have become fodder for the press. Alex has constantly been assaulted with phone calls to her office, so much so that she's had to have a fifth line installed because her important calls can't get through. And the Senators office is being flooded with just as much. He even went on the evening news a couple nights ago, in support of me. Everyone at the office has been so supportive. Jenna's only friend she had there has resigned, but I see her every day at the trial.

Alex's parents are here for this last day. They came to show their support for me. I'm not as comfortable around them as I used to be, because of what happened at their house. I know I will be again; it will just take some time. But I am certainly glad they are here.

Jenna takes the stand again today. Cross-examinations are over, so Blacke won't be able to question her anymore. Jenna makes my hair stand on end; never have I ever gotten such a cold vibe from someone. She looks right at me as she's sworn in, that devious smile of her penetrating right through me. She knows what she is about to do, and it angers me to the core. I ball my hands into fists and prepare to listen to her spew her venom.

Saunders asks her some of the same questions she was asked by the prosecution and slowly leads into the night of the fundraiser. I have to say, Jenna is a good actress. Her voice is steady and her body language is comfortable, as it would be with someone telling the truth. She really is a true psychopath; they are often skilled at mimicking genuine human actions and emotions.

"I did kiss her on the balcony," Jenna says. "And we got into a fight afterwards."

"What was the fight about?"

"Casey wanted to end the affair. She said her wife was growing suspicious and she had a lot to lose if it became known that she was untrue. They had just purchased a nice home together and Casey had a nice little cozy life. She didn't want to give that up."

I'm shaking in anger now. The way she said had a nice life.

"We had been together for months. Every time Casey came to DC, she spent the night at my apartment. We had sex, and she would tell me that she loved me. At the end of our time together – every time – Casey would make it clear that her wife couldn't know. That no one in the office could know. Casey was climbing the ranks of the Senator's office quite quickly and she was clearly his favorite. She didn't want that to be jeopardized either."

Alex places her hand on my leg to calm me, and I feel like I'm going to burst into tears from the unfairness of this all. How can she sit there and lie like that? Every word she says is a lie, and I can tell the jury is falling under her spell.

Jenna works up some tears now. "I was upset when Casey said she wanted to end the affair. She did it so coldly; as if I had meant nothing to her." A tear slides down her cheek. "She turned and walked inside, leaving me on the freezing balcony."

Alex scoffs and a few people turn to look at her. I'm amazed she is able to remain silent. She looks at me and whispers, "She is crazy. Everyone will see that." I'm not so sure.

Saunders nods. This is exactly what he wanted. His star witness earning an Oscar award. "Did you two have sexual intercourse that evening?"

"No," Jenna says sternly. "I did take her upstairs to the guest room. She was so drunk she didn't even know who I was. I had to take her into the bathroom so she could vomit. I got her into bed, and I left her there. I went back down to the fundraiser, and that's the last time I saw her until a couple days later. If she had sex that night, it wasn't with me."

She sounds so convincing. If I were a member of the jury, I would believe everything she is saying. She has the right emotion and she's unwavering in what she says.

Alex and I exchange glances. She's trying to be supportive, to let me know that I can still win this. But I don't think she believes it herself anymore.

"Casey alleges you confessed to assaulting her. Did this take place?"

"No," Jenna says again. "I said no such thing. I tried to avoid her at the office. In fact, I was relieved when she quit. There was so much tension with her there. I could tell she had problems with her wife. But I didn't feel it was my place anymore to ask what those problems were." She sadly looks away. "I heard a little while later that she was in the hospital after an overdose. Despite how much she hurt me, I still cared for her and it was a hard thing to hear."

What a filthy lie. Every word this woman says is garbage. And I can't sit here and listen to anymore. Something inside me decides I've had enough; something just snaps.

"Tell them about how you got fired from the Senator's office. And why." I shout out. All eyes are instantly on me. "Tell them about threatening my wife."

Jenna seems unfazed and almost smiles while the judge pounds her gavel to regain order. Alex has her hand on me. "Casey; don't. Don't give her the satisfaction," she cautions me.

"Mrs. Cabot, you will not speak again. Or I will have you removed from this courtroom," the judge threatens.

I scoff and shake my head. I'm shaking again, but I don't care. "What does it matter? Every word this woman says is a lie. She's able to lie, why am I not able to speak?"

Alex sighs and puts her head in her hands, saying my name softly.

The gavel comes down again, and this time I stand up. "I'll save you the trouble, Your Honor. I'll remove myself."

I push past a few people in the aisle seats and head right for the courtroom doors. The Senator tries to stop me, but I brush him off and keep going. I'm about to reach the doors when Jenna speaks again. "I'm sorry, Casey. I'm sorry you felt this was what needed to happen. I sincerely hope you can get the help you need."

I stand frozen in place, disbelieving what I just heard. I spin around to say my piece, my breathing ragged and my face crimson red. Alex gets to me before I am able to respond, grabs me and practically pushes me out the doors.

I'm ranting and raving, not able to say a solid sentence. I'm so angry that I can't even see straight. Alex should be angry with me for my outbursts, but instead she is trying to calm me down.

"Take a deep breath," she instructs me, leading me over to the bench and making me sit down. I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees. She rubs my back soothingly. "You're okay, just breathe. You're okay. You're okay."

"How could see….did you hear that…how could…" All the words I want to say are jumbled up and coming out at once, and my anger quickly turns to tears. I'm crying so hard that my entire body is shaking, and before long Alex has her arm around me, holding me. Her words and her voice slowly soothing me.

"I know it was awful, baby. And I'm so, so sorry. But it's all over after today. Whatever happens, you know I love you. I love and believe in you. We just have to trust that everyone is going to see Jenna for who she truly is. She needs to be locked up, but if that doesn't happen, know that it wasn't your fault, honey. You did all you could have."

I don't know how long we sit there. The only thing I am aware of is Alex's parents coming out to tell us that the court is in recess while the jury deliberates. They speak softly to Alex while I cling to her. They keep telling me I'm brave and that they are there for me. I just want to apologize to them for dragging their good family name through the mud.

The jury is out for a little over three hours. Alex tries to get me to go the cafeteria and get some food with her and the Senator, but I'm not up for it. Instead, I choose to sit on the bench for the entire three hours. Alex doesn't leave my side once.

When we receive word that the jury is back, we all walk back into the courtroom together. Me and my entire support system; Alex, her parents, the Senator, Olivia, Amanda, practically the entire squad, several people from the office where I work, former colleagues at the DA's office. Some people I hadn't even noticed were here for me. I didn't realize so many people came out in support. It gives me a little bit of confidence striding back into that courtroom. Having Alex's hand to hold doesn't hurt either.

We all take our seats and I dig my fingernails into Alex's hand in anticipation of the verdict. It could go either way, and I know that. Alex has convinced me that I at least have a chance.

The judge asks if the jury has reached a verdict and the foreman stands.

I'll never forget the words he says; "We, the jury, find the defendant, Jenna Hastings – not guilty."

What did you guys think? Was it good at all? Was the verdict a surprise, or not? What do you think will happen now? Please review and let me know what you think!