"Why would they do this?!" Ada cried as she paced up and down the living room.

Brax, Heath and Casey's lawyer sat at the kitchen table. Casey sat on the couch, slumped forward. Marco leant against the wall with his arms crossed.

Casey's lawyer looked to her. "My guess, is that they want you to testify to Danny's character."

"How?" Ada replied. "I've got nothing good to say about him."

"That's because there is nothing good to say." Heath mumbled.

Ada threw her hands in the air and scoffed. "Great, now he figures that." She said bitterly.

"Ad." Marco cautioned.

Heath swivelled around his chair. "Eh? What did you just say to me?!"

"You were Dad's biggest fan a couple of months back. Why didn't they ask you?"

"Shut your mouth!"

"Enough!" Brax roared.

Heath turned back around in his chair.

Ada rolled her eyes.

Brax took a breath. "How is this going to help them get a conviction?"

"They'll highlight the fact that Ada was never physically abused by Danny. They'll present the idea that as he didn't harm his only daughter, he showed signs of restraint, compassion."
Brax scoffed. "Ah, you gotta be kidding me! So, what? Just because we got in the way and copped it, he's an angel?"

"That's how they'll try to spin it."

Ada shook her head furiously. "What if I refuse? I don't wanna do this."

The lawyer frowned. "Unfortunately, you've been subpoenaed, it's a legal requirement that you attend the court proceedings, take the stand and answer any and all questions put to you and deemed fit by the court."

"But what if I don't?"

"You'll be arrested and charged."

"This is a joke." She muttered.

"What do we do?" Brax asked the lawyer.

"The best thing we can do now is look at how to minimise potential damage. Answering their questions sharp and fast will help. Hopefully, whatever Ada says will be forgotten by the time the jury decide their verdict."

Heath turned to the lawyer. "So, what are they gonna ask her?"

The lawyer turned to Heath. "I expect mostly questions about your upbringing. Whether Ada remembers abuse in the home, whether she can describe what abuse she was witness to and whether she can recall a time when she was subject to such abuse."

Ada shook slightly. She took long, deep breaths. She placed a hand onto her chest and felt her heart beating through her sweatshirt.

The lawyer checked his watch. "I'm sorry, it's late, but we can discuss this more in the morning."

He stood to his feet.

"Yeah," Brax said, walking him to the door. "Thanks for coming over, eh."

The lawyer offered him a sympathetic smile. "Of course." He marched out of the door.

"Case," Brax called from the door. "Don't worry, mate. It'll be alright."

Casey nodded gently but stared straight ahead.

Ada slunk out of the room and down the corridor. She closed her bedroom door with a slam.


Ada watched Casey emerge from the surf.

She strode towards him. "You caught some good ones out there."

Casey grunted and strode past her.

"Oi, Case?" She followed after him. She froze at the sight of his back. 'ALL OR NOTHING' was inked on the skin across his shoulders. "Oi!" She yelled. "What the hell is that?"

Casey ignored her and charged across the beach.

She ran past him and stood in his way. She shoved his chest. "Eh?"

"Get lost, Ad." He grumbled.

She pushed him again as he tried to walk off. He dropped his board and shoved her back. She stumbled.

"What's your problem?" He growled.

She raised a pointed finger. "That's Dad's tattoo!" She roared. "Why the hell have you got Dad's tattoo?!"

He slapped her hand away. "Just leave it."

"Casey, has Brax seen that?"

"Ah, I'm not a kid! I don't need his permission!" He reached down and grabbed his board and thrust it under his arm.

"Why would you do that to yourself? How could you be so stupid?"

"Guess I'm more like the old man that you thought."

"Nah! You're not."

He glared at her. "I'm going back to jail, Ad. Don't you get that?"

"Casey, we don't know that."

He exhaled and pushed past her. "Just leave me alone." He trudged up the beach.

She pushed her hands through her hair.


In Angelo's, Ada cleared the tables mindlessly.

"Good takings tonight." Marco said. "That'll go nicely in the lawyer's pocket, eh?"

Ada loaded a tray with glasses.

"Ad?" Marco asked.

"Huh?"

He turned to her. "You alright?"

She lifted a hand to her head. "Yeah, sorry. I wasn't paying attention."

"You still thinking about the trial?"

"Can we not talk about it?" She snapped.

Marco let up. "Alright."

She lifted an overloaded tray of glasses and rushed to the bar. She knocked the side of it on her way past and the tray clattered to the ground. Glass fragments scattered across the floor.

"Damn it!" She yelled. She reached down and grabbed at the glass pieces with her bare hands, scooping them back onto the tray.

Marco rushed over. "Ad, careful! What are you doing?" He shouted and snatched her hands away.

"Sorry, I wasn't concentrating."

Blood gushed down her arm. Glass pieces protracted from her palm.

"Ad, you've cut yourself. Could you not feel that?"

She shrugged.

Marco held her wrist and studied the injuries. "This one is really deep. I think we should go to the hospital."

She scoffed. "Don't be so dramatic! Doesn't this place have a first aid kit?"

Marco zipped around the bar and retrieved the kit. Ada plucked out a bandage and began to wrap it around her wound.

"I think there's still glass in there, Ad."

"It'll be fine." She dismissed.

"Just let me take you to the hospital."

"Forget it!" She held up a half bandaged hand. "I'm just going to head off home, okay. I'll sort it there." She planted a peck on his lips. "Do you mind clearing this up for me?"

"No. 'Course not."

"Thanks." She gave him a smile and walked away.

He longed after her, concern spread across his face.


Ada sat on the beach. She tugged at the scraps of bandage wrapped around her hand, pulling them off. She winced. She fingered the deep cuts that were now filled with dirt and sand. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a bottle of liquor. She ripped of the cap and took a big swig. After a moment, she got to her feet and swayed down the beach.


In the morning, Ada hovered nervously in the prison visitor's area.

Kyle stepped in, scanning the room with a confused look.

He zoned in on Ada and marched towards her.

"Ada, what are you doing?" He snapped. "You shouldn't be here."

"Relax, I've been inside a prison before. The amount of time Heath's spent in here… the guy should pay rent."

Kyle's gaze flicked to her bandage. "What happened to your hand?"

She shielded it behind her back. "Nothing. Just an accident at work."

A guard approached Kyle. "Braxton," He barked. "Are you staying or leaving?"

Kyle swallowed. "Staying." He declared and perched on the designated seat for inmates.

Ada sat down opposite him.

The guard drifted back to his post.

"So, how are you?" She asked.

"I'm fine."

"I didn't think you'd go through with it."

He shrugged. "It was the right thing to do."

She smiled meekly. "So, you're okay?"

"I don't want to talk about me." He scooted forward in his chair. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"Something's up. You look different."

Ada gulped. "The prosecution has called me to testify in Casey's trial."

"What? How?"

"They're going to try and show that because Dad never hit me, that he was a good guy."

Kyle looked confused. He studied her face. "Alright. You know there's nothing you can do? You can only answer their questions honestly."

She fiddled with her bandage, her hands shook. "Yeah, that's the problem."

Kyle frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I can't even…" She stuttered. "I can't think about him." She gasped for breath and put her head in her hands.

Kyle reached across and put a hand on her arm. "Hey?"

"No touching!" A guard roared.

Kyle snatched his hand back. "Alright, alright." He said lifting his hands in the air before resting them back onto his knees.

Ada tugged at her t-shirt. "I'm sorry."

"Ada, what's going on?"

Her face turned pale. "I don't feel great. Look, I should go." She got to her feet. "I shouldn't have come here, you were right."

Kyle stood up. "No, wait, Ad. Don't go. Not yet."

"I'm sorry."

She scurried out of the room.

"Ad!" Kyle called after her. He ran his hands through his hair. "Oi!" He said, signalling one of the guards. "I need to make a phone call, right now."

"Mate, that's not going to happen."

"Look," Kyle pleaded. "That's my little sister and I think something's wrong. She's a minor, I don't know how she got in here on her own, I need to call her guardian now. Please, I just need thirty seconds."

The guard shifted uncomfortably. "Fine." He conceded. "I can give you twenty."

Kyle nodded gratefully.