Lucas squirmed in his seat as hit attorney whispered a few last minute instructions. He still couldn't believe he was in that position, sitting in a courtroom. When the double doors opened, his eyes couldn't help but to wander over to them and his breath caught in his throat when he saw her. It had only been a few weeks but already she looked tinier than he had remembered. The brightly colored designer suit had been replaced by a simple black knee length skirt, a cream colored blouse and sensible heels. Her hair was straight and she wore no visible signs of make up. She came in escorted by a lawyer Lucas hadn't seen before in all their meetings concerning the divorce proceedings. The man had a swagger and a vibe that seemed to scream "slime ball" in capital letters. It didn't take very long to figure out what was going on when Felix Colwell appeared just steps behind them, quietly taking a seat in the back.

Brooke felt her knees go weak even before they appeared in court. It was a day she had dreaded and looked forward to at the same time. Mr. Quirk assured it was all just a formality and that everything would be okay and she's be reunited with her daughter in no time. She could only hope such was true. As soon as she entered the room, she saw Lucas for the first time in weeks. They just stared at each other, their eyes silently speaking volumes. Then she noticed seated a few rows behind him was Haley. The two women looked at one another, then looked away quickly, both fighting back tears.

"All rise", the bailiff said. "The Honorable Judge Thomas Capel now presiding."

The judge took his seat and browsed over papers before speaking.

"Good morning. We are here today to discuss the pending charges against one Mrs. Brooke Rebecca Davis Scott, Count one of misdemeanor child abandonment and Count two of felony child endangerment as well as the custody of the minor child in question, Harmony Joy Scott. Mr. Quirk, had your client previously entered a plea?"

"Yes, Your Honor", he said, nudging Brooke to stand.

"What's going on? What do I do?" she whispered.

"Say 'Not Guilty'", he advised.

"Not guilty", she repeated as the judge nodded.

Suddenly Brooke felt very uncomfortable. All Michael Quirk had done was make big promises that everything would be okay. He had explained nothing to Brooke concerning the process and he had also failed to prepare her. She looked back nervously at Felix, who gave her a confident nod.

"Very well", Judge Capel stated. "We will now hear from the State's witnesses."

A representative from the District Attorney's office came in to present the damning evidence against Brooke.

"That's not true…It didn't happen like that…I want to take the stand…Can't you object or something?"

Her questions and pleas seemed to fall on deaf ears. Soon after, Judge Capel called for a thirty minute recess.

"What's going on now? Do we get to put on our side now?" she asked anxiously.

"No. Mrs. Scott, the judge is back in chambers deliberating…"

"Deliberating? Deliberating what? But that's not fair. We didn't get a chance to say anything!"

"Just relax", he said as his cell phone began to vibrate. "Listen, I have to take this outside. I'll be right back."

Felix leaned over the railing to Brooke who was on the verge of a breakdown.

"It'll be okay, doll", he said, patting her hand.

Mr. Quirk returned a few minutes before the judge and once again court was back in session.

"Will Mrs. Scott please rise?"

Brooke slowly stood to her feet in a panic with every eye watching her.

"Mrs. Scott, you have been charged with two very serious crimes. After reviewing the evidence, it is in my personal opinion that you are guilty of neglecting your daughter and leaving her without the proper parental care and guidance that an infant of her age and size would need for her health and well being. However the law says I can't condemn you for what I feel inside. I have to make my judgment based on all the evidence and right now there is insufficient evidence to prove any criminal wrongdoing on your part. It is my judgment that both the Count one of misdemeanor child abandonment and Count two of felony child endangerment be dismissed. The State has failed to prove its case, therefore has no legal grounds to proceed to a full criminal court case. Charges dropped, case dismissed!" he said, banging the gavel.

"What does that mean?" Brooke asked Mr. Quirk. "Is it over? Do I get my baby back?"

"That was just the first part. We won that battle and the good news is that they don't have enough to take you to criminal court which means all charges against you are dropped."

"Now we move on to the secondary portion of this hearing, regarding custody", Judge Capel continued. "It is my understanding that the child remains at the marital residence here in the state of New York with the biological father."

Both attorneys nodded and then it was time for the witnesses to testify. Lucas took the stand first

"When is it our turn? Who do we have to testify for us?" Brooke asked only to be shushed by Mr. Quirk.

They listened as he spoke about the awful night he came home from the gym to the terse message waiting on his machine. He testified about the fear he felt for his daughter and the pain of having Brooke missing for almost two days. Brooke didn't know much about the law but she knew it couldn't be looking good for her. The presiding judge had already made his personal opinion about her clear and the agonizing testimony of a distraught father and husband couldn't be helping her case.

"One last thing, Mr. Scott", the attorney said. "Other than the incident in question, was there ever a time your wife displayed any behavior that would indicate she was an unfit mother."

Lucas looked at Brooke right in the eye and answered without hesitation.

"Never", he said. "Brooke loves Harmony and with the exception of that one time, she has always been a fantastic mother."

Brooke fought back tears but was surprised when Mr. Quirk did not question Lucas. A few more witnesses took the stand then Mrs. Patterson was called. Brooke literally had to sit on her hands to keep from jumping up and tackling the woman. She tearfully testified about "that" weekend, tears so phony Brooke wondered why she was the only one who saw right through them. Mrs. Patterson was also asked by the judge if she has witnessed any other damning unfit mother moments from Brooke. The woman thought long and hard but said no except for "the time little Harmony got a pretty bad diaper rash. I don't know if that was Mrs. Scott's fault or not although sometimes I did feel she was rather about changing the baby."

"You are a sick, lying bitch, you know that?" Brooke yelled out.

The judge slammed the gavel.

"Mr. Quirk, please control your client. One more outburst like that and I will hold you in contempt of court, Mrs. Scott."

Brooke settled down as tears welled up in her eyes.

"She's lying", was all she could whisper over and over again.

The last person to take the stand was Haley Scott. Brooke held her breath not knowing what her friend and sister in law would say. However Haley gave an emotional testimony about how much Brooke had been through, how much she had wanted to be a mom and how good she was at it.

"I don't know what happened that weekend with Brooke. I'm still hoping that we don't know all the facts or that it looks much worse than it is. But I know she loves her child and would never, ever purposely hurt her. Brooke is a good person and a good mother and if by chance she was negligent or whatever, then something must have happened because I know she'd never do such a thing on purpose."

Brooke held her head in her hands and sobbed. She had such a newfound respect for Haley. To her surprise, Mr. Quirk stood up and requested to cross examine her.

"Mrs. Scott, you say that Brooke Scott is a good person and a good mother and that if she were negligent, then something, some unknown force or what have you, would have had to have caused that. Correct?"

"Correct?"

"Could that 'something' be Brooke Scott's past problems and dalliances with alcohol abuse?"

"Oh, I…I don't know…"

"But at one point there were questions and concerns concerning her drinking?"

"Yeah but that was a long time ago and Brooke took care of that."

"Nothing further. Thank you."

Brooke along with the judge and other spectators seemed flabbergasted. After a witness said such positive things about Brooke, why would her own attorney then bring up something that could have such a negative impact? Once again, court recessed. Brooke was fuming.

"I think that went rather well", Mr. Quirk shrugged.

"Well? Well! What is wrong with you or are you surely as dumb as I think you are? That did not go well! It went anything but well. First of all, you don't explain or prepare me for shit. Then you don't question any of their witnesses especially when I tell you the Nanny from Hell is lying but then the one person that actually portrays me as a decent human being, you decide to cross examine her and bring up stuff that happened 10 years ago to make me look like a drunken loser?"

"Mrs. Scott…"

"No. Don't 'Mrs. Scott' me. You are my lawyer, right? That means you're supposed to be helping me, right? Then why haven't you been helping me? You have been hurting me, if anything. I want my damn daughter back!"

"You will get her back…"

"Just shut up! I don't want to hear you right now."

The judge came back with his decision. He decided to continue the hearing with the temporary ruling that Lucas would retain physical and legal custody of Harmony with Brooke allowed supervised visitations for three hours twice a week.

"Well, we made it through the roughest part…", Mr. Quirk said to Brooke and Felix after the dismissal.

"We?"

"Mrs. Scott, I know you're upset but…"

"But nothing. There is nothing to discuss or plan or even argue about. I'm done and so are you. You're fired."

Brooke stomped off with Felix hot on her tail.

"Brooke, you can't do that."

"Like hell I can't. I am trying to regain custody not lose my kid forever. That idiot cost me an arm and a leg, for what? For absolutely nothing! If I didn't know better I'd think he was trying to lose my case on purpose."

Felix took a deep breath. If Brooke only knew how right she was. Secretly, he was glad she had stood up for herself. Quirk was no good, another one of Dan's hired guns whose only job was to make sure Lucas was awarded full custody. Felix was proud of her for firing him but he couldn't escape that sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Dan Scott was not going to be pleased with the latest developments.