AN: Thanks so much to all of you for such sweet reviews! I can't believe how many I've gotten; I'm so touched by the response I've been getting from you all. Please keep the reviews flowing! I love you all!

The ADA in this chapter is my own creation. But who wants her?

"Docket number 32001834, the people versus Adam and Ruth Johnson."

Casey swallowed back her fear as Judge Petrovsky sat, promising herself that she would be strong for Mary. Beside her, Mary was a nervous wreck. If they get equitted…Casey thought.

"Don't worry, Casey. The jury would have to be insane to let them get off with this," Kathy whispered, squeezing the woman's hand.

Mary just forced back the feeling that she was going to be sick. She would get through this. She probably wouldn't even have to testify today…God willing…

"Well, let's get started. Ms. Hills, call your witness."

"The defense calls Adam Johnson to the stand."

Casey was upset at not being able to try this case; she would have nailed the prick to a wall. But she did know Laura Sanders, the Queens SVU ADA who was prosecuting the case; and had tremendous respect for the woman. The two had become friends over the process of trial prep, and Casey was glad for it.

"Mr. Johnson," his lawyer asked, "Just one question. Do you regret what you did to your daughter? And your other children?"

"I was only doing what I believed God wanted me to. I didn't want to hurt her. Yes, I regret having to. Mary, sweetheart, I never meant to hurt you." He said, addressing his daughter.

Mary forced back her tears, forcing herself to not sob out and reward him. He wasn't sorry. She knew that. She winced, anyways, and a tear ran down her cheek. Elliot gently reached from the bench behind her to gently put a hand on Mary's back.

"Mr. Johnson," Laura stated, "You testify that you believe this to be God's will. So, even as your daughter was begging you to stop raping her, as you were tying her down, you never questioned that maybe, just maybe, you were doing what you wanted?"

"No."

"Have you ever hugged your daughter?"

"No…my religion forbids it."

"Have you or your wife ever kissed your children? Or soothed them when they had nightmares? Or told them you loved them?" Laura shot at him, forcing her emotions back.

"Objection, your honor! Relevance?"

"Your honor, the jury should know the way the Johnson's parent their children."

"Overruled."

"No, we didn't."

"Why not?" Laura asked, her eyes flashing with brown fire.

"Because they were disobedient! Because they deserved everything they got! Because they weren't ready to receive that kind of love!" Adam shouted, then realizing what he was doing, calming down.

Mary felt the tears sliding down her cheeks. God give me strength, God give me strength…we deserve it…we deserve it…

"You didn't deserve it," Casey whispered, reading Mary's mine andkeeping an arm firmly around her daughter. But Mary didn't hear her.

Laura had asked, and won, that the younger children be excused from testifying and that Mary's account of what happened to them be entered. Mary had been set on protecting her brother and sister from testifying, even if it meant taking on the pain herself.

"So, Mr. Johnson, let me make sure I'm clear on this. You don't believe your children deserved to be hugged and kissed by you or your wife and yet it's okay to rape your eldest daughter?"

"Objection!"

"Withdrawn. Nothing further."

Mary sighed during a court recess. She leaned back against a bench, thankful for the break. The defense had called its witnesses, which had been only her parents and a psychiatrist. They were pleading not guilty for reasons of mental disorder and religious freedom. She had sat through an hour of people saying that her parents weren't bad people, had sat through claims that she had deserved the abuse; had listened to her parents virtually tear her apart, and then a psychiatrist who claimed that it wasn't their fault. It is their fault…

Mary wasn't even aware that she was crying until she heard her quiet sobs. Elliot and Kathy quietly sat down beside her.

"Casey just went to the bathroom for a minute," Elliot explained, then realized that she was crying. "Come here, sweetheart."

Elliot pulled her into a tight embrace, gently stroking her hair asKathycomfortingly put herhand on the girl's leg.

"You've been so strong through all of this," He said, quietly, "And it's all been so hectic I don't think anyone's told you how proud we all are of you."

"That's right, Mary," Kathy offered quietly, "Forget everything your parents ever told you. You're strong, you're beautiful, you're a wonderful person and you did not deserve it. Do you believe me?"

"I believe you." Mary whispered.

"Good girl. Keep believing."

"Ms. Sanders, call your witness."

"The people call Mary Johnson."

Mary sighed, a million different thoughts racing through her head as she said "I do" and sat down.

Laura sensed the child's fear, and stood directly between her and her parents.

"Mary, can you tell us what your father did to you on Friday, August 28th?" Laura asked gently.

"He raped me," She said, her voice coming out with a strength she didn't know she had.

"Why?"

"I started my period and he told me that I was "doomed for eternal damnation" and that I was a woman now…and that I was supposed to make babies. That was my only purpose in life."

"Did you consent to make babies?"

"No. He had to tie me down."

"Did your parents ever abuse you or your brother and sister in any other way?"

"Yes. They beat Matthew and I on a regular basis, burned us with cigarettes and gave us the belt. They also made Matthew and I fast for days, and they locked me in the closet for a week once."

"Over that week were you allowed to eat or drink anything, Mary?"

"No." She said, tears filling her eyes.

"Did they ever hurt Joy, your little sister?"

"No…they believe until the age of nine you're pure enough to be forgiven of sins just by asking."

"So they redeemed you and Matthew by beating both of you?"

"Yes."

"Thank you, Mary. Nothing further."

Mary braced herself for the fight as Ms. Hills walked up to the stand.

"Mary, you are telling the truth, right?"

"Yes," She said, trying even harder not to cry.

"So you didn't want to be redeemed of your sins?"

"I don't believe that God requires brutality as part of redemption."

"Did you or did you not want to be redeemed, Ms. Johnson? You were raised to believe that God did require that, and that your parents were helping you in your faith, am I right?"

"You're right."

"So whenyou were living with your parents, you did believe that?"

"Yes."

"And did you want to be redeemed?"

"Yes…" Mary said, her tears falling over, "Yes."

"And what about your brother and sister? You never tried to protect them, so would it be fair to say, Ms. Johnson, that you did indeed consent to the redemption?"

"I believed it was right…" She cried, "And I hate myself for that."

"Yes or no, Ms. Johnson." The attorney said, her eyes flashing.

"Your honor! Relevance?" Laura objected.

"Overruled. Please answer the question, Mary."

"Yes…" Mary said, her tears falling.

"Nothing further."

"Redirect, your honor."

"Proceed, Ms. Sanders."

Laura walked toward the stand, gently putting her hand on Mary's shaking arm, furious at what the defense lawyer had put her through.

"Mary, now that you know that what your parents did was wrong, do you wish you had stopped it?"

"There's not a day that I don't pray for forgiveness for not stopping it."

"And when your father tried to rape you, didn't you try to fight him off?"

"Yes. Yes, I did."

I suppose it could be argued by some," Laura said, shooting a heated glance at Evelyn Hill, "That you didn't care about your brother and sister, just yourself, because it's the only time you fought them. Did you ever want them to get hurt?"

"No." Mary said, "I fought back that one time because I realized for the first timethat it was wrong."

"If you could go back and do something differently, would you?"

"I don't see an opportunity where I could have, but if I could have protected them, saved them from it somehow, I'd do it in a heartbeat."

"Thank you, Mary. Nothing further."

Two days later, Mary sat- with Elizabeth at her side- and listened to Laura's final argument.

"Mr. and Mrs. Johnson claim insanity," She said, halfway through her argument, "but believe me when I say, they knew exactly what they were doing and they never stopped to think of what they were doing to their children. This country gives us freedom of religion. But that freedom only goes so far and it does not give an excuse rape, abuse and forced starvation. So don't let it be used as one. These two people ignored their children's screams and tears as they whipped them, burned them, beat them, and tied down and raped their eldest daughter after she had her first period. She was petrified, and they never reached out to comfort her, only to slap her to the ground and then tie her down and rape her. They broke the law. They caused unimaginable suffering to all three of their children, and their children are just beginning to heal from it. You can help them be freed of their suffering by a guilty verdict. Don't let these two people get away with what they've done."

"I love this woman," Elizabeth whispered.

Mary tried to smile at her best friend, but couldn't. She was too scared…

Mary forced back her nausea and fear as the jury filed back in. The moment of truth, she thought bitterly. Elizabeth squeezed her best friend's hand, Mary squeezing back for dear life, Casey kept her arm around Mary's shoulders, praying some prayers on her own.

"In the case of the people versus Adam and Deborah Johnson, how does the jury find?"

"We find the defendants, Adam and Deborah Johnson…"

Bwahahahaha! Don't worry you guys, I'm not Dick Wolf, so I will give you the common courtesy or a straight answer instead of some stupid poll! You'rejust gonna have to wait until I post the next chapter! I'm aware of the fact that you all want to kill me right now, but other then that, what did you think? You can tell me via the review. No death threats, please, lol!