AN: Oh another chapter, and this one is so SHOCKING! OH MY GOD, it amazing. I think I was inspired to write it like this because I saw the comercial/preview for the preimer of CSI season 6. For those of you who have not seen it yet I shalll illistrate it for you, or the part that inspired me anyway:

Grissom (voice over whaile we watch the weird guy blow himself up from Grave Danger): I belive Walter Gordon had an acomplice (watch Grissm look a black audio tape)

(Cut to A/V lab)

Grissom: This is between you and me. (Now we see Archie look up at him)

It's killing me. I can't wait untill the 22nd. And Again I feel so bad for those who don't get to see in untill a later date. Of course the above sceen could be like cut and paste stuffs to draw our attention and Archie has nothing to do with anything to do with Nick getting kidnapped. (That's what I'm telling myself anyway. I like Archie)

In a less then an hour, the entire Nerd Squad was gathered and spread out in Fredy's living room. Catherine was clinging onto Warrick, and Warrick was clinging onto her. He was trying his best to comfort her, but it wasn't working very well.

"Cath, what happened," Cassy asked tentatively.

"They're saying I beat the crap out of Jeremy Kinkel," Catherine said bitterly.

"Henry's brother," Cassy asked, surprised. Catherine nodded.

Silence filled the room. Greg's arms were wrapped around Sara's waist, his back against the couch, Sara's head resting on his shoulder. Cassy was sitting next to Catherine and Warrick. Kiley was laid out on the couch, her feet resting in Nick's lap. Archie was the only one who seemed visibly uncomfortable, fidgety even. You could sense the tension and nervousness between the others, but Archie was...fidgety.

"You gonna cut a deal or something," Archie asked. He sounded a bit scared, and almost eager.

"I don't know," Catherine said sadly. "My attorney wants me to, but I don't know. He says there's a witness, other then Jeremy I mean, but I don't know who."

"He didn't tell you," Archie said a bit quickly.

Catherine shook her head. She wondered why he was so jumpy all of a sudden. Archie seemed visibly relived, something only Catherine caught.

"You'll be fine," Nick said firmly. He was good a reassuring people. And he sounded convinced.

"I hope," Catherine whispered so softly only Warrick, sitting right next to her, heard.

"Everthing'll be fine," Warrick breathed in Catherine's ear. He and Catherine were in Catherine's house again, laying on her couch.

Catherine nodded, even though she wasn't quite sure she believed him. But it would do her good to believe that everything would end up all right.

"The attorney, he didn't even ask me if I beat Jeremy up," Catherine said softly. It was amazing to her, but Warrick understood.

"He can't," Warrick told her. "As long as he doesn't know, your good. He can't put you on the stand if he knows you are going to lie."

"You didn't ask me either," Catherine pointed out, almost sadly. She hadn't beaten the kid. He was much bigger then her. If she had fought him, she wouldn't have gotten out unharmed. But still, Warrick not asking hurt her. Like he didn't want to know the truth.

"I didn't," he stated.

"Why," Catherine asked.

She felt Warrick smile widely, something she didn't expect. "I know you didn't," he said sincerely. Catherine smiled at this.

"But there's a witness," she said worriedly. warrick shrugged slightly.

"Probably one of his friends who'll do anything he tell them," Warrick muttered. Catherine nodded. Yeah, that was probably it. She still didn't like it.

"I hate court," Sara muttered. "I hate lawyers, I hate court." They were in the car and Sara was driving Fredy, Greg and her foster sister home.

"Me too," Greg said.

"Me three," Kiley added, a little louder then necessary. Fredy remained silent, but nobody said anything about this.

"I feel really bad for Catherine," Greg said softly.

"Who the hell is their witness," Kiley said enraged. "Who in their right mind would help either of those losers." It was a rhetorical question and everybody recognized that.

"Do you think Catherine actually did it," Greg asked tentatively. It was a question everyone was avoiding. Because either way, they lose. Admitting that they believed Catherine actually done it, that had it's obvious problems. It was like disregarding their loyalty to her as a friend. Saying they thought she didn't do it, the problems were less obvious, but they were there. It was a form of doubt, to being with. And nobody likes to be doubted. And in a twisted way, they were half-hoping she had beat the guy to a bloody pulp.

Nobody answered Greg's question, but he wasn't really expecting an answer.

This trial moved much faster then Fredy's trial, which was still going on. The first day of actually testifying and all that, was relatively boring. Except for Archie and Kiley, the entire Nerd Squad showed up in support of Catherine. Kiley was sick, and Sara forced her to stay in bed. Archie claimed illness as well, but noone actually saw him.

The second day Kiley came with them, but Archie was still home sick. They all sat in a row right behind Catherine's place at the defense table. They couldn't speak to her, but the smiled whenever she looked back. They were her little cheering crowd.

In the beginning it was pretty predictable. The prosecution called Jeremy himself, who openly accused Catherine. It was all very straight forward. Nothing unexpected. Not until they called the next witness, the one who supposedly saw the whole thing go down.

Everyone, including Catherine and the Nerd Squad heard the attorney say the name. Then a weird sort of buzzing filled all their ears. Sara convinced herself that she couldn't possibly have heard correctly. Catherine did that as well. Cassy, Fredy, Nick and Kiley's jaws visibly dropped and they turned quickly to see the witness walk into the court room.

Greg's reaction was different. He didn't blow up or anything. He didn't make a single noise for that matter. He stared at the door to the court room. There was an extremely sad, disappointed, let down sort of look in his eyes. His stomach had dropped to the floor. But unlike the others, who tried to convince themselves they misheard, Greg believed it immediately. It was hard for all the others to believe, but it explained a few things

The witness was a rather skinny boy, dressed in a nice suit. He had dark hair, and very almond shaped eyes. He walked in a manner of one condemned. Like he was heading for the end of death row, not the front of a court room. The Nerd Squad stared at him, but he didn't eve glance their way. He seemed to embarrassed or guilty to look at them.

The Nerd Squad, with the exception of Greg, was close to blowing. Close to shouting out, yelling at the boy who was swearing to tell the truth.

Greg still gazed at the boy as he sat down. Greg didn't smile, didn't do anything except stare with that sad, disappointed look.

The boy knew exactly where to look and found Greg's eyes. Greg didn't give any sign of recognition except to stare back. There was anger or ice in his gaze, just that sad disappointment, which was, quite possibly, much worse.

Sitting in the witness stand, the prosecution's 'surprise witness' was a boy they all knew.

Archie Johnson.