Disclaimer: Dick owns just about all of them.

I'm so sorry it's taken me this long to update. My mother bought a house without selling the one we're living in now, so we've been struggling to clean it up and get it in show condition. It's been absolutely crazy. Thankfully it's looking good now so I have a little time to sit and write this chapter…

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"I just can't believe she agreed to come over yesterday," Jess said worriedly as she looked through her closet for her shirt. "She's testifying today." She turned to look angrily at Allen. "Allen what the hell were you thinking asking her to come over?"

He frowned as she struggled to fight the emotions and find something to wear. She was obviously nervous about the trial today, and he didn't blame her. "I was thinking that you were being way too hard on yourself and there wasn't anything I could do to help. I called Olivia first to make sure Alex was okay. She assured me that Alex would be glad to hear from you."

She sighed. "Today is going to be so hard for her. She's going to have to tell a room full of strangers what happened to her and she's going to have to face a difficult defense team…I just, I feel so bad about yesterday. She shouldn't have had to deal with my stupid crap. She should have been preparing herself for today."

He watched as she finished dressing, putting on a pair of black pants and a soft purple sweater, and hugged her. "Hey, she was happy to see you. I walked her out, I saw it in her eyes. I think yesterday you proved to her how you really feel. You showed her how much you love her. I think she needed that."

She followed him out to the car and tried not to cry as he pulled out of the driveway and drove towards the courthouse. She was dreading this trial more than anything, and if she was this nervous, she cringed to think what Alex was feeling. "She's an amazing woman," she said. "I pray she makes it through today."

Allen smiled encouragingly. "She will. All of us guys will be waiting in the hall while you and Olivia are in there with her. She's got plenty of support. She's going to be just fine."

Jess nodded in hopeful agreement. Alex had seemed to be doing better when she came over yesterday. "Thank you for being so understanding. She doesn't hate any of you. She just –"

"Would feel better if we weren't all there to hear her story," he interrupted. He nodded understandingly. "We get it. It's okay."

They parked the car and nervously stepped outside. Jess looked at her watch. It was nine-thirty. Casey was probably already in the courtroom getting all the final details together. Olivia was probably sitting in the front row, ready to support Alex. Alex was probably sitting somewhere, trying to prepare herself for testifying. Jess took a deep breath and looked up at Allen. "Lets go."

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"Just focus on Casey when she's asking questions," Alex said nervously as she paced back and forth in the small waiting room. She was actually glad nobody else was in there with her. It allowed her to think out loud. "Focus on Liv or Jess when Simpkins asks his questions." She knew what she had to do. Simpkins' questions were going to be difficult, years of experience in the courtroom had taught her that. If she had any hope of getting through them, she would have to focus on something or someone that would keep her going. Both Olivia and Jess had promised to sit up front for her. That was going to be a big help. She just wished she knew why the defense had called her as a witness. She had a feeling…no, she knew, that it was something more than her sleeping with that kid in seventh grade. That was what scared her the most – the potential bombshell they were going to drop at the absolute worst moment.

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As they walked down the entrance hallway of the courthouse, Allen and Jess heard the unmistakable shouting of a very angry Casey Novak. They quickened their pace and rounded the corner just in time to see Casey throw her hands in the air in frustration and turn her back on the man she was yelling at.

Jess quickly ran over to her, worried that something terrible may have happened to damage the case. "Casey," she said as she approached the distraught woman. She noticed Casey's eyes were filling with tears. "Casey, what happened?"

"I failed," she said sadly. "I let her down."

"Failed? What do you mean?"

Casey sighed and met Jess' eyes. "Her parents are in there," she said softly.

"Whose? Alex's?"

She nodded sadly and looked down to the floor. She swallowed and took several deep breaths in an attempt to push away the tears. "I tried, I really did. You have to know that I tried."

"Casey what are you talking about?"

"They're sitting on Jennings' side!" she exclaimed.

Jess' eyes widened in horror. "What?"

"I tried to argue that their presence would possibly traumatize Alex – sometimes you can do that – but I failed. They're allowed to be there as long as they don't disrupt the proceedings." She inhaled angrily and blew it out. "I can't even tell Alex because she's getting ready to testify for the fucking defense. I let her down already and she doesn't even know."

Jess couldn't believe what was happening. Was there no end to this nightmare? Was this hell never going to stop? She grabbed Casey's hands in an effort to try to calm her. "Case, look at me…look at me." She held tight to Casey's hands and waited until their eyes met. "You didn't fail her. I know you tried. It's okay, this wasn't your fault. You couldn't –"

"It is my fault!"

"No, Casey, it's not," Jess said firmly. Opening arguments started in twenty minutes, and there was no way Casey was going to be able to do her job if she didn't calm down. "It's not your fault," she said again. "Look, there's nothing you can do about it right now. Now you have to get in there and do what you do best. You're a great lawyer, Casey, you've got this one. It's okay. You've got a hell of a lot of support right behind you, I promise."

Casey took a few deep breaths as she tried to settle her nerves. She'd been prepping for months for this trial. She couldn't stop now. She forced a small smile and looked up. "Thanks Jess. I think I…I think I needed to hear that."

Jess smiled supportively and ushered Casey towards the door of the courtroom. "Just get in there and do your job. This is a slam dunk case. I'll be in there in a few minutes."

"What the hell was that all about?" Allen asked anxiously as he hurried over to Jess.

"Alex's parents are sitting on Jennings' side."

"Oh, God."

"Yeah. I'd better get in there. Are you staying?"

"Of course."

She kissed him and smiled. "Thank you." She turned to leave. "I'll see you…well I have no idea how long this is going to take, but I'll see you when I'm done."

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"What the hell do you mean her parents are sitting on his side?" Olivia asked angrily just before she and Jess entered the courtroom. She knew Alex was going to be okay, but with her parents in there, it would be even more difficult. "Why didn't Casey do anything? She could have gotten them banned from the proceedings or something!"

Jess sighed. "She tried, Liv. She really tried, and she feels terrible."

Olivia saw the sadness in Jess' eyes and was suddenly filled with apprehension and worry. "But she's okay, right? She's okay to prosecute?"

"Yeah, she's okay. She's really upset, but she's okay." Jess sighed. "We'd better get in there," she said as she looked at the courtroom doors. "God I want to kill her parents for doing this."

"You and me both," Olivia said as they walked inside. They took their seats in the front row and gave Casey encouraging smiles as they sat down.

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It was her turn. It had come so quickly that she almost wasn't ready for it. She rubbed her hands together nervously as she took one last look at the papers on the desk in front of her. Her hands were sweaty and she tried to dry them on her skirt, but realized that just made her appear more nervous, so she stopped. You can do this, Case. It's just opening arguments, she told herself as she stood to face the jury. She took a deep breath. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury," she began, her voice strong and full of determination. "The case you are about to hear is one of unspeakable horror. The man sitting before you," she said as she motioned towards Jennings, "Caused more pain than we could ever imagine. I intend to prove to you that he raped and tortured twenty-three girls, killing one of them, and I am certain that he will do it again…"

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"Ms. Cabot, they're ready for you."

Alex looked up at the officer and nodded slowly. It was time. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. As she followed him down the hallway, she tried to convince herself that she was ready to do this. She walked into the courtroom confidently, but refused to look at anyone until she was seated in the witness stand and had been sworn in. first she saw Olivia and Jess, sitting together in the front row behind Casey, giving her encouraging smiles. She noticed Casey wink encouragingly at her. Then she looked over towards the defense. She literally felt the color drain from her face when she saw her parents staring angrily at her. The apologetic look on Casey's face told her that she had tried to have them removed, but had been unsuccessful. She nodded, accepting the fact that there wasn't anything she could do, and turned her attention to Simpkins, who had stood to begin his questioning.

"Ms. Cabot, were you a sexually promiscuous teenager?"

Seriously? This is your first question? Casey stood quickly, "Objection! Relevance?"

Simpkins smiled arrogantly at the judge and jury. "I'm trying to prove that Ms. Cabot here was a promiscuous individual who invited many males into her home, one of them quite possibly being my client."

"Your Honor!" Casey yelled angrily.

Petrovsky frowned. "I'll allow it, but be careful Mr. Simpkins."

Surprising even herself, Alex didn't even hesitate. "I was struggling with my sexuality even then," she admitted. "At the time I felt –"

"Are you still struggling with it now?"

"I haven't even answered your first question," she answered before Casey could object, which she knew she would do. She looked at Olivia, and then smiled and cocked her head. "I'm very comfortable now. To answer your first question, I don't think I was all that promiscuous, at least not by the standards of the day. I mean, I was only sleeping with one guy."

Simpkins smiled at the jury, as if she had just taken the bait without even realizing it. He turned his attention back to her. "How often did the two of you have sex?"

"Objection!" Casey yelled as she stood from her chair. She was not about to let them paint Alex out to be some whore. She was going to fight as hard as she could.

"Overruled." Petrovsky said glumly.

Casey looked at her in shock. Overruled? She looked apologetically at Alex before sitting back down in her seat and trying to figure out how the hell she was going to fix this.

"We'd meet at his place almost every day after school."

Simpkins clicked his tongue and walked back over to his desk. He pretended to flip through his papers for several seconds before turning back around. "Ms. Cabot, on the night in question, had you ever seen this man before?" he asked and pointed to his client.

"Yes."

"When?"

She swallowed. "When I was five. He raped my sister."

Simpkins raised his eyebrows in fake surprise. "Really?" he half-smiled and tilted his head. "Now tell me, why on earth would you invite your sister's rapist into your home?"

"Objection!" Casey screamed. "Since when did we determine that she invited him in?"

Petrovsky frowned again. "Sustained. Stick to the facts Mr. Simpkins."

"Your Honor, my client claims Ms. Cabot invited him in. I am sticking to the facts."

"Well they're quite conflicting. Ask questions, Mr. Simpkins, don't give conflicting information. We'll see what Ms. Cabot has to say."

He turned his attention back to Alex again. "Ms. Cabot, at any time during the attack, did you beg my client to, and I quote, 'Fuck me harder'?"

"Objection! Badgering!"

"Yes," Alex answered before Petrovsky could respond to Casey's objection. She took a deep breath and looked at the jury. "He had already cut and burned me. he told me that if I didn't say it, he'd do it again. I didn't have a choice."

"So you admit to begging for it?"

This was getting difficult. Casey was doing the best she could, but Simpkins' questions weren't going to be kicked out. Alex had to answer them. she closed her eyes and listened to the rest of Alex's answer.

"He told me that if I didn't beg for it, he'd cut and burn me again," Alex said firmly. "I didn't really have a choice."

Simpkins could tell she was breaking. It made him happy to see it. If he could just hold out for a few more questions and get through Casey's redirect, his plan would be successful. He turned to face the jury and smiled. "So if you were begging for it, it's safe to assume that my client thought you were enjoying yourself."

"Objection!" Casey screeched, standing up so quickly she nearly knocked her chair over.

"Withdrawn," Simpkins answered before Petrovsky could respond. He returned to his seat and smiled confidently. "Nothing further at this time."

"Redirect Ms. Novak?"

Casey rose from her chair and slowly walked to the center of the courtroom. This was it. "Ms. Cabot," she said, taking a deep breath. "Can you please tell us exactly what happened that night?"

Alex nodded and folded her hands into her lap. She was ready for this question, she knew it was coming, but it was still hard. It was terrifying to have to tell a room full of strangers what happened. "I was in my room and I heard footsteps behind me. before I could turn around, he hit me on the head and everything went black. When I woke up…" her voice trailed off. She looked at Casey, who nodded encouragingly for her to keep going. She swallowed and continued. "When I woke up, I was naked and tied to my bedposts. He cut me, he raped me, he burned me, he raped me again, and I had to keep begging for more. He put his tongue inside me and made me say horrible things about myself, then he left."

Casey breathed a quiet sigh of relief and was happy to see Alex do the same. It was almost over, just a few questions left. "Ms. Cabot, did you invite Mr. Jennings into your home?"

"No."

"Did you ask to be tied to your bed, tortured, and raped?"

"No."

"Did you at any time ask Mr. Jennings to stop?"

"Yes, but then he started cutting me, so I stayed silent."

Casey nodded at the jury, then turned back to Alex and gave her a proud and loving smile. "Nothing further."

Petrovsky hesitantly looked at Simpkins, praying he was finished so she didn't have to endure his torturing Alex. "Mr. Simpkins, do you have any more questions for Ms. Cabot?"

"No Your Honor."

Thank God, she though. "Very well. You may step down Ms. Cabot."

Just as Alex stood to step down from the witness stand, she saw Jennings launch himself from his chair. "You're a whore!" he screamed as the guards rushed towards him. She noticed the smug smile on Simpkins face and her heart skipped a beat. "You enjoyed it, I know you did! You enjoyed it just like all the other girls!" The guards struggled to pull him out of the courtroom as Petrovsky pounded her hammer and screamed for Simpkins to control him. "You wanted it just like all the others!" he yelled as he was finally dragged out of the courtroom.

Alex felt her knees giving out and she collapsed to the floor as she looked at Simpkins, who was smiling proudly. This was what his plan had been all along. She closed her eyes and tried to fight the nausea that was creeping up inside her. Olivia jumped the railing and was at her side in a matter of seconds. She carefully helped Alex to her feet and they began walking towards the door.

"You're a disgusting disappointment to the Cabot family, Sarah."

They looked up and saw Alex's father staring at them, her mother right behind him.

"Daddy, I –" Alex started, tears pouring down her face.

"Don't you dare address him as your father!" her mother screamed. "You are no longer a part of this family!"

It took everything Olivia had not to attack the two people standing in front of her. If Alex hadn't collapsed again and been completely dependant on her to help her stand, she probably would have done just that. Instead, she pulled a hyperventilating Alex back up to her feet and looked at the woman's parents. "To be a part of your family would be a disgrace. I am going to give your daughter something she never got from you: a home, where she is loved and cared for. I hope you rot in hell." She turned and walked Alex out of the courtroom.

"You see that! Is that the kind of woman you want as your Bureau Chief?" Simpkins exclaimed to everyone in the courtroom before Olivia and Alex left. "She's mentally unstable! She doesn't deserve to be in that position! She's a liability to us all!"

Olivia quickened her pace and hurried Alex out of the courtroom. She rushed her to the bathroom, where Alex proceeded to dry heave into the toilet while Olivia gently rubbed her back and fought her own tears.

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Petrovsky had cleared the courtroom quickly and had successfully gotten Simpkins arrested for contempt, and he would stay in jail until she could figure out what to do with him. She had ordered him to control his client several times, but he had never even tried to stop Jennings' yelling. She hoped he had a damn good explanation, but the happiness she noticed in his eyes made her think otherwise. She had a terrible feeling that he had planned the whole thing. He knew Jennings was going to go down, and she knew Simpkins hated Alex – he had never beaten her in court before. Maybe he wanted her on the witness stand so he could get her to break in front of everybody, thus having a reason to call her abilities into question. Seeing the look on Alex's face while everything was happening angered her more than anything. Alex was one of the best prosecutors she'd ever met, and damned good at her job. The actions of Simpkins would not go unpunished.

The good news was that by admitting to raping and torturing all of the other girls, Petrovsky could automatically sentence Jennings to death. If anything good could possibly come out of this horrible situation, it was that those young girls no longer had to testify in front of the jury.

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Casey still couldn't move – the shock of what had just happened hadn't worn off yet. The events kept playing back over and over in her mind: Alex being badgered by the defense, Alex being forced to recount her story, Alex being called a whore by the man who raped her, the things Alex's parents said to her, and finally Simpkins calling her job into question. It was too much for Casey to handle. She wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out again.

"Casey?" Jess asked anxiously. They were the only two people left in the courtroom. Jess had stayed when she realized Casey was too distraught to even move. she hopped the railing and put her hands on Casey's shoulders. "Honey, talk to me," she said worriedly, afraid Casey was going into shock. "Talk to me, Case."

Casey looked up, her eyes full of tears. "What have I done? Jess what have I done?"

Before Jess could answer, Casey crumbled to the floor and started sobbing. "No, Casey," Jess said gently as she sat down and hugged her. "Casey none of this was your fault. There was no way you could have known Simpkins was going to pull something like this." She gently rubbed Casey's back and wiped away a few of her own tears. "This wasn't your fault. You did –"

"It is my fault!" Casey screamed. "I should have seen it coming! I knew Simpkins was up to something!" She buried her face into Jess' shoulders and cried harder. "She's going to lose her job, her family, her money…and it's all because of me!"

"Casey, no," she said sternly. "Don't do this to yourself." She lifted Casey's head and forced her to look her in the eyes. "You did such a great job today. You objected to nearly all of Simpkins' questions. You prepped the hell out of Alex and she was prepared for all of your questions."

"Olivia had to carry her out of the courtroom, Jess!"

"Because of Simpkins' questions and Jennings' outburst and her parents' cruelty, not because of you. She was so tense when Simpkins was asking his questions, but she relaxed as soon as it was your turn. Your questions weren't what upset her, Casey. She was ready for them." She cupped Casey's head in her hands and smiled. "She loves you, Casey. This wasn't your fault."

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Allen and Steve rushed into the courtroom when they realized Jess and Casey were the only two people left inside. As soon as they got inside, they could hear the conversation between the two women. They hung back and listened, knowing that Casey needed to get all of this out of her system.

Steve smiled and turned to Allen. "You know," he whispered, hoping Jess and Casey didn't hear, "I never thought I'd say this after what happened, but you've got an amazing girl there Allen."

Allen nodded and smiled proudly. "Yeah, she's pretty great. You've got a great one too, Steve. Casey's a special woman."

"Yes, she really is."

They waited until they were sure the conversation was over before venturing further into the courtroom. When they did, they found both women on the floor; Jess's arms wrapped tightly around a sobbing Casey. Steve met Jess' eyes and he forced a smile. "Thank you," he mouthed. He bent down and gently placed a hand on Casey's back. "Come on honey, let's get you home."

Casey felt Jess slowly release her into Steve's arms. She nodded slightly as Steve helped her stand. He led her back down the length of the courtroom and towards the door. "I just don't know how to face her now," she confessed as they walked out.

"Jess what the hell happened in here?" Allen asked worriedly. "Everyone left in a hurry, Olivia practically carried a very hysterical Alex to the bathroom, and now Casey's sobbing in your arms."

Jess smiled sadly and stood up. "It was bad, Allen. It was really bad. Simpkins had an alternative motive that none of us saw coming. He intentionally worded his questions in a way that would hurt her the most. Casey objected to nearly every one of them. She did such an amazing job and she doesn't even see it. She asked her questions and it was obvious Alex was relieved Simpkins had finished. Just as she was about to step down from the witness stand, Jennings went nuts. He started calling her all kinds of names and things, and saying that she enjoyed and begged for it. The judge kept ordering Simpkins to control him, but he just stood there smiling, like he was enjoying the show. Alex collapsed and Olivia helped her up. As they were leaving, Alex's parents called her disgusting and disowned her. She sobbed even harder and couldn't even stand on her own. Simpkins looked at the judge and then the jury and asked if they wanted a woman as emotionally unstable as Alex to be the Bureau Chief. He called her job into question, Allen! That's the only reason he did this! The judge had him arrested, but…this was bad Allen. Casey blames herself and I – I –"

Allen wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tight. He felt his shirt getting wet with her tears and he gently rubbed her back and combed his fingers through her hair. He couldn't imagine how hard it must have been for her to see that, how hard it must have been for Alex to go through it. "I'm so sorry, honey," he told her, not knowing what else to say or do. He held her and let her cry as he silently prayed that Alex's hell ended soon.

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Okay, well that was a long one. Please let me know what you think!

Also, I have another idea to tie into this story, but it would take a good ten or fifteen chapters to do so. My question is, should I keep going with this story or make a sequel?

It's going to be at least a week and a half before I can update again. I'm leaving at 3am tomorrow morning (Morning of July 4th…how dumb is that?) to drive to Florida. I live in Philadelphia. Yikes. Wish me luck!