In the courtroom:

"Will the defendant take the stand." The judge demanded.

B hesitated, swallows and then walks slowly forward. He turns and looks at his daddy.

B's mind: What have I done? I may never see them again. He looks at Fran. Well at least she will be all right and is alive because of me. Oh I really did it this time.

"B, you did nothing wrong? Look at me." Calls a voice. B thinks he sees his mother or should I say the ghost of his mother behind Max. "Now go and tell them your story. Tell them what really happened. And I will take care of the rest. Trust me." Then she was gone. B blinked at few times. He wanted to make sure that he wasn't just seeing things.

"Come up here son." He turned faced the jury took a deep breath and continued forward to the witness stand.

"Son please state your whole name for the court."

"Brighton Mill Sheffield." The prosecutor came up to the podium.

"No one can hear you that's why we have the microphone ok

B's mind: Who does she think I'm a complete idiot?

"Yes," he was trying to be polite in front of the jury. He coughed into it on accidentally after he pushed it closer to him.

"I didn't say cough into it. You talk into it."

B's mind: This lady is so mean. It was an accident. I have no chance of winning this. I might as well say that I'm guilty. But I know I'm not. He looks over at the jury. They believe that I'm I can read it in there eyes. He breathed in deeply. Let's just get this over with.

"I'm going to ask you some simple questions first. How are you?"

"I'm 13 and a half." He smiles at the jury.

Fran looks over at Max. "It's good to see him smiling." Max ignores her. He is watching his son. For this might be the last time that he sees him in a long time.

"And do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"Two sisters," B's mind: I hoping for some more like a brother this time. He smiles at Fran. She knew what he's thinking. Fran's mind: I wish I could b but that is in the hands of this jury now.

"What are the names of your sisters?"

"Maggie and Gracie."

"Are you the oldest?"

"No middle child,"

"Keep your voice up everybody wants to hear you in the back."

"Mother's name?" B looks at jury then tears start to drip from his eyes, looks at DA then to the judge

"Answer the question son."

"My mother's dead!" B yells not meaning too. Max's heart sank. He wanted to be up there with him. To hold him. To protect him.

B sniffed, then continued. "Her name was Sarah."

"Dad's name?"

"Maxwell." Max whispers to Fran, "Is this necessary? We already watched happened."

"Did you Brighton Sheffield, not break up a wedding earlier between Danny Imperelli and Fran Fine?"

"Yes," he responded. His voice shrieking.

"That's not good." Max whispers to Fran shaking his head.

"I know, but it's the truth."

B tells the jury that he was protecting the only woman who ever loved him. Max gave B a stern and hurtful look. B looksed at the jury and adds "Well in my life now." Tears fell from his face. Fran wanted to stand up and say something to B. Max grabbed her by the arm and makes her sit down.

"Ow that hurt."

" Just sit down before you get yourself into trouble, Ms. Fine that for once, I can't get you out of."

Brighton continues in the debate. "I don't have it in me to be bad." Max shook his head.

"Shh…honey I can't hear them."

"Sometimes. I wonder about that."

"But you shot a man with a gun. You don't call that bad." The prosecutor went on. B lowered his head. He knew that wasn't going over to well with the jury.

"The gun accidentally went off." B explained.

"If that's true son then why did you run from the police?"

"Cause I knew I could have been in trouble or hurt."

"So you know it's wrong to play with guns?" B blinked. Of course he knew it was wrong to play with guns.

"So you know right from wrong."

"Yes." B swallowed.

"So you picked up the gun and shot the man."

"Well, yeah. But…." B was cut off

"That doesn't sound like an accident to me. You deliberately wanted to hurt him."

"Well, no yes, I don't know." B was now getting agitated with all the questions. He knew he shot the man but it really was an accident. He didn't mean any harm to anyone. He was just protecting his nanny. "I just wanted to help her." He pleaded. "I had to do something," he swallowed at looked over at the jury. "I thought he was going to kill my moth…I mean nanny."

"Wha?" Fran was shocked. "He thinks of me as his mother. I'm…".she sniffs, "I'm honored."

Max couldn't believe what he was hearingMax's mind: That can't be right. Did I hear him right? He is just replaced his mother. How could he do that to her?

B sniffs, "That's all I did. I love her."

"No farther questions you honor." The judge looks at the DA. He shook his head.

"The defense rest, your honor." The judge told B that he could go back to his seat.

The DA smiled at B. "You did a great job." And pats him on the back. Fran just stood there and kept to herself. She watched the jury who showed no sighs of what they were thinking. She couldn't read any of them. That worried Fran a little. Max was furious at the DA.

"He's not even going to help defend him? What kind of lawyer am I paying for?"

"Sir, he is letting the tape speak for it's self."

"But is that enough for the jury to believe?"

"We can only hope sir."

Judge Wolfstone gives the jury their instructions and they exit the courtroom.

Outside of the courtroom:

Max was pacing back and forth on the marble floor of the courtroom lobby. He breathed in deeply. Max's mind: How can this be happening and to my only son? What if we lose? What if I never see my son again? What if……Ah……

"I can't take the wait. What if, what if what if?"

"Enough with the 'what ifs' sir. Trust me nothing is going to happen." Niles came up to his boss.

"But….."

"Niles is right Maxwell. Cheer up. Nothing is going to happen." CC voice surprised both of them.

"CC, uh….Niles said you left."

"I thought she did." Under his breath he said, "I wish she had. I don't need any more surprises."

"Honey stop buffing the floor." Fran said as she stepped up to him.

"I can't help it. It's nerve racking." She hugs him.

"Everything is going to be fine." She winks at CC who now is sitting on the bench near the door. She just smiled back. The bailiff came out.

"They have reached a verdict."