After a quick recess a member of staff quickly moved the camera to face me and made sure that my mic was working; and when they left the room I had to take a couple of deep breaths to steady my nerves.
"Mal are you ok?" I heard Ben say, which made me look up at him.
"I guess" I answered. " I'm just nervous," I admitted.
"Hey" he said as he wrapped his left arm around my shoulders. "You can do this," he told me reassuringly. "And I will be here right by my side," he promised.
"Thank you" I meekly smiled at him. "I needed to hear that" I added before I reached over and pressed a brief kiss against his lips. I watched as a warm smile spread across my husband; and I couldn't help but feel proud of him. He had been through so much. He just sat through a long discussion and questioned on something that was very hard for him and right now he was more concerned about supporting me through a similar conversation. It made me love him even more, if that was even possible. He was so strong, my perfect husband of mine.
When the sight of the courtroom came back onto the TV in front of us me and Ben then broke apart again but he slid his left hand into mine, as I had done for him a little while ago. I then watched as my face appeared on the screen in the TV in the courtroom and I watched as Bobby's face lit up.
"There she is!" he exclaimed. "The love of my life!" he shouted as he stood up and stepped forward.
"Mr Bailey!" the Chief Justice called. "I will not tolerate outbursts" he warned him, causing Bobby's face to drop. "If you continue I will have you removed, do I make myself clear?" he asked sternly, making Bobby take a step back.
"Yes your honour" he muttered as he slowly sat back down. I felt my stomach flutter nervously once more, I hadn't even said anything yet and Bobby was starting - this really wasn't going to end well by the looks of it.
"Mr Grey" Chief Justice Williams smiled over to Gareth. "The floor is yours" he offered and I watched as Gareth stood up slowly with a smile on his face.
"Thank you your honour" he stated as he turned around and looked over to the TV screen with my face on. I took a couple of deep breaths to steady my ever growing nerves. I felt Ben squeeze my hand, which made me look at him for a few seconds before I looked back to the camera - with me not knowing what was going to happen next.
Thankfully Gareth was very tactful but through as he questioned me on everything from me breaking up with Ben up until me and Ben leaving Auradon General Hospital after the kidnapping. However things got intense when I had to describe each relationship and history that I had had with each member of the accused party. I hated how it made me look - like an easy slut! I wasn't! I really wasn't! But I dreaded to think what was going to be in the papers and on the news in the morning; but I still maintained that I wasn't going to look at or pay attention to it. It didn't matter what they put out to the public, what mattered to me was what Ben and our family thought.
Just as I predicted when I was questioned on my relationship with Bobby, Bobby kept calling out. Chief Justice Williams gave him three warnings, which was what I felt very fair, before he was wrestled out of the room to be held as he couldn't be trusted to disrupt proceedings any further.
When I finally explained getting in the car with Adam, Belle and Ben I felt a little bit better at the fact that half of it was over. But it was the next part that worried me! I felt as if I was about to walk into the lion's den. As I looked at each lawyer I sensed that they couldn't wait to question me, Ben was one thing but I was another. I was seen as being the reason and purpose to this whole mess - and I knew they were going to do their very best to try and show the jury this.
