I have some time to get this chapter started. I hope not to take too long to get it done like the previous chapter. Im sorry for that, but please R&R. As I said before please bear with me on the court stuff. Any suggestions or corrections are appreciated.

Tris POV

The next day Tobias, Jack and I walk back into the courtroom together. I'm not as nervous as I thought I would be but it's still daunting that I have to take the stand today. Jack spoke to the judge beforehand who decided that before I take the stand, Tobias would go before me. We aren't completely surprised by this decision. This judge has presided over some of Jack's cases before so they have a strictly professional relationship of sorts that is non biased. I feel a lot more comfortable that this judge is female. She is short with dark hair and dark skin. She seems gentle and kind despite her profession. When looking at her it's hard not to notice the scar on her face. It is only partially hidden by her hair. I can't help but wonder if something in her past ultimately pushed into becoming a judge.

Before the judge enters I hug Tobias again and he kisses my forehead.

"All rise for the honorable Judge Johanna Reyes presiding." The bailiff announces.

"You may be seated." She says. "Who does the prosecution call upon as a witness first?"

Jack stands. "I call Tobias Eaton to the stand."

Tobias stands and walks up to where the bailiff stands with a bible.

"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?"

"I do."

"You may be seated."

Jack begins his questioning. "Mr. Eaton, please state your relationship to the plaintiff and the defendants."

"I have no direct relationship with the defendants. The plaintiff is my fiancée and was my girlfriend at the time of the incident."

"Did Ms. Prior ever mention any of the defendants to you before the attack?"

"Yes, only Mr. Hayes. I had no prior knowledge of Mr. Patterson and Mr. Cunningham before the attack."

"What did she tell you about Mr. Hayes?"

"She told me that a few years prior to us meeting, she was in a romantic relationship with him."

"Did she ever say if he was abusive in any way?"

"Yes. She said that it was mostly emotional abuse but that it became physical towards the end which prompted her to end the relationship."

"Did anything significant happen between the time when Ms. Prior first told you about Mr. Hayes and the actual attack?"

"Yes. Almost a year ago one day she and I were running separate errands and later that day she told me that she had unexpectedly run into Mr. Hayes at a grocery store and he tried to convince her to get back together with him and leave me."

"Where were you when this occurred?"

"I was at the correctional facility visiting my father who I had not had contact with in a decade."

"And what was your reaction when Ms. Prior told you about encountering Mr. Hayes?"

"Mainly, I was worried but even if I wanted to I knew I couldn't do anything about it at that time. He didn't hurt her then while in a public place with witnesses."

"So you and Ms. Prior never thought about figuring out where to find him?"

"No. She had hoped it was a one time thing. If she had known he was stalking her to find out where we lived, she would have told me."

"Let's talk about the day of the attack. What was that day like for you?"

Tobias looks at me for a brief moment and I give him a small nod.

"Well, it was a Saturday. Tris and I had gotten into an argument earlier that week and we weren't speaking to each other unless it was really important. I left mid morning on a run then I headed to the gym. Close to the end of my workout at the gym, I noticed Tris was there too. I walked over to where she was and I told her that I was heading home to shower then going to a friend's place for a couple hours. She just said that was fine so I left. When I finished my shower she was just getting home and I left to my friend's house. I was there maybe an hour. I had planned to return home and figure out with her how we could fix things between us, but that obviously didn't happen."

"What did happen?"

"When I got home and pulled into the driveway, I noticed that the front door was open so I didn't even bother opening the garage and went to see why it was open. I knew something had to be wrong because I didn't see Tris outside and I know she wouldn't leave the door open for any reason. As I got closer to the door, I heard muffled screams. I then saw the defendants, including Mr. Cunningham, pinning Tris to the ground and hitting her. Mr. Hayes had his hands around her neck. Mr. Patterson had a mask on and a mask, which Tris told me that Mr. Cunningham was wearing, was on the floor. I managed to stop all three of them and then called the police."

"Well, it seems like, no matter your relationship with Ms. Prior, you got there just in time."

Tobias nods and I smile a little.

"I have no further questions your honor."

Peter and Drew's lawyer then takes his turn to ask Tobias questions. The lawyer tries to play with the idea that Tobias has hit me before. Jack interjects several times. Before I know it, it's my turn to take the stand.

PAGE BREAK

I sit in the chair, rubbing my hands together and take a deep breath as Jack begins.

"Ms. Prior, Mr. Eaton said that you were unaware if Mr. Hayes was stalking you after your initial run in with him. Is that true?"

"Yes. I always make sure I am aware of my surroundings anywhere I go, especially if I am alone."

"So you had absolutely no contact with Mr. Hayes after ending that relationship and before meeting Mr. Eaton?"

"No, I did not."

"What about Mr. Cunningham and Mr. Patterson? Did you ever cross paths with them at any point after ending your relationship with Mr. Hayes?"

"Only with Mr. Cunningham. I didn't know Mr. Patterson that well even though he is a friend of Mr. Hayes. I met Mr. Cunningham not long after my relationship with Mr. Hayes ended. I was unaware until the attack that they knew each other."

"Did you consider Mr. Cunningham a friend or simply an acquaintance?"

"I thought we could be friends. He asked me out on a date once and I agreed, but after that I wasn't interested in taking it any further. I had no romantic feelings towards him. I told him so and at the time I thought he took it well. I never lead him on and frankly, I don't understand how he could have said that he was in love with me. I know there had to be another reason that he killed himself."

"So, are you saying you don't think he would've done this on his own? That he was coerced?"

"Yes, I do think he was coerced. I knew Al wasn't that type of person to do that on his own. I guess you could say he was probably naïve. The Al I knew wouldn't hurt a fly. Mr. Hayes, however, is manipulative and usually resorts to violence and threats to get his way. Mr. Patterson probably just went along with it for fun."

"I see. Now, we've heard from Mr. Eaton a bit of what happened that day, but can you tell us, in your own words, your version of the events?"

"Of course. Well, after I got home from the gym and he left the house I was going to go upstairs to take a shower. Before I could do that the doorbell rang. I assumed it was a neighbor or someone selling something as usually the people that we know don't just show up unannounced. So I was shocked when I saw who it was."

"So what happened when you opened the door?"

"At that moment I only saw Peter in the doorway. I asked him how he knew where I lived and he said he had been keeping tabs on me and that he knew that I was currently alone. He proceeded to say that he was going to have his way with me but needed extra hands and that's when I saw Al and Drew standing behind him with masks on. Then they all grabbed me and started touching me everywhere. I got Al's mask off before they pinned me to the ground. One of them, I think Peter, had me in a chokehold. They kept hitting me as I was going in and out of consciousness then all of a sudden they stopped. I could hear screaming that I knew wasn't my own. Before I completely lost consciousness the only thing I saw was blue eyes, blue eyes that I knew belonged to my fiancé."

I look at Tobias and smile slightly and he returns it.

"So none of your attackers attempted to go beyond touching you?"

"Thankfully no. For a second I thought they would but I was saved just in time."

"Do you experience flashbacks or anything like that?"

"Occasionally I do experience nightmares related to the incident."

Jack then addresses the jury and I, like Tobias was, am questioned by the defense lawyer. Afterwards Judge Reyes announces that a verdict will be read in two days.

A/N: Hope this chapter was okay. Like I said before, if you have any suggestions or corrections, please let me know.