Court Part One


"Ok, look at me." AJ nodded, standing outside the court room with Dean and Anna, "You know what we've to say. Anything they say, we turn a blind eye to and we focus on our fight." She nodded, "Don't… whatever you do, don't get mad in front of the judge." She said, specifically looking at Dean who just nodded.

It had been a long few weeks without their newborn daughter. They were both finding it hard to carry on when they were being so unfairly treated.

"Where is Phil?" Dean asked.

"He's in the gallery with JC. You two need to sit up front with me." AJ explained, "When it's time for their witness, don't say anything, don't try and argue, don't interrupt… just stay quiet." She said as they both nodded.

"What if she… what if she says ridiculous things?" Anna asked.

"Then she'll say them. It's our job… my job, to prepare what we counter argue with. They will pounce on you up there during their cross on you." AJ said, "Just stay calm, answer truthfully, don't give into any pressure." She said.

"This is a lot more complicated than I thought it'd be." Anna sighed to herself, feeling horrible butterflies in her stomach.

"You'll be fine." AJ nodded, "We got this." She smiled herself, trying to ease them a little as she saw how nervous they both were. She used to be fine going into court. When she first started in her career she thought it was extremely nerve wracking and intimidating, but she'd got used to it by now. However, she felt those nervous jitters back, purely because it was personal, and meant more to her.

They eventually headed into the court room as the first part of the trial began. AJ reckoned it would really only take the one day for a custody trial, which meant they had to make it count.

The normal proceedings went ahead, the judge was informed of what had been the agreement so far, and then the witnesses were called.

"Mrs Brooks, your first witness." The female judge nodded as AJ stood up. It had taken her a while to get used to being called Mrs Brooks in the court room, but nevertheless, it had a nice ring.

"Your honour, I'd like to call Mr Frank Holland to the stand." She nodded, turning around to the gallery where an older man got up from his seat and made his way down the aisle and towards the stand. Whilst he took the oath, AJ glanced over to Punk who gave her a wink as she smiled and nodded, turning back around.

"Your witness, Mrs Brooks." The judge nodded, giving her the go ahead.

"Mr Holland, you were Mr Ambrose's AA mentor and have been for six years, correct?" AJ asked.

"Yeah." Frank nodded.

"What was it you treated Mr Ambrose for?" AJ asked, holding a sheet of paper in her hand whilst standing in front of the stand.

"He had a… an alcohol problem." Frank nodded.

"Not a drug problem?" AJ asked.

"No, but as part of the program we run, we cover all addictions, so with Dean we… we covered all the bases. But his main problem was alcohol." Frank said as AJ nodded.

"You keep in touch with Mr Ambrose and you said he is one of the most mentally prepared people you have ever met. What do you mean by that?" She asked.

"Well he was very determined to get better and get his life back. And he did." Frank nodded, "He sees a problem and he knows he has to work on it."

"And he's been sober for six years? Correct?" AJ asked.

"Yes, that's correct." Frank said, "I keep a check on all the people I've worked with. Dean is one of them. He's never relapsed." He nodded.

"And as a father, how would you say Mr Ambrose would be?" AJ asked.

"Exceptional." Frank nodded bluntly as Dean smiled over to him.

"No further questions, your honour." AJ nodded, returning back to her seat at the desk whilst the opposing lawyer working for Jean who was present at the desk stood up.

"Ok, Mrs Katie Grant. Your cross." The judge nodded as Jean's lawyer stood out from behind the desk and made her way over to the stand.

"Mr Holland." Katie smiled, a very professional and sharply dressed women said, "How severe would you say the state was that Mr Ambrose came to you in on his first meeting?" She asked.

"It was bad." Frank nodded, "But… no one comes to see me in a good state on the first meeting, so it was normal for me." Frank said.

"In that moment, on that first meeting, would you say Mr Ambrose was in good health to take care of a baby?"

"Relevance, your honour." AJ stood up.

"Overruled." The judge dismissed AJ, "Please answer Mr Holland." She turned to Frank.

"No. He was not." Frank said truthfully as AJ looked down at her papers.

"He was an alcoholic, would you say that?" Katie asked.

"Yes. He was." Frank said.

"So would you be in full confidence to say that if Mr Ambrose were to relapse one day, he would be in no fit condition to care for a child?" Katie asked as Frank stayed silent for a few seconds.

"I don't think he would relapse." Frank said bluntly.

"If he were to, would he be fit to look after a child? Yes or no?" Katie asked.

"No, but he would-"

"That's all, your honour." Katie smiled and nodded, returning back to her seat as AJ sat her pen down, watching as Frank left the stand and returned back to his seat.

"Mrs Brooks… You're next witness?" The judge asked as AJ stood back up.

"I'd like to call Anna Ferris to the stand." AJ nodded as Anna stood up and headed on over to the stand, taking the oath as AJ got prepared.

"Miss Ferris, how did it feel when you found out your mother had taken your baby from you the same day you gave birth to her?" AJ asked as Anna sat at the stand and looked down for a second, mentally preparing herself.

"Devastated." Anna took a deep breath, "Like… like a part of me had been ripped out and stomped on." She nodded.

"How would you describe your relationship with your mother?" AJ asked.

"Hostile." Anna said, "She always tried to make me feel less than what I already did. She… was never there growing up. I… was raised by the dozens of house keepers and nanny's she would hire." She nodded, "She… broke my wrist one time after a work disagreement." She nodded as the judge narrowed her eyes over to Jean and her lawyer.

"How is this relevant to a custody trial, your honour?" Katie stood up.

"I'm not finished." AJ spat to her as Katie sat back down, "So your mother was never a…. mother to you?" AJ asked.

"No. It never felt like it." Anna said, "She would never attend school events. She was never happy with the things I wanted to achieve in life. She wasn't very supportive. She wasn't a mother." She shook her head.

"So do you feel at ease that it is her who is taking care of your newborn baby right now?" AJ asked.

"No. I don't." Anna said, "In fact, it's given me severe anxiety, to the point where I've been sick, over and over again." She said, making sure to look her mother in the eye, "Because my mother was never a mother to me, why would she be one to my daughter?" Anna asked as AJ nodded.

"So you're saying you don't think your daughter is in good hands with your mother?" AJ asked.

"No. I don't think she is." Anna said.

"Have you ever been on drugs?" AJ asked her.

"No. I have not." Anna nodded.

"Have you ever been tempted to do drugs?" AJ asked.

"No. I have not." Anna repeated, looking her mother in the eye, who already knew the answers to these questions.

"And did you take any drugs when you were pregnant?" AJ asked.

"No. I did not." Anna said as AJ nodded.

"Your honour…" AJ said, handing some sheets of paper to the judge and also to the opposing side, "I'd like to bring to your attention the blood work which Miss Ferris had done at her very last hospital appointment when she was pregnant. These are the blood tests that came back which show zero streams of drugs in her system. Now I find that a high coincidence that the second my client's mother decides to get custody over her granddaughter, that Miss Ferris here is suddenly only drugs." She said as the judge skimmed over the paper at the tests.

"Please continue, Mrs Brooks." The judge said as AJ nodded.

"How excited were you to have your first child?" AJ asked Anna.

"Very." Anna nodded, "After… two miscarriages. It was… It was like a miracle." She said, "And I was so excited to meet her and get to know her." Anna smiled, tears welling in her eyes, "And then my mom took that chance away from me." She said.

"Are you and your boyfriend fit to look after your daughter?" AJ asked.

"We are." Anna nodded.

"No further questions." AJ smiled softly, nodding to Anna to give her a little assurance as she returned back to her seat beside Dean.

"Ok, Mrs Grant. Your cross." The judge said as Katie stood up, smiling as she wandered around the table.

"Ok, Miss Ferris… how did you meet your boyfriend?" Katie smiled.

"Relevance?" AJ stood up.

"Sustained." The judge dismissed, "Answer, Miss Ferris." The judge nodded as AJ sat down and looked over.

"At a high school reunion." Anna shrugged.

"A high school reunion where you were on a work related mission as a journalist to find out information on the little brother of the guy who was on death row?" Katie smiled.

"This was when my mom was controlling me. She had me do that." Anna said calmly.

"How is your relationship with your dad?" Katie asked as Anna just shrugged.

"It's fine." Anna said, "He always worked abroad, so… honestly, I never saw much of him and I still don't." She nodded.

"So would you say your mother was the main provider for you?" Katie said.

"She was there but she never looked after me." Anna said, making sure not to let any questions catch her out.

"You tried to commit suicide when you were fifteen years old." Katie said as Anna gulped whilst AJ tilted her head, turning to Dean who looked just as confused, "Yes or no?" Katie asked.

Anna paused for a few minutes, looking down and sighing, "Yes." Anna nodded quietly as AJ placed her hand on her forehead and turned to Dean.

"Why didn't she say?" AJ gritted her teeth to Dean who was looking over at Anna.

"Why did you try and take your own life?" Katie asked.

"I had a… a severe eating disorder." Anna said, "Which my mom encouraged after constantly telling me I was gaining weight. She would even buy me a dress that was deliberately too small, and she'd change the label to make me think I was gaining weight." Anna nodded.

"But did your mother help you in hospital and get you back to full health? Did she provide the best care and treatment for you?"

"Yes, she did but-"

"And did she take you into her business and give you control over a lot of things?" Katie asked.

"She did." Anna nodded.

"Do you still struggle with your eating disorder?" Katie asked.

"Not as much as I used to. No." Anna said.

"That is not true, though? Is it?" Katie said, "You still seek counselling for your eating disorder, yes?" She asked.

"Yeah, because it helps me." Anna nodded.

"Because it's still an ongoing battle?" Katie asked, "An ongoing battle that sees you have emotional breakdowns, flutters of depression and anxiety and the lack of concentration which comes with caring for a baby?" Katie asked.

"No. I'm fine." Anna shook her head as AJ looked over and sighed.

"No further questions, your honour." Katie smiled, backing away and heading back to her seat as Anna stood down from the stand made her way back over to the desk where Dean immediately squeezed her hand.

"Your honour, I am… offended by the confidentiality broken in this court room this morning." AJ stood up, "And I am also offended that the topic of mental illness has been the diversion taken in this custody hearing. My clients have had their problems but the one thing that has been proven is that they have sought and are seeking help for that, which makes them completely stable to care for their daughter." AJ said, "I'd like to take a short recess before I call my next witness." AJ said.

"Ok." The judge nodded, "Fifteen minutes recess." She nodded, slamming the hammer down and standing up as the court room stood until she was out of sight.

"You should have told me this." AJ said calmly, turning to Anna as the court room began to spill out for the break.

"I didn't think she would bring that up." Anna's voice broke, looking over at her mother at the opposite side of the room, rage filling within her, wanting nothing more than to pounce on her mother, already feeling herself inch over to the other side.

"Don't." Dean said softly, standing in her way and taking a hold of her shoulders, "It's fine. Ok, we've still got time. It's just started." Dean nodded, "Right, AJ?"

"Yeah." AJ nodded, even though she was panicking a little, "It's ok. We're gonna be alright." She nodded to them both, "Go out and take a drink, some fresh air, it's not over yet." She assured them.