Thank you for the reviews and for anyone who's added this to a list. Apologies if people were unhappy with Emma's actions in the previous chapter, I think that may have been a case of plot overriding character. I'll try and address it in this chapter.

EPISODE FIVE: Trial and Error

CHAPTER ONE

Emma emerged from Sutton's room wearing a smart businesslike dress. Sutton had insisted she borrow it, asserting that none of her clothes were suitable for a courtroom. She felt self-conscious, still stuck in the halfway stage where she wasn't pretending to be Sutton anymore but hadn't quite worked out how to be herself again. Kristin was the only one still in the house, her gaze falling on Emma. "Your sisters are waiting outside,"she noted.

Emma nodded. "You don't mind us travelling in with him?"

"I can understand you wanting to see him beforehand. It doesn't really concern me, after all."

Emma sighed, wishing she could find a way to breach the distance between them. A distance that her recent actions had only served to increase. "I know I should have told you myself that I was spending the night with Ethan."

"It would have been the polite thing to do,"Kristin agreed. "But I can't really lecture you about it, can I? I'm not your mother. I'm your..."

"Stepmother?"Emma suggested.

Kristin met her gaze for a moment and gave a reluctant nod. "Yes, I suppose I am. It's like you're some distant relative that's come to stay, except it's harder even than that because you already know me so well and in a way I know you, even though I didn't know that at the time."

"I know that everything you did for me you thought you were doing for Sutton but I wasn't pretending. Not about that. I really do care about this family." Emma swallowed hard before attempting,"About you."

Kristin nodded slowly. "For what it's worth, I'm glad that Ethan makes you happy."

Laurel came running in. "Emma, come on, Sutton's about to drive off without you!" She stopped, seeing the awkward looks on both their faces. "Did I just interrupt a moment?"

Kristin gently straightened her youngest daughter's collar. "It's okay, I think we're all straight for the moment. I'll see you both there."

Mads wrapped a robe around herself as she came out of the bedroom, looking around the apartment with a deep sigh. Whilst it was a lot smaller than her old home, Jordan had been quite right: This was a place that was theirs, without all the bad memories of the old place. Her eyes alighted upon Jordan sat at the table, having his breakfast, still wearing the t-shirt and shorts he'd slept in. She sidled up to him and gave him a long kiss on the lips. "Have I mentioned how much I love living with you?"

"Once or twice,"he answered with a smile before pulling her back into another kiss.

Mads eventually disentangled herself and slid into the other seat at the table. "Are you okay about today? Giving evidence?"

Jordan shrugged. "I'll have to be, won't I?"

"Rebecca's given you a lot of help in the past, even this last time you'd probably have been in jail without her."

"Yeah, I know, but I'm tired of owing things to Rebecca. I've paid her back for everything she's done for me." He took Mads' hand. "You're the only one I care about now."

Ted let Emma, Sutton and Laurel into the flat, giving them a kiss on the cheek in turn. "How are you feeling?"he asked.

"Like I'm about to send my birth mother to Death Row,"Sutton answered.

Ted gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "You can only tell the truth, okay?" He looked at Emma. "How are you settling in back at the house?"

"Well, I'm still not sure if Kristin is that comfortable with me but we're managing."

"Dad, can I talk to you about something?"Laurel asked suddenly. "Alone?"

Ted glanced at Emma and Sutton. "Do you mind?"

"We'll wait out in the hallway,"Emma agreed, taking Sutton by the arm and leading her outside.

"Do you know what that's about?"Sutton asked her.

"No idea,"Emma admitted.

"That's funny. I thought she told you everything. So…she's keeping secrets from us now?" Emma gave an ironic shrug. Sutton couldn't help but see her point. "Guess she really does want to be like her big sisters."

Rebecca looked at her image in the mirror. She had put on the most conservative but expensive dress she could find, sending out the image of a respected member of the community. The sort of person who would never get involved with a triple murder. She seemed to look the part.

A female guard opened the cell door. "Sewell? Your ride's here." As Rebecca walked past, she gave her a dismissive look. "See you later."

Rebecca flashed her a confident smile. "Don't bet on it."

Kristin was waiting at the courthouse when Ted, Emma, Sutton and Laurel turned up. The five of them stood around awkwardly. "How have you been?"Ted attempted.

Kristin nodded briefly. "Fine. Fine." She noticed Emma's lapel was creased and smoothed it unconsciously before realising what she was doing.

"That's our mum,"Laurel remarked, desperate to break the tension. "Never happy unless she's tidying something."

Emma's gaze fell on where Dan and Ethan were standing. "I need to go speak to them for a moment." She hurried over to the pair and gave Ethan a quick kiss of greeting. "Hi there."

Dan looked at her briefly. "Thanks for coming,"he said before heading in the direction of the rest of her family.

"How is he?"Emma asked Ethan.

Ethan sighed. "Barely holding it together."

Dan was talking to Sutton. "I know it's going to be hard giving evidence,"he told her. "But just tell the facts as best you can and don't let anyone distract you." Sutton nodded and Dan patted her arm reassuringly.

Jordan and Mads came over to the group. "Do you have any idea where Thayer is?"Mads asked.

Laurel shrugged. "I haven't seen him today."

A court official appeared. "The State of Arizona versus Rebecca Sewell is about to commence."