As Dixie walked up to take the stand Kendall caught Marissa's eye.

"How are you holding up?" she asked.

"I'm good." said Marissa, "I'm just worried about Bianca. What if they're caught up in this weather?"

The rain was hammering against the glass and with every rumble of thunder the lights seemed to flicker.

"Well I can't believe that judge is carrying on with the trial while all hell is breaking loose outside." stated Krystal. "I mean that can't be right or legal."

"Now you know if any of this was fishy Jackson would have put a stop to this at once." said Kendall, lowering her voice as the noise in the court room dropped as Dixie took the stand.

"I know that." Krystal whispered back. "I guess it's the vibe I'm getting. I just don't like the man."

"I don't care who we have as long a JR gets justice for what he's done." said Marissa bluntly. JR had turned back to look at her a moment ago and actually gave her a smile.

"Silence in court." called the bailiff.

Marissa pursed her lips and waited for Dixie's testimony. The question was, would she protect her son or tell the truth…

…

After Dixie was sworn in, Jackson began his questioning.

"Now you had a run in with your son on the night of the assault. I would like you to tell the court in your own words what happened."

Dixie licked her lips nervously as she looked across to JR.

"The first thing I knew about anything happening was when a patrol car turned up outside my house. An officer told me about JR assaulting Bianca and that they believed that our house might be a place he would run to. They asked about AJ and his location because they feared JR might try and abduct him. I told the officer that AJ was staying at the Chandler Mansion and the officer called it in and then he went back out to the patrol car to keep watch. I was worried but a part of me couldn't believe JR could attack Bianca like that. I went about my business as usual, tucked Katie and Jenny up in bed, tidied up the lounge, loaded the dishwasher, made coffee; and then when I came back to the lounge there was JR crying by the fireplace. I've no idea how he got past the police. He looked a mess and I could smell alcohol on him."

"Were you scared?" asked Jackson.

"He's my son; I just wanted him to do the right thing. I told him that there was a patrol car outside and that he should hand himself in, but it was like he couldn't hear me, He was out of it, babbling. Totally off his face, drunk. So I moved to get the police myself but he grabbed me and then he tied me up and shut me in the cupboard under the stairs."

"What happened after that?"

"I tried to get out of the cupboard by JR had tied me too tight. In the end Tad found me when he came home and he let the police know that JR had been there. Thankfully JR hadn't woken the girls and they slept through the whole ordeal"

Jackson turned to the judge.

"This just proves the kind of violence JR would inflict even on his own mother. I firmly believe he intended to murder Bianca Montgomery but fled when he was disturbed at the scene."

The Judge looked down from the bench.

"You want to up the ante from assault to attempted murder."

"I do your honour."

"Mr McCoy. Do you have anything to say on this point?"

"Your honour I intend to prove my client is the victim here and I will!"

Jackson looked back at McCoy; there was a confident grin on his face. What did he think he had that could trump any of the prosecution's evidence?

"My turn I believe." said McCoy, indicating towards Dixie still waiting in the stand, "Or did you have any more to add."

"Oh I'm done." said Jackson in an incredulous tone, "I'm just interested to see what you think you've got."

"Oh I've got the good stuff." said McCoy getting up from his chair.

"Gentleman!" chastised the judge, "A little respect please."

Jackson nodded and took his seat, Justin's smirk just got wider.

"Dixie, may I call you Dixie? How well do you really know your son?"

"Well I… I guess…"

"Because you haven't been around much have you?"

"Well no…"

"In fact until eleven months ago you were officially dead, and had been for three years?"

"Yes that's technically true."

"Your honour." protested Jackson. "If the councillor is going to ask questions shouldn't he at least wait for an answer?"

"I agree." said Judge Marshall. "Mr McCoy I must warn you if there is one thing I can't stand its showboating lawyers. I like the facts laid plain. So ask your questions and get your answers and that is all. Save the theatrics for someone who gives a damn."

McCoy nodded, suitably chaste.

"Yes your honour." He turned back to address the witness. "Dixie, you have been out of your son's life for a long time?"

"I have."

"And yet you said that he was behaving out if character, how can you be so sure of that?"

"He was rambling and incoherent." explained Dixie. "Look I'm not naïve; I know my son has anger issues. His temper always gets the better of him, but I thought this time he had really turned it around. Really put the effort in to be the father his son needed. It was horrible to see that it was all still an act and that he was still drinking."

"So your son has a history of alcohol abuse?"

"Yes." said Dixie.

"Do you know what started him drinking?"

"He was upset that Marissa had left him to be with Bianca."

"The same Bianca that was assaulted?"

"Yes."

"You mentioned that there were two little girls in the house. Were you worried about them?"

"I was worried, yes. If JR went upstairs, if he scared them…"

"You thought JR was capable of hurting children?" asked Justin.

"No not hurt them exactly. But he was acting so crazy, just rambling. He would have scared them. He scared me, even though I knew it was only the alcohol…"

McCoy nodded sympathetically.

"Now you said that he was rambling. What was he saying specifically?"

"It was just crazy stuff, you know." said Dixie awkwardly. "It was just the booze talking."

"But still I would like the specifics." said Justin with a grin.

Dixie sighed

"He said that they had to be stopped, that they made him do it. He blamed Bianca. He said he should have shot her instead of Marissa and then… and then…" Dixie looked mournfully across at her son. "…He told me he had shot Marissa on purpose."

"What!" gasped Marissa, her cry almost lost amongst the outrage that exploded in the courtroom. Jackson couldn't believe it, had JR really confessed to his mother; that was the final nail Jesse needed to bury the son of a bitch.

"Silence in court." cried the judge banging his gavel on the bench. "Silence or I shall have you removed."

The courtroom gradually quietened down.

"Are you saying someone was shot?" asked the judge looking from Dixie to McCoy.

"No,no,no." cried Dixie. "It wasn't like that. JR saved us all. When that gun woman started shooting at everyone at the Chandler Mansion all those months before, JR saved the day. He had his own gun and took down the woman, but he accidently hit Marissa and Tad in the shoot out. It was an accident. JR wasn't himself the night of the assault, saying all those things. It was an accident."

"Your honour, I have my client's police statement from the night of the shooting." Said McCoy handing the document to the judge.

Jackson moved to protest but Caleb put a controlling hand on his arm.

"We need to let this play out for now." He said quietly.

The judge seemed reluctant to be given more information.

"Well if it is relevant to the case." he said, he added the documents to his pile of notes.

"Did you tell the police about JRs outburst?" asked McCoy continuing seamlessly with his questioning.

"No." admitted Dixie."

"Why was that?"

"Because it was crazy talk! My son was acting crazy. I knew it was just his hate and the drink talking, it couldn't be true."

"Thank you." said Justin McCoy. "That will be all."

…