Hello all you lovely people! Welcome to chapter six! As I said before, this story is coming to a close (insert said face here). I predict there are one or two chapters left. I have to say, I really had fun with this story! Unlike some of my other works, I'm actually really proud of this one. Anyway, please enjoy!

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The man sneered at the little girl who was currently curled into a ball on the cold steel floor as if she were a piece of gum on his show instead of the human being she was. "Pathetic," he spat at her disdainfully. "I can't believe you're my daughter." The girl chose to stay silent, only adding to the fury of her father. He added a swift kick to her side, making her wince in pain.

The woman next to him rolled her eyes. "Make sure you shower and get dressed before we get back," she reminded the girl. She leaned down next to the small child, her mouth close to the girl's ear. "And do something with that atrocious hair of yours."

The girl nodded. "Yes, Mother." She was quiet before adding, "May I hug you goodbye?" It was a risky move on her part, but it would be worth it if it worked. If it didn't, well, she supposed she could go without food for a few more weeks.

Her mother studied her a moment before nodding. "I suppose that would be acceptable," she allowed. The girl sighed in relief, wrapping her arms around her mother for a mere few seconds. "Alright, that's enough."

The child let go and her parents left her alone. A few seconds passed before a victorious grin spread across as she held up a single bobby pin.

"Wait, what?"

Jinja sighed, pressing her fingers to the sides of her head. "If Ace added child abuse to my parents' charge, then they'll need the testimony of the child they abused," she explained. "I'm the only witness, if I don't testify, they won't be charged with it." She was at odds wit herself over this. On one hand, the logical part of her reasoned that if she did testify, her parents would finally get what they deserved for ruining her life. The emotional part of her argued that they were already going to jail, there would be no point in her testifying against them.

Besides, that part of her added. are you really ready to face them?

Chase didn't really know what to say to that. "You don't have to if you don't want to... right?" he asked uncertainly.

Jinja bit her lip. "No, I don't think so..." She groaned, tugging at her hair. "Ugh, I really can't stand this."

Chase was silent for a moment before speaking again, "I think you should."

His female companion turned to face him, her eyes wide. "What? Why?"

Chase took her hand in his. They both blushed, but neither let go. "I know they'll go to jail either way," he began. "but they're going to jail because they're core dealers, not for what they did to you. Jin, if you did this, you'd win. They'd lose."

Jinja would be lying if she said he didn't catch her interest with that; she did like to win and she definitely wanted to see her parents lose for once. He knew just how to appeal to her, she realized with a smile. Still, "Chase, it was one thing seeing my father on the security footage or my mother before she shot me, but actually facing them in a courtroom?" She shook her head. "I-I just don't know if I can do it."

"I think you can."

Jinja rolled her eyes, but couldn't stop the corners of her mouth from turning upwards. "Well, if you believe in me, I must be able to do it," she muttered sarcastically.

"Of course you can," Chase insisted, dead serious. "I guess the question is, do you want to?" He really hoped he was saying the right thing.

She bit her lip, mulling over his words. Maybe he was right. Maybe this was her trying to avoid the inevitable. If she wanted to be free - truly free - she was going to have to do this. It wasn't even about sending them to prison anymore. She had to face them, show them that they couldn't hurt her anymore. She needed this, she knew that.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, Jinja looked up at him, her eyes shining with determination. "I'll try," she promised.

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After a few days, Jinja was free to leave, but had to keep her arm in a sling for a while. She was irritated by this, of course, since it meant she couldn't go on missions yet again. The trial date for her parents was set for two weeks from then, so she spent her newly found free time preparing what she was going to say. She would practice for days at a time what she was going to say in the mirror.

As the date for the trial grew closer, she grew more nervous. Chase tried to help her as much as he could, playing the part of the audience for her. "Go on, Jin," he coaxed softly.

Jinja took a deep breath, clenching her note cards tight in her hand. "My name is Jinja Kay," she read aloud, her voice wavering. "formerly Jinja Faustus. For as l-long as I c-can remember, I-" She stopped suddenly, her chest heaving as she began to hyperventilate. Her hands were shaking as she recounted all the years of abuse in her head. Chase was wrong, she couldn't do this.

Chase immediately stood up and took her face in his. "Hey, take a deep breath," he soothed. "You've got this."

Jinja looked into his eyes and clenched her fist, promptly flinging her note cards across the room. "My name is Jinja Kay," she repeated more firmly. "When I was six, my father broke my arm. What for? I can't remember, but I can barely throw a ball across the room. When I was five, my mother told me I'd never be pretty enough..." And so it went. Jinja recalled every little bit of abuse from her parents she could remember. By the time she was finished, tears were rushing down her face and her face was red.

She hadn't even registered the fact that Chase had pulled her into his chest and was holding her as they sat on the bed. "I-I can't do this," sobbed Jinja, clinging to his shirt.

"Shh," Chase shushed into her ear. Tears of his own her rolling down his face. "You don't have to. You're okay."

"I'm such a disappointing, weak, worthless-"

"Shh," he cut her off gently. "Don't say that. You're perfect." Well, she was imperfect, but that was what made her perfect to him. She didn't answer him, just continued to cry into his chest. Everything she had been holding in for seven years seemed to come out all at once. After a while, her sobs began to subside and she resigned herself to sniffling.

Jinja finally pulled away from him, wiping at her face. "Sorry," she apologized, embarrassed that he had seen her cry.

Chase kept her close to him, adding to her embarrassment. "For what?" he asked, twirling her hair with his fingers before moving to take her chin.

Jinja, with her face red, tried to continue, "I-I must look like such a mess." She cursed herself for stuttering, especially when she realized it wasn't from how upset she was, it was from the fact that her knees were shaking from their close proximity. There was literally nothing on Earth that could make this situation any more humiliating for her.

"You look beautiful."

Well, that did it. Though, if she was being honest, humiliating wasn't the word for this. She was... flattered. Yeah, that was it. "Well, uh, thank you," she choked out.

Why did I say that, why did I say that, why did I say that? Chase panicked in his head. He was just as, if not more so, embarrassed as her. Ugh, she must think I'm a sappy dork! Not only that, the trial we a week away. She didn't need this extra pressure. He just couldn't help himself. Jinja was beautiful no matter what, but seeing her cry was entirely different altogether. He was just thinking about it and the words tumbled out of his mouth. God, I'm such an idiot.

Jinja waved a hand in front of his face. "Chase, you okay?"

He snapped out of his thoughts and gave her a forced grin. "Yeah, I'm good." There was a slightly uncomfortable silence after that. Chase didn't make any movements to remove his arms from around her and Jinja didn't make a move to tell him to. So, they sat there together until they gradually fell asleep, him holding her as tight as possible and her pressing her hands against his chest.

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Jinja and Chase pretended nothing had happened between them (with the former avoiding the latter) for a few days before Chase got tired of it. He didn't want to avoid talking about what happened between the two of them and he'd be damned if he let her shut him out completely. "Jinja, we need to talk," he said firmly, cornering her one day.

Jinja plastered a fake smile on her face. "Yes, Chase? What can I help you with?" She decided to play dumb, hoping that he would just drop it. She hated doing that to him, but she couldn't deal with it this close to the trial.

Chase leaned in close to her. "You've been avoiding me," he whispered.

Jinja's cheeks adopted a like pink hue. "N-No, I haven't," she lied, cursing herself, once again, for stuttering. What was it about this boy that managed to break down her walls completely?

Chase sighed and gently took her hand in his. "Whatever I did, Jin, I'm sorry-"

Jinja held up a hand, cutting him off. "No, I'm sorry," she insisted. "I didn't mean to avoid you, I just-" She let out a frustrated growl. "Good lord, I don't know what I was doing. I've never done this before..."

Chase laughed. "Neither have I," he admitted. "Wanna figure it out together?"

A lovely smiled graced Jinja's face. "Yeah," she answered. "I do."

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It was finally the day of the trial. Jinja wore her nicest, most professional clothes. She was going to try her best to testify. She convinced herself that it was at least worth a try. If she could do it, they'd be locked away for the rest of their lives for what they did to her. If she couldn't, well, they'd still be locked away for being illegal core dealers. There was no way she could lose.

Besides, how could she with Chase there to support her? Even now, he was there holding her hand. "You're going to be fine," he assured her. "I promise." Jinja nodded and they took their seats in the courtroom. Of course, her parents hired the best lawyers money could buy, but STORM's attorney team was no joke. They would be going down no matter what she did.

Jinja drowned out the judge as he went over the details from the dealer case. She drowned out the various lawyers and simply gripped Chase's hand, until...

"The Jury calls Jinja Kay to the stand." Jinja breathed in deeply before making her way to the front of the courtroom. "Miss Kay, you've been in the custody of Mr. and Mrs. Faustus your whole life, correct."

She nodded. "Yes, Your Honor."

"How would you describe their guardianship?"

Jinja bit her lip, feeling her parents' smoldering gaze burn right through her. "L-Less than ideal, Your Honor," she answered.

"Explain, please."

"W-well, I..." She saw her father smirk smugly and her mother give a satisfied nod. They had won and they knew it. She hung her head. "I can't, Your Honor."

The judge nodded. "You may sit, Miss Kay." Jinja felt tears blur her vision as she sat back down next to Chase. She had failed. And her parents were raveling in the fact that she had.

Chase gently kissed her hand. "It'll be okay," he promised. "You did fine." She couldn't find it in herself to believe him.

"Is there anyone else who witnessed the abuse of Miss Jinja Kay?"

Suddenly, the door burst open. Jinja gasped and Chase's fingers curled tighter around her hand. "I did, Your Honor," said a strong voice.

It was Joyce.

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Well, that was a poor ass chapter... Guys, give me a break, I'm literally dying (not really, but my throat hurts like a bitch). School was hell today. Anyway, please review!