A/N - Thanks, as always, to my beta for the edits!

Thank you for all your messages, reviews and reads. It's great to see how it's getting under people's skin :) Now it's Beca's turn on the witness stand :)

.oOo. Chapter Fourteen .oOo.

Beca stood up and walked over to the witness stand. She didn't take a seat and instead waited for the Bailiff to speak to her.

"Please raise your right hand. Do you promise that the testimony you shall give in the case before this court shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"

"I do." Beca said in a small voice.

"Please state your first and last name."

"Rebeca Mitchell."

"You may be seated."

"Please spell your last name for the record." The court admin clerk asked.

"M-i-t-c-h-e-l-l."

"Thank you."

"Miss Mitchell, please describe your first meeting with Mrs Mitchem-Beale."

"Um, I pulled her out of a burning car. Along with my friend, Patricia Hobart." Beca said, her voice sounding hoarse.

"That's right. You saved the life of her and both of her unborn children, is th-"

"-Objection, leading."

"Sustained."

"Please describe the events that day." John said moodily.

"I was at work, there was a crash. We went outside to help. I could see the car on its side, and it was smoking. So, I pulled her, um… Mrs... Mitchem out of the car." Beca gulped, her throat was so dry with nerves that she couldn't swallow properly.

"Then what happened?"

"Her waters broke and I wasn't feeling good either so we went to the hospital. We both went into labour, I had Jessie, or Alex…" Beca paused as she felt her face flush. "… sorry, I don't know what to say."

"Take your time. Would you like some water?" John asked.

"Yes please." Beca nodded as she scratched her nails at her throat and waited while John brought a water bottle over for her. She uncapped it quickly and took a healthy gulp. "Thank you."

"Are you okay to continue?"

"Yes."

"And later that night, what happened?"

"I was worried about the lady, so I went to find out how she was doing and found her in her room. We talked for a bit and then I went back to my bed."

"And you weren't put in the maternity section of the hospital, is that correct?"

"There wasn't one."

"But Mrs Mitchem-Beale had her own room?"

"Yeah, she did. I guess they knew she was a celebrity."

"But you didn't know?"

"I never went to the movies, didn't buy those trashy magazines and didn't own a television so I had no idea who she was. She was just someone who had a baby, like me. We exchanged first names, that was all. She was just another mom." Beca said, her shoulder shrugging slightly.

"Please describe the day you found out that your babies had been swapped in the hospital."

"It was awful." Beca paused as the day came back to her. "I had the afternoon off from work, as I'd just come from an interview for a new gig. It was Valentine's Day, so I took Jessie out for a cupcake and we went to sit on the swings in the park. We did that sometimes as she loves doing that so much. A woman there started asking me some questions about her, but I didn't think much of it at the time. Jessie was playing with another kid for a bit, but we had to go as I had to work that evening and it was starting to get dark. Jessie wouldn't come to me because she didn't want to leave the park and she got upset. I picked her up, but she kicked off, crying and screaming that she didn't want to go with me. I was going to be late for work, so I had to be firm with her. She calmed down pretty quickly after that. We walked back towards our apartment, but we were stopped by the Police."

"And what did they say to you."

"We talked for a while, they asked some pretty curious questions. I had Jessie's birth certificate at home, with all of our important documents and offered to show it to them." Beca breathed out heavily, reliving the day. "I was accused of kidnapping Katharine Mitchem. I had no idea who the kid was, but they tried to arrest me in front of my daughter."

"Then what happened?" John asked.

"They took Jessie off of me and took her to the Police Station while they drove me to my apartment, it was only about four blocks away, but they made sure it was a big song and dance and blue lighted us there, made sure that the building manager was aware what was going on. I showed them the certificate but as it was out of state, they wanted me to go down to the Station to prove its authenticity."

"How did that make you feel?"

"Like a criminal." Beca said, doing her best to avoid looking at Chloe as she could see her fluster out of the corner of her eye.

"What happened after that?"

"I went with them. In handcuffs. They showed me a picture of Katharine Mitchem and I agreed that the likeness was close and that the lady in the park had been right to be concerned. They kept me in an interview room, and I kept asking to see Jessie. Eventually, I was interviewed."

"How long were you there before you were interviewed?"

"About four hours."

"Were you giving refreshments in that time?"

"No."

"What happened then?"

"They confirmed my story that I had given birth to a baby in Flintstone. I asked them to show me the reports of Katharine Mitchem's disappearance. No report had been filed so I asked them on what grounds they had to keep me. No child had been lost or kidnapped, my child was clearly distressed at being separated from me, I had pictures with us for the last couple of years so this clearly wasn't a snatch and grab. This still wasn't good enough for them, so they made me have a blood test, for a DNA sample."

"And you complied?"

"Absolutely. I was completely unaware of anything being seriously wrong at this point."

"And what did the results show?"

"The results showed conclusively that I was not Jessie's mom, there were zero markers connecting us. We were genetically strangers."

"And how did you react to that?" John queried.

"I'm not proud to admit but I got very sick at the news. I was given a jail jumpsuit to change into and locked up in a cell and charged with kidnapping. Again. I tried to talk with them reasonably and ask them to call Katharine Mitchem's parents to see if she was at their home."

"And how long was it before they did that?"

"Several hours, it was morning by the time I was released."

"Did you pick up Jessie and go home?"

"No, she was under CPS by this point and I was not allowed to see her. I went to the offices anyway and that is where I saw Mr and Mrs Mitchem. I recognised her from the hospital pretty easily. She'd never really been far from my mind."

"Did she know you'd been kept in the police cells all night?" John asked.

"I am not sure."

"Did they try and communicate with you?

"Yes, but I was too busy trying to find my kid to make nice. And after what Mr Mitchem said to me, I didn't want to talk to them."

"Are you able to remember what Mr Mitchem said to you?"

"Not word for word but he accused me of switching the babies in the hospital." Beca gulped, the tears now pouring down her face. "I didn't know why he thought I would do that but figured he was just scared and confused. It got worse after that when I was told she was a movie star and that he, or they, I don't know, wanted me charged with child endangerment, child neglect and kidnapping of a celebrity's child."

"And how did that make you feel?" John said, handing her a tissue to wipe her face.

"I was so scared but I wasn't allowed to have anyone in with me and had to wait for an attorney to be assigned to me. I could see at this point that the Mitchem's had quite the collection of people around them, lawyers, studio execs and friends. Eventually, I got pulled into another interview room where I was questioned for several hours, I forget how many, but it was at least twelve. That was when the connection was made when I saw the pictures and saw her two children."

"Tell me about that."

"One of the girls, Katherine, was, as I've said before, an incredible likeness to my daughter, Jessie. But when I saw a picture of the other girl, Alexandra, my blood ran cold."

"And why is that?"

"She looked exactly like her father."

"And her father was a man named James Alexander Swanson, is that correct?"

"Objection, coerced leading."

The judge raised his eyebrow in Oliver's direction.

"Sustained. But Counsellor, settle down." Judge Highberger warned.

"Miss Mitchell, please advise the court of your biological child's fathers name."

"His name was James Alexander Swanson." Beca repeated. "Everyone called him Jesse. His dad was a massive baseball fan and he's nicknamed after a player, but I don't know which one."

"And where is he now?" John asked and Beca flinched. She had been dreading this question coming.

"He died while he was in college. Brain aneurysm."

"I'm sorry." John said politely. "Did you feel there was justification in Mr Mitchem's claims that you wanted to switch the baby girls?"

"None at all. Jesse is still my best friend and I am glad he is my baby's father. There would have been no way I would have wanted to not have a part of him with me always."

"No further questions at this time." John said, nodding towards the judge as he walked about to his seat.

"Any cross examination, Plaintiff?"

"Yes, we have some questions for Miss Mitchell." Oliver approached the witness chair and smiled at Beca. She'd never seen something so fake in all of her life and was immediately on guard. "Miss Mitchell, may I call you Rebeca?"

"Um, I prefer Beca."

"Rebeca, please state your profession." Oliver said, ignoring Beca's request for her favoured name.

"I have a few jobs."

"Such as?"

"I'm an intern at UMG, I also-"

"-What does that mean?"

"Huh?"

"An intern? UMG?"

"I am in the A&R department in UMG."

"What exactly is that? For those not in the know." Oliver pushed, wanting to fluster Beca.

"It's the Artists and Repertoire department at Universal Music Group."

"Is it true that a friend got you the job there?"

"An acquaintance at the time put my name forward for the position, yes."

"And what was their name?"

"Luke Bryant." Beca explained. Oliver nodded a couple of times, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

"Luke Bryant? The music producer?"

"Yes." Beca said, her head cocking to one side in wonder. She hadn't expected Oliver to know his name.

"So you didn't get the job on your own merit?" Oliver asked, recovering.

"It's a tough program to get into. I don't care how I made it in there. I'm proving I belong."

"Bold statement."

"Well, I'm trying. This business is hard and I'm doing my best to-"

"-Why couldn't you apply in the same way as the other interns?"

"Like I said, it's a tough program to get into."

"Don't you need a college degree to apply Rebeca?"

"Yes." Beca sighed.

"So why didn't you-"

"-You know I don't have a college degree." Beca said blandly. She was getting tired of the questions, designed to make her look like a chump.

"Did you graduate high school?" Oliver scoffed and Beca's nostrils flared, controlling her temper.

"Yes, I graduated High School. With honours, actually. I have letters from four of my AP teachers if you want to submit them as evidence."

"That won't be necessary. Why didn't you go to college Rebeca?"

"Money. We didn't have the means for college."

"Your father is a college professor, is he not?" Oliver asked.

"That's correct, from the last I heard about him."

"He could have provided you with a college education. Doesn't the child of-"

"-I don't want anything from my father. I make my own way in life." Beca stated.

"If you make your own way in life, why did you rely on a friend… sorry acquaintance, getting you an internship where he worked."

"I make my own way in life, but I'm also not stupid enough to pass up an opportunity." Beca almost growled. "Universal Music Group has been amazing and-"

"-And what exactly do you do there?"

"At the moment, I am working on the research and data mining for new talent… artists, producers or songwriters. I go to gigs, use resources such as the internet to source potential talent. I also work alongside the producers but that's mostly grunt work."

"Grunt work?"

"Yes, anything they want me to do, fetching coffee, answering the phones, creating databases, cleaning the decks and offices or testing switches. In exchange for my time, I get to use their equipment." Beca explained.

"As well as a salary?"

"I receive a small hourly rate from Universal."

"And what is that?"

"Um, seven twenty five an hour."

"And how many hours do you work there?"

"I log twenty hours of paid work and I work an additional twenty to twenty five hours unpaid."

"You work for free?" Oliver asked, stressing the word free.

"I work for exposure to the scene and the equipment. I am building a portfolio of clients and am learning from the professionals." Beca defended.

"So, you go to gigs and watch YouTube for a living?"

"No. There's more to it than that." Beca huffed.

"You just said-"

"-I know but this is work as an intern until I can break into the industry properly."

"How does one 'break in'?" Oliver asked sarcastically.

"I have to prove myself, find a unique sound. It's not something that happens overnight."

"And is it always successful?"

"No, of course not. But I am determined to succeed."

"You mentioned other jobs. Are you determined to succeed in those as well?"

"That's not what I…" Beca grumbled and she watched John raise his hands to calm her down. "… I work other jobs to pay my rent and put food on the table."

"And what is that work?"

"I work as a barista in a coffee shop one block from my apartment-"

"-Starbucks?"

"No, it's an independent, Mom and Pop style place. They are really easy to work for and let me take a milkshake home for Jessie. She loves anything chocolate based and Kylie, that's the coffee shop owner is really sweet to her and often sends home a brownie to her or a cookie. It's a real treat for Jessie to get something like that."

"Do you share with her?"

"No. It's her treat. I don't like chocolate anyway. Never had it as a kid so never to the taste for it."

"And your other jobs?" Oliver asked.

"I clean offices at the weekends and I gig in the evenings at various clubs around Los Angeles."

"Gig?" Oliver asked and Beca was beginning to feel really irked.

"Yes, I DJ-"

"-DJ?"

"I run the decks and make music for the club goers."

"You press buttons and play music."

"No, it's a little more involved than that. I also do some freelance work for artists who want to demo new sounds." Beca said, hoping she sounded proud of herself.

"Is there a permanent income?"

"No, but I am good at stretching a dollar."

"And has your guardian, Jessica Amy, ever suffered because of your dollar stretching?"

"Objection!"

"On what grounds?" Judge Highberger asked, watching John flail around in his seat.

"For being rude."

"Counsellor, rephrase your question." The judge sighed.

"Miss Mitchell, do you feel you have provided for your child sufficiently?"

"She's still alive, isn't she?" Beca could see her attorney shake his head at her vehemently but she was struggling to keep her emotions in check. She took a deep breath before carrying on. "Jessie has everything she needs. She has a safe place to sleep, she has plenty of food and I buy her toys and clothes when I can."

"When you can?"

"Yes, I don't have the means to spoil her but-"

"-I understand that she doesn't even have her own bedroom in your apartment."

"That's correct. We share the closet space as a bedroom."

"The closet?"

"Yes. The apartment has only got the one room and a shower room."

"Where do you buy her clothes?"

"Why is this relevant?"

"It's not a difficult question to answer Miss Mitchell."

Beca looked up towards Chloe and David and for the briefest of moments wondered what they thought of her. She was so confused by every emotion running through her that she had an overwhelming need to run away from it all. She could see Chloe's strained face, her fingers worrying the sleeves of her jacket.

"Miss Mitchell?" Oliver spoke, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"I shop at Goodwill."

"So, second hand?"

"Yes."

"And toys, books, games?"

"I buy what I can. The rest comes from gifts."

"Hmm, okay. What about insurances?"

"I don't have medical insurance." Beca stated.

"Why not?"

"I cannot afford it. Not until I am working full time."

"So, what happens if Jessica Amy, or indeed yourself, gets sick?"

"Jessie hasn't needed to go to Urgent Care since she was eleven months."

"But you did have to take her?" Oliver asked.

"Yes."

"Why?" Oliver asked.

"She had some breathing trouble on a couple of occasions."

"What was the problem?"

"She was born with sleep apnoea. She grew out of it. Then she was diagnosed with asthma. It's mild but there's ongoing care for her and will be for life."

"And how did you pay for it?"

"I'm still paying for it now."

"Because you had no insurance."

"That's correct. My child needed care, I didn't worry about the money."

"How much do you still owe on medical debt?"

"About ninety nine thousand dollars."

"That's… that's a lot." Oliver said, having the grace to look a little shocked.

"Jessie needed extra care with her asthma. She has ongoing treatment and it's kept at bay because I keep on top of it."

"How is this cost divided?"

"About nine thousand dollars left at Flintstone, fifty two thousand at the Children's Hospital in Atlanta, eighteen thousand at the Children's Hospital in Los Angeles and another twenty thousand for Jessie's ongoing treatment."

"And how much does that cost you a month?"

"Over seven hundred dollars."

"Hmmm. That's just as much as insurance." Oliver said, almost to himself.

"Which is why I don't have it and why I work so many jobs." Beca explained.

"With regard to this debt and the fact that Jessica Amy is not your biological child, are you harbouring ill will towards the child for causing you to go into debt."

"Absolutely not. This isn't Jessie's fault."

"How about towards the Mitchem's?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are you angry at them?"

"Why would I be? If my biological child had been ill, Mr and Mrs Mitchem would have taken care of it. I would find the means to somehow pay them back but no, this is not their fault as much as it is not mine."

"Describe a typical day for me." Oliver said, suddenly steering the conversation elsewhere.

"Jessie wakes up when she wakes up. I'm usually working when she does. So I'll make her breakfast, shower her, dress her in her second hand clothes and then she plays with her cheap toys and books for a bit while I finish up work." Beca said sarcastically. "We usually then go for a walk or to the park and then one of my friends watches her while I go to work. I'm usually back around four in the afternoon so we have a couple of hours together then she has dinner. I go back out to work at around six and another friend comes to watch her in the evenings until I am home."

"Miss Mitchell, you heard my client's typical day. Is it safe to say you don't spend much time with Jessie?"

"I spend every spare moment I have with her."

"And what does that amount to, during an average day?"

"I don't know. A couple of hours in the morning and maybe an hour in the afternoon?"

"Because you have to work?"

"Yes."

"Does she ever come to work with you?"

"Not usually, no."

"Not usually?" Oliver inquired.

"Well, I've had to take her with me a couple of times."

"And why is that?"

"I haven't been able to find childcare for her."

"Has she been to a club with you, while you've worked?" Oliver asked.

"Yes. I've had no other choice on many occasions and have always found a quiet spot for her. She settles really well if she's got her blanket and her bunny and I always check on her several times to make sure she's okay."

"Taking a child into a nightclub cannot really be considered okay though, can it?"

"Not feeding her would also be considered not okay, right?" Beca snarked.

"Miss Mitchell, do-"

"-I do everything I can for my child." Beca interrupted. "Life isn't easy for me, but I push forward, try to make it, keep on going. I'm not sitting on my ass on welfare. I'm trying to teach my kid the value of a hard earned pay check and sacrifices that have to be made to get anywhere in life. I'm doing my best."

Oliver nodded for a few moments, letting the tension settle a little.

"Tell me about your family."

"Jessie is my family."

"Your parents?"

"My dad left when I was younger. I haven't seen him since I was five. I haven't seen my mom for about eight years. I don't know if she is even alive."

"No brothers or sisters?"

"No, like Mrs Mitchem, I am an only child."

"Why did your father leave?"

"I have no idea. I was five."

"You haven't made any effort to contact him?" Oliver asked and Beca shook her head.

"He hasn't made any effort to contact me either."

"Did he remarry?"

"I don't know."

"Do you have brothers and sisters from a new relationship?"

"I. Don't. Know." Beca spelled out. "If he does, they aren't anything to do with me, are they?"

"And James Swanson?"

"Jesse died before my child was born."

"And his family?"

"No, they do not see the child. Despite my being welcomed into their family like their own child, they have decided to not acknowledge my daughter." Beca said, her voice strained.

"And why is that?"

"You'd have to ask them that."

"What did James look like?"

"How do you mean?" Beca asked.

"Tall, short, brown eyes…"

"He was tallish, five foot ten. He had dark hair, brown eyes, a little stubble to his face. I guess, he was handsome."

"And his family? They all had dark hair too?"

"Yes."

"And your family?"

"I don't really know."

"You don't know what your own family look like?" Oliver asked, surprised.

"Well, I do. I mean, my mom had brown hair like me. I think my dad's was a shade darker but I haven't seen him in twenty years, so I don't recall exactly. Why are you asking me this?"

"I'm wondering about Jessica Amy."

"Why?"

"She's a redhead."

"Yes?" Beca said as she realised where this was going.

"Do you have red hair in your family? It's a recessive gene that can skip generations."

"Not that I know of, but I don't know my dad's side all that well."

"And you didn't think to question why the child you brought home from the hospital had a different colour hair to you?"

"Well, I-" Beca began.

"-Or why, to all intents and purposes, she didn't look like you or James Swanson?"

"I didn't-"

"-A man you claimed to love but failed to see his lack of features in the child?"

"Mrs Mitchem didn't see the difference either!" Beca yelled suddenly. She was sick of being blamed for her not noticing the disparity when Chloe and David hadn't as well.

"Miss Mitchell, I do not appreciate being yelled at." Oliver said firmly.

"I don't appreciate you blaming me for all of this. I've done nothing wrong here. I didn't speak up after bringing my daughter home and noticing her hair colour was different to mine? Well, lock me up and throw away the key! I thought it unusual, yes, but I got busy with life and was trying to keep her safe, fed and happy and I didn't notice her hair changing colour until she was a year old. By this point, she was picking up my mannerism's and copying me, so I guess the thought never really crossed my mind. I didn't know she'd been switched with my biological child until a few months ago and that's when little things began to fall into place. After I found out."

"Miss Mitchell, is it true you have a criminal record?" Oliver said, changing the subject suddenly again.

"Umm, it's…" Beca faltered, surprised by the different style of question. "… not a criminal record, no?"

"Are you able to explain?"

"I had a juvie record. I broke a window at the school, by accident. We all did, there were eight of us there. We were playing with a baseball and a stick and it flew out of our hands." Beca replied, wondering where they had dug that information up from.

"Why did you end up with the record if the others didn't?" Oliver asked.

"I was the only one from the trailer park. My mother didn't show up to pick me up, so I had to be booked in. All the other kids were taking the blame as well, but I got lumbered with the charge."

"Did your mother not show up because she was upset with you?"

"Upset with me? I was eleven. I can't remember if she-"

"-Is it true that day that the school had called your mother about your grades."

"My grades?" Beca asked, shaking her head slightly.

"Yes, that particular day, March ninth, you'd received lower grades than normal."

"I never dropped below a B plus." Beca said, exasperated. "If my mother was upset about me dropping from an A to a B, then that was on her."

"You said your father left. Did he help at all with your upbringing?"

"No, he did not. He left when I was five, as I've already said."

"So, your mother worked hard and provided for you?"

"I provided for myself."

"And how did you do that, as a child?"

"I took the money from my mom's purse and bought food and paid the bills."

"And why was she unable to do that?"

"She wasn't well."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning nothing." Beca said defiantly.

"Did you have everything you needed as a child?"

"No, I did not. But I survived so th-"

"-Did you have enough to eat, plenty of toys, clothes and supplies?"

"I got by."

"Yes or no?"

"No."

"In what way?"

"There wasn't enough to eat. Some days I went without." Beca explained, catching Chloe dab at her face with a tissue out of the corner of her eye. "I didn't have many toys after my dad left as everything had to be sold to pay for rent and food."

"How come?"

"My mother had to sell everything to pay rent."

"And how did that make you feel?"

"Determined."

"Determined?"

"Yes. I knew that I wanted to live a better life when I left home and got a job?"

"And are you?"

"I don't sleep in a mansion and dine at fancy restaurants, but I do okay." Beca said, throwing her veiled insult out into the courtroom. "Jessie hasn't gone without. And I give her all the time I can which is more than my mother-"

"-You said earlier you were welcomed into the Swanson household. What did you mean by that?"

"Mrs Swanson always made me feel welcome as a child, as if I were part of the family. She let me shower at theirs when the water was off at ours-"

"-Off?"

"They would cut off the water if we were late with the bills."

"Right." Oliver said, clearly making the remarks to make Beca uncomfortable. "What else did the Swanson's give you?"

"I ate at their house sometimes. If Hannah… Jesse's sister had some clothes that didn't fit, Mrs Swanson gave them to me. She'd help out with school supplies and bought me a backpack when mine fell apart."

"That was nice of them."

"Mmm hmm."

"Did the Swanson's have a large home?"

"Objection!" John cried out. "What is the point of this questioning?"

"Overruled." Judge Highberger said, looking over the top of his glasses.

"Miss Mitchell?" Oliver pressed, when Beca didn't reply to his question.

"I guess so, yeah."

"You guess so?"

"It was a large home." Beca confirmed.

"Three bedroom?"

"Seven."

"Wow, seven bedrooms. All en suite?"

"Yeah." Beca bit back, knowing that somehow he'd gotten hold of the Swanson's address and found out about their large home.

"Pool?"

"Yes."

"Anything else?"

"They had a stable block with a horse."

"So, it's fair to say that it was an expensive home."

"I'm sure it was."

"And what did the Swanson's do for work?"

"I don't know. He ran a company, but I don't know which one. Something with computers. She worked at a local Church, helping with admin." Beca said.

"And your home?"

"Mine?"

"Yes, what was your home like?"

"Small."

"How small?"

"It was a single berth trailer."

"In good condition?"

"Not really, no."

"How come?"

"It was old, draughty and damp. The bedroom was the worst bit. No working shower and half of the roof was missing so we'd covered it with a tarp." Beca explained.

"And you and your mother slept where?"

"Wherever we dropped."

"You had no bedroom of your own?"

"No."

"And the trailer was on the…" Oliver paused for a moment. "… Riverdale Estate in Atlanta. Is that correct?"

"Yes." Beca said in a small voice. She suddenly realised where this was going.

"The same Riverdale Estate that was demolished six years ago for its kidnapping and underage child molestation ring and drug factory."

"Yes."

"And your trailer was-"

"-My home was not part of that."

"But your mother was an alcoholic and a drug user."

"You asshole!" Beca cried out.

"Request a break for my client-" John called out.

"-Denied." Judge Highberger said. "Miss Mitchell, you will watch your language in my courtroom or you will be held in contempt. Continue Counsellor."

"Your home life was different to the Swanson household, is that correct?"

Beca breathed heavily as Oliver took a couple of steps backwards from her. He clasped his hands in front of him, pleased with the reaction he had gotten from her.

"I've done nothing wrong." Beca spoke out, her pitched tone sounding thin in the courtroom. She heard Chloe stifle a gasp and heard her crying softly but Beca didn't look her way.

"Miss Mitchell, please answer my question."

"I had my baby switched too."

"Miss Mitchell, Counsellor is waiting for an answer." Judge Highberger spoke sharply.

"Could you repeat the question for my client, please?" John spoke out.

"Your home life was different to the Swanson household, is that correct?" Oliver remarked.

"Yes."

"They provided you with items which your family could not afford, yes?"

"Yes."

"And gave you money?"

"Yes."

"And you hated that?" Oliver asked.

"Yes."

"And you were determined, your choice of words from earlier, not to do that with your child?"

"I didn't think I would have a child." Beca said.

"I'll rephrase. You were determined to live a better life than where you grew up?"

"Yes."

"And you were friends with the son of a wealthy family?"

"I didn't know they were wealthy."

"A seven bedroom home with a pool and a horse surely-"

"-Jesse never acted like he came from money. We were just friends. That was all."

"That was all, huh? Nothing like trapping your friend into a baby he didn't want so you could have some money from his wealthy parents to afford you a better lifestyle?"

"Objection!" John yelled out, standing up. "This line of questioning is completely-"

"-Overruled."

"That is not the reason I got pregnant." Beca said quietly.

"No?" Oliver mockingly asked.

"No." Beca sniffed and wiped her sleeve over her nose. "My getting pregnant was a mistake and-"

"-A mistake with a wealthy man, that's convenient-"

"-That's not what happened. Your research is wrong. I loved Jesse. He was my best friend."

"But not enough to date him, get married and start a family."

"No."

"And why is that?"

"Are you really asking me that?" Beca asked incredulously.

"Yes, I am. Why didn't the two of you date if you cared so much about each other?"

"We didn't feel that way about each other, that's why."

"But enough to make a baby one night."

Beca glanced over to John who was looking back, just as helpless as she felt.

"Why did it not become official?" Oliver pushed.

"I don't have to answer that."

"No, you don't. But for the sake of argument, information was given to me that you are in fact a gay woman, a lesbian. You can deny it if you so wish." Oliver said, his mouth twisting.

"My sexuality is irrelevant to this case." Beca baulked.

"Is it though?"

"Of course, it is. Gay women can raise kids just as well as straight women. My daughter… the child I love is-"

"-Do you think being gay is acceptable in the music world?"

"What has that got to do with anything?" Beca asked.

"Is it the trendy thing to do?"

"I… that's not… why are you asking me this?"

"I just wonder what example you are setting a child by bringing home different women each night would-"

"-Excuse you?" Beca snapped, rising to her feet. "I don't bring people home with me, and even if I was in a relationship, my child would still be the most important thing in my life. You wouldn't be asking me these questions if I had a boyfriend or currently was married to a man and I don't understand why this is relevant. You didn't ask if Mrs Mitchem paraded around with her husband in front of the two girls, did you?"

"But that's different. You are gay-"

"-Mr Harris, that's enough! This line of questioning is completely disrespectful to her. Can't you see it's upsetting her?" Chloe uncharacteristically yelled. She looked over towards Beca's lawyer who shrugged his shoulders. "Leave Miss Mitchell-"

"-Objection!" John finally called out. "Assumed facts not in evidence."

"Sustained. Mrs Mitchem, I would like to remind you that shouting in my courtroom is not acceptable. Counsellor, make your point." Judge Highberger said.

"My point, Your Honour, is to establish whether Miss Mitchell, an openly gay woman, knew of Mr Swanson's wealth and became pregnant to gain monetary value from his family for the child. As childhood best friends, I would assume it was apparent that Mr Swanson's family were extremely wealthy, despite Miss Mitchell's reluctance to confirm."

"Counsellor, what has this to do with the case here today?"

"Miss Mitchell mentioned earlier that the conceived child was an unwanted mistake-"

"-That's not what I mean, you asshole, and you know it! She was unintentional and I kept her because I wanted her." Beca called out.

"Miss Mitchell, may I remind you that you are in a court of law and your language needs to reflect your surroundings. I would ask that you retake your seat so we can continue."

"I'm sorry."

"Counsellor, finish up this line of questioning."

"Yes, Your Honour." Oliver smiled back at Beca, his thin lips stretching over his teeth. "Miss Mitchell, may I confirm again that the Swanson's denied their son's parentage to your daughter?"

"That is correct." Beca growled.

"And what happened after that?"

"Nothing. I left Atlanta and began working my way towards Los Angeles." Beca explained.

"Earlier you mentioned that you were determined to live a better life as an adult than your childhood."

"Yes?"

"And how are you able to distinguish living in your car, a thirty year old van, to that of a single berth trailer?"

"That's none of-"

"-Did Jessica Amy live in a car with you at any point?"

"Yes."

"And you felt that was adequate housing for her?"

"No, of course not. But I was doing the best I could." Beca said, gritting her teeth slightly.

"And now?"

"Now we have a safe home."

"A home that isn't currently yours, is that correct?"

"I rent it, yes. Like a million other people do."

"But she doesn't have her own bedroom, just like you didn't as a young child." Oliver remarked.

"It's a safe-"

"-And she sleeps in a closet."

"I'm try-"

"-And is left in the care of your friends while you work… or rather are out of the house, fetching coffee." Oliver sneered.

"Jessie is a happy kid. She-"

"-She deserves so much more than you are able to provide her with."

"Aren't half the kids in America just as deserving?" Beca snapped.

"And you have the ability to give her everything she could possibly want, don't you?"

"Of course I don't but I'm doing my best."

"And you won't allow the Mitchem's to see their biological daughter?"

"I'm not giving her away!" Beca cried out. "She's my kid!"

"But she's not your child though… is she?" Oliver concluded, shaking his head slowly at Beca. "No further questions."

.oOo.

A/N - Next chapter - the verdict :)