Warning: There is a small mention of rape and assault in this chapter, so if this is a sore subject for you, then I suggest skipping the last part of this chapter (where Kathy is being interrogated). I'm sorry for any grammar errors. :)

Chapter 31: Part 2

"Ms. Alvarez, please approach the witness stand." The judge – Judge Matthews – orders sharply, her glasses resting on the bridge of her nose. I watch anxiously as Christina stands, smoothing out her jacket. "Ms. Alvarez, what evidence do you have against Mr. Davidson?"

Without a word, Christina reaches behind her, gathering a pile of documents and folders into her hands. As she gives them off to the bailiff, who in turn passes it to the judge, the room somehow grows quieter. Judge Matthews shuffles through the paperwork and opens up the envelopes all with the same heartless expression. Not even when she looks back up does an ounce of emotion show.

"Proceed, Ms. Alvarez."

"Patrick Davidson is here for many reasons but I'd have to say the foremost is because of his indecency toward multiple teenage girls." Christina throws a sharp glare to Davidson and his attorney. "A man who has a position as a teacher for a secular job gives him the opportunity to practice his vile acts. Don't be mistaken by his charm. We were able to recover multiple reasons, multiple facts, of why he's guilty. This man has been sexually involved with these young women, one of who you'll listen to today. I just hope that you all with be able to sympathize with her."

"Mr. Wilde."

As Christina sits, Davidson's attorney takes her place in front of the jury. He shifts his tie nonchalantly – as if we aren't in a court trial – and clears his throat. Locking his hands together behind him, he speaks, "As horrific and distressing as that sounds, it is untrue. Patrick Davidson is a morally clean and trustworthy man. Just the accusation of this is perplexing but now that these people are saying that they have evidence against him is just downright arrogant. Mr. Davidson is a loving husband who wouldn't hurt a fly - much less a human being - a teenage girl. Today, these lies that are being told against him will be proven false."

"Your honor," Christina says, cutting the stillness so abruptly that it causes me to jump in my seat. "I'd like to call my first witness."

I can't help it. As Meghan walks into the room and stands beside the judge, I grab Tobias' hand and squeeze it with all of the strength in my body. It probably isn't much of a burden for him, as he squeezes back gently. But I barely recognize the act, as I listen to Meghan give the pledge.

"Mrs. Smith, when did you first notice that Kathy was behaving oddly?"

It visibly takes Meghan a few moments to understand the question, as her face remains blank for too long. She seems so exhausted with her slouched posture, the bags lining her eyes, and the wrinkles appearing at the corner of her eyes; she looks completely different than when I first met her.

"It was over four months ago. Before she disappeared."

"And what was she doing that was different?"

"I didn't recognize my little girl anymore." She breathes out. "She seemed indifferent with both my husband and me. She was closed off and rarely stepped out of her room. We only saw her when she went to school and when she came home."

"How long was she like this?"

"For about two weeks. Then…" Trailing off, she swallows thickly. "then she disappeared."

I watch as John takes her place, then Emily, Andrew, and even Kathy's swim coach. Each one receives the same set of questions, and they all respond with answers that complement the others. I sit, as stiff as a board, listening intently to each of them. I almost give a shout of annoyance when Judge Matthews lightly taps her gavel.

"Alright, we are going to take a small will resume in thirty minutes."

I just need a moment with her. Please."

Meghan and John look at each other hesitantly; their words are unspoken as they make their decision. Turning back to me, John starts to slowly shake his head. "I don't know, Tris…"

"Please. I just want to check up on her. Nothing more."

Tapping her husband's shoulder, Meghan nods her head. I can see his body slightly relax at her gesture, and I take that as a good sign. Giving them a small smile of gratitude, I walk towards the wooden doors. My hands tremble as I reach for the knob, and I have to mentally reassure myself that it's just a teenage girl who needs someone to talk to. Releasing a heavy breath, I slowly open the door.

The wooden door gives a slight creak, announcing my arrival long before I had intended. My heart aches as I close the door behind me, my attention solely focused on the scene in front of me. Kathy sits in one of the many chairs in the room, her back turned to me. The grey sky darkens the room and makes her figure appear to be nothing more than a shadow. She doesn't move and makes no intention of saying anything. I stand there, not knowing what exactly to do. Maybe I should have thought this through better.

Gaining a few ounces of courage, I make my way towards her. Even still, she doesn't turn around to face me. It's only when I sit next to her does she seem to notice me, her body barely shifting. I take a deep breath – prepared to say something – but nothing comes out. Absolutely nothing. Instead, I just settle for gazing out the window too, staring at the city of Chicago from up high. Nice job, idiot.

I try not to show too much emotion when she finally speaks, "So, I'll be testifying soon?"

"Yeah," I reply quietly. "I'm sorry."

"About what?"

"What's going on around you. What happen to you."

Kathy shrugs lazily. "There's nothing you can do about it. None of us can do anything about it."

I find myself giving a small smirk, a humorless chuckle escaping my mouth. "If only there was something we could do."

"Yeah, but there's nothing."

I finally turn to face her. I should have prepared myself more for the sight. If I thought Meghan looked bad, then Kathy needs a whole different term to describe her appearance. I hadn't realized she had cut her hair, now her orange locks only brushing her shoulders. But beyond that, she no longer looks like a teenager. Rather, all she portrays is a victim. A victim of a dreadful situation. I know that feeling all too well.

"You know sometimes I wish that were the case," This statement catches her attention. "Sometimes I wish there was nothing that could be done. Because if nothing could be done… then you couldn't blame yourself for what happened."

"What…" Her voice cracks as she asks the question, "what do you mean?"

"Things happen. Things that no person should ever have to go through. And when these things happen to us… we always want some sort of justice to take place. But little do we know that sometimes the justice we want doesn't always come from who we expect. I know it didn't for me."

Kathy's eyes shine with both curiosity and misery, and I swear - an ounce of understanding. "W-where did you get help from?"

The corners of my mouth pick up, but they don't reach the smile I was attempting at. "Myself."

"I don't understand."

"I didn't either – at least at first. You see Kathy, all of the bad things that have happened to me, I blame myself for. Somehow, I can find the smallest detail in that situation and use it against me. And it worked. It worked for so many years, that I didn't even need to convince myself anymore. It was just second nature." I stare at the ground, refusing to let myself cry when I need to be helping Kathy. "But then… then I found a way to help myself. And you know what?"

"What?"

"It all started when I was hired to find you." Sighing, I scrub my face with my hands, the sudden need to have drink hitting me. "What I'm trying to say is that I thought – and still do – that I'm the source of all my problems. But I'm struggling to realize that if I want to move on, I can't blame myself for what happened. I can only blame myself for what is happening – the self-pity mode."

There's a moment of silence in the room. Closing my eyes, I think I've confused her. But when I hear a sniffle, my eyes shoot open and I turn to look at her. With tears streaming down her face and red eyes, Kathy struggles to open her mouth.

That's when it hits me. "Is that what you do?" I whisper. "Do you blame yourself for what happened?"

Covering her mouth, she chokes out a sob. "Every night, I lay awake… wondering why I d-didn't do something. Wh-why didn't I do something? All of t-this could have been avoided… if I just did something!"

It happens on reflex as I pull Kathy into a bone crushing hug. Her head rests on my chest as my arms wrap around her. Her sobs grow harder as her body starts to rake with the tears. And as she starts to chant the word "why", I can't help the few tears that collect in my own eyes.

Why?

Why didn't I do anything to stop all of this from happening to me?

It's a selfish question – I know – but that doesn't mean it still doesn't roam through my mind.

"Ms. Smith," Christina's tone is softer, more empathetic than the ones she used to question the others. She settles herself in front of the witness stand, her back now towards the rest of the courtroom. "can you please tell us what happened on the nights in question?"

Kathy sits opposite of her, her attention focused on anything but the wide crowd. She hesitates in speaking at first and Christina has to call her attention once more before she opens her mouth, "Before I was… taken, it was just random men coming to… see me. Then… Mr. Davidson came. I-I was confused and frightened. I didn't know what to do."

"And what happened when he first visited you?"

For a brief moment, I catch Kathy's eyes lock with Davidson's before they immediately flick back down. "H-he… he um… told me that he needed to see me. At first, I-I-I thought," Her voice cracks as she regains her composure. "I thought he was there to take me home. But then… he crawled into my bed… and started ripping off my clothes…" She shakes her head repeatedly, almost trying to shake the odious thoughts from her mind. "H-he told me he loved me and always had."

"Were there any times that Mr. Davidson became hostile?"

I barely manage to see Kathy nod her head.

"Can you speak for the jury, Ms. Smith?"

"Yes," She says quietly. "I would get tired of having the other men come, so sometimes I would try to fight him off. That's… that's when he would hit me. Other times he would choke me. He said that if I wanted him, I had to be a good girl. After that… I didn't bother fighting it anymore. I thought I wasn't going to get out. I lost all hope."