"Mr. Chasez, Ms. Bass," Assistant District Attorney Holden greeted as his secretary led the two into his office. He came around his desk to greet them with a handshake. "Please have a seat." He swept his hand out in front of him motioning toward the two chairs in front of his desk.  "How are you? How's the healing process?"

"Good." JC said. He actually was starting to feel human again which each passing day. He was becoming stronger and stronger. Being tired all the time was waning. He and Rachel took to taking small hikes at Runyon Canyon. They were relaxed hikes to get him up and moving. The incisions weren't as angry looking as they were when he first woke up in the hospital. It didn't stop him from staring at them in the mirror every morning before he showered. One small deviation by the bullet and he would have been dead before he hit the ground.

It was a sobering thought. He tried not to think about it too often. But the evidence stared back at him every morning. He had come so close... He glanced at Rachel. What would have been lost? Telling Rachel she would have continued living in the event of his death was probably one of the stupidest things he had ever uttered. Those moments, when he first woke in the hospital, he'd been confused, lost, and fearing Rachel had... he slammed the door on the thoughts. He knew what thought when he first woke up.

JC had got a taste of what his life would without Rachel in it in the weeks leading up to the shooting. The emptiness not only in his house, but the emptiness he felt in his heart. Rehearsals and impending tour would have only done so much to fill up the emptiness. Touring would only last so long. Then he would have returned to California. Gone back to the empty house.

Their relationship wouldn't have ended that way. As soon as he was back in California... as soon as the curtain fell on the final show he would have been on a plane to Mississippi. If the shooting never happened and the funding still had fallen through, he was have been in a car heading north to Mississippi from New Orleans. JC had told her as much when it came up in conversation the other day. The guilt still riddled Rachel. How she ran and didn't give him the benefit of the doubt.  

"Great. That's great to hear," Edward Holden said with a smile. "Now I've called you here to go over your court case. It's going to trial on Monday."

Rachel gripped JC's hand tightly in hers. "She didn't accept the plea deal?"

Edward shook his hand. "Unfortunately not." He had been hoping Addison would have taken the deal. It was a sure win case for the state. He had not only the victim, but three other witnesses that identified Addison as the shooter.  There would be no way the jury would not convict though he had been wrong before. This case, he was certain, would be a slam dunk. The defense had no case. Addison brought a gun into JC's home. An argument ensued. JC ended up getting shot after stepping in front of Rachel. Addison then tried to shoot Rachel. Would have if Matthew hadn't stepped in and fought Addison for the gun.

"So now what?" JC asked. He'd been hoping Addison would accept the deal. He didn't want the chaos or stress from a trial. The trial could last weeks or even months. There was a chance the DA could retry the case if there was a mistrial. The defense could file appeal after appeal. He and Rachel would be dealing with it for years to come, never truly able to put the event behind them. He had wanted Addison to accept the deal and be out of their lives.

"The defense doesn't have a case," Edward told them honestly.

"Is she going to try to plead insanity?"

Edward shook his head. "If she was going to plead insanity, she would have done so during the hearing."

"She wasn't insane. She was angry." Rachel said. "At me. If I hadn't come downstairs none of this would have happened."

"Rachel, no," JC shifted in the chair, sitting up straighter. "I've told you this. It's not your fault. Whether you were there or not. Whether it was that day or another day. She was going to do something."

"JC's right. I've seen this plenty of times in my career. Something like this was going to happen. It was just a matter of when and where. If it wasn't on the third then it would have been on the fourth or fourteenth. You've both explained in your statement, as well as Mr. Harry and Mr. Morrison that Ms. Wright was infatuated with JC. She viewed you as a threat. Eventually she would have tried to remove you from the picture."

That was JC's line of thinking. If the events had played out differently, if Matt hadn't manipulated them, Addison would have eventually gotten tired of Rachel hanging around all the time. She would have tried to get rid of her. Addison could have gotten into his house under some rouse and shot her when she was alone. It could have been something as simple as pushing Rachel down the stairs. It could have happened when he wasn't there to save her.

"It didn't matter if you hadn't come down the stairs," JC squeezed her hand. "After what Matt told me, I would have drug him upstairs to your room and made him explain. It could have happened there."

Rachel nodded. She knew all this. Sometimes it was hard for her to see it. She knew if she hadn't been there, JC wouldn't have gotten shot and almost died.

"What we're going to do here today is trial prep," Edward moved the conversation along. "I'm going to walk you through what's going to happen and what to expect. I'm going to go over the statements you've given. We'll go over what will happen when I call you both to the witness stand. We'll go over the questions I'll ask and how you'll answer them. I'll also prepare you for what the defense will might ask and how you'll answer."

Rachel excited the courthouse on First Street and quickly walked away from the building. There was so much information in her head. Her emotions were in turmoil. It had taken her awhile to get through the statement she had written at the police department the morning JC had woken up. Her handwriting had been sloppy and hesitant in parts. She had to give her account of the accident as much as she could remember. All of it. From the argument she'd overhead from her room. To when Addison pulled the gun. To JC bleeding on the floor.

If that wasn't enough, reading what had happened, she had to talk about it. Not just one time either. Multiple times as the ADA questioned her and helped her cultivate her answers. He had told her emotions were good when she had teared up. The jury would better resonate with her tears and sadness and fears. She simply thought they should read her statement and be done with it. She didn't want to get up on the stand and speak in front of not only a judge and jury, but the many people who would be sitting in the galley of the courtroom as well as the press.

"Hey," JC grabbed Rachel's hand and pulled her to a stop. He turned her around and took her into his arms, holding her tight. "Shh...It's okay." He whispered when he heard the sniffles against his neck. He tightened his arms. Her cries pained him. He wanted the whole ordeal to be behind them. He wanted to be healed. He wanted to enjoy their newfound relationship.

"I don't know if I can do this, JC." Rachel's voice came out broken. Her hands pressed hard against his back, needing to hold him tight. Needing to be held just as tight in return. "Telling everyone what happened...living through it all over again. It's like it never stops."

At her words, JC held her tighter than he thought he possibly could. People walked by all around them. Some heading into the courthouse, others leaving. He continued to hold her and tried to shush her tears. "This will be over soon," he whispered. "I promise." It wasn't something he was sure he could promise. The ADA had ensured the case would be an easy victory. The evidence against Addison was insurmountable. Not only was there gun powder residue on Addison proving she had been the one holding the gun, but there was eye witness testimony from three other people, four including him. The only issue that could arise was the gun powder residue on Matt since he'd been struggling with Addison when it when off he second time. Even then, the prosecution had Jimmy's, Matt's, and Rachel's testimony.

"Why won't she just take a plea deal? I don't understand. There is no way she's going to be found not guilty."

"To hurt us." JC told her. "She's doing it to hurt us. She gets to hurt us and be in the news all at the same time. She'll probably try to make money off this whole thing."

"Can she even do that? Is it even legal?" Rachel lifted her head from JC's chest to look at him.

"I don't think so," JC raised his hands and wiped the tears from her face.

"What if they try to spin it that Matt was the shooter? He has the gun residue on his hands. I didn't see the second shot..."

JC was already shaking his head before Rachel finished her thought. "It doesn't matter. You saw the first shot when she shot me. That's the one that matters. The second bullet went into the wall. What you aren't able to say, Jimmy will be able to. Between you, Jimmy, and Matt, she doesn't stand a chance."

"I just want this to be over." She felt more tears well up in her eyes and she pressed her face into JC's neck.

"So do I."

*~*

"How are you doing?"

"I'm okay," JC told his mother as he sat down on the lounger on the balcony. He could smell the chlorine wafting up from the pool below. He felt the itch to dive into the cool water and swim the length. He'd been cleared to soak in a bath but he hadn't thought to ask about swimming in a pool.

Lifting his feet onto the lounger he laid back and stared out over the view. The shadows were long as the sun sank over his house. The heat from the summer's day hadn't faded a bit. The city sounds were muted at this distance. In a few hours, the city would be lit up as the sun set and darkness reigned.

"You don't sound okay. What's wrong?" Karen grabbed her cup of coffee and walked from the living room where she had been watching a rerun of a drama on CBS with Roy. It was quieter in the den. She flipped on a lamp and took a seat in Roy's old recliner. She'd been after him for years to get rid of it, but he refused. She thought it was an eyesore. They had compromised and moved it out of the living room and into the den.

"The trial is starting soon..."

"I wish you'd let me and your father come out." Karen interrupted.

"You don't need to. You guys were just here for almost a month."

"We have no where we need to be." Karen spoke. "That's the point of retirement."

JC smiled. "I know, but you don't need to be here."

"Yes. But we want to be there. For you and for Rachel."

It might good to have his parents in town. JC figured during the trial he and Rachel would basically be sequestered in their home. They wouldn't be able to go out without being hounded by the press. That would probably extend to Lance as well. "Let me talk to Rachel and I'll let you know."

"I'll start looking for flights," Karen told her son. "Are you worried about the trial?"

"Not really. I'm more worried about Rachel. She's having a rough time. She's not sleeping. Barely eating. She's having nightmares."

"Oh, the poor girl," Karen said sympathetically. "Is she nervous about being called to the witness stand?"

"I don't think its nerves. I think it's more of the fact that she has to describe what happened."

"Ah," Karen nodded in understanding. "What happened was very traumatic for her. I know she was scared and worried. To be there... to witness it..." she felt a lump rise in her throat and she had to pause for a moment. "You have to be there for her JC."

"I am Mom."

"I know. I wish I could give you the answer that would fix it all, but there isn't one Sweetie. You have to be there for her. Listen to her when she talks. Try to get her to talk. Don't let her shut you out or keep everything inside. Hold her. Let her cry. Dry her tears. Comfort her. Let her know you love her."

"I do all that."

"Keep doing all that." Karen said firmly. She didn't doubt her son was doing everything she said and then some. The love she saw between JC and Rachel was something only dreamed about in romance novels or romantic movies. It was a rare find. "When this is all over, when the trial is over, take her away from LA."

"We have that trip to Europe in October." He still had to bring the trip up with is doctor. Still needed to get his opinion on if it was a good idea to go or if he should postpone the trip. Postponing the trip was probably the last thing Rachel wanted. It was something they both were looking forward to. If it was safer for him not to go... He didn't want to risk his health. He needed to be around for a long time. He finally had Rachel. He needed to take care of himself to ensure he'd be by her side for many years to come.

"Yes, but I'm talking about right after the trial. When it's over, get away for a long weekend. Your Uncle Will still has that place on Maury Island up near Seattle. I can give him a call and see if you guys could use it."

JC mulled over his mother's words. It wasn't a bad idea. If they still went on the Europe trip in October, it would be fine. The trip was still in October though. Five months away. He hoped the trial would be over within a week's timeframe. When it was finally over and Addison was found guilty, he could pile Rachel in a car. Their bags could already be packed. They could go to the airport right from the courthouse and be in Seattle in a few hours. Away from the city. Away from the press. Away from the scrutiny. Away from it all.

"Can you call him?"

"Sure Sweetie. I can give him a call as soon as we hang up." Karen agreed. If her husband's brother wasn't able to accommodate JC and Rachel, well Karen would find another place that would work just as well. She had plenty of extended family she could call. Roy too. If she hit a dead end, she would call Diane. Nothing could stop two mommas from taking care of their babies.

After the conversation with his was mother, JC went back inside.  When he had went outside to call his mom, Rachel had been sitting on the couch folding laundry. The living room was empty. Figuring she was upstairs putting clothes away, he climbed the stairs and walked down the hallway to their bedroom. Like the living room, the room was empty. The closet light was off. His dresser drawers were shut tight. As were the drawers in her dresser. As he turned to leave, he stared at the frame on the wall next to the door way. It was the sketch of him and Rachel from the skating rink. True to his word, he had found a frame to fit the 9X12 rendering. He hung it up without Rachel adding anything to the sketch. It was exactly how he had seen it in the hospital.

With a frown on his face as he left the room to search for Rachel. He checked the rest of the floor before heading back downstairs. When he still came up empty, he made his way down to the first level. The pool area was empty. Growing concerned he walked down the short hallway to his studio room and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her tucked in the corner of the couch. A small lamp was on casting the room in a muted glow. Her sketch book was sitting on the arm of the couch and her pencil moved over the pad in short confident strokes.

JC leaned a shoulder against the door jam with his arms tucked into the pocket of his jeans and watched. He watched the pencil move over the pad, those sure strokes. He watched the concentration on her face. He wished all Rachel had to do every day was get up and draw whatever was on her mind that day. Paint what had been in her dreams. He wanted to see the dark smudges on the palm of her hand. He wanted to see the smear of paint on her face from where she brushed her hair off her cheek forgetting about the wet paint on her fingers.

She still hadn't noticed him. He didn't want to startle her for fear she'd mess up. Though he was in the mood for one of her rants and raves. A smile grew on his lips as he remembered some of his favorite rants after he had inadvertently caused her to mess up. It was odd that she was down here in his studio drawing, especially with only the small lamp as light. The room held no windows. Rachel preferred to sketch upstairs where it was bathed in sunlight in the morning. The lighting fixtures were also better than what he had in the studio.

"I know you're there."

The soft spoken words caught him off guard. She hadn't looked at him, but he saw a small smile on her lips. JC pushed off the door jam and made his way into the room taking a seat next to her. Once he was seated he was able to see what she had been so focused on drawing. The drawing surprised him. He wasn't used to seeing Rachel draw anything of the sexual nature. Though the naked back of a woman probably wasn't as sexual as the thought that ran through his mind. Rachel had drawn a woman from behind. She was sitting on what could be considered a bed. He imagined it was left up to interpretation. The woman's hair was tucked over one shoulder. A sheet or blanket was meant to have been wrapped around the woman's waist at one point, but it had fall loose. It now lay on the bed and wrapped into her lap.

"Just when I think you can't amaze me anymore..." The detail was exquisite.

"You'd be more amazed if I turned her around and laid her down on the bed."

"Probably shocked. Dirty drawings aren't really your nature. What made you draw this?"

Rachel shrugged. "Not sure. Just what came out."

JC nodded in understanding. He had that happen plenty times working on music. Melodies and lyrics came out and he couldn't explain how or why. He just went with it. "What are you doing in here? I was looking all over for you."

"You'll probably think I'm weird."

"Doubtful. Try me."

"This is your space. Everything about this room is you. When I'm feeling a little off kilter being in here helps me relax. I would be in here a lot if you were somewhere without me. I'd miss you and being in this room made it feel like you were here. I'd turn on the music and sometimes I'd end up in here for hours." Rachel continued talking when JC made no move to speak. She kept her eyes down on the paper in front her, staring at the shadowed lines she made on the woman's back. "Even if you were home and in here working, I'd come in here and sit because that's where you were. And I just needed to be close to you."

JC reached across her body and placed his finger tips on her chin. He tilted her head toward him so she would meet his eyes. "Not weird," he said softly. He couldn't describe what hearing those words made him feel. He could recall plenty of times when Rachel would wonder in while he was working. In the earlier years, she'd have her lap top. That eventually morphed in to the smart phone and tablet. Most times she'd have a sketchpad. Other times she'd had a paperback novel. She'd sit on the couch out of the way. Something would settle in him when she was near. With his fingers still on her chin, he leaned down and kissed her.

When the kiss broke, Rachel shifted on the couch so she leaned into him instead of the couch arm.  JC shifted as well so she was more snuggled into his side, placing his arm around her shoulders. "I was just outside, you could have come out."

"I know, but you were on the phone."

"Just with my mom. She wants to come out for the trial."

"She doesn't have to do that. It will probably be a circus."

"You wanna call her up and explain that to her?"

Rachel smiled and gave a slight laugh. "When's she arriving?"

"Well she said she was gonna wait until we talked it over, but she probably already has her ticket." JC chuckled. "She did give me a good idea."

"What's that?"

"When the trial is over, getting away for a long weekend. Get away from the city. Some place quiet. My Uncle Will has a cabin up near Seattle on the lake. I haven't been there... oh man, since I was a kid. It was right on the lake. Was fairly secluded."

"Sounds great JC."