"So, I think we can gather, from what you have stated previously, that you were determined to track down Miss Williford and, eventually, kill her. Correct?" The prosecutor turned from the jury to stare down Elisha.

"I was determined to find her, yes. I wanted her put away in jail for the rest of her life. But I never planned to kill her." Elisha narrowed her eyes and glared back at him.

"But you bought a gun? Surely someone with 4 small children realizes you shouldn't have a gun in the house. Unless you have plans for it?"

"I was not going to let her hurt my family again!" Elisha yelled. "If shooting her was what it took to stop her, I was going to do it, so, if you want to call that premeditated I guess you can."

Nick fidgeted in his seat, wanting to jump over the barrier and punch the prosecutor. "Easy �Lish." he whispered.

"Why did you take Miss Williford to the barn, Mrs. Carter? If you wanted to keep her from your family, why did you take her right to them practically?"

"I don't know!" Elisha shouted. "I didn't know what I was doing. When she said she couldn't wait to see the twins again I lost my mind, I guess. There was no way I was letting her see them. Maybe it was my way of avoiding killing her."

The prosecutor was sitting behind his desk, as he stood and walked to her, he smirked. "But you did kill her eventually, didn't you?"

"She was going after my family!"

"You shot her in her chest, in her heart! She wasn't running to the house at all, was she, Mrs. Carter? You shot her point blank, didn't you?"

"I had to stop her, she was going after the children." Elisha stifled a sob and covered her face with her hands.

"No further questions." The prosecutor sneered and sat down.

"Can we have the closing arguments today or should they be held over until tomorrow?" the judge asked the two lawyers.

"Mine is not long." David assured him and the prosecutor nodded his head as well. "Okay, we will have a brief recess and then have the closing arguments."

As Elisha stood to meet Nick she felt her knees buckle. She grabbed the platform and steadied herself as best as she could. Her whole body was shaking.

"I'm here." Nick's soft voice sounded in her ear. "I've got you." His lips were on hers. "I'm so proud of you. You're done, sweetheart. You're done at last."

She let herself sink into his arms and relax. "I don't think I can eat, but let's get out of here, please?" Her eyes pleaded with him.

"Anything you say, honey." Nick settled his arm around her waist and helped her out of the courtroom.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Elisha shifted in her seat beside David. She wanted so much to see her husband, to feel his warm hand holding hers and comforting her. "Settle down. It's almost over." She heard his soft whisper and smiled to herself. He always seemed to know what she was thinking. David had been very brief in his summarizing of the case. He recounted the hell that Mandy had put them through and basically said that any person in the courtroom would have done the same to protect their family. The prosecutor was just now finishing up his closing argument and seemed to be repeating himself.

"The only thing he has to go on is that you shot in the front and not the back." David whispered to her. "This case is as good as won."

"I hope so." she whispered back to him.

After a few more minutes the prosecutor finally wrapped it up. The judge gave the jury their instructions as to the decisions they could reach in the case and what Elisha could be charged with. Elisha watched them file into the jury room, twelve people in charge with the rest of her live. The judge asked that they remain at the courthouse until 8pm. At that point the jury, if they hadn't reached a decision, would be taken to the hotel for the night and brought back in the morning for more deliberation. Nick and Elisha decided to wait in the cafeteria with the others. Jane and Bob had come today to offer support, while Angel and Aaron stayed with the children.

"David thinks it looks good!" Nick said happily, assisting Elisha into her chair and pulling out the chair beside her for himself.

"Did he have any idea how long this might take now?" Jane asked.

Nick shook his head. "It's all up to the jury now."

The others in the group started debating what decision the jury might reach and Elisha found herself getting a headache.

"Can we talk about anything but the trial, please?" She was surprised at the tone of her voice, but she just couldn't listen to this conversation for another hour and a half.

"We're sorry, Elisha." Brian offered. "Just not thinking."

"We can't even imagine how hard this is for you." Linda said, squeezing her hand.

"I understand." Elisha smiled graciously. "How are the kids everyone?" she asked, completely changing the subject.

Christine and Linda crowded around her, excitedly chattering about their babies.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Well, I guess we will have another day of this." David said, walking up to the group. "It's a few minutes to 8 and there's been no word." Just as Elisha was about to ask him about the next days procedure, the baliff walked in and ushered everyone to the courtroom. David told the group to remain seated for a moment as he conferred with the bailiff. Elisha grabbed Nick's hand and held it tight as she waited for the lawyer to return to the table. "They've reached a decision, gang. Let's head back."