After Lainie described what she meant Maddie excused herself with a quick good-bye and made her way home. To her dismay she could hear shouting before she even entered the house. "You do not feel that way you're fine!" Maddie could hear her mother say as she entered the room, her mom sounded desperate to act like her son was okay and Zach sounded angry when he repeated the words he had said over and over again to himself. "I'm fine."

Zach stood up and grabbed his bag before leaving, when Maddie looked over she seen May standing in the hall, she had most likely hear the whole thing. Maddie shook her head and walked over to May. "Hey, why don't you go to your room okay?" Maddie asked looking at her sister who nodded and ran to her room, Maddie sighed and walked over before sitting in front of her mother who was dressed in a pink suit with tears in her eyes.

"What happened?" Maddie asked gently and Karen sniffled before looking to her eldest daughter. "Zach said he's felt like Hannah." She says and Maddie nods looking at her mother sadly before speaking. "He has." Maddie says, I have too, she wanted to add but she didn't. "One night I, uhm, I walked into his room and he was crying while reading the note Hannah gave him. Telling her how alone she felt, and with Dad gone he lost it, he broke his window and he took a piece of glass but I ran and stopped him." Maddie says and Karen looks at her daughter, how had this happened without her knowing?

"You guys- you have to tell me things like this."

"For awhile you were just gone, Mom. We felt like we couldn't without being lectured or yelled at." Karen nodded and then sighed. "Well, thank you for telling me but you should get some rest, you testify tomorrow." Karen says and Maddie shakes her head grabbing her mothers arm when she went to leave the room. "There's something else I need to tell you, something important."

Karen nodded and allowed her daughter to pull her to sit with her. "So, I was at Clay's today and uhm, well one thing you need to know is Justin's back." Karen sits back for a moment, she wanted to say something, something along the lines of don't go back to someone who left you but Karen knew how much Maddie hated not having Justin around, so she stayed silent and listened to the teen as she continued. "And you know how Lainie is a lawyer, well I guess one of the lawyers in her firm is a lawyer connected with my birth-mother." Maddie says and Karen furrows her brows confused on where this was going.

"Well, Lainie told me that Katherine," She says beginning to call her mother by name. "is trying to bring up a case against your adaption and make you seem unfit to take care of me." After a few moments of it sinking it Karen stares at her daughter. "I promise I didn't know until she told me, and she hasn't tried to make contact with me." Maddie says quickly but Karen only nods. "Okay, uhm, I really, really need to get on the phone with some people. Do some research. But you need to go to sleep." Karen says and Maddie nods going into her bedroom, she wanted to stay with Karen and figure out everything she needed to know, but she knew she needed to get some sleep.

In the morning Maddie found herself staring into the mirror as she added a light coat of lipstick after putting on a few other items to cover up what she believed to be imperfections. She then took her time curling her hair before taking two strands from the front and clipping them in the back, one of her favorite hair styles to wear. Then when the time hit seven she slipped on a form fitting mature, but casual looking pale colored dress. Then Maddie walked out into the living room to grab a pair of heels when she realized that all three family members were on the couch waiting, smiling. "You look so pretty." May says eyes wide looking at her older sister, Maddie smiles and goes to place a kiss onto the top of her head. "Thank you." She says as she slips on the small black heels she normally wore for school pictures, rather than testifying at court.

"Okay, before anyone leaves we need to have a serious family discussion." Karen says in a tired voice as she moves in her lavender outfit. All three children look between themselves before looking to their mother and nodding, waiting for her to speak. "Last night, it was brought to my attention that Maddie's birth mother, Katherine, is trying to build a case against my adoption for Maddie." Zach looks to his sister who only looks down, she felt bad that for the last year or so it seemed she only brought trouble into the house. "What does that mean?" May asks her voice smaller than normal as she watched their mother with wide eyes.

"Well honey," She starts. "It means that once the investigation has been made official which can only happen with probable cause they will investigate our house, family, and situation to make sure that this house and family is fit to take care of her. Now, I know that we are fit to have her in our house because we have taken care of her for 17 years now, but I want you all to be extra cautious." Karen says knowing that if she was seen unfit not only would Maddie be taken but also Zach and May. "Continue to do your best in school, tell me if anything has been broken, or stolen, or if you have been bullied and so on, keep your room clean, and unless needed I will not be taking any extra shifts so you won't be here alone. I will also be picking you up from practice from now on so that if needed they can see I'm involved." She continues while addressing May in the last half. "The two of you need to drive safely and it'd probably better if you started riding together, at least until this is over." Karen said now bringing her attention to the oldest siblings who quickly nodded their head, they'd do anything short of murder to make sure this family stick together.

Content with the conversation Karen nods and smooths out her skirt. "Alright, May, you better go catch the bus." Karen says and May nods while grabbing her bag and lunch box going outside where the bus pulled up only seconds later. Zach sighs before saying good-bye to his family and quickly going to his car and pulling out of the driveway. "I'm sorry that I'm causing so much trouble." Maddie says quietly as the duo walk to the car and Karen quickly turns holding her teenage daughter up by her shoulders. "Maddie, you are not causing us any problems. We wanted you, we fought for you, and we will continue to do that. What is happening is all her." Karen says with a sigh and Maddie nods. "Mom?" Maddie asks looking over to Karen. "Yeah?"

"Thank you." Maddie says with a grateful smile and Karen nods. "Of course." She says before the two of them hop into her car and get situated before pulling out of the driveway and making their drive to the courthouse.

Sighing Maddie steps out of the car and Karen rolls down her window. "I'm going to go find a place to park the car, it could take a few minutes, just wait for me inside on the first set of benches." She instructs her daughter who nods and walks to the courthouse, but before she even makes it to the courthouse she sees two boys standing near the steps making her chuckle and walk up. "Hey." Maddie says with a small smile looking to the boys. "His annoying ass wouldn't leave Clay alone so I had to bring him here." Tony says laughing before giving her a tight hug. "Hey, good luck." He says seriously making her nod before he tells Justin where to meet him.

"You shouldn't bug Clay so much." Maddie says her voice unusually soft and he shakes his head. "They're both dramatic I just said I wanted to be here for you." He says and she smiles in response. "Well, thank you. That means a lot." Maddie says looking to the boy with crystal blue eyes. "Well, you mean a lot to me." There was a small pause before Justin looks before Maddie and smiles. "H-hi Mrs. Dempsey." He greets her mother making Maddie turn around. "Hello, Justin, I'm glad you're back." She says looking the boy over who wore dingy yet clean clothes. "I'll be at the benches, don't take too long, the Bakers just got here, so they'll probably be starting soon." She says placing a hand on her daughter back before excusing herself up the steps and inside the building.

"Are you feeling better?" Maddie asks looking him up and down, he did look a lot better. "Yeah, and the Jensen's said I could stay as long as I need." He says and Maddie nods. "I have to go." She says quickly looking back as she points to the door and Justin nods quickly. "Yeah, no, good luck. You look beautiful by the way." He says using his hand to gesture to her as she starts to walk but she smiles and thanks him for the compliment before quickly going to him and pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek.

Maddie quickly walks past the press but turns around when they begin calling out to her, she was told it'd be best to stay away but she wanted to make a comment, the same way Zach has yesterday before he testified. "Maddie, do you blame the school for Hannah Baker's death." Maddie shakes her head before speaking. "All I will say is that Hannah's death had a lot of facts, people, events, lies, and the school. It was not just one element nor one person. Thank you." She says before quickly excusing herself inside to her mother.

"Alright sweetheart, are you ready?" Karen asks and Maddie nods. Quickly someone ushers Maddie away, the double doors was how the family and visitors would watch by the witnesses had to take another entrance to their seat. It was merely two minutes before Maddie was in her seat beside the judge and in front of everyone else.

After a few moments Dennis stood up walking over to Maddie. "So, Ms. Dempsey, you and Hannah Baker were friends?" He questions and Maddie nods sitting forward slightly to speaking to the microphone. "Yes, uhm, we'd always known of each other but we weren't friends until a few months before the end of sophomore year." Maddie explains and Dennis nods before continuing.

"And during your time of friendship had Hannah ever been, over the top? Rude, hurtful? Mean?" Dennis asks and Maddie shakes her head but he asks her to use her words. "No, no, never. I mean Hannah and I had our moment, I think everyone does but she was never mean, to my knowledge she hardly even stood up for herself." Maddie says recalling all the events that came to mind where Hannah should have stuck up for herself.

"Stood up for herself?" Dennis says in a questioning tone. "Why would she need to stand up for herself?" He asks an nods for Maddie to explain. "Well, at Liberty High there's a long chain of friendship, most of them built on girls."

"What I mean is, you're on top if you happen to date, sleep with, or be friends with some of the popular or pretty girls. Hannah, Hannah, was a pretty girl. And when she was hurt by a jock Hannah no longer wanted anything to do with the boys at our school." She says, pausing to let her fingertips touch the microphone as a way to assure herself. "And her showing no intrest in the boys only made them want her even more, so she was constantly made fun of, she was called names, had notes thrown about her, and more." Maddie explains and Dennis nods before speaking, yet again.

"And Hannah being hurt by a jock- this jock would be Justin Foley?" He asks and Maddie falters, moving her eyes to her mother for support before looking back to the lawyer. "Uhm, yes." She says with a small nod. "How did Justin hurt Hannah?" He asks, the jury had yet to hear this story because those who were actually involved in it, had bigger questions to answer. "Well.." Maddie says slowly. "They had went on a date early on when she came to Liberty but Justin had taken a picture of her where her dress had been blown up. The picture was bad enough but out of context it made it seem like Hannah was doing something else, and then to make it worse the picture was sent out from his phone."

"So, Justin sent out a provocative photo of Hannah and the school did nothing?" Quickly Maddie corrects him, she wasn't going to let Justin take the fall for that nor was she going to be proven a liar. "No, Justin didn't send the photo, it was just sent through the phone."

"Who sent the photo?" Dennis asks.

"Bryce Walker." She answers and he nods re-asking his question now. "So, a provocative photo of Hannah was sent out, to the students of the school." He says addressing the jury now. "On the school campus, and yet the school didn't do anything to help her?"

"To my knowledge the school has done nothing to help Hannah." She says and Dennis nods. "That will be all you're Honor." He says walking back to his seat.

Sighing Maddie breathes for a moment, but she wasn't done. Now came the prosecution, the woman who had outed Courtney, who had tried to bring out Jessica's rape, and Hannah's relationship with Zach. What would she know about Maddie?

~~~Authors Note~~~
Hey guys! I was super happy to make yet another chapter not based on an episode but I am not sure how well written the court scenes will be, I hope you understand and still enjoy them tho!

If you guys want to be part of the story don't hesitate! Comment down some idea for the prosecution- both of questions and of some ideas that might be brought up! Because I'm trying to think of some things that Maddie might have kept hidden, even from you guys, so comment what you think they could be too!

I love you guys, thank you so so much for all the support on this book and I'm really hoping you guys are still enjoying it!

{5.11.20}