"Shall we set the record straight?" Helena's voice rang through the courtroom.

"We shall." Katherine said simply. "I am not, nor was I ever, dead. And Helena
most certainly didn't kill me." She paused. "Someone tried to. That person has
yet to be on trial, however." Katherine looked at Alexis briefly. "Or *those*
persons as the case may be."

"And you know who it is?" The judge asked, skeptically.

Katherine paused lengthily. "No."

"As I thought." The judge said. "What does the prosecution make of this?"

Dara stood up and said in a firm clear voice, "that woman is not Katherine
Bell."

~~

((Please Note: Brooke is very young (I'm saying three whether it's correct or
not) and I'm not even sure that a child that young could stay stable in a
comatose state for very long, but... this is a story, so who cares?))

Ned arrived in a New York hospital around eleven o'clock that morning. He had
an expression of weariness as he walked over to his ex-wife.

"How is she?" Ned asked Lois quickly.

Lois, who had just been standing there looking as though the wind had been
knocked out of her, quickly turned her gaze to him. "She's...she...the doctor
says that...they told me that she's in a coma." The sobs she'd been holding
back overcame her.

Ned just looked at her, this sobbing woman that he used to love, almost not
comprehending what she'd said. And then, he pulled Lois into his arms, and the
silent tears streamed down his face.

~~

Brenda's house was a major crime scene by eleven. Jagger, V, Garcia and
Taggert were all their somewhere. Mac, who didn't have the gumption for much
since Robin's death, had even shown up. Jax was there, still. And Brenda's
lifeless body was being carted off.

"How was she killed?" V asked, just showing up.

"A blow to the head. There's a vase over there that appears to be the murder
weapon. We had it taken to the lab with her body." Jagger sighed. "I can't
believe Brenda is dead." He shook his head. "Anyways, we don't assume
premeditation; there was oviously quite an argument. It could go either way,
but I'm leaning toward heat of the moment, myself."

"Yeah?" She looked around. "Well, she didn't go quietly into the night, that's
for sure. What was her time of death?"

"Somewhere around eight o'clock this morning."

"This morning?" V repeated. "I guess she didn't go into the night at all."
 

Garcia looked around. "I don't recall any mention of Brenda in Kevin's book. I
only skimmed it, but..." He turned to Mac. "Do you know if she was a potential
victim."

"I think she was in there, briefly, but she wasn't murdered." Mac told him,
trying to center himself and concentrate on the case.
 

Jax was standing off to one side, alone staring at a picture of Brenda. "I
can't believe it." He whispered to himself.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around. "I'm sorry." V said softly.

He nodded. At a loss for words, "Me too."

She looked at him sympathetically. "Do you know who could've done this?"

~~

Veronica left the Grille in a huff, not noticing as she ran into Tony Jones.

"You again." He said with a smile.

"Excuse me?" She asked, narrowing her eyes. "I don't even know you. You must
be mistaken."

"No; I'm quite correct. I'd remember you, and I do." He paused. "A few weeks
ago. At the bar in the Grille. You were hiding from someone and you kissed
me." Remember?"

"I don't know who you are or what you're trying to pull, but I find this very
offensive. We never met. Goodbye." She left, huffing more.

~~

Jerry approached Bobbie and Monica in the Grille, just now spotting them.

"Hi." He said with a smile, mainly directed at Bobbie.

"Oh, I don't believe we've met." Monica put in. "I'm Monica Qaurtermaine."

"Quartermaine?" He asked, remembering doing business with Edward, and she
nodded. "My condolences." He smiled at her, joking.

"Thank you." She paused. "I have to get back to work anyways. I'll be seeing
you, Bobbie."

"Oh...sure." Bobbie said, watching her leave and then turning her gaze back to
the tablecloth.

"What's wrong?" Jerry asked. "Oh." He realized. "That little scene?"

"Who was she?" Bobbie asked.

He decided on the truth, "Brenda's mother. Brenda has been missing since this
morning; I figured I'd see what Veronica knew."

"That was all?" Bobbie asked.

"That was all." He repeated.

~~

"Excuse me, Ms. Jensen?" The judge asked.

"The state will not believe she's Katherine Bell until further proof is given.
Then we'll act accordingly. But, for now, the charges stay. Katherine Bell was
murdered."

"I quite agree, Ms. Jensen. Mrs. Cassadine, I'm sure you had hoped this would
be the end of all of your legal problems, but you will be tried for murder
until further proof is given. The prosecution will proceed."

~~

Monica sighed as she entered her office. Someone was sitting int her chair:
Taggert. He held a small cassete recorder, which he'd found in the desk, in
his hand.

"Looks like you did it, Doc." He said with a smile.


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