Within days after the blow-up at the house, Elizabeth finds herself at the preliminary hearing. A judge she discovers quickly isn't going to be a fair judge with Michael being in his back pocket.

"Mrs. Phillips, I see here you have nothing to support your children. No permanent home, no career as you sold your practice recently, and you're living out of a hotel. These are not exactly things I can ignore on behalf of your children. Your son, Michael Phillips Jr. a very interesting past. Crime after crime, drunken disorderly in public, wrecks, school suspensions, breaking and entering, and I could go on with quite a few more in detail with his docket I have in front of me. Your daughter, according to your husband, despises you. Constant fighting, bickering, name-calling, and the list continues."

Michael sits there with his lawyer, prepared for the easy street lifestyle, ready to eliminate Elizabeth from his life and begin with a clean slate.

"What about all of his affairs and illegal business dealings?" Elizabeth interjects, trying to shed some light on her husband's deals.

"That has nothing to do with what's going on here. I have no records of any wrongdoings by Mr. Phillips. Don't speak out of turn again, and next time you are inside of my courtroom, you best have a lawyer with you to represent you. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

"Yes, your honor." She replies in a dismal tone.

The rest of the time inside the courtroom, she's belittled by the judge while Michael does nothing but smile and lounges comfortably in the chair.

Outside the courtroom doors Kaitlin, M.J., and Kevin sit anxiously to learn what's happening with the preliminary proceedings. It's killing Kaitlin with a horrible gut-churning sensation that something bad is about to happen.

"Uncle Kevin, I don't feel so good. I'm going to go to the bathroom." She informs him shoving away from the wooden bench.

"Need me to come with?" Kevin asks, seeing the fear in her eyes.

"Nah, I'm a big girl. I got this."

Kaitlin gets to her feet, almost trembling. It doesn't go unnoticed by her brother, who lets her get around the corner before lying to his uncle to follow Kaitlin.

"Hey, there's a vending machine around the corner. Need something to drink or a snack?"

"Nah, Lil 'M' I'm good but thank you," Kevin replies with his intuition beginning to soar.

He watches as M.J. takes off, but in front of him, a male makes his way past M.J. with a speedy strut.

Kaitlin isn't aware of the guy walking behind her, and to keep from being busted following his sister, M.J. slips down the adjoining hallway. He ducks in a doorway, but the guy is instantly out of sight.

The mystery man ducked into the girl's bathroom silently and waits just out of sight for Kaitlin.

When she finishes puking and flushes the toilet, she steps out of the stall and bumps into the man after she rolls her eyes, the look in her eyes when Kaitlin sees Noah Peterson, the man who raped her. It's fear that keeps Kaitlin from yelling.

"Hiya doll, how I've missed that tight little body." The six-foot-tall man states with his oily-looking slicked-back dark hair and piercing dark chocolate eyes mentions.

"Make a single noise, and I will snap your pretty neck and leave you face down in the commode." Noah threatens with his hands on her shoulders.

Out in the hallway, Kevin's instinct kicks into high gear. He feels that too much time has gone by with both the kids being out of his sight. He gets to his feet, heading for the bathrooms, and when Kevin reaches the door, he hears a faint voice coming from the ladies' room.

"Now, get ready to do what I like the best and get on your knees, you little slut."

Primal instinct takes control, and Kevin bursts into the bathroom, tackling Noah from behind. They hit the concrete, and Noah bounces his head and blacks out for a split second. Kevin looks back at his niece.

"Did he touch you?"

"Not this time..." she admits crossing her arms with tears streaming down her face.

"The fuck do you mean, 'this time' he's touched you before?"

Kaitlin stands there, unable to speak at first, with fear controlling her body.

"KAITLIN!" Kevin yells.

"He's raped me a couple of times. Uncle Kevin, he's daddy's friend, and he raped me. I'm sorry, I'm sorry he made me a dirty skank."

Something snaps inside of Kevin. He picks Noah up, slamming him into the wall. His hands tremble with fury wanting to rip Noah's head from his spinal cord.

"You violated my niece! You put your grown-ass hands on her and raped a little girl!" Kevin screams, spitting in Noah's face.

"She's all woman, and I should know I fucked her into being one. I tore her ass up, and throat fucked her like there's no tomorrow." Noah slurs with his head swaying.

Kevin loses his temper and rears his right-hand back, punching Noah's face repeatedly. It's not until M.J. comes rushing in with a couple of Sheriff Deputy's to pull Kevin off Noah and place him in cuffs.

"Sir, you can't assault another individual for being inside a woman's bathroom." A deputy states standing there with Kevin.

"That bastard raped my niece in the past, and he was trying to do it again! He's friends with my soon-to-be ex-brother-in-law." Kevin says, resting against the wall.

"That's a pretty strong accusation, sir. I'll have to talk to your niece with another officer present to prove she's not making anything up." The deputy informs him and takes his leave, and a female deputy accompanies him to question Kaitlin.

EMTs tend to Noah, who's still unable to regain his full composure. Several deputies and courthouse security officers watch and wait on what to do with Noah.

"Miss, I know this is difficult, but we need you to tell us exactly what's going on. What happened, if anything, and how many times and locations." The female deputy begins with her phone out to record the interview.

Kaitlin takes in a few drawn-out breaths before revealing the hidden truth.

"He, he came in here and wanted me to give him a blow job. He's raped me before in my bedroom and his car." She begins staring at the floor.

"Is there anything you can tell us about his body? Any specific markings or anything?"

With her eyes closed, Kaitlin replays the skin-crawling events in her mind. Then it dawns on her about something they can check.

"His thigh has a big mole on it. Plus, he keeps his belt too tight, so there's an impression there too. He's got a long thin thingy..." Kaitlin pauses and shutters in the chair.

"You mean he has a long thin penis?"

"Yes, ma'am."

The female deputy looks over to her partner and nods to have the suspect checked. The male deputy rushes from the room and runs over to the EMTs.

"I need to have something checked." He orders after placing a set of cuffs on Noah's wrists.

The EMTs follow the officer's instructions, and soon after, he confirms what Kaitlin told his partner. Noah is placed under arrest with Elizabeth, Michael, M.J., and the judge watching from the sidelines.

"Deputy, what's the meaning of this?" The judge yells, trying to figure out what's occurred in the hallway.

"Judge Bennett, an attempted rape occurred a short bit ago. A girl's uncle halted an individual from another rape of a young teenage female. She gave my partner and me a few descriptive details in certain locations on our perp. He's under arrest, and we're getting the rest of her statement as we speak. I'm about to release her uncle from custody." He explains with the situation under control.

Michael looks over and sees Noah strapped to the gurney. He's furious at first but realizes he can't lose his cool. He turns to Elizabeth and the judge to make a deal.

"I honestly had no idea he ever touched Katie bug." Michael begins with a look of hurt in his eyes.

"I'll kill him!" Elizabeth growls, ready to walk up and strangle Noah.

"Listen, why don't we do this..." he pauses, trying to finalize things in his mind.

"I'll take the house, and you can keep the money, and we sign the divorce papers. I'll have my secretary pay for your rooms while you're here, and once we're divorced, that will be that. It gives you time to find a place and a job. I'll keep M.J. with me, and you keep Katie bug with you. At least that way, she can see a counselor, and I won't be worried when I'm out on business."

That's not good enough for Elizabeth. She turns to her estranged husband with a deadly glare glowing in her eyes.

"Fuck you! My kids stay with me!" She informs him with a harsh tone.

The judge steps in and reminds Elizabeth of one fact.

"Mrs. Phillips, your son must return home with your husband. He's on probation at this time, and part of his probation states he must remain home until the service of his punishment is carried out. I'll return to my chambers and get the ball rolling on a court date to finalize your demands and this divorce, but as I warned you, fail to return to my courtroom without a lawyer, and I will leave you with nothing."

"I'll have one, and I'll see you then, your honor. If you'll excuse me, I have to tend to my daughter!" Elizabeth tells him, trying to push by the deputies.

The judge nods to allow Elizabeth to be escorted to the room where Kaitlin is still giving details to the female deputy. Elizabeth stands there waiting until the deputy comes to the door and allows her to come into the room.

"Ma'am, what's your relationship...

"MOM!" Kaitlin screams, running into her mother's arms.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" She yells, pressed against her mother's torso.

"Shhhhh, it's alright, my sweet girl. He won't ever hurt you again. I am the one who's sorry for not being there to protect you."

They stand there embraced in a hug and take their seat until Kevin is released after giving his statement.

Back out in the corridor, the judge and Michael stand there talking quietly.

"I guess this changes things a lot. Look, let Elizabeth keep Katie. I can handle my son and whatnot. I won't pay the alimony and anything else, but I want the house to remain with me."

"Mike, I can handle that, but you need to get your head out of your ass. None of this isn't going to look good for you when you run for mayor. You just had one of your friends arrested for the rape of a minor. That ruins campaigns, and your daughter needs you! Listen, you have my support, and we appreciate everything you've done to help us out here, but this is the last favor you're getting from me. I know about your back-door deals. I could lose my judgeship over this if it ever gets uncovered. Clean up your act or else." Judge Bennett warns him then returns to his chambers.

By the time Elizabeth, Kevin, and Kaitlin return to the hotel, they're nearly calmed down. They pass by the front desk, and the manager stops them before they reach the elevators.

"Oh! Mrs. Phillips, I need to speak to you."

A swift cold sensation travels down her spine.

"Yes, ma'am, is there a problem?"

"Not at all. I wanted to let you know that your rooms for the next month have been paid in full, but we'll keep the credit card on your profile for incidental charges. Your husband's administrative assistant called and took care of everything. If there's anything, you need they said they would accommodate your needs." She informs them with a smile on her face.

"Thank you; it's been a chaotic day, so we're going to relax for a while," Elizabeth says, holding her stomach when the sensation disappears.

All they do the rest of the evening is relax and order pizzas with some movies to ease the tension. Over the next couple of days, Kevin is given a tour around L.A. and Hollywood. During that time, he makes a few phone calls on Elizabeth's behalf to get something set-up to move back to Tender Springs. A few more days before, Kevin is forced to pack up and head back to the ranch. By the time he's packed and dropped off at LAX, Kaitlin and Elizabeth have bonded more over that time than they have over the last few years.

"Remember, when this is all said and done, Lucinda has you a place to stay and a couple of prospects for work. I know you love it here and all, but you need a fresh start, and it'll do Kit-Kat here some good to become a rodeo girl." Kevin teases, giving Kaitlin an easy squeeze on her cheeks.

Kaitlin blushes and hunkers down into the seat. Kevin waves and walks toward his terminal. Elizabeth doesn't waste time pulling away and drives until she reaches the office of the lawyer she hired over the phone.

"Hi, Mrs. Phillips, I'm Todd Johnson, and I've been in contact with Tina Miller, your husband's attorney, and well, I think we've settled everything. All we must do is get you to agree to everything and sign some papers. Pretty soon, you'll be a free woman." Todd enlightens before they take a seat in the conference room.

"What's the terms?"

Mr. Johnson takes out the deal and slides it over to her. Elizabeth takes her to read it over.

"Wait, he's not going to pay child support and alimony. Whoa, please wait a minute. He keeps the house and trying to keep my son until he's off probation! No!" Elizabeth nearly shouts.

"Now that's his probation officer's call. Mr. Phillips had no control over that stipulation. I can continue to try to get him back with you, but I need an address for you first."

That's when it hits her that she might have to leave her son behind.

"We're moving back to Colorado. My sister has made arrangements for us to come out there."

"So, that might be considered a problem. Unless the judge and his probationary officer sign off on him transferring to a caseworker there, it's completely out of my hands. I'm sorry, Mrs. Phillips, but that's out of my control." Mr. Johnson says to her, "Other than that, do you agree to every other term?"

It takes a moment for her to read through it once more before she answers.

"Yes, I'll sign it, and he can have his care-free life back." She says in a heartbroken tone.

"I'll admit this. Your husband is one of the greatest at backdoor deals. He's the one who laid out all these terms and even tried to get your son free of his probation, but that's the only thing he couldn't get undone. He could have been a good attorney if you ask me."

Remaining still in her seat, Elizabeth doesn't utter another word. All she manages to do is sign the paperwork, take Kaitlin, and walk out of the conference room. She extends her hand, exchanging a handshake with Mr. Johnson.

"Court is in three days, by the way. The judge will look back over everything, and thirty days from his decision, you'll be a free woman."

A sigh and a nod that's all Elizabeth musters to use as a signal to her lawyer. With Kaitlin by her side, they return to the SUV and try to enjoy some Chinese at their favorite restaurant.

In what feels like three lifetimes, the next few days drag themselves out. When Elizabeth is back in front of the judge, she sits there with Mr. Johnson, ready to close out this phase of her life.

"I see we have an accord on both sides. Mr. and Mrs. Phillips, please stand." The judge orders.

They get to their feet, staring at the judge. Elizabeth looks like a hot mess while Michael appears flawless without a single hair out of place.

"Whenever a marriage ends, it's never easy, and looking out at the both of you, I can see this is no exception. What happened to your daughter here days ago is appalling. You have my sincerest apology and sympathy. Now, onto this, it will take thirty days for this to become official with the state. I'll have this filed as soon as we're finished here. If there are no objections..."

Elizabeth steps up to make her plea for her son.

"Your honor, please let my son return with my daughter and me to Colorado. Tender Springs, Colorado, to be exact. My son needs me, and allowing him to remain here with his father won't help. His father is partially responsible for why he's turned out this way. All the lying and cheating and backdoor dealings have laid such a heavy burden on our son's life that he's acted out to relieve the stress. I beg you and the state to please release him to a probation officer out there."

Mr. Johnson gets to his feet and whispers into her ear after the judge gives her a glare of anger.

"I'm sorry, your honor. She's just concerned for her son, that's all."

"Sit down, counselor! Mrs. Phillips, I can't release your son, and I refuse to do so. He remains here with his father to carry out the remainder of his punishment, no questions asked. Now, both of you sit down and don't talk out of turn again." Judge Bennett scolds.

Silence fills the room as everyone sits there waiting on the judge to dismiss them. Once he's finished making his notes, he looks out over his bench and makes his final announcement.

"I've made my decision, and sorry, Mrs. Phillips Michael Phillips Jr. remains with his father. I have signed the dockets which makes this final, and with no other business to address, this court is adjourned." He slams his gavel and leaves the bench for his private chamber.

The two attorneys shake hands and stand aside to allow Michael Sr. and Elizabeth to share one final encounter.

"Please keep our son safe! Once he finishes school, please don't push him out the door; he needs you to guide him through college." Elizabeth pleads.

"I'll think about it. How's Katie bug? I am sorry about what Noah's done, but he's already confessed to detectives and my attorney. He's going to be in prison soon, I promise! He's made a plea deal, and I couldn't take seeing Katie taking the stand to testify; so, everything has been handled already. If I get my hands on him, I'll put in a good left hook for you. Noah is a dead man walking." Michael says.

"As far as M.J. goes, I'll deal with him as he makes his decisions. I'm taking his Camaro. He wanted to pull that little stunt at the house, and well, now his sports car becomes an embarrassing lesson."

Elizabeth dips her head and walks away. Heartbroken, she makes her way out to the waiting area where Kaitlin waits to leave.

"What's going to happen to us now, mom?"

"Katie, we'll head back and pack up our belongings and move to Colorado. I'll stop by your school to retrieve your records and get you transferred to Tender Springs High School. Come on, kiddo, let's get going before your dickhead of a father comes out."

With her arm around her daughter's shoulders, Elizabeth and Kaitlin walk out with their heads held high. Uncertain to what the next chapter of their lives holds. They ignore Michael Sr. when he comes out of the courtroom trying to say goodbye to his daughter before he hits the road for work.