Chase knew that had been coming since the day before, but that didn't mean he wanted to do it. He was glad that Juno was able to give her testimony, and that she didn't actually have to talk to Simms, but it felt weird listening to her translate it to something in character. He'd worn a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt to the trial, the closest thing in his wardrobe to what he usually had on. He hadn't brought the hammer, but there was a screwdriver tucked under his pantleg in case things went south. For all the rules They'd been throwing at everyone lately, apparently it slipped their minds to tell people to show up unarmed.
When Cecilia called him he went, then sat down as Juno vacated her seat. Having everyone in the house looking at him was nerve-wracking, but it was for a good cause. "So, this isn't gonna be in character," he warned, shifting in his seat before continuing. "I was heading into town to get some scrap wood for something I was working on. Not traps, before anybody asks." He figured that was where people's minds would go first, so it was better to get that out of the way. "I had Kiley's axe with me and my gym bag so I could carry whatever I got back up the hill to the house." He tried to keep his eyes on Cecilia, but found them drifting quickly to Juno, and then back again, not really wanting to know how she responded. "I....heard Juno before I ever saw anything. She was screaming at him. Just...wanting him to let go of her, to get away from her." He swallowed, his jaw tensing enough to cause and ache all across one side of his neck. His hand flexed at his side, where he usually kept the hammer. "He was holding her against the tree and... kissing her neck and just laughing at her. Starting telling her what she was going to do for him if she wanted him to let her go." He shrugged a shoulder, but there was nothing casual about it. Rage caused the corner of his mouth to twitch as his eyes bore down on Simms, and for a few seconds, through the anger, he actually sounded smug. "I knocked the fucker over the back of the head with the axe handle, and when he was on the ground I crushed his fingers. Figured that would distract him enough so Juno could get by me before he got up again." I could have killed him. I should have killed him, his brain chanted. "He called me crazy, called her a spic bitch and trash, said I could probably drag her around a tree for sex if I wanted to. Then he promised it wasn't over."