A/N: this will definitely be the last chapter for atleast a few weeks. Idk when I'll be back. On the plus side, when I do come back, I should have a few more chapters written . I'm still trying to decide how long this story will be.
Also, if anyone reads my NCIS OC series, should be posting one more story for that, for now. My last story as terrible in my opinion….oh well, I'll stop rambling now.
WARNING: This chapter is going into what happened to Jess in 1997, but I will NOT go into detail when it comes to her being raped.
Jess got no sleep that night. Don didn't get much sleep, either. Jess looked over at Don sleeping peacefully. She smiled for the first time in hours. She gently untangled herself from Don and walked into the bathroom for a shower. A hot shower always relaxed her. She didn't have a chance to shower last night, Don wouldn't let go of her long enough. She needed to clear her mind of Justin Burke, but found that to be impossible. Why was he out? Why didn't anyone tell her? She told herself that she wasn't scared of him anymore. She had gone years without even thinking about him after years of hiding in her room. Now, he's out of prison and she has to face him, again. She doesn't know how to feel. Should she run and hide? Should she fight? Everything about Burke made her made so confused.
After a few minutes of just standing there and letting the water hit her body, she jumped as she felt strong arms wrap around her waist. "Just me." Don whispered, instantly calming her. He leaned down to kiss her bruised neck before she turned around and rested her head on his chest. For the first time since Burke showed up, Jess let tears fall.
Fifteen minutes later, Jess and Don were fully clothed on the couch. Jess relaxed in Don's embrace. He ran his hand down Jess' damp hair. Jess let out a sigh. "He asked me out a on date?"
"Burke?" Don asked.
"Mmhm." She answered.
"Jess, you don't have to talk about it if you're not ready." He assured her.
She ignored him. "My dad didn't want me going alone, but I told him I'd be fine."
1997:
Jess had never been on a date, not a real one, anyway. Her father, Cliff had a rule: no going on dates unless one of her older brothers were with her. With the help of her best friend, Mindy, she convinced her very protective father to let her go solo. Of course, they the left out the part that Justin Burke was nineteen. But they were only going bowling, how much harm can come from that? Mindy and Jess were up in Jess' room going through her closet. "You have to wear this!" Mindy said, taking out a black mini skirt.
"Mindy, we're going bowling, plus my dad would never let me out of the house wearing that on a date." Jess explained. He never let her go out in that period.
Mindy shrugged. "So put it on when you leave." She laughed.
Jess nodded. "Not wearing that on a first date."
Mindy playfully stuck out her tongue. "You're no fun. Well, then can I borrow 'em? I have a date tomorrow."
"Sure, keep them." Jess smiled and walked over to her dresser. "What about these?" she asked, pulling out a pair of glittery jeans.
Mindy walked over and took them from her. "And why haven't I seen you in these?" she asked, looking them over.
"Never felt like wearing them." She answered.
"How long have you had these?"
"Dad got them for me for my birthday"
Mindy nodded. "Wear 'em." She gave them back.
Jess and Mindy walked down stairs to show Cliff what they had decided on. Other than the jeans, Jess had on a black tank top with a black and white light jacket: Cliff approved. Jess decided to keep her long curly hair down. Mindy decided to leave. "Call me later and tell me everything." She said as she left.
Jess and Burke play three full games so far: Jess won two games and Burke won one. They were five frames in their fourth game when Burke went to get them sodas. It was Jess' turn to bowl. She knocked down five pins on her first try and four more on her second. So close. Burke came back with their drinks. "You're turn." She informed him, taking the Pepsi he was handing her. Sipping her drink, she watched as he bowled a strike. "Nice." She smiled.
Burke bowed. "Thank you." Jess giggled as she went to grab a ball.
They finished their game and Burke won. They decided to call it even and leave. Jess had to be home by ten. As they walked to Burke's Jeep, Jess started to sway. She dropped to the ground. The earth was moving; she didn't understand what was happening. She tried to speak, but she was too tired. Burke bent down to pick her up as she drifted off.
Jess opened her eyes and didn't recognize her surroundings. She definitely wasn't home. She tried to move her arms, but couldn't. She looked up as much as she could and saw her wrists tied to the headboard of the bed. She looked down and realized that she was naked. Jess began to panic as she tried to wiggle out of the rope. Burke walked in as she did. He ran his hand over her body. "Don't hurt yourself, Jess." He said, calmly.
"What the hell, Justin." She yelled.
"We're going to have some fun." He smirked.
Again, Jess tried to free herself from the rope. "This isn't funny, now untie me and take me home!" she demanded.
Burke laughed. "Now, what fun would that be?" he taunted.
She watched in fear as Burke started to strip. This can't be happening. Once he climbed on top of her, she started to fight as best she could. Her feet weren't tied so she kicked at him. Burke easily over powered her. He punched her in the face and chest and kneed her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. She closed her eyes as tears flowed freely down her face. She realized that there was no way she could win.
Cliff was worried. It was eight in the morning and his daughter was nowhere to be found. He went to wake up John, the only older brother that still lived at home, to see if he had heard from Jess: he hadn't. Cliff called Mindy to see if Jess was there: she wasn't nor has Mindy heard from her. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong. Cliff called his other three sons, Mark, Jeff, and Reed: they didn't know anything either. Cliff, John, and Mindy searched the neighborhood. Mindy called all their other friends. She gave John a list of Jess' favorite hangouts. Cliff went door-to-door asking neighbors if they had seen Jess. Nobody had seen her. Nobody had Burke's phone number or knew where he lived. Mindy and John hung around the diner that they met Burke at, hoping he'd come in. When noon rolled around, Cliff went to the bowling alley to see if the employees remembered seeing Jess or Burke. They employees from the late shift didn't start until six at the earliest and the manager refused to call them up. Cliff was mad. Around two they still had no answers. John and Mindy met Cliff at home. By then, the rest of the Angell's brothers showed up. Cliff decided that it was time to call his colleagues at the Brooklyn PD. The detectives responded, quickly. They took statement from everybody. Cliff gave him a recent picture of Jess. When asked if it was possible that Jess just ran away they all answered no at the same time. Mindy said that Jess would have told her; they weren't best friends for nothing. The cops nodded and left the room to start a search of their own. They started in Jess' bedroom.
Jess was shaking with fear. She didn't feel the injuries Burke inflicted on her body. She felt numb. Tears fell slow and steady down her face. Her arms were still tied and she was still naked. Her body was bruised and cut. Burke had not been gentle with her. Justin left the house when he was finished with her. "Help!" she yelled. "Someone, please help me!" she screamed. She continued screaming for close to ten minutes. No one heard her; no one was coming to her rescue. She broke down into sobs; she just wanted to go home.
Burke didn't want anyone to suspect him of anything, so he continued his daily routine. He had everything planned out. He even had a cover story if the police came to him with questions. He attended his summer classes at his college. Police met him there. "We understand you were on a date with Jessica Angell last night?" Detective Michaels asked.
Burke nodded. "We went bowling at Zu's Lines." He answered.
"Are you aware that she didn't make it home?"
"We had a fight and she ran from the car. I assumed she called her dad to come get her." He told them.
"So you just let her go?"
"Yeah."
Michaels sighed. "Why did you fight?"
"After we got done bowling, we went back to my car. We began making out and when I put my hand up her shirt, she slapped me." he recited. He had practiced telling this story over and over.
Michaels wrote this piece of information down. "Do you know that she's sixteen?" he asked.
Burke nodded. "Yes."
"Do you know that the age of consent in the state of New York is seventeen?"
"Yes, but we did not have sex, therefore I did not break any laws."
Michaels knew he was right. He stood up. "By the way, who won bowling?"
"We tied. She won two and I won two."
Michaels nodded and left. Burke smirked; the dumb cop bought it.
Cliff knew the drill; he recited it millions of times to families. First day, wait by the phone, incase Jess calls. The police will go around questioning people. The second day, they were free to hand out flyers and conduct their own searches. Cliff prayed to God that there wouldn't be a second day. He hoped that Jess was coming home today and tell him that she was okay. He needed to know that his little girl was okay. The phone was ringing off the hook, but none of them were Jess. Aunts, uncles, grandparents, and close friends gathered at the Angell household. They waited for news together. John looked around the living room searching for Mindy. She wasn't with them. John quietly exited the living room to find her. He found her in Jess' room, lying on her bed. "Mindy." John whispered.
Mindy sat up and looked at him. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. "I shouldn't have helped her convince your dad to let her go alone." She sobbed.
John walked over and gathered her in his arms. "Not your fault."
"What if Justin did something to her. I introduced them to each other." She continued sobbing.
"Well, according to Justin, he let her run off after they argued. Whether he's lying or not, he's a doucebag. He should have made sure she got home." He told her.
"She's coming home, right? I mean she's going to come home alive and not in a body bag."
John nodded. "I hope so." He was never one to beat around the bush or lie to comfort someone.
He was asleep next to her. He had his arms around her and a blanket over them. He feel asleep a few hours ago, but not before raping her again. She hurt everywhere. She felt like he was burning a hole through her where he was touching her. She was afraid to move even a little bit. She didn't want him to wake up and start hurting her again. She wondered if he was going to let her go anytime soon or at all. She wanted this nightmare to end. Was it going to end? More to the point, did he have any intension of letting her go home alive? Those questions would go unanswered because she was too scared to ask them.
Mindy spent the night in Jess' room. She spent all night designing missing flyers to hang up. She made a few different ones, she just needed a copy machine to make copies. Never in her life, did she think that she'd ever be making missing posters for her best friend. She looked at one of the pictures. Jess was smiling, she and Mindy was just pulled a prank on John. They both ran back up to Jess' room, laughing. Mindy had her camera and snapped a picture. Mindy smiled at the moment. Jess was coming home, she just had to.
It had been three days since Jess disappeared. Burke walked around Brooklyn and saw Jess' missing flyers hanging everywhere. He panicked and started ripping down flyers. After ripping down about ten of them, Burke threw them in a near by trash can and went on his way.
Detective Michaels and his partner, Detective Wells, were sitting at their desks reviewing evidence. It seemed like Jessica Angell simply dropped off the face of the earth. "How's the family holding up?" Wells asked.
His partner nodded. "Angell hasn't slept since his daughter disappeared. His sons and Mindy spent every night with him until last night. Mindy's parents wanted her home and the older Angell boys have jobs. It's just him and John at home." He answered.
"Mindy's the best friend?"
Michaels nodded.
"Do we believe this Justin Burke guy?"
Michaels shrugged. "I don't know. He seems kind of shady, but I'm waiting for the surveillance tapes from the bowling alley to get here. The damn manager made us wait for a warrant."
On cue, an officer walked over. "This just came for you detectives." He said, handing a package over to the detectives.
"Thanks." Wells said. The officer nodded and walked away.
Michaels opened up the package and the tape was in there. "Let's go watch it."
They walked into the break room and put the tape into the VCR. They watched Jess and Burke leave the bowling alley. They watched Jess pass out in the parking lot. They watched Burke pick her up and put her in the back seat of his jeep. They needed to bring Justin Burke in. "Lets get this asshole."
Jess was so sore. Since Burke kidnapped her, he had raped and beat her multiple times. He beat her extra if she fought back or begged him to stop. Yesterday, she spit in his face. He proceeded to beat her until she lost consciousness. She was beginning to wonder if fight was worth it. Everytime he left the house, she screamed and cried for help: no one heard her. She was alone. She stopped crying a while ago. She had no more tears to cry. Burke hasn't fed her or given her water since there date. Jess was feeling weak. The once stubborn girl was starting to give up hope of rescue. Atleast until she heard the noise that brought hope back to her. She heard someone banging at the door. "Justin Burke, police open up!"
Jess knew that this was her chance. "Help!" she screamed as loud as she could. "Please, help me!"
She heard a loud bang and people entering the house. "Jessica, are you in here?" she heard a man's voice called.
"I'm here!" she called back.
Michaels and Wells entered the bedroom and flinched at the sight of Jess. "Eric, call a bus." Michaels ordered. He went and untied Jess. Jess slowly sat up and pulled the blanket over her. She was shaking, but she knew that she was safe now.
Cliff and John rushed to St. Catherine's Medical Center to see Jess. She was done with the questioning and all the exams. She wanted them all done as quick as possible so she could go home, but the doctors wanted her to stay over night. Cliff carefully put his arms around her and Jess held on for dear life.
Present day:
"After that, I didn't leave my room much for almost a year and I didn't go on another date for three years." She concluded. She felt Don's grip tighten around her.
He kissed the top of her head. "I'm not going to let him hurt you, again." He vowed. "Never.
Jess smiled. "I know, Don."
Don gently pushed Jess over so he could get up. "Let's have breakfast."
Jess nodded. "I'm not hungry."
"You need to eat something, Jess."
"Okay, okay."
A/N: idk where Jess is actually from, so I'm going with Brooklyn. Well, I will be gone for a while, but I'll have more chapters for you when I get back. Sorry, didn't have time to proof read. Catch ya later!
