Victimology

by TFK-fan118

It was supposed to be a one night only type of deal. However, this situation felt too familiar to be normal. It looked too much like offender VS victim, especially to the team. Reid will have his hands full with this wild unknown subject.

10. Trigger

Ashland, VA

Fourteen years ago

She had to wonder. Did that girl feel better somehow, being the cause of pain? Slowly, Kelly Holloway, a young girl of age thirteen—and a half, she would tell people—crouched down to get a better look at her reflection. The small puddle from the morning's rain made a horrible mirror, but it had been enough to see the rapidly developing bruise on her cheek. This was the fourth time this month she had been cornered. However, it had been the first time her face had been targeted. What was she going to tell her mother? The woman would be beside herself with rage, threatening to show up to the school. She had always gotten easily irritated around this time—the anniversary of the official divorce.

Kelly gently touched her bottom lip, causing blood to ooze out at a faster rate. She had, of course, gone to her teachers about this predicament between herself and another student. They did not think much it, though. They claimed Sabrina was only trying to seek attention after her grandfather's death and that this violent phase would pass. But whose attention had she been trying to seek when they had been alone during the confrontation? The young girl stood up and sighed. She had tried going to the principle this time around, hence why she had missed the school bus and had to walk home. Since her efforts had been in vain. The principle, whom was friends with Sabrina's parents, turned the other cheek. Sabrina walked away without any form of punishment. Frowning, Kelly began to walk again. Adults were not to be trusted, after all.

People were not to be trusted.

Still, something needed to change. She wouldn't be able to go on like this. Not only did she not want her mother to worry, but she also did not want this to happen again. Figures something like this would happen after her only friend, Jessica, had moved away. Sabrina was a coward. Kelly abruptly stopped and squeezed her eyes shut. In the back of her throat that feeling came again. As though she swallowed a lemon whole, her esophagus constricted. It was the very feeling that came before tears. And she hated it. Her hands gripped the purple straps of her school bag. No. She would never cry again. The young girl furiously rubbed at her eyes before using both hands to wipe her cheeks. Finally, she opened her eyes and slid her tongue over her bleeding lip.

What she saw made her body freeze. At the end of the street, next to a streetlight, there were two teens. They were older than her, but she could still tell they were only teenagers. Most likely, they were two to three years older than her. They paid no mind to her because they were engaged in kissing. Kelly had caught her older brother doing the same thing with his girlfriend a few times, though he had been supposed to be watching his younger sibling. Kevin was the one who needed to be watched. He was the troublemaker in the family. Realizing she had become distracted by her own thoughts, Kelly focused on the couple again. She wasn't curious about kissing anymore. She had seen it enough that it had become a trivial thing in her mind. Really, what made her still had to do with the ethnicity of the guy. He was Asian.

Actually, her mind associated Asians with fighting. This was mostly due to how American media portrayed them. Either they were serving Chinese food or kicking butt. Stereotypes—how she despised them. Still, they were there, and admittedly, it gave her an idea. Seeing this guy caused her to come up with the key to her dilemma. One, the proposal would distract her mother, leaving no room for conversation concerning her current physical state. Two, surely her mother would agree with the proposal and that would be the beginning of her promise to never cry again. At the moment, she idolized a fictional character by the name of Artemis Fowl. Only a boy, but he was still a genius. A criminal, yes, but he was admirable. However, he lacked physical strength and depended on a bodyguard to save him. Perhaps it was time to move on to Sherlock Holmes—a man of intellect as well as strength. With a determined nod, Kelly took another step forward.

It was at that time that the two older teens had stopped their exchange of saliva and pulled a part. The girl rested her head against the guy's chest and closed her eyes, looking quite content. The guy, however, had noticed her presence and was staring directly at her. Kelly stood rooted to the spot, contemplating on whether or not she should turn around. But her gaze remained locked with his. It was only until the girl said something to the guy and proceeded to pull him away did their eye contact break. The two older teens disappeared behind a house. They did not once look back.

Kelly narrowed her eyes before shaking her head. She was already late. With that thought in mind, she started running, and didn't stop until she was at her front door. In hindsight, it had been a terrible decision. How could she present her proposal to her mother whilst she panted so heavily? Rasping, the girl opened the door. It was already unlocked, leading her to believe that Kevin was home, probably playing video games. The eighteen-year-old most likely had no idea she had missed her bus. The girl removed her shoes and made her way to the living room. As expected, Kevin sat in front of the television, game controller in his hands.

Once her breathing was under control, she called her brother's name… several times. It was only after she had screeched his name that Kevin had paused his game and turned to her, clearly annoyed. "Oh. You're back." The two siblings didn't exactly get along. Of course, there was still love. But Kelly didn't see herself liking him, at least until they were on the same maturity level. Until then, Kevin had a lot of catching up to do. Sometimes she wished that André hadn't become a marine and left her with this immature buffoon.

"I need to speak with mother. Where is the phone?"

"You could call her mom like you used to," Kevin remarked.

"And you could get a job, but that's not going to happen for a couple years, so-"

"It's in the damn kitchen, you smartass," he huffed, and then returned to his game. Not bothering to thank him, Kelly turned to head in that direction. "And who the hell put their hands on you?" Not expecting that, the girl halted. She swallowed hard. That annoying feeling came back again, along with the prickly sensation around her eyes. "Just say the word, and I'll rally up the troops." Kelly would have laughed if she hadn't been trying to suppress her tears. Her brother had sometimes spoken that military jargon after André had gone away. She supposed it was his way of coping with the loss of his older brother.

"That won't be necessary," she replied. "I have planned what needs to happen."

"And that would be…?"

"Those karate classes you and André took—I plan to excel in them," Kelly stated. "But I won't give up like you two did, though."

"I remember you telling mom that 'brute strength is for idiots.' You're going against that now?"

"Even idiots have their uses."

0-0

Present

With quickness, Kelly sat up. She immediately regretted such an action. The world around her began to spin horribly out of her control. She had felt like puking out her own stomach. Maybe her kidneys, too. Hands found their way to her head as she laid back down on a familiar surface. She was in bed. Cream colored covers and pillows surrounded her. Wait… This wasn't her bed. Again, the novelist sat up, this time slowly. Her preference had always been deep reds or shades of black. This wasn't her bed. Her eyes darted around. This wasn't her bedroom either. It was a just a room with no windows, no accessories, and no decorations. Just a bed with a confused woman in it. Her brown eyes zeroed in on the door to the left of her. Kelly blinked slowly, and then made a move to get off the bed. It did not work. She felt a yank on her ankle, but it was too late to stop. Her forehead smashed against the hard cement floor. The sound echoed in her ears, seemingly amplifying the pain she felt from the collision. A high-pitched groan came from her mouth before she attempted to compose herself.

She turned her body, and then stared wide-eyed at the rusted metal shackled to her ankle. Slowly and unsteady, Kelly stood up. Her eyes followed the chain to see that it was attached to the far wall on the right side of the bed. The chain was long enough so that she could move freely around the room, she guessed, but any further… She swallowed hard, senses coming back to her. "I've been taken," she thought, frowning. "Lovely." Being in a relationship with a special agent, she knew there would come a day where a criminal would cowardly resort to exploiting that fact, leading to a hostage situation. She would be a bargaining chip. It was a pessimistic thought, but true all the same. In her head, she had gone over several scenarios. However, having a cold hadn't been a factor before. Another factor that she hadn't counted on was the fact that she actually knew the person. Kazuya Spencer. That, along with being sick, had made her an easy target. She had been taken without much of a fight.

Hello, Kelri.

Kelly found herself grimacing again. She shouldn't have let him in. She shouldn't have ignored the ringing of her cell phone. And she definitely should've put some more clothes on. So here she stood, in an unknown place—a prisoner—with nothing but underwear and a zip-up sweater. If only she hadn't turned her back on him… Well, at least she would have seen the attack coming. In her current state, she most likely would have been too slow to stop it. Kelly sat down on the bed, forcing her body to relax despite the furious way her heart was pumping blood. Most likely, the door was locked, so even if she could reach it, it would be futile to just walk away. She needed to find a way to escape, though. But in order to do that, she needed strength. So despite the ominous situation, she lied down again, curling herself in a ball and ignoring the rattling of the chain. Kelly squeezed her eyes shut and shuddered. She was a bit cold, yes, but that was not the reason for her trembling body. "Why…?" she questioned in thought. "Why did you come back and do this, Kazuya?"

The only answer she received was a violent sneeze from herself.

0-0

Pins and needles. No. Broken glass. With each step he took, it felt more and more like he was walking on broken glass. Pain shot up his legs each time the soles of his shoes made contact with the floor. However, remaining still in a seated position was impossible at this point in time. It took quite a bit of effort not to bite his fingernails down. At the moment, he and his team were waiting to make their next move. Hotch and Rossi had returned from examining the latest victim already. The body had been left out on a football field of the Orange County High School. As the body had been literally dumped, the unsub obviously felt resentment, or maybe even hatred, towards Samuel Ringer.

That information hadn't been enough to pinpoint the unsub's location. It hadn't been enough to generalize his location either. For now, Reid had no choice but to wait. Running around in a panic was not going to help. Kelly had been taken. This was confirmed by the police who had been sent to her home. Her car, purse, keys, and cell phone were still there. There were no signs of forced entry or a struggle, but… In her sickly state, she would not have ventured outside the comforts of her home. She definitely would not have left her cell phone behind either. Reid stopped his pacing for a moment and breathed deeply, willing himself to calm down. They would be here soon, he repeated in his mind like a mantra. The mother and brothers of the Holloway family were the only people whom knew the unsub and… the victim at the same time. The unsub's father and mother were unfortunately deceased. The mother had died during childbirth. The father had died quite recently—four weeks ago—of an illness. Perhaps that had been his trigger instead of the Ledgers attempting another go at their marriage.

Reid resumed his pacing, hand reaching up to squeeze the house key under his shirt. Honestly, he felt partly responsible. He had felt a familiarity about this case. Kelly had told him the names of the first two victims because of her unfortunate involvement with them as a child and as an adult. Also, before, she mentioned her dislike of the tragedy because the people who should have died didn't. The young profiler had brushed it aside even though he, himself, had said it. Possibly, those few seconds would have been enough time to warn her of the approaching danger. It was futile placing blame on himself, but he couldn't help it. This was a situation he found himself dreading ever since he realized how strong his feelings were for Kelly Holloway. Truthfully, he wouldn't be half as worried this time around if Kelly hadn't been sick.

"Reid…!" Morgan opened the door to the conference room. He, and the others, had wanted to give him space to breathe and room to think, so they had left him alone this whole time. Seeing his team member now, the genius assumed what he was here for now. "They're here. They want to talk to you."

"They don't know yet," Reid stated, turning to face him. Kevin believed he was here to deliver something to his sister. André believed he needed his expertise of the military. He had misled them purposefully, of course, as to not incite a panic within the two brothers. He had decided not to contact the mother of the brothers, not yet at least. At the moment, she wasn't needed. Reid didn't want to cause unnecessary strain on Tina Holloway. Morgan nodded his head. He could tell he wanted to say something else, something comforting, but held himself back. Morgan must realize that no comforting words would stop the way he was feeling at the moment. Reid sighed. "Let's go." Morgan nodded his head, and then led him to where the two Holloway brothers were. The two were in an interrogation room of all places.

"Guru, what's going on?" Kevin was the first to speak. He stood up along with André. Morgan instructed them to sit back down. Reluctantly, the two did so. Reid and Morgan sat opposite of them. The others must be behind the glass, watching. "I thought I was just picking up something, but why's André here, too?"

"I told you those things so that you wouldn't drive here in a panic," Reid told them. "I… I do need your help, though."

"As of 11:25 tonight," Morgan continued. "It has been confirmed that your sister, Kelly Holloway, is missing." Their reactions were instantaneous. Shock. Horror. Confusion. Even anger. "We believe that the unsub, who has taken her, knew her in the past. We called you here because you two know this guy, too. The unsub hasn't been heard from in the past decade, so we're hoping you can give us information. Any information can help find him and your sister."

"I can't think of anyone… stupid enough," Kevin muttered. "How can anyone know her and us and still think they can get away with kidnapping her?!"

"Calm down," Morgan told him.

"Why should we?!" André raised his voice a bit. "You're telling us that our sister has been taken by a mad man!" His dark eyes honed in on Reid. "Spencer! Speak up!"

"Kazuya Spencer," he responded. Both brothers froze. "You mentioned him before, but not his name. In your family, it's considered taboo to mention him in conversation because their relationship ended so badly, right? You two know something, so now's the time to tell me. Kelly's life may depend on what you say."

"We…" Kevin shook his head. "How are we supposed to know where he is after all these years?"

"Somewhere in your memories, there could be a hint as to where he is now," Morgan explained. "We have nothing to go on right now, so anything you come up with might make it easier to figure out his location."

"What makes you so sure that it's him?" André asked. Morgan carefully explained the connection between the four victims with Kelly and the unsub, choosing to leave out the bit about Shakespeare for now. The older brother sighed heavily. "… We, Kevin, mom, and I, met Kazuya at the same time…" he began. "Kelly was still a sophomore in high school…"

0-0

Orange County, VA

Twelve years ago…

"Nii-san!" Hearing his sister's voice, André swiveled around in his chair. He lowered the book in his hands before lifting his gaze. The sixteen year old Kelly leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over her chest. She appeared a bit annoyed. He had noticed a change in his younger sister when he had returned. She was… just different from the little girl he had known. She seemed too serious for a teenager. Since she had entered high school, according to Mom, Kelly had not brought home any friends. Truthfully, she hadn't mentioned anyone from school. However, tonight was different. Her boyfriend was visiting. Of course, when Kelly had stoically dropped the bombshell, she received incredulous responses from everyone at the dinner table. She had paid no mind to their stares. Without waiting for a response, she had told them her boyfriend's name. Kazuya Spencer. With that name alone, André realized where his sister had learned this new language. When Kelly found something interesting, or something vital to her, she clung to it until she mastered it, which is why she could still take him on despite her size. "Can you please tell Kevin… not to make a fool of himself tonight?"

"It won't matter what I say," André stated. "You know how he is." Kelly sighed heavily, and then walked forward. She sat on the edge of his bed, and then laid back. "Are you nervous about this boyfriend?" The teenager actually scoffed. "I'll take that as a no."

"He's the one who wanted to meet the rest of my family," she stated.

"Would you have told us about him otherwise?"

"Obviously!" Kelly said, staring up at the ceiling. "It's only been two weeks. I was going to tell you guys if he made it past the one month mark; like you with your girlfriends." Of course. She did like to emulate her older brother whenever she saw fit. "But this guy is really persistent. It took quite a bit of willpower not to resort to petty violence when he felt the urge to court me."

"Court…?" Kevin's voice caused the two siblings to turn their attention towards the door. "What century do you think this is?" Instead of answering him, Kelly flopped back down on the bed, giving an exaggerated sigh. Kevin glowered at his sister. Even now, at twenty-one, Kelly showed no respect for him. He had just gotten a job last week, damn it! So what if it was his first?! He was older. As the younger sibling, Kelly should have both respected and feared him by default. But of course, the younger sibling wasn't like that. Most likely, it will take a few years for her to even think of him as something other than a—what was the word again? Oh, a baka—some Japanese word that she had learned almost a week ago.

"Anyway," André said before his younger brother could give some type of retort to Kelly's silence. "What's this guy like?" The teen sat up, and then shrugged her shoulders.

"… He is…" Kelly almost seemed hesitant. She closed her eyes for a moment as though contemplating her next words. "He is a tool." Their sister had always been strange. She said weird things all the time—sometimes they didn't know how to respond her. But that admission had to be the weirdest. Before either brother could question her meaning, the doorbell rang. Seconds later, the voice of their mother seemingly echoed through the house. "Well, let's get this over with." Kelly stood up, and then headed for the door. After she was gone, André and Kevin shared a look.

"Tool…?" The younger brother repeated in an incredulous tone. André sat his book down on the desk. "She wasn't serious, right?" Though he questioned it, Kevin knew joking was something Kelly rarely did since the start of her high school career. That was the reason he wanted so badly to make her laugh. She didn't joke, but she did laugh on occasion.

"She probably meant he's a jock, or something," André shrugged his shoulders. "Remember that time she complained about all the tools in her homeroom? She was talking about the athletes."

"Oh… Right," Kevin agreed with a nod. "So, we should probably go do our brotherly duty and scare her first boyfriend now."

"Should I take my gun out?" André jokingly asked as he rose from his chair. They laughed as they walked down the hallway towards the stairs. Upon walking down the stairs, they were greeted by the sight of their mom and sister speaking with the visitor. Like his name implied, his Asian characteristics were clearly seen on his face. Kelly had told them that that her brother was mixed—Japanese on his mother's side and Caucasian on his father's, though he looked more Asian than white. Kevin loudly cleared his throat, drawing the attention of his family members and the stranger. "So this is him, huh?" André questioned as his feet touched the floor. He moved forward with his younger brother in tow. Kevin scoffed.

"Doesn't look like a rising star quarterback," he remarked. Kazuya merely grinned, seemingly not affected by the implication.

"It's just star quarterback," he corrected, smoothly. "You must be Kevin. Kelri told me about you." The younger brother crossed his arms and snorted. Kazuya shifted his gaze to the oldest brother. "Then you must be André." He lifted his arm. As Kevin intended to not be civil about this, André decided to be the bigger person—for now—and shake the offered hand. "Kelri has told me a lot about you."

"Funny, she's only ever mentioned you," Kevin muttered.

"Then this is going to be fun." Kazuya's grip increased somewhat. It was barely noticeable, but André did notice. That's when he decided that this guy was slick, and he wasn't even going to attempt to like him. The younger male turned his gaze to Kevin as he let go of André's hand. "I hope we get along."

"Oh, I'm sure it will be swimmingly." The sarcasm was obvious, but Kazuya didn't lose his smile. With a snort and a roll of her eyes, Kelly led her boyfriend into the dining room. Kevin sneered after them, crossing his arms. "He look slick—I don't like him!" he announced. Immediately, his mom scolded him.

"We don't know the boy well enough to make judgments," Tina stated. "This is someone Kelly has chosen as a first. There must be a reason for that."

"I doubt she did the choosing this time around," André murmured. He sighed heavily. "Let's just get this over with. I don't think this relationship will last anyway."

"Once he gets what he wants, he'll end it—the slick bastard," Kevin agreed with an almost violent nod. "Her next boyfriend better not be like this!"

0-0

Present

"That's it?" Morgan questioned. He leaned forward, arms crossed. "That's all you know?"

"That was the only time we met him," André supplied. "First and last. He never came over again."

"Right before summer started, Kelly told us she broke up with him because he cheated on her," Kevin continued. "She, all business like, told us to never speak of his existence in front of her again. Despite her lack of emotion when telling us, she must have been hurt. He lucky I didn't find him after he pulled his disappearing act!"

"Disappearing act…?" Reid repeated, furrowing his brow.

"Yeah. It was all over the local news back then," André stated. "Without a trace, he disappeared from his room. She was questioned, you know? The police came, but she didn't know anything either."

"So nothing else?" Morgan asked. "Nothing important comes to mind?" André rubbed his left temple and sighed.

"I moved out of the house long before she told us about him," he stated. "I was only visiting when she sprung the news on us. After that, I wasn't really around."

"I was, but she never brought him around again," Kevin continued. "When she did talk about him, she didn't really talk about him. Just some things that he did. Like taking her on a first date, or first kiss, or taking her virginity." He scowled as he spoke. Reid found himself doing the same. "But I don't think-"

"No, that's good!" Morgan said. "These events could be momentous for the unsub as well. Where did she say these things took place? The first date?"

"I don't know. She never mentioned locations now that I think about it," Kevin murmured. "She dropped bombshells, but that's it. Dates, locations—she didn't tell us anything like that. The information we do have won't help, will it?" The overwhelming silence that followed was answer enough. Both brothers clenched and their fists, squeezing their eyes shut.

"Shit." In the tense silence, the mumble was both unexpected and uncharacteristic. Three sets of eyes shifted to the one who had broken the silence. Morgan raised his eyebrows. André frowned. Kevin looked confused. "There's only one person Kelly would be completely honest with when it comes to things like this," Reid uneasily said. "Not her mother or brothers, but someone just as close… A best friend."

"Shit," André agreed, wincing.

"Damn," Kevin jerked his head back. Turning to his confused coworker, Reid spoke again.

"We need to contact Jessica Kim. Now."

0-0

The sound of a metal door creaking open aroused Kelly awake. However, she didn't open her eyes just yet. She forced her body to remain still as she heard footsteps come closer to the bed. Hearing his breaths caused Kelly to frown. He was so close to her now. Slowly, she opened her eyes. Brown eyes stared back at her. He had lowered himself to his knees next to the bed. "So you're up then?" he questioned. Quick as she could, her fingers wrapped around his throat, putting enough pressure to let Kazuya know she wouldn't accept nonsense. He yelped and choked.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't snap your neck," Kelly ordered, fixing her expression into a glare. The tense moment only lasted until he smirked.

"I seem to recall you reacting like this after I kissed you the first time—same words, too," Kazuya said. The pressure around his neck increased somewhat. "Alright…! Alright!" he choked out. "If I die, then you'll only die afterwards. I have the key, and I know you would never want to die of starvation." After a moment, Kelly roughly released her hold on him by shoving him away. He frowned as he rubbed his abused neck. Then he smirked again. "You haven't changed, Kelri. Well, you've become more beautiful in the last ten years."

"I see you haven't changed either—still laying it on thick," Kelly murmured. She stared at him. His voice was different than she remembered. There was a slight accent. He hadn't had it before. Now that she was thinking of it, the way he had said her name—Kelri—seemed too real to be a joke. Eventually, his smirk vanished because of the stare down. "Why did you take me from my home? Why have you done this?" She gestured to her ankle. Instead of answering her, Kazuya stood up. His arm extended in her direction. Kelly flinched away, clearing not wanting his touch. He, however, ignored that and brushed his knuckles against her forehead.

"You're hurt," he stated. He must have been talking about her earlier meeting with the floor. Kelly glowered a bit. The bruise—hopefully it was just a bruise—was big enough to be noticed. She didn't like that fact at all. "And sick," Kazuya continued. He lowered his arm to her ankle, fingers gripping the shackle that encased her. He then used his other hand to pull out an equally rusted key from his back pocket. The shackle came undone. "Come with me," he said after pocketing the key again.

"Like I have much choice," Kelly retorted as Kazuya lifted her off the bed, arm locking her legs together and hand supporting her back. Snickering, her captor began to walk out of the room. As he moved, Kelly's eyes darting all over, scanning her surroundings. Perhaps she can find an escape route and get out of here before Spencer realized she was missing. Oh, she really hoped that he didn't already know. She didn't know how long she had been out thanks to the chloroform used on her. Nothing seemed familiar. However, she realized that only artificial light shined through the darkness of the hall. No windows. No view. No wind. It felt damp. This place, wherever it was, could only be underground. Damn. "Where are we?"

"You don't recognize this place?" Kazuya asked, pushing open another door with his right leg. "Well, I have changed it quite a bit in the last few years." The room seemed to be a bathroom, equipped with a shower, sink, and toilet. Plumbing…? There was also a marble surface on top of a wooden cabinet. That is where he set her down. Kelly contemplated attacking and just taking the key by force, but at the moment, her knowledge was very little and so would be her chance of actually escaping. For now, she would need him to talk. Kazuya, ignorant of her thoughts, lowered himself to open the cabinet doors. Once he found what he was looking for, he stood to his full height again. In his hands were ointment and a roll of medical dress... and cold medicine. He set those down next to her, and then went over to the sink. There was a rag hanging on a metal railing next to the sink. Turning on the water, he soaked the rag. Kelly watched him through narrowed eyes. Her ex-boyfriend seemed to be adamant about making all of this seem normal. There was nothing normal about any of this. She had to get home. The woman's gaze lowered to the floor. She had to get back. "Don't move," Kazuya's voice caused her to lift her line of sight. He had returned in order to clean her injury. Apparently, she had bled from her less than graceful fall.

Obediently, Kelly remained still as Kazuya tended to her. It was only after he finished wrapping the white material around her head did she speak again. "Kazuya," she began. He smiled at her. It was the same smile that she remembered from the past. A pang of guilt shot through her. "Tell me, why have you taken me from my home? What do you hope to accomplish by doing this?" His smile faltered first, and then it completely dropped.

"My old man," he murmured. "I promised him."

"Promised…" Kelly repeated.

"I promised him that I would find you and right the wrongs. He liked you, you know?"

"What does that mean?" Kazuya didn't answer. Instead, he furrowed his brow and looked away. Eliot Spencer. Actually, Kelly couldn't remember him all that well. He had been a quiet man with an ever present frown on his face—that's all she could recall now, more than ten years later. "Look, Kazuya, this isn't funny. What you've done is considered kidnapping. When people find out about this-" Then without warning, his lips met hers. Again and again. Hungrily. Passionately. Violently. More than anything, it scared her that her struggles against him were in vain. He gripped the back of her neck with one hand while the other hand bound her wrists together. Her body felt almost completely weak, subjecting her to his kiss.

He released her slowly. Both panted as they stared into one another's eyes. "I've been wanting to do that for a long time," Kazuya told her. Kelly blinked, and then lightly touched her lips. She shuddered as her teeth clenched. Then without words she lifted her right hand. The back of her hand pressed against his cheek. He appeared confused by her actions. "Kelri-" Swiftly, her left hand reared back, only to be sent crashing into her right palm. The force of the impact sent the man staggering before he fell to the cement floor.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Kelly screamed. Having been worked up, the scream had brought about a coughing fit. Still, she hopped from the counter and made a dash for the doorway. She didn't get far due to her captor recovering quicker than she had anticipated. His arms encased her from behind. "Let me go!" Like hell she was going to make this easy. Even if she couldn't escape at the moment, she would struggle with the little strength that she had. Kazuya actually had the nerve to tell her to calm down. "No! How dare you kiss me?! I have a boyfriend and he's not you anymore!" His grip on her increased so much that Kelly couldn't stop the pained hiss.

"He is merely another obstacle. He'll be gone soon just like the others," Kazuya murmured. Immediately, Kelly stilled. She blinked once, wondering if she had heard him right. Then her expression shifted to anger. She didn't know exactly what he had meant, but it sounded ominous enough to be a threat. Kelly was a woman that didn't take kindly to threats.

"Kazuya," she began voice surprisingly calm. "I don't know who these other obstacles are or what you mean by gone, but… if I even feel that you've done something to Spencer, they will never find your body."

"Then they won't find yours either," he whispered back. "And we'll sleep eternally… together, finishing our rewrite of the tragedy." Eyes growing wide, the stunned woman didn't even think to shudder as she felt his nose and mouth on her neck. It was that moment when Kelly realized the gravity of the situation. And what's worse…

She might have been the one to cause it.

0-0

Orange County, Virginia

Twelve years ago…

Panting heavily, Kazuya Spencer glared down at the grass underneath him. This was a punishment. Long after practice had ended, the coach had kept him, and him alone, for more drills. Now, only after he had become utterly exhausted did the coach allow him to catch his breath. He couldn't figure out why, though. Had he done something so bad recently? The first year he had become quarterback, he had done some pretty… irresponsible things, but this year—his last year—had been tame for the most part. So then why was he being punished like this? After a few minutes, he finally stood up. It was then that his coach, Samuel Ringer, walked over with his hands clasped behind his back. This was his lecture pose. Mentally sighing, the quarterback had to stop himself from rolling his eyes.

"Don't give me that look, Spencer," coach scolded. "You know what this is about."

"Haven't the faintest," Kazuya retorted. His coach scowled.

"Then let me tell you," he said curtly. "Last week's game was an important one, didn't I tell you?" The teen nodded his head, wishing his coach would just get to the point already. The man had told him to play his absolute best, win or lose. Of course, that only meant win at all costs. Losing had never been an option. "Several scouts were there and they all wanted you. Five colleges now want to give you full-ride scholarships, in the hopes that you play for them—that doesn't happen often, boy." Admittedly, he felt much excitement with the news. He knew full well how good of a player he was. In fact, he a bit surprised to hear that it was only five. Suppressing a grin, Kazuya mirrored his coach's serious expression. "The problem is… what you did after you scored the winning touchdown."

"… Dancing?"

"No, but that is frowned upon," his coach replied with a slight shake of his head. "You kissed that black girl in front of everyone." Kazuya felt himself scowl. 'That black girl' seemed to be everyone's nickname for her. It completely changed his mood when they referred to her that way. Clenching his jaw, he continued to listen to Coach Ringer, hoping that his malice didn't escape his eyes. "You already know that you were instructed not to show public displays of affection to that girl. And you decide to go and fucking shit all over that by kissing her after the game. The scouts saw it and were displeased by the relationship! I had to convince them that it was just a compulsive passionate moment that meant nothing!"

"So you lied then?"

Coach Ringer sighed heavily, letting his arms aligned with his sides. "They were relieved when I told them," he continued. "They were relieved because they would not want to deal with the controversy of one of their star players involved in an interracial relationship!"

"I'm the offspring of an interracial relationship!" Kazuya almost shouted as he clenched his fists. It was all he could do to stop his arms from swinging in his coach's general direction.

"Which is being overlooked because of your talent!" Coach Ringer didn't bother to stop himself from shouting. He was becoming red-faced as well. "I saw the potential in you your freshmen year and despite what others said, I let you on the team. I shaped and molded you into the best and I'll be damned if your future is ruined because of that little black girl!" There it was again. That irritating nickname—he hated it.

"What exactly are you saying, coach?" Kazuya questioned, trying hard to swallow despite feeling his throat constricting.

"Shouldn't it be obvious by now? You will have to end it with her or-"

"You can't decide that!"

"I made you, so I own you! Do what you're told by next Friday or you're off the team. Being kicked off the team will be like saying good-bye to those scholarships, so make the right decision!"

Kazuya could only stare, lips parted as his coach and mentor practically stomped away. He was upset? He had the nerve to be upset?! Biting his lip, the younger male curled and uncurled his fingers several times. Slowly, really slowly, his anger faded. But it still lingered. It didn't occur to him that this would happen as a result of having a real girlfriend. That's when it hit him. Hard. "SHIT!" Panicking, he scrambled to gather his things from the side of the field, and then took off towards the parking lot. Normally, he would be heading back towards the school for a shower, but that would have to wait.

Coming to a stop in front of his green, and slightly rusted, truck, Kazuya warily looked around. She was nowhere in sight. If he was lucky, she was still writing in the school's library. However, luck was not on his side today. As he moved to toss his bag in the bed of the truck, her head popped up, long braided hair appearing much more like the snakes—just like Medusa. Her head slowly turned. He knew what type of expression she would have before she completely faced him. Complete stone. The quarterback tried hard not to show his grimace. "Explain," she demanded. In her hand was a copy of one of her favorite books—Romeo and Juliet. Unfortunately, her favorite read seemed to be her favorite weapon at the moment for it was poised to be thrown. "You have twenty seconds to comply."

"Practice just ran longer than usual, Kelly," Kazuya murmured, tossing his bag in the truck so that it wouldn't hit her.

"Kazuya-kun," she started as she stood. Waving the hardback book around, she glared down at him. "I have been waiting for, at least, forty-five minutes. My brother already doesn't like you, and yet you keep trying to irritate him. I would fear for your safety if he wasn't already at work."

"Don't worry," he extended his arms up. "I'll still get you home before your mom gets there." She raised a brow before jumping into his arms. Kazuya grinned, squeezing her tightly. Kelly, of course, yelped in protest and began hitting his back with the book and her fist. "Don't be mad at me, anymore! Come on, Kelri…!" At the nickname she had become used to, her strikes became softer. "I'll show you something interesting…" Her strikes completely stopped. Then her arms wrapped around his neck, returning the embrace.

"Well then, intrigue me," Kelly whispered in his ear. Kazuya had to stop himself from shuddering.

"Let's go then."

The drive took about twenty minutes. Kelly warily examined her surroundings, appearing dubious. She slammed the truck's passenger side door, and then met him at the entrance to his secret place. "A cabin…" she said the obvious, causing Kazuya to chuckle. "You brought me to an abandoned cabin."

"You shouldn't judge a book by its cover," he replied as he took her hand. Leading her to the door, he heard her grumble something along the lines of crossing death's door. The senior ignored the sophomore for a moment as he opened the door. "I found this place when I was a junior. I fixed it up a little. Now this is the place I come to when I want to get away."

"This is your definition of 'fixed up?' I'm terribly disappointed then." Shaking his head and rolling his eyes, Kazuya dropped down to the floor as his girlfriend went about the room, further observing her surroundings. He flipped the oval-shaped rug over, revealing a latch. Kelly lowered herself beside him, elbows resting on her knees. "A secret compartment…? Alright, I'm not disappointed anymore." Smirking, Kazuya lifted the door, which had hid a stairway leading down. "What is this place?" Kelly wondered out loud.

"I think it's a bomb shelter," he answered, walking down. "But instead of just one room, there are many—even a bathroom."

"Working?"

"Not really, no."

"Great," Kelly drawled sarcastically. "I'm assuming that it's the same for electricity?"

"That's why I have candles set up."

"Great," she repeated.

"It's not so bad," Kazuya murmured to which her response was 'I'm sure.' He led her down the corridor, walking pass doors on the left and right to get to end. Honestly, he hadn't had time to fix up any other room, but this last room was his project. He had painted the walls, cleaned the floor, and even put in a bed—all by himself. Well, he had taken the paint from his dad's garage. And he may or may not have had asked his dad for money for the bed. But everything else he had done by himself. Kazuya pushed opened the door and Kelly peered inside.

"So… you come here to… masturbate?" Aghast, the football player hurried past his girlfriend and quickly gathered the porn magazines that were scattered across the floor. They were from his friends, honest! What must she think of him now? After shoving the dirty magazines under the bed, he popped back up, stock still, trying to come up with an explanation. To his surprise, though, Kelly had begun laughing. It wasn't too often that she did that, but it was all the more charming when she did. She stopped, but the grin remained. "Does your dad barge in your room at random? Your privacy issues are a bit unusual for a guy your age." She sat down on the bed's edge and stared up at him. "But seriously, is there something you want to tell me?"

"They're not really mine!"

"… I don't mean your dirty mags, Kazuya-kun," Kelly retorted, losing her grin. "Why did Mr. Ringer keep you long after the other players? On the way here, you hardly spoke and appeared deep in thought—not like you."

"Thanks," he replied sarcastically as lit the long white candles that were attached to either side of the door. He then plopped down beside her. After he sighed heavily, his brown eyes glanced her way. "Coach told me that colleges were lining up to have me play for them—full-ride scholarships." Kelly frowned and furrowed her eyebrows. Kazuya swallowed. "The catch is… Coach made it sound like they wouldn't have me if I continued to… have a relationship with you."

"Well…" she began slowly. "It's understandable. Having a star Asian player would generate positive feedback and possibly reduce more racial barriers. That's the trend nowadays, isn't it? But to have that star player dating a black girl—they wouldn't want that type of controversy."

"Coach says I have to end things with you by next Friday," Kazuya continued.

"I see…"

"I won't. I'm not going to do it."

"What? Why?" Flabbergasted, Kazuya shifted his gaze from the floor to his girlfriend. She stared back at him as if she were confused. "You have the option of becoming a nationwide name. That's something you've always wanted despite your mixed ethnicity. You always wanted to prove people wrong and this is your chance. I don't understand why this is such a hard decision."

"I'm not breaking up with you just because a couple of old farts don't like that I'm in a relationship with you!"

Kelly stood up, looking annoyed. She glared at him, crossing her arms. "Don't be an idiot about this, Kazuya! This is your future on the line! You can't just throw your dream away because of a… a fleeting high school relationship!" she told him. It hurt. Is that how she felt? Or is that how she believed he felt? Either way… "You seriously need to reconsider your priorities. There are greater consequences for giving up football than giving up me. There's nothing to gain from you acting like a sappy tool! You love the sport, so-"

"I love you!" Kazuya blurted. Kelly's mouth snapped close. He honestly didn't mean to say it—not like this. Her arms fell to her sides. She appeared utterly stunned, even taking a step back. Mouth opening and closing, his girlfriend stared at him. Still, she didn't say anything. Truthfully, he had loved another. But this was different. Kelly had always been different. "… I…" He stood up, slowly moving towards her. "I love you, Kelly." Her eyes lifted to meet his gaze. His hand caressed her cheek. "I'd rather not have a future or a dream if you're not in it."

"Th-That…" Kelly released a shaky breath. "That wasn't supposed to… You weren't-" He interrupted her by wrapping his arms around her and squeezing her tightly.

"I admit it now. You were a challenge in the beginning. My friends dared me to. It was supposed to be my big senior prank, taking a black sophomore girl to prom, making everyone all upset. That was the plan." She stiffened in his arms. "I agreed, thinking I would never like someone like you. But you changed everything by being everything I didn't expect. You changed me, and I fell in love with you. That's just-"

"Kazuya, shut up," Kelly ordered. She then tilted her head up and lifted to stand on the tips of her toes. Her arms lifted, fingers moving to grip the back of his shirt. Kazuya could only stand there, eyes wide because of the bold kiss. Not once had she initiated affection. It had always been him. To have her so suddenly kiss him like this... she must have been so touched by his confession. Smiling, Kazuya eagerly reciprocated. When the time came for air, she slowly reared back, eyes opening to stare back into his eyes. She licked her lips and panted softly. "Be my Romeo then… and I'll be your Juliet. Let's rewrite the tragedy." Kazuya felt himself nodding. She cracked a smile. "Then I'll let you take my virginity. Now."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

0-0

Present

Frowning, Kelly stared at the opposite wall. She remembered now. This place, this room—she remembered it clearly. She had lost her virginity here at the age of sixteen. She had given it away, in this room, twelve years ago. Her captor had returned her to the bed and shackled her ankle again before leaving. Kazuya Spencer. How cruel she had been to him. She now felt horribly guilty for what she had done to him. All this was her own fault. "I was so stupid back then. And now I'm paying for it." She didn't even want to know who else had paid the price of her foolishness. Surely, there were others. But she couldn't think about that right now. She needed to find a way out of this place. She had nothing to help her, though. Her eyes squeezed shut. Nothing to help but her mind. She would have to trick him. Again. Kelly released a sigh. "Lovely." Her sarcastic thought was equipped with a scowl. She didn't think she would have to resort to those means ever again.

Hopefully, it wouldn't end in regret.

Hopefully, it wouldn't end in death.

0-0