A/N - Hope everyone had a good Christmas and ate as much as I did! Please enjoy the next installment!
Chapter 11 –
A light suddenly got switched on, throwing bright white light all around the room, immediately JJ closed her eyes and without thinking she let go of Sophie and brought her hands up to her aching head. As she slowly opened her eyes, blinking them furiously as they adjusted to the light JJ gasped in horror.
"Sophie!"
JJ stood up, stumbling as the blood rushed down her legs, staring hard at her uncle who had a hold of Sophie, his arm tight around her neck and she could see that the girl was struggling to breath.
"Shh JJ, you're not in charge here, now stay still and maybe I won't hurt her."
JJ could feel her heart pounding as she stared hard at her uncle, she hadn't seen him in over 20 years but he was still a scary figure and seeing how frightened Sophie looked JJ stopped in her tracks and put her arms down by her side.
"I can't believe that you are wearing that necklace Jennifer."
JJ lifted her fingers up and played with the necklace, unable to stop the tears as they flowed freely down her cheeks.
"Lizzy gave it to me, just before she killed herself."
"It is a lovely piece, at first I thought that it was too much but she was so beautiful, Lizzy my little angel."
"No!"
JJ's scream pierced the room as she dropped to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably.
"When your sister took her own life I not only lost her but you as well, your father distanced the family and it wasn't safe for me to come over, I had to look elsewhere to satisfy my needs."
Mark Jareau smiled as he stroked Sophie's cheek and the girl stiffened even more under his touch.
"You bastard!"
JJ shouted the words out through her sobs, reaching up to her face she wiped the tears away from her eyes, only then did she focus in on Sophie and the terrified look in the girl's eyes. JJ covered her own eyes with her hands, bending her head down towards her knees while she tried to control her emotions. Gingerly JJ lifted her head, placing her hands on the cold wooden floor before she pushed herself upright once again, the tears were still trickling down her face but JJ realised that she wasn't the only one in peril.
"You're hurting her Mark."
"Oh but Sophie likes a bit of pain don't you sweetie?"
Mark grinned as he tightened his grip around Sophie's neck before he loosened it and she dropped to the floor like a rock.
"Sophie!"
"Stay there Jennifer, she's just fainted."
Mark suddenly brought a gun out of his back pocket and pointed it at JJ's head, recognising it as her own weapon JJ stayed rooted to the spot.
"Don't worry I won't do anything to harm Sophie, she is my favourite, I've got unfinished business with her."
JJ shook her head in disbelief as she reached up and stroked her necklace once again.
"Lizzy killed herself because she couldn't stand the pain any longer but there was also another reason, Lizzy wanted to save me, save me from you Uncle Mark. Even at 11 years old I knew what you were capable of, what you did to my sister, she didn't want me to suffer like she did so she killed herself knowing that mom and dad would move away, that they would be unable to live in that house any longer."
"But you still feel the pain."
JJ just nodded as her mind circled back around to the videos and then the three murders that had brought them to Sewickley in the first place.
"It was you that killed them."
The room fell silent as JJ spoke, it wasn't a question instead more of a statement of fact as it dawned on JJ what had happened, Mark kept the gun pointed at her as he bent down and checked on Sophie who still lay prone on the floor.
"I think that all the excitement has tired her out."
"That and the stab wounds her dad inflicted on her and the years of abuse you subjected her to."
"Well I couldn't let them ruin everything, it had been years since I had found someone as beautiful and perfect. Come on Jennifer look at her, who does she remind you of?"
"Lizzy."
JJ's voice was barely a whisper as she looked down at Sophie who had started to stir slightly on the floor.
"Yes, you see I knew that you would understand Jennifer, see I couldn't lose her again, I had to stop them from ruining our relationship."
Mark placed the gun in his back pocket once again and started to walk backwards towards the door then the room was plunged into darkness once again.
"Sophie needs to rest, I'll be back later to check on her, look after her Jennifer."
JJ listened as the door was shut and then bolted firmly shut, JJ dropped to her knees and started to crawl along the floor.
"Sophie? Sophie can you tell me where you are?"
Knowing roughly where the girl was did help JJ but her sight had not adjusted to the gloomy surroundings and her emotions were on a rollercoaster that just wouldn't stop.
"JJ?"
The two syllables were coughed out, it had obviously taken all of Sophie's energy to speak.
"Ok sweetie, I'm nearly there."
JJ was emotionally spent but she managed to find the energy to reach Sophie, carefully feeling her way until she stroked Sophie's hair and lifted the girl's head up onto her lap.
"What happened?"
"I think you fainted, can you stand up so we can move towards the wall?"
JJ felt Sophie nod her head and JJ helped the girl to her feet, she put her left hand out in front of her, using the right arm to support Sophie as the two of them edged towards the wall. Finally JJ's fingers hit the cold wall and she helped Sophie sit down once again, resting their backs against the wall before JJ pulled Sophie close towards her.
"You know him?"
"I'm afraid so."
"Did he...I can't remember...did he touch me?"
JJ gulped as Sophie spoke, the girl's head was rested on her shoulder and the tears fell from JJ's eyes onto Sophie's head.
"No, no he left you alone."
JJ felt Sophie take a deep breath but also heard a slight gasp of pain from the girl. Normally words came easily to JJ, through years of dealing with the press and interviewing unsubs but locked in the sinister room by her uncle with a traumatised 15 year old, words suddenly failed JJ. The feeling of being powerless scared her and the fact that someone she knew had done this to her only made matters worse.
"It's going to be ok Agent Jareau, just think of your son who loves you, when I am scared and hurt I think of my friends."
Sophie's words were quietly spoken as she took a hold of JJ's hands and held them tightly. JJ closed her eyes and her mind went back to Dave and how supportive he had been through the last few months, the words she frequently spoke to him found their way to the front of her mind as she looked down at Sophie.
"Hold me tight, never let me go."
