"Mom, stop! Just stop apologizing." Charlotte said.

Charlotte had listened to her mother apologize profusely for having a nightmare. It angered Charlotte that her mother would feel the need to take responsibility for what happened to her. It wasn't her fault. She hadn't asked for any of it.

"Yeah, Mom. We're just glad you're okay. After seeing how upset you got last night I'm just grateful that Eric Palmer didn't do anything to hurt you worse."

"Daniel!" Charlotte yelled, kicking him hard enough with his heel to make him cry out. "What is wrong with you? I think he hurt her pretty bad. There aren't layers of hurting her. Stop acting like it could have been worse. You don't know what she went through!"

"Charlie, come on. That's not-"

"Save it."

Both kids put their hands on their hips, staring at their mother, waiting on her to resolve the issue. She wasn't in the mood to fix their problems. She had her own to deal with.

"Let's just get along, shall we?" She said, heading to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. Frustrated, both kids walked off.

"Tell me you didn't want to slap Daniel." Conrad said when she got to the kitchen.

"I'm saving my strength for later. I'm going to need it."

"Care to enlighten me?"

Victoria pulled a folded piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to Conrad.

"Victoria, I don't think this is a good idea..."

"I need to do this."

"Please..."

"Are you going to help me or not?" She snapped. Conrad couldn't help but flinch. Victoria hadn't done so much as raised her voice since the incident. He knew she was serious about this mission. He sighed heavily before answering her.

"I'll help you with all but the last one."

"Conrad-"

"You're too sore and you lost too much weight the past few days. It's out of the question-" She opened her mouth to argue but he spoke before she could "for now."

"Let me grab my purse and I'll be ready." She said.

Conrad braced himself. He knew today was going to be a bad day.

He could feel her digging her heels into the ground as they walked towards the coffee shop. While it had sounded good in theory, Victoria's decision to revisit every place she had encountered Eric was harder than it sounded. He was grateful he had created logical excuses for her not to follow her jogging path. He knew from her nightmares that she couldn't handle going past the exact spot she had been abducted. He wasn't even certain how she'd handle the areas that Eric had "bumped into" Victoria. But, like always, he had to admire her determination.

He watched her stare at the table the entire time they waited for their order.

"Should we sit outside?" He offered, silently pleading with her to agree.

"No. I want to sit over there." She said, pointing to the table in the corner. It was hard for Conrad to imagine Victoria sitting with Eric, drinking coffee. It made his blood boil to think of how manipulative Eric had been towards his wife.

"He invited me to dinner so I told him I was married..." She started as she sat down. She absentmindedly ran her hands along the oak table. Conrad noticed the way her hands trembled harder and harder. If Victoria noticed, she made no mention of it.

"When I turned him down he invited me for coffee. I agreed. It gave me chills, our conversation. It seemed as though every topic was something he had studied. He'd ask me paintings, but add my favorite artists before I could answer. He'd ask if I ever saw a movie that he must have known I enjoyed. It was such a stupid decision-"

"-You didn't know. None of this is your fault. If anything, going with him delayed the inevitable. If not he may have abducted you before you pulled his records. Then..." He let his words drop, both of them aware of what would have happened if she hadn't asked for his information.

He could see the tears drop to the table at the idea. Her entire body started to tremble and he knew she was struggling to maintain control. For Victoria, it felt like she was being held underwater. She couldn't breath and the more she tried to control the situation the worse it seemed to spiral. She hadn't noticed Conrad move until his face was pressed against the side of hers. His mouth was next to her ear, ensuring his words reached her only.

"You're safe, Victoria. There is no need to be afraid. Eric Palmer will never be a threat again. I killed him, Vic. I saw him hurt you and I shot him. I shot him again and again and again until he was dead." His words should have shocked her, but she found comfort in them. Despite Conrad's violence against Eric, Victoria felt safe in his arms.

"I'll always protect you. Always." He whispered. She wiped the tears and realized that the tremors had stopped.

She leaned close, giving him a kiss. Her tongue ran along his lips until he gave her access. He grabbed her arms but stopped himself before pulling her into his lap. He tried to control his urges, reminding himself that this way a family place.

They stayed a little while longer, her leg brushing against his as they made small talk. He didn't want to leave until he thought she was completely at ease. It may take a few visits, but he was certain that if she could continue going to the spots that troubled her that she'd be one step closer to putting it behind her.

"I'm glad you decided to do this." He said as they headed out.

"I'm glad you agreed to help me. I couldn't do this without you." She said, sliding her hand into his.