When the agents reached the hospital, they found Cassie returned to her bed, showered and somewhat dressed. Instead of the standard hospital gear, she was now wearing a baggy pair of sweatpants, and a purple tank top. Her hair was wet, and pulled into a french braid, leaving her face uncovered. Cassie had refused to look into a mirror while she was getting washed with the help of a nurse.
Even though she couldn't see the bruising, every time the wash rag touched a part of her body, shooting pain vibrated through out. She was grateful for the nurse's gentle touch, and for making her feel a bit more human. It felt so much better to be in her own clothes, and to have some control over what she was doing.
After a morning full of doctor's appointments, she was sick of being told she was lucky to be alive. The doctor kept reiterating that it was a miracle that there weren't any internal bleeding. Her leg would need several pins inserted, but she would be able to wear a walking cast after two weeks. Her arm was in better shape than originally thought, and would only need to be rested in a sling for another week or so. Throughout the whole appointment, she just nodded her head like a robot.
There was nothing she wanted to say, except that she wished the bastard had finished her off. Although physically she was going to make a full recovery, she wondered if she would ever feel mentally sound again.
"Hey Cassie," Emily said, knocking on the open hospital room door.
Cassie gave a weak smiled, and turned off the television, replying "hey."
Emily was glad to see Cassie had freshened up, since she was becoming concerned about the girl not wanting to do anything but stare into space.
"How did the doctor's appointments go," she asked as JJ and Hotch waited outside for her cue.
Cassie shrugged, "apparently all my organs are fine, and all I really need are screws in this leg," she said, pointing to the cast on her right leg.
"Your swelling seems to have gone down," Emily said, trying not to wince at the purplish greenish bruise along Cassie's jawline. "
So they say, I haven't seen myself since I left the room that night, nor do I want to," she said, playing with her fingers.
Emily made a mental note to try to get a psych evaluation pronto, but decided to tackle that later.
"We think we found your attacker, but he wasn't the one who had it out for you," Emily said.
Cassie cocked her head slightly, now giving Emily her full attention.
"I brought JJ, the woman who was here yesterday, and my boss Agent Hotchner with me to ask you some questions. Is that okay," she asked, waiting for Cassie's response.
Cassie bit her bottom lip, knowing she had to answer their questions. Whoever was after her, and now Emily had to be caught, and apparently her aunt was good at what she did.
"It's fine," she said in a quiet voice. Emily nodded, and went out in the hallway to retrieve the two agents. Moments later, the smiling blonde, and a tall, dark haired man entered the room.
"Hi Cassie, my name is Agent Aaron Hotchner, but you can call be Aaron if you'd like," Hotch said, extended his hand to Cassie.
Although he had seen her when she was in a coma, this was the first time he officially met her. He was taken back by the striking similarities between the older Prentiss and the younger. The brown eyes, pale skin, strong jawline made Hotch feel he was staring at a younger version of Emily.
It took everything in her power to not drop her jaw. Out of the seven years she'd worked with Hotch, he had never introduced himself as Aaron. Only in tender, fleeting intimate moments had she ever called him Aaron, but they too were few and far between.
Cassie shook his hand, grateful that he had not treated her like a victim.
"How are you feeling today," JJ asked as she and Hotch took seats next to the bed.
"I can open my eyes for more than an hour today," she answered truthfully.
Cassie decided that she liked JJ, because of her easy going attitude. The two were able to watch television in silence yesterday, without it being awkward, or her trying to ask questions. There was a rare sincere quality to the blonde woman that Cassie hadn't seen since she left her best friend in California, Maria.
"It's a start," JJ smiled, taking out a small notebook.
"I know that the events of the other night are very blurred and fragmented, but do you remember a mention of a Richard Montle," Hotch asked, trying to gage Cassie's reaction.
Sure enough, her round, brown eyes widened.
"I, I can't remember him being brought up then, but I know him," she said, her voice quivering.
The agents looked at each other, waiting for the girl to answer. "He was mom's boyfriend, mom's ex boyfriend" she answered.
Emily's stomach dropped to the floor. How in the world did her sister get involved with a mobster, she thought.
Although JJ was shocked, she made sure her face remain the image of calmness
"Oh really? How long did they date for," she asked calmly.
Cassie shifted nervously, "they dated for about two years, he celebrated holidays with us, slept over all the time. Mom was really happy until things began to go bad," Cassie said, her eyes glazing over once again.
"Can you elaborate on what bad means," Hotch asked, not wanting to push the girl too far.
"All of a sudden he disappeared in the middle of dinner, or would receive phone calls that would send him ballistic. Mom thought he was on drugs, and did some snooping around. One day she just told me that Montle was no good for us, and he was going to involve us in a lot bad things that she wanted nothing to do with," Cassie trailed off, her mind clearly drifting into thought.
Emily desperately wanted to stop the interviewing and let Cassie stop reliving the past. Clearly demons haunted Cassie, why did they have to bring them up even further? But this was part of their job, and they had to do it.
"Did he hit her, or you," JJ asked, hoping the answer was no.
Cassie shook her head, "No, but once mom said they needed a break, he kept saying he wasn't going to leave her alone, that they belonged together," Cassie said, adverting her eyes from the agents.
"Did he make any particular threats," Emily managed to asking, finally summoning up the courage to ask something.
"He kept calling her, like 95 times a week. He would leave messages for her in our mailbox, and said that she knew too much to leave. I kept asking her what he meant, and she would say it's none of my business. But it was my business, because she..." her voice broke, as tears began rolling down her cheeks.
She was so mad at her self for loosing it in front of total strangers. This from the girl who wouldn't even cry in front of her own mother unless necessary. Emily handed her a glass of water, and said "it's okay, take your time." Cassie drank the water, and regained her composure.
"From what I heard from friends was the Montle was apparently a mob boss in our area, but we didn't know that, we figured he was just the owner of the bar. It wasn't till mom told him that if he didn't leave her alone, she was going to go to her sister, who was in the FBI," Cassie continued, this time staring right at Emily.
Emily could feel her face flush at the mention of her sister. Her sister was going to reach out after all of these years, for help. Help that Emily would of given in a heart beat. Silence filled the air, till Hotch finally broke it.
"Cassie, what happened then," he already knew her answer, but she had to say it. Cassie closed her eyes, reliving the whole entire day as if it were yesterday.
"Mom called me one night, and came over to my dorm. She made me promise her if anything happened, I would go find her sister, for help. I kept asking her if she was in danger, and begging her to go to the police. She refused, and told me that she just needed to say that to me," Cassie said, her eyes tearing up.
This time, Emily too had tears in her eyes. She brushed them away with her fingers, trying with all of her might not to fall apart.
"Two days later, the cops showed up at my dorm and told me that mommy was gone," Cassie said, tears flowing freely.
"Apparently someone had broken in to the house, there was a struggle, but the attacker won," Cassie barely whispered, looking down at her sheets.
JJ grabbed Cassie's hand and squeezed it, as her own eyes welled up from tears. She knew behind her that her best friend and co-worker was in tears, but right now she had to focus on Cassie.
Aaron swallowed hard and nodded, not daring to look at Emily. He couldn't bare to see her in so much pain. She was learning the details of her sister's death for the first time, in the worst way possible.
"I knew that I had to go find Emily, and to tell her mom's message. It wasn't till I started receiving calls myself that I realized someone thought I knew something," she continued.
"What kind of calls," Hotch asked.
"The caller kept saying that my mother died because she knew to much, and that I was next, and my aunt" she said, looking over at Emily. Emily stared back at Cassie, realizing what was going on.
Apparently this asshole thought Lisa had already rated him out to her daughter and sister, and as long as they knew his story, they had to die.
"Why didn't you go to the authorities," Hotch asked once again, plowing along the interview.
Cassie sighed, "they didn't help my mom, and if he had someone following me, they would know I for sure ratted him out. So I knew somehow I had to warn Emily, and let her know.." again she trailed off.
Emily's heart literally began to ache. This stranger, whom she knew nothing about, risked her life, left everything she ever knew, just to deliver her mother's warning. Emily's connection to Lisa was all Cassie needed to care about her well-being.
"So that's when you dropped out of school, and sold the house," JJ asked.
Cassie nodded, "I couldn't go back being a regular student when I knew someone killed my mother, was trying to kill me, and my aunt who didn't even know who I was."
That statement caused Emily to flinch with guilt.
"Besides, I lived with my friends, and if anything happened to them," Cassie said.
JJ smiled reassuringly at the girl, admiring her loyalty, which was similar to Emily's.
"Do you know of any locations Montle might be at, or people who he hangs around with," Hotch asked, already formulating a game plan.
Cassie nodded, "wait, why did you even ask about him," she asked now going back to the original question.
"I thought you found my attacker." Hotch looked over at Emily, to let her deliver this blow.
"We believe Montle sent Jacobs to kill you, and to find me," she said in an almost icy voice. Cassie blinked a few times, and touched her hand to her back.
"What did he write on my back," she asked, wanting an answer.
While at her appointment today, she was told the scarring on her back would be fixable with plastic surgery when the wounds healed. When asked what was wrong with it, the doctor stumbled over his words and told her to ask to see the crime scene photos.
"Cassie, he wrote a warning to me in your blood. Next of kin, next to die," she said, blurting it out knowing there was no way to soften the blow.
Cassie's face flushed, the blood rushing to her cheeks rapidly. Not only did this ass rape her, beat her, but mutilated her back.
"I'm going to be sick," she mumbled, covering her mouth.
Emily and JJ scrambled to grab her a bucket. Emily handed her a glass of water, once again being the only helpful thing she could think of in this situation. JJ wet some towels to put on Cassie's shoulders, to help relieve the flushed anxiety feeling.
Hotch pretended to look out the window during the whole ideal, not wanting Cassie to be embarrassed.
"I'm sorry Aaron," she said softly, feeling humiliated.
He shook his head, "Honestly Cassie, I wouldn't of been able to get through this interview as calm as you have."
Emily looked over at him, her eyes thanking him for being so kind, and considerate in this case.
"What are you going to do now," Cassie said, in a way afraid to know.
"We're going to track down Montle, and make him pay for his crimes," he said, looking Cassie straight in the eyes.
For some reason, Cassie had complete faith in Aaron.
"Now excuse me while I make a few phone calls. JJ can you please alert the team to meet us in the conference room here. Prentiss you can stay here till the team gets here," he said, heading out the door. J
J told the Prentiss women that she'd be back in a bit, and shut the door behind her. There was a heavy silence hanging in the room, where the two women sat in their respective places.
"I wished she had called me," Emily said, thinking out loud.
"She still loved you," Cassie said, trying to comfort her aunt.
As much as she was hurting, she could tell by Emily's actions that her heart was aching as well.
Emily nodded, " and I loved her too."
The women sat there in silence, lost in their own thoughts, but sharing the comfort of being able to release their tears freely.