Being kidnapped was an occupational hazard that came working for the government, and Emily was no stranger to it. She always had faith that she'd be rescued, and she'd even escaped captivity twice before, although she preferred to tell those particular stories when she had alcohol in her system.
This time was different because she was at the mercy of a highly-intelligent human chameleon, who also happened to be capable of torture and murder. Emily was also pregnant this time around, and her two youngest children were literally with her 24/7. She had even more motivation to fight.
Using the back roads and the subway, Ramona took them from the precinct to Central Park. Ramona was apparently in a daring mood, because she even had Emily stop for food and a first-aid kit, too. This caused Emily to panic and then wonder about what kind of state she'd find Rebel in, but she compartmentalized her fear because that was the last thing she needed her captor feeding off of.
"Why are you so quiet?" Ramona scoffed as they arrived to the place where she was keeping Rebel. "You're the only one who hasn't freaked out."
"I guess I'm trying to figure out what possessed you to abduct a federal agent."
"For the thrill, but mostly to pacify Rebel—she won't stop crying."
Ramona spoke with such disgust that Emily wondered how much compassion she actually had.
"What is this place?" Emily asked as they entered an old, abandoned rundown restaurant. "A diner?"
"Once upon a time, it was, but it's been abandoned since 2000." Ramona spoke with indifference and jabbed her in the back. "Walk—I'll give you directions."
The headed through an old dining and a kitchen, then to a back hallway. Emily saw doors indicating a manager's office, and even a janitor's closet, but then they got to the end of the hallway and Emily spotted a door marked 'DORMITORY.' Ramona unlocked it with a set of keys, pushed Emily inside and locked the door behind her.
As Emily's eyes adjusted to a lower light setting, a camp light turned on. Rebel was watching her from the far end of the room, on the bottom bunk of an old bunk bed. She was looking at Emily in disbelief and shock.
"You're here!" she croaked. "But why? How?"
Emily crossed the room and and sat with her friend. "Ramona took me."
"Does anybody know you're gone?"
"I'm sure they'll have figured it out by now." Emily held Rebel's chin in her fingers and guided it towards the light. "What did that girl do to you?"
"She's a monster. She beat me because she'd upset that I ratted her out."
Rebel's body ached, and she was covered in cuts and bruises on her face, arms, and hands. She felt surprised she could even sit up.
"Ramona's always been really good at softball, and when we were younger, she'd get me and my brothers and sisters and the neighborhood kids to come play in the sandlot. Her aim has just improved."
"These are some terrible injuries. What did she hit you with?"
"Her fists, at one point. At another, it was a bar of soap in a pair of stockings." Rebel recalled. "I went into survival mode and blocked it out because I don't really remember how I got these cuts."
"That's okay." Emily told her. "We're stuck here, but I'll take care of you."
Rebel noticed Emily's shopping bag. "Did Ramona make you go to the market?"
"Uh-huh, and there's food and a first aid kit. Are you hungry?"
"No. I'm too stressed out to eat."
"Then how about I patch you up?"
Rebel winced and wiggled in discomfort when Emily cleaned the cuts with ointment, but relaxed when she covered the wounds with band-aids and butterfly bandages. For good measure, Emily wrapped Rebel's hands and wrists in gauze, in the style of a boxer's wrap, to alleviate the soreness the girl was feeling, and to add some soothing pressure.
"Is that better?" Emily asked in a maternal tone when she finished.
Rebel just nodded; she was at a loss for words because she had a lot to say but didn't know where to begin.
But Emily was patient. "You must have a million questions, huh? Say the first thing that pops into your head—go."
"What do I call you? Since Ramona trapped us, I mean?"
"Call me Emily—that's my name."
"Okay, Emily. Have you seen Sadie? I have no idea where she is, and I'm uncomfortable because she's overdue to be fed."
"First, Rebel, I'm going to need you to take a few deep breaths for me, okay? I'm a mom, too."
Rebel did her best to center herself and she did as she suggested, not speaking until she was sure she wasn't going to have a panic attack.
"You have a stepdaughter, right?" she asked.
"I do, and I love her so much, like the way you love Sadie."
"Have you seen my girl?"
Emily told her the story about finding Sadie.
"I have to level with you though, Rebel. She had a seizure when she was with us."
Rebel's heart dropped. "What? She's colicky, but she's never been sick!"
Emily promptly explained about taking Sadie to the hospital, and by the end, Rebel was calmer.
"So if JJ was holding Sadie when that happened, and my sisters kept a vigil over her in the night," Rebel said in a tone of thinking aloud. "Where were you?"
"I collapsed because as it turns out, my blood pressure was too low. I had to stay in the hospital overnight, but I'm fine now."
"I take it that something else happened?"
Emily nodded. "I found out that my stepdaughter is going to be a big sister, two times over."
Rebel understood what Emily was driving at. "Hey, that's really neat. Congratulations…"
She truly meant what she said, but suddenly, big fat puppy dog tears began sliding down her face.
"Oh, sweetheart," Emily cooed, wiping the girl's tears for her. "I didn't mean to make you cry! I'm sorry!"
"Don't worry about it." Rebel reassured her. "It's just that your twins make me think of my brothers, Django and Tiberius—they're identical twins."
"Then do you want to hear something good?"
Rebel nodded. "Yes, please."
"I've met your mom, Kyra, and your sisters, Nova and Talia. I've also met your dad, Cyrus, and also Finley, Django, Tiberius, Corbin, and Xander."
Rebel held a hand over her heart. "I-I beg your pardon, Emily? Are you saying that my dad and my brothers are back from Iraq?"
"Mhm—there was a surprise reunion and your mom went. Your dad and your brothers had no way of knowing what's been happening, but they all headed straight to the precinct from that reunion. Your mom sent for Nova and Talia, and we saw them arrive. Sadie, as far as I know, is healing well and with good doctors at the hospital."
"Then you're saying that both of my parents, and my brothers and sisters were all together when you last saw them?"
"They were, and they're all so concerned for you and Sadie. Your dad and your brothers all strike me as the type who would help with a search."
Rebel spoke in a tone of musing. "My mum is from a poor-as-dirt place in Kentucky, but on my dad's side, we've had family in New York from Ireland since 1900, at least; there's even been a Kelley in every war since the First World War. It's been family tradition since 1914 that all male members enlist in the Marine Corps and fight, or at least be in the reserves."
"That's a really good tradition. I bet your dad and the boys are proud."
"They are, and I'm proud of them. It's in their blood and their nature to want to help your FBI team, however they can."
Emily patted her shoulder. "That's good because we don't always meet families as cooperative as yours is."
Rebel sighed as she took out the hair chopsticks that were keeping her hairstyle in place and tucked them into her pocket. She shook out her hair and combed it with her fingers before letting it fall back. Her hair was all the way down to the middle of her back, and for a moment, Emily considered growing her own hair out. Rebel brought her back to reality.
"I miss my family, Emily. A lot."
"I know you do. I miss mine, too." Emily patted her lap. "Come lay your head."
Rebel obliged and stretched her legs out, sighing in relief. When Emily began to stroke her hair, she relaxed at Emily's touch, just like Sadie had.
"Are your people searching for us?"
"I have no doubt that they are. They're the best at what they do, and they'll be here before you know it."
Rebel yawned. "Oh, I'm so tired, but I'm so scared to sleep because I keep having nightmares whenever I do."
"Well, I'm right here, Rebel Rose. I'm not going anywhere."
"O-okay." she stammered around a yawn.
"Close your eyes, and I'll sing you to sleep—I grew up all over the world, and I learned a lot of different lullabies and things."
Rebel was already half-asleep, lulled into slumber by the sound of Emily's voice.
"Go for it." she murmured.
Rebel was asleep before the second verse.