(AN) Hello and welcome to the penultimate chapter of Recovery. I hope you all enjoy, and remember to Read and review.
In this chapter Audrey will finally start her therapy sessions and meet Dr Benson.
As ever credit goes to DS2010 for some of the dialogue.
Disclaimer; I don't own NCIS. All characters and locations are owned by CBS, Bellisario Productions and Paramount Pictures.
Chapter Six
The Path to a Slow Recovery
The next day, Audrey was released from the hospital. After her little scare, Audrey had finally come to realise that she needed help and promised Kevin and the kids that she would go to Dr. Benson, and so her husband had booked an appointment for the following Monday.
The next Monday, Audrey entered Dr. Benson's office with some reluctance, she didn't want to talk about it or be here, but the brunette had promised her family she'd seek professional help and not try to bottle it up.
"Can I help you?" asked the receptionist.
"Yes, I have an appointment with Dr. Benson." replied Audrey.
The woman behind the desk typed away on her keyboard for a few moments before smiling. "Yes, nine-fifteen," stated the woman in a friendly manner, "Please fill out this paperwork and the Doctor will be right with you."
The brunette took the clipboard and pen, went to sit over in one of the comfy seats and filled out the papers. After finishing, she handed them back to the receptionist and then went to sit back down.
After fifteen minutes of reading old Hollywood magazines about the latest break-ups, Dr. Benson came out of her office.
"Audrey Daly?" called out Dr Benson.
"Yes, that's me." said Audrey as she put the magazine away, stood up and walked over to the woman.
"Dr. Jennifer Benson," said Jennifer while shaking Audrey's hand, "Your husband and daughter have told me so much about you, finally nice to put a face to the name. Anyway, follow me to my office."
"Yes, Emma and Kevin have mentioned you too." replied the brunette as she followed Benson into her office.
"Would you like some tea or coffee?" asked Benson as she shut the door and moved over to a small kitchen counter.
"Coffee would be good." answered Audrey as she spotted a comfartable sofa and a comfartable looking chair behind a big oak desk.
The young woman sat down on the sofa and instantly felt a warm, relaxing feeling. After a minute, Jennifer came over with a mug of dark roast coffee. "Emma mentioned that you like dark roast coffee," explained Benson, "Thankfully I had some."
"Thank you." replied Audrey, taking the mug and sipping it gently.
"So, Audrey, tell me about yourself." said the Doctor as she came to sit next to the brunette and sipped her coffee.
"Well, I'm a mother of two wonderful children, Tommy and Emma, I've been married to my husband Kevin for eighteen years and I work as the head Analyst for a local tech company." explained the young woman.
"Yes, Emma and Kevin speak very highly of you," stated Benson, "Now I know this may be difficult, but could you perhaps tell me about the panic attacks and what you've been through?"
"I-I don't want to talk about it, please don't make me." pleaded Audrey fearfully, putting her coffee cup down and looking about for a way out.
"Audrey, you're safe here, nobody is going to force you to do anything, but if you want to heal you need to talk to me about what happened, I can help you," assured Jennifer before gently resting her hand on Audrey's knee in a show of support, "Please you can tell me, I promise whatever you say won't leave this room."
"Okay," began Audrey before gulping, "Well as you know, four months ago I was kidnapped, tortured and raped."
Tears suddenly sprang up in the woman's eyes.
"Me and Emma were going to have a girl's night in watching Frozen and eating pizza and popcorn," continued Audrey in a distraught voice, "There was a knock at the door, a-and then Thomas Jackson and a gang of nine men forced their way into our home, I was tied to mine and Kevin's bed, and I could hear them hurting my daughter, her screaming for me and crying for the men to stop. I begged and pleaded with Thomas, but he wouldn't listen."
The brunette then sobbed loudly while wringing her hands.
"I'm her mother, I'm supposed to protect her, but I couldn't stop them," sobbed Audrey, "They took me and Emma to a farmhouse that Thomas' family owned in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I was tied to a mattress in the basement, and for nearly four days, h-he and his gang beat me, raped me and threatened me and Emma. I-I was electrocuted, they used a taser on me, J-Jackson whipped me with a riding crop, and sometimes he would bring out his... toys."
Benson put her coffee down and gently gathered Audrey into a hug.
"I tried to be brave by telling everybody I was fine," wailed the brunette in a distraught voice, "but I really wasn't, I knew I wasn't, I just couldn't tell anyone. Kevin tried to tell me, but I wouldn't listen and all we did was fight. Emma and Tommy tried to tell me, and I wouldn't listen. I was so scared that Emma would hate me for not protecting her, I thought Tommy and Kevin would hate me for not protecting my daughter. Instead all they wanted was for me to get better to be back to my old self."
Audrey then took several deep, calming breaths before continuing.
"T-they tortured my daughter in a bedroom upstairs," whimpered Audrey in a distraught whisper, "They made me watch, they made me watch and there was nothing I could do. I was tied down and watching on a screen. They even sent videos to my husband of what they did, my Kevin had to watch them batter and strangle his daughter, and I her mother couldn't do anything."
Audrey then looked down at the floor. "I should've stopped them," she muttered, "God, I-I should've stopped them."
"Audrey, you did everything right," assured Benson in a comforting manner as she gave the woman a hug, "You couldn't have stopped them, they hurt you too, and you did what you had to do to protect your daughter. They're the ones to blame not you."
"But I am," whimpered the brunette, "I went to answer the door, I-I should've called the Police sooner. T-that man used to be my friend, but then his daughter died a-and Jackson started lusting after me."
"Audrey listen, there was nothing you could've done," said Jenifer gently, "Please believe me, you did everything you could to protect Emma, you even nearly got away, that counts for something. Believe me, you protected Emma in the best way you could."
After a few minutes, Audrey calmed down and smiled at the woman. "Thank you." she said in a horse whisper.
"You're welcome." replied Benson before sharing a hug with Audrey, "We'll continue this next week, same time?"
"Yes." agreed Audrey before blowing her nose on a tissue from a box sitting next to her.
The brunette then left the office feeling better than when she had entered.
Audrey entered the car park and hopped into her car. She then drove off, but just as she went on to the main road, Audrey looked out the window and almost gasped in shock. There was a woman standing on the sidewalk. She was tall, had tan-skin and dark curly hair. It was a woman Audrey was familiar with, but she couldn't quite believe it.
"Now I'm really glad I got help," commented Audrey to herself, "I'm starting to see ghosts."
Soon Audrey arrived home and entered the house. Upon entering the living room, she saw Kevin sitting on the sofa.
"Hey, babe," greeted Kevin as he walked over to his wife and the two hugged and exchanged kisses, "How did it go with Dr. Benson?"
"Great," replied Audrey happily, "You were right, honey, that Dr. Benson is brilliant, I think she's really going to help me."
"That's wonderful, sweetie," replied Kevin in delight, "I'm so glad you're finally opening up."
"Me too." said the brunette, "I feel like a great weight's been lifted."
"That's good to hear." chuckled the former Lieutenant.
The two then embraced before falling on to the sofa. They then shared a long kiss.
"I love you, Kevin." sighed Audrey, smiling at Kevin and chuckling.
"I love you too, babe." said Kevin.
Tommy and Emma suddenly walked in and gasped at their parents making out on the sofa. Tommy clapped one hand over his sister's eyes.
"Emma, don't look, you're still way too young to understand romance," cried Tommy in shock, "Seriously get a room."
The couple smiled at their kids and Audrey rushed over and hugged them both before kissing them on the forehead.
"Ohh, you two are the best," cried the brunette in happiness, "And Emma, I'm so sorry I wasn't able to protect you from Thomas and those horrible men."
"That's okay, Mom, you did your best." assured Emma.
Later on, Kevin and Audrey were in bed. Audrey suddenly smiled and moved closer to Kevin before gently resting her head on his chest making him sigh in happiness. They then wrapped their arms around each other's shoulders.
The two just lay there, just snuggling up to each other, something they hadn't done since the incident.
"Hmmm, this is nice." remarked Audrey.
"Yes it is, I'm so glad I've got my wife back and that you're starting therapy," said Kevin before lightly kissing his wife on the top of her head, "Please promise me that you'll keep it up."
"I will," assured Audrey, "Dr. Benson made me feel so much better, she told me she'd help in any way she could, but I also need to help myself, and to do that means going to therapy, talking about my feelings and listening to those around me."
"And I'll always listen to you, babe." promised Kevin.
"Well first I'll tell you this," began the brunette, "I was driving away from the medical centre, and just as I was on the road I saw, and I know this'll sound crazy, but I could've sworn I saw Ziva."
"Ziva?" cried Kevin in confusion, "That's strange, Emma said she thought she saw Ziva after her first therapy session. We met Gibbs, Ellie and Jack at the diner and as soon as we brought up Ziva, they looked awkward, like they weren't being totally honest."
"You don't think Ziva's really alive, do you?" questioned Audrey.
"I'm not sure," answered Kevin, "And there's another thing, remember when Tim said Gibbs' house got shot up and he was on a secret mission with somebody? Well a few days after you and Emma were rescued I asked Gibbs about it and he claimed he was helping Fornell, but didn't elaborate on the secret mission. Plus, he suddenly had this young boy named Phineas with him, who was one of his neighbours kids, but now that's no longer the case according to Tim."
"They're hiding something from us," declared Audrey, "I can tell."
"Well I can always ask Tim and Ellie." stated Kevin.
Over at McGee's apartment, Tim and Delilah were snuggled up together in bed, when suddenly McGee's phone rang. The agent quickly picked it up and answered.
"Hello." began McGee.
"Hey, Tim, it's me," came Kevin's voice, "Just to let you know, Audrey's started therapy and I think it's working."
"That's great news Kev," replied McGee in delight, "Tell her and Emma that me and Delilah say hi."
"I will," replied Kevin, "Hey, Tim, Audrey says that when she was coming back from the medical centre she saw Ziva and so did Emma. Is Ziva still alive?"
McGee simply gulped and wondered if he should say anything. "Uhhh, no, I don't know anything about Ziva," he replied nervously, "Maybe it was someone that looked like Ziva."
"Perhaps." replied Kevin, sounding unconvinced.
McGee then ended the call and turned to Delilah, who looked slightly unimpressed.
"Tim, I think you ought to tell them," said Delilah, sounding cross, "There's no point in hiding it anymore."
"I know I should," sighed McGee, "I just wanted to wait until Audrey got better before springing that kind of news on them."
"I know," replied the brunette, "But please promise me next time you see them to tell them the truth."
"I promise." replied McGee.
The two then exchanged kisses.
Over at Bishop's apartment, the blonde groaned as she sat up in bed at the sound of her phone buzzing. Ellie quickly answered. "Hello?" she asked sleepily.
"Hey, Ellie," called out Audrey, "Well I've finally started therapy, but something strange happened. When I was coming back I could've sworn I saw Ziva."
"Ziva?" cried Bishop in surprise, "Nope don't know anything."
"You sure?" asked Audrey in confusion.
Bishop accidentally hung up before falling back to sleep and snoring loudly.
Back at Kevin and Audrey's, the couple looked at each other in bewilderment. "They know something." they said in unison.
(AN) Well, that was Chapter Six of Recovery. I hope you all enjoyed, and remember to Read and Review.
In the final chapter, Kevin and Audrey learn the truth about Ziva, we get some more nice Kevin and Audrey moments and we get a couple of nice cameos.
Until then, this is TimeLordMaster108 signing out.
