Trigger warning: topic of domestic violence.
Three Days Later
"Stop! STOP!"
Emily was instantly awake, rolling out of bed and rushing down the hall towards Nathan's room. Her heart was pounding, and she realized too late she did not have a weapon on her. Her first thought had been: How had he found them?
She flicked his bedroom light on, bracing herself for the worst, and saw Nathan thrashing in bed, clearly asleep.
"Oh my God," she exhaled, feeling immense relief. She pressed a hand into her chest as she walked over to Nathan and shook him awake. He gasped as he opened his eyes, looking around the room until he rested on her sitting on the edge of his bed.
"What's happened?" he asked, sounding a little afraid. It reminded Emily of when he was a young boy.
"You were shouting," she answered. "I didn't want to leave you suffering in the nightmare."
"Oh," he said, breathing hard still. She was right. He had been having a nightmare. He'd dreamed Roger had found them and killed her.
"You wanna talk about it?" she asked softly.
"No," he shook his head. "Thanks." He gave her a weak smile, trying to convey he was all right.
"Get some water," she suggested. "That sometimes helps me."
"Okay."
She reached to smooth his hair off his forehead before getting up and leaving him alone. It took a bit for Nathan's heart to calm down. It had all felt so real. He thanked God that it hadn't been.
...
Luke saw Gary come in, and he bristled inside as usual. Just the sight of him made him feel twisted inside. He still didn't know why he was feeling that way. Emily was his friend. That was all.
"Hey, Luce," Gary said. "The usual."
Lucy got started on it while Luke did his best to ignore him. Then Gary's phone rang, and he answered it.
"Oh...hey," he said, lowering his voice. This piqued Luke's interest, and he turned to look at him as he kept talking. "Yea. I am free. No, I know I said I was in a relationship, but that's over now. No...she walked out. Yea, I'd love to meet you..."
Luke stared, incredulous. When did this happen? Lucy went back and handed him his coffee and bagel, and Gary waved at her and mouthed "thank you" before walking out. It was all Luke could do to not chase after him and punch him in the head. Did he not realize you don't just let someone like Emily walk out?!
Then again, that meant good news for Luke, if he was interested in that sort of thing. He was working very hard to not want to be.
"This came for you," Lucy said, breaking into his thoughts then. He looked to where she was pointing and saw the light fixture for Emily's apartment.
Perfect timing.
"Thanks. I'll be over there assembling it if you need me," he said, going to pick it up and find his tools.
...
It was mid-afternoon, and Emily was alone in her apartment going through past documents and invoking memories when someone knocked on her door. She felt a bit cautious as she went to answer, leaving the items she had been looking at on the desk. She thought it might be Gary, but he hadn't come around since she had walked out of his apartment. He'd obviously made his choice. She looked out the side window and saw it was Luke. His words were still echoing in her mind from their conversation the other day, that she had something here she didn't have in Tennessee, which was him.
It had been sweet and unexpected, but she appreciated it all the same.
"Hey," Luke said now as she opened the door. He had a box in his arms and a tool belt around his waist. "Sorry to interrupt your day off, but I got this finally and was hoping to get it up since work is slow."
"Sure," she agreed, moving aside. He went over to the dining room and set the box on the floor carefully. She watched as he got to work putting up her new light fixture. It was a bit simpler than the last one, but she felt more confident it wouldn't conk her on the head like the last one had tried to. She left him to it, unsure if he wanted the company or if he wanted complete focus on his task, the items on her desk forgotten.
"Shit," he said about twenty minutes later right after a clatter on the floor happened.
"You okay out there?" she called. She was in her room on her laptop, browsing random things.
"Um, no," he answered. She got up and padded out to join him. She found him standing on a chair holding the fixture with one hand and looking at the floor where his screwdriver had fallen.
"You stuck?" she asked cheerily.
"If you could just hand it to me, that'd be great," he answered. She crossed her arms, smiling up at him. It was the perfect opportunity to torture him with something, but she didn't know what.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"I'm thinking."
"You have to think about handing me my screwdriver?" he asked, incredulous.
"I'm thinking about how I could best use this opportunity," she replied. He made a face at her and snapped his fingers.
"I don't have all day," he said gruffly.
"A drill would have been a better tool of choice," she pointed out.
"I realize that now," he huffed. "Just hand it to me."
She picked it up and offered it to him, pulling it back when he reached for it.
"Oh, come on," he groaned.
"I just think I'm wasting a really good opportunity here," she said, tapping the screwdriver on the palm of her hand and looking at him.
"To do what?" he demanded, growing impatient. His arm was also getting sore from holding up the fixture.
"I don't know yet..."
"How about you give me the screwdriver and I won't evict you and fire you," he threatened. She quickly handed it to him, and he took it. She watched him finish the job in about ten minutes, and he stepped down from the chair.
"Looks good," she noted before going back to her room.
He didn't answer as he went to find the extra light bulbs in her utility drawer. He didn't even know what made him look, but he couldn't help notice the folder on her desk. He didn't know what possessed him to do it, but he nudged it open, and what he saw almost made him throw up.
They were photos of Emily covered in bruises. They were close ups of her face with dark purple bruises on her cheek under her black, swollen eye. The other photos were of her torso, which had more bruises. What really stood out to him, though, were the finger marks on her neck and her legs. This angered him more than anything.
"Coffee," Emily said, coming back and startling him. "That's what I really need right now." He shut the folder and stepped away from the desk, but not fast enough. She stopped in the doorway and paused, noticing the look on his face and the fact that the folder on her desk looked disturbed.
"Coffee is good," he commented, trying to act like he hadn't just seen her worst nightmare.
"Well, I guess I can share," she said, moving to grab the folder and stuff it into the top drawer. He could tell she was nervous, not knowing if he had seen the contents or not.
"I would hope that by now you knew how to share," he said. "That's, like, kindergarten stuff right there."
"I knew how to share long before that," she sniffed.
"Well, that's good," he said. "I'm gonna put these in." He lifted the light bulbs in his hand, and she nodded. He went to finish the job, but he soon felt even sicker because he realized why those photos looked familiar to him. It all came crashing back.
He'd been the one to take them.
Flashback: Late 2009
Luke was finishing up his shift when a call for a major crime came through. Over half of the police force was out on it, leaving Luke to have to stay to cover at the office. If he hadn't worked a full day already, he probably would have been sent to go out. He was thankful he hadn't. His patience was very minimal in that moment. Annie had been fighting with him earlier about something ridiculous.
"Luke?" Tracy, the receptionist, asked. He turned to see her standing there looking a bit green.
"What?"
"We've got a DV situation. She just walked in," Tracy explained. Luke sighed.
"All right. Where is she?"
"I put her in the boardroom. The interrogation rooms are full."
"Thanks."
Tracy left, and Luke got to his feet wearily, heading towards the boardroom. He knocked and opened the door, bracing himself. When he first saw the woman standing there hugging herself, he felt instant anger. She'd been crying but wasn't in that moment. Her face had been used as a punching bag, he could blatantly see that. She had a coat on zipped to her chin, so he wondered what else there was underneath it.
"Hi," he said. "I'm Detective Wright. You want to sit down?" He gestured to a chair, and she just shook her head.
"I'm good."
"All right," he said, sitting himself. He rested his chin on his folded hands, looking at her. "What's going on?"
"I...I don't know where to start," she admitted.
"How about you tell me your name."
"Emma," she said.
"Did someone do this to you, Emma?" Luke asked. She swallowed, and he saw a tear fall from her left eye and slide down her cheek. She nodded.
"Who?" he prodded.
Emma's eyes shifted nervously around the room and out the window, looking at the officers out there who hadn't gone on the big call.
"I don't think I can say."
"Why not?"
"Because he'll deny it."
"He can try," Luke snorted.
"You don't understand," she said urgently. "He...he's a cop."
Luke felt the hair on his arms stand up straight. He stared at her as she started to cry full out now. He stood up and went over to her carefully. She flinched when he got close.
"You gotta tell me who it is," he said softly.
"I can't," she shook her head. "This was a mistake." She went to reach for the door when Luke put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. She flinched again, and he cursed himself for being tactless. She'd just been beaten up. His touch was not helping. He removed his hand quickly.
"It's not a mistake," he insisted. "You're here. You took this step. You can keep going."
"He'll kill me," Emma whispered.
"It looks to me as though he's already tried," Luke gestured. "You can't go back to that."
"I know," she said. "I know, but I have to."
"No, you don't. At least let me document this before you go."
"Fine. Just take the pictures and get this over with," she said roughly.
"I can get you somewhere safe..."
"Just take the pictures," she cut him off, repeating herself. "Please."
"Okay," he nodded, going to retrieve a camera. He worked to keep his hands from shaking. When he got back, she was still standing in the same spot he'd left her.
"Over here," he said, and she stepped against the wall. He shut the blinds to the windows so nobody would watch. He took in a breath as he turned on the camera. She stood there unsmiling as he began. Her face was bruised mostly on the left side. She had a black eye as well, and her lip was split. She took off her coat, and Luke had to work hard to not make a face or a sound. There were finger marks on her neck as well as her arms. Bigger bruises dotted the skin on her arms as well. Some were fresh. The majority of them were in various stages of healing. He said nothing as he kept taking pictures. When she lifted her shirt to her chest to show her stomach and abdomen area, he gritted his teeth. More bruises. Some cuts.
"All right," he said when she dropped her shirt. "I think I've got it all."
"No, you don't," she shook her head, beginning to take her pants off. Luke felt the breath catch in his throat as he first felt surprise and then complete, utter rage at the sight of her thighs and upper legs. Emily had her eyes closed at this point, her green eye shadow smeared on the right eye. Luke felt frozen, but he forced himself to take the pictures, and he looked away as she pulled her pants back up.
"Sit tight," he told her, setting the camera on the table. "I'll be back."
"I'm not pressing charges," she said. "And I'm not telling you who he is."
"I got it, but..."
"No buts. You got your pictures for whatever reason. I'm leaving."
"Can I at least get you something to eat?" he asked, desperate to keep her there somehow. If he could keep her there long enough, it might flush out the perpetrator, who might come to the station looking for her. He wanted to take this guy down.
"Fine," she gave in. He rushed out to find something, anything to give her. When he came back with a water and something from the vending machine, though, she was gone. The camera was there, but instinct made him look at it, and he realized the memory card was gone. Thank God hers were the only photos on it.
"Shit!" he exclaimed. He pushed past his coworkers as he went down the hall. "Emma!" She wasn't anywhere. He couldn't find her. He reached Tracy, who was on the phone. He gestured with his hands for her to hurry and hang up.
"What?" Tracy asked, annoyed, when she finally did.
"Where did that woman go?" Luke asked.
"Which one?"
"The DV one."
"Oh...I don't know. I haven't seen her."
"Well, she's not here anymore."
"That's too bad. I think she really could have used the help."
Luke didn't respond as he left to search outside the station. He just knew that Emma would be killed if she went back. He had to stop her. He caught sight of a black sedan driving away rather fast, but it was too far away to see the plates. He rubbed his head, frustrated. She was gone.
He could only pray that she somehow managed to get away from it and be free.
Present
This knowledge was startling to Luke. He'd always wondered about Emma and what happened to her until his own life started going for a shit. Then he wasn't thinking about any of his older cases or people he usually worried about. He realized now that she had a different hair color back then and had given him a fake name, just like she had again now. Was Emily even her real name? He vaguely recalled the woman from Emily's past saying it, so Emily had to be her real first name. Obviously, Emily didn't remember him from back then.
"Are you okay?" Emily asked him now. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"I'm fine," he answered automatically. How was he going to tell her that he remembered meeting her back then? Their friendship was still new and fragile. He didn't want to risk ruining it. Obviously she had gotten away, but obviously she was in hiding, so that meant her abuser was still out there somewhere. And he was a cop with resources. No wonder she gave a fake last name.
"Coffee's ready," she said, gesturing.
"Right."
He went to sit at the counter. He forced himself to snap out of it and act normal. Every time he looked at her, though, he couldn't help but see those bruises all over again. It made him wonder about the scar on her belly. He almost didn't want to know.
"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked.
"Yea," he answered. "Just tired."
"I think that's going around," she sighed. "Nathan had a rough night last night."
"Oh?"
"I forget sometimes that he was there," she said softly. She knew damn well Luke had looked at her pictures. It was why he could barely look at her right now. Then he did look at her, and she could tell he had questions he wanted to ask. She was so tired of keeping it all back all of a sudden. She had never told anyone about anything that happened to her, and it was hard trying to deal with the trauma of it alone. She knew he was there for her. He'd made that clear a couple times now. What could hurt if she told him?
"I know you saw them," she said quietly. He swallowed.
"I'm sorry. I invaded your privacy in the worst way. I have no excuse," he added.
"This might sound crazy, but I'm kind of glad you saw them," Emily said.
"It's not crazy," he promised.
"Luke?" Lucy was calling through the wall. "You done over there? We need you!"
Emily and Luke were still looking at each other. Luke was reluctant to leave. He knew she was very close to telling him everything. He wanted her to confide in him. He knew all about how hard it can be to have so much pain to hold onto alone.
"You should go," she said after a moment. She turned away from him, and he cursed Lucy for always having terrible timing. He stood and went around the counter so that he was in front of Emily.
"Tonight," he said. "You and me. All right?"
She watched him carefully, and she saw nothing but care and concern, and she nodded.
"All right," she agreed.
"You only tell me what you want to tell me," he advised.
"Okay."
He wanted to say more, but he didn't know what to say.
"LUKE!" Lucy bellowed through the wall now.
"I gotta..." he trailed off.
"Go," Emily gestured. "We'll talk later." She gave him a small smile, which he returned. He reluctantly left, but at least she had agreed to talk to him later. It was a step in the right direction.
...
Luke found himself frustrated with Lucy that afternoon. She dropped more things than usual and just seemed to be in her own world.
"Shit!" she yelled after crashing into him and dousing him with coffee. "I'm so sorry!"
"Luce, what's up?" Luke asked, reaching for a rag to wipe himself off with.
"Nothing," she answered. "I just had a rough night is all."
"Is it Brent?"
"I'm fine," she insisted, going a little red in the face. Luke figured he had discovered the source of her bad night, but he didn't press.
"Just...go a bit slower, okay?" he said.
"Okay," she nodded, sliding past him and going for a mop to clean up the spill on the floor. Luke couldn't get all the coffee off, so he went to change his shirt. He was still thinking about Emily. He wondered what all he was going to hear from her later. He knew it would be hard for her, and he wanted to make her feel safe while she shared. If he was honest, he was surprised she wanted to talk to him. Maybe he already gave her that feeling.
"Luke?" Mei called. "I'm home."
"All right," he said back.
"Lucy said to tell you she wasn't feeling well so she left," Mei went on. She was soon standing in his bedroom doorway.
"I saw that coming," he sighed.
"I'll be down in ten," Mei said, tapping her hand on the door frame before leaving to get changed. Luke went back downstairs after a few minutes and did his best to remain focused until it was time to meet Emily.
...
"Hey," Nathan said, dropping his backpack on the floor before going to sit on the couch beside Emily.
"How are you?" she asked as he got comfortable next to her.
"Tired."
"I bet. You feeling okay?"
"Yea. I'm sorry I woke you up."
"Don't worry about it," she smiled. "Hey, I ordered in. Your favorite."
"You're the best," he grinned, leaning to give her a quick hug before hopping to his feet to change out of his school clothes. Emily was feeling a bit anxious about seeing Luke later and telling him about Roger. She was having second thoughts, but a part of her really wanted to do this. She needed to get help with this, whether it just be a listening ear.
She spent the evening distracting herself with eating and laughing with Nathan before getting slaughtered at Sequence once more. He went to bed around ten, and she waited half an hour before slipping out the front door. It was time.
...
Luke saw her walking towards him. He waited until she got closer before he held out his hand. She took it because they were walking over a bit of rough terrain towards the rock. His hand felt warm in hers. Strong. Non-threatening. She felt cold when he released her as they sat down side by side.
Emily took in a few breaths, feeling shaky inside. It was now or never.
"You don't have to," he said, knowing she was feeling unsure.
"No," she shook her head, looking at him. "It's time."
"No matter what you tell me," Luke said. "I'm not going anywhere."
"That means a lot," she replied.
"Whenever you're ready. No rush," he told her. She nodded slowly. Then she took a breath, and she started talking.