~*~Tom's P.O.V. ~*~

We jumped into my car and sped off for the police station as soon as we hung up. Veronica texted the others to tell them the news. We waited in the parking lot for them to arrive before we all walked in together. When we did, the detective in charge of our case met us at the door.

"We caught them trying to sneak out of the town through a corn field," he informed us. "We identified them as the men who abducted you when we collected their fingerprints. We've been getting statements from them all day. We'll set up a trial date as soon as we can. In the mean time I suggest you all review your files and fill in as many details as you can."

"Are they here? In the building?" Georg asked. His girlfriend, Allie, slipped her hand into his and squeezed it comfortingly.

"Yes, but you guys don't have to see them right now," the detective said.

"Will we have to speak at the trial?" Veronica asked. I knew she was trying to hide the fear in her voice. I put my arm around her reassuringly.

"You don't have to, but it would give us a better advantage of getting a conviction," the detective explained.

"Wait, you're saying there's a chance you might not convict them?" I said incredulously.

"Their lawyer is trying every possible way to get them sent anywhere but prison. Don't worry; we have enough evidence to prove otherwise. Especially when Veronica testifies-"

"Whoa, whoa; she never said she defiantly would testify," I interrupted.

"But if you do we'll put them away for sure."

"May I speak with you privately," I more demanded than asked.

We went to his office and shut the door.

"Are you seriously going to make her talk about every disgusting thing they made her do in front of that many people? It's taken her until just recently to tell me about it!"

"This seems a little backwards; weren't you always the one encouraging her to face her fears and move on. Don't you think seeing them get convicted would be a major confidence booster?"

"She's not ready to face them. If she sees them she will have a total meltdown and everything she has done to move past this will have been for nothing."

"Don't you mean what you have done to get her past this?"

"Stop twisting my words," I said through clenched teeth. "Can't you submit the tapes from her therapy sessions and a written testimony instead of making her get up and talk about it?"

"Maybe, but we would have a much stronger argument is she could tell our defense attorney the details in person."

"Have you people even considered the emotional stress she would be under if she had to talk about what they did? Let alone be in the same room with them?"

The defense attorney entered the room at this point and took over the conversation.

"Tom, we have taken Veronica's emotional state into consideration, and with the progress she has made over the past six months we strongly believe she is ready to face these men."

"I'm sorry, but I must disagree. There are still small things that set her off and I really think it would be best if she didn't have to face them."

"She's a big girl, she can make her own decisions," the detective said.

"Why don't we go ask her what she wants?" the D.A. suggested.

The three of us walked back to where the others were sitting in the lobby. Veronica was sitting next to Allie. She looked more freaked out than when I'd left her; she was a little jumpy, couldn't stop looking around, and had a fearful and anxious look in her eyes. She instantly looked relieved when she saw me approaching and stood up to greet me.

"Veronica," the D.A. addressed her, "do you want to speak at the trial?"

She took a few minutes to ponder that question. I could tell she didn't want to for obvious reasons, but the part of her that was driven to move on wanted to say yes.

"This is a pretty big step; you really don't have to if you don't think you're ready," I told her.

She thought it over for a few more minutes.

"Can I see Him?" she asked suddenly.

"What?" I said in shock.

Even the D.A. seemed taken aback.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" she asked Veronica.

"If I can handle looking at Him I should be able to speak in front of him, right?"

I looked at the D.A. desperately. She looked at me with a 'what can I do about it?' expression.

"Very well," she said. "Right this way."

We followed her to a small dark room with a window that looked into another similar room. The blinds were closed on the window and the intercom was turned off, but there was an uneasy feeling in the air when we entered the room. The D.A. slowly pulled up the blinds to reveal two officers interrogating a figure that was sitting at a table in the far corner turned away from us. Then she slowly turned up the volume on the intercom. My teeth ground themselves together in an attempt to contain my rage at the sound of his voice. I looked over Veronica as He spoke in a deep, raspy tone. She stood rigid, but seemingly with anger rather than fear.

"How do you feel?" I asked her.

"Pissed off; enraged," she said, her voice brimming with fury.

"Do you want to speak to Him?" the D.A. asked.

I shot her a look that said 'Are you nuts?' But Veronica unexpectedly looked calm and thoughtful.

"Yes."

The D.A. knocked on the door to the other room prior to opening the door.

"You have a visitor," she said, gesturing for Veronica to enter the room.

She walked slowly into the dimly lit room, fists clenched at her sides. At first He looked a bit confused; she had returned to a healthy slim instead of skin and bones after coming home and eating regularly again; her scars had begun to fade; she had gotten much tanner than she previously was; she stood with assurance and confidence rather than fear and apprehension. She was not the same person as she had been six months before.

"Remember me?" she said to Him.

A look of recognition appeared on his face along with a sly grin.

"Yes, I remember you. You were my play thing for quite a while, eh?" he said with an unsettling chuckle.

"Shut up," she said abruptly.

"Ooh, and you've found a bit of an attitude, have you?" He said as he began to stand.

"Sit," Veronica commanded.

He stared at her for a moment before sitting back in his chair. It was now that I noticed his hands and feet were chained together.

"I hope you've enjoyed your freedom, and all this human contact. Because after my testimony, you'll never see the light of day again."

"Please," he said, a smirk finding its way to his lips, "we both know you're too embarrassed to say anything about the past two years. Your boyfriend would probably leave you if he knew anything. Tell me; how many times a night do you wake up screaming?"

"He knows everything, and he's never loved me more," she said proudly. "I sleep peacefully all night and, as you can see, I'm not any more embarrassed than you are; at least for now."

"Lynn, you wouldn't say anything bad against you papa, would you?"

Her façade faltered only for a microsecond, but she stood her ground.

"I'm not afraid of you, and I will testify to all the sick and sadistic things you made me do. There won't be a dry eye in the court; your own lawyer will think you guilty."

"We shall see about that."

"Later, douche bag," she scoffed as she turned to leave.

He suddenly jumped up and lunged at her. She gasped and stumbled backwards towards the doorway. I sprang to her side while the police officers tackled him to the ground and forced him back in the chair. He was fighting against them when he noticed me.

"You will never lock me away! Your defense will crack and so will you," he yelled at us.

"Fuck you," I said as I ushered Veronica back into the other room.

I immediately pulled her into my arms, wrapping her in a tight embrace. She was shaken, but not totally freaked. I stood with her like that until she was able to breathe normally.

"Veronica, are you sure you want to testify against him," the D.A. asked sincerely.

"Yes," she said firmly, "I must."

The D.A. nodded approvingly at this.

"I'll let you know when the trial date is set, in the meantime I strongly advise you to review your case files and make sure you didn't leave out anything."

"I will," she promised.