This comes as a big of a surprise to me as I'm sure it will for you. I realize I've been gone for a long time and it's not even guaranteed anyone will want to read any of this again. I have yet to even watch season 3 of the Following but I found muse for Liette and Joe's story again, and reading the reviews that have been left on it since I've been gone has made me want to carry on. I'm sorry if it's not quite up to snuff. I hope to hear your thoughts on this!

It was late by the time the black Sedan pulled up to the gated driveway that held the great home that awaited Joe's return but not a soul had went to bed. They all knew what was about to happen and no one would dare rest without finally getting a glance of their leader, unchained and free at last. Emma even sat up in Joey's bedroom, keeping him awake so that his father would finally be able to lay eyes on him.

The only person who wished they could seep was Liette.

The blonde lay in her prison, staring up at the ceiling. It had been several days since they had taken her from the hospital. She'd been shown around the house and so far she'd been unable to find a viable way to escape. There were no phones in the house, only the burner cells that some of Joe's followers kept on them at all times. And even then, not many people seemed to have much contact with the outside world. This place was exactly what everyone pictured when someone muttered the word 'compound'. It actually made Liette wonder what Joe would think to see how cliche his little cult had become.

It didn't take her much time to observe that everyone in the house was preparing for something. The day had been filled with an unusual hustle and bustle. Liette had spent much of it in her room, as she had the past several days. She perhaps could've learnt something from interacting with Joe's followers but she was still too fragile from the initial rush. She'd been dragged back into this all, her greatest nightmare coming true once more. She couldn't get his voice out of her head, and every time she closed her eyes she could see him staring back at her.

The sky had blackened and the commotion that surrounded the house had died down a little bit. Liette no longer heard the sounds of people rushing around outside her bedroom door, talking in rushed and excited voices. She had tried to piece together what they were talking about but none of it made much sense. They were getting a big dinner ready and making sure that the house was clean. Perhaps she should've clued in. Perhaps it should've been more obvious to her.

But she didn't have it all figured out until she watched the black sedan pull into the driveway.

Liette felt her heart stop. The throngs of people living in this prison had flooded out onto the yard and even though she could not see their faces well enough in the dark, their excited tones lifted up into the air and through the thin screen of her bedroom window. For a moment she convinced herself that she was dreaming, that she'd actually managed to fall asleep and that this was just another nightmare. She had no access to the news so she had no reason to believe that Joe could be anywhere but the prison cell she'd left him in. But that wasn't the case.

She watched from the high above window as the man she'd come to loathe and fear stepped out of the black sedan. She watched as he embraced his followers, starting with the girl that Liette had heard others call Emma, the one who had supposedly gained Claire's trust and then stolen Joey away. Joey was the next to gain Joe's attention. Liette's stomach turned as she watched Joe's movements slow the moment he caught a glimpse of his son. The boy hesitated as the others looked on, watching the union with such endearment. Liette had never cared for children but she wished so desperately that she could save Joey from this moment. He was not old enough to understand the depths of his father's evil.

Joe knelt down, his first exchange with his son too quiet for Liette to hear from above. She watched intently, unable to tear her eyes away from the horrific scene below. How had this happened? Days ago Joe had been locked up and now he'd escaped. Again. He had everything he wanted: his freedom, his followers, his son…. her.

Liette's focus on the scene below was broken by the sound of the bedroom door opening before her. She turned around abruptly, hands flying to the windowsill that now was behind her, holding on as if she might be able to keep herself in this spot. Roderick stood in the doorway, a sickly smile painted on his handsome lips. "You should freshen up." he commented cooly "He'll want to have dinner with you."

"And if I refuse?"

"It's cute that you think you have a choice."

Of course she didn't have a choice. She was the prisoner now, not Joe. She was his prisoner. It had been one thing to be taken by his people but to now be in his clutches again was a terrifying thought. Days ago he had confessed his love for her, he'd told her that this had all been for her and that in this new story they would get the chance to be together. A long time ago that might've been what she had wanted but it wasn't like they could ever get that back. He was the type of monster she had dedicated her life to stopping. Nothing could change that.

Roderick stepped into the room, making Liette tense again. Of all the people she'd come across in the house so far he was the one who worried her the most. She could see little pieces of Joe in him, that influence that came oh so easily. Liette had once been in a similar place, enchanted by the man's every move and wishing to do everything in her power to please him. Of course, Roderick had gone about a completely different way of pleasing Joe Carroll. Liette had earned Joe's fondness with literature and intellect, Roderick's path had been much more violent.

She remained at the window, attempting to keep as much distance between them as possible as Roderick moved to rifle through the closet. He pulled out a blood red evening gown and laid it out on the bed. Obviously this was what she was expected to wear tonight. "Dinner will be in half an hour, I'll come getcha then, whether your ready or not." by the sound of his voice Liette had a feeling that if she did not put on the gown herself he would force her into it and drag her down to the dining room. It was easier if she just complied.

The time sped by dangerously fast for Liette but downstairs the newly arrived master of the house was growing impatient. He had wanted their reunion to be special but he now regretted the slowness of it. He paced in the dining room, waiting for the minutes to pass so he could finally see her. He would greet the rest of the house in the morning but he simply could not rest without being reunited once more, this time without the chains on his wrists keeping him from her.

Finally the clock chimed midnight and the dining room door opened. Roderick stepped in to keep it held open, giving a quick nod to Joe before the man was completely lost on the figure that walked in.

"Liette…"

Her name fell softly from Joe's lips as he breathed her in. She looked radiant, albeit scared. The lace sleeves of the red dress rested just off the shoulders and it inched in at the wait before falling into flowing waves down her bodice. She was the real first breath of his freedom. This was finally happening.

"I've dreamed of this moment for years."

Liette remained still at the door, even as Roderick left them and closed the door with a solid click. There was the sound of the door locking from the outside which only told Liette what she already knew: she could not run. She was frozen in this nightmare with no hope of waking up. She opened her lips as if she might say something but her words failed her. Her heartbeat was so loud she could hear it drumming in her ears and she swore she could feel it in her cheeks. She stared right ahead, looking at him in disbelief. She wondered how he had done it. How he'd pulled it off. He'd escaped not once but twice. This man was impossibly good.

Then he took a step towards her and Liette felt her whole world start to spin.

This wasn't some horrible nightmare that she couldn't wake up from. This was her reality. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. There was just no way she was going to get out of this alive. It was all overwhelming, too overwhelming. She couldn't breathe. Her heartbeat went from racing against her to suddenly stopping. She faltered slightly, nearly blacking out but Joe let forward to steady her, his hands catching her at her waist, holding her still.

"Are you alright?" he asked, a worried look in his eyes. "I'm so sorry for the way we had to go about things. I just didn't know how else to get you here. It's alright now. You're safe."

But Liette felt the opposite of safe.

He had her now. He had his hands on her. She was just where he wanted her and she had nowhere to go. She imagined it would only be a matter of time before she'd end up just like the others. He had kept saying that she was different but if she didn't give him what he wanted she knew it would be over. But she didn't know if she could play into his sick fantasy. Surely either way she would lose herself.

"Let go of me."

Liette surprised even herself with the strength of her voice. She still felt a bit weak in the knees but she lifted her gaze to meet Joe's, a hardness in her eyes making it quite clear how serious she was. She did not want to be touched by him. She did not want him asking her if she was alright. She didn't want him at all. He'd been deluded to think that he could just profess his love and win her back after everything he'd done. She wasn't his. She'd never been his.

Joe was reluctant but he gave into Liette's request, letting his hands fall away from her. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his dress pants as if to help him resist the temptation of touching her again. He reminded himself that this would likely have to be a slow process. Liette had spent years being brainwashed by the authorities and those around her at the bureau. She thought him to be a monster. He'd have to prove to her that that was not the case.

"Shall we?" he asked, a hand directing her gaze to the already set table that was behind them.

Albeit the grandness of the room and the dozens of lit candles that illuminated the space, the dinner set out for them was quite simple. There was a selection of fine cheeses, meats, and breads laid out on a small square table with two chairs. A bottle of red wine sat between two long stemmed wine glasses. It certainly wasn't what most would imagine a man's first meal would be after being freed from prison but this was just the beginning. Joe had planned quite the affair for him and his beloved. It had been a very easy task to do with so many people eager to help him. The difficult part would be getting her to actually sit and enjoy the meal with him.

Joe held out his arm to lead her to the table but Liette brushed past him, not even giving him the chance to pull out or push in her chair when she sat in it. Her hand immediately went for the butter knife but the movement did not go unnoticed by her company. Joe grabbed her wrist, causing her to flinch and drop the knife, the silverware falling to the wooden floor below. "Now, my love, I know this is all very difficult for you but please try to behave."

Liette swallowed hard, tensing under his grasp again, his fingers on her bare skin this time. She yanked her arm away from him which was his cue to go take a seat. "Please say something." he sighed after a while of watching her sit there with her back pressed straight against the back of the chair. Her lips did not move, instead she turned her gaze away from him and did not even grant him the luxury of looking into her eyes.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when he slammed his hand on the table.

"Dammit Liette!" Joe growled, a harder side of him showing once more as he quickly lost patience. "Why are you being like this? I've done my best to make sure you would be comfortable. I've had everything arranged, I—."

"You had me kidnapped!" Liette finally snapped, cutting him off. "You had me drugged and brought me to God know's where so I could be your little toy but I won't be!" there was the passion and ferocity that had made her an excellent agent. It was often toned down behind logic and intellect but every now and then she showed how tenacious she could be. Even scared out of her wits, trapped in a place with the man of her nightmare's, Liette found a little bit of strength yet. She might die here but she wouldn't go out begging for her life.

"You're clearly not up for this tonight." Joe said lowly. He looked slightly defeated, certainly disappointed. This hadn't gone exactly how he wanted it. He could feel his rage bubbling up and he knew it would be best that he didn't let her see that side of him until she was ready. Clearly she was not. "You need more time." Liette couldn't imagine that there was enough time in all of eternity to make her 'up for this'.

Joe got out of his seat and went to the door that Liette had come in through. She remained seated, staring blankly ahead. She listened as Joe spoke to Roderick in the doorway, asking him to bring her back up to her room and to have someone take up some food. A million thoughts rushed through her mind and she came up with half a dozen things she could say to him in return but they would only cause a fight, a fight that she would likely lose. She needed to be smart if she wanted to survive, if she wanted to stop him. It was in that moment she realized that it wasn't just about her but about all the other innocents who would suffer if Joe remained free.

In the morning she would have to start again but this time she'd have to play along.

Well, there it is. It's been a while and I really don't know what to think of this myself so please let me know what you think! Any reviews are appreciated! Hopefully I'll be able to write some more!