A month almost two have transpired since Soifon's abduction, and she currently finds herself pacing the confines of the room in which she is held captive. In a misguided attempt to protect Erin from harm, Soifon has acceded to Ace's demands, resulting in limited freedom within the room but a strict prohibition from venturing outside.
The gunshot wound she sustained has now fully healed, a small relief amidst her turmoil. Despite her compliance, Soifon's thoughts incessantly return to Erin, her heart heavy with guilt for being unable to be by her beloved's side.
Contemplating her situation, Soifon considers the advice from Jack to seize the opportunity of her partial liberty and flee before Ace's whims turn fatal. Jack's warnings about Ace's sadistic enjoyment of the situation add an unsettling layer to Soifon's captivity.
Pondering an escape plan, Soifon voices her concerns about the surveillance cameras monitoring her every move, a realization that dampens her hopes. "How can I evade surveillance when Ace has a plethora of cameras in place?" she mutters while lying on her back, gazing up at the ceiling.
The sudden interruption of Ace's entrance into the room, bearing a tray of food, startles Soifon from her ruminations, prompting his questioning gaze at her utterance.
Upon sitting back up, Soifon observed him and nonchalantly replied, 'Nothing.' She observed as the man placed the tray on the table and approached her, causing her to grimace when he placed his hand on her cheek.
'Are you contemplating an escape plan? One would have assumed you would have attempted it long ago, given that it has been approximately a month almost two,' Ace inquired with a smirk.
'And if you had escaped, I am certain that everyone would have stopped looking for you by now, assuming you were dead.' Soifon frowned, realizing she had lost track of the days spent in confinement, as she had been oblivious to the fact that a month had passed coming on two months.
However, she found solace in the knowledge that Erin was safe, understanding that this was her primary concern. She expressed gratitude towards Jack for overseeing her situation, even though it was actually Thomas performing the duties, a decision she recognized as being in Erin's best interest.
Jack provided an explanation for his actions, attributing them to his misguided intentions. He has been struggling to find a way out of the situation, particularly after his unsuccessful attempts to aid Soifon in escaping. Consequently, Soifon has resigned herself to the circumstances.
Soifon expressed her difficulty with the situation by shaking her head and stating, 'You make it hard to,' as she attempted to avoid Ace's advances. However, Ace persistently questioned her, asking if she had given up.
When Soifon resisted his kisses, Ace resorted to violent actions, repeatedly striking her face and causing a cut on her lip. Despite tasting blood and feeling the cut on her lip, Soifon still resisted Ace's advances, resulting in further violence from him.
"Remember our agreement, Soi," Ace murmured in her ear. "And I'm certain Erin has already moved on by now. Who would desire someone like you?" He taunted with a smirk as tears began pooling in Soifon's eyes. "Look at yourself, unable to escape this predicament, always accompanied by misfortune."
Soifon attempted to raise her arms to shield herself from his insults, but he restrained them with his legs. "Do you not wish to hear the truth?" Ace inquired, planting a rough kiss on her neck. "Let go," Soifon whispered, her blue eyes misty with uninvited tears.
"Pathetic is what you are. If I were Erin, I'd prefer the firefighter over a person who is nothing but a waste of space," Ace taunted before rising from atop the woman with dark hair and delivering another slap.
Soifon curled into a ball, seeking refuge from his cruel words. "I believe it's time for me to start enjoying myself, Soi. Perhaps I should create a video for Erin and the rest," he mentioned before shutting the door and locking it behind him.
Upon realizing that Ace was no longer present, Soifon closed her eyes and let out a whimper, feeling his words penetrate her heart and mind. Although it had been almost two months since her disappearance, she couldn't help but believe some of his words: 'Erin, please, just give up on me. It will be better for both of us.'
Erin P.O.V*
In the district, Erin sat at her desk with a weary expression in her hazel eyes, her hand resting on her stomach as she reached her fifth month of pregnancy, soon to be six. Due to her condition, she had been assigned to desk duty by her mother last month.
Unable to shake off the worry, the brunette found herself constantly stressed as it had been almost two months since Soifon's kidnapping and no progress had been made in locating her.
Despite Erin's persistent requests to Voight to continue the search, the team decided to prioritize other cases, disregarding her pleas to keep looking, as Voight insisted it was not the right time to do so.
Erin denied the circulating rumor and is unwilling to acknowledge the possibility of Soifon's demise. She was the person who knew Soifon best, and she finds it difficult to accept that Voight is no longer actively searching.
Though she is not alone in her efforts to locate her girlfriend, with the assistance of Kelly Serverride and some support from Jay, who eventually gave up on the search along with the others.
Upon hearing footsteps, Erin looked up to see her foster father approaching her desk. 'You should go home and rest,' Voight advised, his hands resting on the desk. 'I can't,' Erin murmured, leaning back in her seat.
'I can't sleep, I can't rest. It's so challenging knowing that she's out there,' she replied, swallowing her emotions as Voight sighed. 'Erin, we both know that if Soifon were still alive, we would have found some sign of her by now, but it's been-' Voight started to say, but the brunette interrupted him.
Erin bit her lip, displaying her growing frustration with those who were claiming that Soifon was dead, particularly those who were supposed to support her during this challenging time instead of falsely raising her hopes.
She firmly believed that if the situation were reversed, Soifon would not give up on searching for her or any other teammate, prompting her confusion over why they were so quick to abandon the search for Soifon.
'She's not dead, damn it Hank!' Erin exclaimed loudly, indifferent to who else might overhear her. Perhaps she wanted everyone present to hear her unwavering conviction.
She observed Ashley rising to calm her, but Erin disregarded the attempts of the older woman. 'Soifon isn't dead, I don't understand why you persist in thinking that. I know her,' she asserted.
Just as Kelly approached the bullpen, permitted by Platt, he caught Erin's words in time: 'Soifon is NOT dead. You all gave up too readily. She's likely fighting for her life, trying to find a way out,' Erin exclaimed, a sob escaping her.
Erin expressed her disappointment by stating, 'The team I joined seems to have given up on one of their own.' She stepped back from Voight's attempt to hug her.
Voight, unsure of what to say to his foster daughter to reason with her, responded, 'We all made efforts to locate Soifon. Do you think she would contact us if she managed to escape or was tempted to leave?' Erin shook her head in response.
Enveloped in Kelly's embrace, Erin remarked emotionally, 'You all abandoned her just because Crowley instructed you to. You were too cowardly to confront her about it.' Despite realizing that her emotions may have been influencing her thoughts, she continued to express her frustration.
Erin also acknowledged, 'The only one who has not given up on me is Kelly, who is not even part of the team.' Reluctant to admit her feelings, she buried her face in Kelly's chest as he comforted her.
Voight shook his head, recognizing Erin's fatigue from excessive worrying. He advised, 'I believe it would be beneficial for you to return home and get some rest,' in an attempt to help her relax.
Kelly softly urged Erin, 'Let us escort you home,' planting a gentle kiss on her head as she leaned into his embrace. 'It is important for the twins,' he emphasized, observing Voight's agreement.
Despite Kelly's efforts, Erin refused, holding onto his jacket and expressing, 'If the situation were reversed, she would not cease searching for me, and neither would you,' she murmured, locking eyes with her foster father.
'So what sets you apart… It's fine, just like how everyone always left Soifon… and you all are no different from them,' tears welled up in her hazel eyes as she spoke.
Voight averted his gaze from Erin, nervously biting his lip, while Kelly intervened, 'Erin, please come with me. You are under a lot of strain, and it is crucial for you to rest,' gently guiding her out of the bullpen.