Chapter 4:
JJ closed the door behind her as she entered the dark room, immediately sitting down beside her friend as JJ put the tablet down on the desk.
"Oh sweetpea, it's ok!"
Garcia quickly saw the sadness in JJ's eyes and enveloped her in a warm embrace.
"I'm sorry Pen, it's just she is Emily's niece, she looks so much like her, she has her eyes, her hair and even her dimples and mannerisms."
"I know sweetie, this is too close to home, is she going to be ok?"
"Well Libby is definitely strong, she managed to answer all of our questions."
"She's Emily's niece JJ, I'm not sure I would expect any less."
JJ managed a small smile as she wiped the tears from her eyes, the quietness interrupted by her cell buzzing on the desk. JJ picked it up and quickly read the message.
"Tara's going to take Emily and Libby home."
JJ sighed as she sat back upright and looked at Garcia.
"Can we get the others on a call?"
"Two seconds my sweet."
Garcia smiled as quickly the faces of Dave, Luke and Tyler appeared on the screen.
"Hello my wonderful guys, how are you all?"
"Good thank you Garcia, JJ is everything ok?"
Dave had a slight frown on his face as JJ nodded her head.
"Tara and I have spoken to Libby, she has told us quite a bit which should help."
JJ took a breath before she filled the others in on what Libby had experienced in the last few days.
"That's actually really good information, Luke and Tyler can you go back to the apartment and look around the home office? Garcia, I think we need to dig deep into the personal finances. JJ, you and I are going to look at the map and see if we can narrow down where the house might be."
Dave looked at everyone who nodded in agreement.
Emily sat in the back of Tara's car alongside Libby, who hadn't said a word but Tara had put some music on and was tapping her fingers along as she drove. Tara knew the way to Emily's house and it wasn't long before they pulled up behind Emily's car in the driveway.
"Thanks Tara."
Emily smiled as they all got out of the car and walked towards the porch, Libby took a hold of Emily's hand as they entered the house, Libby quickly moved back to the couch and laid down on it once again.
"Are you guys going to be ok?"
Tara put her hand on Emily's arm.
"Yeah, I think we both need to get some sleep."
"Do you need anything? I can bring some food around later?"
Tara smiled, knowing that Emily's cooking skills were basic at best.
"Oh god, I haven't even thought about that, Libby's got no clothes either?"
"Emily it's ok, take a breath?"
Tara spoke quietly as she kept her hand on Emily's arm.
"I'll go and pick some stuff up now for you, I'll leave my laptop and then I can work from here."
"Thank you Tara, I don't know what I would do without you guys."
"Just concentrate on Libby Emily, she needs to feel safe and secure and she has that with you."
Emily nodded her head and quickly gave Tara a hug before Tara put her laptop bag by the coat rack in the hall and left. Emily took her boots off and walked through to where Libby was laying down on the couch, Sergio had curled up near her injured wrist as Emily sat down on the floor in front of her niece.
"You look tired Libby, come on lets get you somewhere a bit more comfortable."
Emily stood up and held out her hand as Libby reached out and took a hold of it as the two of them walked upstairs, the black cat following behind. Although there was a spare bedroom Emily knew that Libby would feel more comfortable in with her.
"Come on Libs, I think we could both do with a nap."
Emily smiled as she laid down on her bed, as Libby laid down beside her, laying on her side so that her cast was on top before Emily turned and put her arm around her young niece while Segio curled up at the end by Emily's feet.
"It's ok Libby, close your eyes, I'm right here with you."
Luke frowned as he looked around the large home office, there was a large desk with two chairs on the other side, a TV was on one wall and a single picture on the other wall, but there were no personal items, no family photos, which considering it was a home office was a little strange.
"Hey Tyler!"
"Yeah."
Tyler walked into the room and looked at Luke.
"There aren't many photos in this place are there?"
"No, I think there is one of the wedding in the bedroom and one of the two of them with the Ambassador and the French President."
"None of Libby?"
Tyler shook his head and looked hard at the picture on the wall before he walked over to it, Luke followed him as the two of them lifted the picture off the wall.
"Ok, we're going to need to open this up, any ideas Tyler?"
"I have many skills Luke but safe breaking isn't one of them."
Luke managed a small smile as he sent a message to Garcia.
"I'll get Garcia to send a professional over, I want to go and have a look at Libby's room again."
While in Libby's room Luke looked around, he had an uneasy feeling and decided to see whether or not Tara had noticed the same thing, he reached and grabbed his cell once again.
"Hey Luke is everything ok?"
"Hi Tara, yeah I just wanted to check something with you, Tyler and I are back at the apartment, and..."
Luke took a breath allowing Tara to interject.
"The lack of personal and family items?"
"Yeah."
"Hang on Luke I just need to park up."
Tara swung into a parking space at the mall and turned off the engine.
"Where are you?"
"In Libby's bedroom."
Luke heard a heavy sigh leave Tara's mouth, he felt the same sadness for Libby too.
"Can you send some photos over to me? I'm going back to Emily's in a bit and I want to ask her for her thoughts."
"Of course, we did find a safe in the office, we're just waiting on someone to come and open it for us."
"Ok that's great Luke. I'll catch up with you all in a bit."
Tara finished the call and let out a deep long breath that she had been holding in. She guessed that Emily had never been into the apartment but the fact that even Libby's bedroon had hardly any personal items was a concern, it also helped her decide that her shopping trip needed to include a few treats for the young girl.
The sobs quickly woke Emily up from her light sleep, she started to rub Libby's back as she whispered into Libby's ear.
"It's ok Libby, wake up, you are safe, you are with me, Aunt Emily."
Emily pulled herself upright and crawled around the bed so that she was facing Libby as the young girl opened her eyes, panic evident as Libby tried to figure out where she was. Emily gently put her hand on Libby's cheek and brushed the tears with her thumb, smiling softly as she spoke.
"It's ok Libby, you're safe, you are in my home."
Libby swallowed hard and nodded her head and Emily could feel that slowly Libby's heart rate was easing slightly.
"Bad dream?"
Libby nodded her head and closed her eyes, Emily could see her own characteristics of compartmentalisation in her young niece, but there was a time and a place for those skills and at the moment Emily knew that she couldn't let Libby bury her feelings, no matter how painful they were.
"Sweetheart, it's ok you're safe with me, I am not going anywhere. Talk to me Libs, don't bury it inside."
Libby opened her eyes and looked at Emily, the empathy and love was evident to the young girl, something that had never really been present with either of her parents. Libby had never told Emily, in their phonecalls, letters, mesages, about life at home but now, with everything that had happened in the last few days, the ten year old knew her Aunt meant her no harm.
"I heard the shot and I couldn't get out, I couldn't get to you, they took me back to the house with the men."
Tears flowed as Libby retold the details of her nightmare, Emily gently lifted Libby onto her lap and cradled her in her arms.
"Oh sweetheart, it's ok, you were so brave, so amazingly strong, you got to me, you are safe. I love you so much Libby, you and me we are going to get through this. I am going to be here anytime you need a hug, anytime you need to talk, anytime you have a bad dream."
Emily could feel her own tears falling but she felt Libby nod her head and a quiet voice replied.
"Thank you so much Emily, I love you too."