A Multi-ship Story **in Editing*

*Stop*

Lexi woke up a few hours later from one of her many short naps. It took her several minutes to fully remember where she was and why she was here. With no one else in the room, she was left alone with her memories. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to return to that awful day over 2 months ago...

She'd been hastily stitched up by Mark, who apparently had training as an EMT before getting caught up in all of this. She went in and out of consciousness for what seemed like ages. In reality, it was early the next morning when she was once again put in their car and taken away. She was brought even further away from her home until nothing looked even remotely familiar.

There, she remembered being left with another man. This one was definitely another nationality, as well as the woman with him. She recognized their accent as the same as her mother's. She hadn't heard voices like that in ages...The next thing she remembered was being left in a dirty, grimy cell of sorts. The days blurred together. She was left completely alone for a long time. Once a day, whoever held her there would silently bring in a basic meal. Lexi was sure she was only waiting for her death. 

After about four weeks, she was able to stand on her leg again. She missed any type of voice, so when her captors finally spoke to her, she was less afraid as she was thrilled that she wasn't being ignored any longer. Remembering everything now, she should have been afraid. The following weeks, her captors became trainers, forcing her to spar with them and learn to survive beatings by fighting back. They began experimenting with drugs on her. The drugs made her mind feel different -- foggy. Lexi didn't know what it was, but it made her accept their words as truth. She couldn't even remember entirely what they said, only that it made her furious, and for some reason, furious at her family. Not her actual family, but Gibbs, Jenny, even Lily. It was like a poison in her mind against them. How was that even possible?

Her memories were interrupted by Jenny, who came in and softly sat next to her. "Hey.. How are you feeling?" 

Lexi looked at her once, then rolled to her side away from Jenny, staring at the wall. The last she knew, Lexi was crying herself to sleep. Lexi's cheeks grew warm remembering her last episode. Anytime she was awake, she was crying, or angry, or overwhelmed. This time, it was just.. nothing. 

"Pretty lousy, huh?" Jenny sighed and left the room. She met Gibbs in the hallway and waited for the doctor to come by. Before he entered the room, she asked, "Doctor, what's wrong with Alexis? She was fine this morning... now, she's not herself..."

The doctor sighed deeply and answered, "Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs, Alexis had been through a great deal of trauma. It's going to take time for her to return to normal. The fact that she seemed normal for the last few days is astonishing. Her emotions will, naturally, be unstable. I'll give you a referral to a great psychiatrist, though. Perhaps she can help Alexis learn a new normal..."

~~~

When they returned home later that night, Lexi went straight to her bedroom, still in her numbed mind, and laid on her bed. Her mind was simultaneously racing and completely still. She closed her eyes tight, trying to block her memories this time. How she wished she could forget them again...

It had been weeks since they'd been training her. She was constantly furious, ready to fight whoever walked in the door. But when the woman, who she'd heard someone call  Rachelle, entered, all the fight turned to fear. This woman was the source of her torture. Seeing her now brought memories of her first weeks here. Afraid, in pain, and alone. 

Rachelle ignored the obvious change in Lexi's resolve, and instead placed a knife in her hand. She simply said, "You know what to do?"

Lexi looked at the knife slowly, the fear pulsing through her. Underneath that fear, the fury began to build again. She wrapped her hand around the knife and nodded, "Yes, I do."

~~~

Lexi jolted awake. She must have fallen asleep. She glanced at the clock. 4:25AM. She groaned and sat up. The memories never left her. How in the world was she going to survive this?

The fished in her nightstand drawer. She grabbed out the most precious item she owned. Her bracelet with her mother's charm dug into her palm as she clutched it against her chest. She didn't have it with her for the two months she was gone. Dylan had taken it before anything else, but when Gibbs had found them, he was sure to get it back for her. 

She closed her eyes, imagining her mother's face. Her smooth tan skin and hair. While she often thought of her mother's straightened hair, she preferred remembering her natural curls, like Lexi's. 

"What do I do, Mom?" she whispered to the empty room.  A hot tear slipped out as she could have sworn she felt her mother's arms around her again. "How do I make them Stop?" 

~~~

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Hiya! 

This chapter has changed quite a bit after editing, so if you are re-reading this, don't be too surprised! The scene that was here before just didn't fit with the storyline or affect the actual story all that much.

Happy Reading!

~Abi <3