moonstruck//Aaron hotchner

ch.51

"Where is Jessica Kline?" Camilla asked JJ.

"Downstairs, just outside the ER..." she trailed off, pointing, watching Camilla take off in that direction.

Camilla jogged to Jessica's room, running into the same doctor on the way there, and getting more explicit instructions. She found Jessica laying in bed wearing an expressions she was far too familiar with.

"I know you from somewhere."

"Camilla Perez, I believe you spoke to my colleagues earlier?"

Jessica nodded. "Yes...you've been on the news."

"Yes but that't not important right now. Your husband is in the hospital right now, and he's going to walk out with your daughter in five minutes, unless you tell me who did this to you."

She turned away. "He's her father."

"Yes, and while you're in here, who do you think he's going to take his anger out on?"

"He wouldn't do that, he's never hurt her."

"Not yet, but he will. She'll disappoint him, or you won't be around, and he will raise his hands on her just like he does to you." Jessica shook her head. "He raped and beat you while Abby watched, she was terrified she peed all over herself! You don't think that emotional abuse will translate into physical abuse?"

"Camilla." She turned to both Rossi and Hotch, who must have recently arrived in the doorway. "She's been through enough."

She turned away from them. "You just have to tell me what he did to you, Jessica, and we'll arrest him, and he won't hurt you again."

The young woman's face crumbled and she began to cry. "I can't, I can't, he'll kill me!"

"He'll kill you eventually if you don't! And, Abby will be alone with him. You're beautiful little girl will be the one on the other side of his hand, the one in this bed, with a plaster cast and one eye swollen shut. Do you want that for her?"

"Stop, please stop! I can't, I can't go against him, I'm not strong enough." she cried and plead.

Camilla stepped closer to her, ignoring the looks Hotch was shooting her. She rested against the edge of the bed, and took Jessica's hand in both of hers. "No one is. Not really, not until you're forced to be, and then it's only because you don't have a choice. And you what Jessica? You don't have a choice now. Your daughter, the child you gave birth to, and nurtured and raised, she needs you to stop being scared, to be stronger than you ever thought you could be. It doesn't matter how much it hurts, or how scared you are, all that matters is how much she hurts, how scared she is. Do you understand that?"

She nodded then, crying. "He did it. James did this to me. he wanted a son and I couldn't bring another child into that house. He found out I was on birth control, and he was so angry." she broke off collapsing in Camilla's arms. Camilla looked over at Rossi and Hotch, they nodded and left. She finally released the breath she hadn't realized she was holding, put one arm around Jessica and stroked her head gently.

...

"Hi there, Agent Morgan, Dr. Reid."

"You're here for the rape victim?" The nurse asked.