~~~
Zoe dropped me home late that night. My legs are still shaking as I walk upstairs to my door and I don't let go of my gun.
I take my keys out and I start unlocking my door. "It's me, Lexie" I say before opening the door.
As expected, I find Aaron holding his gun behind the door. All the curtains are drawn and the lights are off.
"Good thing you announced yourself" he says as he lets the gun down
"Where is Ev?" I ask
"I told her to lock herself in the bathroom when I heard the lock" he answers
"Good. Ev!" I call and she comes out. I rush to her and I hug her.
"What's happening, Lex?" she asks
"I need you to take a gap year and go under witness protection"
"What?" she chuckles
"I'm afraid that someone from my past is coming for me and I don't want you to get hurt"
"Lexie-" Aaron comes closer
"No, I'll talk with you later. Now, I need to get her somewhere safe" I interrupt him
"I don't want to leave to a strange city, with a new name and alone" Ev says
"Please. My supervisor and the director are putting together programs for all of the families. I wouldn't ask you if I wasn't sure" I insist.
"Lexie, who's after you?" Aaron asks
"I can't tell you that, this whole situation is classified" I answer to him.
"Ev, I'll have a team follow you to get your things from your dorm and you're gone"
"I... I can't just leave" she says with tears in her eyes
"Evelyn, I spend the last 21 years doing the best for you. I wouldn't be asking you this if it wasn't necessary" I explain.
"If I say yes, will we talk?" she asks
"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry". She nods and hugs me. A tear escapes my eye but I wipe it quickly.
"When do I have leave?" she asks
"They are waiting for us in the bureau right now. They'll brief you about your new life, everything is mostly set up" I answer.
She nods and wipes her tears.
"Ok, ok..." she finally says.
After that, two other Agents took her to collect her things and Aaron and I stayed alone.
He doesn't say anything. Instead, he walks to me and wraps his arms around me. I grab tightly onto him and he rubs my back.
I want to get him into protective custody as well but he would never accept that.
"You'll be ok, right?" I ask him
"I will be fine" he answers and kisses my head.
"Dominic Welker escaped from prison and has already killed one of the Agents that worked on his case. They believe he is going after all of us and anyone who will get in his way. Five worked on that case; one of us he killed before he was imprisoned; the other one now... Three of us are here. Strauss -who was the head of the operation-, Zoe and I. Don't say to anyone that I told you all that"
"I won't".
We went back to the bureau and waited for them to bring my sister. I was sitting in Aaron's office and he was by my side all the time.
I hadn't realized that my leg was shaking nervously while I was thinking until Aaron put his hand on my knee to stop it.
"Everything will be ok" he says
"You don't know that" I reply
"I know that I won't let anything happen to you"
"No, I don't want to risk losing you. I was open about this but I want you to stay out of it"
"I can't do that and you know it--"
"Aaron, I am this close to heading out with my sister in protective custody right now. Strauss is leaving with her family, Zoe is thinking about it. But I'm staying because I don't want to give that sadist the satisfaction he craves; I can't let him know he scared me too" I explain.
I just admitted to him that I'm scared. And he 100% picked up on it.
"8 years ago, just before I transferred to Child Abductions, I was working undercover. Small cases mostly, until this one. He took couples and made them torture each other. I got partnered, and I were sent in, with mics, trackers, etc. We were supposed to be just bait..." A tear escapes my eye and Aaron starts rubbing my back.
"I woke up in a strange place, tied up and Adam was lying right across from me. He was beaten, he put up a fight but ended up with broken bones instead. Welker knew we were FBI so he didn't hold back. After 3 days, he cut Adam's tongue out in front of me and sent it to Erin with a note 'Nice try'. Adam bleed out in front of me and I couldn't do anything; I was so exhausted that I couldn't even call for help".
"Your trackers didn't work?" he asks and I shake my head.
"I played dead after that. I didn't really react to whatever he did to me. I pretend to like him and what he did to me. I thought Stockholm syndrome was my last shot. Eventually, he bit into it, he got sloppy. So as soon as he let his knife down, I grabbed it and stabbed him right in the chest. I left hoping he died, but that son of a bitch lived, he went through trial, he went to prison while Adam...".
"Is that the mission that made you enemies with Strauss?" he asks
"Yeah. When I came back, I learned that Erin Strauss had moved on because 'One most likely dead Agent isn't worth the resources'. I wasn't worth the resources! And as if that wasn't enough, she took all the credit for solving that case. I spent 10 days in that hellhole! I compromised him! I brought them to him! And she was awarded while I was in the hospital heavily sedated in order to heal!" I cry.
"I deserved that win! I won that! I beat him! Not her!" I add crying.
"Yes, you did, love" he replies as he holds me tightly.
"You deserve everything. I promise you, I'll make sure you are always safe"
"You shouldn't get involved"
"I don't care. I will get everyone involved if I have to, because you are worth fighting for, Lexie. Don't ever doubt that".
I hear a notification from my phone. I pull my phone out and I read the message.
"The director wants to talk to me" I say to Aaron
"Go. I'll be waiting for you here" he replies and I kiss him before I leave.
His POV
She has been up in that meeting for over an hour now. And they haven't brought her sister in yet so I'm getting worried about what they could be talking about in there.
I still can't believe what happened on this case. I know Strauss is ambitious but I was definitely not expecting her to cover up that much. If I see her in front of me tonight, it won't end well.
I almost jump when I hear the door open. Lexie walks in, in worse condition than when she left.
"What happened?" I ask as I help her sit down
"They already took Evelyn away. I didn't get to say goodbye" she answers, ready to break down again, but I am ready to catch her anytime.
"And they want me to take Strauss' position while she's away in protective custody"
"But that way they're putting you higher on the target list"
"That's what they want. I'm so scared, Aaron" she sobs.
I want to comfort her and tell her to run away, I want her to go into protective custody. But they have a different plan for her; to be the fall guy; to be the bait again.
"I agreed to putting a tracker in my arm, just in case. Only the director will have access to it" she informs me
"That will only be helpful if he gets you and I won't let that happen" I promise
"But if it does happen, it won't be your fault, ok?" she asks as she puts her hand on my cheek. I have never seen her so scared.
"Ok?" she insists
"Ok" I nod, but it pains me to say it.