Saving Talia

What's keeping me alive is the hope someone can save me

So much of my life
Is outta control
Feeling like there's no way out
I'm buried alive
So deep in this hole
No Way out- Cobi

-

"This is our daughter we're talking about, Aaron. Do you even care?" Emily screams at him from across the living room. It's been a full 24 hours and their entire home has been turned completely upside down, inside out.

"Oh don't tell me you're being serious. Are you actually asking me that right now?" Aaron looks at her in disbelief. After his dramatic walk-out in the bullpen, Emily has been hounding him on her decision, asking why he was so against bringing in outside help.

"It's hard to believe this is affecting you as badly as it is me when you're not putting in nearly as much effort as I am," She spits her words out as he shakes his head at him, the pain excruciating when his wife was doubting his love for their daughter.

"Do you really want me to tell you why I don't want Clyde involved?" Aaron asks, ready to hurt her as much as she was hurting him. Emily nods her head "Spit it out," She tells him.

"He's sketchy, his whole business is. His role in Interpol, and the way he scouts for young college graduates to give their entire lives to sleep with terrorists for a profile. Sound familiar?" He gives her a look, choosing not to stop when he watches Emily's face drop "You know why he goes for the young ones? Because they're naive, especially the rich, spoiled ones who want to rebel against their parents, ESPECIALLY the ones who are lost in life because no one has ever stuck around long enough to show them they are worth loving. Luckily, Talia's not stupid."

Emily stares at him, her chest heaving as she struggles to find words to respond. Is that how he really saw her? A rich, spoiled girl who wanted to rebel against her parents because they never showed her that they cared? The rational part of her knows that he's lashing out in pain, that he hasn't had a blink of sleep for almost 24 hours and that this is 100% the cause of his outburst. But the more personal side of her, tells her that this hurts because it's coming from him, her husband, and that he truly means it.

She doesn't stop the tears from pouring out of her eyes, "Aaron," She gasps out, having to take a seat on the ottoman. He's not apologizing, that's a bad sign. Emily closes her eyes, taking the time to take deep breaths, and when she opens her eyes he's not there anymore.

-

Jack is sitting by the stairs, his own tears pouring out of his eyes as he listens to his parents scream at each other. Why can't his family just catch a break?

He watches Emily almost collapse on the ottoman as his father dips his head in shame. He wishes he could have said something to mediate the situation, now seeing as his father is silently walking out of their home with a gun attached to his hip. This moment brings him back to when he was just two years old, having no memory of Haley and Aaron arguing, or ever witnessing his father walk out. But the familiar feeling is there, the feeling of being abandoned and forgotten in his own home; the one place where he should feel safe and seen.

Elizabeth decides to creep up to him, groaning slightly when she bent down to sit beside him on the stairs. Jack widens his eyes at her "Grandma, you should be resti-" he gets cut off when she takes his hand in his "You are safe Jack, you are loved and you are seen." She tells him with droopy eyes.

He stares at his grandma, shocked at the coincidence of him feeling like absolute shit and her coming through to save him from his thoughts. "I love you, Grandma," Jack tells her, lowering his head so he can rest it on Elizabeth's shoulders.

-

Rossi gets out of his car almost immediately when he sees Aaron exit their house, "Hey, hey, hey!" The older man holds up his hands, attempting to slow him down "Where are you going?" He asks as Aaron forcefully passes by him "I need some time," He responds, not even looking at Rossi.