Healing Together ( Criminal Minds fanfic)

Breaking the Silence

Chapter 49

"We were in the same house two years ago. The same house- the same house we were abused in."

The weight of Daniela's revelation hung heavy in the air, a suffocating silence settling in the hallway of the police station.

Emily's face paled, her mind struggling to process what she'd just heard. Daniela, her daughter, just revealed a hidden past that Emily was not aware of.

Hearing her daughter confess that she was hurt in a past foster placement felt like something sharp pierced through her heart.

It almost feels surreal to hear Dani confess something like this. How is it possible that her daughter is tangled in this mess of a case? But most importantly, how is she supposed to shield Dani from the pain this is causing her now?

She knows her daughter is hurting. She can see it in her eyes.

Breaking the silence, JJ stepped forward, her voice laced with concern.

"Alright, Daniela," she said, gently guiding the teenager towards the conference room. "Let's go somewhere more private where we can talk."

Daniela isn't sure what to feel about Emily's reaction. The woman practically froze when hearing her words. She tries not to overthink it, not wanting to overflow her mind with endless thoughts.

Emily, still grappling with the revelation, followed them slowly. Inside the conference room, JJ pulled out a chair for the teen, her eyes filled with empathy.

"We need to understand what you know about Jason," JJ explained, her voice calm and reassuring. "You mentioned the same house. Can you tell us more?"

Daniela, her voice trembling slightly, nodded.

"He was placed at the Novak house with me," she said, the name causing Emily to flinch.

It was Roger Novak, the very same foster father she met when rescuing Dani two years ago.

"Novak?" Emily echoed, a hollow ring to her voice.

"Yes," Dani confirmed, her voice gaining a hint of strength. "I lived there for almost a year before they moved me again. Jason was already there when I arrived. He was the oldest foster kid."

She hesitated for a moment, the painful memories threatening to surface. Instead of dwelling on the abuse, she focused on her connection to Jason.

There is no need for them to know about what happened inside that house. At least not right now. The girl knows what happened there plays a big role in this whole thing but she can't talk about it now.

If she does, she will break.

She can't afford to do that now. A little girl's life depends on her.

"We were close," she continued, her voice softer now. "We were the closest in age and both from the same city. We bonded over feeling like outsiders, you know? Like nobody else understood."

A flicker of sadness crossed Emily's eyes as she watched Daniela, realizing the depth of her daughter's pain she had endured.

"Do you think Jason will talk?" JJ asked, her blue eyes fixed on Daniela.

Daniela considered the question, her brow furrowed in thought.

"He's not one to open up easily," she admitted. "He trusts very few people. But..." she paused, a flicker of hope lighting up her eyes.

"I have a feeling with me, it might be different. I know exactly what he went through. I was with him in the darkest moments in that house. The trust can still be there."