Criminal Minds [Multiship] * H I A T U S *

《3 - Strong》

Saw this video. Motionless in White are officially the biggest dorks in history. 😂 Can't wait to see them this summer at Warped. Definitely cannot miss it this year. ♡

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"She was able to eat, and spoke with a local sketch artist about who she saw," A nurse said as me, Agent Parente, and Maria walked the hospital corridor. With us was the local sherrif and a sketch artist.

"What do we got?" Parente asked.

"She described clear blue eyes lined with a lot of black make up, but the rest of the face was covered, and a surprisingly short stature, sounded young," The sketch artist said, showing his sketch of a face with detailed eyes and coverd with a black bandana, wearing a hood and a hat.

"We'll need to talk to her," Angelo said, examining the sketch.

"Let Agent Brink handle it, we stay outside. The girl might only be able to trust female authority at this moment," Chris said.

Maria then entered the room, followed by both agents to see the young girl on the bed, hooked to two machines, face and arms riddled with dark bruising, her head stitched and her lip as well. Another girl around the same age sat nearby.

"Clara Gideon?" Brink asked softly.

"Y-Yes?" she asked, then Brink held up her badge.

"I'm Special Agent Maria Brink, I'm with the FBI," She said. "This is my associate Agent Chris Cerulli."

"FBI? You're taking my case?" she asked.

"When did FBI take rape cases?" Her friend asked.

"I'm sorry, and you are?" Brink asked.

"Shannon Taylor, her roommate," she asked.

"I think its best you step out for a bit, Shannon," Clara said nervously. Her friend hesitated, but then nodded.

"Alright. I'll be outside," she nodded, then got up and left.

"At times we do take cases like this, and this is one of them where we need to be involved," Agent Brink explained. "We have reason to believe the man who murdered your attacker is a serial killer we've been trying to track."

Her eyes widen. "Seriously?"

Sh nodded. "Have you heard about the Roadkill Horror?" Agent Brink asked.

"Not much... My god, he... He saved me," she said, her voice shakey. "H-He apologized for not stopping that man on time, but... He avenged me, he made sure I was safe again."

"I am sorry to have to ask this from you  but we still need to ID your attacker as well," Agent Cerulli asked. He stood by the door, leaning against the wall and letting Maria approach, so that Clara was comfortable at ease.

Clara grew quiet, tears filling her brown eyes.

Maria then pulled up a chair and sat down next to her.

"You know, sweetie, I've been where you were," she admitted.

Clara Gideon scrunched her eyebrows.

"I don't like admitting it, but I was also victimized just like you. Only it wasn't some stranger, it was my own father," she said.

Clara's eyes widen in shock. "Really?"

Agent Brink nodded. "He's gone now, but it took me years to recover," She said.

Chris knew of Maria's past, being sexually abused by her own father, before he was finally caught and sent to prison, only to end up getting killed. Maria had grown up to be a strong skinned woman and that's what Chris admires most about her.

Clara sniffled as she laid back. "I can still smell his god awful cologne... He was too strong, I-I couldn't fight him," he sobbed.

"The good thing is that he could never hurt you again, or anyone else," Maria said. "We're women. We are fragile, we take so much crap just because of who we are, yet we always manage to get back up and prove all who doubt us wrong, and when we do we come back stronger."

Clara looks up at Agent Brink with tears in her eyes.

Chris hoped this wasn't hitting home for Maria.

"Its only right that you cry, that you get scared of your surroundings, that you lose trust. Something god awful happened to you," Maria continued. "But you will overcome this one day. You're fragile now, but one day you'll become stronger, and brave."

Clara bit her lip. "How did you overcome it?"

"Time... Love... Forgiving for yourself. I forgave my father not for him but for myself, to be free from the anger and hatred, the fear. If I never did, I would have never been able to marry my husband. My son wouldn't even exist," she said, holding back her tears.

Clara had a small smile, then reached over to hold Maria's hand.

"Thank you.... I don't know when I'll be able to be brave again, but... But you gave me hope," she said, tears falling from her eyes.

Maria smiled as Clara sat up a little. Chris smiled at how calm Clara became with Maria's words.

"The man, he.... He had an accent," She said.

That's when the agents became alert.

"An accent?" Maria asked, taking out her little recorder, and pressed record.

"Yes... It was either British or Australian or something like it, I couldn't tell," Clara said.

"Then he's probably not a U.S. citizen," Maria thought, then turned to Clara. "I'm sorry to keep asking, but do you remember anything else about him?"

"Nothing important. He looked like a regular guy, probably in his 20's, kind of tall" she said. "Pale skin, black hair I think... dark eyes, probably brown..."

"What about the man who saved you?" Brink asked.

"Umm.... Physically, what I told the sketch artist, but.... He said some things to me...." she said.

"Can you tell me exactly what happened after your attack?" Chris asked.

Clara nodded. She couldn't describe the parts of her attacker's body being hacked into oblivion, but she managed, word per word, what Roadkill told her.

"D-Did I provide enough?" She asked.

Maria nodded, smiling a bit. "From you, yes. You did good, sweetheart."

Clara smiled shyly before there was a knock.

"Come in," Maria said.

Agent Parente entered. "Sorry to disturb. Agent Angelo Parente, BAU. How are you feeling, miss?"

Clara nodded meekly. "I-I'm alright."

"Agent Brink, Agent Cerulli, we may have a possible hit on our rapist," Cerulli said.

"Let me guess, not a resident?" She asked.

"Nope," he said as Agent Brink got up, stopping the recording.

"Clara, is there anything else before we go?" Agent Brink asked. "Anything you need?"

"No, thank you. I'll be fine," she said. "Eventually."

The agents smiled. "Call us if you need anything."

Clara smiled and nodded as the agents left to the coroner's office.

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Hope you are all enjoying the story! :)

♡~ sapphire.