Echoes from the Past

2 - Within These Walls

At the precinct, Terry got out of the car and immediately opened the back door and grabbed Talia. He used himself as a human shield while he helped Rosa out, just in case the danger had followed them there. They were safe for the moment, but Rosa had become shaky after the ordeal she had been through. Somehow, she managed to put on another of her leather jackets over her bloodstained body that she had grabbed from her apartment; presumably to keep Talia from getting anymore scared than she already was. He had wanted to check in on her injuries but there was no time for that until they were on the inside. From the way Rosa was gritting her teeth and was avoiding eye contact though, he knew she was in a world of pain. Talia had leaned away from him with her little arms outstretched to her mother, but all Rosa could do was cup her tiny, tear streaked face and give her a reassuring kiss to her forehead.

"Come on, i've got you," Terry voiced as he pulled the little girl back as they hurriedly made their way into the precinct. Once he was buzzed into the locked down precinct, he got them into the elevator and heard Rosa sigh in relief; they were safe. "How do you want to handle this?" he asked her as she leaned heavily onto the wall. He watched her eyes find Talia and relax before shrugging her good shoulder.

"I don't know," she answered, " head straight for Holt's office I guess until we figure out a game plan."

That wasn't really what he meant when he had asked, he wasn't sure how to handle their friends inside. In all essence though, making a beeline for Holt's office would postpone the inevitable explanation for a little longer at least.

When the detectives floor neared, Rosa straightened up and nodded to Terry to pull Talia's hood up. She didn't want the uneasy detectives in the room to scare her even more than she already was. Lockdowns on a police precinct didn't happen very often, and when they did, the tense people on the other side of the elevator were bound to flood them with question on if they knew anything. No one allowed in or out...except for them?

The doors dinged and Terry cringed when Rosa took a step that was followed by a pained squeak. She forced it away though and took the lead, replacing her pain with concentration and entered the bullpen without so much as a glance at anyone in the room. Terry followed with Talia in his arms and was extremely aware of the stares that they were getting. He followed Rosa into Holt's office and closed the door behind him.

Captain Holt immediately rose from his seat and rushed over to them, prepared to help the clearly frazzled group. Terry pushed Talia into his tense arms and then made it over to Rosa in one stride.

"They were already there when I got there," Terry explained as he made Rosa sit down.

"Is she okay?" Holt asked as he awkwardly held the spitting image of Rosa in his arms. He was in the same boat as Terry, never having met Rosa's daughter because of the fierce protectiveness she always exhibited in their weekly check ins. Witness Protection could only do so much, but it was Rosa who had went to Terry when she had first joined the Nine Nine to tell him who she was. She needed someone behind her that she could rely on if Damon were to ever find her, and Terry was that someone. Of course, since she was in Witness Protection, it only made sense for the police captains that she worked for to be in the know as well. Captain Holt was the only Captain that she had ever worked under to be truly supportive and have mandatory check ins each week. He wanted her to be able to talk to him and express her fears since literally no one else knew her story.

"She is fine," Rosa choked out with a strained look on her face. "And she is right here."

"Clearly," Holt responded as he looked over the exhausted group. He took in her bloodied knuckles and from the way she was holding her body, he knew she had hidden injuries under her coat. When he saw a small puddle of blood begin to form on the ground next to her boots, he looked closer and noticed that her black pants were actually coated in blood from a gash on her thigh. "Good lord Rosa, you need a hospital," he said in surprise.