My Girls

chapter 9

*Griffin’s POV*
I walked out of the room, and went to Gibbs.
“Did she say anything?”
“She said she wants me to ask her the questions, she doesn't want anyone to see her. She sent me out to get them.”
“That can’t happen, you're a witness. It has to be one of us.” Gibbs said
“Who?”
“Shepard.” He said, catching the director’s attention.
“Yes?”
“Can you interview Emma? It can’t be any of us. DiNozzo and I have to deal with Penn.” The director nodded her head, and went into the room.

*Emma’s POV*
Director Shepard walked into the room with a notepad and a pen.
“What are you doing, I thought Griffin was going to do the interview?”
“He can’t, he’s a witness, only I can ask the questions.”
“Okay...” I can't tell her anything. Or anyone else. If I do, it's over he's gonna kill her.
“So, what happened?”
I told her what happened in the janitor’s closet, and at home. I was impressed by how well I was doing. Until.
“Is this the first time he’s done this?” I froze.
“Emma?”
“What.” I said, becoming numb. I couldn't feel anything.
“Is this the first time he’s done this?”
“N-no.”
“How often did it happen?”
“when dad wasn’t home. Sometimes even after school, if dad worked late. That’s why I started staying at Griffin’s house a lot more. To try and prevent it, but when I went home whenever. It was always much worse. he's never done anything at school.”
“When did this start?”
“It's been going on since I was 15. Do you remember when dad and Dianne started leaving every other week, to work on their marriage?”
“Yes, I remember.”
“It wasn’t initially my idea, Penn asked if I liked the idea, and I went along with it. We brought it up to them, dad was sceptical; but in the end agreed. They left that Friday.” I stopped to let her catch up on writing it down.
“Em, that was a year ago. So, this has been going on, after school if dad worked late, everyday when parents weren't home. For a year?” It was in that moment, I realized I had let myself down. How could I have let this happen to myself?

“Guess so.”
“Okay, why didn’t you tell anyone?”
“Umm, he said that if I told anyone, then he would hurt Isabelle, the same way he hurt me.” I cringed at the thought of Isabelle getting hurt.
“Do you remember the first time it happened?”
“Yea," I told her the date it all started.
“What happened?"
“They had just left, Isabelle was at a friend's house for the weekend. I was doing the dishes. Penn went to his room, a little while later, he hollard for me. I went into his room, but didn’t see him. I walked in further, he shut and locked the door. I was hit over the head and everything went black. When I came to, he was on top of me. I tried, fighting him, and pushing him to try and get him off me, I started screaming for help but he covered my mouth. Then he said “If you tell anyone, or even think about it, I’ll hurt Isabelle, a lot more than I hurt you.” I just closed my eyes, and soon enough I was unconscious again. When I became conscious again, he was gone. I went to Griffin’s.” I finished.

That was the first time I had ever told anyone. “And, you didn’t tell your parents, or the police, or a friend?” I shook my head ‘no’
“I didn’t even tell Griffin.” I felt numb. I couldn’t think, I couldn’t move. I couldn’t do anything.