#greentiss

Emily knows the troubles start with mistaken identity, her kidnapper has called her Elle several times now. Then she sees him scanning for JJ and makes a choice, she has to distract her kidnapper, no matter how dangerous it is. They celebrate, she is forced to celebrate with the kidnapper to keep JJ alive, but she’s shaken. Forcing celebrations has always seemed wrong but this is worse. She sits, now, letting her kidnapper party, faking joy and love, wishing she had never known this could happen again, with JJ. She’s dragged into public three days later, beaten, kicked and punched until she can barely breathe. She can feel JJ watching it, she can hear Elle’s voice in the crowd, then gunshots. Elle is at her side in moments when the man falls, picking her up. Later, four weeks later, they get a letter in the mail. The man who took Emily is dead of course, but he had threatened to kill a woman’s entire family for not telling her where Elle is. The letter is full of thanks and praise, Elle smiling softly when Emily lets herself cry for once. “I’m so proud of you babygirl… so so proud.” Elle’s voice is tender and Emily snuffles again, curling into her arms. She’s survived, somehow.