CHAPTER SEVENTY-FOUR: BRAINWASHED !

11x14

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         "LAST NIGHT, THIS GIRL, GINA BRYANT, FLAGGED DOWN A POLICE CAR IN ST. LOUIS. SHE WAS WEARING NOTHING BUT A DIRTY NIGHTGOWN AND SHE WAS BAREFOOT." Garcia explained the next case to the team.

"And she told them that she had been kidnapped when she was eight." Garcia added and Casey furrowed her brows, as well as the rest of the team. "That girl's gotta be 19 or 20 years old." Morgan stated.

"Eighteen," Garcia clarified. "And they confirmed her identity. She was a foster kid who disappeared 10 years ago."
Casey scrunches her brows together. "Ten years in captivity this whole time?" She questioned.

"Long-term hostage. That's rare. We got another Ariel Castro here?" Rossi questioned. "Funny you should say that. Not funny ha ha, funny weird. She told the police that she was held captive with this girl, Sheila Woods, 15 years old, who disappeared from Nashville 7 years ago. Also she said there was another girl, too, but all she knows about her is that her name is Violet and she was older." Garcia explained.

"I'm assuming you've checked the missing children's database." Rossi said. "Affirmative," Garcia nodded. "There's no Violet anywhere."

"Did Gina say anything about her captor?" Spencer asked. "Just that his name is Tom and he was an older white dude." Garcia said. "And where were they being held?" JJ asked. "This house," Garcia showed it on the screens. "Gina took the cops there. They found Sheila. Sheila's at the hospital, very ill with something yet to be determined. Violet nowhere to be found."

"It's probably safe to assume that she's with the unsub." Hotch commented. "Who owns the house?" Spencer asks. "Oh, that's where it gets even weirder." Garcia tells. "This woman, Clara Riggins." Her pictures appears on screen. She's an older lady. "She's MIA, but her checking account is active, she pays her bills on time, and if my math is correct, she's 108 years old."

Rossi starts in, "I might be going out on a limb here, but I'm gonna bet she had nothing to do with the kidnapping." Morgan adds in. "The real question's where is the unsub and this other girl Violet?"

"That's what we're gonna find out," Hotch closes the file in front of him. "Lewis is on a research assignment, Vivian is still in recovery. Wheels up in 30."

The team heads to the jet. Casey is seated in one of the seats, sitting next to Morgan as the team debriefs and skims through the victims' lives. "Both Gina and Sheila were grabbed when they were eight." JJ said. "And both just blocks away from their homes." Morgan adds. "And made a clean getaway each time. No witnesses." Rossi said.

"There's an excellent chance he stalked them," Spencer stated. "Clean getaways usually mean they know daily routines and are familiar with the area." Casey nods, "So this guy's patient and has a plan. Which means he has patterns too."

"This guy's more than just a preferential pedophile." Rossi comments. "His victims are children, but that's probably more about establishing control. Long-term captivity is what matters to him."

"We've seen profiles like this before," JJ stated. "There's always a sexual assault component to their MOs." Garcia appears on screen to tell them news. "Hello, all. I just sent you the 411 on the statements from police reports. Turns out the neighbors haven't seen Clara Riggins in 20 years. Most of them didn't even know that she existed. But they all know who this Tom guy is. According to this one lady, Tom told her that he was Clara's grandson. But I triple-checked. Clara doesn't have any relatives anywhere."

"Did we get a description from any of the neighbors?" Hotch inquired. "Affirmative. And they also gave me the make and model of Tom's blue van. It's a pretty common vehicle. I got a long list of registered owners. So far the three Toms and Thomases on that list all check out." Garcia told.
"All right, stay on it."
"You know I will, sir."

Garcia hangs up as Hotch decides to split the team up into groups. "When we land, Dave, you, JJ and Morgan go to the house. Reid, Willows, you are with me at the hospital. We need to talk to the girls and find out everything they remember."

The team landed and Casey had joined her husband with Hotch to go to the hospital. Casey was getting sick of seeing hospitals more frequently now. It was kind of scaring her just how much she had been in them. The doctor had been in Sheila Woods' room, talking to her mother. "Well, she's stable for now. All we can do is wait. So, just sit tight."

He exited the room, greeting the agents in front of him. "Agents, thank you for waiting." Hotch nods, "Of course. How is she?"

"Looks like she had complications from a miscarriage." The man told. "Her infection turned septic. We had to perform an emergency hysterectomy. And she has several old scars on her back. If I didn't know better, I'd say they were from a whip."

"Any idea when she might wake up?" Casey questioned. "There's no way to tell." The doctor told. "What about Gina Bryant?" Spencer asks, crossing his arms. "She's doing much better, all things considered. Malnourished, dehydrated, a couple nasty cuts and bruises. But she should be okay. Physically, anyway." The doctor stated, making Casey sad. "The scars that are invisible take the longest to heal." She commented.

"Do you think she's able to answer a few questions?" Hotch decides to ask. "She was pretty agitated when she came in, so we gave her a mild sedative. But she has the same scars on her back, and she's got a bunch of old injuries that didn't heal properly. Broken ribs, tibia, a couple of fingers. I hope you catch the guy who did this." The doctor stated and Casey nods, "Yeah, me too."

Hotch had told both Spencer and Casey to stay with Gina Bryant until she woke up from the sedative to ask her some questions. Casey was seated in a chair, watching her as Spencer had been looking at the window.

Gina eventually stirred awake and sat up and the first person she noticed in the room was Spencer and grew timid. Casey could tell it was from the trauma she endured from the bastard that took her. It gave her deja vu to when they first met Lennox. "Hi, Gina." Casey spoke softly. "My name's Casey, this is my friend Spencer." She introduced. Spencer waved at the woman and spoke softly as well. "Hi."

"We're with the FBI. Do you know what that is?" Casey asks. "The police?" Gina asks, looking a bit uncomfortable. "Yeah, I guess you could say that." Casey chuckles a bit. "I already talked to the police." Gina said.

"Well, we're--we're a little bit different. Do you mind if we ask you a few questions?" Gina timidly looks at Spencer and Casey senses the fact that she is uncomfortable with Spencer in the room. Spencer had kept his distance, knowing she may need it. "I promise you," Casey spoke, motioning to her husband. "He's harmless. We just want to get a sense of who we're trying to catch." Casey explained. "We just wanna help."

Gina was still tense but she knew what she had to do. And what she wanted to do was put this sick bastard away once and for all. "Can you tell me about the day you were kidnapped?" Casey started.

Gina looked down in thought. "I went to the park. I forgot my sweatshirt. But I didn't want to go home." She said. "Why not?" Casey asks. "That lady, Trisha was mean." Gina stated. "Your foster mother, Trisha? Trisha Gilmore?" Spencer asks.

"Her kids, too," Gina nods. "They said I wasn't worth the money they made off me." Casey concludes, "So you went to the playground to get away from them." Gina nods, "I went all kinds of places. Mostly there."

"What happened that day?" Spencer asks. "I saw Violet." Gina answers. "Violet? The other girl that was there with you?" Casey asks for clarification. Gina nods a bit, "She was waiting for her dad to pick her up. And that's when he came." She shifted uncomfortably again, this time at her memory.

"Who, Tom?" Casey asks and Gina nods, "He had this little puppy. He asked me if I wanted to give him treats. He said he went crazy for treats. They were in his car. But it wasn't a car. It was a van. And he opened the door and pushed me in and he hit me." As this point, Gina's voice cracked and she began to cry. "I tasted my blood, and my eyes were watery. He said I'd better listen or he was gonna hit me again. We drove... We drove for a long time. But I never saw the puppy again, though. Never saw it." She began to panic. "He was so little. I don't know where he went, though. I'm sorry." She sobbed.

The girl continuously apologized and Casey tries to calm her down to the best of her ability. She looks at Spencer, knowing that they had the information they needed and were surprised just by how much she remembered.

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When Gina calmed down, the couple figured that maybe some fresh air outside of her room might do her some good. She was in a wheelchair while Spencer pushed her and Casey walked alongside them.

"Gina, do you have any idea where Tom might be right now?" Casey asks curiously. "Maybe his disappearing place." Gina answers. "His disappearing place?" Spencer asks, then exchanging a look over at his wife. "He'd always leave. I liked it when he was gone, even though he never left much food." Gina told.

"Do you know where this disappearing place is by any chance?" Casey wondered. "I didn't get to go," Gina said. "He only took Violet and Sheila once. They were more special." Gina said sadly. "Why were they more special?" Casey asks as she sits down in one of the seats, Spencer sitting next to her. "Because they were good. They never fought."

"But you did," Casey said. "And let me tell you, that's brave. You kept your head on strong for ten years." Gina nods and then looks down. "I hated to call him 'daddy', and I wouldn't say my name."

"What do you mean, you wouldn't say your name?" Casey tilts her head. "Rose," Gina simply said. "He tried to call me that."

"Did Sheila or Violet every talk about the disappearing place?" Spencer asks next. "It's a secret," Gina told. "It would make Tom mad if they did." Casey wonders next, "Well, what about Tom? Did he ever talk about it? Did you ever hear him talk about it?"

Gina thinks, "One time. When he was nice. He brought pizza." She said. "Do you remember what he said?" Spencer asks. "That maybe one day I could go. Then..." Gina shifted uncomfortably in the wheelchair. "Then he wanted to go behind the curtain. Sometimes I didn't fight as much after Sheila got there."

"Why not?" Casey asked. "Because we had to take care of her," Gina said. "So I tried to make him happy. But I made sure she remembered her real name no matter what."

"What about Violet? Do you know her real name?" Spencer asks and Gina tries to think hard and then she shakes her head. "Mm... Just--just Violet. Sometimes he called her Vi."

"Did Tom ever mention anyone named Clara by any chance?" Casey asked and Gina nods and smiles a bit. "She liked flowers. That's where we got our names. He called Sheila Daisy." "Did you ever see Clara?" Gina shakes her head, "No. But sometimes I was good and he let me go outside at nighttime, and we planted flowers. He said they were for Clara."

Both Spencer and Casey exchange a knowing look and Spencer excused himself to go and call Rossi, JJ and Morgan.

Casey and Spencer had taken Gina back to her room and while Casey trying to show her how the remote worked to the TV, she excused herself and left the room to chat with Spencer privately.

"What's up?" Casey asked. "Composite sketch of the unsub. Garcia's running facial recognition against her list of blue van owners." Spencer explained and then looked over at Gina on her bed. "How's she doing?"

Casey looks back at Gina and sighs as she answers, "It's a lot. She has no money, no family, a second-grade education, not to mention a lifetime of PTSD to deal with." She closes her eyes, remembering where she's seen this before. "It kind of reminds of Lennox, when we found her." Spencer nods, "Thought I was the only one."

Suddenly, doctors rush over to Sheila's room and her mother is standing outside the door, watching in fear. By the way the doctors are rushing, Casey concludes, "That can't be good."

"Given the amount of hospital staff and the level of urgency, it looks to me like Sheila might be coding." Spencer stated. "What's coding?" Gina questions, she's near the doorway now. "Gina, you need to get back in bed." Casey stated, wanting to prevent Gina from seeing someone she cared for dying.

"Is that Sheila's room?" Gina questions and trying to fight through Casey's grasp as she tried to stop her. "Hey, hey, hey. You're not gonna be able to do much for her. Let the doctors do their work."

Casey's attention turns over to Sheila's weeping mother as she fights against the doctor. "No! You don't stop working on her! You keep working on her!" She pleads.

This is where Gina begins to fight against Casey because she's trying to go to Sheila's room. "Is she ok? Sheila! Sheila! What's wrong?! What's wrong with her?! I have to help her! I have to help her!" Gina cried and Casey held the woman in a hug to calm her down and Gina cried against Casey's chest.

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They had a hit on their unsub. His name was Michael Clark Thompson, who owned a blue van and was caught by Rossi, JJ and Morgan. Violet was with him, too, but she was very timid and wouldn't talk to just anybody. She was like a child in an adult's body.

The doctor had come back from checking on her and JJ had come back with Violet so she could talk to her. "She's refusing treatment. She won't even tell us her last name." The doctor stated.

"Well, that's because she might not even remember it herself." Spencer stated. "Violet probably isn't even her real name. It's most likely the name he gave her." Casey stated.
"We do need to talk to her." Hotch told.

"Well, you can try. You might have better luck than I did." The doctor said. "It may take some time to get through to her." JJ told.

"All right, see what you can find out," Hotch nudges towards JJ and Spencer. "I'm gonna go question Thompson. Willows?" He ushers her to go with him. "You already got it, boss." Casey stated, following suit.

From the minute Hotch started talking to this piece of shit, Casey wanted to punch him square in the face for justifying why he took the women. She stood tall in front of him, but not as tall as Hotch. She mustered up a smug look as she crossed her arms.

"I gave them a good life. They were clothed, fed." Thompson stated. "You repeatedly raped and tortured them, Thompson. How is that giving them a good life?" Casey questioned.

"Children need discipline. Now, if you have kids yourself, you know what--" Hotch interrupted him before Casey found a reason to lunge at him. "That wasn't discipline and they're not your children."

"The hell they weren't. I saved them." Thompson told. "From what?" Hotch questioned. "From their parents," Thompson said. "Nobody cared about them. Where were they when I showed up? No one cared about them but me."

"What about Clara Riggins?" Hotch questioned. "She was a nice lady." Thompson said. "Who seems to have disappeared." Hotch added. "Huh. I didn't kill her." Thompson shook his head. "I didn't say that you did." Hotch told. "No, but obviously that's what you're thinking."

"So where is she?" Casey asks. "I went to check on her one day and she didn't answer the door. I had the key, so I let myself in and I found her, just lying on the kitchen floor. So I put her in the yard. That's what she would have wanted. Look, she loved that house. She didn't want to be buried next to strangers. You can go check if you want. I told you, I've got nothing to hide."

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"Nothing to hide, my ass," Rossi commented. "He's full of it." Rossi and Morgan made it back to the hospital since the unsub and victims were all in one place.

"The preliminary ME report does suggest that Clara Riggins died of natural causes." Spencer told, sitting back on one of the couches, Casey seated closely next to him. "I think he's telling the truth about that. He didn't kill her." Hotch told. "And I don't think anything would point to him wanting to." Casey added.

"I'm sorry, guys," JJ chirped up. "I can't stop thinking about Violet. She could not wait to get out of here, like it was urgent. It's all she could talk about."

"Well, she'd been held captive most of her life. All this has to be a tremendous shock." Rossi assumes. "No question about that, but that wasn't it." JJ says. "It's like she had somewhere specific in mind and she needed Thompson to go with her."

"Well, he's conditioned her to depend on him for everything." Hotch told. "Exactly," JJ said. "You condition someone by doing something over and over again. Now, we know he repeatedly abused them. I don't think she was itching to get out of here to go do that."

"Maybe he did something to reward her somehow." Rossi guesses and Casey sits up and comes to a conclusion as she looks at JJ with a theory in mind. "What if she has a child?" She questions and JJ nods, "Exactly what I was thinking. Where else would you want to go so badly?"

"You know, that's not a stretch," Rossi said. "Sheila Woods had a miscarriage. Maybe Violet brought one to term."

"We did profile he might be trying to fill some kind of void since he didn't have a family." Spencer thinks aloud. "Yeah, but Gina Bryant never mentioned any baby." Rossi said. "Well, Violet could have had the baby before Gina was abducted. Gina wouldn't even know about it." JJ assumes.

"Well, if we're right about any of this, that means there's another kid somewhere out there." Rossi tells. "Then who's taking care of it?" JJ questions.

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JJ had talked to Violet and discovered that Violet had two children and they were at the disappearing place. But Violet wanted Thompson to drive them there and there was no way in hell that that was happening. Violet's parents were brought in after getting contacted about their daughter coming back and being alive.

After explaining that it was going to be challenging, Casey and JJ led them to Violet's room. JJ waited until she called them in. "Uh, there's-- there's some people here that would like to see you." JJ smiled as Casey let the parents through first to see their daughter and stood behind them to let them.

"Amelia." Maureen said, looking at her timid daughter. Violet looks at JJ. "Who are they?" She questioned. "They're your real parents." JJ stated.

"Baby, it's me. It's Mama." Maureen said. "I don't know you." Violet shook her head. "I know. I look different. So do you."

Violet's eyes filled with tears and she looked at JJ. "I don't know them." Casey nods to the parents as Maureen gets a framed photo of the family out of her bag. "See? That's how I looked back then. And that's your dad. And that right there... is you."

Casey exchanged a look with JJ as they tried to attempt to make her remember. "Do you remember?" Maureen asked, going to touch her face which Violet immediately flinched against. "Don't touch me." She said.

"Oh, Melly." George cried, making Violet look at the man in confusion. "What did you say?" She questions. "M-Melly. It's what I used to call you. It's short for Amelia." Casey stared at Violet and it looked like she remembered something and then she looked at the ground.

"Get out." She spat.
"Oh, baby--"
"Get out! Get out! Get out! Get out!" Violet screamed at them as Casey had ushered the parents out of the room and JJ stayed with her.

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After making a deal they didn't even want to make with Thompson, they decided to let him see Violet. Rossi, Hotch and Casey led him over to Violet's room. As soon as they entered, Violet's eyes lit up. "Daddy." She smiled. "Hi, Vi." Thompson greeted.

"Have a seat." Rossi said as he closed the door behind them. "No, I want to be close to her." Thompson stated. "Not part of the deal." Rossi said. "Then give us some privacy."

"Not part of the deal, either. Now sit down or we'll make you sit down." Casey spat and Hotch pulled a chair towards him. Thompson decides to sit before he can make it worse for himself. "You got five minutes." Rossi told.

"You're hurt." Violet notices the cast and his arm. "Don't worry about that. It's nothing." Thompson assures. "I'm really sorry." Violet tells, her breath shaky. "About what?" Thompson asks. "My sisters," Violet said. "I had to tell them. Please don't be mad. I had to."

"Now, listen, it's all right, Vi." Thompson says. "Okay? It really is okay." Casey could tell that Violet didn't get much of that reassuring treatment.

"Did you get the groceries yet?" Violet asks. "No, honey, I've been here the whole time just like you." Thompson says. "But can we go now?" Violet asks. "I have some bad news," Thompson says. "We can't go there today. We can't go there ever again."

"But--no--we have to go to the store, and it's close by the disappearing place." Casey, Rossi and Hotch all exchange a glance and make a mental note about parameters. "And we can be fast."

"You're right, you're right, Violet, but I can't. These police, they don't think we should be together. They're gonna break apart our family just like I told you they would." Thompson stated. "No." Violet cried.
"I just wanted to come in and say goodbye before the took me away." Thompson said. "Wait, when will you be back?" Violet asks. "Not for a very long time. A very long time. I would give you a hug goodbye, but they-- they won't let me."

"No! I--please..." Violet turns toward Rossi, Casey and Hotch, begging. "Please, can I just hug him?" Hotch looks at Thompson and then decided for it. "Okay."

With that, Violet jumped up and held onto him tightly in a bone-crushing hug. "Oh, Violet, I'm gonna miss you. My beautiful Violet."

Violet almost immediately moves away from him once he touches her face. She backs up and Casey unfolds her arms and notices the look on Violet's face. It's the same look she had earlier when her father called her 'Melly'.

The door opened and JJ had walked in the room with Violet's parents. "What is--what is this? Who are these people?" Thompson questions.

"These are her parents." Rossi tells. "And that gentleman right there is her real daddy." He points to George.

"She knows who her real daddy is. Daddy is the only one who loves you. Isn't that right, Violet?" Maureen stays close to her husband and Casey knows that if she and Spencer were in this position, she'd have to have the entire team holding her back.

The woman in front of Thompson shakes her head. "No." She said. "My name... is... Amelia." She says. She repeats it to herself, like she's making herself remember it.

Amelia yells and throws Thompson against a wall as she screams, "My name's Amelia!" Everyone pulls her away from Thompson as Hotch and Rossi take him out of the room. "There's no deal. You hear me? There's no deal!" Thompson yelled.

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In the end, JJ and Morgan were sent over to get Amelia's daughters and they had gotten there just in time. Now, Morgan, Spencer and Casey were leading Amelia's parents to Amelia's daughter's room in the hospital.

"You're gonna need to be patient with her." Morgan told. "This might take a little time." Spencer advised. "But as long as she has you guys, she'll be okay." Casey adds.

With that, the three watch as Amelia's father hugs her slowly and surely. Casey leans her head on Spencer's shoulder, watching as the scene unfolds. Spencer wraps an arm around her and tucks her head under his chin. "You okay?" He asks. Casey nods a little, "Yeah. I'm just tired of hospitals." She said.

"I know. Me, too."

The case had ended and the team took the jet back home. After paperwork stuff, Casey and Spencer went home, greeted with Isaac and they took over from there. Casey immediately plopped on the bed, only bothering to take her shoes off before taking a nap. Spencer let her, he knew she could use the rest.

Casey napped for six hours straight. She landed in bed at 5pm and woke up at 11 o'clock at night. Her husband stirred her awake, staring at her sleepy figure and caressing shapes into her arm. Her nose scrunches up and and her eyes flutter open and she's greeted by the beautiful vision of her husband. "Hey." He spoke first. "Hey." Casey said groggily. "You sleep well?" Spencer asks, raising his brows.

Casey rubbed her eyes and turned back to her husband. "I really needed that nap." She said, making Spencer chuckle a bit.

The woman took a deep breath and caressed Spencer's face, a finger tracing from his plump lips to his perfect jawline as she stared into his pretty pupils. Someone about him was euphoric, full of serotonin. She loved him in every way, shape or form. And was happy he was laying here next to her, in many ways telling her everything was gonna be okay. He used to haunt all over her what-ifs. But now they were living them and nothing was the same as it once was. But Casey liked that. And she was Spencer liked that, too.

"What's up?" Spencer asked, noticing Casey's stares. "Nothing," Casey smiled. "Just..." Spencer rubbed her arm again. "Even with all of the bad in our lives, I'm glad I can look at you and just know that everything's gonna be okay." She whispered.

Spencer's hand moved from her arm to her face, moving a loose strand of hair away from her fair face. "I feel the same way about you." He whispered back. Casey leaned in and gave him a passionate peck on the lips.

Someone began to knock on the door and Casey turned towards it. "Come in!" She told and in walked a timid Lennox, fiddling with the sleeve of her shirt. "Hi." She said. "Hey." Casey spoke. She noticed the look in Lennox's eye and grew worried. "You okay?"

Lennox groaned a bit, not wanting to say because of how embarrassing it was. And Casey noticed her timid form was more of a nervous and embarrassed form. "This is gonna sound really stupid, but..." Lennox stopped fiddling with her sleeve. "I had a nightmare." She said. "Can I stay in here?"

Casey nodded, "Of course. Come here." She smacked the bedding in the middle of her and Spencer and stuck close with Casey. "You are always welcome here." Casey assured. "Always." Spencer added.

"And you know that if you need to talk about anything and anything at all, you can come to us, right?" Casey reminded Lennox, who playfully rolled her eyes. "I know."

hey lovelies!!!

casey: now sit down or we'll make you sit down.
me asf:

like bro she's so hot

anywayssss
i'm starting to get into colleen hoover books and i just read "verity" and holy shit it was SO good,,, i've only read two books by her "regretting you" and obviously "verity" and i'm about to read "reminders of him" soooo what other books should i read by her or any other author y'all can think of???

alsooo
y'all are getting lucky with the amount of originals i have for this season but also no so lucky because they're sad lmaooooo

also also
thank you for reading!
i love you all!!
your favorite EVIL author,
-mya </333