<Shina>

I would do anything to keep Matthew and Emily safe from him. I had already failed them so much more than they understood. I would suffer through anything for them.

After all, I deserved far worse than this as punishment for what I had allowed to happen to them. And for failing my Elijah.

Poor sweet Eli. What have you been going through?

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<Elijah>

I refused to give up hope. The police had already cut back on the number of troops searching for Shina, not that it seemed to make any difference. Leon had taken my family and seemed to vanish into thin air.

It would take far more that the police had available, to find them now. Luckily I had the money to afford the kind of services this called for.

But even they would take time to find her, and I was finding it very hard to wait for results.

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<Leon>

Every day was filled with joy for me. I was able to wake up each morning and have breakfast with my family, watch a movie or read a book with my children, enjoy the lunch that Shina made for us while I smiled at her and spend the rest of the afternoon snuggling with her on the couch as Matthew and Emily played games nearby before working together to make dinner. Everything was finally perfect for us.Especially after the children went to bed.

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<Shina>

I could feel my heart and mind breaking just a bit more each night I had to spend with that monster in the room he had to call his 'punishment room' but had lately taken to calling 'our play room.' It was still a punishment room, but now only for me.

I punished myself by having to do as he asked, by hearing him so happy as the tears rolled down my face as freely as the blood on his back, until my broken laughter would fill the room.

And he loved every moment of it.

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<Elijah>

Close, we were so close to finding them. They figured less than a week and we would know where they were. Less than a week and I would have my family back. Even Anthony was anxious to find them, to see them again, to be able to see them safe and back in our arms.

Just a little longer, My Shina. Please, keep yourself and our children as safe as you can for a little longer.

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<Leon>

How had it happened? How could this have happened? All I could do was watch as the world became blurry around me, my head pounding as I fell to my knees, looking up into Shina's shocked face, her eyes wide with disbelief.

The world slowly grew darker as I felt myself fall to the floor, the cool wood pressing against my face.

"Shina..."

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<The Twins>

We watched as Leon went to sleep on the floor, slowly creeping out of our room to pull on Mommy's arms.

"We saw him make you cry, Mommy." Emily said softly.

"So we gave him the medicine he gives you." I whispered.

"He needed to be punished." We said together, a soft smile on our lips as we hugged Mommy's legs.