close your eyes and breathe

A/N: T.W. ahead, this will mention/involve things I put in the disclaimer before I started writing, but I will never write exactly what anyone does to her except for the injuries. Millie will talk about it later in the book, but this is just a warning: if you'd like to skip to the next chapter, you can (or stop reading until it's updated again).

There will be more skips in this chapter than in most because I'm going between Millie and Eddie's points of view. But I also have no idea how to write this stuff, so that's a huge reason there are so many skips.

+

Maxine watches a sleeping Millie in the rearview mirror. After asking for thirty minutes straight where they were going and what was happening, the kid had fallen asleep two hours ago. Maxine was proud, though; the girl didn't even cry. She didn't ask about her dad. Those were always two things he never wanted.

Maxine pulled up at the docks, parking as close as she could to his boat. A quick text let him know she'd returned and had the girl. Maxine watched the mirror while she waited, and Millie started waking up just as he got to the car.

"Where are we?" The girl mumbled in a tired voice.

Millie rubbed her eyes, wiping away the sleep. Her neck hurt, and looking out of the windows, she saw they were surrounded by water and boats. Small ones. Big ones. Any boat you could imagine, Millie was seeing.

"I told you, it's an adventure." Maxine grins, getting out of the car to meet a man.

Millie watches with confusion as Maxine and the man stand at the front of the car, arguing. She couldn't understand what they said, but when the man punches Maxine, and she lands on the hood of the vehicle, Millie realizes that he is not happy.

Was he going to hurt her, too? Millie didn't have a chance to react before the door was pulled open, and he was pulling her out.

"Get on the fucking boat, Maxine." He screamed, pulling Millie along with him.

"Stop it!" Millie shouted, tugging her arm, but he'd had a tight grip and was not letting go.

"Reese, please, be careful. She's just a little girl." Maxine begged.

The man - or Reese, shoved Maxine, "Shut the hell up; whatever happens to her is your fault anyway. You brought her to me. That means she's your problem until we get there."

"Where are we going?" Millie's voice was shaky as she spoke.

"None of your damn business, kid," Reese says, pushing her into a boat after Maxine.

Reese grabs Millie's wrists, using the rope to tie them to one of the bars in the room. He shakes his head and mumbles as he leaves the room.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I should've just left you with your dad. I should have run." Maxine repeats, rocking back and forth.

Millie silently cried, tears mixing with snot as the boat started moving. Maxine didn't look at her; she mumbled to herself for a long time.

Nothing helped with Millie's aching wrists. It felt like the rope became tighter every time she struggled.

"I want my daddy," Millie screamed, and it seemed to get Maxine to focus on her.

"He's not coming; he won't let him find you," Maxine mutters, crawling until she reaches Millie.

Maxine wraps her arms around Millie, and they cry. "I want my dad," Millie sobs over and over.

"Shh, if you keep crying, he'll come back," Maxine whispers, trying to comfort Millie.

"Get off me! I want my dad!" Millie screamed, struggling to push herself away from the woman.

The woman she thought she'd be able to trust. Now, Millie was hours away from home, away from her dad and Christopher.

"What the hell is going on? Shut the kid up!" Reese shouts from above them. 

"I want to go home!" Millie shouts back, a strangled sob leaving her mouth.

Within seconds, Reese comes down the small set of stairs. He kicks Millie in the stomach once before pulling out a needle from his back pocket. "You don't want to shut up. I'll make it happen." He mutters, injecting the needle into her neck with no warning. 

+

The next time Millie wakes up, she's in another car. Maxine is in the passenger seat this time, and Reese is driving. A shooting pain rips through her head when she sits up, and she whimpers. Her hands are now tied behind her, making it less comfortable to lie down.

"Good morning, sunshine," Reese smirks, looking back at her.

"Pinche pendejo," Millie mutters, glaring at him.

"No soy estúpida," Reese speaks fast and angrily.

"¡Lo Siento! I'm sorry!" Millie says, in Spanish and English. Reese glares at her in the rearview mirror, and Millie looks down at her feet.

She wishes she were home.

A few minutes later, Reese pulls into a long driveway, texting on his phone before opening Millie's door and dragging her out.

"What the hell took so long, Harrison?" An older guy shouts, meeting them on the steps.

"Her fucking dad never left her alone." Harrison or Reese, whoever he was, pushed Millie, so she tripped and landed between the men.

"Well, she's better than the ones before. She'll make me rich." The strange man says, flicking Millie's hair as he looks at her. 

Millie's heart drops. It wasn't until now that she understood why they took her. She watches the stranger give Reese a bag and watches as Reese throws four stacks at Maxine.

"Now, get the hell out of here before someone sees you." Millie is tugged toward the stranger, and she lets out a cry when she realizes what's going to happen.

"Mommy, no. No, don't go." She sobbed, looking only at Maxine. 

"Shut the hell up." Reese snaps, taking one step closer to Millie.

"Harrison, go! I have a business to attend to, " the man smirks, wrapping an arm around Millie's shoulder and pulling her to his side.

Millie's hands were still bound behind her back, and she wanted so badly to fight back. Why did they have to tie her arms?

+

Eddie sits at the table with his head down when Buck nudges his arm. Athena is coming toward them, and she looks defeated. "I'm sorry, Eddie," Athena says, shaking her head.

Eddie falls back into his chair, and a sob falls from his mouth. "She's really gone?"

"I'm so sorry, Eddie. We searched her apartment, but we didn't find any traces of Millie. We did find evidence of a man living there. Do you know if Maxine was seeing anyone?"

"No, I never gave her the chance to speak. I didn't want Millie around her, and I should've tried harder to keep h-" Another sob left his mouth as Eddie tried to speak.

"I should have tried harder to keep her safe." He finally spits out.

"Eddie, you did the best you could. You can't watch her twenty-four hours a day." Buck says, his hand resting on Eddie's arm.

"I could have done more! Evan, she's fucking gone, and it's all my fault." Eddie screams, pushing away from the table.

The table slides against the floor, and Eddie's chair is knocked over.

"Hey, it's alright. Eddie, we'll find her. I promise." Bobby jumps in.

"When, cap? I need her here, now." Eddie sobs.

No one knows how to make this easier for Eddie. Buck got him home a few hours ago, and Eddie was a nervous wreck. Someone still needed to explain what happened to Christopher and the rest of the family, but Buck didn't want to tell them until Eddie was in a slightly better headspace.

"Eddie, I know this is hard, but we have some other questions," Athena says softly.

Eddie nods, "Yeah, okay."

"Is there anyone that Maxine could be with that you knew before you guys broke up?"

"No, there was a long distance between us before we split."

"What do you mean?" Athena asks.

"Probably started right before she told me she was pregnant. She'd work as late as possible and argue with me when she came home."

"About what?"

"Whatever she felt like that night. None of it was ever important." Eddie mumbles.

"Did it ever get physical? Violent?"

"Why does this matter? Is this going to help you find Amelia?" Buck cuts in.

"Buck," Bobby says, shaking his head once.

Buck leans back in his chair as Eddie thinks. "There were a few times when she'd thrown things at me or hit me. I never laid a hand on her." Eddie says.

Buck looks at Eddie and wishes he could have just one conversation with Maxine.

"I'm sorry to ask this, but is there a chance you're not Millie's biological father?" Athena asks.

"What the hell?" Buck shouts, knocking his chair to the ground.

"Buck, let's go for a walk," Bobby suggests, nodding toward the door.

"That's my daughter, Athena," Eddie shakes his head as Buck follows Bobby out the door.

+

Buck glares at the multiple police cars outside Eddie's house. He wishes there were no cars except his own and Eddie's. He can't believe this is happening, especially to Eddie, of all people. No one deserves to feel the pain that Eddie is feeling. Or the pain he knows Millie is feeling.

"Buck? You want to talk?" Bobby asks.

"How is it fair, cap? How is it fair that Eddie has to go through this?"

"It's not, Buck. Nothing rarely is, but he'll get through this."

"What about Millie? Will she get through this?" Buck's voice is hard as his mind drifts to the girl.

The girl whom he'd been ignoring since Halloween. The girl who loved him so much, and he couldn't let one little comment go by, and tell her that he loved her.

"That girl is tougher than many grown people I know, Buck. She'll be okay; it might not be right away, but she will be." Bobby rests his hand on Buck's shoulder.

"I didn't tell her that I love her. She was so mad at me, Bobby; what if we get her back, and she won't talk to me?" And at that point, Buck is sobbing. He'd kept it together in front of Eddie, but with Bobby, he knew he could cry all he needed to.

"Look at me, kid," Bobby says, waiting for Buck to look at him.

"We will find her, and you can talk to her; tell her then," Bobby says.

"I need her to know now that I'm not mad anymore," Buck whispers, shaking his head.

+

"Let me go!" Millie screamed, digging her heels into the ground.

"Gio! Watch it," Syd shouts, her hand grabbing Millie's arm before she falls.

"Why did we keep her? Should have dumped her days ago." Gio rants, pacing in front of Millie and Syd.

Syd covers Millie's ears, "Because Max and Reese spent weeks searching for and watching her. They're our best recruiters."

"Don't give me that crap. It's been three days, and they haven't even returned." Gio throws his hands in the air.

"They'll be back, trust me."

"They have until the end of the month." Gio hisses.

Syd lets go of Millie and runs her hand over Gio's face before she kisses his mouth. "They'll come back, babe, I promise."

Millie looks back and forth between the open door and Gio. If she moved fast enough, she'd be able to get out. She hadn't tried since the first day, and the bruises on her tummy still reminded her how bad it hurt when Gio caught her.

Syd has Gio's lips locked on hers, and Millie takes the chance, sneaking past them before running as soon as she's in the hallway. "Syd, what the fuck?" Gio screams, pushing Syd away as he notices the space behind her.

"Damn it," Syd mutters, following behind Gio as he runs after the kid.

Millie makes it to the front door and unlocks the first three locks, but she can't reach the ones at the top, so she cries and bangs her head on the door. Too quickly, though, her face is on the carpet, and she hears a loud crack as the pain in her stomach increases. "You stupid, stupid kid," Gio screams, kicking Millie again and again.

"Stop! Gio, she's out." Syd screams, pulling at his arms.

Gio kicks her again before he throws her over his shoulder and takes her into the bedroom she was in on the first day. She was only let out because she promised not to scream or run.

+

"Wake up! Someone's here for you." Gio throws a bucket of ice-cold water on Millie, but since she is tied to the bed, she lies there shaking as the water soaks into her clothes and the sheets.

Millie watched as Gio opened the door for two men. The men looked at her, and the shorter one smirked as he handed something over to Gio. It was too small for Millie to tell what it was, but she had her guesses.

"Have fun." Gio shakes the guy's hand before closing the door.

Twenty minutes later, Millie is crying uncontrollably as the guy grins at her, sliding his belt back through the loops. 

She wanted to go home. She wants her dad and Christopher. Even seeing Buck would be better. Who cared anymore if he was still mad? She'd rather see Maxine again than have these men come back again and again.

Millie was alone in that room for the rest of the night, with no one ever coming to check on her. Everything hurt. She was mostly hungry, though. Gio and Syd never brought food consistently. They told her she was good enough for it. 

Why wasn't she back with her family? Why was no one here for her? Was she ever going to see her dad again? Christopher and Carla? Maddie and Buck? Oh God, Millie missed everyone from the 118 more than she'd ever missed anyone before.

+

Eddie sits on the couch across from Christopher and Abuela. He doesn't know how to tell Christopher. It's been almost an entire week, and he'd told Christopher that Millie was sick again and that she just needed all his attention. Even at seven, Christopher understood more than enough.

"Edmundo?" Abuela asks, her voice shaky.

"I know, I'm trying," Eddie mumbles, running his hands over his face.

"What's wrong, Dad?" Christopher asks.

Eddie can't help it; a sob escapes from him, and then he can't control himself.

"Millie was taken, Chris. By some bad people, that's why you've been staying here with me or Tia Pepa." Abuela says.

"Where did she go?" Christopher is confused now.

"We don't know, mi amor. That's why the police are looking for her." Abuela says.

"Is it because I was mean to her? Cause I wouldn't let her play with me?" Christopher is crying now, and Eddie moves to sit next to him.

He pulls Christopher into his lap and holds his face against his chest. "It's not your fault, Chris. She knows you love her."

Eddie sits with Christopher and Abuela for a while until his phone rings.

+

"It's time to eat, Amelia. Get your ass up." Gio shouts a few days later. 

"Not hungry." Millie can barely speak, her voice hoarse from screaming so often.

"I don't care if you're not hungry. We've decided you must stay perfect, or things won't work out for me." Gio says, lifting Millie into a sitting position.

He sets a tray of food on her lap and tosses her a water bottle before the door shuts, and the lock is back on.

"I said I wasn't hungry!" Millie screams, throwing the tray at the wall.

She regrets it right after; she was starving. She doesn't know how long she's been here, but she throws up whenever she eats. Ever since they stopped giving her food every day.

It's not only the food that makes her sick, but she also throws up every time another man leaves her alone in that room. She feels sick when Gio comes in with the camera and tells her he'll let her talk to her dad if she does what he says. 

But it's a lie every time. Millie hadn't heard her dad's voice in days and was becoming afraid. She was scared that he wasn't looking for her, terrified because she'd been so mean lately and everyone was so angry at her, and what if they weren't looking for her because they were angry?

What if she never goes back home?

When Gio returns to the room, Millie is asleep against the wall. "Are you fucking joking? Syd spent thirty minutes making your food, and you throw it on the floor?" Gio slams the door as he kicks the tray across the room.

Millie jumps, her eyes wide as Gio removes his belt.

"My tummy hurts! I said I didn't want it." Millie kicks at Gio as he removes her wrists from the ropes.

"I'm going to treat you the way you treat the food we give you." There is a loud snap as Gio throws Millie on the floor near the forgotten food, and he lifts the belt.

Millie lies on the floor, using her hands to cover her face as Gio continues to hit her with the belt anywhere he can get it. Millie remembers something her dad used to tell her when she'd be scared.

'close your eyes and breathe.'

It helped for a few seconds, but Gio grabbed her arms, wrapping the ropes around her wrists again as Millie begged over and over for her dad.

"Eres horrible, quiero a mi papá," Millie screams as Gio rips a piece of duct tape off, putting it over her mouth.

"Like I've said before, Chica, you will never see him again," Gio smirks, patting Millie's cheek before stepping away. 

"Why can't you just follow my rules, Amelia?" He shakes his head. 

Hours must pass before Gio unlocks the door again. He has the camera in his hands, but is not alone this time. "Good news, Amelia. You'll make us so much money in the next hour." Gio smirks, ripping the tape from her mouth.

"Tengo Sueno," Millie mumbled, wishing she could fall asleep and wake up in her room in California.

Gio frees her hands and drags her to the end of the bed. Her eyes are closed, but she feels the bed dip, and she feels a hand on her. She hears the camera clicking. She opens her eyes just a little and watches the flash go off multiple times as the man sits up again. 

"What the hell did you do to her today?" The stranger laughs, pulling his shirt over his head.

"Doesn't matter, let's get this show on the road." Gio laughs as well, his smirk never leaving his face. 

+

The man leaves the room, but not before his eyes roam over Millie lying on the bed. "You should probably give her a break. I mean, pictures aren't much, but I know that you got more happening, I mean, look at the fuckin' kid." He says, turning to Gio, who has packed the camera away.

"Thanks for the input, but she'll get a break when she's made me the money I was promised." Gio shrugs.

"My daddy will give you money. I wanna go home." Millie mumbles from the bed where she lies curled in a ball. 

"How long have you had her?" The stranger asks.

"A few days, give or take," Gio says before he glares at Millie. 

They leave the room, and she hears the lock click in place again. 

'close your eyes and breathe,' she thinks as she watches him.

+

Athena knocks on Elaine's door, dropping into a chair when she's waved in.

"Have you found something?" Athena asks.

"We think so. We've had people searching online websites for anything, and they've found pictures. We don't know if it's her," Elaine says, sliding a folder across the desk.

"Do you have a location?"

"We just know the pictures were posted online in the States, but they can't pinpoint where."

"Captain, we need to find her. Everyone in my life is hurting with her being gone. My husband's not left Eddie's side since she disappeared."

"I understand, Athena, and we're doing our best. But we both know the odds. It's been almost two weeks, and there's no sign of her unless that tells us otherwise." Elaine points at the folder.

"I need you to confirm if that is Amelia Diaz in those photos." Elaine nods.

They'd had half of Los Angeles searching for Millie with no sign of her. Not even a hair. The lead they had with Maxine's car ended up giving them nothing, and they hadn't gotten anything new since. 

"They're bad, 'Thena. Even if it's not her, that is someone's little girl, and she's going through hell." Elaine's voice cracks a little as Athena picks up the folder.

She opens the folder, glancing at the photo for only ten seconds before closing it again and throwing it on the desk. "It's her, Cap." 

She stops in the women's restroom to throw up before grabbing the folder and heading to Eddie's. 

+

Athena parks in front of Eddie's house. She doesn't want anyone else to do this. The fewer people who see the photos, the better. She doesn't think Eddie needs to see these photos, but they also need him to confirm that it is Millie. He is the only one who will know for sure.

She knocks on the door, stepping back while she waits. Bobby's car was in the driveway along with Bucks, and she sighed when Bobby opened the door. "Athena? Did something happen?" He asks, pulling her into a tight hug.

"I'm not sure yet. I need Eddie to look at some photos." Athena says. The less detail, the easier it'd be.

"He's just gotten in the shower, but why don't we start a new pot of coffee? Maybe some breakfast." Bobby says, pointing to Buck.

Buck agrees and goes into the kitchen. When pots are placed on the stove and the cupboards open and shut, Athena looks Bobby in the eyes, and her eyes are filled with tears.

"This might break him, Bobby. I don't think he should see it." She whispers, leaning against Bobby as he leads her to the couch.

"Is it necessary for the investigation?"

"I confirmed it at the station, but Elaine wanted a parent to confirm it so that we know one hundred percent."

Bobby sighs, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I'm sorry, I know this has been stressful for you." 

"She's so little in them. She's lost weight, and she's got bruises covering her body. I don't think it's fair that he sees them." Athena whispered.

"What's going on? Did you find her? Is she alive?" Eddie's voice echoes through the apartment as he rushes to Athena.

"Not yet, Eddie. I'm sorry." Bobby says, grabbing Athena's hand.

"This folder contains photos, Eddie. Graphic ones. My captain wants you to look at them and tell us if it's Amelia." Athena says, setting the folder in front of Eddie.

Eddie's hands shake as he picks the folder up. "I put the least revealing or graphic one on top; don't look at the others if the first one is enough to tell that it's her," Athena says before he can open it.

The folder opens, and Eddie stares at the first picture for two minutes. The only sounds are his sobbing and Buck still moving around the kitchen. "It's her. Where did these come from?" Eddie sobs, throwing the folder back onto the table.

"They haven't been able to find the location. All they know is that she's still in the United States."

"What if the pictures are from the first day? They could have moved her since then." Eddie paces the length of the living room.

"She's too malnourished, and the injuries we can see are not fresh. These are recent, Eddie. I'm sorry." Athena says.

"Who- Who is that guy?" He asks, shaking his head. 

"No way to tell, you can't see him clearly, and I think that's part of it." 

"What's this?" Buck asks, going to grab the photos.

"You don't want to see them, I promise, Evan," Eddie says.

"He's right, Buck." Bobby agrees.

Eddie stares at the folder for several minutes before grabbing it and throwing it into the trash can. Athena watches but doesn't stop him; they don't need the reminders. Athena calls Elaine and tells her that Eddie has confirmed it and that she will stay for a bit longer.

"I'm the worst dad in the world. Why am I letting this happen to her?" Eddie sobs into his hands.

"It's not your fault," Buck mutters, touching his shoulder.

"It is! I should have called the police the first time she ever showed up. She knew that she had no rights!" Eddie shouted.

He gets up and paces the room again. His fingers pull at his hair, and he whispers to himself repeatedly.

'close your eyes and breathe.'

"Let's go eat or maybe get some air?" Buck suggests.

"No! Why do I get the chance to do those things while some fucking freak is taking pictures of my daughter and selling them? Why should I be able to eat when Millie isn't?" Eddie screams, his fist connecting with the wall.

"Why do I deserve anything?" Eddie collapses in Buck's arms when he pulls his now bloody hand from the wall.

"Daddy?" Christopher surprises everyone by coming out of his room.

"Christopher's here?" Athena whispers to Bobby.

Bobby nods, picks Christopher up, and returns to his room.

"They'll find her, Eddie. And if they don't, I'll look for her alone." Buck says, his voice cracking as he watches his best friend fall apart in front of him.

+

"How long have I been here?" Millie's voice is quiet. She's becoming weaker.

"Three weeks and five days." Syd answers, soaking the cloth again in warm water.

Millie looks away from the bowl, not wanting to see the bloody water anymore.

"Am I gonna go home ever again?" The tears started up again then.

"I don't know, Amelia. That's Gio's decision, not mine." Syd says softly.

Syd had never cared about other girls before, so she didn't get what the deal with Amelia was. She was younger than many girls she'd cared for before, but every girl cried and begged, just like Amelia. Why was this one so different? Was it because Syd was her age when her father started sneaking into her room? The various men her father had invited into their home to do what they'd wanted with little Sydney?

"I miss my daddy and my Buck. I miss Chris." Millie whispers, her eyes rolling to the back of her head as she loses consciousness. 

Syd finishes cleaning Amelia's blood and dirt before she leans down and kisses the girl's forehead. "I'm so sorry, sweet girl, " she mumbles.

+

Millie was alone in the room. Another person had come and gone again. The only thing she could do in this room was think. She thought about home and her family. She misses the beach and the firehouse. She wonders if her dad is looking for her. She knew that they were all mad at each other still, but she hoped that no matter what, Eddie and Buck would never give up on her.

She wished they'd found her already, though. Hadn't she been through enough yet? Why was it taking so long? Maybe everyone thought she was dead. Maxine and Reese never returned after that first day, and Millie believes that's why Gio has been getting angrier with her lately. 

He'd been inviting more people over, coming into the room always with the camera. He'd hurt her every single day in any way he could think of. Nothing Millie did was enough for him now. He didn't talk anymore, and he only yelled.

Even after all that, Millie still fights him. She kicks her feet and tries to hit him when her wrists are free, but nothing stops him.

But she was getting so tired. Lately, she'd only been able to sleep because she'd throw up so often that it would exhaust her, and she had no problems closing her eyes. But sometimes, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't sleep. No stuffed cow was tucked in with her, no blanket that smelled like home. Nothing was comforting to her in that tiny, empty, lifeless room.

"Amelia! You little rat." Gio is shouting, shaking Millie's shoulders.

"Get off me!" Millie screams, her voice shaking as Gio kneels over her, a smirk on his face.

"I was trying to be nice, but you're not being a good girl. I think today, we'll let you choose your punishment." 

"NO!" Millie sobbed. 

She didn't think she'd done anything wrong. She was good when the other guy was here. She hadn't fought him much. 

"We'll change things up just a bit," Gio says, sitting on the edge of the bed, his hand running up and down Millie's leg.

"No, no, no." She sobs over and over.

Gio watches her as she pulls at the rope on her wrists and tries to twist away from him.

"Mmm, shall we do the belt? Burns? A knife? Something new?"

"Fuck you! My dad's gonna find you, and he'll kill you." Millie screams, kicking him once in the stomach. 

He's quick, and he's got his hand around her neck in seconds. 

Gio laughs loudly, "Good luck with that, sweetheart; no one's finding us here."

"Pinche pendejo!" She stutters out, coughing when he suddenly releases her throat. 

"Reese did say you had a dirty mouth. I never truly believed him." Gio shrugs, untying Millie's wrists.

"What?" Millie stops struggling.

Did they come back?

Gio doesn't say another word until they are in the bathroom. He pushes Millie into the tub before he grabs a towel and a bowl.

"What's that for?" She asks, her knees pulled to her chest.

The question is ignored as Gio grabs Millie's feet, pulling her to lie flat in the tub. He kneels over her, his knees on either side of her. "We're going to try something new. I'll ask you something, and if you don't give me the answer I want, then I guess you'll see what'll happen."

"Do you understand me, Amelia?" Gio asks as he adjusts both of them so that Millie's face is under the faucet.

"Let me go, please," Millie whispers, her heart racing.

"Listen to the questions and think before you answer, because enough of this, and you could die," Gio says, placing the towel over her face.

Millie starts struggling again, her hands ripping the towel off her face as she starts crying again. Gio doesn't say anything; his fist connects with her face, and she's still as he moves her arms so that his knees hold them down. 

"I warned you, Amelia. I swear to God, I wanted this to go smoothly." He shouts, keeping the towel over her face as he turns the water on. 

The water was colder than Millie thought, and she started kicking her feet, but it was useless. She couldn't move, breathe, or scream, and the water just went down her throat instead. A few seconds later, the water was turned off, and the towel was lifted from her face.

She tries to suck in air, but it's hard. 

"Do you promise to be good, Chica? That'll happen as many times as I need it to for you to get it in your fucking head that you are mine now."

Millie coughed, and the tears never stopped. She lost count after the fourth time the water was turned on.

+

Millie was sitting on the bathroom floor, her heart racing after Gio turned the water off. He'd sat her up, and she immediately coughed up a lot of the water that had entered her lungs. She felt sick now, like she'd throw up any second, but the only thing that ever came out was more water.

She had no idea how long the punishment lasted, but it felt like it lasted for hours. Gio laughed at one point as Millie kept crying for her dad. He'd only stopped because Millie had passed out, and he didn't want to actually kill the girl. 

He'd grinned as he noticed the bruises that his knees had made, keeping her arms pinned. The split lip was bleeding again when he pulled her out of the bathroom, but he ignored it and shoved the girl onto the bed again. He ties her to the bed again before he leans down and whispers in her ear, "Who do you belong to?"

"My daddy!" Millie screamed, glaring at him.

Gio's fist reacts before his mouth does, and soon Millie's nose is bleeding, and she's screaming as he continues to hit her.

Something crashes against the wall, and Millie pulls at the ropes as Gio continues to hit her.

"POLICE FREEZE!" Multiple people are shouting as they surround the bed.

Gio is pulled off of Millie, but she doesn't react. She's lying motionless on the mattress. Her eyes squeezed shut, and her lip was trembling as she fought back a sob. 

+

* 12 Hours Before * 

"Edmundo Diaz?" An officer asks, looking around the room.

"Right here," Eddie mumbled, raising his arm enough for the officer to see.

"I got it from here." Athena interrupts, stepping between Eddie and the other officer.

"What happened? Did you find her?" Eddie asks, his voice shaking.

"We did,"

"Alive?" Eddie asks as Buck enters the apartment.

"She's alive." Athena smiles, just a small one, but it's enough to make Eddie's legs give out.

"What happened? Is it Millie?" Buck shouts, pushing past other officers to get to Eddie.

"She's alive. They found her," Athena says again.

Buck looks between his friend and Athena before he drops to the ground on his knees. His sobs are just as loud as Eddie's. "Where is she?" Bobby asks, making his way over and putting a hand on Eddie and Buck's shoulders.

"Washington. Eddie, they want you to be there when they get her out."

"They haven't gotten her out yet?" Eddie looks up at Athena, now angry.

"There isn't a plan yet; they've just arrested a female who left the house. They need her to talk before they go in. They need a floor plan to determine where Millie is being held."

+

Eddie's hands are shaking as they leave the airport in Washington. Buck is right next to him, but it doesn't help. It's been hours, and Millie was still inside the house.

Athena was driving the rental car behind the police cars and F.B.I. trucks. Nothing anyone said to Eddie mattered. They'd found Millie, and she was alive. He was getting his daughter back.

"Mr. Diaz, before we go in there, I need you to be prepared that you probably won't get the same little girl back. She's been through severe trauma for almost an entire month." An officer says, putting a hand out to stop Eddie.

"Just get her out, please," Eddie says, his voice hoarse.

Two hours later, they finally kick the door down.

+

"FREEZE! PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR!" Gio raises his hands slowly, kneeling on the floor, smirking at Millie.

"It was fun while it lasted, Amelia. But we're not done just yet." Gio smirks, his hand reaching toward the waistband of his jeans.

"Put your fucking hands in the air, or I'll shoot!" A police officer screams, aiming his gun right at Gio's heart.

"I'm just getting something," Gio smirks.

An officer grabs Gio by the back of his shirt, throwing him onto his stomach as a female officer covers Millie with a blanket. "You're okay, sweetheart." She says, moving to untie her wrists.

"Get her ankles free." Another officer is shouting.

Millie finally opens her eyes, and she starts to cry, silently thanking whoever was listening that she was safe.

"Donde está mi Papi?" Millie sobs.

"He's outside, baby; he's waiting outside for you, " the officer says, her eyes filled with tears.

Millie is kept in the room as the officers get Gio on his feet and drag him toward the front door. "Wait! Let me see her one more time." The smirk never leaves Gio's face.

"You're a nasty man, and you'll never touch little girls again." The officer holding his arm says, pushing him out of the room.

"We need paramedics in here. Wait to send the father in." Another officer says into his walkie-talkie as the female officer finally frees Millie's wrists.

"You're going to be just fine. We're going to get you all better, I promise, Amelia." The officer says, pushing the hair out of Millie's face.

"No! Don't call me that!" Millie screams, pushing the woman away.

"I'm sorry, your dad said your name is Amelia." The officer is shaken by the reaction. 

"Paramedics, make room, please."

Millie is screaming again, kicking her feet as four more people surround her. "NO! Get out!" She screams.

"Give her something to calm her down. We'll never be able to work if she's struggling," the first paramedic says. 

"Gentlemen, maybe go easy." A familiar voice enters Millie's thoughts, and she stops struggling when she locks her eyes with Athena.

"A-Ath-" Millie starts coughing before finishing her sentence, throwing up more water.

The paramedics quickly help Millie sit up as she throws up again. "Why the hell is it all water?"

"Waterboarding, probably. The bathroom is soaked, and there's still a small towel in the tub." Someone says, entering the room.

Athena watches as the paramedics try to clean the blood off Millie, but after only a minute or two, she's telling them to back away. Millie is lying on the bed, the blanket over her, shaking. "Daddy? Where is my dad?" Millie mutters, her voice lowering as she closes her eyes.

"No, stay awake, sweetheart," Athena says, shaking her shoulders. 

Athena stays by Millie's side until the paramedics get her ready to transport. 

+

Eddie is pacing in front of the house. It's been twenty minutes since they entered. Eleven minutes since Sergio was brought out in handcuffs, smirking. Eleven minutes had passed since Eddie tried to go after the man, but Buck held him back. Eighteen minutes since Athena entered the house.

"Eddie," Buck whispers, and Eddie follows his eyes.

The paramedics came out of the house with the stretcher.

"Millie!" Eddie is screaming as he rushes over to the stretcher.

Millie's eyes open as she hears her dad's voice. "Daddy," She cries, her hand grabbing a handful of his shirt as he buries his face in her hair, resting his palm on her face.

One hand is on Eddie's shirt, and the other is holding the same one on her face. Eddie lifts his head, both hands holding onto Millie's face. He finally looks at his daughter's face. Her tears had mixed with the blood from her lip and nose, but she was still his baby. She was alive, and that's all Eddie cared about.

Eddie uses his thumbs to wipe the tears that never stopped falling from Millie's eyes.

"I'm so sorry, bug. I never should have left you there alone," he muttered, his forehead resting on Millie's.

Millie lets him talk as they load her into the ambulance, Eddie never once letting go of her hands. She was glad that Gio was gone and that she'd never see him again, but now that she was safe again, she was angry. Why did it take her dad so long to find her? Why didn't he look harder?

As paramedics load her into the ambulance and go to close the doors, Millie finally looks away from Eddie. Her eyes are immediately drawn to the person outside the ambulance doors.

"Buck?" Millie's voice cracks as the doors are finally closed, and they're pulling away.

"It's alright, bug, you'll see him later," Eddie promises.

Millie turns her head away from Eddie and pulls her hand away from his grip.

"Tengo Sueño." She mutters, closing her eyes.

+

Buck paces the waiting room floors in the hospital for two hours before they finally let him back. Eddie is outside Millie's room, speaking to the doctor. "She has several unhealed injuries and several that did heal, just not correctly."

"So where does that leave us?" Eddie asks, his arms crossed.

"With time, a few of them will eventually get back to normal, or in the future, you may need to get her to a doctor for surgery back home."

"With the wrist injury, it looks like it's been broken for a couple of weeks, and she's just gotten so used to the pain that it hasn't affected her. We're going to put it in a cast, and once you return to California, talk to her doctor, and she'll need at least one surgery to completely fix it."

"Now, the main problem we have is her ribs; it seems that she's got nine fractured ribs. Some of them were fractured today; from the scans we did, the others seem to have happened sometime last week. We'll keep her here for a few more days, and once the newer fractures heal a bit more, we'll send her home." The doctor explains all this, and Buck can't stop looking at Millie in the window.

"Why wasn't she complaining of pain? She never mentioned anything hurt, not even to the paramedics in the house." Eddie asks.

"She most likely has blocked out the pain sensors, and if we hadn't medicated her, she'd be in a lot more pain now. The stress of the situation had probably helped as well. She was so focused on other things that the pain never bothered her."

"And the other stuff? Did they touch her?" Eddie asks, but deep down, he and Buck know the answer.

Millie had lost the brightness in her; she'd been tortured, and she was never going to be the same.

The doctor nods once, and Eddie lets out a choked sob as he leans against the wall for support.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Diaz. I'll come back in an hour or so." The doctor says, hanging the clipboard back on the wall.

Buck waits for Eddie to pull himself back up and dry his face before they enter the room together. Millie is sitting on the hospital bed, propped up with multiple pillows.

"Hi, Millie Moo." Buck grins, dropping a duffel bag on the ground.

He sat on the edge of the bed, close enough to Millie that she could reach him if she wanted to. Buck didn't hug or kiss her like he wanted to; instead, he sat there as she stared at him. He'd let her make the first move.

Millie leans forward slightly, grabbing Buck's face and pulling it closer to hers. "You were real. I did see you." She mumbles, her hand never leaving Buck's face.

"I missed you, kid," Buck says, his hands covering Millie's as she starts to cry.

"Careful, Buck," Eddie says, sitting in the chair on the other side of Millie's bed.

"I know!" Buck says, before grinning at Millie, whose eyes are still on his face.

"Hey, we brought you some stuff from home." He says suddenly, pulling away from her.

Buck grabs the duffel bag, pulling out one of his blankets, which he knows Millie loves when she's at his place. He drapes the blanket over her, and she instantly pulls it up to her face.

"Do you remember this?" Buck asks, pulling out Millie's stuffed cow, which she could never sleep without.

Millie doesn't reach for it, not like Eddie thought she would. Instead, she turns her head and watches the doctors outside her room.

"Bug, do you want the stuffie?" Eddie asks, grabbing Millie's hand.

"No! And don't touch me." Millie snaps, ripping her hand from his grip.

"I'm sorry. We'll go at your pace," Eddie says, his voice quietening.

"Why don't we just put it right here? In case you want to grab him, he's in reach." Buck says, placing the cow on the table next to her bed.

Millie doesn't say anything. When the nurse checks the stitches on some of her cuts, Millie asks if she can lie down. The nurse helps her, and Millie has the blanket over her head and pretends to sleep until Eddie asks Buck if they can take a walk.

As soon as they leave the room, Millie reaches for the cow, which has been moved to sit on her pillow. She takes the cow and buries her face in its softness. It smelled like home and like her family. It made Millie sad. She missed home, but Millie missed Christopher and Carla most of all. Christopher had been so mad at her before this. What if they get home and Christopher doesn't talk to her?

+

A/N: I wanted Millie's kidnapped storyline to be all in one chapter, but there's still quite a lot I want to write, and I feel like if this chapter is too long, it'll get boring (if not already.) The next chapter starts the following day, so I'm not doing any skips until later in the next chapter.

I know that this one had a lot going on, and I plan to re-read and edit it in a few days. I never intended to detail what happens to Millie and the people Gio introduces to her. Still, the disclaimer at the start mentions things that happen, which are what Millie experiences.

Millie is different now as well. I have plans for her to be an angry child for a while. She just suffered significant traumatic events, and of course, she'd be angry. She's going to be angry with Eddie and Buck. With herself. Anyway, I hope that I have written it well enough.

more than slight edits: March 2026