Pictures Of You -
A Criminal Minds Fan Fiction -
Written By: AutumnMalarkey
This story is dedicated to 2491 who was the 50th reviewer on my story 'Silent Plea'.
I plan this story to only be two chapters long. Three at a push.
Review if you like it, review if you don't.
'Have you ever looked at a picture of yourself and saw a stranger in the background? It makes you wonder, how many people have pictures of you?' - Lucas Scott, One Tree Hill.
Rhythmically he dipped the photo into the solution, humming along with the song that had been playing on repeat for the past few weeks. Scratches lined the disc from where it had been played so often. Their song.
The timer went off and the silver tweezers plucked the photograph from the liquid. In one swift move, he switched it over to the final tray. Along with hi routine, he pulled the other photo from the last tray and hung it to dry.
Every time the timer sounded, he continued the pattern, right until he had only one photograph left in the last tray. That final buzz told him the last part of the process was in order.
Going along the line, he picked the first photograph in one hand, a pin in the other, then he tacked it to a notice board which covered his wall. Every wall. The room was covered with pictures, and each picture seemed to have one constant element.
Stepping back from his work, he admired the newest pictures.
In every single photograph there was a brunette woman, sometimes she wore sunglasses, sometimes she was in her FBI jacket, other times she was with two friends, maybe more, and his favourite, was the red top she wore.
Caressing his hand over the final photograph, he smirked. That's exactly what she had worn today, and she looked beautiful, sexy, and his.
"Beautiful." He admired.
He jumped involuntary and ran a hand white through his dark brown hair, the other fishing in his pocket for his cell phone. Green eyes scouted out the screen to read that it was his work place calling.
Quickly, he turned the music off, then pressed answer.
"Hey, Johnny… Sure I can… See you soon." Hanging up, his eyes lingered back on the photograph, unconsciously sliding the cell phone into his pocket again.
Then he kissed his two fingers, and lay them on top of the picture, "I'll see you soon too, beautiful."
Grabbing his keys from the counter, he left the room, finally saying, "I'll see you very soon…"
There was that feeling again. Eating away at her insides. It felt like someone was watching her, which, in all actuality probably was right considering she was having coffee with JJ and Garcia.
She drew a steady breath, calming the horrible feeling inside herself. Instead, she set about taking small sips of her burning coffee. It made her mouth numb, but she would take that feeling over the feeling of being watched any day.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone move, and it made her nervous.
But of course there were other people there, they were in the middle of town.
"Em?" JJ repeated, although Emily had not even realise she was saying her name in the first place.
Lifting her eyes from the reflection of the crowd in the window, she looked into her friends eyes, "Hmm?"
"What do you have to say?"
Now she might just have been in trouble if JJ knew she had not been paying attention to a single word she was saying. Searching for help, her eyes searched out Garcia's ones and pleaded.
"She's talking about what she should do to stop Henry picking up all the words he is learning from nursery." Garcia informed her.
Giving a satisfied nod, Emily felt grateful for the information, "Just talk to him, every time you hear him say something. It might not stop him saying it around his friends, but at least you won't know about it."
"That's not what I want, Em, I just want him to stop saying those kinds of words." A flustered JJ groaned out.
"And you think you can stop that? You must know all the things you did around your friends that you never dared do in front of your parents. Henry will just have to learn that." Emily sighed, admitting to herself that she really was not into this conversation, her mind kept wondering back to the fact there might be someone watching her…
"He is three, Em." JJ informed her.
"Okay, I'm stepping in now." Garcia finally announced, looking between her two friends, "Before World War three happens. I am so not going to explain that off to Hotch."
JJ gave a smile, and a half hearted laugh, just as Garcia nudged her under the table. Her head shifted to the side, where Emily was drifting back to looking at the crowd, surveying out anyone that could be of harm to her…
"Em, you okay, Gumdrop?" Garcia asked.
As a way of covering up, she took a sip of her coffee and nodded, "Yeah, peachy keen, you know me."
"Yeah, we do, and for one, 'Peachy keen'? Definitely not you, you're flustered. What's wrong?" JJ pressed.
"Nothing. It's nothing." Mentally she planned out where her gun was, and shifted in her seat to reassure herself that it was on her side, safe within reach if she did need it.
"Emily," JJ leaned over the table taking Emily's hand under her own, "If you're letting it get to you so much that we notice, it obviously isn't nothing."
"It's just a feeling, I don't know if I'm just being irrational, and I probably am."
The look she was given from both girls told her neither were going to let up on the topic.
Giving a final sigh and softly licking her lips, she bit her lower lip before speaking, "I think someone's watching me." Scanning both of the girls faces for reactions and seeing ones that worried her, she added, "But, honestly, I have barely slept in a month, I am probably just being irrational because I am tired."
"Have you saw anyone that has been around you a lot?" Garcia asked.
"Besides you guys? No. I swear, it's just a feeling, and after a full night of sleep, it will probably be okay."
In a form of reluctance, the two women nodded and went back to their drinks.
"You know, if you want I can have my Chocolate God stay with you, just in case." Garcia added.
Emily laughed, "I promise, everything is fine. Come Monday morning I will be back to normal, and definitely ready to kick some UnSub ass. But for now, can we please just begin the world's longest shopping trip?" She smirked, pulling a tongue at Garcia.
"It won't be that long." JJ protested.
"Are you kidding me?" Emily asked, eyebrows raised as she pointed over to a bubbling Garcia.
"We need to get Henry a whole new wardrobe!" She exclaimed, Emily laughed, JJ looked far from amused.
"He only needs a couple of outfits." The media liaison protested.
"Yeah yeah." Garcia waved her off and began to gather her bags.
The other two began to do the same and then set off for their day of shopping, little did JJ or Garcia know, Emily was still terrified that someone was stalking her… Her feelings were never wrong.
He had managed to pick her lock, and almost in silence. It was quite an achievement.
Every inch of her home seemed familiar to him as he crept around each section.
To his left was the kitchen which joined to the living room, to his left was the downstairs toilet. Just a small creep and he would come to the hallway table. It was only eight steps from that in which he would hang a right and carefully climb the stairs.
Yes, he had been here before. Many times.
And he had many souvenirs from each visit. The first time it was underwear, then a top, some perfume, then he noted down every little thing. All in preparation for today. And that was right now. She would be upstairs, fast asleep.
He had made sure.
Watching her all day, listening in on her conversations, taking a few pictures. It was perfect.
Reaching the top landing, he knew the third floorboard squeaked, avoiding it with skill, he was quite pleased to know her bedroom door was open already. Darkness was consumed inside.
There was a light snoring sound that made him smile; he had never watched her sleep before, and learning new things about Emily Prentiss was amazing to him.
Lurking in the shadow of her bedroom, right in the corner by her curtains, he smirked and watched her ever so peacefully.
"Perfect." He commented, quietly.
Not quietly enough.
She was dragged from her slumber at three thirty in the morning, which was unusual for her, considering she had had a stressful month of almost non-stop work, Emily normally never had a problem falling asleep, and staying there, after such a long time. But she was awake, wide awake. And that feeling had returned.
So had the feeling of needing the toilet, maybe that was why she was awake.
Satisfied that it was, Emily crept from her bed into the en-suite bathroom and set about her business.
It was after she left the bathroom that she got the biggest shock of her life.
There was a man, perched at the end of her bed. Holding… Her gun, and her cell phone.
"Hello, Beautiful." He welcomed her, smiling widely. Toying the gun in his hand.
"You… You need to leave." She stammered out, planning out how fast she could race to the bedroom door before he turned the gun on her.
Damn it, why hadn't she taken that to the toilet with her?
"Why would I do that?" There was a menacing tone in his voice. "I'm Clay." He flashed her a brilliant smile, and Emily hated to know that if he was not a psycho with a gun sitting on her bed right now, she probably would have wanted to date him.
"E-Emily."
"I know who you are." He smiled again, looking up and down her body.
At that moment Emily Prentiss realised that she was half clothed. Only wearing shorts and a tank top. She was unsure if she was shivering from the creep on the bed or the cold of her room.
"I have been watching you for a while now, Emily Prentiss. I know everything about you. I know it all. Your mother, the Ambassador, your early years, joining the BAU, all the cases you have worked. I've looked into it all, and you are still very intriguing, most definitely a woman I'd love to take home to my mother."
While he was talking away, saying the creepiest of things about her clothes, personal belongings, even her bathroom products, Emily was eyeing up the door. Waiting for the moment, and when it came, when he looked down at his lap, she was gone. Dashing down the corridor, racing down the stairs.
"Don't be stupid, Emily." He warned, but never gave her another warning as he flew on top of her.
Emily missed the last three steps with her feet completely, instead she banged her body against the hardwood floor of her living room. A body on top of her.
"I warned you, I told you not to do anything stupid, and look what you have made me do."
She felt the cold barrel of her gun being pressed into the temple of her head.
"Now I expect you to do as I say, otherwise I will be forced to do something I don't want to do."
Emily nodded, and cried out in pain as a shot of agony crept through her neck and spine. Sending a silent prayer to God, even though she was in the least religious, it was still worth a try. She prayed to make it out of this alive. Prayed that her team would find her. And prayed most of all that she did not have a spinal injury. Giving a shake of her foot, she noted that she seemed to be okay, in pain, but okay.
"Why don't you sit on the couch and we can have a talk? Your back must be hurting from that fall." Although the words were compassionate, the way he dragged her over to the couch and flung her body upon it were far from that.
She cried out again, and adjusted herself into a more comfortable position.
"I know all about Matthew, and John, I know about the abortion." He taunted her, "I can give you a child. A child you want to have, one that I will be there for."
"I… Um… I…" She wondered if saying nothing would be better.
Maybe if she interrupted him enough, the conversation could last for so long that she would end up being late for work, then someone would come looking for her. But it was half three last time she checked. It could barely have been twenty past four right now.
Her prayers were answered as her cell phone buzzed.
Clay checked the phone display.
"It says 'JJ'." He informed her. "Now I'm not stupid enough to let you answer the call." Clay told her, with a smirk as the phone stopped ringing. "Let's text this 'JJ'. Hmm, Jayje," He began to read out what he was typing. After having studied Emily quite closely, and even scanning though her cell history, he knew exactly how to spell things and say things, "Sorry, not feeling to well, voice is almost gone so calling isn't really an option. Guess it's the month of exhaustion catching up with me. I think a weeks rest should do it. Tell Hotch. Em, signed with two kisses. Just how you do it. Two kisses for 'family', well, the team, one for your parents."
After clicking send, it was a short moment before a reply came.
"Sure, Em, not a problem. It seems Reid's come down with something too, maybe you two passed it to each other. We should be back from Omaha in three days tops, I'll check on you then. JJ."
He gave an evil chuckle, "Seems like we have the all clear, a three day head start on them. Enough time to get you a new identity, and far from here. I'm thinking England." Clay then let his hand drop the cell phone and tucked a small piece of Emily's hair away from her face. Tracing his fingers over her cheek bones and down to the tip of her chin. "Way better than a picture." He teased.
"Leave me alone." Emily finally said, "Please, I won't tell any one about this, just leave." She almost begged.
"Hmmm. I never expected you to be the begging type. Maybe when we were in bed, but not right now. Where are those compartmentalising walls now, Emily?" Taking a deep breath in, Clay took in her scent. "Definitely raspberry and pomegranate."
"Please." She looked at him, broken and terrified, her breath caught in her throat as a knock came on her front door.
"Emily? JJ sent me to check on you." It was Reid.
Oh God, no.
"Answer it, tell him to go away. Tell him everything is fine. Do it or I will shoot both of you."
Dragging her from the couch, he pushed her to the door.
"I have a key, I am coming in."
Just as the key was entering the lock, Emily answered.
"One second." Then she began to slowly open the lock on the door.
Clay hid in the shadow, the gun pressed to the side of her head that was hidden by the shadow of the door.
"Hey." Reid sounded as if he actually was sick, it almost made her feel guilty for making him get the subway at this time.
"I'm okay, really, Reid. I just need to sleep. You should go home." The way she was looking to the floor, the tenseness in her body told Reid something was wrong.
"JJ's ordered me to stay here, so we can look after each other. Garcia should be over with soup later." He rambled off.
"Reid." Emily's voice snapped him from his ramble. "Leave." The fear in her eyes told him that something was far from right, and it was inside that house.
Reaching for his gun, which he fortunately kept on him, he fumbled to pull it loose. Just as he tried, Emily was flung away from the door and thrown into the kitchen counter, then Reid was pulled by his sweater inside the house, the gun falling from his hands. A fist connected with his face as the door was thrown shut and locked.