Emily was in the master bedroom, reading a book silently when Ian came upstairs. The sun was setting as Emily gazed longingly out the window, putting the book down on the night stand when she noticed Ian in the room.
"Hey." She smiled, getting up out of bed to walk over to him. She leaned up to kiss him, her lips just brushing his when she noticed he was unmoving. She pulled away, confusion surely etched on her face as she met his gaze. "What's wrong?" She asked, a fear panging through her. Something felt wrong, different about Ian's demeaner towards her and she didn't like it.
"You tell me, Emily." She stopped cold, her body temperature decreasing as she felt her shivering. Her real name spoken from his lips felt so different. She'd been far too comfortable, she had been in over her head with this case since the moment she let her guard down, since the moment she let herself fall in love with him. She was stupid, and she would surely pay the price.
"Ian," She finally managed to find her voice, quiet as a mouse. "I-"
"What?" He snapped, his eyes alight with anger.
"How did you-" She started again, trying to get through when Ian cut her off again.
"Liam was right." He scoffed, letting himself laugh darkly. "You were too good. Too good for a man like me." He said, and they locked eyes for a moment. She knew she couldn't convince him that she wasn't a liar.
"Ian, I'm in love with you." She didn't know she was saying the words until they were out of her mouth, tears welling in her eyes. She felt so cold, so dirty. Lauren Reynolds may have been a lie, but even if he were to kill her himself, she wanted him to know that she did love him. That was something she never had to force herself to lie about. Her name, her age, her family, yes. But never her true feelings.
That was when it happened. Ian grabbed a glass on the nightstand and threw it, she watched, whipping her head around to watch the glass shatter, leaving a dent in the plaster. She breathed in slowly, trying to keep calm. He stode towards her in long strides, still wearing his work boots she realized before she was pinned between him and the wall behind her, trapped.
"Give me one good reason, why I should believe you." He nearly whispered, their faces close, his breath on her mouth as she tried and failed to slow her breathing.
"Because you love me too." She snapped, trying to keep her voice steady, waiting for it to break.
"I love Lauren Reynolds, love. And she's not real." He said, getting even closer to her, invading more and more of her personal space. "How can you love someone who isn't real?"
"Ian," Her voice cracked then, unsure of what exactly was going through her racing mind. "My name is Emily Prentiss." She said, regaining some of her composure. "I was sent to Boston by an undercover task force to find and arrest 'Valhalla'."
"So it's true, you're here to arrest me. To take me away from my son." He growled his second sentence, "He's all I have, love. I can't be arrested, I can't just leave him without a father. You see how well that went for me." His voice was strained, tired, heartbreaking really as he starred at her, his blue eyes now shining with tears.
"Ian if I was going to turn you in I would have already done it. Two week agos when you told me that Declan was yours." He opened his mouth when they both froze at a small voice in the doorway.
"Daddy?" Declan asked, rubbing his eyes, his teddy bear clutched in his hand.
"Declan, what are you doing up?" Ian asked, his voice suddenly turning soft as he turned away from her. But, she did notice his hand noticably still by his side, still having easy access to the gun resting on his hip.
"I heard a crash and it woke me up." The little boy said, looking around the room, his eyes lingering on the broken glass and Emily cast a small smile in his direction.
"Go back to bed, love." Ian said, smiling at his young son.
"Can Lauren read me a bedtime story?" He asked, letting out a yawn. Ian locked eyes with Emily for a moment before asking Declan to ask her himself. She stepped away from the wall and Ian's hand inched up before he realized what she was doing. She was getting herself out in front of the broken glass. She was keeping his son from hurting himself.
"Hi sweetie." Emily said, crouching down to meet the boy's eyes, smiling as she took his small hands in hers. She found herself squeezing them gently, willing herself to remember every detail of the little boy in front of her, knowing that this may be the last time she'd see him. She blinked back the tears in her eyes as Declan asked her if she could read him a bedtime story. "Sure I will, I'll be there in a few minutes, okay?" She said before pulling the boy in for a hug. She tangled her hand in his curls, letting a few tears fall before she silently watched him leave the room, watching Ian shut the door behind him.
Suddenly, Ian seemingly dropped all defenses, sitting down on the bed. She walked over to him slowly when he pulled out his gun. She stopped all movement, mental preparing herself for the pain when he turned it around, holding it out for her to take.
"Do it." He said, almost inaudible as he met her eye. He looked so defeated. "If I go to jail, Declan will be used to make me talk. If you kill me, no one has to know about him."
"What makes you think I won't tell anyone?" She asked, knowing she wouldn't, but curious of his reasoning.
"I'm not blind. I know how much you love him, you wouldn't let that happen... No matter what kind of woman you are." He said, a ghost of a smile on his lips. He thrust the gun into her hands, standing up, the barrel pushed against his chest.
"Do it." He said, unable to meet her eye.
"No." She said firmly, trying to let the gun drop. Ian grabbed her hand, keeping the gun on the kill shot. The tears were falling from both their eyes by this point and without thinking she got up on her tip toes to kiss him.
And to her surprise, he kissed her back.
The gun clattered to the floor between them as their mouths melded together as they always did.
"I love you." She whispered as she pulled away just an inch. The air was quiet between them for a long moment.
"I believe you." He managed.
"We can get out of here, I can give my team a false lead, I can fake my own death," She rambled, "We can be together." She finished, a small smile curling her lips.
"Okay."
"Okay?" She whispered, not believing it.
"I love you, Emily." He said, the first time he'd said her name in a soft voice. She was crying happy tears as she kissed him again before he told her to go read Declan his story. Before he assured her it would not be the last bedtime story she'd read to his son.
