Note: I've been rewatching 'Criminal Minds' and this popped into my head...I'm working on the story but it should be a short-ish one...Hopefully people are interested...Enjoy!
I opened the gate with the remote and drove through. I pulled up in the driveway until I neared the garage and parked the car. Glancing around the backyard, I sighed and got out. The few bags of groceries were easy to reach in the back seat and I headed towards the house. I loved coming here before to soak up the love and peace my family could give me but now the house was deadly quiet.
"Not too much longer," I sighed, dropping the bags onto the counter.
Putting away the groceries didn't take me long and I headed up to the guest bedroom where I was staying. With no real plans for the day and having a feeling of staying home, I changed out of my tops, skirt, tights, and boots. I left my fingerless gloves on and changed into black running shorts and a black tank top. Even if I was staying home, it didn't mean that I couldn't dress as myself.
"Mom would berate me if she could see me now."
This past year I had been living in Europe and then Japan and had gotten into the whole anime/manga scene. I had started to dress like the characters and then added in some gothic pieces to come up with my unique look. My brothers, especially my eldest, didn't like the look but my nephew loved it. He'd suggest a color and that would be the next color I would dye my hair. Currently, I had long dark purple hair with several teal streaks throughout.
Back downstairs, I hooked up my laptop and turned on my music so I could listen as I searched for a place to live. I couldn't stay living in my brother's old house forever. After an hour of combing through real estate ads and not finding anything, I headed into the kitchen to grab a drink. When heading back, I heard the front door unlock and open.
"Aunt Mae!"
Putting down my glass, I knelt down and scooped my nephew up into my arms. I hugged him close and looked over at my sister-in-law, well ex sister-in-law.
"Haley, what's going on? Why are you and Jack here?"
"Have you talked to Aaron lately?"
"He was supposed to get me from the airport yesterday but never showed up so I came here. What's wrong?"
"I have to make a call. They told me Aaron was…"
"Oh, God," I whispered, sitting on the couch with Jack and holding my breath as Haley made the call. I ran my hand over his hair while he played with mine. He was telling me all about what he's been doing while in hiding. Jack thought he was on vacation but vacation didn't include U.S. Marshalls following you and such.
"OK. We're here," she said into the cell before moving into the kitchen to hit the switch to open the gate.
She explained that a Marshall was coming to meet her and Jack to take them in. Something wasn't sitting right with me. Aaron had mentioned that they were being put into protective custody because a killer named Foyet might be after them. What better way to find them than lying about being a Marshall?
"Haley, did you know the Marshall who called you?"
"He was calling me from a secure number that I knew. Said that Sam was killed and our location had been compromised."
Jack climbed off my lap and pulled out a few toys from his pockets to play with on the table. I reached over and grabbed the cell phone I purchased that morning. The only numbers I had programmed into it were my brothers' numbers. Turning down my music, I pulled up my contact list and hit Aaron's number.
"Come on. Pick up the phone."
"Hotchner."
"Aaron! Oh, thank God."
"Mae? What's wrong? Where are you?" he asked quickly.
"At the house. Someone told Haley that you were…um…D-E-A-D."
Haley came into the room with an older man. He was dressed in dark clothes and had a look about him. When he saw me, that look darkened for a moment before taking on another aspect that I really didn't want to think about in that moment. I took a step forward and put myself in between them and Jack. Haley noticed this.
"Mae, what's…?"
"Put it on speaker," he ordered, grabbing Haley's wrist.
We shared a look before her entire body tensed. I held out the phone and put it on speaker.
"Aaron?" Haley called.
"Haley. Are you and Jack OK?"
The man, Foyet, pushed her towards us and stepped over to a chair. Before sitting, he flashed us a gun tucked into his pants. I took her arm and pulled her closer to Jack. The boy was oblivious to what was really happening in that room. For that, I was glad and wished Aaron would arrive before anything happened.
"We're fine."
"Don't show him any fear, any weakness. He lives for the control and power."
"Sam's told me about him," Haley replied, the knowledge of what Foyet did to his victims running through her mind.
"Probably because he sucks in bed," I muttered at the same time Haley spoke.
Foyet's eyes roamed over my body, the look from earlier deepened. He smiled and rather than cowering, I straightened my back, stuck my hands on my hips, and stepped closer. I mouthed 'Fuck You' to him and watched the smile widen. Haley was quietly sobbing beside me, her tears streaking the mascara down her cheeks.
"And who would you be?" he asked smiling.
"The help," I replied.
"She's Daddy's sister," Jack piped up.
"Well, well. That is a surprise," he chuckled, getting up from the chair.
Foyet moved towards my nephew so I called the boy over, offering him the phone; anything to get him away from the man who stabbed Aaron nearly 6months ago.
"Hi, Daddy."
"Hi, buddy. I need you working on this case with me. Do you think you can do that? Work this case?"
"Yes, Daddy."
"Hug your Mom for me, Jack."
Jack handed the phone back to me and Haley took her son into her arms. She knew the possibility that we wouldn't come out of this unscathed and rather than watching the silent goodbye between them, I stared at the man across from me. The boy told Haley she was hugging him too tightly before she released him. Jack briefly hugged me around the legs before hurrying out of the room.
"So cute, like a little G-man. I'll be right with you, Jackie Boy," he called, pulling the gun from under his shirt.
"No, please," Haley sobbed.
"Haley, you were always much stronger than I ever was."
Foyet circled us but I followed him, always keeping Haley behind me. She was smaller than me in height but with similar weight. He wouldn't be able to get at her without taking me out.
"No parting words for your sister, Aaron? I'll be doing her nice and slow before finding that bastard child of yours and slashing his throat."
"You son of a bitch," I spat.
"You'll get here quick won't you, Aaron? You must tell Jack about how we met and that family is the most important thing and that you weren't always so serious."
"I promise, Haley."
"No. Jack's going to have both his parents," I said before I sprang at the man. "Haley, run!"
He raised his gun and shot me. I felt the bullet tear into my thigh but I kept going. He fired another shot before I knocked him back into the wall. I reached up for his gun hand and closed my hand around his and the butt of the gun. I brought up my injured leg and tried to connect with his crotch but he managed to block me. Foyet hurled me backwards and I fell onto the coffee table, landing on my laptop and causing the table to collapse.
The man stepped over to Haley's bleeding body. Her head fell to the side and I caught her gaze. The bullet had hit her in the chest. The gun was raised again and another bullet tore into her body.
"You're all mine now."
I pulled myself over to Haley's body and clamped my hands over the main wound. I knew there was nothing I could do but she shouldn't have to die alone and in pain.
"I'm so sorry, Haley."
Her eyes stared up at me and she coughed up blood once before her body went still. Foyet grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back from her. He shoved me onto the floor and straddled my legs, putting pressure onto my wound. I bit my lip from crying out.
"We have plenty of time before your dear brother shows up," he said, grabbing my head in his hands and driving it into the floor beneath me.
My vision started going black but obviously not quick enough because he did it again. The last thing I saw before falling unconscious was Foyet staring down at me grinning from ear to ear.