Hello! I'm updating! And it hasn't been two months! What? Yes, like I said I'm trying a lot harder with my updates and whatnot, and I've been working on this chapter for a wee while. Like I said in the previous chapter, I didn't expect this to be very long, but as I was writing I came up with something, so be prepared for a couple more chapters than you expected! I hope that's exciting, and not just "oh god, we have to put up with this for HOW many more chapters?"
Anyway, I think this is a pretty emotional chapter, but I hope you enjoy it anyway xxxx
The next day, the unthinkable happened. They had a case, finally, after a short dry spell, and everybody had gathered into the round table room to be briefed. Only, the remote sat abandoned on the table, and Garcia was nowhere to be seen. Hotch and the rest of the team exchanged incredibly concerned glances, and Morgan clenched his fist tightly.
"We don't need to think much of it," Hotch assured them all, "everyone's late sometimes. Garcia would know that more than anybody."
His attempt to be light had fallen flat, and the mood around the room remained dark and sombre, like they were all waiting for bad news that they knew would inevitably come. Instead, Hotch directed the team's attention to the case. Without Garcia's computer hooked up to the monitors, they had to address the paper files, but nobody complained. Their case seemed fairly straightforward – for something that they'd been consulted on anyway. Their unsub was a strangler. Though normally this was sexual, Emily pointed out that the bruising wasn't dark – as though the strangling itself had only been a means to an end.
"If it was the regular sexual sadist," she remarked, "don't you think he'd take more care in what he was doing?"
It was almost twenty minutes later when Garcia finally stumbled through the door. She all but sprinted to her station to plug in her laptop, looking notably flustered, and not even glancing at the team, while she bumbled out apology after apology.
"I'm so so so so SO sorry I'm late sir," she said, addressing Hotch without turning to face him – still busying herself with the laptop cords. "The t-traffic was terrible and, and… And then my car broke down and there was t-trouble at the bank and…"
Hotch felt his heart drop. You didn't need to be a profiler to tell that she was lying. The rest of the team looked equally concerned, trying not to focus too hard on their flustered friend. She was visibly shaking, and her hands kept slipping on the cords.
"Here," Hotch said, standing up, "let me help you –"
"No- sir, it's perfectly fine I…"
Her rambling was cut short as Hotch caught sight of her face. He couldn't help but exclaim in utter anger as he was faced with the sight of his happy-go-lucky, innocent friend completely terrified and covered in fresh bruises. Without a word, he whirled around and marched towards the door. He wasn't entirely sure what he was planning to do. He knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to take Morgan and track down Kevin, and make him realise what real bruises looked like – and why people actually deserved them.
However, once he reached the door, all he did was call out.
"Agent Anderson? Can you tell Strauss the team can't work this case?" He paused for a moment, while Anderson replied. The rest of the team watched in shock. All eyes had been on Hotch, but as he paused, they had begun to drift back to Garcia. From behind him, Hotch could hear the collective reaction to the sight that met them.
"Urgent personal matter. She doesn't need to know anything else. Tell her I'll talk to her soon. Thank you… Oh- and Anderson! Make sure we aren't disturbed!"
After the agent walked away, Hotch swung the door shut, trying his best not to slam it, and failing anyway.
"Sit down Garcia." He said, speaking calmly all of a sudden. The last thing she needed was another angry voice.
"S-sir, you really didn't need…" The analyst's breathing was heavy, and her eyes were darting around the room. Hotch felt his chest tighten. She was terrified. That man had made her terrified in her own workplace. "I'm fine, r-really, this is actually the reason I was late, I-I fell down some stairs and then…"
It was a pathetic excuse. She knew it, and the team knew it. Before she could go any further, JJ broke down into tears, leaping from her seat and running to her friend, to envelope her in the biggest hug she could muster. Emily followed suit, then Morgan, shaking with rage he was barely suppressing, walked up and stood behind her, with his hands on her shoulders, squeezing tightly.
Soon, the whole team, including Rossi, Reid and Hotch, were surrounding Garcia, in a tight, protective circle. It didn't last long, and after a few seconds of silent and reassuring comfort, they began to dissipate so they were sitting in a semi circle around the analyst. All except Morgan, who sat right next to her, gripping her hand, tightly, as though he never wanted to let go again.
Hotch sat directly in front of her, looking her directly in the eye. Every time he saw her face it made him wanted to scream in anguish. Her cheeks and forehead were patched with sections of blue and purple, and along her neck were lighter markings – brown and yellow. Reid shuddered as he stared at her neck – something was wrong with it… The markings seemed too familiar…
"Garcia…" Hotch said softly, "what really happened?"
The analyst drew a shaky breath and then shook her head violently as tears began to stream down her face.
"Baby girl, come on, we're family here. You need to tell us, Garcia, come on." Morgan coaxed, stroking her hair as she tried to quell the tears that flowed from her eyes.
There was what seemed like an hour long pause, the silence only broken by Garcia's sniffling, and then, in a voice that was only just audible, she whispered:
"He… He normally doesn't… H-hit my face."
Rossi growled, slamming his fist down on the bench. Emily hissed slightly, she and JJ instinctively moving forward towards their friend. Morgan moaned audibly, squeezing Garcia's hand even tighter as tears began to roll down his own cheeks. He wiped them away angrily, looking at Hotch, as though he was pleading with him.
Only Reid and Hotch stayed silent.
Hotch, because he couldn't speak without screaming or howling in anger.
Reid, because he was thinking…
"Listen to me Garcia," Hotch said finally, "he's going to jail. I can tell you that right now. There's no way in the world we're going to let that bastard hurt you again, do you understand me?"
"NO," Garcia exclaimed, shocking them all, "I mean… Yes, sir, I'm sorry it's just…" She broke off with a heavy sob, before continuing, "h-he won't go to jail. He said there was no way anyone would believe me, and if they did… I-If they did, he'd be l-long gone before they came for him… That's what he- what he used to say to me when…"
As she trailed off, Hotch bowed his head to the ground, to hide the tears welling in his eyes. He had to stay strong for her, and for the rest of the team, but… He could finish that sentence for her, but he didn't want to.
'When she had the phone in her hand,' he thought, 'when she was going to call the police. Call us.'
"There's nothing y-you can do. I'm the only evidence you have and… He can be charming… This isn't going to be any different… T-two months and he'll be out and he'll come for m-me and I-"
"No." Reid said, all of a sudden speaking up.
"No, he's going to prison. For a long time. Forever."
"Reid," Hotch said quietly, turning to his youngest agent, "I understand the sentiment, but you have to understand we can't possibly promise her that-"
"No, Hotch, you don't understand," The young agent insisted. "He's not just going to prison for this. He's going to prison for murder."
! I literally came up with that plot twist while I was writing this chapter, so please don't hate me if it's a little weak/inconsistent with the rest of the story. I don't know if you can tell, but I've been trying my absolute hardest to make this more Morcia-centric, as it would be in the actual show, if this were to happen. And don't get me wrong, I ship Morcia more than anything, I just always seem to write from Hotch's perspective, and it's so hard to incorporate ahhhh! Anyway, please let me know what you liked/didn't like in the reviews, or just leave a message of support, because I love hearing from y'all, and your reviews are the one of the only reasons I keep writing 3
Love you all so much (and don't forget to check out my other stories while you're waiting for this one to update, because I'm about to go write chapters for them to upload tomorrow!) and it's 12am and I need to sleep. HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS MY LOVELIES XXXX
