Lo! darkness bends down like a mother of grief On the limitless plain, and the fall of her hair It has mantled a world.
Author: Joaquin Miller (pseudonym of Cincinnatus Hiner Miller)
Source: From Sea to Sea (st. 4)
Aaron Hotchner looked at the blood that had turned a white rug red an thought.'This is Elle all over again.' Once again he had lead an Agent to danger an this time
might have gotten her killed.
"Aaron this isn't your fault you couldn't have know." Gideon told him knowing his thoughts.
"I could have taken her on the case, I could have had someone-"
"What Hotch had someone baby sit her then they'd be dead, you didn't do this to her they did." Rossi told him.
"My team will handle this you go see how she is an keep me posted." Gideon told him steering him out the door.
"I want to know what happen everything." The Sgt. told the nurse as his son pasted back an forth.
"Of course sir, Agent Storm was raped-" The nurse stopped out of fear as both looked at her in rage.
"Raped! Where the hell was her team!"
"Steven, go nurse."
"She was cut up pretty bad but it was just enough to make her bleed the wounds will heal with out a scar. Sir she was shot in the chest point blank." After that the
nurse ran as Steven looked ready to kill.
"She's dyeing an they killed her why the hell did they leave her!" Steven yelled.
"This is a hospital you will keep it down." The Sgt. Said looking past his son. "You'll keep your mouth shut an control yourself."
Steven turned around an his body stiffen as Hotch an his Team approached them.
"I said control boy!" Sgt hissed grabbing his arm when he went to move. "Go out side an notified the team."
"You mean her real team!" he hissed glaring at them as he pasted.
"How-"
The Sgt cut them off. "Why was she left behind Hotchner?" he asked.
"Given the case I thought it best."
"An what was that case?"
"It was the men who killed Elizabeth." Prentiss told him.
The Sgt sat down. "They found her." He mumbled before looking at Hotchner an his team.
"So why was she left behind?" Steven asked coming back in.
"I want you to get Mickey an Mark down here I want them outside her door an I want them armed."
"Them it was them how did they?" Steven stopped an turned to face the BAU, "What the hell did you do we keep her save for 19 years an you lead them right to
her!"
"Steven!"
"No sir she maybe dyeing as we speak an damn it I want to know why!"
"There were working on the case of her killers they should have been were the BAU was not with her." Sgt told them standing up.
"You mean the men who attacked her killed Sweets an instead of taking her along they left her behind? Did she even know about that case?"
"No I-"
"No you didn't even inform her!" Steven turned so fast his father couldn't stop him an he had Hotch pined to the wall gun pointed at his head.
Of course the team all pulled theres an the nurse just stayed out of the way haven already been told by the Sgt to stay clear if anything should happen with his son.
"Lower your guns."
"The hell we will man you need to have him back off now!" Morgan told him.
"You killed her, they didn't know damn it they didn't know!"
"Steven leave now I will not ask again."
"Sir-"
"Steven."
Steven let Hotch go an put his gun away. "I'll get them here asp." He said storming off.
"Sir." Ried said putting his own gun away.
"She in surgery she was shot point blank in the chest, after- well you know there style." he told them.
"But they go after families she was alone." Prentiss pointed out.
"They were just cleaning up." he said closing his eyes. "This isn't your fault Agent Hotchner given the choice I would have left her behind as well."
"You wanted her out had it-"
"What ifs will only destroy us Agent. What if I never allowed her talent to bloom what if I had had her locked up in some boarding school. Would she have been safe
or would you an your team be hunting her some day? What ifs never help only make things worse."
"You're her Father?" Ried asked.
"I am. You should all get some sleep it's going to be a long night."
"We stay until we know how she is." Rossi said.
An they did stay an out of pure exhaustion some of them fell asleep Hotchner an The Sgt did not.
"What's the Report?" He asked the nurse.
"The bullet hit her heart sir,"
Hotch's head fell at the news.
"I don't know what angel was watching over her but I hope there still there, we got it out an she's hanging in there but we won't know until morning if she's out of the
woods. We've moved her to a room if you wish to see her?"
"Yes we do." he said looking to Hotchner who nodded an followed them.
Phoenix lied in bed with tubes in her arms an a mask on her face helping her to breath she was bruised an some of the cuts stilled bleed. She look liked she was in a
car crash.
"No man ever wants to see there child like this, but know man should have to see this twice." Sgt sighted.
"Sir I'm-"
"I told you it's not your fault I know nothing I say with make you think other wise but don't say you're sorry, I'll hear that form everyone else."
Hotch nodded an took the seat on the other side of her as her father sat down.
"She's going to need you an your team Hotchner."
"She's going to need you." Hotchner said.
"She's not going to want see me, I have no doubt that she knows who she really is an that I kept that from her. Trust with her was always a problem she did give it
easily an when that trust was broken that she did give well she has yet to ever forgive someone who has broken her trust. An I have broken it." He said looking at
her. "There really is nothing you or team can do for her now you all should go home a rest I'll keep you informed."
"There not going to want to go nor am I." Hotch told him.
"Yes but my son will be back an he wants some ones blood right now you an team are all he can get at."
Hotch looked at Phoenix before looking at her father.
"You will be informed the moment she wakes."
Nodding Hotch went an after an hour convinced his team to go home an get sleep.
The Sgt. Stud up holding his daughters had. "I wanted you the moment I found you all I ever wanted was to make sure you never hurt again, I'm sorry I failed you
but I will stop your pain now my sweet." With that he pulled a needle from his pocket an injected it into the the tube in her arm.
Four hours later nurse an doctors ran to her room when she flat lined.
A jade curtain of willow fronds parts world of green earth from that of blue pond A grey curtain of morning mist separates turquoise waters from blue sky A more slender veil is at the portal hiding the paradise of the immortal.
Author: Saiom Shriver