Working like crazy but doing my best to keep updating for you guys! Thanks so much for your patience! -J
Chapter 7
"Ah Agent Prentiss," Parrilla said, startling Spencer who had just begun to drift off, as he walked in talking on the phone. "I hope you have some good news for me," he said, looking down at Spencer who couldn't help but shiver at the hint of evil in his eyes as he listened to the voice on the other end of the phone.
"Well she's right here," he then said, still watching Spencer as he listened to Emily talk, nodding along with a grin before eventually holding the phone up to Spencer's ear so she could listen, the teen beginning to shake as she noticed the knife that Parrilla was holding in his other hand for the first time.
"M-mom?" Spencer said quietly, doing her best to sound okay, but knowing her exhaustion and fear was probably pretty obvious to her girlfriend's mother.
"Alex honey?" Emily replied, the sound of her voice temporarily making Spencer feel better until she looked back to Parrilla who was still standing over her with a grin. "Alex are you okay? Are you hurt?"
"No, I'm okay," Spencer said softly, hoping the shaking in her voice wasn't too obvious. "I'm not hurt…just….tired…hungry…" she said weakly, glancing at Parrilla out of the corner of her eye.
"It's going to be okay honey," Emily told her, Spencer's eyes immediately stinging with tears. "Just hang in there," she said before Parrilla pulled the phone away from Spencer's ear.
Wishing she could talk to the older brunette just a little bit longer, Spencer stopped listening to Parrilla's end of the conversation, blocking it out as she did her best to think positive thoughts. Spencer was admittedly getting scared. The longer she spent tied up and alone, the more worried she was getting; feeling sick to her stomach as she thought about all the people she may never see again.
The teen let a tear slip down her cheek, still lost in thought until there was a very sudden and sharp stinging in her arm as Parrilla quickly began to run his knife down her arm causing Spencer to scream out, both in shock and in pain. Obviously hearing what he wanted to hear on the other end of the phone, Parrilla pulled the knife away, Spencer crying openly now as Parrilla told Emily that she had an hour before hanging up the phone.
"There, there Alex," Parrilla said as he put his phone down, stroking a hand over her hair before grabbing her arm, Spencer hit with another round of pain.
"Please….don't," Spencer cried.
"Doesn't look too deep," Parrilla said, looking over her arm. "You'll be fine," he said. "And soon Mommy will be here to make you feel all better."
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When Parrilla hung up the phone Emily was shaking, the dial tone the only sound in the room as the rest of the team watched her carefully, until Hotch finally reached forward to hang up the phone.
"Emily," Rossi was the first to make a sound, looking worriedly towards the brunette who seemed to be breathing heavily. "He was just trying to scare you. She's probably fine."
"Probably?" Emily replied sharply. "And is that supposed to make me feel better? She's probably fine."
"Em he was just trying to get what he wanted," Morgan tried. "He needed a reaction. Rossi's right. She's probably fine. Parrilla still needs her. You need to keep your head in this. Spencer still needs us."
"Somehow none of that makes me feel better," Emily said, taking deep breaths as she attempted to calm herself down, knowing what her teammates were saying made sense, but not feeling any better. "What are we going to do? How are we supposed to get her there? The mother is never going to allow this. What are we supposed to do?"
"He'll most likely demand that you be the one to bring her," Reid said. "He'll want you alone; no one following behind. Probably no gun or phones either," he continued. "I'm pretty sure this has more to do with you than his daughter at this point."
"But why?" Emily asked sounding frustrated.
"In his mind you ruined things for him," Rossi replied. "You prevented him from killing Grace and you forced him into hiding meaning he hasn't been able to take another girl since then," he explained. "He has most likely spent the last few month so angry with you that it's become personal. He took Spencer thinking she was Alex for a reason. He wants to hurt you but I think it's more than that. He needs a way to get to you."
"Rossi's right," Morgan was quick to agree. "It makes sense. He took Spencer because he needed something to hold over you. I'm willing to bet he's using his daughter as a means to get to you now. He's proposing a switch between the girls but it's more than that," he said. "We can't let her bring Maggie to him alone," he said looking at Hotch.
"We won't," Hotch replied. "When he demands that Emily comes alone we'll follow her at a distance. Unmarked cars. We can place a tracker somewhere on her person," he said. "But unfortunately we have to let her go. It's our only chance at getting Spencer out of there safely."
"He's right," Emily agreed. "And I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen," she added before glancing at her watch. "And now we have less than an hour. We think we know what he's going to ask for. So let's get ready. We need to be prepared. We need to beat him at his own game."
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Parrilla's daughter Maggie and her mother had managed to arrive earlier than the team had been expecting, showing up 30 minutes before Parrilla was supposed to call, which gave them enough time to explain the situation. Like they had expected Sandra had immediately told the team there was no way her ex-husband was going anywhere near her daughter, and though they had attempted to rationalize with the woman about the risk Spencer was under without Maggie's help, the mother understandably wouldn't hear it.
"We need to appeal to her in a different way," Hotch said quietly, having pulled Emily aside. "We don't have much time. We need the Hastings."
"Got it," Emily nodded, immediately heading down the hall where Peter and Veronica were still waiting. Knocking lightly on the door before entering, Emily poked her head inside to find the parents sitting together, their heads in their hands, Melissa now with them as well.
"What's going on? Is Spencer okay?" Peter immediately asked upon seeing Emily. "Has something happened?"
"Not exactly," Emily shook her head. "But we do have some progress. Parrilla's daughter and ex-wife have arrived. I talked to Parrilla this morning," she explained. "He wants to see his daughter and has basically implied that it's the only way that I will be able to get Spencer back. We believe he'll want me to be the one to bring Maggie to him but his ex is obviously reluctant. We were hoping that maybe if she talked to you…"
"You're going to trade Spencer for his daughter?" Veronica asked sounding rather surprised.
"Of course not," Emily replied. "We aren't going to put his daughter in danger. We have a plan, but it does rely on Sandra's cooperation. We need Maggie to get to Spencer."
"Well then what are we waiting for?" Peter said. "Let's go," he said, getting up and taking Veronica by the arm so she would stand too.
With Emily leading, the trio made their way back down the hall, Emily entering the conference room and giving Hotch a signal as the Hastings stood behind her waiting.
"Sandra this is Peter and Veronica Hastings," Hotch introduced as the couple came into the room. "Your ex-husband took their daughter Spencer believing her to be Agent Prentiss' daughter," he explained. "He still has no idea that he has the wrong girl, which is why he has kept her safe, but we need your help in order to bring her home."
"We know it's scary," Emily chimed in. "But you have to trust us. We have a plan and we aren't going to let anything happen to Maggie. I will be with her the whole time."
"Please," Veronica added, seeing that Sandra still looked rather wary. "We understand your hesitation, but think of our daughter," she said. "We just want to get her back and you're the only one who can help us."
"He hurt those other girls because Maggie left him," Sandra finally said. "I don't understand how you can be so sure that she'll be safe anywhere near him," she said. "I understand what you're saying about your daughter, but I have to do everything I can to protect my daughter too."
"And we completely understand that," Peter said. "But if she doesn't go then we'll lose our daughter," he continued. "She's all alone with him. Your daughter will be with Agent Prentiss and the rest of the team. Please. You're our only hope."
"Mom," Maggie spoke up from where she sat in the corner. "You have to listen to them. Please," she said, getting up and moving to stand next to her mother. "I know that you're scared, but Dad isn't going to hurt me. I can help that girl. I want to. Please."
Sighing, Sandra bit her lip considering her daughter's words for a moment. "You'll be with her the whole time?" She finally asked. "You won't let anything happen to her."
"I promise," Emily replied, looking the older woman right in the eyes. "If we thought the risk was too large we would come up with a different plan, but we're confident in our ability to keep Maggie safe and get Spencer out of there. Please. Trust us."
"Okay then," Sandra nodded with a sigh. "Tell me your plan."
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"Do you know what's going on?" Alex asked JJ as she stood looking out the blonde's office window, seeing the team gathered together in the bullpen with Spencer's parents as well as a woman and young girl she didn't recognize. "Who are those people?"
"It must be Parrilla's daughter and ex-wife," JJ replied walking up behind the teen and putting an arm around her before steering her away from the window. "Come on why don't you sit down. Try and relax a little."
"I just…" Alex began picking at her nails nervously. "Why are Spencer's parents down there? Do you think something happened?"
"I'm not sure honey, but I'm sure if something happened your Mom would come tell us," JJ replied. "I'm sure the team has a plan."
"Well shouldn't you be a part of the plan?" Alex asked, desperate to find out what was happening with her girlfriend.
"I'm where I need to be right now," JJ replied, taking Alex's hand in hers, partially to offer comfort as well as to prevent the teen from picking her nails anymore. "I know everything is really scary right now, but if Parrilla's family is down there with the team then they're most likely cooperating, which is good. Having Maggie here should help us get to Spencer."
"I just wish it was over," Alex sighed, leaning over and resting her head on JJ's shoulder. "I hate this. All I can think about is Spencer and how scared she must be. I just want to see her again," she said, her voice cracking as JJ rubbed a hand up and down her back.
"You will Sweetie," JJ told her. "Spencer is so smart and so strong," she said. "Plus I just know that she's going to do whatever she can to come home to you."
"Thanks," Alex said, leaning back and wiping away a few tears. "But do you really think she'll still want to be with me after all of this?" She asked quietly. "I mean all of this is such a mess and that's because of me."
"It's not because of you," JJ quickly assured her. "And I most definitely think Spencer will still want to be with you after all of this. In fact I know it," she said. "That girl cares about you so much. She's crazy about you; nothing is going to change that."
"I'm pretty crazy about her too," Alex said with a small smile. "I just need them to bring her home."
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As soon as her phone began to ring Emily quickly ushered Maggie over, the team having decided that the teen speaking to her father may help them. "Just remember what we told you," Emily instructed the teen. "Just talk to him. Try to appeal to him. Ask about Alex."
"Got it," Maggie nodded, as Morgan reached forward and hit the button for the speakerphone. "Dad?"
"M-Maggie?" Parrilla replied obviously surprised, having not expected to hear his daughter's voice. "Is that you?"
"Dad what's going on?" Maggie asked, following the team's advice on where she should lead the conversation. "What are you doing with that girl? This is wrong."
"I wanted to see you," Parrilla replied. "They hid you from me. They made it so I couldn't see you. I just wanted to see you again."
"This isn't right dad," Maggie said. "There must have been a better way. That girl hasn't done anything wrong. Neither did those girls from before," she said. "Please Dad. Please let Alex go. Bring her home."
"I want to see you first," Parrilla replied. "I need to see you."
"You can," Maggie told him. "You can come here and we can see each other. We can sit down and talk."
"No," Parrilla was quick to disagree. "I won't come there. They'll take me and they won't let me see you," he said. "No. We have to do this my way. I want you to come to me. If they want the girl back they will come to me. I want to speak to Agent Prentiss."
"Isaac," Emily said after a short pause. "Listen to your daughter. Listen to what she's telling you. Please."
"No you listen," Parrilla replied in anger. "Do I need to remind you what happened last time you didn't listen to me? Do I need to use your daughter again?"
"No, no you don't need to do that," Emily said quickly, glancing at Peter and Veronica both of whom looked rather confused. "We'll do this your way then. What do you want?"
"In just over an hour I will call you with an address," Parrilla replied. "When I do you; and only you, will take Maggie and you will immediately bring her to that address," he instructed. "You will come alone. No cell phone, no gun and absolutely no tracking devices. If I find anything on you when you get there or I find out that you were followed than your daughter will pay. Do you understand?"
"I understand," Emily said swallowing hard as she did her best to ignore the worried looks on the Hastings' faces. "I'll be there."
