Pretty Pina Colada

Garcia wasn't a raid-going person. Derek was. He was excellent at kicking down doors.

When they came back to the station with Mirsky and his mother, Bethany had apparently decided that Derek was her person. Her little arms and legs were wrapped around him, eyes wide.

"Baby Girl," Derek called.

"Oh honey," she reached for the little girl. "Everything's okay now."

Bethany shrank into Derek. "Hey, Princess. This is Penelope. She's gonna take care of you for awhile, okay?"

Bethany shook her head, revealing a bruise on her forehead.

"Derek-"

"I know. She wouldn't let anyone look at her without me holding her."

"Poor baby. I won't hurt you, sweetie. Cross my heart. Derek has to make sure the bad guys are gone for good and then he'll be back, I promise."

She looked at Garcia, and didn't try to hide from her. Then she leaned out from Derek, very cautiously, and touched Garcia's loud necklace.

"You like yellow, sweetie? Come here," she held out her arms. Then she had an idea. "Derek, could Bethany and I watch the interrogation? So she can see you."

"I guess so. Not my call, though," his eyes drifted to Hotch.

"We'll watch you through the glass. Okay, sweetie? Then you can see Derek while you're with me."

Bethany nodded and the next moment was wrapped up around Garcia.

Hotch only gave Garcia and Bethany a cursory glance as they sat down. Derek and Rossi were interrogating Mirsky, or would be momentarily. In another room, Reid and Prentiss were speaking with the 'so terrified, so disgusted' Mrs. Mirsky. She would have the shock of her life when Prentiss and Reid turned on her. They were playing mother and son off each other.

"See, sweetie? You can see him but he can't see you. Derek and Rossi are going to ask him questions."

"Bad," Bethany announced gravely, pointing at Mirsky.

"Very bad, sweetie. Derek and Rossi will make sure he doesn't do any more bad things as soon as he tells them what bad thing he did."

"Made Mommy and Daddy and Nana all messy."

She could see Hotch listening so intently. Bethany probably hadn't spoken yet, at least not about her family.

"I know, sweetie."

"All gone?"

Garcia nodded. "All gone, sweetie."

Bethany snuggled closer to Garcia. Derek walked into the room, Rossi slowly coming behind him.

"Nice," Bethany announced when she saw Derek.

"Very nice," Bethany's hair had been crudely cut, and Garcia smoothed it down some. "Derek is a very nice man."

Bethany had no one anymore. No family. Garcia knew that feeling. And Derek, watching his father get shot-they both knew.

She rocked Bethany as Rossi and Derek got into position to kick Mirsky's sorry, homicidal, insane ass clear to kingdom come.

"So," Rossi began. "You got kill three people-in front of their little girl-and make her a present for your mom? That it, big guy?"

Mirsky shook his head. "Didn't kill nobody."

"Bullshit," Derek told him. "Isn't it bullshit, Dave?"

"Completely," Rossi agreed. "Maybe telling us why would help you, Mirsky."

"Didn't do nothing," Mirsky repeated, avoiding eyes all around.

"That's not what your mama said," Derek leaned into the table on his hands.

Mirsky's eyes shot up into Morgan's. "What she say?"

"She said you killed them, Bethany's family, and kidnapped Bethany, and kept both of them prisoner in the house. Three counts of homicide, two of kidnapping-what the sentence on that, Dave?"

"Life without parole. And that's if you aren't killed by another inmate. Or made someone's special friend, which I heard was worse. But hey, he doesn't want to help us. We don't even need to talk to him, not with Mrs. Mirsky's and Bethany's statements."

"Bitches," Mirsky mumbled. "All of them bitches, can't do a thing. Useless bitches."

Garcia kept stroking Bethany's hair, passing over her exposed ear each time. If Mirsky got virulent, she was going to clap a hand over her ear so that all she heard were seashell echoes.

"Is that why you kidnapped Bethany and killed her family?" Rossi pressed the point home.

"Bitch said I was useless," and Mirsky was talking about his mother now. "Couldn't even have a grandbaby to help her, no little girls around, just a useless boy. Gave her a girl and got her some money, too. Bitch hates the girl like she hates the boy, no different."

"The money was from the Gibson house?"

"Yeah. Stupid bitch. Was her idea I go get money. 'Go take it from some fat cat, dumb boy'. So I got the money and a girl, and she throws me out."

Hotch nodded. "Got him and her."

Bethany twisted to look at Garcia. "No more bad guy?"

Garcia smiled. "No more bad guy, or bad lady, either."

"Good," and Bethany snuggled up close again, and fell asleep.