Chapter 25

AN: Thank you for the reviews, everyone, and Happy New Year, dear readers/reviewers!...Posting a little early because I am heading out and don't know when I will be able to post tomorrow...Warning: some violence, in case you are sensitive to that...

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Derek was kicking underneath Reid's chair. Reid was directly in front of him in the seminar, paying rapt attention to the fiber analysis expert like a dweeb enthralled with a Star Trek actor, and Derek couldn't resist bugging him. It was juvenile and silly, but he put that aside for the moment. He was bored to death. Besides, he did this a lot at seminars; Reid probably would wonder where the kicking was if he didn't do it.

"One of these days, he's going to grow up bigger than you, and you'll be sorry," Rossi remarked out of the corner of his mouth, trying to hide a smile. He was slumped down in his chair, similar to Derek, and his foot was tapping underneath Prentiss's chair, too.

Derek snorted. "Maybe in the next lifetime, but not anytime soon. Besides, you should talk. Prentiss is more dangerous...She has better aim."

"Oh, I know," Rossi replied with a grin. "I live dangerously."

Chuckling, Derek answered, "That you do, my ma—"

His pocket vibrated, interrupting him.

"Hold up a sec," he said, digging the phone out. He flipped it up to read the incoming text and began to smile. It was from his Baby Girl.

Derek. Meet me at Terry's house ASAP. Urgent. Penelope

Immediately, Derek smile turned into a frown.

"Rossi..." he said, sitting up, his voice trailing off.

Dave scooted up in his chair, too. "What?"

"Does this sound like Garcia to you?" he asked, handing the phone over to Rossi.

Dave read it quickly, and then looked up at Derek suspiciously. "What do you think is going on?"

Derek's eyes narrowed, and he shut the phone immediately. "I have a bad feeling about this. Terry's ex husband was paroled last month..."

Last month, the kids had stated they wanted to see where real FBI agents worked.

"I know I promised you real agents," Derek had said with a smirk, "but the best I can do is Reid and Prentiss."

That had earned a mock scowl from the aforementioned agents.

After showing them around the rest of the BAU and introducing the Johnstons, Derek had given the lowdown to the rest of the team about Terry and her situation. They had been empathetic, and very helpful in finding and offering additional assistance to them.

"I think you need to call her first," Rossi said, skepticism in his voice. "Find out what this urgency is about."

Together, they stood up and walked out of the lecture hall, into a side lounge area, where there was some privacy. Derek immediately dialed Penelope and put her on speakerphone.

Before the ringing was done, Reid and Prentiss had joined them in the lounge area. Derek was grateful for the support; he knew the team would be there, no matter what.

Worry turned into downright apprehension. Always prompt with electronics, it took her five rings to answer, and usually she answered in one.

"H-hello?" the voice of Penelope questioned, her voice sounding hoarse and uncertain.

Usually, she answered with a flirt and a tease. She knew it was him calling; he'd had his own ring for the past six years (Donna Summer's Hot Stuff, to his everlasting chagrin!). The tension he was feeling skyrocketed. He looked up at Dave before speaking.

"Hi, Penelope. How are you?"

He tried to keep his tone ordinary, nonchalant, as normal as possible. He also called her Penelope, which he rarely did, hoping she would catch the nuance like he had. They called each other pet names or nicknames ninety percent of the time, especially when not in the middle of a stressful case.

"F-f-fine. I'm at Terry's. Please come, Derek, as soon as you can."

"Okay, baby," he said. "I'll be there soon."

"Okay, Derek. Thank you."

After he shut the phone, he snapped into action, shrugging his coat on. "I was right. Something's terribly wrong."

Prentiss added, "I'll call Hotch. We'll call the authorities—"

"No, not yet," Derek said, already heading towards the door. "I don't want to tip him off or force him to act."

"Morgan, you can't go in by yourself," Reid stated.

"The hell I can't!" he snapped, his jaw ticking in anger. "He wants me; he'll get me."

He burst through the door, heading to his SUV, and then took off in a cloud of dust.

Rossi shook his head, following quickly. "Not without us nearby."

Penelope sat next to Terry on the floor, trying to comfort her. The smaller woman was terrified; her teeth were chattering audibly, and she would let out a muffled shriek every once in a while. She was obviously in shock; she could barely speak, and she was pale as paper.

Lenny sat, looking out the window, chain smoking his homemade cigarettes. The disgusting smell was causing Penelope's stomach to churn, and she was becoming light headed. After he'd held the knife to her throat and forced her to talk on the phone, he'd paid very little attention to the both of them. He was fixated on the window, his bloodshot eyes narrowed and piercing, waiting for Derek to arrive.

"Terry!" she snapped under her breath. "Terry, please. Where are the kids?"

"F-f-f-friends."

"Are they coming home?" Pen pressed. She needed to know, to maybe warn Derek there were more hostages.

Terry shook her head, and then crawled into a tighter ball.

Pen sighed and held back tears. She was glad the children wouldn't come home and see their insane, volatile father. She wanted to keep them safe.

On the other hand, she was worried to death about Derek. She couldn't keep him safe, couldn't keep him away. She couldn't help, either, and Terry was incapacitated by fear. She only hoped he could tell by her voice and her words that something was wrong. From his words and his tone, she thought he'd known, but she couldn't be certain until he came in.

She hoped she could break free, loosen her bonds, so that when Derek did arrive, she could run. She would do exactly what he'd told her to do all those years ago. Wiggling her fingers, pointing her toes, she tried, but nothing was working. If only the bonds weren't so tight!

"Where the fuck is he?" Lenny yelled suddenly, clamoring to his feet in a drug induced stupor. He lunged at Penelope, grabbed a fistful of hair, and forced her to her knees, before releasing her. "Did you say something to keep him away? Did you, bitch?"

He slapped her so hard across the face, she literally saw stars. She'd always thought that was a figment of the imagination of those who drew cartoon characters, but now she knew that it happened in real life.

She wished she'd never found out.

She looked up to see the deadly furious look in Lenny's eyes, and her heart sank to her bloodless feet.

"Answer me!" he raged, raising his hand with the knife, ready to belt her again.

"I didn't!" she cried, cowering. She knew now when he hit her, he used the handle of the knife for a more solid punch. He could cut her, and she didn't want that to happen. She'd be useless, unable to help Derek.

He started to laugh, a nasty, mirthless sound, and grabbed her hair again, bringing her to her feet. "I don't believe you..."

She stumbled, the tugging of her hair making her head ache.

"Slut! Morgan's fucking whore...with a whore's trinket." He was looking at her hand, at the large, beautiful ring on it. "That's all it was to Terry..."

Penelope watched as his face grew sad, shuttered.

A moment later, his mood shifted; he began to grin as he placed the knife on the knuckle above the ring. "Tell me the truth, or I'll take your ring off the easy way."

"Please," she begged, starting to cry. "I swear, I said nothing to him. I swear to Go—"

"Shut up!" he yelled, slamming her against the wall, knocking the wind out of her, his hand squeezing her throat. "You speak when I ask you to speak!"

She gasped for air, her eyes wild and frightened. The world was becoming black, and her knees were getting weak.

The next moment, he had her in front of him, in his arms, and she could feel the cold blade of the knife held at her throat.

When she opened her eyes, she could have sworn she'd never seen such a beautiful sight before in her life.

Derek was pointing his Glock 19 directly at Lenny, his face a study in barely suppressed rage.

"Let her go, you motherfucker, or I will shoot you where you stand."