Chapter 25
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It has been a few weeks since the team worked the case in Cleveland and Emily is arriving at the BAU in a shocked state, having come form meeting one of her oldest friends where she found out another one of her oldest friends has been died, possibly murdered.
As she walks out of the elevators Emily finds her girlfriend waiting.
"My lord, it's kitten and poodles out there." Penelope says, seeing that her girlfriend is drenched, "Did you hear it might even snow?" Penelope ass.
"Were you about to find anything on Tommy V?" Emily asks, and from the tone of her voice Penelope can tell right away that something is seriously wrong with her girlfriend.
"If by chance you mean Thomas Valantine, age thirty-five, found dead in his home from Dehydration, as a matter of fa…. What's going on Em?" Penelope asks, not being able to hold of asking anymore.
"Is Hotch still here?" Emily asks.
"Oh, I'm pretty sure he lives her." Penelope reveals, "Emily, are you okay?" Penelope asks concerned.
"Thanks Penelope." Emily says, like she didn't even hear what Penelope says, before walking passed and heading into the bullpen.
Waiting to make sure that Emily is okay Penelope follows her girlfriend into the bullpen but then waits near Emily's desk as Emily heads up to Hotch's office.
About a minute after she talked to Penelope Emily walks into Hotch's office.
"What's wrong?" Hotch asks, as soon as he sees Emily.
"Um, I just found out, that an old friend of mine died." Emily reveals.
"I'm sorry." Hotch says, meaning that, "Do you need to take some time?" Hotch asks.
"Um, there's a chance that he could have been murdered, and there might be a second case." Emily says, handing the file that Penelope gave her to Hotch.
"What do you need?" Hotch asks.
"Just some leeway to check it out." Emily requests.
"Of course, anything." Hotch responds.
"Thank you." Emily says, sounding grateful, and she turns to walk out.
"Emily, if you want to take a few days, and let us look into it…" Hotch starts to say, but before she can finish Emily starts to speak.
"Matthew was…. Incredibly messed up, and I haven't seen him in a long time." Emily admits, "But he was important to me." She reveals.
"At least let us help." Hotch requests.
"Thank you." Emily says, before heading out of Hotch's office, as she walks into the bullpen Emily isn't overly surprised to see Penelope waiting.
"Em, what's happened?" Penelope asks concerned.
"My friend, an old friend, has died." Emily reveals, it being harder for her to admit that.
"Oh Em." Penelope says, and she just hugs Emily, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."
"I need to find out what happened, I owe him that." Emily says, as Penelope hugs her and she takes comfort from her girlfriend.
"You will, I know you will." Penelope says, "But you can't do anything more tonight, so let's go back to your place, we can talk, or not talk, whatever you'd like." Penelope says, as they break apart.
"I'd like that." Emily responds.
"Okay, I'll go grab my bag and be right back." Penelope says, and she quickly hurries around.
A couple of hours later Emily hasn't really been able to talk about her friend, and how she feels about his death, and because she wanted to be support Penelope hasn't tried to force her, she just supported her.
While Penelope is fast asleep with her arms around her, Emily isn't able to sleep, instead she is just lying in her girlfriends arms, and thinking, about Matthew, about what happened when she was fifteen, about what this all means.
When she wakes up the next morning Penelope looks over at Emily and as she does she realises something.
"You got no sleep, did you?" Penelope asks.
"I couldn't." Emily admits.
"I'm sorry." Penelope says, running her hand through Emily's hair, "Maybe you should try getting some rest, I'm sure Hotch won't mind." Penelope inform Emily.
"I would. He texted before, Morgan and I are going to the morgue to see Matthew." Emily explains, "And that's something I need to do." She admits.
"Okay." Penelope says, realising that she isn't going to talk Emily out of that, "I want to help, Em, how can I help?" Penelope asks her girlfriend.
"Do you what you do best, help me find answers." Emily requests.
"I can do that." Penelope assures her, "I'm here, Emily, no matter what you need." Penelope promises her girlfriend.
"I know." Emily says, leaning up and kissing her girlfriend.
Once Emily and Penelope kiss they both break apart and get out of bed, getting ready for the day.
Hours later Emily and Morgan have been to the morgue to see Matthew and talk to the medical examiner while Hotch and JJ talked to Matthew's parents, and the two of them are just returning to the BAU.
"I told you not to mention me." Emily says, once JJ and Hotch have explained what happened.
"You didn't say it'd get us kicked out." JJ says.
"Is there something we should know?" Hotch asks curious.
"Matthew and I met in Rome when were fifteen. My mom was posted there. His parents didn't like us hanging out." Emily explains.
"And they still hold a grudge?" JJ asks, sounding surprised by that.
"They were extremely religious, they thought I was a bad influence." Emily says.
"You?" JJ ask surprised.
"Yeah." Emily says, knowing that they would agree with that even more if they knew who she was currently dating.
"And that's it?" Hotch asks.
"That's it." Emily says, before walking away.
A little while later the entire team are in the roundtable room discussing what they know.
"We saw scuff marks on the floor underneath Thomas Valentine's bed, almost as if someone had been tied up and struggled to get free." Rossi explains.
"We saw the exact same marks in Matthew's bedroom." JJ reveals.
"Has anyone been able to find any connection at all between Benton and Valentine?" Hotch asks.
"According to my snooping, both Matthew Benton and Thomas Valentine travelled to Galicia Spain, over the same week four months ago." Penelope explains.
"That mean anything to you?" Morgan asks, looking at Emily.
"No."
"I did the quick guidebook thing." Penelope admits, as she sits down at the table next to Ried, "There's a church there, Santiago de Compostela. It's visited by over one hundred thousand religious pilgrims every year." Penelope explains.
"Did his parents say anything about him going on a pilgrimage?" Reid asks.
"No, the opposite, actually. His mom said his soul was possessed by evil." JJ says.
"Yeah." Emily says, with a snort.
"What?" JJ asks.
"Matthew had a thing about challenging the church. He could push it. When we were in high school, his mom and dad consulted a priest because they were afraid he was possessed." Emily explains.
"But I think in this case, she was talking about drugs." Hotch says.
"Are you sure?" Rossi asks, "There's a pattern here. The talk about evil, and the soul, and scuff marks on the floor." Rossi says.
"What are you driving at?" Hotch asks.
"Well, drug addiction and schizophrenia are two afflictions most likely to present as demonic possession." Rossi says.
"You think these were exorcisms?" Morgan asks.
"I think it begs the question." Rossi admits.
"Look, I know the bible just as well as anyone, but I know that there's nothing more open to behavioural interpretation than religion." Morgan comments.
"Meaning what?" Emily asks.
"I think it's dangerous for us to wanna find a connection between these deaths." Morgan says, and as he does Emily thinks of something.
"Wait, was Thomas's wife religious?" Emily asks curious.
"She was concerned that he had been cursing god." Rossi admits.
"Exorcism ritual can take days to complete. It's possible that stress could cause a heart attack, especially in someone with a history of drug use." Reid explains.
"That would explain the timeline of someone dying of dehydration." JJ says.
"Guys, look, I'm willing to say that we might have an unsub who ritualizes killings as if they were exorcisms, maybe, but right now, we don't even know if we have a crime yet." Morgan says.
"Morgan's right. We need to step back. Let me talk to someone before I have us all telling ghost stories." Rossi requests.
"Father Jimmy?" Penelope asks her Dad.
"Yes." Rossi says.
"Tell him I said hello." Penelope requests, as Rossi gets up.
"Will do, Kiddo." Rossi says, before leaving.
"Dad might be a while, why don't we go wait in my lair." Penelope says, looking at Emily.
"Yeah, okay." Emily says, and she and Penelope get up and head out of the round table room.
"So not subtle." JJ mutters to herself, as she watches her friends go, with an amused look on her face.
For the next day the team continues to work on the case, and in that time there has been another victim and there has been a complaint made against the BAU.
"As far as the police are concerned, there is no open murder investigation." JJ says, as she walks into Hotch's office where Hotch and Rossi are, "We have no reason to be investigating if they're not." JJ says.
"Well, they're right. All we have are three men who died in three different natural deaths." Hotch points out.
"So, we just drop it?" Rossi asks.
"Dave, do you really believe we're dealing with someone trying to exorcise demons?" Hotch asks.
"It doesn't matter what I believe. Possession, mental illness, exorcist, unsub? Who cares what's true? People are dying. This isn't about religion, it's about evil, we attack it with analysis and diligence, for this unsub it's a fight to the death." Rossi reveals, and as he does JJ, Hotch, and Rossi hear a knock on the door.
"All hail the mistress of information." Penelope says.
"You got something?" JJ asks, as Penelope walks in.
"You know I do. It's a posting from a web bulletin board by Matthew Benton to create a support group for people who felt betrayed by their faith." Penelope explains.
"Well, that helps explain how these three men came together." Hotch realises.
"It gets better. The week the three of them were in Spain the services at Santiago de Compostela were cancelled when the priest there died." Penelope explains.
"Died how?" Rossi ask his daughter.
"Heart attack, but if you listen to the conspiracy chatter, there's a strong belief he was killed to interrupt services during the height of the pilgrimage." Penelope explains.
"How?" JJ asks.
"Well, their best guess is some kind of gas, Sarin or VX, something that wouldn't show up in a autopsy, but it could be anything that would induce stress, cause a heart attack." Penelope explains.
"Then we have a motive." JJ realises.
"And a potential MO, an eye for an eye." Rossi says.
"Without an invitation from the police I cannot authorize an investigation." Hotch says, "This has to be kept quiet." He informs everyone, and as he does Rossi gets up and heads down to the bullpen where Emily is with a man.
"Uh, David Rossi, this is John Cooley, he was also a friend of Matthew's." Emily explains.
"I'm sorry." Rossi says, and he and John exchange handshakes, "You saw him recently?" Rossi asks.
"Yeah." John responds.
"Is there anyone he associated with out of the usual? Anyone overly religious?" Rossi asks.
"Not that I'm aware of. I've been doin my best to retrace his steps, but I still haven't come up with anything." John admits.
"Buy you a cup of coffee?" Rossi asks, looking at Emily.
"Yeah." Emily confirms, "I will call you I if hear anything." Emily says to John.
"Yeah." John says and once he does Emily and Rossi head out.
A little while later Emily has revealed to Rossi what happened when she was fifteen, and why Matthew was so important to her, and after doing that the two of them, along with Reid have gone to give the profile to local priests, and through the information they got from the Priests, and Penelope's research skill they have managed to track down the priest Paul Silvano, who Emily has been interrogating.
To Emily's annoyance, she has been pulled out of the interrogation by Hotch as the priest has diplomatic immunity.
"Are you actually accusing the Italian government of authorizing this man's assassination list?" Hotch asks shocked, as he and Emily walk into his office.
"He admits he was present at every death." Emily points out.
"This case is over." Hotch says.
"You said you'd give me leeway." Emily reminds him.
"And I did. I understand your frustration. There are some things that we cannot control." Hotch says, "Take some time off." Hotch instructs, clearly giving an order.
"What? Emily asks.
"I don't wanna see you in the office for the next few days." Hotch explains.
Feeling annoyed Emily just walks out of Hotch's office, grabs her bag, and heads straight to the elevators, once she is in the elevators, before the doors have closed, Emily is joined by Rossi.
"You up for another drive?" Rossi asks, and Emily just looks at him.
A little while later Emily and Rossi have gone to Matthew's parents, and because of that they realised that Paul Silvano's next victim was Emily's friend John.
After discovering that Rossi went back to the BAU while Emily, along with Morgan, went to John's house and the two of them were able to save John before Father Silvano could kill him.
After John is loaded into the ambulance Emily walks over to Hotch and Rossi who have arrived.
"If you want my gun and badge, I understand." Emily says to Hotch.
"There's a plane ticket in your name to Rome. Agent Morgan and I will drive you to the airport." Hotch says, looking at Father Silvano, "Any of your belongings can be shipped to you." Hotch says.
"You have no right to deport me." Father Silvano says.
"The Vatican intervened. The Italian government has rescinded your diplomatic status." Rossi reveals.
"They'll do with you as they see fit when you're back in their jurisdiction." Hotch explains.
"You've all made the world a much more dangerous place." Father Silvano says, before turning to Emily, "L'amore di Dio possa essere con te." He says, (may god's love be with you).
"E con te." Emily responds, (and with you), he says, as the Father Silvano is lead away.
"I saw that guy up there. He was certain he was fighting against some kind of evil." Morgan comments.
"We all have to be certain." Rossi says.
"Rossi, don't tell me you believe in evil." Morgan comments.
"Don't tell me you do this job and you don't." Rossi tells him.
"I believe there are evil acts, but those are choices, brain chemistry." Morgan says, "What do you think Hotch?" Morgan asks.
"I think deep down, we're all capable of unspeakable things. Where it starts or what you call it, I don't know." Hotch admits, "Let's get him out of here." Hotch says to Morgan and the two of them head towards the car to take Father Silvano to the airport.
"Thank you." Emily says, as Morgan starts to walk away.
"Always." Morgan responds.
"What are you thinking?" Rossi ask, looking at Emily, realising that she is deep in thought about something, as it begins to snow.
"It's like the end of the dead, when Gretta remembers the boy she loved when she was younger, and she said, I think he died for me." Emily says, looking up at the sky.
"You know, James Joyce also said, 'there is no heresy or philosophy so abhorrent to the church as a human being." Rossi says, "Where can I drop you?" Rossi asks curious, half expecting Emily to say to drop her off at Penelope's, even though he knows neither of them have admit the truth about their relationship.
"I'm gonna walk for a while." Emily says, and once she does Rossi nods and starts to walk away, before turning back to Emily.
"Almost seems unreal, doesn't it?" Rossi asks, before starting to walk to the car.
After leaving Rossi Emily just walks, not really having a destination in mind, but as she walks she ends up at a church where she looks at a picture of her, John, and Matthew from when they were kids.
After walking for a while Emily finds herself at the door to Penelope's apartment, as she gets there she is about to knock, when she remembers how Penelope reacts to that and so she pulls out her phone, and calls her girlfriend.
"Em? Are you okay?" Penelope asks worried.
"I'm outside, can I come in?" Emily asks.
"Of course." Penelope responds, and she hurries over and opens the door before Emily can get her key out, "We're you walking in the snow? You look freezing." Penelope says, sounding worried about her girlfriend, and she leads her into the apartment.
"I can't really feel it." Emily admits.
"Sit down, take of your jackets, I'll be right back." Penelope tells her girlfriend and she hurries into the bathroom where she grabs towels, and brings them back into the living room, turning up the thermostat as she walks passed.
Walking back into the living room Penelope walks over to Emily who is sitting on the couch, having taken off her jackets, and once she is close enough Penelope wraps towels around Emily.
"There, that should help warm you up." Penelope says, and as she does she notices something, "Was your nose bleeding?"
"Yeah, it stopped a while ago." Emily answers.
"You're so cold." Penelope realises, feeling the side of Emily's face, "Would you like some tea, or some hot chocolate?"
"I'm okay." Emily says, and as she does Penelope puts her arm around her girlfriend.
"Why were you walking around in the snow?" Penelope asks curious.
"I just needed to think." Emily admits, as she leans back on the couch, and Penelope does too, still having her arm around her girlfriend.
"Do you want to talk?" Penelope asks curious, as she continues to try and help warm up Emily by grabbing the blanket that she has over the couch and puts it over Emily's legs.
"Matthew was really important to me once." Emily reveals.
"Yeah, I could tell that." Penelope admits.
"He was my Stephen." Emily explains, knowing Penelope will understand just what Mathew means to her by saying that.
"I'm so sorry that he died, Emily, I can't imagine what you are feeling." Penelope says, as she doesn't even want to think about what she would do if Stephen died.
"I want to tell you something." Emily says, looking at Penelope.
"Okay." Penelope says, wondering why Emily's voice has gotten so serious.
"When I was fifteen I got pregnant." Emily reveals, and because she realises that it is taking Emily a lot to admit this Penelope doesn't say anything, "Matthew was the only one I could turn to." She reveals, becoming upset, and so Penelope just tightens the arm she has around Emily, "I talked to our priest, because Matthew said to, and he said I wasn't welcome in the congregation if I had an abortion." Emily reveals.
"Oh Em." Penelope says, sounding both sad and sympathetic, having no idea what else to say.
"I still had one, Matthew found me a doctor, and when we went to church the Sunday after he told me to hold my head up high, he walked me to the front pew." Emily explains, "That was when he started questioning, that was when he started doing drugs, and it was all because of me." Emily says, starting to cry, "Everything that happened was because of me."
"Oh Em, no it's not." Penelope tells her girlfriend, kissing her cheek, "Matthew made his own choices. None of what happened is your fault."
"It feels like it." Emily admits.
"It's not Em, I promise you that." Penelope says, and as she does Emily starts to cry, and Penelope just holds her girlfriend as she cries, her own heart hurting as she watches Emily cry.
A little while later Emily has finally stopped crying, and as she does she sits up properly.
"I must look like a mess." Emily comments.
"You look beautiful to me." Penelope assures her, and as she does she realises something, "You're still cold." She notes.
"Yeah, I guess walking around in the snow for a while wasn't my best idea." Emily realises, starting to actually feel the cold now.
"How does a hot shower sound?" Penelope asks.
"Great, if you join me." Emily says, with a slight smirk.
"I think I can do that." Penelope responds, and the two of them kiss, "So apart from a hot shower is there anything else you need?" Penelope asks curious.
"You, just you Pen." Emily says, standing up, and sticking out her hand for Penelope to take, which she does, and once the two of them are holding hands they head to the bathroom, sheading clothes as they go.