First, I am sorry if the football terminology and gameplay is wrong. I know soo very little about football and had to google just about everything, lol. But, I tried my best so please don't be mad. And the Derek/David typo is fixed.
Second, thanks for the reviews. As usual I get excited about each and every one!
Thirdly, I do not own Criminal Minds, and probably never will.
Grace sat on the edge of the bench, her fists clenched and her eyes filled with want. It was near the end of the 3rd quarter and the team was down by twelve points.
She looked up at an anxious coach.
"Coach Williams, play me!"
"Never." He huffed. "We need to win this and like hell we'll win it with a girl on the field."
"But you know I am good Coach. You've seen me at practice." Grace shouted over the noise of the game.
"Coach," Bobby McKinney stepped up beside him. "What could it hurt?"
"We stand a chance at winning now, we can come back from this. If I play her we will stand no chance at winning. And Central will never stop laughing in our faces." He crossed his arms. "Now sit down boy and get ready to go in soon."
/
By the middle of the fourth period the team was still down by twelve points and it did not look good.
"Coach, play me! You have nothin' to lose."
Coach Williams mumbled under his breath as he watched his team give yet another advantage to Central. "Alright kid. I'll give you one shot. IF you let them score one more point you will be benched for the remainder of the year, got it?" Grace nodded with confidence. "Good, now get in there."
/
Up in the stands Penelope and her family watched eagerly as the game progressed. Looking down she saw her daughter getting up from the bench. "Guys, guys! I think they are playing Grace!"
"Looks like it." J.J. snuggled into Will's chest. "It's about damn time too."
Aaron took a swig of his coke. "I was beginning to think he would be benching her all season."
"Mom, can I have a hot dog?"
"Sure Ricky. Just hurry back."
/
Grace took her position on the field and waited for the play to begin. Her heart raced in her chest and the adrenalin pumped through her body. This would be the moment to prove herself and like hell she would let it slip by.
The pack broke and the Quarterback threw the ball in Henderson's direction. The boy rushed to catch it but a player from Central high beat him to it. The boy tucked the ball in his arms and made a dash for the goal line.
Grace ran after him; she went as fast as her legs would go. She could feel the lactic acid building up and her muscles screaming for air but it did not matter.
She was almost within reach to tackle him. Almost. Just a little bit closer.
Pushing herself a little harder she pounced in the boy; the force of her lunge caused him to fall to the ground and drop the ball. Instantly Grace could feel other bodies pile onto of her.
The weight of the team would have crushed a more delicate person, but Grace wiggled out of the pile and stood up. Smiling triumphantly at the coach.
"Well done Morgan, but we still need those points!"
/
Prior to getting his hot dog, Ricky decided to stop in the rest room before it became too crowded. It wasn't that he had anything to be ashamed about... he just did not like to urinate in front of other people.
Stepping up to the urinal he unzipped and started to go. The sound of the urine hitting the porcelain echoed in the empty room.
He allowed his mind to drift to his date with Mona last night. They had gone to the fall carnival and had won her a large stuffed hippo. She had loved it and spent the whole night hugging into it. Even when they went on the Ferris wheel. He was thankful though that she placed it to the side. That way when they were stopped at the top, Ricky could kiss her.
Well, it was more like Mona planted one on him but hey, he wasn't keeping score. If he was, Ricky would be sore about losing most of his allowance money on that one stuffed hippo.
When done he zipped himself up, flushed, and went to wash his hands. As the soap was foaming on his mocha coloured hands he heard footsteps. Looking into the mirror he saw a tall man in a black hoodie walking in. Something about him set Ricky's nerved on edge. Quickly he finished washing his hands and went to go dry them.
The man walked up beside Ricky and looked down at the boy. Instantly Ricky knew who the man was.
/
Grace was running to the goal line with the ball tucked under her arm. Her lungs screamed for her to stop but she kept going. Revelling in the feeling of impending triumph.
In the corner of her left eye she saw a Central player about to tackle her. Dashing to her right she avoided him. Grace sent a silent prayer of thanks to her mom for having her take ballet when she was younger.
Behind her Grace felt the presence of another Central player. She banked left again, then right, throwing him off his course.
Giving herself one final push she made it to the goal line. Panting, she slammed the ball down on the ground and raised her arms up. Only six more points to go and then they would be tied.
Coach Williams beckoned her to his side and she obeyed. But not without throwing him a smug glare. "Told ya I could do well."
"That you did." He patted her on the back. "Good job, but it aint over yet. Get back out there."
/
Penelope cheered wildly for Grace. "That is my girl! Go Gracie!" Looking beside her Penelope realized her son still hadn't returned from his hot dog.
"Aaron, can you go and check up on Ricky. See what is taking him so long?"
"Sure, but David better not stop recording. I do not want to miss a moment of this." Aaron got up and made his way through the row. He bounded down the stairs and be-lined it to the concession. The boy was probably on the phone with Mona and had lost track of time.
Aaron recalled the many nights he would talk to Haley until daylight broke over the horizon. He couldn't help but crack a small smile at the precious memories he had of Haley. It had been so easy for the two of them to let time slip away.
He looked around at the concession, the tables and chairs, and the other areas around, and saw no sign of the boy. He checked the outside of the stadium and the other areas before walking into the men's room. It was the only area left to check and Aaron prayed that the boy was in here.
As soon as Aaron entered his heart stopped. Ricky's cell phone laid on the floor next to a pool of congealing blood.
/
Grace had the ball again but she knew that getting to the goal line would be impossible. There were too many Central players in her way. But McKinney was close enough and within throwing distance. The QB scored two points a moment ago so all they needed was one more touchdown to win. Just one more...
She drew her arm back and threw the ball with everything she had. The ball flew through the air towards it's target.
Before she could see what happened someone tackled her to the ground, sending her face into the grass.
Once she felt the weight lifted off her, Grace hauled herself up and checked her face. There was a little bit of blood but nothing to be afraid of. Looking over Grace saw her team coming towards her.
"That was a great pass Morgan!" Coach William patted her hard on the back. "I was right to play you. Brilliant idea I had."
"Thanks Coach. I told ya I could play." Grace took her helmet off and threw a glace at Central high. She couldn't help but laugh at the faces of the boys when they realized she was a girl. "I think those boys over there are a little tongue tied."
Bobby put an arm over Grace's shoulders. "I can see why. They just got owned by us. Thanks to you of course."
"McKinney, it was the team that did it. Not just me."
"Either way Morgan, it was a-" Bobby was interrupted by Grace's mother.
"Grace. Over here. Now."
Bobby gave Grace a sympathetic look. "Man, your Ma looks pissed. I don't know what you did but it must have been bad." He patted her back before joining the rest of the team.
Grace made her way over to the sideline. "What's wrong Mom?"
The way her mom bit her lip to keep from crying, Grace knew something was wrong. "What Mom? Dammit, tell me!"
"It's your brother, he's missing." Penelope broke down in tears. David pulled her into a hug and tried to comfort her.
"What do you mean?"
Aaron stepped forward. "We think your brother was kidnapped. We can't be certain but that is what it looks like. Now come on Grace. We need to get you and your mother home." He put an arm around her slender shoulders and led her away.
"Team. Until Ricky comes home we touch no other cases. All our efforts will be concentrated on finding Ricky and bringing him back home.
David, take Penelope and Grace home. When you get there I want you to call me. I will have a goon squad posted outside right away.
J.J., Spencer, Emily, I want you two to come with me to the office so we can start working on a profile.
Alex, I want you and Will to process the scene for evidence. I want samples of the blood, any hair, finger prints, and footage off the security cameras.
Anna, take the remainder of the children to Penelope's. Until this is solved we need to think of every one of our children as targets.
Now go."
Aaron began walking briskly to his car. On the way he took out his phone and call Strauss so she could round up a technical analyst for the team. Penelope was the best in her field but Aaron knew she would be in no condition to work.
The second best technical analyst in Quantico would have to do for now.
/
After Alex and Will processed the scene, she came back with the evidence gathered while Will went to Penelope's house to assist her.
She marched into the war room and put the box on the table. "This is everything I could get. The security cameras were hacked and the footage lost but there were some witnesses. And before you ask I did get their statements."
"Good job Blake. Alright. Kidnappings, what do we know?"
"That they serve to either facilitate a fantasy or are an act of revenge." Spencer looked over the testimonies.
"I think we can rule out sexual fantasies. Those usually involve children much younger than... than Ricky." J.J. began tacking up pictures on the board. "And the same goes for fantasies."
Emily looked over the DNA analysis done on the blood. "Then where does this leave us?"
Alex leaned forward and picked at her nails. "It leaves us with a revenge kidnapping."
"Great, that will really narrow the field of UnSubs down." Emily groaned. "There are thousands of people with motives for revenge. UnSubs, families of UnSubs, families of victims we couldn't save in time, families whose cases we didn't work on... Is anyone else pissed?"
"I think we are all very mad right now but I need everyone's heads in this in order to find him." Aaron looked around the table. "We all know that the sooner we find this bastard the better. Now," He shifted his paperwork. "what can we tell from the witness testimonies?"
"That he was a tall man, about 6"5'. Was wearing blue jeans, a black sweater with the hood pulled up. Walked with a bit of a limp..." J.J. sighed. "I really wish the cameras could have picked up something."
"Don't we all." Spencer looked at the board. "Did any of the witnesses manage to identify the UnSubs ethnicity?"
"Caucasian..." Alex froze.
Aaron looked at her with concern. "What is it Blake?"
"I think I know who this UnSub is..."
/
Back at the Morgan/Garcia house Penelope laid down on her bed. In her arms she hugged a stuffed bear that David had gotten Ricky on the day of his birth.
"Why my boy... why..." She sobbed.
David curled up beside her and drew Penelope into his arms. "It'll be alright Kitten. Just wait and see. You know that our team is the best that there is. We will bring Ricky home, safe and sound." Silently he hoped his promise would ring true. He loved the boy as if Ricky was his own. And David did not know how he would carry on if the boy did not come home.
"Nonno..."
David turned to see Grace standing in the door. "Come on in Gracie. Come help me cuddle your mom." The girl walked in and snuggled between her Nonno and Penelope. She breathed in the comforting scent of both adults.
"Nonno... they will bring him home, right?"
"Of course they will Sweetheart. Ricky will be back home annoying you in no time." He tenderly kissed the back of her head.
"And what if he doesn't?"
"That, my little Bambina, will not happen so do not dwell on it."
"Uncle David..." He turned around to see the rest of the crew in the doorway. "Can we join you..."
"Sure, Kat, you and everyone else come here." David opened his arms and adjusted Grace as everyone piled into Penelope's kingsize bed. "There, now we are all together." He raised his arm so Bridget could snuggle in between him and Grace.
Jane snuggled into Austin's side. "I'm scared..."
He wrapped his arm around the girl, careful not to poke her with the spikes on his cuffs. "I am too. But we will be safe, and Ricky will come home. Right Uncle David?"
"Right."
Penelope turned around and wrapped her arm around Grace and Kat, and smiled at the rest of the group. "We'll be alright."
Personally, Penelope was not entirely sure but she could not allow herself to dwell on that idea. She had to keep thinking Ricky would come home, and soon.