Follows along with episode 3x09 - Penelope
In the light drifting in from the streetlamp outside, I could make out Penelope's wide, terrified eyes staring up at me as she clung to my arm. Morgan moved faster than I ever thought possible, literally vaulting the couch and skidding to a stop by the window.
"What's going on?" Penelope hissed to him; I could feel her shaking against me. Morgan tugged back the curtains just a hint to check outside and instantly spun around. At the look on his face I leaned around Penelope and pulled my gun out of its holster.
"Come here, come with me," Morgan hissed, beckoning us to him urgently. Carefully detangling myself from my best friend, I scrambled off the bed and took her hand, helping her stand. Her hand went to her stomach, grimacing as we rushed to Morgan.
The moment I was within reach he snagged my arm and pulled me to him, Penelope in tow. He ushered us to the far corner of the apartment and then pulled her off me to push her back between the wall and one of her shelves.
"Sunshine, stay here with Garcia, alright?" he said quickly, unholstering his own pistol as he pushed me in front of Penelope. I nodded quickly, gripping my gun with both hands and forcing myself to keep calm. "Listen to me. Anyone walks through that door, you shoot. You shoot first and ask questions later. Don't hesitate, don't second guess, you just shoot. Do you understand me?"
"Morgan, what's – you're not, you can't leave us," Penelope panicked, shaking her head as she pressed against me, trembling so hard her voice shook. "Please don't leave us –"
"Aria, do you understand me?" he asked sharply, ignoring Penny's pleading. I nodded quickly and flicked the safety off.
"I understand. I've got her," I promised, holding his unwavering stare with one of my own. He gave a single nod and rushed out of the apartment. Penelope let out a terrified sob and I stepped back against her to comfort as best as I could.
"He's back, he came back," she panicked, moments from hyperventilating, hands tangling into my shirt as she bundled against me. "Aria he came back for me, he's coming after me –"
"It's gonna be okay, Penny, I promise you. I'm right here with you, okay? Morgan and I are here, and we're not letting anything happen to you. I swear it," I told her fiercely, voice calm and steady. I might've been scared, but I had a job to do.
I'd let her down last time this son of a bitch came after her, but I could protect her now. Not a damn thing was happening to my best friend tonight. I kept my gun trained steadily at the door, not even flinching at the next gunshot that rang out.
"Oh god, Morgan!" she gasped, trying to move around me. I planted my feet and leaned back against her to hold her in place, not letting my aim falter as I murmured,
"Stay back, he's got this. We need to keep you safe –"
Another gunshot went off, closer this time, and I moved a hand to reach back and grab Penelope's arm. She jumped and the contact at first and then reached up to lace our fingers and cling to my hold. We were too exposed here, and if – God forbid – something happened to Morgan, I needed to get Penelope somewhere sheltered so I could focus on taking out this Adonis asshole.
"We're gonna move over to the kitchen," I said softly to her, taking a few steps forward and tugging her immediately after, keeping her pressed up close to me. "That's it, just stay with me, alright? I'm right here."
She nodded shakily and we slipped across the apartment. The moment she was on the tile of the kitchen I nudged her back to stand between the wall and the table, as sheltered as I could get her as I planted myself at her side, gun still aimed towards the door.
For several long, painful minutes, there was nothing but silence. No shouting, no gunshots, just deafening calm. I kept my arms up, ignoring the burning in my muscles, mind set on protecting Penelope.
Finally, I heard footsteps on the stairs. They were swift and light, and I couldn't tell if it was Morgan's walk or not. Penelope tensed at my side and I took a breath, steadying my aim and waiting. A shadow flickered into the apartment from the open door and I braced to shoot.
Morgan whipped around the corner, gun level at my head, and both of our fingers twitched towards the trigger. We realized exactly who we were staring at in the same moment and both instantly dropped our aim.
"Morgan, it's me!" I gasped at the same time he rushed out,
"Woah, sunshine, it's me!" We both let out shaky, adrenaline-fueled breaths and slumped against either side of the counter across from one another. He caught my eye as I slowly righted myself and pointed out, "I thought I told you to shoot without hesitation."
"Are you really criticizing my choice on that?" I asked him dryly as I sat my gun on the counter; before he could reply, Penelope let out a sob as she reattached herself to my side. She was terrified, and I didn't blame her one bit.
Morgan was around the corner in the next moment as I turned and engulfed my best friend in a hug. He wrapped an arm around each one of us and we all leaned into the group hug, taking several moments of silence with each other.
"Why is this happening to me?" Penelope choked out against my shoulder. Morgan caught my eye and we shared a heavy look, both at a total loss for what to say. Finally, he managed to shake his head and he leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her temple as he murmured apologetically,
"I don't know, baby girl. I don't know."
Slowly, eventually, the three of us moved to the living room. We could hear sirens approaching in the distance and Morgan skirted past us to peek out the window as I settled Penelope onto the couch. I perched on the arm behind her and instantly she leaned back against me; my arm wrapped around her shoulders from behind and she held me tight against her.
"Reid and JJ are headin' up," Morgan told us, leaving the window to come gather beside us. Sure enough, not a minute later JJ was rushing into the apartment with the scruffy doctor right behind her.
"Hey, what's going on?" she asked, instantly coming over to kneel in front of us, a hand settling on Penelope's knee. "Hotch just told us there'd been a shooting –"
"He came back," Penelope whispered; I felt the hitch of her breath, and a tear fell onto my arm. JJ reached up and brushed the rest away as I hugged my best friend a little tighter. "He – he was watching us. Watching me. He came after me the night I got home and now he's out there and we don't know where –"
JJ cupped her face and gave a soft, soothing smile as she spoke gently, "take a deep breath. It's gonna be okay. He did come back but nothing happened to you. Aria and Morgan kept you safe, and we'll continue to keep you safe until this is all over."
"But how long will that be?" Penelope asked, voice tight with anxiety. "You guys can't keep this up forever –"
"You bet your ass we can," I denied, squeezing her softly as I leaned against her, pressing my cheek to hers. "We're not going anywhere until you're totally safe. No matter what he tries to pull."
Morgan sighed and folded his arms over his chest, glancing down at us and then over to JJ and Reid. "This guy's getting seriously bold. Garcia's right, he had to be watchin' us. He knew she was here with two federal agents and an officer outside, and he still made a move. For whatever reason, this guy really wants to get to her."
"I don't think it's just Garcia he's after," Reid said slowly, his brow furrowed. As I went to ask what he meant, his troubled gaze flitted onto me. "I think you're part of this too."
Though I made a noise of doubt, Morgan and JJ both shared a look of realization.
"That would make sense, actually," JJ agreed; at the look on my face she elaborated, "think about it. Even knowing all the obstacles, he still tried to get in here. He knew you and Garcia were both here, and he assumed you'd be caught off guard. It was a higher risk, but it'd have a higher reward if he was going after both of you."
"Okay, that's true, but back up," I said quickly, holding up my hand before Morgan and Reid could jump on the idea too. "What reason would he have to go after me? I don't –"
"You know what he looks like." Penelope's gasp of realization startled me, even more so when she turned to stare up at me with wide, frightened eyes. "He asked about you, and you were the first one he ran into. He knows you could identify him."
"You're a threat to him," Reid confirmed; the tone of his voice caught my attention and I briefly looked away from Penelope to meet his eyes. There was a deep, burning concern behind his coffee eyes and it only deepened as I blinked over at him. It was the same look he'd given when he'd found me in the hospital, the same one he gave on Halloween when he'd noticed I'd been crying.
He was worried about me.
Before I could get caught up in the swirl of warmth that instantly blossomed in my chest, JJ pulled us back to the current issue. She shifted to sit on the couch next to Penelope as she asked,
"Do you have any idea why he could be going after you?"
"I don't know. I don't know what he wants from me," she said honestly, giving a frustrated sigh. Reid shifted forward and offered,
"Could you know something about him? Do you have something he might want?"
Penelope shook her head and repeated, "I don't know. I really don't. I mean, I don't – I don't even know who he actually is!"
As JJ, Reid, Morgan, and I shared looks of frustration – all just as lost as one another – three new faces rushed into the apartment. Emily made a beeline for the couch of comfort as Hotch and Rossi gathered on either side of Reid.
"Are you all okay?" Em asked as she wedged herself in on Penelope's other side, sitting up against me as well. Penny instantly melted into her hug – still clinging to JJ with my arm secure around her shoulders – and she nodded firmly. Emily glanced back to check with Morgan and I, and when we nodded as well she said, "Garcia, we should really get you back to the hospital –"
"What?! No!" Penelope instantly argued, and Morgan reached out to rest a hand on her shoulder; I was surprised he found any room to get a hold on her with the three of us draped against her.
"We need to get you someplace safe, baby girl."
Penelope sniffed and lifted her head, looking around at the group as she said softly, "I… I feel safest here. With all of you." As Hotch opened his mouth to argue, she said quickly, "even with him here, coming after us… Morgan and Aria kept me totally safe…"
Her words trailed off, and her head turned slowly to look first into the kitchen, and then back at the corner Morgan had stuffed us into. JJ turned and patted her knee. "Garcia?"
When she didn't respond, all of us shared a concerned look and Emily turned too, squeezing her arm. "Penelope? Are you alright?"
"When we were at dinner, they wanted to seat us by a window, but he insisted on sitting at the worst table they had. Just so he could put his back against the corner…" her gaze again flicked to the corner of her room, the kitchen, and then up to Morgan and I. "Just like you two did."
The instinct to protect himself and keep watch, the fact that he'd managed to somehow get himself into the FBI building without question… this guy was in law enforcement. The realization that settled over the group put all eight of us into instant alert, which only heightened when two of the local detectives came into the apartment.
"Detectives," Hotch said quickly, holding a hand out to keep them from walking further inside. "Can you clear the room for just a minute?"
"One of my cops is dead downstairs, Agent –"
"I understand, and we're working to bring him to justice. We just need a couple minutes."
The detective sighed, glanced around at the rest of us, but gave a curt nod. He motioned for the other detective to follow, and as soon as they were gone Hotch followed them and shut the door. The rest of the team crowded closer and Penelope looked around, clearly confused.
"Tell us about the car," Morgan asked. When I felt her pause in confusion, I assured,
"Just go with him. You said it was a white, four-door, American model. What else do you remember?"
Penelope turned to look up at me, totally lost. "I – that was it. I told you I don't look at things like –"
"I know you've got more in that gorgeous brain of yours," Morgan coaxed, moving to kneel at her side as he stared up at her in assurance. "You noticed more than you think you did. Think really hard for me, alright? Anything at all. Anything that sticks out –"
"His seatbelt was buckled behind his back," she said slowly. "I just thought it was kind of weird, but I don't –" Admittedly, I was just as surprised at the looks from the rest of the team as she was. "Wait. Why does that matter?"
"It was a surveillance vehicle," Reid explained. "Agents don't wear seatbelts, in case they've got to get in and out of a car quickly. A lot of vehicles now have belt alerts so it's common practice for law enforcement to just kept the belt buckled without putting it on –"
"Alright, let's cut the crap. You need to be straight with us right now," Rossi snapped, startling myself, Penelope, and JJ as he surged forward. Penelope instantly looked to me, and then the rest of the team but Rossi leaned closer and ordered, "no. Look at me, not them."
"I – I'm not hiding anything," she stammered, and Rossi leaned closer.
"You got shot. Most people get shot for a reason," he cut in, and when she glanced back to me in alarm he yelled, "Eyes here! Now!"
"Hey," I snapped, letting go of Penelope to shift forward on the arm of the couch. "Don't yell at her –"
He put his hand up in my face to silence me and my anger instantly burst out; I shoved his arm down and got to my feet as he yelled at Penelope,
"You've got a room full of people here willing to believe that an FBI agent is trying to kill you. We need to know every last thing you do on company time that we don't know about." Penelope hesitated and he snarled, "tell me!"
"That's enough, Rossi," I bit out, moving to get in front of Penelope. He actually reached up and pushed me back against the couch as he moved closer to Penelope. I bumped against the side of it and Morgan steadied me, then held me in place as I went go shove Rossi's rude, Italian ass right back. "Leave her alone –"
"Tell me right now, Penelope!"
"It – it's nothing bad!" she squeaked out, and now I paused my attempted attack to look down at her in confusion. She was doing something we didn't know about? "I just – I counsel victims' families a-and they know where I work, so sometimes they ask me to look into cases for them!"
"What does that mean?" Rossi demanded.
"That just means – it means the cases, the unsolved ones, I tag them. So that whoever's investigating them knows that the FBI considers them a priority."
"You're not authorized to do that," Hotch spoke up, voice low with frustration. It wasn't what he'd wanted to hear, especially with doing what we could to fight Penelope's suspension. I went to defend her but at the look he shot me I snapped my mouth shut again.
Penelope nodded at Hotch and said quickly, "I know, I know. I was just trying to help."
"Penny, whoever's working those cases, they think you're watching them," I said softly, relaxing my attack stance and perching on the arm of the couch again to take her hand. She looked up at me, tears in her eyes as she rushed out,
"I just wanted to put pressure on them so they didn't slide. You know they slide! They get lost and nothing gets done and I –"
"How many cases are we talking about?" Hotch asked her, folding his arms over his chest; Penelope didn't meet his eyes and I didn't blame her.
"I don't know. Seven, maybe eight? I'd have to get into my system –"
"You can't. You're suspended," he reminded her, and she deflated a little more. Before they could keep going, Reid sat up and asked her quickly,
"Wait. Garcia. You said this guy was asking you about murder cases specifically, right?"
She nodded. "Yeah, he said he was just curious because those are the cases he used to work as a lawyer."
"Well all we'd have to do is look at those files then, right?" I added quickly, instantly picking up on Reid's brainwave. "He's the one working them, and if there's someone in common on all the murder cases flagged, that'd be our guy."
Rossi finally stood and looked back at Hotch, motioning to Penelope. "She might not have access to those files, but the rest of us would. Any one of our logins would have access to the files."
"If we start looking into this, though, Internal Affairs would see us back in the investigation," Emily pointed out. Hotch nodded slowly and looked around the room.
"That's why it won't be our login we use," he told us all slowly. "If we have another tech analyst log in, they'd be able to reach those files, wouldn't they?"
Penelope nodded slowly. "Yeah… but I mean, if any of us are logged in it could still be routed to the team."
"Who's certain they logged out the last time they left?" Hotch asked us. Reid raised his hand instantly; no surprise there. He was so technophobic he barely even logged in most days. Morgan and Emily both raised their hands too, and Hotch glanced to me.
"I… have no idea," I admitted, giving him a sheepish smile. Morgan snorted from behind me; he always teased me about forgetting to log out.
"Alright. Dave, JJ, Aria, and I will go back to the office to ensure we're all logged out, and to do what we can to keep the suspicion down. Morgan, Reid, Prentiss, stay here with Garcia. I'll have the other analyst coordinate with you all to go through the files."
As the other three moved to follow Hotch, I turned and hugged Penelope tight to me. Her arms locked like vices around me and she said quickly,
"I'm so sorry. I never meant to cause any trouble like this. I just wanted to help."
"I know you didn't, Penny. It's not your fault, alright? We're gonna find this guy now and we'll keep you safe."
As I pulled back she caught my hand and said,
"You stay safe too, though. Reid's right, he's probably after you."
"I'll be in the heart of the FBI headquarters with Hotch and the six dozen guns he has hidden on himself at all times," I pointed out; there was a snort from the hall that sounded suspiciously like JJ. As I popped up and headed for the door, I pecked her cheek swiftly. "I'll be just fine."
As I passed Reid, he cleared his throat and I paused for a moment to look down at him. He quirked a smile and told me,
"Pozhaluysta, bud' ostorozhen."
I didn't understand the words, but I understood the meaning behind them. Stay safe. Grinning and letting the warmth of his earlier concern wash over me, I nodded and told him,
"Rimanga sicuro."
As I glanced back to give Penelope a reassuring smile, I saw her, Morgan, and Emily smirking dangerously at Reid. It'd totally slipped my mind that none of them knew about our Italian-Russian thing, and now they were all apparently extremely interested in this new piece of information.
Thank god I was leaving.
I turned to scamper down the stairs and nearly collided with Rossi. He caught my arms as I stifled the shriek I almost let out, and all of my irritation from earlier instantly surfaced at him.
"Do you mind not doing that?" I bit out, rolling my shoulders sharply to break his hold as I turned to stalk down the stairs.
"Alright, kiddo, I know you're not happy with how I spoke to Garcia," he began as he started after me.
"You don't say," I scoffed, throwing him a look over my shoulder at the landing before heading down the next set. "And here I thought I was hiding my urge to punch you in the face so well."
"Being away from my family, I sometimes forget how dangerous it is to anger an Italian woman. I'm glad you're here to remind me before I get myself killed at the next Rossi gathering," he chuckled.
"Glad I could be of service," I snarked, moving to zip out to the SUV the moment we hit the lobby. Rossi, avid profiler he was, caught my intention in time and snagged my wrist to tug me to a stop. When I turned to snap at him he dropped his hold and held his hands up in defense as he said,
"Look, we're pressed to find this guy fast. We needed the complete, candid truth and –"
"And under duress someone's more likely to be honest and give genuine replies. I know," I assured him, still frowning. "That doesn't change the fact you almost made Penelope cry."
"I did, and it wasn't my intention. I'm not going to apologize for questioning her the way I did –" at the look on my face he lifted his hands a little higher. "But I am sorry for upsetting her that much. As soon as we've got this settled, I promise you I'll make things right with Penelope."
I held his gaze with my glare for another several seconds before narrowing my eyes and giving a small nod as I turned to continue leading us out to the SUV. "Fine. I'm holding you to that. But," I added, pausing again and turning to point a finger at him. "You push me again, David Rossi, and I'll gladly remind you exactly how hard an angry Italian woman can hit."
"Okeydokey, I'm all logged out," I told Hotch as I leaned into his office. He glanced up from the mass of paperwork that had overtaken his desk, giving me a quick nod as he continued to sift through the paperwork. "Is that all from Internal Affairs?"
"It is," he bit out, the distaste so heavy in his words I could feel it. "We'll need JJ to try and reroute this to help keep them from fully terminating Garcia while we work to clear this up. Would you –"
I was already crossing to him, holding my hand out. "Consider it done."
He offered me a brief but genuine smile as he passed me a couple folders, and I scampered off towards JJ's office. As I skirted out of the bullpen and rounded the corner I nearly ran smack-dab into an older gentleman in an overly-crisp suit and tie. He instantly went to brush me off but his gaze flicked from me, then back to where I'd just come from.
"Miss, do you work on this floor?"
"Yeah, I do. Well, I'm actually just an intern with the BAU –"
"Great, great. We'll need your assistance. Mr. Lynch, now that we've got someone to log you in, can you access what we need?"
The man at his side slowly turned to look at me; wasn't this the analyst Hotch had put on going through Penelope's files with Reid, Morgan, and Emily? What the heck was he doing out here, instead of helping us find this crazed, murderous agent?!
Mr. Lynch wore a mask of calm, but there was a flicker of panic in his eyes as he looked between us. "I, uh, I guess so. Yeah. Yep. Just um, just lead the way…"
Frowning up at him, instantly on edge from the veiled terror on his face, I opened my mouth to ask what was wrong when a third man – a local officer – turned around and stepped up to our group. Blonde hair, blue eyes, obnoxiously handsome features. My stomach dropped and my heart came skidding to a stop.
Fake Chris.
My hand instantly fell to my thigh but my fingers came up empty. Oh my god, my gun and holster were back at Penelope's! Not good. This was very, very not good. Fake Chris had copied my movement, shifting to grab gun on his hip, and when he saw my hand falter he paused. A slow, knowing smile spread onto his face and I saw him subtly slip the safety off his weapon. He knew I was powerless.
"Thanks for helping us out, miss," he said slowly, his eyes flicking to Mr. Lynch briefly and then back to me as he toyed with the handle of his gun. A threat; one wrong move and he'd start shooting. "I can't tell you how much we appreciate your department's cooperation."
Shit. My phone was in my purse – on my desk – and Hotch and Rossi were in their offices. My hands tightened nervously on the files – the files! Instantly I swept the halls, praying JJ was nearby, hoping she'd be near to see the panic on my face and know to go get help. Coming up empty – and not able to stall without looking suspicious – I slowly led the others into the bullpen.
At first I was headed for my desk, but instincts had begun to kick in and I reevaluated the situation. My desk was in the heart of the office and bringing him fully inside would put even more people at risk. Close to the door and not surrounded by bystanders would be the best bet.
I slipped into the first open desk I saw and – forcing my hands steady – I slowly logged in. Fake Chris moved to my side, hitching his hip on the desk, gun just inches from my arm. His hand was resting on his waist but his fingers were still brushing the handle. He'd be able to draw and fire before I could make an effective move, and there were too many innocent people around to risk it.
Shit, shit, shit.
As soon as the screen loaded, I stood and turned to Mr. Lynch, my back to Fake Chris. He caught my eye and we shared a brief, knowingly-terrified look. How he knew this guy was bad news, I had no idea, but thank god he had the wherewithal to play it cool. If he could just buy us some time, maybe Hotch and his mind-reading skills would sense I needed help… he was at his desk and the blinds were open. If I could just get him to look up…
As Mr. Lynch sank down into seat I stood at his shoulder, trying to angle myself between him and the gun just a few inches from him. Fake Chris subtly eased his foot out, catching my own and pushing back against it. When I tried to move again his hand shifted to fully rest on the handle. Another warning; stay put.
Shit, shit, SHIT.
"What's your name, hun?"
It took me a second to realize Fake Chris was talking to me. I mean, I'd already told him my name when we'd first met… when I met his eyes his smirk grew. A classic narcissist. He's getting off on his power over me. He's just putting on a show to keep me quiet and under his control... just like Connor.
I knew exactly how to handle him.
"Aria," I told him simply, holding his gaze with an unwavering one of my own. No fear. Don't give him any more power.
"Aria… pretty. Just like you," he mused, giving me a showy wink; he and the suit that had roped me into this chuckled at that. Can't punch Fake Chris, but this asshole's gonna end up eating his tie if he's not careful, I growled to myself, forcing my face to stay neutral.
"What, uh, what name am I finding these files for?" Mr. Lynch piped up.
"Jason Battle. B-A-T-T-L-E," Fake Chris – well, Jason Battle - spelled out, holding my stare the whole time as his smile grew. This was just a game to him, and I had a feeling I wasn't gonna win. "So tell me Aria, do you have any idea why your analyst was looking into my murder cases? I just don't understand."
I crossed my arms over my chest and gave a shrug. "Couldn't tell you, sorry. I'm just an intern, stuff like that's out of my paygrade."
He narrowed his eyes just a hint at my dismissal and I blinked innocently up at him.
"You don't have a thing to worry about, Deputy Battle," Suit-Man behind me assured. "To be honest, the woman in question is currently under investigation."
Ah, he must be with Internal Affairs. If I punch him in the face I bet Hotch would totally back me.
"Do you think she could be involved in those cases?" Battle asked in fake concern, eyes glinting as he briefly broke his stare with me to watch what Mr. Lynch was doing. I took my chance and quickly looked to Hotch's office; he was still buried in his files. Damn him and his amazing work ethic! Couldn't he slack for a couple minutes, go on a snack run or something?
Hotch, I KNOW you can secretly read minds and I need you to tap into your superpowers and help get this creep under control, I thought as loud as I could. Okay, yeah, maybe that was a little far-fetched. Desperate times, alright?
"You know, I really couldn't say," Suit-Man apologized. "As soon as we know more, though, you'll be the first we go to."
"Well, wouldn't it be easier to just let me speak with her? I'm sure the lovely Aria here could help us arrange that –"
"No," I said a little too quickly, getting a look from Suit-Man as Battle quickly hid his smirk, pleased he'd gotten a reaction from me. "She's actually in the hospital so she's not up for questioning –"
Battle gave a humorless chuckle and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, once we're done here, why don't you and I take a trip to visit her? I can get a few questions out of the way, help speed things along for you all…"
Absolutely not. There's no way you're getting near her –
"I don't see why not," Suit-Man decided, and I actually turned to give him an incredulous look; he leaned back a hint at the scowl I fixed him with. I mean come on, there had to be rules or regulations or something about not letting random officers just go and talk with potential suspects!
As I turned back to Battle, he was nearly grinning ear-t0-ear. It hit me a moment later, and I tensed up realizing what Suit-Man had just agreed to. As soon as Mr. Lynch was done, I'd be escorted out of here by the murderous cop who would undoubtedly try to kill me the moment we were alone.
SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!
"Well then, Mr. Lynch. Why don't you get the rest of my files out of the system, and Miss Aria and I can be on our way. Hell, maybe we can get this all wrapped up by tomorrow for you."
He and Suit-Man chuckled with each other again – seriously I'm gonna deck this tie-clad son-of-a-bitch – and Mr. Lynch glanced back at us to nod his agreement. He caught my eye and gave me a look of understanding. He knew exactly what would happen to me as soon as he finished up, and what would happen to him if he didn't.
We were screwed six ways to Sunday.
I caught him pulling up several different boxes on the monitor I was fairly certain he didn't need, and I prayed this guy had something up his sleeve. Battle stood up and as his hand settled on his gun, I honestly braced for him to start shooting. Catching me tense – and smirking proudly at the fear he was pulling from me – he began to pace behind me.
Every time he walked by, his elbow brushed my back, reminding me he was right there – ready to shoot. Reminding me of the absolutely helpless position I was in. As he turned to pace again, briefly taking his eyes off us, Mr. Lynch's hand shot out and briefly tapped my thigh, glancing back for just a heartbeat to give me a swift, reassuring blink.
He had something.
What that something was, I had no clue, but we weren't dead yet. We were still powerless though, and if he managed to get out of the bullpen with me… God, Hotch was just a couple dozen yards away…
Look up. Just look up, Hotch. Look at me, I begged as loud as I could, willing him to somehow hear me. Look up, look up, look up, god I need help, Hotch! Look up –
Hotch stood slowly from his desk and – to my absolute disbelief – he turned and met my pleading gaze. Oh my god, it had worked?! He'd seriously picked up on my brainwaves?! I was honestly so stunned I completely forgot the immense danger behind me for a few seconds.
When Hotch shifted closer to the window and I saw the phone to his ear.
Ah. Mr. Lynch must've gotten ahold of someone and they'd called him, I sighed dejectedly. Okay, yeah, I guess that made more sense than him reading my mind. For now.
His eyes flicked over my shoulder to Battle, and then back to me. Do you know?
I gave a small nod, and he pressed his lips together, realizing the situation. My own gaze flicked to the side as he paced by my shoulder, and then back to Hotch. Do I try and intervene?
Hotch shook his head instantly and mouthed, don't move. I gave a barely-there nod in acknowledgement and quickly dropped my eyes to the monitor as I felt Battle pause briefly to look at me. His body language was shifting, growing more and more tense, and the hand on his gun had begun to twitch. When I looked up at him for a brief moment I caught the glint of frustration in his eyes before he started moving again.
He's starting to spiral, and if he fully devolves while he's in here, everyone's at risk. Out of my peripheral I saw Hotch stroll out of his office, keeping a casual pace as he headed for Rossi. Please tell me you have something up your sleeve. I have no idea what to –
Battle's hands clamped onto my shoulder's from behind and he leaned against me, head beside mine as he studied the monitor. "Is there a problem here, Mr. Lynch?"
"Uh, n-no, I'm sorry," he stammered quickly, sparing a glance back to us. He saw the hold Battle had on me and he quickly turned back around before he showed his panic. Thank god this guy is smart. "It's – it's not my system so it's just taking a little longer. I'm almost done, though."
Battle's fingers dug into my shoulders, the threat of his hold sinking in. He knew this was being delayed, he knew something was up. He felt cornered, and I was his safety net. My eyes quickly flicked to the ramp and I saw both Hotch and Rossi slowly making their way towards us. Hotch met my eyes again and gave me a brief blink of assurance before he turned back to Rossi.
I really, really hoped they knew what to do because we were out of time.
"Alrighty," Mr. Lynch told him, turning to look up at us with a tight smile. "All done."
Hotch and Rossi glanced our direction again and I felt Battle tense, fingers digging painfully into my shoulders now. My heart sank straight into my stomach. He knew. He'd figured out they were onto him.
I threw Hotch a panicked look as Battle asked Mr. Lynch, "You're sure my files are wiped out of the system?"
He saw the warning in my stare and he and Rossi instantly split up, stalking towards us. Battle righted himself as Mr. Lynch nodded and gave a quick yes, sir. Suit-Man even leaned forward and gave him a pat on the shoulder, oblivious to the rising tension around him.
Rossi and Hotch were closing in and Battle was moments away from fully breaking. What did I do? Did I try to subdue him? I mean, Morgan had been pretty steady with the self-defense. Maybe I could just get him to the ground, or block him long enough to let the others reach us…
Hotch caught the shift in my gaze and he gave a near-imperceptible shake of his head.
"Alright, Deputy, I'll keep you updated on our investigation." Suit-Man began. Battle righted himself and for a heartbeat his hands left my shoulders. "Good luck with speaking to Miss Garcia –"
I was free. Hotch shifted for his gun and I lunged forward, trying to get out of his reach. Battle moved faster than any of us anticipated, his arm locking around my neck, hauling me back against his chest.
My hands flew to grab onto Battle's arm and try to lessen his grip, but in the next moment the barrel of his gun pressed to my temple and he pulled the hammer back. The click sounded through the bullpen as Hotch and Rossi froze, guns aimed at him.
Hotch caught my eye, apology and reassurance burning in his gaze, trying to keep me calm. Breathe, Aria. Breathe. Trust Hotch, trust Rossi. Breathe, I begged myself, eyes squeezing shut as I struggled to take a breath with Battle's arm crushing against my windpipe. In the back of my head I heard Jude's voice whispering, it's okay, A. You're okay. It's okay.
I let it repeat in my head as Rossi said slowly, "you're a cop. You know this isn't gonna end well."
When I opened my eyes again I saw Hotch had shifted closer. Battle tugged me tighter to him as Hotch warned, "You're standing in the middle of the FBI, holding one of our agents hostage –"
"You think I'm afraid of the FBI?" Battle laughed, pressing the gun harder to my head; I bit back the instinctive whimper of alarm. It'd just egg him on. "Please. Look at how easy it was to get right under your noses. I got to your little intern and your analyst. All I had to do was take this annoying little brat out and I would've been a free man. I still will be. She can't rat me out if she isn't breathing, right?"
Don't react, don't react, I told myself quickly, trying not to tense up as the terror took hold. He's devolved, he's delusional. He wants the fear. Needs to feel the power. This is a blonde, gun-wielding version of Connor. Just hold still, let Hotch play to his ego. It worked when you did it to Connor, and it'll work with Hotch now, I told myself as I desperately tried not to move, praying they'd be able to get a clear shot on Battle.
"If you pull that trigger, we both know how this will end," Hotch continued, shifting a hint closer again. "If you kill Aria, you won't be around for the recognition you want. You won't get to show the world how you outsmarted the FBI."
Rossi spoke up now, drawing his attention away from Hotch. They were trying to off-balance his focus. "You're a decorated officer. This isn't how you want to be remembered. You're in control here, you write the ending. It's your choice. You have the power."
Battle scoffed and shook his head, slowly starting to back us up towards the door. My eyes widened and I looked to Hotch. Was he seriously gonna leave with me?! He met my eyes and pressed his lips together, doing what he could to promise I'd be okay.
Trust Hotch. Trust the team.
"You call yourselves the best minds in the FBI? You couldn't even stop me. You can't even save your intern –"
Hotch's eyes suddenly snapped past Battle's shoulder. The arm around my neck tensed and as he turned to look back, a shot rang out. Glass shattered and Battle's arm went slack around me as he slumped to the ground.
I fell forward onto my knees and before I could even scramble away, arms engulfed my and I was pulled to my feet. Hotch hugged me to his chest and I let out a shaky, relieved breath, melting against him as my arms locked tight around his waist.
"Are you alright?" he asked, trying to pull back to look me over. I tightened my grip and refused to move.
"I'm fine, I'm – I'm okay. I just – okay – I'm good. Don't let go, please," I rushed out; I felt Hotch nod and his arms settled back around me. From behind me, I heard Rossi say,
"He's down. He's clear. Good shot, JJ."
I love you so much, JJ. Your timing absolutely couldn't have been better, I thought to myself as I gave a watery sniff into Hotch's suit jacket.
"She timed that perfectly," Hotch said out loud, and now I was scrambling to pull back. He looked down in concern, arms still around me (thankfully so, because I wouldn't be standing if they weren't) and he frowned at the look on my face. "What is it?"
"You can read minds," I deduced, and Hotch actually snorted at me and shook his head.
"Alright. I think the last ten days are really starting to take their toll on your mental clarity."
Giving him a dubious look, I sank back into his hold and muttered, "I'm onto you, Hotchner."
He chuckled just loud enough for me to hear as he held onto the hug a little tighter.
"Penny I'm – loosen up, I can't breathe –" I wheezed; my best friend relaxed just a hint. "I'm fine, really. I'm okay."
"Don't you ever make me watch anything like that ever again," she reprimanded, and I shared a bewildered look with Reid over her shoulder as I laughed incredulously. Like I'd a say in what'd happened! "I mean it!"
As we – well, I – pulled back, I cupped her face gently and assured, "I will never willingly let myself be held at gunpoint again."
"Good. That's all I ask, and I really feel like that's not asking too much," she began. As she took a step back, she winced and her hand fell to her stomach. Morgan was at her side in the next moment, arm wrapped around her shoulders as he began to coax her towards a chair.
"Alright mama, take it easy. You pull those staples out early and you're gonna buy yourself another couple of days in the hospital." As he passed by, he reached out and gave my arm a soft squeeze. "I'm glad you're good, sunshine. You should be proud, you handled yourself well."
I patted his hand as he pulled away and told him softly, "thanks, Cocoa Crisp."
"Oh, honeybee," Penelope paused, nearly making Morgan collide with her. He gave her an exasperated frown that she ignored as she said, "Rossi told me to be sure and let you know he apologized to me, but more importantly that I forgave him."
Alright, guess he's off the hook, I relented as I gave her a wry smile. "Duly noted. Thanks, mama bear."
"There any reason why Rossi wants to make sure you knew that?" Morgan began. I opened my mouth to answer and he held up a hand. "You know what? I don't wanna know. I ain't gettin' in the middle of whatever you two got goin' on."
"Wise choice," I praised; he snorted and rolled his eyes and he turned and led Penelope away.
When I turned back, I found myself alone with Reid. Well, the rest of the bullpen was packed, but he and I were off in our own private little bubble.
He didn't speak at first. Instead, he stepped up closer to me and reached out to brush the curls off my shoulder. His touch was feather-light, his fingers sweeping across my skin as his brow furrowed a hint. Curious, I turned and followed his gaze. The beginnings of a bruise were beginning to blossom, peeking out from under the collar of my sweater.
"Are you really okay?" he asked me, and when I peeked up at him his lips quirked just a hint. "Just between the two of us. I won't worry Garcia."
Aaaaaand cue the butterflies.
"Physically? I'm good," I assured, instantly missing the feel of his fingers on my skin as he pulled his hand away. "Emotionally? Honestly, I don't think it's hit me just yet. I mean, I haven't even started fully panicking about Penelope getting shot. My mind's still processing the whole human chili thing..."
Reid pulled a sympathetic grimace and I nodded in agreement. He went to say something, paused, and then cleared his throat. For a moment, Spencer Reid himself seemed at a loss for words. He saw me looking up at him and he fell into his autopilot mode again.
"In the last ten days you've experienced a lot of trauma, and to combat what you've gone through, your brain released an overload of endorphins to help essentially numb the emotional and physical pain of the trauma. However, now that the trauma is over, endorphin will levels decrease significantly, and this can lead to a withdrawal that sometimes heightens what was being repressed," he rambled, hands flying a mile a minute as he rushed off the information to me. He paused and blinked down at me as I hmm'd and nodded along.
"So, essentially, I feel fine now but tomorrow I could wake up a mess." I chuckled, and he gave an apologetic smile and nod. "Well, that sounds about right for the last few weeks I've had."
"I – I just… the point of all that was…" his cheeks flushed and he reached up to nervously scratch the back of his neck, eyes briefly flicking to his shoes before he caught my gaze again. "My offer still stands. Um, if you're not okay, you can –"
"Hey, Aria!" we both looked over at my name being called and I saw Reid deflate with a sigh as Mr. Lynch came jogging towards us. I gave him an apologetic smile; he wasn't the only one who'd wanted him to finish that sentence.
"Hey," I greeted, putting a smile on as he paused beside us, oblivious to the interruption he was causing. "How're you doing with everything?"
He chuckled and blew out a breath, shaking his head as he glanced to the gurney that was currently wheeling out Battle's body. "Let me tell you, I'm glad this isn't my department. I don't think I could handle this kind of crazy day-to-day."
Trust me, you have no idea, I thought as I nodded in understanding. "I mean, as bad as it sounds, I can assure first-hand that you start to get used to it all."
"That's both comforting and disconcerting," he chuckled, and then stuck out his hand to me. "Kevin Lynch. We made a pretty good team with all that."
"Aria DiMaggio," I told him, taking his hand in a quick shake. "We did. That was great thinking, streaming the security cameras to Penelope and the rest of the team. I don't know what we'd have done if you hadn't managed to tip them off."
Kevin nodded, but it was clear he'd stopped listening about halfway through. "You said Penelope… is that who set up that amazing GUI?"
Immediately I caught the smitten tone of his voice and a slow smile spread over my face. I nodded and turned to point after my best friend. "Yep. That'd be our brilliant, beautiful tech analyst, Penelope Garcia."
"Penelope," he hmm'd, not even looking back at me as he skirted past Reid and I to go and talk to her. The grin on my face was so wide it hurt. Alright, alright. I totally got why she liked teasing me with Reid. This was a lot of fun.
And this time, I was much more confident the man interested in her wasn't a psychopathic murderer. Definitely keeping an eye on you for now, Kevin, I thought to myself as I turned back to Reid.
He had just started to speak again when Hotch called his name from across the bullpen. He huffed and actually sent a brief scowl in his direction before looking back down at me. "I'm sorry. I – look, what I was trying to – I just…"
My hand settled on his arm and I gave a squeeze; he stammered into silence and gave a small smile at the touch. "If my endorphins abandon me and leave me hanging, I'll give you a call, Doctor."
His face turned about seven different shades of red and his smile widened as he gave a quick nod. My own cheeks flushed and we stood in silence for several long moments. I didn't pull my hand back and he made no move to listen to Hotch, which didn't go unnoticed by our Unit Chief.
"Reid –"
"Yes, yes, I'm coming," he bit out; I could feel Hotch's frown simmering from here. Just like the other night, I stifled a snort and he gave me another playful glare. "I probably shouldn't keep him waiting."
"Oh no, please do. I'd love to see what happens if you ignore him a third time," I said with a cheeky smile as I finally let my hand slide off his arm. He laughed and gave a smile in return as he reluctantly trudged across the bullpen.
My plans had been to go make the strongest pot of coffee the 6th floor had ever seen – seeing as I still had my drive back to school tonight – but when I caught sight of JJ all of that instantly changed.
She was leaning against the table of the breakroom, eyes fixed on the wall, chin resting in her hand. I could see the weight of the shot she'd taken resting on her shoulders. She wasn't an agent, and though she was weapons-certified, I was fully positive she'd never had to take someone's life before. Regardless of the situation, it was a choice I knew would hang over her and I didn't want her trying to lift that burden alone.
"Hey, Jay," I smiled as I came up to her. She turned and, as soon as our eyes met, her face melted into a sweet smile. Even through all that'd just happened, she was instantly offering comfort to me.
"Hey. Are you alright?"
"Thanks to you I am," I assured, catching the brief flicker of angst that sparked over her face. I reached out and took her hand in mine, giving a gentle squeeze. "JJ, I'm so sorry you had to do that. I know how hard that was. I really wish it hadn't come to that."
"You know, I never even blinked. I saw you in danger and my first instinct was protecting you, protecting the others in here that he could've turned on," she said softly. "You don't need to apologize. I'd do whatever it takes to protect my family."
Family.
Again, nothing summed up better than what I'd grown into with this team. Hotch was right, everything was starting to get to me. I really wasn't that emotional, but her words were enough to get tears in my eyes. I stepped forward and hugged her tight to me and she returned the favor. We stayed like that for several long moments, both letting ourselves unwind just a little more now that it was all over.
As we pulled back, I caught sight of something out of the corner of my eye. JJ and I both turned to watch as Kevin and Penelope reached out to one another, slowly shaking their hands as they made heart-eyes at one another. Their giggles were loud enough to carry over to us; JJ and I wiggled our brows at one another.
"Well if that's not kismet, I don't know what is," she chuckled, beaming at our friend who was – almost literally as she lost her balance – falling head over heels for the handsome tech analyst that had captured her heart. Thankfully, Kevin had quick reflexes and was able to steady her as she swayed on her feet, getting her back into her chair delicately.
The sight of my best friend being taken care of (and blushing deep enough to put her bright red shawl to shame) added another couple of layers of endorphins to my soul, helping to keep the heaviness of the job at bay a little longer.
"You know, Penny said she believes everything happens for a reason," I told JJ, smile playing over my lips as I started to back towards the coffee maker. "I'm starting to think she might be onto something."
Thanks to the construction on the highway – seriously, why did they have to work at 9pm on a Sunday?! – my half hour commute took almost ninety minutes. By the time I parked on campus, I was so tired my vision was actually blurring.
For a moment I slumped back in my seat, rubbing my aching eyes and fighting off another yawn. Maybe I'd just nap in the car for a bit and drag myself to my dorm later… you know damn well you'll just sleep the whole night out here if you doze off now. If you thought the couch at the hospital was bad, the car's really gonna mess you up, I chastised myself.
Groaning and admitting defeat to my own logic, I grabbed my purse and wearily pulled myself out of the car, slinging my go-bag over my shoulder. With a last yawn and a few blinks to clear my eyes (or, at least attempt to), I started off across the parking lot.
The only class in the morning was General Physics, and honestly it'd just be a benefit to my grade if I didn't try to do the lab with as exhausted as I was. What classes did I have tomorrow? I'd snuck in some work through the week while I'd been hanging out in Penelope's hospital room, so maybe I'd bought myself a little leeway to sleep in.
I'll make up the lab next week and just do some extra credit work to stay ahead. I can sleep in, and then go to Abnormal Psychology after lunch…
I walked right past him for the first time in three years and I didn't even notice.
Sure, I'd seen the tall, dark-haired man out of the corner of my (still very blurry) eye, but I didn't pay him any attention at first. In fact, I would've kept going – completely oblivious – until I felt someone watching me. The eyes burning into me were frighteningly familiar; the hair on the back of my neck prickled and goosebumps shivered across my skin.
I knew this feeling.
I knew those eyes.
From the moment I got that first text months ago, the thought of ever seeing Connor again had filled me with cold, sickening dread that left me near-paralyzed with fear. Now as I turned to face him, the only thing I felt was anger.
Maybe it was nearly losing my best friend. Maybe it was being held at gun point. Maybe it was just because I was so damn tired, but I was so fed up with everything else that had been going on that I just didn't have it in me to deal with Connor fucking Aldridge today. I just didn't.
He was leaning back against a car that probably cost more than my college tuition, arms crossed casually over his chest, trademark half-smirk curling up the corner of his mouth as he looked me over.
There was no fear, or anxiety, or even any lingering sadness in seeing him again. All I felt was resentful irritation and the near-overwhelming urge to punch him in the face. Again, I was pretty sure Hotch would support me on it.
I wanted to speak – well, I wanted to scream – but I couldn't gather the words. I was so caught off guard at him being here that my mind was still buffering itself, trying to catch up to what was happening.
"Hey sugar," he said after several beats of silence. "Long time no see –"
"What the hell are you doing here?" His voice had instantly slammed me back into the here-and-now and my words cut into his, the venom in my voice catching me off-guard. Connor blew out a chuckle as he casually shrugged his shoulders, studying me for a second before saying simply,
"You weren't answering my calls. Figured I'd swing by and check on you since I'm in town."
"In town? You're just in town and you want to check on me," I echoed harshly. When he unfolded his arms to motion around himself to say 'what does it look like' I shook my head and growled, "no. Get the hell out of here. You have no right to talk to me, let alone just show up at my school. I told you multiple times to leave me alone and now you're stalking me –"
"Stalking you?!" he laughed incredulously, pushing off the car and taking a step towards me; I took three back, pointing a finger at him in warning. I was really regretting putting my gun in my go-bag. He paused and snorted in amusement at me as he held up his hands in mock-surrender. "Clearly you're still as dramatic as you've always been. I'm not stalking you –"
"How did you know I'd be here?" I interrupted; for a heartbeat, irritation flickered in his dark gaze. He'd always hated it when I spoke over him. Good. He pushed it away almost instantly as he gave me disparaging scowl.
"It really wasn't that big of a mystery, Aria. Your dad said you were in Virginia, he mentioned something about you volunteering for the FBI or whatever, and I know how to use Google. Mystery solved."
The tone of his voice was slowly shifting, taking on the patronizing pitch that struck dozens of raw nerves. It was him gaslighting me like he always used to do. Making me doubt myself and question what I knew was right, making me feel crazy for seeing what he was truly doing.
"Don't start that," I said lowly, instantly blocking out the doubt that had begun to grow in the back of my mind. It wasn't crazy to say he was stalking me, and I wasn't letting him get in my head. "How did you know I'd be here at this school? Or that this is where I always park?"
Connor rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his hair, like I'd just said something so ridiculous he had to take a moment to 'compose himself'. When he finally looked back at me, his expression threw me off my angry tirade.
"Look, Aria, I was worried about you, alright?" he leveled with me, putting his hands down to jam them in his pockets. "I mean, you disappeared to Oregon right after high school, then your dad tells me you were acting weird when you were there a few months ago… I just wanted to make sure you were okay."
I saw the soft blink, I heard the fluff in his voice. I knew he was playing to my sympathy, to the stupid slivers of me that still had feelings for him after all the bullshit he'd put me through. And hell, maybe it would've worked if I wasn't just so fed up with his bullshit.
"Seattle," I said simply. Connor frowned, clearly not having expected that answer, and he blinked in slow confusion at me. "I went to Seattle. To study Psychology, like I'd been wanting to do all through high school. Like I told you about dozens of times. It's good to know you never really listened."
There it was; the first crack in the mask. His jaw ticked a hint tighter and a vein in his forehead squiggled to the surface like it always did when he was mad at me. Push him until he shatters. Break him. Let him show his true self.
"Seattle, yeah," he shrugged, trying to make himself relax. "I always get it confused with –"
"And we both know I didn't just disappear. I left for college and made a point to lose your number," I pointed out, and again the forehead vein pulsed as I saw the muscles in his neck tensing up. Maybe the less-tired, less-face-punchy Aria would've backed down and gone quiet. This Aria was completely done with Connor. "You never answered my question, by the way, and you know what? That tells me all I need to know. I know exactly why you're here, and it's stopping. Now. No more calls, or texts, or stalking me to ambush me in the parking lot. This ends now, or I'm getting the police involved."
The mask didn't shatter like I'd been expecting. Instead, it melted off his face and revealed a dangerous, playful smirk. He took a step towards me again and though I held out my hand to keep him back he didn't pay any attention to it.
"I'm stalking you, hm?" he asked, pausing inches from my fingers. When I lifted a brow to silently answer yes – shifting back to put a little more distance between us – he just chuckled and stepped aside, waving his hand at the car. "I'm here for work, Aria. I'm Sales Manager at the dealership now, and I'm delivering a customer's purchase."
"You really expect me to believe that?" I asked him incredulously. "I'm not stupid, Connor. I know –"
"I'm here on business," he repeated, and then narrowed his eyes at me as his smirk widened. "And I've got all the paperwork I need to prove that if anyone were to come asking about it."
Anxiety fluttered in my stomach but I pushed it aside. He was trying to intimidate me, get me to give in and back down. Don't let him in your head.
"Fine, that might explain this, even though we both know it's a bold-faced lie," I scoffed, and Conner just shrugged his shoulders, still smirking. "That still doesn't excuse the harassment from the last few months."
Connor let his smile curl his lips up as he asked me – thoroughly amused –, "harassment? We've hardly talked since graduation, Aria. I mean, you blocked my number the one night I tried to text you. How could I have been harassing you?"
I realized exactly what he was doing, and frustration ignited alongside my anger. As much as I hated to admit it, Connor was annoyingly clever. Especially when it came to deceiving people. He knew it, too, and he knew that in the past, if he could intimidate me enough or confuse me enough, I'd lose the ground I had and I couldn't fight back.
I wasn't the same girl anymore; he wasn't doing that to me again.
"You've been calling and texting me multiple times a week –" I began, and he took a step closer to me
"Well it's not my number, is it?" he challenged, tilting his head and blinking innocently at me. "It's incredibly rude of you to accuse me of something you can't prove, especially when I'm just here to make sure you're alright. And it's a good thing I'm here if you think you're being stalked. I'm just looking out for you, and you're making up lies."
Asshole. I shook my head and insisted, "I can prove it –"
"Can you?" he hummed, smile widening just a hint. "Because, last I checked, I still have my same old number, and I can guarantee that no other phone could be traced to me. I mean, are you even sure it's me harassing you?"
I let out a humorless laugh. "Of course it –"
"Can you prove it? Really?" he pressed again, still smiling, stepping past my hand and coming so close to me I could smell his cologne. I shoved back the memories it instantly brought up and focused on holding my ground. Don't back down. Don't back down. "I mean, would any of your empty accusations really hold up in court?"
He was trying to scare me. Trying to intimidate me into backing down; he'd only do that if he knew I had a point. Despite his words, he knew there was a chance I could get him for stalking, and though he looked smug, he didn't make any moves to keep talking.
I spoke for him. "You keep bothering me and I promise you I'll make sure it does. And this time, your buddy Sheriff Taylor won't be there to bail you out."
Connor stepped unnervingly closer to me, so much so our chests nearly brushed and I had to tip my head almost all the way back to meet his eyes. He towered over me with a smile that was borderline malicious, eyes flicking between my own, searching for any sign of me wilting and backing down.
Not today, Skeevy JerkFace.
"Sheriff Taylor… right. Because you think I'm the big, bad, abusive boyfriend, is that it?" when I pointedly didn't answer his rhetorical question he laughed, "sorry, sugar. It's just so hard to keep track of all your delusions."
His hand came up, moving to brush my curls back behind my ear, and now I did step back. When his hand followed I shoved it down, and then held my hand out at him when he moved to do it again. "You put a finger on me and I swear to god I'll break all ten of them, Connor."
"Like I said, you're still so dramatic," he lamented, holding to his charade of innocence, tsking as he shook his head (though he did move his hand back a bit). "I can't believe you're still on about all that. I mean, I thought you'd be past your little attention-seeking stunts by now."
"What, you trying to kill me was somehow my way of getting attention?" my voice was quiet but firm, and for a heartbeat I saw his mask slip just a bit more. He replaced it just ask quick to ask condescendingly,
"You still really think that's what happened that night?"
The doubt surfaced in my mind before I could lock it away and I fought to keep my bearings. Gaslighting was dangerous, especially with Connor. Getting me to doubt myself – no matter how sure of the truth I was – was a specialty of his. There was no surprise he was Sales Manager now; he really was an excellent salesman. He could pass off any lie he wanted to, get someone to buy into whatever bullshit he was selling with ease.
He'd turned my own family on me, despite the hand-shaped bruises around my neck, despite the marks from my nails on his arm where I'd fought to break his hold. Even with the evidence, no one had believed me because Connor had said it wasn't true.
My eyes flicked down to the hand he reached out to me again. This time, I caught hold of his wrist and turned his arm over. My thumb brushed along the thin, white marks against his tan skin; against the scars I'd left on him that night.
Proof that I could trust myself because I wasn't crazy.
I let out a cold chuckle and withdrew my hand, stepping back and putting a couple dozen feet between us before I promised quietly, "we're not playing this game anymore. I'm done. I know that's what happened. Like I said, stay away from me and leave me the hell alone. The next time you pop up, I'm getting the police involved."
He opened his mouth to say something else, and for the first time in my life, I ignored him completely and turned away. Connor actually made a noise of surprise from behind me and I heard him starting to follow.
"Aria – hey, I'm not done –"
"I am. Don't follow me or I'll break more than just your fingers," I snapped, not even giving him a look over my shoulder. His footsteps stopped, and despite everything welling up inside me, I couldn't help but smile.
I didn't stop walking until I badged into my dorm building. The moment the door shut behind me I slumped back against it, all of the adrenaline and anger fizzling out now that I was out of harm's way.
Where the hell had all that come from? What corner of myself had I magically pulled out that fearless, give-no-shit bravado I'd just put on? As I slowly righted myself – not wanting to collapse in the hall – I began the climb to the third floor, replaying all I'd said to Connor.
That had been remnants of the old Aria. Back before we'd started dating, when we were just friends and I hadn't taken any of his shit. The moment we were in a relationship, though, things had shifted between us, and I'd never acted like that to him again.
I'd never stood up for myself against him, and the realization that I could – hell, that I just did – both elated and terrified me. Had I seriously just done all that?! It took me a few tries to get my room door open; my hands had started shaking and now I couldn't stop them. Once in the sanctity of my room, I took a slow, deep breath and then let it out as I counted to ten.
I was more exhausted than I was just twenty minutes ago, and so worn through emotionally I couldn't even process what had just happened. There were so many things racing through my head that I couldn't focus on a single one, all of them just blurring together and humming like TV static in my mind.
Bed. I needed bed. I needed to sleep on something that wasn't in a hospital and turn my brain off for longer than ninety restless minutes at a time. As tugged on my pajamas and turned to snap off the light, I caught sight of myself in my mirror.
The fatigue was written all over me, impossible to miss. My eyes had dark circles beneath them and they were glassy – probably partially glazed over from the overwhelming amount of emotions surging through me. My sweater and skirt were wrinkled (and speckled with blood from JJ's shot on Battle, but I tried to ignore that) and my haphazard bun was more of a rat's nest with a couple of frizzy curl strands sticking out every which way.
What I didn't see in my reflection, though, was the panic that Connor used to instill in me. There was no fear in my eyes this time, no tears on my cheeks. There wasn't overwhelming anxiety resting on my shoulders, no doubt or self-loathing hanging off me and pulling me down.
There wasn't the ruin of a scared, little girl that Connor had left behind. Tonight, the old Aria – self-confident, outspoken, and fearless – was peeking out at me through the cracks of his destruction, proud of what I'd done. For the first time in countless years, I could finally see myself standing up again and building up who I used to be.
I gave myself a small, proud smile as I finally turned out the lights.
Happy Monday everyone! I hope you guys had a great week!
Man, this was a long one! I've been dying to get this chapter out, especially with all of you and your eagerness for things to happen with Connor, so I'm SUPER EXCITED to see what you think about this! What did you think of her up against Battle? Your thoughts on her face-off with Connor? Please let me know, I can't wait to read your reactions!
Next update will be a filler chapter and it might be a bit shorter than the last few. My best friend is getting married Saturday and my sister and I are in the wedding so she's flying in and life is gonna be hectic. I swear I'll still update for you guys, though!
Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and as always thank you guys SO MUCH for supporting me! You and your kind words seriously get me through the week and I love each and every one of you!