Chapter 1
Three years ago, round table room Quantico
Elle Prentiss stood to brief the team. " We are staying local on this one, guys. Our UnSub is kidnapping females six so far. They are viciously tortured for three days before they are murdered and disposed of around the banks of the Potamic." Elle starts flicking through some crime scene photographs on the plasma.
"Are those her fingers and toes stuck to her breasts?" Rossi asked
Elle nodded in confirmation "it gets better." Elle showed the next batch of photographs
The victim had her hands, arms, feet and legs protruding from her abdomen with her head stuck in between.
"Each victim has been arranged differently. The only constant is the vicious torture each woman had experienced over the three days. It is always three days the M.E reports. Unfortunately, the local news station has named the UnSub 'The Potomac Ripper.
"Metro have no suspects; they are stumped. That's why they have asked us to consult."
Back to the present
On this crisp and cold February morning, Emily Elizabeth Prentiss walked along the line of gravestones with a heavy heart. Emily's cheeks were stained with tears and mascara on this emotional day. It seemed she had been unable to stop crying all day long. Today was the third anniversary of her wife's murder by an UnSub. The UnSub had taunted Emily continually for three days while she tortured her, sending voice and video recordings of her torment. Eventually, her body was discovered dumped in the Potomac as trash gutted. All her organs were missing, including her tongue and eyes.
" Hello sweetie, ..." Emily sobbed as she traced Elle Deborah Prentiss name carved into the granite headstone, remembering how happy she had been on their wedding day when her new wife had surprised her by taking her surname. " Garcia will bring Gabriel later; she hates me at the moment and is staying with Penelope. Our daughter is so much like her mama, full of determination and free spirit. It is hard at times to remember she is only an eight-year-old girl. Oh, Elle, sometimes it's so hard; she looks so much like you, her mannerisms, sweetheart. It's so difficult, I still feel..." Emily stopped as her emotions threatened to overwhelm her. She rubbed the scars on her wrists as her body shook. "Oh, God, I still want to leave here and join you. It has been so hard without you, three long lonely years. The guys have been so supportive; I had to threaten Morgan with physical pain to come here alone today." Emily chuckled to herself. "My psychiatrist Jenny has finally cleared me; I am finally back travelling with the team. I still have to attend weekly appointments to confirm I am no longer a suicide risk." the brunette told her soul mate and mother of her stepdaughter.
Feeling strangely at peace talking to her wife's at her graveside, Emily sat cross-legged as she arranged the roses. Satisfied with her flowers, Emily just sat lost in her head, remembering the good times
Flashback to the day of Elle's disappearance (Prentiss brownstone)
"He's perfect, sweetheart. I've always wanted a kitten. Thank you." gushes Emily; she leans across and gives Elle a long thank-you kiss interrupted by her kitten.
" Hey, little man, a little pushy there." smiled Elle scratching his head. " what are you going to call him?" asked Elle
Lifting her black kitten to look him in the face, she contemplated for a few moments and just started grinning.
" Sergio, he looks like a Sergio, don't you think?" Emily asked with a huge grin on her face " thank you. I love him." Emily smiled
Elle just smirked, " He looks just like your obedient servant." smirked her wife
EJ
Sergio laid on his cushion a very content chap.
" Hello, little guy, aren't you beautiful? I'm going to be your new mom; let's go, little man. Momma has a play date with your Mama Elle." she took Sergio after opening the window. " don't worry about your old Mama, we can watch her on the computer whenever you want." she smiled, closing the house door behind her
End of flashback
Her cell phone brought her out of her dreams.
"Hello Garcia," greeted Emily
"Gabriel is getting antsy. Are you nearly finished?" asked a very emotional Garcia
Sniffing, Emily sighed. "Yeah, give me 30 minutes, and I will be gone. Sorry if she is difficult." Emily told her friend
Flashback 3 days ago, Prentiss brownstone.
"Bitch! You should have died, not my mom." yelled a very emotional Gabriel. "I hate you, and I hope you drop dead."
Her 8-year-old barged past her, running to her room, slamming the door
" Gabriel Prentiss! You will not speak to your mother like that! You're grounded for a week; I want your phone, iPad, and Apple Watch now. You will come straight home after school and no visitors." A very emotional Emily told her daughter.
She didn't need this three days before Elle's anniversary. She fought hard to stop the tears from falling in front of her daughter.
"Here! You're not my mother!" Screamed Gabriel flinging her electronic devices on the chair. " She wouldn't have tried to kill herself. You are just a joke, Emily, here use this on your wrists." her daughter flung a knife on the floor in front of her mother.
Her heart shattered as each word felt like a knife through her heart. Needing to cope with her upset daughter and her own emotions, she needed assistance from her best friend Garcia
EJ
Emily opened the door and let Penelope Garcia through the door. Instantly Emily hugs Garcia and starts crying.
"Princess, Oh, come and sit down and tell me everything." an anxious Garcia asked
Emily told her about what had transpired between herself and her daughter.
"Emily, she's struggling with the time of year and just hitting out at the easiest target. How about she comes to stay with me for a week? I will take her to the cemetery to see her mother if you haven't made it up by then." smiled her friend.
"Thank you," smiled a distraught mother.
After a second fight, Gabriel agreed to stay at Penelope's. "Love you, sweetie. I will miss you." smiled Emily as she said goodbye to her daughter.
" I don't suppose I can have my iPad and iPhone back?" the young lady cheekily asked her mother.
Shaking her head, " What do you think, young lady? You're grounded for a week, even though you staying with Garcia. I will phone Garcia's mobile to speak to you each night." Emily told her pissed off daughter.
"Whatever, you don't care about me anyway." the eight-year-old just breezed past her mother.
EJ
The house was too quiet for Emily. She walked to her bedroom, stripped off all her clothes, and opened her wardrobe. Taking out Elle's hoodie, she pulled it over her head and flopped down on the bed on Elle's side. Sliding her sleeves up, she exposed her scars. Rummaging in her pocket, she pulled out her craft knife she hid in her wife's hoodie. She ran the craft knife up the scar line on each wrist, thinking about Gabriel and Elle and wanting to extend the blade and cut just a little deeper than last time to complete the job correctly this time. She couldn't leave her daughter, the last surviving part of her soul mate.
Emily swallowed her sleeping tablets; this was the only way she could sleep ever since she failed in her suicide attempt.
End of flashback
"Princess? Come on, let's go; your cold." Morgan told his friend as he placed a blanket around her shoulders?
Emily jumped as she felt Morgan touch her shoulders "sorry, Derek, I must have lost track of time." Emily smiled up at her, obviously concerned ex-partner.
Helping up, his shivering friend Morgan escorted Emily back to his car. "My car is over there," she told him, slightly annoyed.
"I know," he smirked, opening his passenger door. "You can pick it up in the morning." he smiled
Morgan still thought of Emily as his partner. He felt responsible for her. The sad duty of informing Emily they had found Elle was his; he can remember that moment as if it was only yesterday. He watched how it devastated his friend leading her to attempt to take her own life. What made things worse for Emily and the whole BAU team, the UnSub had stopped after killing Elle. Her case had to be moved to the watch bin. The entire team kept a copy of Elle Prentiss's case file on their desks and kept evaluating the case. In the following years, no other bodies were found with their UnSub's M.O; no new clues had turned up. The case just went dormant. Unfortunately, they had to wait for further murders. They never had a suspect, just a profile.
EJ
Watching Morgan drive away with Emily, a figure pulled out a cloned set of car keys and opened her car. Accessing the car's entertainment system, a media file was uploaded of her wife's best screams from her three days of torture. Readjusting her driver's seat position slightly, she walked away, locking the car, laughing,
" Welcome back, Supervisory special agent Emily Prentiss, the games afoot," she smirked.
To announce her return to Emily in style, she would grab her group leader from her grief counselling group she attended. Her next target would be Jennifer Jareau, her Psychiatrist. She was slowly going to dismantle Emily Prentiss's life, friend by friend and leaving her daughter to absolutely last.
EJ
"Courtney Simons? FBI." the agent smiled
"Yes, agent? How can I help you?" Courtney asked with a smile
" Your daughter was injured in a hit and run earlier this morning; SSA Emily Prentiss sent me to take you to your daughter. She knows you, right?" asked the friendly agent
"Yes, I've known Emily for two years, nearly," Courtney replied, climbing into the back seat of her car.
Waiting for Courtney to turn her head as she fastens her seatbelt, the ripper quickly injects her with her knockout drug. Courtney is asleep within seconds. Gently laying her down on the seat, the ripper smiles and pulls away.
EJ
"I know you're awake, Courtney. Open your eyes, or I will glue your eyelids open." her kidnapper tells her in an utterly calm voice that makes her shiver. It didn't sound very good. Slowly she opened her eyes to stare at her kidnapper.
"Do you know why you're here, Courtney?" she asked ever so friendly
"Please let me go; I won't tell anyone." begged a petrified woman pulling at her bonds.
"If I do that... Emily won't get the full effect of my returning present. We can't have that Courtney; I've waited three years for her to be almost ready for me to play with again. Almost making her try to kill herself was so orgasmic, I wanted to feel it again. Now shall we begin?" she grinned, jamming a dental gag into her mouth and ratcheting it fully open.
She disappeared to collect a small wooden trolley returning with the most sinister of grins on her face that Courtney had ever seen in her life. The petrified woman passed out, her body trying to safeguard itself.
" This will wake you up, Courtney," she chuckled as she turned on the engraving tool. Starting to form the capital 'E.' in her tooth certainly woke her, near screams stifled due to the dental gag keeping her jaws wide open.
Blood, enamel and pulp dribbled from Courtney's mouth after the engraving was finished. Her teeth now read along the upper row of teeth
'I am back.'
And along her bottom row
'EMILY."
With a small sigh, she looked at her watch, realising she was running behind schedule. Plunging two ice picks into her shoulders, she walked out a very satisfied ripper
EJ
Emily was feeling a little dark. Her argument with her stepdaughter, along with the anniversary of Elle's death, was too much. She had tried calling her sponsor, Courtney so that she could talk. She had not returned her voice mail, but this wasn't unusual.
Emily needed help. She was falling down a dangerous rabbit hole. She dialled her second beacon, Jennifer, her psychiatrist
"Emily? Is everything ok?" Jennifer asked with concern in her voice. Emily was more than her patient. She was a good friend.
"No! I need to cut; Gabriel hates me, and I miss her so much, Jenny. Could you help me?" begged Emily
"I'm on my way now, Emily; focus on your safe place with Elle, ten minutes, Emily; can you manage ten minutes? Or do I need to call 911?" asked the concerned doctor.
"Hurry, please, Jenny!" Begged the desperate profiler.