Disclaimer: same as every other chapter...NOTE: I also lifted the character of Bruno Gianelli from The West Wing. This isn't a cross-over I just like the character and he serves the story - but don't own him or profit from him.
Summary: takes place sometime around season 3ish, Emily is still settling into her own life and life at the BAU after years of undercover work, but a case related to her past reminds her that she can never get too comfortable. Emily is super queer, Emily explored, past relationships explored. Polyamorous/open relationships described. LGBTQ Relationships described. Mostly it's a heavily Emily focused case fic.
The Protector, Chapter 2
Twenty minutes later Emily is still a little dazed from the second kiss JJ had laid on her before regretfully informing her that they had to head back into the office. She sneaks a look at Derek then Rossi and gets the feeling she's not the only one who's been pulled away from a hot date, where as Hotch looks as though he's not even left yet. Reid is rumpled as though he's just woken up despite the fact it was only 9pm. When Garcia hurries in and dumps a few copies of the case files on the table Emily recognizes it right away.
"I just sent a preliminary profile to the DC police about this" she says, flipping through the case file. Hotch nods in confirmation.
"Yes, but another woman has gone missing, which means the cool-down for this guy has more than halved making it a priority and earning us an invitation from local police" Hotch informs them. "Prentiss, why don't you catch us up?"
"Okay. Our guy started with sex workers just about a year ago" Emily starts "each was held for about 48 hours, tortured, then stabbed before being left in cheap hourly motels on the outskirts of DC"
"No way he could do all this in a motel room without witnesses" Morgan comments.
"It's clear there's a secondary location he's holding them at" Emily nods. "The guy's a sadist, his torture is meticulously organized, he moves through the same progression of techniques each time starting with beatings, likely sleep deprivation, water torture, then electrocution but when he moves on to a blade the actual kills show an incredible amount of rage and overkill"
"Woah" JJ huffs "the last victim was stabbed 48 times in the face and neck"
"Could this be a sort of blood lust?" Reid suggests "it would explain why he loses control once a more bloody method is employed"
"It's hard to say for sure, but why not start there if it's the blood that gets him off?" Morgan responds.
"Something certainly sets him off but I think it's something about the victims themselves. The last victim showed increased rage and also a drastic change in victimilogy" Emily takes back control of the meeting. "it's likely she's either the object of his rage or a more fitting stand in for her"
"The current missing woman is similar" Hotch adds, then nods to the team's colourful tech analyst to fill in.
"The most recently dead woman is Clarissa Mowett" Garcia picks up the narrative "24, local, newly graduated from Georgetown with a political science degree, lives with a roommate in the same off-campus housing she's been in for a few years, nothing funny in her financials. She was found last week, now Jessica Grande is also missing, also 24 and newly graduated, both women have been interning for an up and coming congressman"
"Sam Clarke" Emily says with a roll of her eyes. "I should disclose that he's inserted himself into the investigation by calling me when he saw my name on the prelim. I've known him a long time and while I would bet money he was sleeping with either Clarissa or Jessica or both and likely others on the campaign, I know he's not a sadist. He's likely just trying to control the story" each of the team members eye Emily up as they take in this information.
"How do you know him?" Hotch asks. Emily bristles slightly even though she knows it's a perfectly reasonable question to ask an agent who's willing to vouch for their most viable suspect. She takes a few nervous breaths and struggles to paste a calm smile on her face.
"I uh" Emily stumbles "I used to be married to him" she watches the shock move across the faces of her team though they try to hide it. Garcia immediately begins typing and within moments throws a photo of Sam up on the briefing room screen for all to see. A moment later the hacker finds and displays an ancient photo of Emily at 27. In the photo she's dressed to the nines in a red gown, mink stole, and diamonds, wrapped in Sam's arms while they smile happily for a photographer outside of a formal gala. Morgan let's out a low whistle and Emily slaps him.
"He doesn't really seem like your type" JJ observes with a glint in her eye that only deepens Emily's blush.
"Oh he isn't" Emily shrugs "but he is my mother's type — old money, ambitious, politically aligned… male" she adds with a shy smile. She takes another moment to eye the glamorous smiling woman she used to be before expertly diverting attention back to the case. "Anyways, he's likely still worth interviewing but now that we're officially on the case we'll have to go through his council" she knows Sam will take her call but the panicked urge to distance herself from him is strong.
"I'll set it up" Hotch nods "in the meantime, Morgan and Reid will look into the scene of the latest abduction, Rossi, JJ, and Emily get down to the campaign office and see if any staff that worked closely with either of these victims is willing to talk, I'll head to the ME and see if there's anything else they can give us to work with"
—
Rossi and JJ gently tease her throughout the drive. The blonde asks what kind of First Lady Emily had planned to be while the older Italian is calling her Jackie-O. Despite this, both colleagues allow Emily to go quiet in the back seat. Just hours ago she'd been contemplating the possibilities ahead of her for the first time in years and now she's being sucked back into the dark maze of her past. This proximity to her old self feels dangerous and with good reason, she knows she's skirting the edge of a mine field.
The campaign office is bustling with nervous looking aids and ringing phones despite the late hour. Emily tries not to roll her eyes at the life-size cut-out of Sam Clarke that greets them in the entryway. She takes in the nostalgic smell of printer ink, stale coffee, and desperation. The ambassador's daughter in no way regrets leaving this world behind but she can't deny how she'd once enjoyed the rush of a close election race. For a long minute no one in the office seems to notice the newcomers, and JJ looks like she's about to flag someone down when Rossi shakes his head at her. The veteran profiler wants this opportunity to observe and listen. Emily takes his lead and realizes that several campaign staff have in fact noticed them but continue working. They're either passing the buck or following someone's order not to speak to law enforcement without permission. This is a campaign on lock down and she knows they're unlikely to overhear anything helpful by mistake.
"Is this a Prentiss-family endorsement?" A gruff voice finally greets them, Emily turns to level a cool look at a ruffled older man leaning casually on the desk of a rather annoyed looking intern. She keeps her expression blank as she takes him in.
"Bruno, you and I both know that Prentiss-family endorsements aren't free" Emily responds airily "so let's play a game of what have you done for me lately" the man's scowling face cracks into a smile and his arms open to take Emily in a tight hug, kissing her firmly on each cheek twice. He then moves back, holding the agent at arms length as he looks her over. She smiles warmly at the old strategist, well aware that without his cooperation their poking around will be useless.
"This is a nightmare you know" Bruno says dramatically "It should be you, your name on those signs, your brain in that office, but you know what you are, Emily Prentiss?" He pauses as if expecting an answer but Emily has no such chance before he launches into his rant again, letting go of her arms and shaking a stubby ink-covered finger in her face "you, Emily Prentiss, are a powder keg and I damn near quit the moment Sam told me you were involved with the investigation" Emily blushes before stepping away from the older man and gesturing to her colleagues, both of whom look amused and curious in a way Emily isn't entirely comfortable with.
"This is SSA David Rossi, and SSA Jennifer Jareau" She introduces, "this is Bruno Gianelli, and he's no doubt been hired to make sure our investigation doesn't blow back on the campaign"
"Well, I've been hired to win an election" Bruno corrects her firmly. Emily rolls her eyes.
"And we're here to find out what's happening to your interns, Bruno. I know Sam wouldn't put winning over finding justice for these women" Emily admonishes.
"No that's what he hires me for" Bruno says cockily but Emily's face only hardens further until the man throws his hands up in front of him "oh, Relax" Bruno tells her, then slides a look at the other two agents "she's always so serious, obviously we all want justice for what's happened"
"Mr. Gianelli, what can you tell us about Clarissa Mowett and Jessica Grande?" It's Rossi who steps forward to keep the interview on track and Emily is thankful for the interruption.
"They were both hard working and ambitious interns on the campaign" Bruno recites calmly, sizing up the other man, then zeroing in on JJ who rolls her eyes.
"I'm a media liaison, Mr. Gianelli" JJ responds, stepping into Bruno's space with a conspiratorial look "I know a prepared answer when I hear one. Now, I can help contain this story if that's what you're worried about, but we won't be lied to"
"Nobody is lying" Bruno laughed lightly "they were both hard working and ambitious"
"And" JJ prompts, raising a delicate eyebrow in challenge.
"And I've arranged for you to speak with staff members they were close to" Bruno concedes. "They've not been directed or coached in any way, but before you sit down with them I would like to make a few disclosures that are not to leave this campaign office" With that the older man turns and moves through the desks toward a meeting room at the back, expecting that the agents will follow.
"He's gruff but I kind of like this guy" Rossi speaks up as the trio moves, causing both women to laugh quietly. It isn't hard to see the similarities between the two men.
"Do you know each other?" Emily teases "there can't be that many old Italians from Long Island who adore me and live in DC" Rossi shakes his head and gives Emily a playful nudge of his shoulder. The teasing stops at the threshold to a cramped board room full of white boards with marker scribbles all over the walls.
"I'm sure you've already guessed that Sam was sleeping with them" Bruno launches right into disclosures the moment the office door closes behind the group and the strategist can be sure they have privacy.
"I am familiar with Sam's penchant for hard working and ambitious interns, yes" Emily says, trying to keep her voice cool "who else?" She asks.
"Who else were Clarissa and Jessica sleeping with?" Bruno repeats, intentionally misinterpreting her.
"Sure, but you know what I meant" Emily answers impatiently. Bruno sighs, his dark eyed boring into her intently.
"Look, Emily…"
"Don't Emily me, Bruno" Emily warns him. She goes as far as to extend her palm in front of her, a universal sign to stop. She misses the rush of a high-stakes campaign but not this tedious back and forth, saying as many words as possible without saying anything at all. "the more you obstruct and evade the more time we spend identifying the players, the less time we have to find Jessica Grande"
"You think she's still alive?" Bruno seems genuinely surprised by this. It's clear he's already written the young woman off as a political casualty.
"This guy's pattern is to hold them for about 48 hours, that's not a lot of time if we have to wade through all of Sam's secrets only to find that whatever he's hiding isn't relevant" Emily crosses her arms across her chest and levels a stern look at Bruno. The man loses some of his posturing and his eyes soften.
"You know what he's hiding, Emily" Bruno tells her, his eyes trailing over the other two agents suspiciously. "Sam is one of DC's most eligible bachelors - thanks to you- a few young women on his pay roll isn't anything I can't work with, but you know as well as I do that the other thing would sink him" Emily feels her eyes water and wishes she didn't know, and that she didn't have to push, but she does and she can't hesitate without tipping her own hand.
"I know, Bruno" Emily sighs. "Look, what you tell us in here won't end up in any report or statement if it doesn't lead us to the man who's holding Jessica" She sends a stern look back at her colleagues who look uncomfortable but nod in agreement despite their misgivings. This seems to convince Bruno. He's not a man who trusts easily but he's known Emily Prentiss long enough to know she has no interest in political posturing or using a scandal to court media attention.
"There's still the house in Reston, and there's a new one, Ben, from the security detail" Bruno discloses. Emily cringes internally when the location of the house is revealed. She wonders how Bruno knows where it is, if he's been there, and what his price might be to share that information should he ever realize how much it's truly worth. But she is practiced at schooling her outward reactions. She brings forth the images of all four victims in her mind, and wonders what she would do if the search for their justice brought too much attention to her own fiercely guarded secrets.
"I'll need to talk to Ben" Emily says with a calm she doesn't feel. Bruno raises his hands in surrender. "I also need to know more about Sam's current political opponents, across the aisle and within the party"
"That's a longer discussion" the man sighs "I'll set your colleagues up with the staff Jess and Clarissa were close to then you and I can have a drink"
TBC
