Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds
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Life ticked over nicely, life reasserted itself into a normal rhythm. There was nothing but support around within the team, although they all realised it was there, their family traits and concern had gone up another notch. It had been 3 months since the day Penelope had been arrested, nearly 3 months since she released the demon that was her past. Nearly 3 months since her brother had made the confession that he had avenged for her.
'Yes handsome, I am just leaving my place now.' She laughed done the phone at Derek as she locked her apartment door, already 15 minutes late. 'I want to grab my post and then I am on my way to yours.'
'I've been waiting ages though baby girl.' He answered as she rushed down the stays.
'Hey look, I am pulling out my post right about now.' She said pulling it from her slot. 'What's this?' She questioned quizzically as she pulled a thickly filled envelope out. She put the phone on her shoulder and held it with her head, all other post forgotten. She ripped it open but remained talking to Derek. 'Hmm... Strange.'
'What is?'
'I've been sent a tape.'
'A tape?'
'Hang on there's a letter with.'
You thought your past was your past
'Erm, I think you might need to get Hotch and get over here.'
'Why?' Derek said alarmed. She read the letter to him and heard his breathing change.
'There's no return address.' Was all she said not bothering to hide the panic from her voice, no return address meant that the envelope had been put in there by someone other than a postman.
'Okay baby girl... go back to your apartment, lock your door, I'll ring Hotch but I will be there in like 5 minutes.'
'Okay.' She said looking at the handwriting, it looked so familiar, then she looked out through the main door trying to see if anyone was outside looking in, when no one made an obvious appearance she wallowed hard and headed upstairs. All the time the feeling of fear built. Derek found her pacing the small space in the apartment and instantly pulled her to him to help her calm down. 'You okay?' She nodded and he knew she was panicking. 'Hotch is just on his way up and we'll sort this out.' The next thing they know the rest of the team are filing in and Emily and JJ are by Penelope.
'What did the note say?' Penelope remained silent but pointed to the coffee table where the note and the tape were. Hotch picked up the note read it and looked at Penelope. 'We are going to have to watch it to see what we are dealing with here.' She nodded and Rossi picked the tape up and put it in the player, instantaneously the film rolled into the sound of laughter. Penelope put her head up the heavens as she knew the laughter. She put her head down, her attention on the screen of the television just as lights burst on and there in the middle of the dank claustrophobic room was a woman with her hands bound behind her back on a chair, her blonde hair matted with blood, her body shivering with exhaustion and the multiple beatings she had already sustained, her head slumped forward slightly. They all looked at Penelope her eyes now glued to the screen, completely emotionless, completely silent. JJ grabbed one hand; Emily grabbed the other as they continued to watch the fall out happening on the screen.
'Penelope.' The voice said, they watched the man that the voice belonged to as he crouched in front of Penelope. 'Do you understand why I did this?' No reply came out. He reached up and ran a hand down her face; the pain filled whimper rang out as Penelope's body shook more. 'I love you.'
That was it for Penelope as she watched and listened to him profess his love, the tears built and fell silently as she watched herself getting hurt, feeling the hands violate her again as they caressed her damaged skin.
McClusky stood up, grabbed her by her hair and pulled her up to a standing position, they watched as he literally threw her to the ground. 'You should have known Penelope...' KICK. 'That I do not take kindly to betrayal.' KICK. 'But I am more than willing to forgive.'
'Can we please just stop.' Penelope said knowing full well what came after that third kick, she knew that the sixth rape would occur and as much as she had just allowed them to see her get beaten she was not prepared for them to watch her get raped. 'Please?' She sobbed as the screen showed McClusky turn Penelope's limp body on her back, her hands still bound tightly behind her. Hotch knew in that stance what was going to roll out and immediately turned it all off and ejected the tape.
Derek stepped forward and took her into a hug that she accepted willingly, it was then she completely collapsed and fell to pieces. He soothed her the only way he knew to and it worked, soon he felt her shoulders stop jumping with the sobs and her breathing regulate as she composed herself.
'Garcia do you know who could have sent it?' Hotch said with the note in his hands again, it was written on dirty paper, scruffy uneducated writing scrawled across.
'I'm going to sound crazy if I tell you.' She replied, knowing it sounded completely and utterly loony in her head, in her head she could feign a moment of insanity until clarity came and along and cleared it all up for her, but saying it aloud made her insanity known to 6 people.
'Try us.' Rossi said, not willing to bat down anything he was about to hear from Penelope's mouth.
'Chase McClusky... that hand writing on that note is Chase McClusky's.'
