A/N: So I guess it's been a while, huh? Sorry it's been so long, but I hope that you guys like it. Perception is coming back in just two weeks and bonus points for me I watched absolutely zero episodes of season two. So. Guess what I get to do? Haha, yeah. That. Anyway. Please review and let me know what you think!
Love,
BRTxoxo
Katrina woke up screaming. Spencer jolted up, wincing at the pain that shot through his shoulder, and three nurses came running into the room.
"Miss Powers! Miss Powers please, calm down."
Katrina stopped screaming and stared at her hands, breathing heavily. Her small hands were shaking uncontrollably and tears began to fall from her eyes.
Spencer fidgeted with his blanket, anxiously watching Katrina as she stared at her quivering hands.
The nurse that had spoken previously gently placed a hand on the young brunettes back and the other two left. "Miss Powers?"
Katrina's voice was quiet. "I'm fine." She sniffed and shook her head. "I'm fine I promise. It was just a dream." Tears continued to roll down her face and she ran a shaking hand through her long brown hair. "I'm fine."
Spencer knew she was more trying to convince herself more than she was the nurse, but the nurse didn't quite catch that, nodded and left.
Minutes passed before Spencer lightly cleared his throat and dared to speak. "Kat? Are you okay?"
"No. No, I'm not, Spencer." She put her face in her hands and shook with small sobs. "He's coming after me I know it! He's going to take me again and then he's going to kill me…"
"Kat he can't hurt you anymore. They've arrested him, he's admitted to all of the murders across the US and to killing Taryn and abducting us both. He's in custody and awaiting trial, he won't be free any time soon."
"Spencer I can't get him out of my dreams. Every time I close my eyes he's there watching me. I can't get him to leave me alone."
Spencer watched on helplessly as the young woman unraveled.
"I never got to say goodbye to Taryn," she sobbed. "I didn't get to say goodbye to my mother. I don't even know where my cat is. And my tail…"
The young doctor frowned. "Kat, what are you talking about? What tail?"
Kat stopped crying and her eyes moved around as her mind spun. "My tail. The one he cut off." she looked up at Spencer with fright and confusion. A look of near betrayal flashed in her eyes.
"No, Kat, he cut off an entire lock of your hair and... he caught a part of your ear in the process. But after that he cut your back to hear you scream. You don't have a tail…"
She nearly leapt off of the bed and ran into the bathroom, flicking on the light and looking in the mirror. There, just above her ear that was faintly scarred, was a rather large section of hair that had been cut. Her ears were normal-human, and in every way possible, not feline. There was no tail protruding from her back.
She crumpled to the ground, breaking down again and sobbing uncontrollably while Spencer rushed to her side and tried his best to comfort her.
. . .
Morgan and Garcia were staked out in the hospital waiting room. Two officers were positioned outside the room of the two recently rescued captives.
The technical liaison read through the small journal, day by day. Hotch had asked her to do so-though it was highly unorthodox-being as she was of closest relation to Katrina he thought it best at first.
Suddenly she frowned. She reread the last entry a few times and sat up from her position on the blue couch. "Hey, read this entry." She handed the brightly colored book to Morgan.
He took the book and began to read the entry, his brow furrowing.
Day 54
Sweeny Todd cut off my tail today. I don't know why and it hurts more than anything. Spencer took care of it. He… I think I might… I think I might love him. I don't know what it's like to be in love, but Spencer… the way he talks about Doctor Who, and he gets so excited about it. The way he smiles is just so… attractive. His hands are really soft, and his hair, and his eyes are just so… I sound like such a fan-girl right now. And he's a genius too, like a legit genius with a high IQ and everything, and it's really kind of attractive, you know? But I mean, even though I'm captive, and he is too, I just… I don't know how to explain it. It's not fair. I never got to bury Taryn, to say goodbye, I'm chained to a wall in a dingy basement, held by a madman, my tail's been cut off, and there is nearly no hope in sight, and yet I think I'm falling in love with this man that's been forced to share this fate with me. He told me more stories about the Doctor today. He even told me about Penelope. She sounds like she's doing so well now.
"What tail?"
"That's what I'm wondering." She began looking through the report and evidence. "Her ear was cut where he'd cut off her hair and there was a deep laceration to her back." Garcia leaned back on the couch. "I think I need to talk to Doctor Pierce tomorrow."
Morgan nodded and thought about it. "You think she might be…"
"Yeah. I do."
. . .
For the first time in months, Daniel Pierce could sleep well. His niece was safe, Doctor Reid was safe, the man that had abducted them was finally in custody. He could sleep.
He slept through the night comfortably, without interruption and woke up before Max had stopped his snoring. He stayed in bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking about how finally Katrina was safe again.
There was a soft knock on the door and with a small jolt of fear, Daniel swung his legs off the bed and padded to the door. A quick glance through the peephole showed Kate and he let out an unconscious sigh of relief. When he opened the hotel room door, she smiled at him.
"Hey, how did you sleep?" her hair was tied back as normal, and she wore her usual blouse and slacks with her brown leather jacket, which he knew covered her holstered gun and FBI badge.
"Surprisingly well. What about you?"
"Fine. I was just wondering if you'd like to join me for tea. There's a café just down the street. On me." The FBI agent smiled invitingly.
Daniel smiled in return. "Let me get ready." He shut the door and pulled a clean shirt and button down from his suitcase.
Max gave a near violent snort and sat up, bleary eyed and confused. "Hey Doc."
"Good morning sunshine." The doctor pulled out a clean pair of jeans and socks as well before disappearing into the bathroom. "Kate and I are going down the street for tea. We'll be back in an hour or so." Daniel brushed his teeth methodically and changed as quickly as he could.
Max picked up his glasses and slowly got out of bed. "Geez Doc, you act like you've got a hot date."
"And who says I don't?"
The teacher's assistant rolled his eyes and slipped on a crumpled t-shirt.
"You don't have to wait up for me for breakfast, and you can call Kate if you need to reach me." Daniel came out of the bathroom and pulled on his shoes.
"I know Doc."
He wrapped his scarf around his neck and pulled his coat over his arms. "It'll only be for an hour or so. Just down the street at the café."
"I know Doc."
He ducked under the strap of his satchel. "Just in case-"
"Will you just go?" Max pushed Daniel out the door and into Kate. "Go have fun." he shut the door before Daniel could say anything else. With a contented sigh, he turned on the radio and went to take a shower.
. . .
"Hotch, I think we need to show this to Doctor Pierce."
Aaron Hotchner looked up from his coffee and case file to peer at Garcia curiously. She held the Lisa Frank journal in front of her. "Why?
"Day fifty four. She writes about him cutting off her tail."
Hotch frowned and flipped to the journal entry. His eyes scanned the page and he frowned. "Tail?"
"The rest of the journal goes over details about her having a tail. Previous entries have her talking about having feline like qualities. When I saw her and Reid before we left, she was dead asleep curled up in a ball, hyped up on drugs. Reid said she had a mental breakdown after a nightmare because she thought she had cat ears and a tail."
Hotch closed the journal and leaned back in his chair. "Okay. Call the team. Bring him in. We'll need talk to him about giving her a psychiatric evaluation."
