Previously:

With a clap on the shoulder from Don, David exited the apartment. Don secured the door and all the windows and found a pillow and some blankets in a closet. While he would have preferred a bed, Megan had turned her spare room into a mini library. He made up the couch and went to check on Megan one last time. Although she didn't appear to be dreaming, her forehead was creased in a frown, and the blankets were twisted around her as though she had tossed and turned continuously since they had left her room. Don closed the door as quietly as he could and settled in his makeshift bed.

The Madness of Megan Reeves

Chapter Four: Breakfast and Bad News

The next morning, Don was up before the sun. He'd had a nightmare about Megan's rape and been unable to go back to sleep. In the dream, he'd been tied up and forced to watch as Marchesi abused Megan and Emma Tyler. The feeling of helplessness Don had awoken with made him more determined than ever to catch the evil man.

Don explored his partner's kitchen and eventually found everything he needed to make pancakes, bacon, and, most importantly, coffee.

The food was almost ready when Megan walked into the kitchen. "Don? You're still here?"

Don was surprised that she had noticed him the night before. He really shouldn't underestimate her observational skills, even in the middle of a breakdown. "Thought you could use the company," he said, turning to face her.

"And you cooked?" Megan was avoiding his comment.

He nodded. "Yep. It's just about done."

"Just let me change clothes." Megan turned to go back to her room, and Don burst out laughing. The word 'G-MAN' was emblazoned across her backside in iridescent pink lettering.

"What?" Megan asked, confused.

It took Don a few moments to control his mirth long enough to choke out, "Your shorts!" before collapsing back against the counter.

Megan turned red but smiled slightly. It was an expression Don was glad to see on her face, even if it was just for the briefest of moments. "They were a gag gift from my sister, Abby, when I graduated from the Academy," she explained. Megan backed out of the room, careful to face him until she turned the corner.

She returned in jeans and an oversize Cal-Sci sweatshirt, which Don wisely chose not to comment on. Breakfast was silent but comfortable; both agents were lost in their thoughts.

"Thanks for breakfast, Don," said Megan as they finished. "I didn't know you could cook so well."

"My mother taught me," Don told her, smiling reminiscently. "She tried to teach Charlie, too, but he always got involved in one of his algorithms and burned the food."

She smiled again. "I can see that."

"David and Colby should be here soon."

"Why are they coming here?" Megan asked. She looked like she already knew the answer.

Don appeared slightly unsure of what to say, but he answered anyway. "First of all, they want to make sure you're okay, Megan. You scared us yesterday."

"I'm sorry," she said quietly.

Don took her hand. "There's no need to apologize," he told her. "None of us can even begin to imagine what you went through."

"What's the second reason?" Megan asked, avoiding his sympathy.

"We have some updates on the case."

It was immediately evident that Megan had picked up on the hesitation in his voice, but she didn't comment. Don dreaded having to tell her that Marchesi had escaped.

Just then, there was a knock on the front door. Megan gently pulled her hand from her partner's and went to answer it while Don put their plates in the sink.

Megan opened the door, and found herself engulfed in Colby's arms. He held her for several seconds, forcing her to take the comfort she desperately wanted and needed but refused to ask for.

Finally, Megan stepped back. "Thanks," she whispered. She moved aside to allow her friends to enter her home.

"How are you, Megan?" David asked, placing a sympathetic hand on her arm.

"I'm okay. Thanks. What's happening with the case?"

"Let's sit," Don suggested from the kitchen doorway. He and David sat on the couch, while Megan and Colby took chairs.

Megan glanced around at her team. She noticed how uncomfortable they all looked and felt terrible for causing them all pain, but there was nothing she could do to stop it. "What happened in the interrogation yesterday?" she asked finally.

"He refused to speak," Don started. "When we finally ended it, he told us to go to hell."

Megan nodded. On the outside, she appeared as calm as ever, but inside, it was a different story. It was terrifying to know that her friends were privy to one of her darkest secrets, and it made her feel relieved but extremely vulnerable. The man responsible for her chaotic emotions had been in their office, one of the places she felt safest. He was currently residing very close by, and, much to her chagrin, she was petrified of him even though he was locked away in a cell.

"Jason Anderson's team is now in charge of the case," David volunteered.

Megan nodded again.

"We're going to need to read your casefile," Don told gently.

"Whatever you need."

The men were slightly concerned by her lack of visible emotion.

After a few more minutes, she said, "Thanks for the information, guys," and started to stand. She didn't think she could take much more of their pity.

Colby's solemn voice stopped her. "There's more, Megan."

She sat back down, taking in the nervous yet deadly serious faces of her colleagues.

The men exchanged glances before Colby spoke again. "He's out, Megan. A drunk driver hit the transport car yesterday, and he escaped."

David, Don, and Colby watched helplessly as their friend's face lost all as she sank back in the chair and closed her eyes, her fingers gripping the armrests tightly.

After a moment, Don knelt down in front of her and pried a hand away from the chair. "It's okay, Megan," he said soothingly. "We'll get him. Charlie's still on the case, and Anderson's team is good. David, Colby, and I are helping, too. There's no way this guy's gonna get away with it.

Her eyes still closed, she gave a small nod as a single tear made its way down her cheek.

Don wiped it away with his thumb before sitting on the arm of her chair. "C'mere," he murmured quietly. Don wrapped his arms around her, and she leaned into his side. Don could feel Megan taking slow, deep breaths in an attempt to compose herself.

Don was anything but calm. He could feel rage boiling just below the surface. Most fo it was focused on Marchesi, but there was also irrational rage. Rage at the world for containing such evil. Rage at the cops that had allowed Marchesi to escape, though he knew it hadn't been their fault. Rage at himself for allowing something so horrible to happen to his partner even though he hadn't even met her until several years after the fact.

Don looked over at the male members of his team and saw the same emotions written across their faces.

"We will find him," he vowed.

After a lighthearted lunch during which Colby told all of the most horrible jokes he could think of, the men left Megan alone.

"You're sure you don't want one of us to stay?" David checked. The other two waited attentively for her answer.

Megan rolled her eyes in mock exasperation. Honestly, you had to love them. Three very masculine FBI agents were being sensitive enough to waste their Sundays just to cheer her up. Megan smiled. "Really, David. I'll be fine. Go and have fun on your day off."

David, Don, and Colby gave Megan hugs goodbye, each murmuring a few words of comfort and encouragement in her ear.

"See you tomorrow," she called as they moved down the hallway.

Don turned around immediately. "But tomorrow's Monday!"

Megan nodded indulgently. "I know that, Don. That's the first day of the work week for the majority of the population."

He glared good-naturedly at her teasing. "I think you should take a few days off. Relax a little."

"What would you have me do?" she asked. "Sit around and knit a sweater?"

Don had to admit, he'd never seen Megan as the knitting type.

"When was the last time you took a few days off just to relax?"

Damn. She had him there. Don threw up his hands. "Fine, but I'll send you home if I see you any earlier than ten o'clock."

"Whatever you say, Don." She waved and closed the door. Sleeping in a few hours did sound really nice. Maybe she would actually take him up on that.

Once alone in her apartment, Megan curled up on the couch with a book. Before she had finished the first page, her thoughts had drifted. As wonderful as her teammates were, the only person she really wanted to be with at the moment was the one person that couldn't be there. For the first time since Larry had left, Megan selfishly wished he had never gone. She immediately felt guilty. While she was sad that he wasn't on earth with her, Megan's boyfriend was living out his dream, and she couldn't be happier for him.

Monday Morning

11:00AM

"Where's Megan?" David asked. "I thought she said she was coming in today."

"I tried her home and her cell," said Don. "I was going to give her another half hour."

"Something's wrong," Colby stated darkly. "I'm gonna go check her apartment. Call me of you hear anything."

He was gone before either of his teammates could say a word.

After talking himself out of using the sirens and flashing light on several occasions, Colby pulled into the parking lot. There were two police cars in front of Megan's building. Her car was exactly where David had parked it when they had returned it to her the evening before.

After throwing his SUV into park and racing into the building, he waited impatiently for the elevator before sprinting down the hall toward the police tape crisscrossing Megan's door. What he saw when he arrived made his stomach fly to his feet and his heart lodge in his throat.