Emily awoke to the sound of the radio Paul had given her. She quickly got up from the couch, picking the device up from the small table in the corner of the room.
"Did you say something?" she whispered into the mic, not wanting to wake a still sleeping Gabby.
"Ian's back," Paul said quietly. "Wait for me to tell you the coast is clear. You and Gabby stay down there and stay quiet," he instructed.
Despite the safety of the small, hidden room, she felt her body tense with fear. She sat the radio back down on the table, turning the volume down low. Emily wandered over to the couch where Gabby was still sleeping. She sat down on the edge next to the girl, slowly combing her fingers through Gabby's thick dark hair.
"Mama?" Emily heard a small voice say.
"I thought you were asleep," Emily whispered.
"No, I'm awake," Gabby said sleepily. "Ian is back," she said.
"He is," Emily replied. "Do you still want to do this? I'll get you out if you don't,"
"I'm okay," Gabby said, but Emily could tell the girl was putting on a good front.
"Are you sure?" Emily coaxed gently. Gabby responded by burying her face in the couch. Emily frowned slightly but picked the girl up and sat her in her lap. "You can tell me, ma chere,"
"I just want to go home," Gabby said softly, her voice breaking.
"I know, I do too," Emily said, slowly rocking Gabby back and forth as if she were a baby again. "What else?" Emily asked, knowing Gabby's fears were deeper than just wanting to go home.
"I'm scared," Gabby admitted. "About a lot,"
"Thats okay, honey. It'll be fine. We'll be home soon," she said reassuringly.
"But what if..." Gabby started, but stopped before she continued.
"Don't do that to yourself," Emily said calmly, but firmly. "You can't worry yourself thinking like that,"
"But it's hard," Gabby whispered.
"I know," Emily said honestly, speaking from experience.
"I hope Daddy hurries," Gabby said.
"Me too, sweet girl, me too," Emily said, continuing to rock the girl back and forth slowly. The two sat like that for a few minutes, until they heard a distant bang! It sounded like it was coming from upstairs. Gabby clung to Emily, and Emily felt her insides go cold.
"What was that?" Gabby whispered, her soft voice barely audible.
"I don't know," Emily said. "We're safe here, remember that,"
They heard the same sound several more times, before a voice rang out from the radio on the table. A voice neither of them expected to hear.
"You think you're so smart, don't you?" Ian's voice said. "You think you can hide from me forever, but you can't! I will find you- and this time I'll make sure you're sorry," he said angrily before the room grew silent again.
Emily dared not move from her spot on the couch with Gabby. She knew the chances of Ian hearing their movements through the thick walls was miniscule, but she wouldn't take her chances. Gabby didn't say anything, but she continued to cling to her mother as if her life depended on it. Emily focused on calming Gabby down as she became lost in her thoughts. She knew as soon as she and Gabby heard the first noise what it was- the unmistakable sound of a gun going off. Considering Ian had found the radio, Emily could only assume Ian had found out Paul was helping Gabby and herself. She figured Paul was dead, and it was all Emily could do to keep herself together. She didn't want anyone else to die for her- too many people had already died in her place. Her old team didn't deserve what happened to them, and even years later sometimes Emily still blamed herself. Now Paul had simply tried to help Emily and Gabby get back home, and he too, had lost his life.
She thought back to the conversation she had shared with Paul just a few hours earlier, about how something must have changed in Ian's persona. Neither one of them thought he would kill either one of them. After all, he had ample opportunities to take Paul out the second Paul had let Gabby go at the Aquarium. He could have easily killed Emily by now. He could have killed all three of them and been on his way days ago. But he hadn't. Emily wondered if his outburst was also her fault. Maybe her lying to Ian about Declan- again- was the worst decision she'd ever made. She felt herself biting her lip so hard she tasted blood, trying to keep herself from crying.
But Emily refused to break down, not in front of Gabby. The little girl was scared enough as it was, and her knowing what Emily knew would only make it worse. So instead, she calmed Gabby down and focused on keeping herself calm, too.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Ian felt his blood boiling, his hands shaking as he threw the radio down on the ground. He hadn't wanted to kill Paul. But his anger got the best of him. He was angry because Emily was too determined and stubborn for her own good. He was angry because he thought Declan was dead. He was upset because he couldn't bring himself to kill her- or the girl. And as soon as Ian discovered Emily and her daughter were missing, he knew what Paul had done.
He made Paul admit to trying to help them. But he wouldn't say where they were, and he just kept going on and on about how Ian wouldn't do anything, that he was a coward. So Ian proved he was just the opposite.
He was just about to begin his search of the warehouse, prepared to tear the place apart in order to find Emily and Gabby, when he heard a voice behind him.
"Drop the gun," the voice said. Ian spun around, pointing his Glock directly at the mystery man standing in front of him. How had he gotten in? Who was he?
He wore a Kevlar vest, the word "Police" printed on the front. His hair was a curly, dark blonde mess on top of his head. It made him look like a kid. His eyes were blue- a familiar shade of blue. That's when it hit Ian. Declan was standing right in front of him.
"D-Declan?" Ian said in disbelief, still keeping his weapon pointed.
"Yes, it's me," Declan responded, his gun also drawn. "Drop your gun. I don't want to have to use mine,"
Ian took a long moment, simply staring at the young man. He would be in his early twenties by now. Still practically a boy. He wished suddenly he had been there to see Declan become the man he was today. However, Declan didn't seem phased to be standing in front of his father.
"You wouldn't shoot your own father, would you?" Ian challenged, expecting Declan's expression to soften, for him to lower his gun.
Instead, Declan's glare only grew more intense. He tightened his grip on the gun.
"I don't particularly like using this one anybody, but I will use it, even on you, if you don't drop your gun right now," Declan said firmly.
Ian smirked, setting the gun down in the ground, kicking it towards Declan. Declan scooped it up quickly and holstered it before Ian could make any attempts to get it back.
"Now," Declan said. "Where's Emily and Gabby?" he asked.
"I don't know. The only person who does know, is right over there," Ian said, pointing in the general direction where Paul's body was. "And he's dead. So good luck," Ian said.
"I'll find them," Declan said. "I have to. Because Emily saved my life, so now it's my turn to save hers,"
Ian laughed mockingly. "She did no such thing,"
"She did, she got me away from you," Declan said bitterly. "She put me before her. And I wasn't even her kid,"
"She took you from me, Declan. Why do you want to idolize her for that?" Ian said suddenly angered by the fact that Declan seemed to remember Emily, but not him, his own father.
"I didn't at first," Declan admitted, his tone softer, but his gun still drawn and ready. "I was four when all this happened. I didn't understand that you were a bad guy, because to me you were just my dad. So for awhile, I was angry that I didn't get to see you anymore. But as I got older, Emily explained everything to me. Now I know. I know what she did for me, and now it's my turn to help her,"
"Whatever she told you is a lie, Declan. I've always loved you," Ian said.
"I know that, too," Declan said. Ian raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"You do?"
"Of course. Emily always told me that. But what you did, what you're doing right now, that's not okay. Now you have to come with me, and the rest of the team and the FBI are coming to look for Emily and Gabby," Declan explained.
Ian knew there was no way out of this. He was going to be locked up, again. Emily was going to win, again. It was more than he could take. He didn't want to spend the rest of his life in prison. He lunged at Declan, not intending to hurt him, his target being the gun in Declan's hands. He grabbed Declan's wrist, twisting the gun free from Declan's strong embrace. He pointed it at Declan, with no intention of actually pulling the trigger, when Declan pressed a button on a device on his hip. Almost instantaneously, people came running in from all different directions.
"Put the weapon down, and put your hands where I can see them," an authoritative male voice said. Ian didn't know who said it, he spun around and blindly fired the gun, not meaning to hit anyone with the bullets. As soon as his finger squeezed the trigger, he heard more guns go off. He didn't know how many times he'd been hit as he hit the ground with a loud thud- but it didn't matter anyway. In some way, he felt like he'd won. He had nothing left to live for, so why waste the time? As his vision became cloudy, the noises in the room growing fainter, he felt a presence beside him.
"I'm sorry," he heard the voice say- he knew somehow it was Declan.
"It's alright, son," Ian managed to rasp.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
It's over. Hotch thought, blinking several times as he processed the thought. They came in when Declan sent them the signal, prepared for it to get ugly. Prepared to fight. But they hadn't had to. It was basically a suicide by cop. Doyle was dead. Emily would never have to worry about him again. They were safe.
"We have to find them," Hotch said- not realizing his voice was breaking as he spoke.
"I'll stay here with the bodies and make the necessary calls, everybody else, tear this place apart," Morgan instructed.
Everyone parted ways, calling for Emily and Gabby. Hotch felt disoriented as he walked along the hallways calling for his daughter and Emily's names. They were going to be together. Everything was going to be okay. It was everything he had hoped for, and now here it was. Doyle gone, no longer a threat to anyone. Emily back home, where she belonged. Gabby with both of her parents and her older brother.
Hotch appeared lost in his thoughts and nearly missed the voice coming through his earpiece.
"What?" he said back.
"We've got them," someone said. He didn't know anyone well enough to place the voice except for Morgan, and he knew it wasn't him.
"Where are you?" he asked.
"West entrance. Second hallway," the voice said again.
"I'll be right there," Hotch said, nearly sprinting to get to the desired location.
He got there in record time, finding a door open in the wall. A hidden room. Of course, he thought happily.
He bounded down the steps two at a time, not hearing a word anyone said to him as he passed them by.
"Daddy!" he heard a small voice say, one he hadn't heard in so long. He turned to see Emily and Gabby sitting on a little couch. He went over to them, Gabby meeting him halfway and jumping into his awaiting arms, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"I knew you'd come find us!" she said.
"Of course," Hotch told her. "I always will,"
Hotch sat her down, looking her over, checking for injuries. "You okay?" he asked.
Gabby nodded. "I am now," she said.
Hotch smiled, taking Gabby by the hand and going over to Emily. He hadn't noticed the purple and blue bruises that seemed to be everywhere.
He sat down next to her, as Gabby placed herself in his lap. He was afraid to touch Emily, though all he wanted was to take her in his arms and never let her go again, but he was afraid he would harm her already damaged body even more.
"Oh, Emily," he breathed. "You're-"
"I'm fine, Aaron. I mean, it hurts, but I'm fine. I'm here. It's okay," she said reassuringly.
He smiled again, tucking her hair back behind her ears. "I think I'm supposed to be the one telling you that,"
Emily laughed lightly, the action causing a slight pain in her ribs. "Beat you to it," she winked.
"Doyle's gone," Hotch told her.
"I know. And Paul, the guy who was supposedly helping him. But he wasn't. Without him, Aaron... I don't... I don't know how this would have turned out," she admitted.
"I'm sorry," Hotch said.
Emily shook her head, using her compartmentalizing skills she was so accustomed to. "Declan's here," she told him, though she knew he already knew that.
"I know. He wanted to help you,"
"He told me, I talked to him. He found us. He came across the radio in the hallway and took a chance by speaking into it. Without that, we might never have been found,"
"But you were. You're both here," Hotch said.
"Emily?" Jake Harlan said as he approached the reunited family.
"Yeah?" she replied.
"Morgan just told me to tell you there's an ambulance waiting outside. You and Gabby have to go get checked out,"
"Are you kidding me?" Emily groaned.
"No... I'm not- there's really one out there," Harlan said sheepishly.
"Em, come on, you'll both be released in a couple of hours," Hotch encouraged.
"Ugh this sucks," Emily complained, wincing as she stood from her spot on the couch.
"See," Hotch said, picking Gabby up with him as he stood. "I want to be sure nothing's broken,"
"Nothing's broken," Emily said. "Just bruised... maybe a cracked rib or something... nothing I haven't seen before," Emily griped as Hotch helped her up the stairs.
"Gabby's being better about this than you are," Hotch muttered as they made their way outside, where there was, in fact, an ambulance waiting.
"I hate hospitals!" Emily whined.
"Well I don't think you're supposed to like them," Hotch said. "But I promise we'll all be home in just a few hours, okay?" he said as he kissed her forehead lightly as Emily sat inside the ambulance. Hotch placed Gabby right beside her.
"Daddy stay here," Gabby requested.
"I'm not going anywhere," Hotch promised as the medical personnel began asking them both countless questions. He smiled, knowing that everything was going to be okay. It would take time for them both to fully recover from what happened, Emily especially, but he knew she'd be okay this time. She wouldn't have to be alone.