Please don't bite me! Don't ask, well, I don't know what the hell. All of my friends are suddenly biting me, so anyways! I know that my chapters are a little short but I've been going for that whole dramatic ending and I don't have much time to type out each chapter, so what you see is how fast I was able to type within the given hour or so… I promise I can update more if anyone would like to kidnap my family and do my chores! Any takers? No? Damn .
As per usual, I don't own Criminal Minds or their characters, *Cries in my corner* You know my birthday is coming up on the 9th, if anyone would like to give me Matthew I'd be more than happy to accept! XD Pretty please?
It felt like the world had stopped. Doyle was relentless, cruel, and he had Reid.
What others couldn't figure out was why the team was so affected by each other, they couldn't figure out that in many ways they were family.
Rossi, the wise grandfather, in many ways scarred from his past, yet protective and caring. Hotch, he was the fatherly figure, the teams rock that kept them in line and on solid ground. JJ was the mother of the group, caring for them as if they were her own, loving them and in many ways holding the family together. Garcia was the insane aunt, colourful and full of personality, bringing out the light and innocence of everyone. Prentiss the protective older sister, hiding her feelings behind her famous compartmentalizing skills, having her walls up to protect her from herself and everyone else while having everyone else's back. He wouldn't have put it past her to offer herself up over a complete stranger because under her layers she was one of the kindest people he knew. Reid was the baby of the team without a doubt. Damned by his past, young and unsure of his place in the world, the fact that he was a huge trouble magnet didn't seem to help either. He was kind, quirky, fun and the fact that he was kind of awkward made it all the more seeing that he was really young, he knew that he was very brave underneath though and that very much like Prentiss would do anything to protect his family.
They cared for each other and felt each others hurt, he like to think of this as a strength but at times he found it weakness. He couldn't think straight so consumed in grief, disbelief, and anger, he knew he had to find Reid and now, but he couldn't move. Paralysed by the four leaf clover he now twirled between his fore finger and thumb.
Rossi regained himself first, tearing his eyes away from the wreckage strewn across the living room. The men who had propped themselves against the wall weren't exactly a pretty sight either as they fought their own well of emotions. Morgan twirled the four leaf clover within his hands with delicacy, his eyes never leaving it, almost as if the plant was a life line to Reid himself. Hotch, was well Hotch. It never failed to amaze him at how fast he could replace that mask, he'd almost thought that he'd seen a tear in Hotch's eye, even for a minute but whatever it was, it was gone now.
Standing up and straightening himself, he let his eyes sweep the room, it was clearly a mistake as he felt Rossi's eyes when he'd let his own set linger on the pool of blood.
Pulling out his cell as he went Hotch strode into the kitchen followed by Rossi, and after a short period of time, Morgan who'd taken longer to regain his composure.
The dark agents head hung, the bounce in his step completely erased, his shoulders hunched as his arms swung loosely at his sides. Exchanging worried glances, the older men continued, in truth they were both at the same point of Morgan.
As Hotch's fingers danced across the key board, calling the number he knew all to well, he called the forensics team. Stressed and hurried glances were cast between Morgan and Rossi hearing the one side of Hotch's phone call. A few yes, no's, I understand, and yes ma'ams were used with the occasional grunt of approval or disapproval, with Hotch it could be hard to tell one from another.
"So do you think Emily's alive?" Rossi asked to no one in particular, scanning the faces of his friends.
"Well this" Morgan began, issuing the ruins that most of the apartment was in "is enough evidence for me, isn't it for you? Reid isn't crazy, Reid knows what happened, it's our job to find him and Emily before" The door bell rang before he could finish; Hotch quickly went to meet the forensics team and fill them in.
"We're in for a long night" Hotch sighed, closing the door.
Careful to avoid stepping on the men, women, and evidence tape that joined the mess throughout Reid's apartment they spread throughout the small home, looking for any behavioral evidence.
Morgan couldn't help but smile to himself, congratulating the kid silently on the run for their money he'd given the unsubs.
"What?" Hotch wondered, not missing Morgans smile.
"Just thinking, I'd never expect the kid to of put up a fight like this. Would you of? I mean there must have been four unsubs here giving the physical evidence" Morgan stated gesturing to the foot prints within the wreckage.
"No" Hotch agreed. "He's definitely matured over the years, but I never expected he'd be able to pull off something like this" Rossi nodding in agreement.
Shifting a few papers around, Rossi sighed. "We're going to have to alert the team"
"Already taken care of" Morgan grimaced at the memory of his sobbing tech-goddess.
"How'd that go?' Hotch asked turning to face him while sifting through a stack of fliers in his hands.
"As expected" Morgan sighed as Hotch gave him a sympathetic look, that wasn't an easy task.
"You told them to meet at the BAU?" Rossi wondered.
"Of course, they don't really need, nor do I want them to have to see this, I mean, if I had the choice I'd rather not be here but instead out having fun with my best friend" He choked, but swallowing quickly. He couldn't afford to become emotional at a time like this. Putting on the best Hotch poker face imitation he could muster he continued to flit through the cabinets.
A commotion from the front room pulled all of them from their thoughts, both Morgan and Rossi following Hotch's lead to the front door, to their shock JJ stood arguing with the officer.
"Ma'am please" The young, startled officer begged of the fierce blonde trying to push past him in the door way.
"If you know what's good for you, you'll step aside" JJ snarled, flashing her badge for the umpteenth time, it wasn't like her to lose her cool like this, but a call in the middle of the night from a distraught, sobbing Garcia was enough to put anyone on edge.
"JJ" Hotch warned with authority lined heavily within his tone, looking then to the young officer. "Sir she's with us" Hotch announced to the now very relieved officer as JJ went to make her way in, much to her dismay Hotch guided her to the hall.
"Go home we'll group in the morning" He said flatly.
"With all due respect Hotch, there's not a way in hell I'm going home" She spat with venom "When I get a call from Garcia in the middle of the night, sobbing, I'm sure as hell not going home" She glared at him, but was shocked to see him shift uncomfortably under her glare.
"Hotch?" She asked, every ounce of fierceness removed from her unsure and now meek voice as she looked round at Morgan and Rossi down the hall who both looked away avoiding her gaze.
"Hotch?" She repeated. "Where's Reid? What happened?"
"Where's Reid?" Panic creeping into her voice as Morgan once again avoided her gaze, on autopilot she walked towards the residence pushing into the small space her hands flew to her mouth as a something somewhere between a gasp and a sob escaped her lips as tears sprung to her eyes.
Oh God! No not again! She couldn't help but plead to herself, as her hands went to the table to steady herself when she noticed the pool of blood.
"What do we know?" She asked to no one in particular, as she spun to face her team.
"Doyle" Hotch spat, watching her face change into a mess of emotions.
"Oh my, but why? What could he want from us? I mean, Emily's, Emily's gone"
"She's alive" Hotch almost smiled, but it didn't seem appropriate under the current circumstances.
A rush of thoughts, emotions and words hit her like a bullet train all at the same time, taking a breath she settled for the burning question in her mind. "How?"
"I don't know but we have to get back to the BAU" Hotch replied as he headed towards the door.
"Hotch" JJ asked quietly. "You don't think she's going to run right to him do you?" each of them exchanging knowing looks, none of them wanted to admit it, but if they didn't get to her first, that was exactly what she was going to do.
"11:11" JJ muttered. "Make a wish, we'll need it"
Another pothole shook the black van as it made its way down the road, shaking the people within.
Black and white spots clouded his vision as he felt himself come around, another pothole made his head smack against the metal floor as he let out a groan, the evenings events now coming back to him as he fought against his bonds.
Hands tied behind his back and ankles shackled together, with a wad of fabric bound against his mouth only making a few groans of sound possible as they made a quick stop which sent him rolling into the wall.
"Shut up" One of the men snarled, holding a hand to his head he could only assume it was the first man who he'd knocked out.
"He's awake?" One asked another, who gave a small nod.
"Well, we'll have to see to that, don't want any chance of escape or it'll be our heads joining his" All of them agreeing he produced a vial, panic rushing through his veins as he was pushed down.
"NO! NO! NOOOO!" He tried to scream through the fabric but only gagging sounds came out as he was smacked around his head, effectively silencing him as the needle broke his skin and darkness engulfed him.
The light was bright, too bright. Moving to cover his eyes he once again found he couldn't move his arms, his legs strapped to the chair legs.
"What?" He wondered aloud as he turned, allowing his profiler and statistics to gain control over him. It was a warehouse, the ceilings were high and fans spun above him, he however failed to notice the man who stood behind him.
"Spencer Reid" The man spat.
Looking behind him he saw him, Ian Doyle stood behind him, a murderous scowl set across his face.
"Ian Doyle" He spat back at him, disgust lining his voice heavily.
"How's she protected?" He growled.
"Who?" Playing stupid wouldn't get him far, but he had no intentions of handing her over or so Doyle thought. The longer he could keep the focus away from her the better, no matter what the cost he thought.
"Emily Prentiss"
"She's dead" A swift hand smacked him round the side of his face causing him to groan in pain.
"You lie!" He hissed angrily. "You know she's not!" Throwing photo's of Emily to him, he watched as they fluttered around him, one landing in his lap and he couldn't help but smile into her warm eyes.
"What're you doing?" He snarled.
"She's so beautiful" Reid smiled looking up as a swift punch knocked him backwards.
"Shut up!" Another fist came in contact with his face as he felt warm blood run down his face. "I wonder, how she'll react to this" Snapping a photo and adding a kick to his ribs for good measure he left the room, leaving Reid gasping for breath.
How everything reminded her of him, she didn't know but every song that came on brought him to her mind "I love you, I loved you all along and I miss you, been far away for far too long, I keep dreaming you'll be with me and you'll never go, stop breathing if I don't see you anymore" She smiled into her pillow at how wonderful it was that songs could bring you so much understanding and depth but it didn't help now, all she needed to hear now was that she could return to her team, to him.
The rap on the door was unexpected at this hour but none the less she grasped for her gun holding it in front of her as she carefully opened the door.
An envelope sat innocently out front of her door, reaching down she grasped the envelope and retreated back into the house with one last sweep of the hall.
Opening the letter gingerly she found a picture.
One.
Single picture.
That fell on the floor as the brunette gasped and stumbled backwards suddenly feeling faint. Her tears of misery that flowed freely from her eyes matched those of another brunette millions of miles away as yet another fist connected to his bruised and battered body.
He could do it, for Emily, the picture of her burned into his eidetic memory was what he decided would keep him going through. He longed to see her smile again and that's why he still fought as once again the knife brought a white hot pain throughout his body.
The song doesn't belong to me either; it just seemed to accent the story nicely. I appreciate your thoughts and reviews! Please read, review, and recommend! But favouriting and following work too!
Lot's of love to my amazing reviewers! ~ Emmy73CriminalMinds