Chapter Twelve

"Get off me! I'm innocent! Innocent I tell you!" Kevin Lynch's face was purple as he screamed. His hands were soundly cuffed behind his back, and uniformed officers clutched onto his arms.

"This guy is a loon," the police chief muttered to Hotch, who was standing next to him. "What the hell did your technical analyst see in him?"

"I believe he's a paranoid sociopathic schizophrenic that snapped. He seemed pretty normal until recently. What did your men find?"

"Blood on him, obviously. He was pacing in a deserted alley, cliché as it sounds. Muttering to himself. I think he was hearing voices. Myself, my men, and Agents Rossi and Prentiss managed to subdue him pretty quick." Hotch nodded somberly.

"I'd like to interview him, please." He was being unnecessarily cordial, but the shock about Penelope had subdued him into a mere shell of the stoic man he really was.

"No, Hotch, he's mine!" Morgan had suddenly burst through the police station doors, a wide spectrum of emotions radiating from his tense body.

"Morgan, I thought you were at the hospital."

"I was, but I really couldn't take it any more. They took her back for tests…I dunno….I just had to come and see the bastard for myself!" He stormed down to the interview room. Kevin was sitting in the chair, drumming his fingers on the table nervously. His eyes darted from corner to corner, and his head twitched at sporadic intervals.

"Kevin Lynch. Rape. Attempted murder. Assault." Derek slammed the file the officer at the door to the room had handed to him onto the table. "Need I continue?"

"I didn't do anything. She's my girlfriend. Nothing wrong with making love to your girlfriend." His speech was sloppy, not drunk, but there was something definitely different with it.

"It wasn't love, you sick son of a bitch! Leaving a girl unconscious and bleeding on the ground isn't love!" It was taking all of Derek's strength to remain calm. His heart was slamming against his chest, and tiny bulbs of sweat pricked his forehead.

"But I love her, Agent Morgan. More than you ever did. She's let me into her home, into her bed. How much has she done for you?"

"THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ME, YOU LOWLY ASSHOLE! THIS HAS TO DO WITH THE ATTEMPTED RAPE OF A FELLOW FEDERAL AGENT!" Derek slammed his fist against the wall. Kevin merely shrugged.

"Look, man. I don't know if you're jealous or whatever, but don't take it out on me. There's no way you can tie this to me!"

"Actually, there is. It's called we found your DNA WHERE YOU RAPED HER, YOU COWARDLY FOOL!" Derek was panting now, the stress weighing heavily on his body.

Having nothing more to say, he left the sorry bastard to his doom.

Returning to the hospital, he found himself calming down slowly. The prospect of seeing his baby girl again could do that to a man in love. In love. He liked the sound of it.

Arriving, Derek rushed to find Penelope's doctor. He tried not to look too disappointed when he found out that Garcia was still comatose, though all tests came back negative for any lasting brain trauma. Wasting no more time, he rushed to his princess' room.

She seemed unchanged. Her eyes still seemed pasted shut, and bruises splattered her face. Even through the disfiguration, she was still beautiful to Derek. He cradled her hand in his and kissed her forehead.

"They got him, Baby. They got Kevin. You're safe now. It's okay to wake up, you hear me? There's nothing to fear anymore. I'm right by your side, hoping and praying that you'll wake up, show me those beautiful eyes, and smile at me. It's what I want most in the world, Baby Girl."

He whispered and cooed to her all through the night, not daring to sleep just in case she woke. Still clutching to her limp hand, he prayed with tears in his eyes that she would be restored to him.

It was all he could do for the woman he loved.

THE STORY WILL NOT BE OVER FOR KEVIN, FOR THE BLOODTHIRSTY READERS OUT THERE! Thanks for all the reviews I've received of late…..keep it up it really does motivate! (extra exclamation points are because of my excitement for tonight's episode about my favorite character!) May not be able to update for a couple days… but more soon I swear!