Chapter 11: Pardon My Past
Don kept trying Danny's cell phone, and kept getting his voice mail. It wasn't like Danny to just walk off and not tell anyone where he was going. Not even to Lindsay. Don knew he would come back though, he knew that Danny loved Lindsay to the core and would never leave her alone for too long. Especially now that she was pregnant.
He kept trying Danny's cell phone and then finally gave up, just as Lindsay came running up to him. She looked tired and exhausted. " Have you seen Danny yet?", she asked, breathlessly.
" Sorry, Monroe. Not yet. I've been trying to call him, but I keep getting his voicemail. I think you should lay down, you look exhausted", Flack replied.
" Yeah, I will", she continued when she seen a look of relief in his eyes, " After I find Danny." Don just nodded, but knew that if Danny didn't want to be found, he wouldn't let anyone.
Lindsay walked away from Don, and felt that twinge in her abdomen again. She put her hand to her stomach and quickly put it down just as fast. She couldn't figure out why she was worrying so much. She kept walking until she found Stella. Then she tried to start up a conversation to take her mind off Danny.
Don would find him, Lindsay thought. She was worrying for nothing, he would come back, wouldn't he?
Four hours later, the BAU team had finally assembled enough information for a profile and were about to give it out to the whole NYPD. Hotch started with, " Ok, we're looking for a male, Caucasian, late twenties to mid thirties. He will appear normal in society, but under it all, he's a very psychotic person. He hides it well underneath his intelligence. Expect him to be very smart-"
Morgan continued, " He had some sort of breakdown which lead him into his rage. He is on a mission, one that is not fulfilled until he makes his final act. He will or would've had a good job, he would've been a stable person. He might've even been close to normal. We know that he had some sort of past with Nicole Messer, she is even the root of his anger. Now that he has her, once he kills her, his mission will be over-"
" How do you know that she's the root of his anger?", one of the police officers asked, " I mean, couldn't she have been just too close to finding out who he is, so he kidnapped her to shut her up?" He was in the back row, holding a notebook and pen. He waited for the team's answer.
" No, she couldn't have been. He hasn't kidnapped anyone as of late, that would be because he found who he wants now. He already his the ending planned out, and we aren't going to let him finish it", Morgan finished.
" What do you mean "ending"?", asked Danny. Lindsay turned around instantly when she recognized his voice. She felt a smile grow on her face. Don turned as he heard his friend's voice, he knew that Danny wouldn't leave Lindsay for long.
" Well, it's not a good ending, Mr. Messer. You wouldn't like it-"Morgan was cut off by Danny.
" I don't give a damn, I want to find my sister", Danny answered.
" Well, with the profile, we should be able to do it", Hotch stated smoothly.
Nikki writhed in pain as she was beat and raped once more. She stopped counting how many times she'd been beaten and raped after the fifth one. She knew that begging for mercy was not an option so she opted for trying slap him and bite him. She had created a few marks on him, but he only grunted if she did manage to get a hold of him. He always had a mocking grin on his face and fury in those dark eyes of his. She hated him, it was one of the reasons she ran from him two months ago. She finally got the courage to leave, only after Mac had called for her. She knew that New York, home, was her only way out. Her only escape.
She was knocked back from her reverie by a hand that had closed over her mouth and the other hand that was undoing her pants. She heard Julie's faint cries not too far away, but she had to place that from her mind. She was going to get Rebecca and Julie out, she just hadn't figured it out yet. Unfortunately, Rebecca had been beaten again, but began to hate Nikki for what was happening to them. Nikki could see it in Rebecca's eyes, the woman despised her, but she didn't care. As long as they were alive, she would get them out. Knowing that her fate was not to leave here, but kill him, even if it meant dying herself, which Nikki knew might just happen.
Nikki was knocked out by the time he was done with her. She had not screamed and would not let him have the satisfaction of knowing just how badly he had hurt her. She would kill him, if it was the last thing she would do.
Don, Lindsay, Stella, and Mac sat around the table in the break room. Minutes after, Danny came in and looked at everyone's somber faces. He needed to talk to Lindsay, she did not deserve what she was getting. " Umm… Lindsay? Can I talk to you?", Danny asked quietly. She just nodded and got up. She felt a sharp pain in her abdomen, but ignored it and kept walking.
Once they were out in the hall, Lindsay, happy as she was that he came back, lowered her eyes. Danny felt so guilty, so, he put his hand under her chin and lifted her gaze to him. He seen the tears that now filled her eyes. " I'm sorry, Lindsay. I'm so sorry", he pleaded. He could understand if she didn't want to talk to him. Hell, after what he'd done, he wouldn't want to speak to him either. She let the tears roll down her cheeks, but did not say anything. She tried to turn her head and he let her. He knew how mad she must be. She looked back down at the floor, and then said, " It's alright, I understand."
" No, Montana, I shouldn't have treated you that way. You deserve better", he replied. He winced at his own words and held his breath as he waited for her answer.
" You're tired and sad. I know. It's alright-" She got cut off.
" No, it's not. I'm your husband. And you're pregnant-" He got cut off this time.
" Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean that I'm more important than your blood relative. Nikki's your sister, damn it!", Lindsay yelled.
" Yes, Montana. She is. But, you're my wife. There's a difference-" Again, he was cut off.
" What difference, Danny?! She's your Goddamn sister, and I know you love her, I understand it! I love her too! I worry about you constantly! Do you actually truly know how much I love you? Damn it!", Lindsay argued.
By that time, everyone had gathered around, including Don. He had never seen them argue, much less right in front of the entire lab. He had seen their joke arguments and teasing, but nothing severe like this. He knew that Danny had never actually told Lindsay he loved her, he even said so, and it tore him to the bone to see his friends like this.
" The difference is she is a blood relative, and you're my wife", Danny stated calmly.
" Oh yeah, great difference, Danny. I know she's your blood relative. Tell me something I don't know", she replied sarcastically.
" Well, Lindsay, I'm sorry that I'm not the most perfect husband in the world. You knew that, so, why did you marry me?", Danny asked, looking down. He felt solely responsible for her unhappiness, but he didn't know what else to say.
" You know, sometimes, I ask myself that! I never can find a Goddamn answer, Danny, so, why don't you tell me?", Lindsay replied acidly. She spun on her heels and walked away, everyone went back to where they were supposed to be as she threw daggers at each and every one of them.
Danny stood there shaking his head when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and Flack was standing there with his hand on Danny's shoulder. " Hey, you ok?", Flack asked. He had a concerned look in his eyes.
" No, Don. I'm not ok. I'm a bad husband, I don't even know why Lindsay married me", Danny answered. He had a far away look, a blank look, " I'm going to find her, you know."
" Who?", Don asked, confused.
" Nikki. I'm going to find Nikki. Someone has to, and it's getting between my marriage. I love Nikki, I'm going to find her, if it's the last thing I do", Danny stated.
" You, horrible, sick, lying, cheating, son-of-a-bitch!", Nikki screamed, " Just wait until I get my hands on you! You'll regret this!"
" Oh, no. I think you've got it backwards. You're the horrible, lying, cheating, scheming bitch. And on the other part, I've already got my hands on you. And you're right, you will regret this", he snarled smugly. He sat there staring at Nikki, a cold, hard, furious look in his eyes. Yes, she would regret this.
" You want to know why you rape women? Huh? It's because you're not capable of making love to them! You're impotent!-" She felt the slap before she knew it happened. She felt the stinging sensation of a hand on her cheek.
" Raping? Lying? Horrible? Sick? I don't think so, sweetheart. You wanted me just as much as I wanted you", he stated. He looked at her and then got up and walked away. Nikki just stared, horrified.
" Did he rape you before?", Julie asked, " If you don't mind me asking, of course."
" No, it's ok. You should know that by now. And, to answer your first question. Yes, he did", Nikki replied, ashamed. She shouldn't have stayed, she knew it was dangerous, but she didn't have any choice.
" What happened to you?", Julie asked, Nikki could hear the tears in Julie's voice, but she didn't look up.
" It was about six years ago. I was young, and naïve. But, I met this guy. His name was Jeremy Evans. He was handsome, and nice to me. We became friends. Then, we started dating. After about three months, he started showing his rough side. One night, we got into an argument, and he…hit…me", Nikki stopped so she recompose herself again. " He immediately said sorry, but then a couple of weeks later, he hit me again. He kept saying sorry every time he hit me. Then, one day, I realized that I was in danger. Every couple of weeks turned into every few days, and one hit became four or five. He kept getting more aggressive. Five years ago, the beatings became so bad, that I mustered up enough courage to leave him. I went to Chicago. I didn't tell any of my family because I figured that they would tell someone else, and it would eventually come back to Jeremy. He never found me again…until now", Nikki explained.
" Oh, wow. That must have been horrible to live through", Julie replied.
" Well, what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger, right?", Nikki said, managing a weak smile.
" Well, you can still smile after everything that's happened to you. That's a good sign", Julie answered. Nikki was waiting for the right moment. She would keep working on the binds on her hands. She would get Jeremy back for what he did to her, she promised herself that.