Disclaimer: as usual I own nothing
A/N: I promise to be better about updating in a timely manner there are only four more chapter left of this story but I have plans for one maybe two squeals revolving around the episode 200 of Criminal minds, thoughts? I hope to have this story complete by the end of the week but that may be me being a little too hopeful.
Riding up the elevator to Calleigh's lab was one of the most terrifying things I've done in a long time, since I expected that I was wanted for murder by now, and I'd lost the warrant Clyde got me in Russia.
"Emily it's ok you're safe now, no one here is going to hurt you," Calleigh whispered hugging me from behind.
"Cal, I'm a killer until Clyde gets here cop don't usually treat killers well," I replied leaning into her touch. The elevator dinged and the doors begun to open. Natalia almost fell into the elevator, but the man behind her had his hand wound into her hair and his other hand had grabbed her wrist and wound it behind her back. I could see the joint straining and I knew that if he put any more tension on it it would pull out of it's socket, but he didn't seem to care.
"Emily!" she sounded shocked looking at me in panic.
"Natalia," I wanted to try for cold, but she looked so afraid that I knew I had to do something, "Let her go," I stared at him with hard eyes.
"She's my whore I can do with her what I please," the man growled pulling her arm until it came out of the socket. Natalia cried out stumbling as he released her arm. I caught her trying to be as gentle as I could but still get her away from him. His hand was still in her hair but she had collapsed into my arms.
"So you're Nick," I growled reaching up her back so that I could grab his wrist, I felt for the pressure point in his wrist before looking him in the eye and letting my eyes go dead, "I've killed three people today I have no problem making it four, you leave her alone or I kill you. I won't throw you out a window and let you live, I'll just kill you." I watched him look into my eyes as if he was trying to find a lie, but I'd spent enough time with Ian that I knew how to fake the look of a hardened criminal. When I'd been Lauren I'd convinced weapons traffickers that I didn't mind killing without killing anyone. I knew how to make my eyes look so dead that I looked like a killer.
"I'm Nick, why do you care about this whore," He said taking half a step back.
"I care because she no longer belongs to you, and if you haven't let go her her by the time I count to three I'll break this wrist," I dug my thumb into the pressure point, he let go instantly taking another step back, "If you come near her again I will kill you, and it won't be an easy death for you." I stepped out of the elevator using the arm around Natalia's waist to lift her up. She whimpered in my arms and I knew that the movement must have hurt, but I knew it would be easier to carry her than to try to get her to walk.
"What the hell was that?" I heard Calleigh snap at me. I had almost forgotten that she was with me in the elevator and that I hadn't told her any of Natalia's secrets.
"Cal, I need a private room and that ME that checked me out when you found me," I told her ignoring the question.
"Well the firearms la should be empty, but I want an explanation," Calleigh hissed at me.
"Lead the way, I'll explain when we get to your lab," I told her, knowing that whether Natalia wanted me to or not I was going to tell Calleigh the truth because I couldn't lie to her.
"Please, don't I'm ok, I just want Jen," Natalia cried in my arms.
"Natalia you need a doctor, and unless you called her JJ isn't here, but once you get that shoulder reset I'll call her," I whispered in her ear.
"She's here, she's downstairs with everyone else, please Emily, I'll be god just please, I want Jen," she begged as we walked into the firearms lab. I set her on the counter as gently as I could, but didn't step away so that she could continue to hold me with her good arm and not have to move her other arm.
"I asked Alexx to grab Jen on her way up from the morgue," Calleigh cut in, "Now explain."
"That was Nick," Natalia whispered, looking down to the floor.
"I got that, who the hell is Nick," Calleigh sounded pissed now and I could tell that Natalia was panicking but the tightening of the muscles in her hand.
"Cal, you're scaring her," I reprimanded even though I knew she didn't know anything so she didn't know what she had done but I needed her to calm her tone of voice if I was going to get anywhere with an explanation. I waited for her eyes to flick to Natalia for a moment and once I saw the understanding in them I went on, "I wouldn't actually kill him, but I'm not putting up with his shit either, he should still be in prison, how he got out I don't know. What I do know is that if he would have gone away on the proper charges he would still be in prison."
"I'm sorry," Natalia whispered.
"Natalia?" Calleigh asked more gently
"I never thought he would try to file against Jen, but once he did I was afraid he would destroy me, and her so I ran and I'm sorry I shouldn't have even called Jen that night," Natalia's voice was barely audible, I wanted to scream that standing up for herself wouldn't have hurt her and it would have helped JJ and if she hadn't called JJ she would probably be dead now, but I kept my calm.
"You and I both know that if JJ hadn't showed up it would have ended worse than it did Natalia. I know that I promised both you and JJ not to tell anyone what I found out about you and Nick, but Calleigh deserves to know why I just threatened to kill him, so I'm asking you to let me tell her everything," I asked Natalia knowing full well I would tell Calleigh no matter what I just wouldn't do it here if she said no.
"Go ahead," her voice cracked as she said it and I knew she was crying as she tried to hide behind me.
"Ok, Nick's her ex-husband," I begun, "three years ago he got mad over something and beat the shit out of her, she called a good friend of mine afraid he was going to kill her," I would have continued but the door to the firearms lab opened revealing the ME from the glades and JJ.
"Calleigh you know i love you sugar and I'm really glad to see you since everyone's been looking for you but my job description does not entail fetching feds for you," Alexx said.
"Well it doesn't include treating the living either but that's why I called finding the fed was just a plus," Calleigh replied.
"You again, why won't you go see a real doctor?" Alexx begun.
"Not me this time, I was hoping you could reset her shoulder," I cut her off indicating Natalia.
"Angel what happened?" Alexx asked coming closer.
"WHAT THE HELL EMILY I know you don't like her but seriously," JJ yelled at me I took a step back not expecting this at all.
"You know me better than that JJ," I snapped back as Calleigh stepped in front of me defensively.
"I thought I did but this is over the line," she yelled back crossing the room toward us.
"Back off," Calleigh stopped her.
"Nick's out of prison," I told her watching her reaction, I knew JJ well enough to know that the mask of nothing that suddenly crossed her face was her way of hiding her feelings, I also knew by the way that her fingers flick up to the cuff of her sleeve that she was angry.
"I'm sorry," Natalia whispered softly. I watched as JJ's anger seemed to vanish instantly as she looked as Natalia. I knew that Alex must have put her shoulder back while I wasn't paying attention to her because I could see tears in her eyes, but she was moving the arm slowly. That alone told me how high of a pain tolerance she must have had to have not made a sound thru the pain.
"Nat, It's not your fault," JJ cooed moving to Natalia and wrapping her in her arms.
"But it is Jen, I could have done something years ago but I was too weak an now I'm afraid again," Natalia sobbed clinging to JJ like she was the only thing keeping her from drowning. Alexx seemed to have vanished and I assumed she had went back to wherever we had summoned her from. I knew that Natalia was JJ's best friend but I had never expected that she would be so protective as to think even for a moment that I would hurt her.
"I'm never going to get a full explaination am I?" Calleigh whispered having snuck up behind me while I was watching the way that JJ treated Natalia.
"Can't I keep my air of mystery for just a little while longer?" I teased her because I couldn't really bring myself to explain all of Natalia's past right now.
"Come back home with me tonight? You can explain then, and maybe I can actually get to know somethings about you besides all of the terrible things that have happened to you," she offered sliding her hands around my waist.
"Tonight it is then, but first I do believe we have a murder to clear me of," I replied turning my focus back to JJ, "JJ is Clyde here yet?" I knew that she would know he was coming she had been watching over me ever since Doyle came back into the picture.
"He should be here by now, the team is downstairs they probably stopped him," She started before looking at me hesitantly, it was almost the same look she'd given me on the plane a year ago, "I didn't know how to tell them that had lied to them."
"JJ I'm sorry I put you in the middle of this you shouldn't have had to lie to them," I told her.
"You're not the only thing I've lied to them about lately," she whispered not looking at me. I had told her on the plane to Paris that she was wearing the look that I had invented of not trusting anyone, but now she just looked exhausted.
"JJ you know that you can tell me anything I have international clearance," I tried to get her to open up.
"Not anything, international clearance didn't get most people your file and some of the things I've done in the last year have been almost as well concealed as that," she looked at me then and I could see a look of desperation in her eyes.
"I told you then and I'm telling you again now you can tell me anything," I told her.
"Maybe but not right now," her answer was one of practiced diplomacy that reminded me of the ambassador.
"JJ don't hide behind diplomatic words, remember that I grew up in this world of half truths and fake smiles for cameras you can just tell me no," I hissed at her.
"Emily, I didn't mean it like that I just meant that we have more pressing things to talk about, like your new friend," she gave a pointed look to Calleigh, who I felt tense against me for a moment.
"How about we talk about you and Natalia rather than me and Calleigh," I snapped at her, putting my hands over Calleigh's on my stomach to reassure her that it was ok. I watched JJ's eyes flick to Natalia for a moment.
"You already know more about me and Nat than most people ever will, yes she's mine now," I watched half shocked as JJ pulled Natalia into her arm and began peppering her neck with kisses. Natalia seemed to press herself impossibly closer to JJ whimpering when JJ bit into her skin just above her collarbone, then just as suddenly as she had begun the show she stopped and looked at me again, "you're turn."
"Jesus I don't know if that is completely hot or terrifying," Calleigh whispered in my ear.
"JJ!" I exclaimed not sure what to do with what I had just seen, I'd known a long time ago that JJ cared for Natalia in a way that she cared for no one else, hell I'd even assumed that JJ probably like Natalia as more than a friend, but until now I had believed it to be one sided at best.
"Emily, I've never seen you let anyone protect you from anything, you loved the BAU like siblings and yet you wouldn't let them anywhere near Doyle and yet you let her protect you. I'm not blind Emily I see how you look at her, and more than that I see how she protects you so why don't you just tell me that you're dating her? Are you really that shy?" I felt myself blush because I knew she was right I wanted to date Calleigh, but the problem was that she didn't know that yet.
"Maybe because we haven't gotten to talk about this between us yet, just because I want to make her my girlfriend doesn't mean she'll say yes," Calleigh cut off our argument before suddenly pulling her arms back away from me, "I'm sorry," I turned to face her realizing that she was blushing.
"Calleigh?" I asked cautiously, since she was backing away from me.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to take advantage like this," she sounded hysterical, "god, what have I done, I'm sorry Em, I shouldn't have said that," I did the one thing that I knew would calm her down; I kissed her.