Rebecca woke up with a dull ache. She felt the blood thickening behind her head and felt that her hands and feet were tied by rope. The rope was tearing into her skin and she tasted the blood in her mouth. Rolling her head to the side, she realized she was in a tent. There were drawings upon it that she couldn't make out in the dark, but the smell was vile. It smell of decay and suffering and she felt the bile rise up to her throat.
Then she saw movement outside the tent. Her movements stilled and she tried to focus her attention on the person hiding behind the tent. It had to be her captor. She moaned aloud, hoping to catch his attention, to figure out where she was somehow.
He didn't acknowledge her.
"Where am I?" she yelled.
He didn't acknowledge her.
Though she knew it would hurt her, she began rocking herself back and forth in the chair. "Answer me!" she yelled.
She then saw another shadow, a woman. The tone of the woman's voice heightened the magnitude of her headache and her vision began to blend. The woman was crazed yelling at the man outside her tent, but he wouldn't respond to her.
Rebecca began to feel panicked and rocked faster in the chair. "Help me!" she cried out.
She heard him chuckle.
She also heard the familiar rattle of a snake.
She heard him laugh and saw him throw his head back and laughed.
She looked down and met the eyes of her newest attacker, an angry snake that looked to wrap itself around her available leg.
Spencer took a deep breath before stepping out into Paul's line of vision. He was confident that Hotch had his back and hoped their SWAT teams would surround them safely. He stepped out and Paul's frame shook in rage and energy. "Stay back!" he yelled.
"Paul, you don't need to do this," Spencer said, his hands up in the air, showing he wasn't an enemy, but a safe person.
"The prophecy has predicted this, you ignorant fool!" Paul said.
"Why here? Why now, Paul? Did you father tell you to do this?"
"My father is a good man, a true follower of God," he said, his voice strong but etched with hurt and confusion.
"God would not want us to suffer," Reid said, hoping to argue about religion and ease his guard.
"The Lord demands we be his soldiers and fight against the tools of the devil!"
"And bombing the government is doing that?" Spencer asked.
"They encourage the deceitful ways of Satan, they must perish in the pit of their creation."
"Paul, I need you to put the dagger down and give me the detonator."
Hotch watched the heated exchange and found that SWAT was surrounding their perimeter. He gun was trained upon Paul's movements and the moment he charged toward Spencer, he would be taken down. Hotch took a glance toward his watch and noticed that it was past the time of the predicted explosion. He didn't know whether to be relieved or more nervous that there wasn't word of the explosion. Was the bomb disabled, or did they miss their target?
Spencer began studying Paul. He was young, impressionable and confused. He longed for the acceptance of his father and his God, and was ready to deliver himself to his cause. Spencer realized that the likelihood of him leaving this situation alive was slimming down with the passing minutes, but had to try and save him.
"It is my time," Paul said looking up at the moon.
Spencer grew nervous and said, "No, Paul, I am asking you to give me the dagger now. No one needs to be hurt tonight. Give me the dagger and the detonator."
Paul rolled his head back and began chanting in tongues and shaking in his stance. Spencer grew nervous as he saw the young man's eyes roll behind his head and he shake without focus, direction or coordination.
Hotch grew defensive as Paul started acting up. The safety was unlocked and his gun was ready to fire along with the SWAT members'.
"Paul, I need you to give me the detonator," Spencer said, attempting to yell over Paul's intangible ramblings.
"Hotch, the bombs have been disabled. We located 7 and were able to disable and remove them," the Captain of the bomb unit said over Hotch's head set.
Hotch stopped and looked at Reid, speaking into the head set. "Reid, the bombs are disabled. Just get Paul to drop the dagger."
Reid blinked at Hotch to indicate he understood the plan when suddenly Paul stopped and stood tall and rigid. Closing his eyes, Paul pressed down the red button and expected to hear a loud echoing explosion, one that would effect 7 streets in Richmond, Virginia.
There was no explosion, no sound, their mission had failed.
"No!" Spencer yelled as Paul groaned loudly out of frustration and stabbed himself in the heart.
"Hold your fire!" Spencer heard Hotch say as he moved to lower Paul to the ground.
Paul gripped Spencer's arm and gave him an eerie smile. "Fathers shall find revenge for their sons," Paul said before giving himself to death.
Hotch stepped back and allowed local enforcement to do their jobs in clearing the area. He took his phone and dialed a much needed number in this moment.
"Is it safe?" Emily asked answering the phone.
"Paul and Kyle are dead," Hotch said. "The bomb squad located and disabled all the bombs. It looks like this nightmare is over."
"I wish I could agree with you," she said sighing.
"What happened?"
"Apparently an anonymous donor paid for both Paul Tymes and Diana Torres's bail. Paul was released this morning and Diana was released two hours ago."
"Shit," he said. "How did we miss this?"
"We were focused on the bombs and apparently the ADA didn't bother giving us the memo until now," she said frustrated.
"Are you okay?" Aaron asked.
"I just want to get home," she whispered.
"We are on our way to the station and we can go. Sound good?"
She nodded and asked, "Is Reid okay?
"He'll be fine. Maybe a few stitches but that can wait. Emily, I..."
"Yes, Aaron?"
"I'll see you at the station," he said hanging up, losing his composure and needing to find strength to finish this case. When he looked up, Spencer was beside him and was studying his new wound.
"You should just tell her, you know?"
Hotch gave him a look of dark curiosity.
"Tell Emily you love her so we can all have peace," Spencer said rolling his eyes. Spencer then walked away toward the car looking at his phone ready to call Rebecca and let her know he would be back in Quantico soon.
Penelope woke up when she felt the light of the moon hit her face. Moaning she looked over at her sleeping prince that was resting his head upon her lap and was lightly snoring. She rubbed her hand over his head and took in his warmth and devotion.
She reflected on how long she had loved Derek Morgan. 6 years had been a long time. She, of course, desired his delicious chocolate god body. His smooth voice sent her into wild shakes with every word. His touch set her on fire. She knew nothing would ever change the fact that Derek Morgan was her real life Superman.
However what made her fall in love with him was his strength, laughter and heart. She couldn't believe what she learned about her Derek after their trip to Chicago, but instead of being repulsed by him or treating him differently like he feared, Penelope only loved him more, only desired to care for him more. He was a dark hero who needed someone to save him and she was more than willing to be that woman.
She loved his laugh. His bright smile made her weak in the knees and his laughter sent her heart soaring. His happiness was like the sun in her world and she would give anything to bring her hot stuff joy and laughter.
And his heart, oh his heart. He took her heart a long time ago. His ability to do his job without sinking into the abyss of darkness shocked her. She admired him for his strength, smiled at his laugh, melted at his dangerous good looks, but fell in love with his heart, his torn but strong heart. He had taken her heart the moment he called her Baby Girl and she would do everything in her power to show him every day that she was his, that nothing, not even death, would change that.
The light of the moon flickered in the room and it brought her attention down upon her left hand. It was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen. Wrapped in white gold, a strong diamond stood with a circle of smaller diamonds surrounding it looked upon her. With her right hand, Penelope wiped the tears off her face and marveled at the sleeping man in front of her. He moaned when she stopped rubbing his head and she returned to her ministrations so he would stay asleep. She knew he needed his rest.
She couldn't believe what she was seeing. She laughed at the thought that Derek remembered how much she loved Orlando's proposal in Diary of a Mad Black Woman. Instead of waking him, she decided she would let him have his moment in the morning. She pressed her fingers to her lips and pressed them upon his head. "Of course I will, Hot Stuff," she whispered to him in the darkness of the night. Penelope dreamed of what would come in the morning light when she would see her ring and her man again.
Spencer was surprised when he looked down at his phone and receive zero missed calls or text messages. He figured Rebecca just went to work or went to sleep. He learned early on in their friendship that Rebecca liked having her naps, but liked getting money more. At the time of night, he hoped Rebecca was sleeping but wasn't confident in that guess.
Hotch pulled up to the police department as Rossi, JJ and Prentiss entered the SUV. "Time to go home," Rossi said with a tired smile.
"I wonder how Garcia is doing," JJ said looking outside.
"Have you heard from Morgan?" Prentiss said looking at JJ.
"No, not a word. I wonder if he is actually resting." JJ said with a smile.
"If the woman I loved was recovering from an explosion in the hospital, I wouldn't be doing much sleeping," Aaron said looking at the road and tried to meet Emily's eyes in the rear view mirror.
Emily felt his gaze but wouldn't give into him. She didn't know what to think of their relationship anymore. Was it moving forward? Did it have to stay secret? Did he want her? Did he love her? Those were all questions that kept filling her mind.
As they all quietly reflected on the case, Spencer jumped when he heard his phone ring when they were thirty minutes from Quantico. He smiled when he noticed when it was Rebecca. "Beck?" he said with a tired yet happy smile.
"Spence?" Spencer felt the blood drain from his face when he heard Rebecca's strained tear filled voice and a sudden cry of pain over the line.