Disclaimer: I only use Criminal Minds as a writing playground. I own nothing.

So here's Chapter 14! We have a little bit of an emotional ride in for this one. I want to thank those who have read, reviewed, or both :) I appreciate it very much! Enjoy this one and keep your eyes open for the next one of this story and for Beauty and the Morgan.

Day 5 of the Search

"Okay, so what I thought was that based on your profile, Roberts would need to be in the DC area to be close by. So then I checked out large enough areas that no one would hear screaming. There were a lot of areas for rent, but I eventually found one that was rented out two months ago to a Keith Roberts," Lynch explained to the room of tense agents and police officers. "It's an old factory building. I'm sending the address to you all on your tablets."

Hotch nodded decisively. "Thank you, Lynch," he said. He clicked the phone off and turned to the rest of the room. "Alright," he instructed. "We're going to need SWAT on this one. Chief, I need you to get the calvary rounded up and have them ready to go as soon as possible. We're going to have to get going." He turned to his team. "Help them get things squared away." As the team was getting ready to spring into action, Hotch pulled Derek aside by the arm.

Derek glared at him. "What, Hotch?" he growled impatiently. "Do not tell me I can't go. I'm going, whether you like it or not."

He shook his head. "I was going to tell you that you needed to wait until we're ready. You will do this by the book."

Derek nodded. "I know," he said softly. "I'll do whatever you say. You're the lead on this."

Hotch nodded. "Good."

XXXXX

Penelope was sitting in the dark basement, her back against the wall with her daughters all leaning against her. She had lost track of time. Lindy and Soraya had fallen asleep once again and Tala was the only one left awake.

"I really am sorry, Mom," she whispered. Her head was leaning against Penelope's shoulder. The occasional sniffle escaped from her nose. "I didn't mean anything that I said to you. I was just angry about you and Dad and how everything was going. I couldn't stand that you two had broken up and -"

"Shh," Penelope said, stroking Tala's hair. The hairdo that Keith had set her up in was now rumpled and disheveled. "Baby, don't worry about your father and me. We realized that we work better together than apart. I can't live without him. We just...lost our way."

"Does this mean you're getting back together?" she asked, hope lighting up her voice.

Penelope sighed and murmured, "Yes."

But at that point she didn't know if they would make it past the next few days. It was now the fifth day of Tala, Lindy, and Soraya's capture. The day when Keith was supposed to begin the torture. She didn't know if Derek and the team knew anything about Kyle or his brother yet. If they didn't, they were likely as good as dead.

"I knew you two still loved each other," Tala said, more like a confirmation to herself that she was right. She snuggled in closer to her mother and sisters.

They were going to be a family again.

"I love you, Mom," she whispered.

"I love you, too, Tala."

As they remained in the darkness, the sound of footsteps from above came from above and panic built in Penelope's heart. It grew worse as the sound of the lock being opened came. Her arms around her daughters grew tighter and the hairs on the back of her neck raised. The door started to open and suddenly the basement was filled with light. Penelope held the girls tightly to her and whispered to Tala, "Whatever happens, I love you and your sisters more than anyone in the world. Tell your father that I love him."

Tala was finally able to see Penelope for the first time since being locked up. She looked into her mother's eyes and saw true fear. Her lower lip trembled and she moved a lock of Tala's dark hair from her face. Keith and Kyle started down the stairs and both held guns in their hands. "Mom..." Tala said softly, fear filling her own heart.

"Rise and shine!" Kyle said, leaning down to grab Penelope's hair at the scalp. He yanked her head up and she winced.

"Let her go!" Tala screamed, jumping to her feet and launching herself at Kyle. Both her younger sisters sat straight up at the sound of Tala's scream and shrank backwards against the wall. She tackled Kyle to the ground and raked her nails across his face, blinded by rage. "Keep your filthy hands off of her!" She punched Kyle this time, hoping she would make him hurt.

Snickering, Kyle kicked forward and sent Tala flying backwards. He rose from the ground and wiped his bloody nose. Standing over her, he kicked her sharply in the side. "You like pain, don't you?" he hissed between gritted teeth. He kicked her again.

A cry escaped Tala's lips and she tried to sit up and attack him again.

Penelope rose to her knees and cried, "No! Stop!" She tried rising to her feet, but Keith went forward and placed the gun at her temple.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he said. "Your little wolf needs a little training. And Kyle gets to have a little fun. He was always so good at training. It was what his specialty."

Tears rolled down Penelope's cheeks and she begged. "Please...let my daughters go! I'll do anything!"

"Hmm...no," he said. "I value them too much. Particularly Tala. Did you know what you named her that her name meant 'Wolf?'"

"Just let them go! Please!" Her voice had turned to weeping. She looked up into Keith's cold eyes. "I'll do anything, whatever you want!"

He laughed. "No," he said. "There's nothing I want more than your daughter. And there's nothing more that my brother wants, than you. This is going to be a mighty fun day, don't you think?" He looked up at his brother who was still mercilessly jeering at Tala. "Kyle...give me the girl. She's mine, after all. You get the mommy...remember?"

Kyle stopped kicking Tala and nodded. "Oh," he said. "You're right. I forgot about that. Just had to cool a little steam off. This little bitch has caused me a lot of problems." He laughed as he switched places with his brother. "Sometimes, I blame it on her that I never got with Penelope."

"Blame it on yourself, you pig," Tala spat.

Keith moved to stand over Tala and he looked down at her, flat on her back and breathing with difficulty. He smiled. "You're going to be my favorite," he whispered, almost lovingly. Grabbing her by the arm, he pulled her to her feet. He pushed her towards the stairs. "We're making a journey upstairs. I suggest you walk quickly."

"And if I decide to drag my feet?" she asked, sticking her chin in the air.

"Then I blow your mother's brains out," Kyle said from behind her. Tala whirled around and saw Penelope on her knees, a gun at her temple. Behind her were Lindy and Soraya, huddled together and holding each other tightly. Her gut dropped and she nodded.

"I'll do it," she whispered, starting for the stairs, a gun touching the skin of her neck.

"Good dog," Kyle said with a smirk. He grabbed Penelope by the back of the neck and forced her to rise to her feet. "Let's go, Babe," he said. "Tell your little girls that they need to come or I shoot their mommy in the head."

Penelope looked at Lindy and Soraya's petrified faces and said in a shaking voice, "Girls, go upstairs, okay? Lindy, keep watch over your sister." She nodded and bit her lip. "Go, okay?"

Lindy nodded and wrapped her arms around Soraya, urging her to walk towards the stairwell.

"Why can't all your daughters be like them? Why can't they all be good listeners?" Kyle asked with a snicker as they all ascended the stairs into the brightly lit garage. The room was now completely empty, save for a simple wooden table.

Keith pushed Tala forward and she fell to her knees on the concrete ground. She looked up and glared at him. He went towards her and picked up a knife that looked like it would slit through bone. "You see this?" he asked, brandishing the knife in front of her. "This is a sharp little knife. And it cuts through skin like butter. It's really quite beautiful." He grabbed Tala by the hair again and yanked her forward. Using the knife, he slashed the blade across her cheek, a deep red gash blossoming across her face. Several trails of blood slid down her face. Tala didn't even flinch.

"Stop!" Penelope cried. "Please!"

Kyle grabbed her by the neck and hissed in her ear, "This is only the beginning, Babe. The show gets better and continues for two whole days. So, you just have to sit back and -"

Before he could continue, the sound of the side door being kicked open shocked him out of his speech. A horde of SWAT agents came in through the small door, followed by Rossi, JJ, and Derek.

"Drop the gun, Kyle!" Derek bellowed, keeping Kyle in his range. "It's over, the building is surrounded. There's no chance you're getting out of this."

Kyle snorted, keeping his gun securely at Penelope's temple. "Hmm," he pondered. "That so?"

"That is very so," JJ said. "Put the gun and knife down and we won't have any more trouble."

Penelope's eyes flicked to Keith and Tala. Keith's arm was wrapped around Tala's neck and he was squeezing it so hard that her face was growing red. A panicked whimper escaped her throat and Keith noticed. He laughed. "Pfft," he said. "This really is an adorable family reunion."

"Let my daughter go, Roberts," Derek said through gritted teeth, aiming his gun at Keith now. He was seething with rage. His eyes were burning with barely controlled anger.

Keith snickered, but loosened his grip on Tala and let her fall to the floor in front of him on her hands and knees. She coughed several times and looked up at her father, waiting for some form of nonverbal instruction on what to do. "Looking to your Alpha for what to do, I see," he laughed wickedly. "Scat!" He kicked her roughly in the side and she crawled towards her father, JJ, and Rossi.

"Lindy, Soraya," Kyle said, looking at the two younger girls who were still huddling together near their mother. "You can go with her. But Mommy has to stay with me for just a little while longer." He pushed his gun against her temple harder. "It's her who really matters here."

Both Lindy and Soraya hurried towards JJ and Tala. JJ started to usher the three girls towards the door and tried to get them to leave. Lindy and Soraya were hustled out rather quickly, but Tala tried to stay. "No!" she cried as JJ dragged her from the garage. "No, what about my mom? Let me go, Aunt JJ!" Her eyes met Penelope's and she tried to break out of JJ's iron grip.

Penelope felt tears roll down her cheeks and tried to tell Tala with her eyes that it would be okay. She was truly terrified at that moment. Was this the last moment she would see her daughters? Was it the last moment she would see Derek? She looked in her husband's dark eyes and prayed he saw how much she was sorry for everything that had happened between them. Her eyes filled with more fat tears and she held her head higher.

"Let Penelope go," Derek growled.

"Or you'll what?" Kyle snapped back.

"I'll shoot you," he hissed.

Kyle snickered and suddenly moved his gun from Penelope's temple to point it at Derek. He glared at him. "What is it that makes you so irresistible, Agent Morgan? I just don't see it. What makes you so special to her?"

"I love her, you son of a bitch," Derek snarled. "That's what makes me special."

Another laugh escaped his throat. "Well, maybe I should just kill you," he suggested. "That would be an experience. Then she'd have to get used to someone that isn't you." And before anyone could say anything else, Kyle pulled the trigger on his gun.

"No!" Penelope screamed, leaping to her feet to stop the bullet from sailing straight into Derek.

Sorry 'bout the cliffhanger...