My Beautiful Doll
Warning: Mentions of Non-explicit non-con. Also Don making choices that weren't his to make (as per usual)
A/N: Hi! Sorry for the long wait but I've been a bit busy. So unfortunately my wifi is really shitty right now so I'm not sure if I'm able to update consistently until the 20th this month. I'll try my best, but if it seems like I haven't updated in two weeks, then that's why. So just a heads up. If I do manage to update then good, but if not then I'm sorry. Regular weekly multichapter and biweekly oneshots uploads will resume as normal after the 20th (hopefully I have my new wifi running by then). Okay have a nice day!
Ian sighed with annoyance as he put aways his equipment. The fugitive proved to be slipperier than he anticipated, which threw a wrench into his plans. He was confident that he could take the guy down, it's just going to take longer than expected. He was called the best for a damn reason and he wasn't about to let some two bit criminal get the best of him.
You sure that's not just your ego talking? A voice that sounded suspiciously like Don popped into his head. I mean, even the fifth best has an off day, imaginary Don said, his tone extremely sarcastic.
"Shut up Eppes" he replied automatically. Usually that would be followed up with him slamming Don against the wall and kissing him senseless. But unfortunately, it's just him and his head today. After the call he had a few days ago, he was starting to miss the man. It was a bit hard, doing the long distance relationship thing. Especially since he had to share Don with an equally possessive Billy Cooper. But somehow, they all made it work. Even if there were a few fights here and there courtesy of both him and Cooper. But, the days where he got to go back to LA, surprise his boyfriend, and be greeted with that beautifully bright smile always made everything they went through worth it. Even the heart attack inducing dangers that Don seem to attract on a daily basis. And if he had a small competition with Cooper on who could bring Don the best gift after their hunts, it was neither here nor there.
He plopped his tired body on the shitty bed. Turning on the television, he was greeted with the news about an old serial killer in town. The exact one he had warned Don about days ago. The killer had dubbed himself the "Artist". Ian couldn't help but snort a bit at the moniker, even through the gruesome picture of the scene on television. He had looked over a few of the files a long time ago out of curiosity and couldn't help but shudder slightly. Back then, he thought that the man was crazy. But now, with all the experience he has, he could certainly say that the man was a certified nutter. The man was insane, obsessed with perfection if the ramblings left behind at the crime scenes were any indication. His obsession with a person was just as unsettling as his murders.
The poor bastard, a part of him thought, feeling pity at the unknown individual that had managed to gain the attraction of a serial killer. The person is probably going through their day, unaware that their life is in danger. Hopefully whoever is investigating this gets their head out of their ass and manages to track down the person before the Artist gets to them. To Ian, death is a much kinder fate than being a serial killer's plaything.
As he idly scrolled down the channels, his phone rang. Looking over, he realized that it was a group call coming from Don's team. He let out an audible snort. Ever since they got together, Ian has gotten closer with Don's team and family. He never really thought himself as a team player, but somehow through dating Don, he managed to gain both a team and a family. Grinning widely, he answered the call.
"Hey, how are you guys?" Baby brother's voice rang out.
"We're doing good" Reeves said, her voice lighter than it had been when Ian last saw them. "Larry and I just finished our hang gliding lessons and we've been having a blast".
"I've pretty much been walking around Comic Con," Sinclair said. His answer made Ian snort. The fact that the man was a big comic book nerd never failed to bring out some good-natured teasing from all of them, except for baby brother of course. The big nerd.
"I've been hanging out with my old army buddies," Granger spoke up, "They've been teaching me all sorts of new moves. You guys better watch out when we start sparring again".
"Who, me? Last time I checked, our score was ten to five Granger" Reeves teased.
Ian let out a low chuckle at the protest. Granger was cocky for someone who held the second lowest wins between them. Then again, he had to go against powerhouses like Megan and himself, or people who had years of experience like Don. The only person he has an equal chance with is with Sinclaire. "Ten to five? Those are rookie numbers Reeves" Ian spoke up. "How about twenty to eight?"
"Twenty to eight? You're losing your touch Edge" Cooper's voice was bright, his southern accent a bit thicker than usual. Ian rolled his eyes at that.
"Like you've done any better" Ian replied. "Last time I checked, your score with Don isn't leaning in your favour". Cooper has never fought Granger before, so he decided to poke fun at his losing score with Don instead.
"That's because I let him win," Cooper answered. Ian shook his head in exasperation. Typical…
"Riiiiiiight" Granger said, unconvinced. "It's definitely because you let him win and not because you keep getting distracted by his face."
"Well…that too" Cooper grinned.
"I swear you're hopeless sometimes" Ian said, sighing. Ian thought he was shameless, but clearly he hadn't met Billy Cooper at the time. The man brought a whole new meaning to the word.
"Hopelessly in love you mean" Billy teased, "And don't lie, you're the same as well."
Ian bristled a bit. "But I'm not as bad as you Cooper" he protested. He had a reputation to maintain after all. Even if he knew that no one was buying that.
"Yes you are"
"No I'm not"
"Yes you are"
"No, I'm not"
"Yes you a-"
"God!" Reeves exclaimed, "Let's just say you're both equally whipped for my boss and get over with it."
"You would think that after months of BOTH of them dating Don, they would be less annoying about him" Sinclair muttered.
"What was that Sinclair? You want to be next in line to spar me?" Ian asked, his tone sweet but he made sure that the underlying threat was real. As their senior, he had to ensure that they weren't getting too comfortable with their sass.
"Uh…nothing!" Sinclair quickly amended.
"That's what I thought" he replied, smug.
"Speaking of which, how about you Don? How have you been spending your vacation?" Baby Eppes asked.
There were a few beats of silence at the end of the line. If Ian strained his ears, he could hear breathing and wind on Don's end. Huh…I wonder where he is.
Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice spoke up. "I'm sorry, but Agent Eppes is a bit preoccupied right now."
Alarm bells rang in Ian's head. Something's wrong. Don would never have someone else answer for him. He'll either text apologizing for not being able to answer or he'll pick up the call, but he'll sound occupied as rustling papers and rapid footsteps followed his every move.
"Who are you?" Ian demanded, gripping his phone tightly.
"You must be Ian Edgerton" the man replied, his tone icy cold. "I don't like you very much, you know that?"
"Fuck if I care" he hissed.
"Mind your tone, or you'll be ne-"
"DON'T!" a painfully familiar voice shouted through the phone.
"Don?" Charlie's voice was worried, and he wasn't the only one. Ian could feel a familiar icy feeling creep through his veins.
"What was that sweetheart?" the man's voice said, his tone now warm and sweet. That earned a sharp gasp from Megan. Ian did not like the sound of that.
"Leave them…alone…" Don said slowly.
"Don!" David shouted, "Are you okay?"
"...Peachy," he replied. Clearly he was trying to keep his voice as level as possible, but there was no hiding it. They all could hear that he was in pain.
"Aw…" The man that Ian was really starting to hate cooed. "You really are cute, trying to protect your loved ones from me". The man laughed and Ian gripped his phone tighter. "Fortunately for everyone else, I'm not interested in them. I only have eyes for you". Clearly he was talking to Don. Ian didn't like the man's tone at all. There was something underneath, something even more sinister than the sickly sweet voice he had now. "After all, you're my beautiful doll."
Instantly that brought flashbacks to one of the letters that Ian had read from a serial killer. The exact one that was in LA right now. "You're the Artist".
"So he does have some intelligence. Now I get why you dated him" the man said. The fact that he said 'date' in past tense did not escape Ian.
"What the fuck did you do to him?" Billy demanded, finally speaking after a few stunned silence.
"Nothing much…" The man replied, "My angel is quite stubborn and he doesn't know what's good for him. So I decided to take some countermeasures to keep him from caving my skull in."
"Fuckin wish I brained you before you hit me" Don growled, sounding annoyed. A part of Ian wanted to snort at the answer. Typical Don. Even in pain and with a disadvantage, he was still a stubborn and sarcastic asshole.
"Tututut, your family should really teach you some manners" the man admonished, "That's no way to talk to your future husband".
That declaration felt like an icy shock. "What the fuck are you talking about?" Ian demanded, his mind hoping that he had misheard everything.
"Oh…you don't know do you?" The man asked, sounding smug. "He is mine now. Isn't that right sweetheart?"
"I'd rather you finish the damn job and kill me right now" Don growled.
"Shut up Eppes!" Ian hissed, pissed at the blatant disregard Don had on his own life. Sure, he understood that getting killed was definitely better than being forced to marry a deranged serial killer, but that doesn't mean that he should throw his life away at the first chance.
"Alright pal, I don't know who you are, but I can guarantee this" Billy said, his tone threatening, "You lay a single finger on him and you'll have the best that the FBI has to offer gunning for your ass. So why don't you back off and we'll consider not busting your brains in when we see you".
The man let out a hollow laugh. "Empty threats Agent, especially since every single one of you is in god knows where and Agent Eppes is with me. Isn't that right sweetie?". As soon as he asked that, a familiar pained shout rang through, almost making Ian drop his phone in shock.
"STOP! DON'T HURT HIM!" Charlie screamed, begging. His voice drowned out all the curses that emitted from Colby and Billy. David and Megan were silent, no doubt assessing the situation.
"Listen to your baby brother doll" the man mocked, "Or else they'll hear me put another bullet through you."
Fuck Ian thought. Bullet wounds were unpredictable. They could miss all the important organs, but they could also nick something serious. Don is not in a good position. As if he heard everyone's internal panic, Don shouted out, "It's just a shoulder wound that went through and through, I'll be fine".
"Fine my ass!" Colby said, his tone sarcastic.
"Don, do you know the statistics of people dying from untreated bullet wounds through the shoulder?!" Charlie almost shrieked, his tone high and panicked.
"Not the time Chuck!"
"Your brother is right, you know" The man said, "untreated bullet wounds can cause some nasty side effects"
"Don't pretend like you care, you're the one who shot me in the first place!"
"Only because you fought back" The man replied, sounding annoyed. "If you had just sat there and took what I gave you, none of this would've happened."
"You tried to kiss me! Of course I fought back!"
"You forgot," the man growled. Suddenly there were sounds, like someone was being slammed on something solid and a hiss of pain from Don. "You no longer have a choice anymore."
"Get off of me!" Don shouted, clearly struggling.
The man laughed, "go ahead and struggle all you want. The more you do, the more enticing you are to me. Soon, I won't be able to keep my hands off of you".
"Don't even try," Don threatened. Ian's mind conjured up horrible scenario after horrible scenario. For once, he cursed his job, his experience helping to fuel his imagination in full resolution.
"My pretty little doll…there's no use resisting me". Then he heard Don's voice, muffled by something. If the sounds were any indication, Ian was sure that the man went in for another kiss.
Ian slammed his fist on the wall, angry that he was powerless to stop whatever was happening to the one person that meant so much to him. "ASSHOLE!" he shouted into the phone. For once he was at a loss at what to do. He wasn't the only one too. Everyone else was either cursing the man out or was calling out to Don to hold on.
Just as it seemed that everything was going to spiral down, Ian heard sirens in the distance. "What the hell?!" the man said, sounding stunned for the first time.
Don let out a triumphant laugh, "Backup's finally here".
"You called them? How?!" the man demanded.
"I won't tell you even if you rip me apart," Don replied.
"You might've won this time, but remember this Angel, you cannot hide from me. I WILL find you. And when I do, I'll never let go."
"Bring it on," Don challenged. Ian wanted to smack his boyfriend in the face for that. Don't challenge the clearly deranged serial killer idiot. They were definitely going to have one hell of a conversation when he got to LA. And yes, he will be snitching to Alan later on.
"Until we meet again, my sweet angel"
"Hopefully that time will be never" Don muttered. "Gary's here with backup, finally" he said, sounding relieved. Multiple heavy footsteps followed as shouting was heard. They were probably chasing down the man.
"Eppes, you okay?" Ian heard another voice speak through, probably the 'Gary' that Don was talking about.
"Lieutenant Walker, how's Don's condition?" Megan asked. Seems like she knows him. Probably someone the team worked with in the past.
"Mostly awake but starting to fade, looks like he's lost a lot of blood. I've called the ambulance so they should be on their way here."
Ian felt his body sag with relief. He could also hear everyone audibly sigh at that, releasing all the tension they had when they heard Don in pain. "That's good news".
"I told you to call for them," Lieutenant Walker admonished Don.
"What do you mean by that?" Billy demanded.
"Can't…" Don replied, "too dangerous…"
"Don, you can't be serious" David spoke up after being silent for the entire time.
"I am…" Don sounded like he was fading fast because his last few words were said in a whisper, "Don't come back…too dangerous…stay away…"
"EPPES!" Gary shouted, "Shit! He's conked out. I apologize but I have to cut this conversation short."
"Lieutenant Walker" Megan said, "just one thing before you go"
"What is it Agent Reeves?"
"Tell Don he's being an idiot if he thinks that he can keep us out of LA, especially since we now know that he's being targeted" this time it was Charlie that answered, his tone resolute. But the sentiment was the same. Don is an idiot if he thinks that they're just going to stand idly by as he gets himself into danger.
"Donnie aint the only one who can throw himself into harm's way" Billy said, and for once Ian agreed with him.
"He better prepare for the storm of lectures that will come when we all get there" David snickered.
"I take it that you're all coming back to LA?" Lieutenant Walker asked.
"Oh definitely," Colby said, "he can't do something stupid if we're all watching him."
"We won't let him sacrifice himself again, not when we can find a way to stop it" Megan's tone was angry, but determined and left no room for argument.
"So tell Don that he better prepare himself, because we're coming back to LA and we're not backing down until the man is captured or in a body bag" Ian finished their statement.
Lieutenant Walker gave a small chuckle, "Eppes wasn't kidding when he said you were protective."
"Call it us being his external self preservation instincts" Ian replied, grinning, "Since he seems to not have any installed in him".
"You're not wrong. Alright, I'll send the message. You guys better get here before he damages himself even further."
"We'll do our best Sir" Billy said. Then Don's line went dead.
"So, we're absolutely snitching to Dad, right?" Charlie asked.
"Oh definitely" Ian agreed. Everyone else let out sounds of agreement as well.
Despite the dangers, Ian couldn't help but smile. Don might try to be stubborn and force them away, but they collectively could outstubborn him. Especially with Alan Eppes on their side.
He gripped the edge of his table, That asshole better watch out, because he just messed with the wrong person. He had hurt the one person that Ian had ever loved. The one person that was widely loved and admired throughout the law enforcement in LA. That meant war.
He might've been confident and underestimated them, but Ian could tell that the man hadn't realized what he'd done. By targeting Don Eppes, the Artist had unknowingly unleashed hell upon himself. And Ian would gladly be the one to bring it.
I'll make sure he regrets everything he's ever done.
A/N: Looks like the "Don Eppes Protection Squad" is in full protective mode. Don is NOT going to be happy about this. Don't worry, he'll make more dumb decisions before they arrive to kick his ass into taking care of himself, the self sacrificing idiot. We'll get more team as a family, protective team, protective charlie, protective boyfriends, protective dad, and so much more later on so stay tuned. And before you ask, they will definitely give him either an ass whooping or the longest lecture that could last for centuries.