"Hotchner."
"Hey, it's me," Morgan's voice came over the phone.
"How's it going out there?"
"I arrived in Pakistan just a few days ago, and it feels like I've already been here an eternity," Hotch replied, his voice barely audible over the cacophony of helicopters buzzing above them.
The oppressive heat of the midday sun only added to the day's weight.
"We've got some territorial disputes to navigate; it's nothing I didn't expect before coming here, but it's still a challenge." He leaned closer to the radio to catch Morgan's response amidst the noise.
"How is everything on your end?"
"Hotch, we located Declan Doyle," Morgan declared, his voice steady but filled with urgency.
"What did you say?" Hotch responded, disbelief etched across his face as he tried to grasp the weight of Morgan's words.
"Just listen to me for a second. I realized that tracking down the kid was the only avenue I had to get to Doyle," Morgan explained, his mind racing with the potential implications of this discovery. He couldn't shake the knot of anxiety forming in his stomach as he considered the broader consequences.
"I can already sense what's running through your mind, man," Morgan said.
"Is Declan safe?" Hotch finally settled on asking.
"At the moment, yes. I've had surveillance teams keeping tabs on his home and school for the last few weeks to ensure we're always one step ahead."
"Morgan, I never approved of this kind of operation—"
"I understand that, Hotch, but you must hear me out. I strongly feel that Doyle might have also tracked Declan's whereabouts."
Hotch shook his head. "All right, I'm coming back."
"You want me to wait?" Morgan asked incredulously.
"Morgan, fixated on his son as he may be, Doyle is still brilliant and meticulous," Hotch reminded. "You make sure you have eyes on Doyle from all angles. If you take him alive, keep him under constant surveillance and limit his contact with other people, even if they're our own."
"Em, I can see that you're upset, and I completely understand. I share your frustration because it's frustrating to think that they believed bringing Jasper into the situation would somehow resolve the issues with Doyle. Instead, it only complicates things further."
"Clyde, my problem is that they never used a child for something like this. They didn't use Jack, so why did they think using my child was a good idea!"
"Maybe Hotchner will know the answers."
"He damn well better have them because heads will roll if my child is hurt."
"Emily..."
"Don't. I didn't fake his death, my death twice just so my so-called family could put him at risk."
Emily pushed the door to the Behavioral Analysis Unit, and the familiar hum of activity greeted her as she stepped inside. Her gaze immediately fell on Will, who was crouched down, his hand resting on the head of little Jack. Beside them stood Jessica, her arms crossed thoughtfully, while Henry bounced excitedly on the tips of his shoes, eager to show off something. The warm atmosphere of camaraderie filled the room, and Emily felt a rush of affection for her family as they engaged in a lively conversation.
"Emily!" she called out, her voice urgent as she tried to catch her friend's attention. Jessica and Will's hushed whispers reached her ears, but their words were muffled—an air of tension filled the atmosphere.
Morgan stood there, his frustration palpable as he glared at the surrounding group. "Any issues?" he repeated, his voice brimming with incredulity, a hint of anger punctuating each word. He swept a hand through his hair, exasperated. Yeah, I got issues," he muttered, his voice trailing off as he realized the others had shifted their focus to something behind him. Their expressions revealed a mix of curiosity and concern.
Emily stepped in with Clyde right behind her. "I just have one question," Emily said in a cool voice.
"Who idea was it to use my son to find him?"
Emily stares at all of them, "Well? Is someone going to answer me? Who the fuck thought using my son, the same son I faked his death to protect him from his father, to use him to get Doyle?"
"Emily-
"It was Morgan and Garica," JJ said.
"Reid, Rossi, Hotch, and I had no idea, so they kept it to themselves."
Emily pivoted on her heels to confront Penelope, who was awkwardly trying to embrace her and Morgan while wearing a tense, frustrated expression. Sensing the escalating tension in the air, Emily took a resolute step forward, locking eyes with Morgan, the source of her anger. Without hesitation, she swung her fist, landing a solid punch squarely on his jaw, the impact echoing in the charged atmosphere.
Before she could process the moment, she felt Garica's hands grip her arms, attempting to pull her back and defuse the situation. But the adrenaline coursing through her veins clouded her judgment. In a sudden surge of frustration, she pivoted and delivered a sharp slap across Garica's face, the sound crisp and startling amid the chaos. The room fell silent as shocked expressions engulfed the faces around her, each person grappling with the unexpected turn of events.
"How dare you two?" Emily screamed as Clyde held her back as Hotch stood between the three of them.
"Who gave you the right to put MY SON in danger like that?" Emily asked as she struggled against Clyde and Hotch.
"We never NEVER use a child! We didn't have Jack, and we are sure we will never use Henry like this. WHY does MY SON doesn't rank as Jack and Henry?" Emily asked as tears fell from her eyes.
JJ and Hotch felt their hearts shatter as Emily's unspoken question hung heavily. Did Derek and Penelope's indifference towards Emily's son stem from their judgments about his father? The realization brought a wave of sorrow.
When the truth surfaced, Reid had turned to Rossi, his voice laced with concern as he posed the troubling question. Even Strauss, with her usual composure, found herself echoing those doubts, her brow furrowed in disapproval.
As the tension escalated, Strauss entered the room just in time to witness Emily unleashing her fury on Agents Morgan and Garcia. The sharpness of Emily's words cut through the air, and Strauss knew she couldn't stand back any longer; she had to intervene before the situation spiralled further out of control.
"I believe it would be best for Agents Morgan and Gracia to call it a night and head home," Strauss announced, his voice cutting through the low hum of conversation. The air instantly thickened with surprise, causing a palpable silence to descend.
All eyes turned toward Morgan, who furrowed his brow in disbelief.
"What?" he asked, his tone a mix of confusion and protest as he struggled to understand the unexpected decision.
"I agreed with Agent Prentiss. We don't use children as a means to an end. The mother of said child, who is now missing, doesn't trust two of the people who are meant to find her child. As a mother myself, I won't trust you both to find my child, as you are the ones who put this child in the position in the first place. I suggest before the grandparents of this child who has the clarence level to know everything that you leave for the night."
As the soothing strains of Strauss enveloped the room, JJ wrapped her arms around Emily in a comforting embrace.
Meanwhile, Derek glanced over at Hotch, intending to share and ask him to step in, but his words caught in his throat. Hotch's expression was tight, barely concealing the disgust that flickered beneath the surface.
"Emily?" Penelope voice breaks.
"Go! I don't want the people who put my son in this position."
Emily turned to the computer screen to see the photo of her son.
"Do you know that it has been five years since I got to see and hold him?"
"Just go so I could focus on him."
Emily stops them, "His name is Jasper Clyde Prentiss, not Declan Doyle."
Emily cradles Jasper gently in her arms, positioning him close against her chest as she instinctively turns her body to shield him from the horror unfolding before them. She can feel his small, warm face pressing into the crook of her neck, his soft hair brushing against her skin. The weight of the moment settles heavily on her, her heart aching as she watches Doyle's final moments with a mix of disbelief and sorrow.
Amid this chaos, the heartbreaking sound of Jasper's voice breaks through her reverie, a thread of innocence woven into the darkness. "Mama, are we safe now?" he asks, his tone filled with fear and hope as he shifts slightly, searching for reassurance in her embrace. Emily's heart aches anew, and she tightens her hold on him, wishing she could assure him everything would be alright.
"Yes, my love. We are safe." Emily said as she walked away with him in her arms.
Hotch and Clyde stood by Emily and Jasper as the EMT carefully assessed their conditions. The tension in the air was palpable as Emily turned to Clyde, her voice a mix of concern and urgency. "Is he gone?" she asked, searching his expression for answers.
Clyde nodded solemnly, his brow furrowing with the weight of the moment. "Yes," he replied quietly, reassuring her amidst the chaos.
Relief washed over Emily's face, but determination quickly replaced it. "Good," she said firmly, her thoughts racing.
"I need to return to the BAU to pick up my bag. After that, I want to head to my mom's. She needs to see me." Her voice softened at the end, revealing her underlying emotion about her mother's support in such a trying time.
The team stood together, their expressions a mix of concern and anticipation as they observed Hotch carefully helping Emily and her young son into the back seat of the SUV. Emily adjusted her grip on her son, whispering reassuring words to him, attempting to calm his nerves amid the chaos surrounding them. Meanwhile, Easter settled into the front passenger seat, glancing back at the two in the rearview mirror with a serious look on his face.
JJ broke the silence as the tension mounted, her voice steady yet tinged with emotion. "You may be angered by Emily's choices, Hotch, and even frustrated with me... But you should know that she might never truly forgive you for putting her innocent son in harm's way." Her words hung heavily in the air, a stark reminder of the stakes involved in their line of work. The weight of the situation was palpable, and the atmosphere was thick with unspoken ramifications, leaving everyone to grapple with the consequences of their actions.