Summary: Derek morgan/ Reid! male reader; reader and Derek forget to keep their marriage a secret
You hate keeping secrets. Your stomach is unsettled for the entire weekend and you pout at Derek the entire day on mOnday before he relents and you’re visiting your brother after work.
“Y/N, and Derek, you guys okay?”
“Mhm we’re-”
“MARRIED!” You blurt out almost jumping up and down on the welcome mat.
“Ah, so that’s what the present is for, an apology for not inviting me.” Spencer is clearly upset but is pushing that aside.
“I know; we just got court married for tax purposes this year; we’re planning on having the wedding party on our one year anniversary; to avoid anyone feeling bad.”
“So I’m guessing this is a noone but us knows?”
“Mhm.” You nod seriously and Derek chuckles, sharing a look with Spencer and you scowl.
“I’ve told Spence; I can keep it a secret from everyone else!! It’s just for a year; well less depending on when you re-propose.”
“How did you propose the first time?”
“Fancy dinner and flowers, ring was in the desert.”
“Classic.” Spencers nods but is watching you. Derek leaves for a moment and Spencer smirks.
“So how will you be proposing to him?” You stutter and try to stall until Derek gets back.
“I’m not…”
“Y/N I know you; you want to surprise him; which is fine. You have to at least let me in on this.”
“Okay fine I-”
“My ears are burning.” Derek chooses that moment to walk back in and you playfully scowl at him.
”So Y/N, are you going to swap over your official documents to have your last name be Morgan; or are you planning on hyphanting it?” Derek playfully teases and you chuckle with him.
“Jokes on you, I already did it.” You clamp your hands over your mouth and Derek just laughs.
“How does the rest of the team not know?”
“Pure luck; also Spence said he’s been making jokes about the filing team ship us or something.”
”Morgan; yeah he’s here.”
“Derek… Oh, yes of course. Y/N; it’s for you.”
“Thanks.” You grin and take the phone listening to one of the case managers discussing the files you sent over. You can feel everyone watching you and then when their glares shift to Spencer. You don’t think about their faces or the impending explanation as you hang up the phone and try to busy yourself with writing down the manager's name as well as the files you’ll need to send over.
”Morgan!” Hotch snaps and both you and Derek turn around; you’re already half apologizing but Hotch just laughs.
“Oh come on!!! There’s no way gossip travels that fast!!” Derek laughs a little and you narrow your eyes at your brother; he holds his hands up and shakes his head slightly.
“Spence; you had to tell them!”
“You did; on one of those case missions; you said that you were glad it wasn’t your husband on a rampage and the like week before you were gushing about how Morgan number one was your first kiss; which isn’t a lie and-” You clamp your hands over Spencer’s mouth before he can say anything else.
“I was your first kiss?”
“Yeah you were Morgan number one; and comment.”
“Was I good?”
“Did you miss the part where Spence said I was ‘gushing’ over the kiss.”
Prompt - ‘I can't say hello to you and risk another goodbye.’
It had been an exhaustingly long case, both you and Derek being forced to act like nothing was wrong between you when in reality being around the man made you want to cry.
Things had been great between you, together for over a year, moved in with one another, things had been great. You couldn’t even pinpoint when things had started going bad, you just remembered that the two of you were arguing more, you remembered that in the last few months you’d spent more time in the guest bedroom than you did in your own.
The tension between the two of you eventually seeped into your work life and Hotch had taken to keeping the two of you as far away from each other as he could whereas he usually paired you with each other for most assignments, knowing how well the two of you worked together.
Derek was the one to finally put an end to the relationship after months of fighting, months of faking smiles and telling everyone things were fine, everyone had rough patches, after months of sleeping alone and days without talking to one another.
“We can’t do this anymore Y/N,” He had snapped one day, the two of you were arguing in the kitchen. Hateful words thrown at each other in the heat of the moment. Derek sighed before softening his voice and repeating, “We can’t do this anymore.”
You blinked against the tears, you knew he was right but it didn’t mean you wanted it to end. All you wanted was for the fighting to stop, you didn’t even know what you were fighting over anymore. You’d never fallen out of love with Derek, you still loved him more than anything but ultimately you knew he was right.
“I know,” You replied, voice just as soft as his.
You watched his face fall, your expression mirroring his as you both came to terms with the fact your relationship was just over.
Derek took a step closer to you, lifting his hand to cup your face, giving you plenty of time to pull away before he dipped his head down and let his mouth connect with yours.
It was then you let the tears fall, the saltiness could be tasted on both your lips as he kissed you softly, trying not to let his own tears fall.
When he pulled away he rested his forehead on yours, looking at your face he couldn’t help but let a single tear fall as he brushed yours away.
“I love you baby.” He whispered, causing you to scrunch your nose up as you tried desperately to stop more tears from coming.
“I love you too,” You told him, nodding slightly as you did.
From then on everything became tense. You and Derek didn’t know how to act around each other. Hotch continued to keep you separate and the two of you avoided each other as best you could and you did quite a good job considering the close quarters you worked in.
Emily hadn’t hesitated to offer you her spare bedroom as you looked for your own apartment and she watched as you fell apart after rough cases, the only thing that could help was the one person you couldn’t have.
Sometimes Derek reached out, a phone call or a text, but you never replied. As much as you loved him, and you did love him more than words could say, you couldn’t say hello to him again and risk another goodbye. You knew he probably hadn’t even considered that but the first breakup was so painful, you couldn’t go through it again.
Tonight though it took everything in you not to call him. Tonight you just wanted to be with him, his arms secure around your waist, holding you tightly, his touch grounding you. You wanted him to kiss your forehead and whisper sweet nothings that always made you feel better.
But you didn’t call or text him. You didn’t get in your car and drive to the place you once called home. There were so many times where you had nearly given in, nearly gone to him, almost done it, but you resisted.
The thought of having him back just to lose him again was far too painful.
You knew in some ways that it was probably for the best the two of you had parted ways before you ruined everything with each other forever. At least calling it quits when you did meant there may have been a possibility, somewhere down the line, there was a chance you could reconnect, be friends again, be in the same room without any tension.
It had been an exhaustingly long case, both you and Derek being forced to act like nothing was wrong between you when in reality being around the man made you want to cry. You bet at this time of night that Derek was still up, just as tired as you after a long, hard week. You bet he was sitting in that chair by the window, looking out at the view, in the seat that you had both once occupied, you in his lap with his arms holding you securely.
You hoped he was thinking about you as much as you were thinking about him, you hoped he missed you as much as you missed him. You hoped one day that the two of you would be ready to find each other again and this time not let each other go.
Here’s part two of writing different situations I can hear this song playing to. It probably sucks. Also it’s my first Derek imagine and I’m definitely going to write more.
Warnings: swearing, kidnapping, horrible punctuation and grammar lol
Wordcount: 1060
"Yn" Derek says walking over to me as I stand doubled over beside the suv and I look up wiping my mouth.
"Are you okay?" He asks and I hum.
"Talk to me" he says and I start crying.
"It's too much Derek. There are eight families in there, three of which have kids the same age of Grace. Tomorrow they have to try to go back to normal for their other kids while not knowing if their babies or alive or dead Derek" I say and he hugs me and I wrap my arms around him and he kisses my head.
"I know but that's why we're here. We're here to help them figure that out so here's what we're going to do. You're going to take a deep breath and take a minute to collect yourself and then you're going to go in there and we're going to put our focus on this because if it was Grace we'd want everyone as clearheaded as possible while trying to find her so we're going to go in there recharged and we're going to help these people get the answers they deserve be it good or bad" he says and I step back taking a deep breath and I nod.
"We should get coffee. We've been working for like 36 hours straight on shitty coffee" I say and he laughs.
"Yeah, we'll go get some good coffee and a toothbrush for you" he says and I smile at him.
"Alright everyone split up and stay with your officers they will be your backup. Make sure to listen for any type of noise that could be the kids" Hotch says as we all stand at the location the unsub gave us after he was caught and everyone nods and walks off and I pull my gun out and Derek kisses me.
"Be careful" I say.
"I will. You too, we have babies to get home to" he says and I smile at him and I lead my officers off as we start checking all the cargo containers.
"Aurora Pd!" I yell and they open it and I hold my gun up so the light can shine in there and it's empty.
"Dispatch crate 46 is empty" I say into my walkie and we move on.
"Aurora Pd!" I yell and they open it and I hold my gun up and I notice a blanket on the ground and I nod at Scott, the officer helping me and he goes inside and he picks it up.
"It's Brianna's" he says.
"Hotch we found a blanket from Brianna. They are definitely here" I say.
"Copy that, keep moving" he says.
"Dispatch crate 47 is empty" Scott says and we bag the blanket and move on and I stop when I hear whimpering and I rush over holding my gun up and she scoots back whimpering and scoot holds his light up and I put my gun away.
"Hey princess. I'm with the Fbi, my name is Yn Morgan but you can call me Yn. What's your name?" I ask.
"Juliana Flores" she says shivering and I smile at her.
"Juliana we've been looking everywhere for you baby. Your parents are going to be so happy to see you" I say grabbing the emergency blanket and I wrap it around her and she wraps her arms around me and I pick her up.
"I found Juliana Flores, everything seems to be okay with her. She's just freezing" I say.
"Thank god" Emily says.
"That's one, seven more to go" Spencer says.
"Keep going. It's going to drop another ten degrees in the next couple hours we need to find them fast" Hotch says and I walk her over to the ambulance and her parents run over and I step back and they hug her as they all cry and I smile before I run back to my team.
"Hotch we're going to need more people to help here" Derek says.
"I agree. I radioed in for more officers" he says.
"Why don't we get the people to help?" JJ asks.
"They'll be the perfect help" I say.
"I agree, we've only covered about 200 crates and we've been out here for two plus hours. There's at least six hundred more to go and we can't do it alone" Spencer says.
"JJ" Hotch says.
"On it. I'll go start getting everything ready" she says and the radio goes silent so I move on.
"Aurora pd!" I yell and I hear screaming.
"Help us!" Someone screams and I stop Scott from walking and everyone behind him stops and I look around hoping to hear them again and it's quiet.
"If you can hear me, scream again!" I yell and it's followed by a bunch of different screams and we run towards the voices and they quickly get it open and I hold up just my light.
"Oh my god" I breath out.
"JJ. You might want to hold off on the backup. I found all seven children. Crate six" I say and I go inside and I start cutting the chains off of them and I wrap an emergency blanket around them before sending them out and I do that to all seven children.
"Where Juliana?" Tyler asks as I free him.
"She's with her parents" I say and he starts crying and I help him out and over to the paramedics and I watch all the families hold each other as they cry and I see flurries of snow and I look up as it starts to fall and I hold my hand out catching one and I feel Derek wraps his arms around me from behind and I lean into him as he rests his chin on top of my head.
"Merry Christmas" he whispers.
"No way" I say grabbing his wrist to check his watch and it's 12:01.
"Merry Christmas" I say.
"This was all you, you found them just in time to be able to make it home to their families" he says.
"We all did this" I say smiling as as we all stand around watching the parents with their kids.
"Let's get home to our babies" I whisper.
"Let's go" he says and I pull away and I grab his hand and we all load up to go home.
Warnings: Reader and Derek are in the tub together, but nothing sexual takes place. However I’m making this a no minors engage just to be safe. Pregnancy is also involved.
You smile as Derek drags the washcloth over your back. It’s nice and warm, and the body wash on it feels really good against your skin. Once he’s rinsed it you lean back against him, and the warm water rushes to meet your aching back. You relax against his chest, and close your eyes.
This warm bath is the first bit of relief you’ve had in days, thanks to a rather large pregnant belly, and being a week past your due date. You haven’t been sleeping, and your body has been aching for days. So when Derek had suggested a warm bath, not a hot one because those weren’t recommended during pregnancy, you had jumped at the opportunity. When he had joined you in the tub, your hormones had effectively left you in grateful tears.
“How you feeling mama?”
“Better.”
“Yeah?” His arms slip around your waist, and his hands settle on your belly. The kicks start a second later, and he smooths his hands over the area. He leans forward to look at your belly, which is sticking up through the bubbles, and says to your daughter, “Watch yourself little miss. If you’re getting cramped in there, you’re welcome to make your appearance any time.”
And being the daddy’s girl that she already is, your daughter calms down. He shoots you a cocky grin and you roll your eyes before mumbling, “Stubborn like her dad.”
He nudges you gently in the side, “And her mom.”
His hands slip back to your shoulders and he starts rubbing them. Derek has been a saint during your pregnancy. He’s been there every moment that he can. Even when he’s on case, if you were having a craving he found a way to get it delivered. He’d painstakingly put together your daughter’s nursery, including hand painting flowers on the wall.
His hands move lower and he works out a knot there that has your eyes fluttering in contentment. It also leaves you with hope that you might be able to sleep tonight.
The two of you stay in the tub until the water starts to turn cold. At which point he carefully helps you out of the tub, dries you off, and helps you slip into your night shirt. You watch him slip into his pajama pants, your hand on your belly, and when he looks at you with a smile, he says, “What?”
“Just thinking about how in love with you I am.”
He walks back to you, and settles his hands on your hips, “I love you too mama. And just think, at any moment, we can go from a family of two to a family of three.”
You groan, “While I’m not looking forward to labor, I am looking forward to our baby girl. I just wish she’d come already. I’d like to see my feet again.”
Derek just smiles and kisses you, and you fall asleep eternally grateful for your life.
You’re Safe with Me - Criminal Minds Reader Insert
Pairing: Morgan x fem!reader
Warnings: trauma, kidnapping, PTSD (in reader), violence, descriptions of torture, language,
Word count: 9.7k (my biggest fic to date!)
Y/H means your height, Y/H/C means your hair color, Y/F/N means your first name, Y/L/N means your last name and Y/N means your name. A small crossover in this one (an appearance by some of my favorite NCIS characters!)
Summary: The reader escapes from their kidnapper, only to find Derek Morgan, who helps her as she struggles to regain footing in her life.
A/N: I’ve been working on this one for a while and have decided to dedicate it to all of you who have helped me reach my 500 follower milestone! You are all amazing and I can’t thank you enough!
* This is a dark one y’all. Please read the warnings before continuing. *
You struggle to pull yourself through the small ground floor window, ignoring the broken glass that bit into your hands as you try to find purchase on something solid outside the window. A loud crash behind you sends your already rapidly beating heart into overdrive as you finally get up and over the edge of the window sill. You immediately take off running once you are standing, stumbling a bit before you hit your stride. The threadbare socks you have on your feet do nothing to prevent the sting caused by the occasional sharp stone and stray stick. The thumping of your heart echoing in your eardrums drowns out any other sound as you try to focus enough to take in your surroundings.
You are running through a thickly wooded area, the blackening sky creating a dizzying patchwork of dark areas and hidden obstacles. You go careening over a large rock that had been partially hidden in the dark and land heavily on the ground. You scramble up, taking a second to risk a glance over your shoulder. You don’t see anything but you can hear the heavy pounding behind you, making you push yourself even faster. You can just make out a clearing ahead and a tight feeling of fear squeezes in your chest at the possibility of being out in the open, where he could see you.
You start to skirt around the edge of the clearing, intent on staying out of the open, when you see the stately gray colonial, partially unsided, dominating the open space. If it had just been an empty house, you wouldn’t have paid it any mind. The bright yellow light cascading out of the windows into the falling night, and the large, dark truck parked in front of the garage gives away the fact that there is someone inside. Before you can fully grasp what you were doing, you find yourself racing towards the front door.
You trip up the steps on your way to the front door, narrowly missing wracking your knee against the cement. You start relentlessly pounding on the door, each passing second with no answer leaving you filled with more and more dread.
A tall, dark man, wearing a sweaty, dust covered gray shirt and a pair of safety goggles slung around his neck opens the door, a perplexed expression on his face just as you burst through. You push past his solid body, slipping under his arm and shoving the door shut behind you. You flip the lock and slide below the glass window on the door, staying out of view as you look up at the man in front of you. “Please help me.” You whisper softly, your pleading Y/E/C eyes meeting his soft, dark brown ones.
His eyes search yours for a moment, before he sticks out his hand to help you up. Even though you had just asked this stranger for help, you still didn’t feel ready to trust him. You shy away from his hand, hugging the wall of the entryway as you slowly stand up.
You can feel his eyes studying you, taking in your unkempt, ragged appearance, your skin littered with bruises and cuts, and the heavy bags underneath your eyes from lack of proper sleep. “My name is Derek Morgan and I work with the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI. Are you in trouble?” His deep voice soothes your frayed nerves, causing you to let out a deep breath.
You wonder if he is telling the truth, if he really would help you, or even if you could truly trust him and you search his eyes, looking for even the faintest indication that he was lying. You come to the conclusion that you don’t really have a choice. Either you can trust him, getting the help you need, or you could go it on your own and risk getting caught by him again. A shiver grasps your spine at the thought of being back in that dingy, dim-lit basement.
“I’m Y/F/N Y/L/N and I-I need…” You are cut off by a loud knocking on the door, which has you scrambling backwards into the sparsely filled, unlit living room. You don’t even have to look to know who it is and why he is there. You choke back a sob of fear as you turn your eyes to Derek’s, asking, pleading, begging him to help you. He gives you a sharp nod, before moving towards the door. You move even further into the living room, stepping back into the shadows and out of the sight of the door.
“Hello. Is there something I can help you with?” You hear Derek greet the person on the other side of the door, his voice with a sharp edge to it that hadn’t been there before. You hold your breath, afraid of making even the slightest noise and giving away your hiding place.
“Hi, sorry to bother you at this hour. My wife and I got in a fight and she took off running. I am worried about her as we are new to the area and haven’t had time to get a sense of our surroundings. She is about Y/H, with Y/H/C hair and was wearing an old college T-shirt.” The lies roll off his tongue effortlessly, causing a surge of fear to rise inside you as you wonder if Derek will believe him.
“Shoot man, I’m not sure what to tell you. No one has come around here and even if they had, I probably wouldn’t have heard them. I’ve been sanding the floors all day.” There is a pause in conversation, the wild beating of your heart filling your ears as each second slowly ticks by.
“Did you by chance see her cross through your yard?” He questions, suspicion coloring his voice.
“Sorry man. I can’t help you.” Derek responds gruffly. You can hear some shuffling followed by a “well thanks”, the door closing and the lock clicking into place. You still don’t move, the fear of being found keeping you frozen in place. Derek moves slowly into the living room, stopping when he was still a good ten feet from you. “Come with me to the BAU and I can help you, the team can help you.” His voice is gentle as he looks at you, his dark eyes searching yours.
You chew on your lower lip as you slowly, nervously, nod your head. “Okay.” You whisper, dropping your eyes to the ground. It had been too close of a call and Derek already proved that he wouldn’t turn you over to him and that in itself meant you could trust him. You were ready to end this nightmare and make him pay for what he did.
You timidly nod your head, taking a few steps closer to him but still staying out of his reach, just in case. “Here, put this on.” He hands you a black hoodie, waiting as you put it on. “I need to run upstairs and shut down the sander. I’ve got to make a quick call to Hotch as well.” He must have read the fear that had flashed across your face because he quickly adds, “I’ll only be a minute.” He turns and quickly makes his way up the stairs, with you hesitantly following for a few steps, unsure of what to do. The sheer panic you felt at being left alone, only minutes after he had been at the door, has you wrapping your arms tightly around yourself. Despite the small amount of trust you had of him and the short time you had been in his presence, Derek had become something of a guardian to you, for you. You oddly felt safe around him and a part of you knew, without question, that he would protect you with his life.
He came back a minute or so later, just as he had promised, carrying a pair of work boots in his hands. “These belong to my friend.” He looks down at your feet, then back at the large boots before handing them to you. “If we lace them tight, they should work until we get to Quantico.” You give a small nod as you make quick work of lacing the boots up.
When the two of you reach the front door, Derek stops, turning to you. “In case he is still out there, we have to make it look less like we are two strangers.” His words have you quirking up an eyebrow in confusion. “We’ve got to make it look like we know each other.” The emphasis he placed on the word ‘know’ has you immediately catching on to what he was implying.
“I’m going to have to put my arm around you.” He says slowly, waiting for some form of consent from you. You nod, despite the quickening feeling of fear in your chest. He slowly reaches behind your head to bring the hood of the sweatshirt up and over your head. He opens the door before wrapping his arm around your shoulders and pulling you in close. “Tuck your face into my chest, just in case.” He murmurs into your ear and you do as he says. He was warm and the unique smell of sweat and wood combined with some expensive cologne actually managed to sooth your raw nerves even more.
He keeps you close as the two of you walk to the truck. He leads you to the passenger side door, pulling away just enough to open the door while still managing to keep your face mostly hidden as he helps you into the passenger seat. The ride goes quickly, without much said between the two of you. You are kept silent by the fear building in your chest the closer you get to Quantico. You can feel your heart thumping loudly in your chest and wonder, briefly and irrationally, if Derek could hear it pounding in your chest.
Derek pulls into a parking spot not far from the building, the warm yellow glow of the lamps the only thing chasing away the darkness of the parking lot. A shiver runs down your spine and you find yourself frozen in place in the passenger seat as Derek exits the truck. You blindly watch him make his way around to the passenger side of the vehicle, opening the door for you when he reaches it. You make no move to leave as the fear of what lay ahead gnaws away at you. Derek takes a half step forward upon seeing your hesitation.
“I made a call earlier and the team is here and prepped. You’ll need to see a doctor, but we can probably do that here at Quantico. It’s going to be hard and it’s going to feel overwhelming, meeting the team, answering all the questions and everything else, but I’ll be there as long as you need me to be.” He pauses, searching your face for something, although you aren’t sure what. “You can trust me, I promise you that.” He trails off and you take a moment to steel your nerves before nodding as you slowly make your way out of the truck. Derek leads the way with you following closely behind, the fear of what might be hiding in the dark keeping you close to the man you had come to view, in a very short amount of time, as your guardian.
You follow him into the large, imposing building, onto an elevator and to the floor in which the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI resided. “We’ll go through these doors.” Derek says, letting go of your hand as he reaches them. You take a deep breath as you follow him through the glass doors. Derek gives you a small smile before introducing you to the six individuals spread out in the bullpen; Agent Hotchner (Hotch), team leader, Agents Prentiss, Rossi, and Jareau (JJ), a Dr. Spencer Reid, and one Penelope Garcia, technical analyst extraordinaire. He ends by saying, “Y/N, this is the team.”
The feeling of six different pairs of eyes on you has you shrinking behind Derek’s tall stature. The pity in the eyes of the small blonde, the cold expression on the tall man’s face, you remember his name is Hotch, and the sadness in the face of colorful redhead, combined with a sympathetic stare you were getting from the man with dark, greying hair had you feeling something akin to fearful hope. You knew you were going to have to tell them, these strangers about what had happened to you and that thought alone had you biting your lip to keep from tearing up. You also knew that they could help you. These people were the ones who would help you get your life back.
Derek turns back enough to look at you, his brown eyes softening when they meet yours. “You’re safe here, with the team. You’re safe with me.” He whispers, reaching back to give your hand a soft squeeze. You swallow back the tight feeling in your throat, giving him a small nod before looking back into the faces of the team.
“Prentiss, why don’t you take Y/N over to Ducky for an examination and Reid, you and JJ get started on a profile. Garcia, start digging up as much as you can on the unsub. We, at the very least, need a name and address. Morgan, meet me in my office in five.” Hotch rattles off, his voice commanding the team’s attention. Hearing that you would be going somewhere new, with someone other than Derek had your heart racing and your breathing quickening. You take a small step closer to Derek, not wanting to go to see this ‘Ducky’ with Agent Prentiss.
Derek must have sensed your unease because he says, rather quickly, “I’ll take her, Hotch, and then I’ll meet you in your office.” His tone leaves no room for argument, although from the look Hotch was giving him, you knew he would be hearing it the minute the two of them were in the privacy of Hotch’s office. Derek holds his gaze a moment longer before turning to you.
“Ready baby girl?” His words are soft and only meant for you. He uses the affectionate nickname so easily that it doesn’t register as odd to you. You give a small nod and he responds by holding out his hand. You hesitate, not entirely sure if you want to be touched, even by the man who seems to be breaking through all of the walls you had, but after a moment, you slowly slip your hand into his. His hand is warm, his fingers strong and his skin rough from years of work, but feeling it in yours provided you with a feeling of safety that you hadn’t felt in a long time.
The drive from the FBI building to the building where ‘Ducky’ was, which you note is actually the building for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, goes by much quicker than you expect. Shortly after going through a security check inside the doors, you and Derek are standing in what appears to be a morgue. A shorter, older gentleman wearing pale cyan scrubs and a pair of round glasses approaches the two of you.
“Why hello Agent Morgan. It has been some time since you were last here.” He addresses Derek first, his European accent adding a rhythm to his words. He turns to you next, a soft smile on his lips as he extends a hand. You timidly take his hand, a warmth of surprise running through you when he brings your hand up to press a gentle kiss to the back of it before holding it in both of his. “Hello my dear. I am Doctor Donald Mallard, although many call me Ducky.” He pauses, releasing your hand before continuing. “Y/N, would you take a seat?” He gestures towards a padded black desk chair near a modest ‘desk’.
“I will call you when we are finished, Agent Morgan.” He politely leads Derek to the sliding glass doors. Derek gives you a long look over his shoulder before getting on the elevator. You turn your attention to the man in front of you, who, in the time you had taken to look at Derek, had gotten himself a chair. “Alright my dear, let’s start where you feel most comfortable and we will go from there.” He says in an unhurried manner.
You struggle to find the words before stammering out, “He-he hurt me, in a-a-a lot of ways.” You trail off as you try to push down the memories of what happened in that dark, damp basement that had come flooding back. You try to continue, but a sudden rush of tears makes it hard for you to continue. Ducky, thankfully, does not push you to say more. Instead, he starts a methodical, medical examination, making sure to scrape underneath your fingernails and collect your clothes for analysis.
Forty-five minutes later, you were standing in the bullpen a few floors above the morgue, wearing Derek’s black hoodie and a pair of extra scrub pants Ducky had found. Ducky had called Derek, informing you he would be there as soon as possible and had led you upstairs to wait. You had just rolled one of the empty desk chairs forward and sat down when a loud voice had you jerking upright.
“Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs! I’ve…” A woman, her black hair in pigtails and black platform boots on her feet comes to a stop in front of you. “Oh my gosh, hello!” She sticks out a hand, which you timidly take. She enthusiastically continues as she shakes your hand, “I’m Abby, I work in forensics. And I just love your sweatshirt, very gothic chic.” She says, a wide smile on her face. You look down in surprise at the sweatshirt, red scrawled out letters spelling out the words ‘THE CURE’. You hadn’t a clue what it meant but you figured it most likely involved music.
“Thanks. I’m Y/N and I’m waiting for someone.” You say quietly, pulling the sleeves of the sweatshirt down to cover your hands, a nervous habit of yours.
“It looks like I am too, but knowing Gibbs, he already knows what I have to tell him. I hate when he does that.” She huffs out. “Gosh, I have been so insensitive. Is there anything I can help you with?”
You shake your head, a small smile growing on your face. In the short time you had known her, you knew Abby would be someone you’d like as a friend, despite her inclination to talk a lot. “No, just waiting for a friend. Thank you though.” You say, slightly surprised in yourself that you had called Derek a friend. “I like your boots; fashionable and practical.” You state with a small smile.
“Why thank you.” She says with a wide grin before giving you an inquisitive look. “Well, you don’t look like someone who is interested in Tony and you’re not waiting for Gibbs. My guess is Ziva. You seem like the badass kind of chick that she would hang out with.” For some reason that comment felt like a compliment, even if you didn’t know who Ziva was.
You are just about to answer when the elevator dings and Derek steps out, his dark eyes scanning the different divided areas of desks before they land on you. He gives you a soft smile and you nod in response. “I knew it.” Abby comments, wriggling her eyebrows at you. “Definitely not into Tony.”
“He’s just a friend.” You answer sofly, not wanting to have to explain any of what had happened to you so you op with an easy answer. She responds with a smile before changing the topic. “Next time you’re at NCIS, stop by the forensics lab. You seem like the kind of girl I’d like to get to know.” She surprises you with a hug before striding back the way she had come. You turn your attention to Derek just as he stops in front of you. “Ready baby girl?” He asks, giving you a once over as he does. You nod before following him out of the NCIS building.
A short time later, the two of you arrive back at the FBI building. You hesitate in front of the glass doors, knowing that on the other side lay questions you weren’t entirely sure you were ready to answer. You shake your head, trying to clear it of the negative thoughts that had started to flood your mind. You had to do this, you didn’t have a choice.
Upon entering the bullpen, you find a few of the team members sitting at desks and Hotch standing outside of his office. He comes to meet you and Derek, turning to you rather than Derek. “Y/N, I have some questions for you. We can go into the conference room to do so.”
“Hotch.” Derek interjects, “She needs rest first. This can wait a few hours at the very least.” You appreciate Derek’s willingness to stand up for you to his boss, but you quietly say, “It’s okay. You need me to answer these questions.”
He slowly moves one of his hands to catch your wrist, making sure you could see he wasn’t going to hurt you. “Are you sure?” His voice is quiet as he leans in a little closer to you. “You don’t have to do this right now.” You stare into his warm, brown eyes for a moment before responding softly. “I am, but thank you Derek.”
You can feel Hotch’s eyes on you before they land on where Derek’s hand was holding your wrist. The scrutiny of his gaze makes you uncomfortable and you delicately extract your wrist from his hold. “I’m ready, Hotch.” You say and he gives a stiff nod before leading the way to the conference room.
You trail after him, awkwardly taking a seat across from him at the round table. Derek sits in the seat next to you, but pulls it enough to the side that you can see him as well as Hotch from where you sat. Hotch looks ready to speak but Derek beats him to it. “Start wherever you’re comfortable Y/N.” You nod, dropping your gaze to your hands, which were folded in your lap, as you start.
“I, um, I don’t remember being taken. I just remember waking up, thinking I was at home in my own bed, but quickly realizing I wasn’t.” Your voice is quiet as you start to relive those first days in that dark, dingy basement.
You blink a few times, your eyelids feeling heavy, as you try to shake the groggy feeling from your brain. You expect to be greeted by soft light filtering in from the cracks in your curtains, as you usually are on your days off, but instead, the room was filled with solid darkness. You try to lift a hand to run over your face, but something stops you. The more you try to free your hand, the tighter the grip, of what you can only guess to be a rope, gets. You try your other hand but find it is tied down as well. Fear rises inside of you, settling on your chest like a heavy weight.
You struggle against the ropes keeping you down as you call, “Help! Help! Someone help!” A loud pounding sounds above your head, causing you to go silent. The sound of heavy footsteps making their way towards what you can only assume was the room you were located in had you struggling all the more vehemently to free yourself.
A door flies open, filling the room with bright, fluorescent light. You go still as the imposing figure that had been standing in the doorway starts moving towards you. “Now, now.” His voice is sickeningly sweet and causes a ball of dread to settle in your stomach. “Yelling isn’t going to get you anywhere. Who do you think is going to come rescue you down here?” He is right next to you now, the heavy smell of cheap cologne and cigarettes flooding your nose. You don’t see his hand move, but it’s slowly sliding down your cheek and stopping to rest under your chin only a moment later.
You shudder, cringing away from him. “Get off of me.” You hiss. A sharp slamp lands on your face a moment later. “Do not talk to me like that, woman.” His voice is cold, sounding completely different than it had only a few moments earlier. “You’ll do as I say if you want to stay alive.” You nod timidly, feeling overwhelmed by the entire situation.
“Now, why don’t you tell me your name?” He says, his hand roughly grabbing your jaw, catching you off guard.
His words from only seconds before fly from your head as your instinct to get free takes over. You shake your head out of his hold, continuing the struggle to free yourself from the hold of the ropes, which had started to harshly bite into the skin of your wrists and ankles.
Suddenly, his weight is pressing into you, his hands clamping around your wrists. You can feel his knee pressing into your chest, making it hard for you to breathe. His vulgar breath radiates in the air between your face and his, causing you to gag. “Do you not listen?” His voice is sharp as he whispers near your ear. “Until you learn, your life is going to be a living hell.” His weight disappears before something hard collides with your temple, causing pain to flare through your head. You are hit again, harder, in the same spot before you sink into darkness.
You drift in and out of consciousness for a long time, the painful throbbing in your head ever present and preventing you from getting any real rest. He doesn’t come back in that time, nor does he return once you regain and maintain consciousness. It is only after you are able to fall asleep for the first time since you’d woken up in that dark room that he returns. You don’t hear him come in but you wake up when the lights in the room flood on, a harsh laugh sounding when he witnesses your discomfort at the sudden light. You force yourself to get used to the light quickly, not wanting to sightless with him in the room.
“Are you ready to tell me your name now?” He says, a creepy smile forming on his face.
“Y/F/N...Y/L/N.” You whisper, feeling as though you were giving up some part of yourself by telling him this.
“Now was that so hard?” He asks, one of his hands reaching out to grab a lock of your hair, giving it a harsh tug. You grit your teeth against the stinging in your scalp. “I’m going to untie your feet and hands, but if you try anything. and I mean anything…” He trails off as he lets you see the black handgun resting within his reach, which just so happened to be out of yours. You nod, trying to swallow past the lump in your throat.
You remain stock still as he loosens the ropes that had been biting into the flesh of your wrists and ankles. After removing the ropes, he steps back, picking up the handgun as he does. He gestures, with the gun in hand, to the tray by the door.
“Get up and grab that tray.” He says, a rough hand on your elbow pulling you up from the bed. He gives you a hard shove forward, causing you to stumble and fall to the ground. You are quick to get back on your feet though, afraid of what might happen if you don’t. You try to hide the shaking of your hands by gripping the tray tightly as you pick it up. The sight of the simple sandwich and glass of water is enough to make your stomach growl and your mouth water. You carry the tray back to the bed and set it down. You are afraid to sit down yourself, for fear he would punish you for acting without permission, as you had quickly discovered he
“The food is for you and I will leave you untied to eat.” He steps closer, leaning down until he is face to face with you. “Try anything at all and it will be the last time I extend such a courtesy.” You nod, swallowing the lump of panic that had risen in your throat at his proximity. You watch as he leaves, never turning his back to you or lowering the gun. It isn’t until he pulls the door closed and you hear the tumble of the locks that you are able to let out a small breath.
You get so caught up in the memories of those days that you almost entirely forget that Morgan and Hotch are in the room with you. You roughly brush away the tears that had started falling down your face, embarrassed that you were breaking down in front of the two men. It is quiet for several moments before you hear Hotch clear his throat. You lift your head, glancing at Derek before you look at Hotch.
“Can you describe him Y/N?” His voice is soft as he leans forward a bit in his seat. You nod, taking in a deep breath.
“He is tall, medium build and middle aged.” You hesitate, fighting to stop the images of his face from flashing through your brain. Taking a deep breath, you continue. “He has dark hair and brown eyes. He had a small scar that cut through his right eyebrow. He was...he kept me in a house in the middle of nowhere and he told me to call him John.” You feel your heart start to race and your breath catch in your throat as memories start to flood your mind. You quickly stand, mumble out some sort of excuse and flee from the room. You abruptly realize that you had nowhere to run to. The conference room was the only room in the entire building that you had been in, aside from the lobby and the bullpen.
You soon find yourself in a small hallway that was tucked away from the main bullpen, at the end of which stood a gray door. You open the door, turning around to close it behind you as you rest your head against it. You hadn’t had a moment to yourself since you’d arrived at Quantico hours ago, and although part of you was grateful for that, the exhaustion and reality of the situation was starting to weigh on you.
“Chocolate thunder, is that you?” A voice startles you, causing you to spin around, just as the individual themselves turns around. You recognize the woman as one of the members of Derek’s team, but whose name you couldn’t remember.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize this was an office. I was just trying to find a quiet spot. I’ll go.” You ramble out, reaching for the door handle.
“Whoa, slow down.” She says and you release the door handle, turning back around to look at her. “It’s Y/N right?” She asks and you nod. “I’m Penelope Garcia, computer wizard. You can call me Penelope.” She says as she gestures to a small couch. “Why don’t you take a seat? It looks like you could use some rest.”
You hesitate for a brief second before taking her up on her offer, sitting down on the small couch. You let out a small sigh as you settle to the plush cushions. “Thank you.” You whisper as your eyelids start to feel heavy, your fatigue finally catching up with you. “I’m just going to sit for a few minutes, if that’s alright?” You ask, forcing your eyes open to look at Penelope.
“Girl, I’ll do you one better. You can use one of those throw blankets, lie down and get comfortable. I’ve got to go find Hotch so the office is all yours for a while.” She says, standing up and grabbing one of the thick files off of her desk before exiting the office. You pull one of the fuzzy blankets off of the back of the couch, stretching out underneath it. It isn’t long before sleep takes over.
You aren’t sure how much time has passed but your sleep is interrupted by dark memories of his face, the sound of his voice, and the feeling of his hands on you. You fight against the hands grabbing at you, turning your attention away from his voice but to no avail. You hear him yelling at you and just as you expect to feel his come down hard on your face, you jerk awake.
It takes you a moment to remember where you are and another moment longer to realize that you are no longer alone in the room. Your eyes land on a figure crouched in front of you, your heart beating rapidly in your chest as your body tenses, ready to defend itself before you recognize that it’s Derek.
He waits until he can see the recognition cross your face before he begins to talk. “I’m sorry Y/N.” He says softly. “I should have pushed harder for Hotch to wait. It wasn’t fair that you had to go through that after all you’ve been through today.” He trails off quietly. You can see the heavy guilt in his eyes.
You don’t say anything as you sit up, pushing the blanket away from you as you do. “No Derek. This is not your fault.” You say, feeling the anger rising in your chest as you stand. “This is his fault, no one else’s. He is to blame for this.” You spit out, tired of feeling helpless and broken.
Derek stands, coming to stop in front of you. “How about I take you to a hotel, where you can get some proper sleep?” He asks, changing the subject.
You take a deep breath, releasing the mounting frustration, before giving a small nod. He leads the way to the door, holding it open for you as he hovers a hand near your lower back. He lowers his hand only when the two of you are in the elevator descending towards the lobby.
The walk to the parking lot goes quietly, with the only words spoken by either of you being when he opens the passenger door to his vehicle for you. You climb in, scanning the darkness of the parking lot in front of you as a shiver runs down your spine. A part of you wonders how long it would be before you’d start to see things like they used to be, when you weren’t fearing what could be hiding in the shadows or lurking around the corner.
Derek pulls out of his parking spot, turning on the headlights of the vehicle as he drives out of the building’s parking lot. “You’ll be staying at one of the hotels not too far from Quantico. JJ took a guess at your size and got you some basics, as well as some other necessities, like a toothbrush and toothpaste.”
“Thank you.” You say quietly, glad that you would have one less thing to worry about in the coming days. He nods, turning to give you a small smile, before looking back at the road.
“How long will I have to stay at this hotel?” You ask, wondering just how truly safe you’d be there.
“It’d be best for you to stay there, at least, until we are able to get a lead on this guy. There’ll be a uniform officer stationed in the lobby and another near your room. It will be safer for you if you don’t stay at your apartment because he knows the address.” He says matter of factly. You give a small bob of your head before going silent, not entirely sure what to say in return.
A few minutes later, Derek turns into the parking lot of a modest hotel. He parks near the entrance of the hotel, grabbing a black duffle bag from the backseat before meeting you outside, at the front of the vehicle. He gives you a gentle smile, his tender brown eyes meeting yours as the two of you walk into the lobby of the hotel. He gets the keys to your room, which was at the end of the third floor hallway furthest from the elevators and stairs, and walks with you to your room.
Derek unlocks the door when the two of you reach it, holding up a hand, signalling for you to wait as he walks in and checks the room for any potential dangers. Upon hearing him say “all clear”, you enter the room. Derek stands next to the queen sized bed, the black duffle now resting on the cheap, thin gold and green bedspread of the hotel bed.
“The plainclothes officer who will be stationed in the hall will be here in ten minutes.” He says, taking a step closer to you, lifting a hand as he does. You reflexively take a step back before you even realize what you are doing. A guilty look passes over his face as he lifts his hand wrist up, showing you the stack of cash he had in his hand.
“Take this. It’s not much but it should be enough to get you through for a while.” He says, placing the cash in your open hand with two of his, his fingers lingering over yours for a brief moment before withdrawing his hands and shoving them in his pockets. You stare at him, unsure of what to say, of what words you could use to convey the appreciation you felt for all he had done for you. In the end, you settle for the simple words “thank you”.
“Of course Y/N.” He says softly, reaching in his pocket to pull out a white business card. You delicately take it from him, noticing that his work number was on there, as well as his personal number, handwritten in blue ink. “Call me if you have any problems, any at all. I’ll be in touch over the next few days.” He hesitates for a moment before heading towards the door, pulling it shut behind him as he leaves.
You sit on the bed, unsure of what to do with yourself. This is the first real moment you’d been truly alone, aside from that moment in Penelope’s office. You unzip the black duffle, looking through the clothes and finding that not only had JJ gotten you necessities, but she had also gotten you some paperback books, a few different kinds of snacks and even a pack of cards. You grab a fresh set of clothes and the toiletries from the bag before heading into the small bathroom.
After a long shower and a good half hour in the bathroom, spent brushing your teeth, washing your face and dealing with your wet hair, you pull the shades and climb into bed. Even though it was only late afternoon, you were beyond tired. It doesn’t take you long to fall asleep, but when you do, your mind plays back all that happened to you in that basement.
You push yourself even further into the corner behind the bed as you try to get even further away from him. His dark, mechanical laugh fills the concrete room, bouncing off the walls as he creeps towards you.
“I can still see you. You can’t hide from me.” He jeers as he pushes the bed away from the corner, revealing your cramped, balled up form.
“You’ll never get away.” Lightning quick, his hand shoots out and grips your hair, yanking you to your feet. You let out a yelp, fruitlessly reaching up your hands to relieve the pressure. Once you are standing, his hand moves from your hair to tightly grip your chin, forcing you to lift your eyes to his. His murky brown eyes gleam with amusement as he lifts his free hand above your head, a smile forming on his face as he watches you flinch.
An incessant ringing pulls you from the musty basement, stopping whatever those hands had been ready to do to you. You take a deep breath before rolling over to feel for the phone on the vinyl bed stand, the glowing red numbers of the alarm clock letting you know that it was just after seven the next morning, meaning you had slept more than twelve hours. You finally get a hand on the phone, answering with a groggy “hello”.
“Y/N, it’s Derek, from the BAU.” His voice, rich and velvety smooth, greets you from the other end. “Agent Hotchner would like to have you meet with one of our sketch artists to develop a detailed sketch.” A part of you wonders, the part that never wants to talk about the man again, why Derek, who had seen and talked to the man, couldn’t sit with the sketch person.
As if he had heard your unasked question, he adds, “Any information that I would give could possibly be seen as inadmissible in court, so Hotch feels the best bet is for you to work with the sketch artist. I can have a cab ready to pick you up outside of the hotel in an hour or so.”
“Okay, I’ll be ready.” You answer simply, as you slowly sit up in the bed, pushing back the tangled, sweat soaked sheets.
It’s quiet on the other end of the line and you almost think he has hung up when he speaks again. “I hope that you found everything you needed in the duffle bag. I can pick up anything else you might need. It’s no problem”
“I can’t think of anything, but thank you Derek.” You respond as you stretch, pushing away the stiffness in your limbs. “Alright, I’ll see you in a bit then.” He says as a farewell before really hanging up.
You take your time getting ready, meandering down to the lobby about an hour after Derek had called you. You find the cab waiting, just as Derek had said. The ride to Quantico goes quickly and you soon find yourself sitting across from a nondescript man as he creates a sketch using the information you’d given him. You watch as his hand moves in short, confident lines across the paper, slowly bringing to life the face that haunted your dreams. You give him a small shake of your head, fighting back the sob rising in your chest when he asks if there is anything that needs to be changed. You leave the room shortly after that, escaping to the hallway as you lean against the wall and try to regain your composure.
After a few minutes, you stand, making your way towards the vending machines at the end of the hallway. You use some of the cash Derek had given you the night before to get your favorite candy bar as you decide to try and find Penelope’s office. You knew she was someone who would help you to take your mind off of the thoughts circling around like vultures in your mind.
“Sonofabit-” You mutter as you struggle to unwrap the candy bar in your hand. You had figured out where you were in relation to Penelope’s office, after a few failed attempts, and had started walking towards the room. Voices floating out of the crack in Hotch’s mostly closed door have you slowing down. Their words have you stopping in your tracks.
“Morgan, you’re in this too far.” Hotch’s voice is low and serious as he continues. “You care for her.”
Derek’s voice is incredulous as he answers. “Of course I do. She found me and asked me for help. Why wouldn’t I care for her?” His question is rhetorical, but Hotch responds anyway.
“I understand that Derek.” Hotch is quieter now, his voice more concerned than it had been a moment before. “But you care for her far more than an FBI agent should for a victim of a current case, to the point where your involvement could be seen as a conflict of interest.”
You realize with a start, that this isn’t a conversation you should be eavesdropping on. You quickly continue towards the conference room, trying to shake the heavy feeling that had settled over you. You take a seat next to Penelope, setting down your now forgotten candy bar on the desk in front of you.
Penelope gives you a long look, accompanied by a gentle smile, before turning back to her computer. “The team that searched your apartment called a little while ago. They’re finished with it and said it was clear for you to return to. Morgan said he is going to bring you by to pick some things up when he brings you back to your hotel room tonight.” You suppress a shudder at the thought of going back to your apartment, the place you had been taken from. You still didn’t remember that night and a part of you feared that going back would bring back the memories.
You spend the next few hours trying to forget by quietly reading one of the cheap paperbacks JJ had gotten you as Penelope floated from screen to screen. The only thing that draws your attention completely away from the book in your hands is the sound of Penelope’s office door opening. “Y/N, Morgan got caught up. He asked me to drive you to your apartment and then back to the hotel.” You want to believe that Derek had simply got held up by some matter or another, but a part of you knows that his lack of appearance has something to do with the conversation you had overheard earlier that day.
You stand, shoving your book into the bag at your feet before slinging it over your shoulder. Penelope stands as well, giving you a tight hug and whispering, “Stay strong girl. I’ll see you later.” You nod, tightening your grip on her, clinging to the sense of comfort you felt for a moment longer.
You step back, giving Penelope a smile before following Emily out of the office and to the elevator. She is quiet as she leads the way through the parking lot to her car. It is only once the two of you are seated in the vehicle and on the road away from Quantico that Emily starts to talk.
“Morgan mentioned that your apartment was cleared. Do you want to stop and pick up some things before going back to your hotel?” Emily asks upon reaching a red light.
You are quick to shake your head, not wanting to have to address the memory of the night you were taken in the event that it came back while you were there. “I’ll be fine. You can just drop me off at the hotel.”
“I know we haven’t really had the chance to get to know each other yet Y/N.” She begins, giving you a sideways look before returning her attention to the road. “But I can already tell that you are a strong person. You are going to make it through this.” Her voice held a conviction you wish you felt.
“It doesn’t always feel like it.” You admit quietly, turning to look out the window of the car, trying to push back the feeling of despair that was pulling you in.
“It’s going to be an uphill battle and some days, it might feel like you can’t even get your head above water. But one day, you’re going to wake up and realize you made it, that you reached the light at the end of that tunnel. And you are going to realize just how truly strong you are.” You could tell her words, her understanding of your circumstances, came from experience. You couldn’t tell if this experience had to do with years on the job or from a situation of her own, but you could see that she believed them.
You turn your eyes from the window and back to Emily. “Thank you.” You whisper. Her words, as much as they manage to surprise you, also manage to help the small bud of hope that was blossoming in your chest.
She responds with a soft smile before going quiet again. Except for one stop at a corner store, where you are able to get a few things to eat and some hygiene products that you didn’t have in your hotel room, the rest of the ride to the hotel goes quietly. She drops you off, waiting until you are in the lobby before leaving.
You trudge up the stairs and to your room, pausing only to open the door. After relocking the door and dropping your bag on the floor, you put away the cold food items from the corner store in the mini fridge and set the other items in the bathroom. You shed your shoes before falling into the Queen sized bed. Even though your intention was to rest for a few minutes before getting ready for bed, you fall asleep in only a few minutes.
You don’t hear from Derek at all the next day. In fact, the only member from the team that contacts you is Penelope. And her call was more to see how you were doing than inform you of the state of the case. You spend most of the day either reading or watching television. The next day passes in much of the same fashion, with the only thing breaking up your monotonous day being another call from Penelope. By day three, you were so incredibly bored with being stuck in your hotel room that when Penelope suggested that you come to Quantico, you jumped at the chance, though the reason for that had more to do with a tall, dark, and handsome FBI agent who you hadn’t seen in days.
After grabbing your bag and jacket, you call a cab from your room and head down to the lobby to wait. It isn’t long before the cabbie is pulling up to the FBI building at Quantico. You hand him enough cash to cover the ride before walking into the building. After passing through security, in which you receive a visitor’s pass, you take the elevator to the floor the BAU was located on. You look through the glass doors to the bullpen as you walk towards Penelope’s office, hoping to catch a glimpse of the agent you’d come to trust with your life. You don’t see him as you pass, causing that small balloon of excitement rising in your chest to deflate rapidly.
You continue towards Penelope’s office, giving a small knock on the door before you push it open. “Hey Penelope, it’s Y/N.”
Penelope turns in her chair, giving you a wide smile when she sees you. “Hey girl! Take a seat on the couch, I’ve just got to finish this search and then I’m all yours.” She says, her attention already back on the monitors in front of her. Penelope finishes her task and the two of you spend the next few hours talking, laughing and eating take out. Eventually it is time for you to go and Penelope walks you down to the lobby, waiting with you until your cab arrives. You give her a big hug before climbing into the car and head back to the hotel.
The next few days pass uneventfully, with you only leaving your hotel room for breakfast or the occasional walk around the hotel to stretch your legs. You talk to Penelope a few times, finish the last of the books that JJ had gotten you and you spend a good amount of time watching daytime television. When you receive a call from Derek, rather than Penelope, you find yourself breaking out of the routine you’d developed to hurriedly get ready to visit Quantico. The ride there seems far longer than it had the last few times, the excitement you feel at the prospect of seeing Derek, and finally being out of your hotel, has your skin tingling and your heart beating faster.
You go through the usual security check, clipping the visitor badge to your jacket as you make your way to the BAU floor. You stop at Penelope’s office, only to find it empty, before making your way into the bullpen. Most of the desks in the open area are empty, except for Spencer’s. The young agent is bent over his desk, his pen flying across the page as he furiously writes, only stopping to flip the page before continuing.
You walk over to one of the empty desks, grabbing the empty desk chair and rolling over to Spencer’s desk before sitting in it. He doesn’t lift his head until you clear your throat and utter a greeting.
“Oh, um, hello.” He says, his eyes meeting yours. He gives you an awkward smile, setting down his pen as he settles back a bit more in his chair. “Derek just went to get something from the vending machine. He’ll be back in a minute.”
“Okay, thank you Agent Reid.” You say, settling back in your chair to wait.
“You, ah, don’t have to call me Agent Reid. You can call me Spencer if you want.” He returns to his paperwork just as Derek enters the bullpen. You stand, making your way to meet him halfway. He gives you a tired smile that doesn’t reach his eyes before gesturing towards the conference room. “Follow me.” He says, dropping his hand to his side as he leads the way. You follow, a sense of unease settling on your shoulders as you do.
The two of you make it to the conference room and as you come to stand beside the round table, he closes the door. You watch as he places a large hand on the door, resting it there before he turns around, taking a few steps closer to you. Derek looks at you, an unreadable expression on his face as he does. You could feel that something was wrong as you asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Y/N,” He pauses, moving to rest a gentle hand on your upper arm, sliding it slowly down your arm until his fingers are brushing your wrist. “He’s taken another woman.” You didn’t have to ask him to elaborate, you knew exactly who he was talking about. It felt as though someone had just dropped a heavy weight on your chest, crushing your lungs. You stumble back a step, reaching behind you for a chair. Derek steadies you with hand to your shoulder, helping you sit down.
“Hey, look at me baby girl.” He whispers as he kneels in front, drawing your attention away from the memories that had started to resurface. “This isn’t your fault. You have done everything right. You’ve helped us more than you know.” Although you know his words are true, it doesn’t help the guilt weighing down on you or the blame eating away at you. “We will get him. This will end.” He finishes, his eyes searching yours as if he was looking for some sort of understanding or acceptance.
“What if you don’t though?” You question softly, the terror surrounding that possibility rising in your chest. “What if this never ends?”
He removes his hands from where they had been resting on your shoulders, tracing them slowly up until he had a soft hand on either side of your face. He leans forward, getting close enough to you that you can see his eyes weren’t just brown, but rather a color similar to that of the earth after a summer rain. “We will catch him. I won’t rest until we do.” His words are passionate, his voice strong. You can feel his thumb as it gingerly rubs along the line of your cheekbone. “I’ll get this bastard, if it’s the last thing I do.” You can’t bring yourself to even nod at his words, the thought of what your life would look like if they didn’t taking hold of your mind and making it hard to think.
He doesn’t say anything as he stands, his fingers lightly threading through yours as he pulls you up from the chair. You stand, not entirely focused on what was happening, although you feel one of his hands lingering near your lower back, never really touching you as it stays there. He leads you back through the bullpen and onto the elevator. Your curiosity peaks as he takes you right through the lobby and outside. The sun is well into its descent towards the horizon, the spring air cool as the two of you step out into the parking lot. He loosely holds your hand as he walks towards the edge of the emptying lot and onto the greening patch of lawn near the building’s sign.
He stands beside you as the two of you face the slowly setting sun. “Feel the sun on your face Y/N.” His voice is soft and you give him a sideways look before doing as he says. You feel the delicious warmth of the sun on your skin and as you take a deep breath in, you catch the faint scent of blossoms, wet earth and freshly cut grass. As he begins to speak, his words bring you back. “You’re free now Y/N and I’ll be damned if I let anything happen to you, if I let him get you.” He bites out, his tone sharp as his eyes bore into yours. “You’ll be free from him, that I promise you.”
And Derek held true to his word. It took a little over a month, but the BAU, with Derek leading the charge, finally caught the man that had taken you, destroying a part of you that you weren’t sure you’d ever get back. You hoped, though, that with time and with the help of a certain FBI agent that you’d grown to see as a true friend, and maybe someday, something more, you’d be able to claim back that missing part of you.
Tagging (I’m tagging a few of you who I thought might be interested based off excerpts I’ve posted): @lilvintagebaby @musicaldoughnut @ohshcbabe @kieraahamilton @muggies @iamgaryrennells @missmidnightxo @coffeeaddictedmay @fandomsandmore394 @elcoochi @peramess @slxtherinchxser @dory-98
Summary: The reader has trouble sleeping, so she stays late at the office. Derek notices, and tries to help.
Warnings: Mentions of death, mentions of a serial killer
Word Count: 919
Tag List: @waytooinlovewithdeanwinchester, @lucifer-in-leather, @nea90sweetie, @outsidersimagines57, @trumpetsaretheworst
Please let me know if you would like to be added or subtracted from my tag list!
(Y/n) sat at her desk, she sighed as she closed another file. She was the last one at the office, even Hotch had left before her. He had told her not to stay too late, but it was 3:00 am and he had left two hours ago. (Y/n) knew that if she didn’t go home now, there would be no point in leaving at all. (Y/n) looked over at the pile of files on her desk, and decided that one more wouldn’t hurt, but one more turned into five, and five turned into ten, and the next thing she knew was that the rest of the team had started to arrive. Reid was the first to notice,
“Hey (Y/n), aren’t those the same clothes you wore yesterday?”
Before (Y/n) could answer, Hotch walked over,
“You didn’t leave did you? I told you not to stay too late”
“Sorry, but I got twenty reports done, they’re on your desk”
“Yes, I was just in there, there are closer to thirty reports there. You should have gone home and gotten some sleep”
“Sorry”
“It’s alright, just don’t pull anymore all nighters, okay?”
“Yes sir”
The rest of the day was business as usual, the team had gotten a case in New York, they got their bags, and got on the jet. (Y/n) listened to the briefing, but soon felt exhausted. Morgan gave her a concerned look, but she waved him off, opening a file an dreading it. He looked over at Hotch, who just shrugged, and went back to looking over the files. When they landed Hotch split everyone up, (Y/n) was paired with Morgan. The two were on their way to the crime scene of the first victim. They gathered as much information as they could about the unsub, but whilst looking around, Morgan noticed (Y/n) had been spacing out and missing details she would have normally picked up.
“Hey Derek?”
“What’s up (Y/n)?”
“I think our unsub is a woman”
“I was thinking the same thing, we better get this to Hotch, it’ll change the profile”
On the way back to the station, (Y/n) called Hotch. Hotch had agreed with the findings, confirming that the same signatures were found at the second crime scene. With the new information, the team was able to give a complete profile. Within a few hours, the team with local law enforcement, were able to corner the unsub and arrest her. Shortly after she was apprehended, the team had boarded the jet on their way back to Quantico. When they arrived back at the office, (Y/n) noticed that there was a new stack of reports on her desk. She sat down at her desk and opened the first one. To her surprise, the file was closed and put back on top of the stack. She looked up to see Morgan,
“They can wait ‘til tomorrow (Y/n)”
“There’s a lot Derek, they aren’t going to do themselves. Just let me do a couple”
“You haven’t slept in two days, these reports can wait”
(Y/n) sighed, she knew that he wasn’t about to back down, she could see the determination in his eyes.
“Fine”
“Okay, let’s go”
“Go where?”
“I’m taking you home?”
“Derek I’m fine, I can drive myself home”
“You’re tired and I don’t want you getting in an accident”
“I’m not getting out of this one am I?”
“Nope”
“Okay, let’s go”
The car ride was silent. They quickly arrived at her house,
“Do you want to come inside for coffee or something?”
“I shouldn’t, you need to get some sleep”
“Are you sure? It’s late, I have an extra room if you want”
“No it’s alright, I’ll make it home okay”
“It’s late, I don’t want you to get in an accident”
“Using my own words against me? Okay, if you don’t mind, I don’t want to intrude or anything”
“Derek I wouldn’t have invited you in if you were going to intrude on anything. I’m single and live alone. But I do have a dog if that’s problem.”
“Not a problem at all”
“Alright, come on in agent Morgan”
(Y/n) led him into the house, and showed him the room he would be staying in. Then pointed out the room that she would be in.
“and I’m just down the hall, don’t hesitate to come get me if you need anything”
“Okay, thank you (Y/n) really, for letting me stay”
“No problem”
Hours later, (Y/n) was still awake, she got out of bed and went to the kitchen. She was filling a glass with water when Derek burst into the kitchen, gun drawn.
“Sorry I thought someone was breaking in”
“Nope, just me. Sorry if I scared you”
“You don’t look like you’ve slept at all”
“I haven’t”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know, I toss and turn, but I just can’t seem to get comfortable”
“Come on”
“Where are we going?”
“Just follow me”
She followed him down the hall to her bedroom. He pulled the covers back and got into the bed. He pat the space next to him, and (Y/n) lay down. He pulled her close to his chest, wrapping his arms around her and began tracing shapes into her back, soothing her. They lay like that for a while, and before she knew it, her eyes began to droop, and she soon fell asleep to the sound of his heartbeat.
Summary: Criminal Minds, Derek Morgan/ftm reader, Reader is a single parent and the rest of the team find out
Spencer doesn’t look up from where you emerged from the guest room.
“You good Y/N?”
“Yeah..”
“You don’t sound it. You want to talk about it before I actually put thought into your behaviour… Or worse tell the team my little brother isn’t fit for duty..”
“You wouldn't!” You scowl but then grimace and sigh.
“I’m pregnant.”
“Alright what are you, we going to do about it? Have you told Derek? Do you want to? Should I? What about mom?”
“Calm down Spence; I just wanted to let someone know.”
“Oh so you and Derek have been trying? You’ve only just started dating…”
“Well we weren’t not trying. So basically we were since I kinda assumed the shots sort of cut my chances of ever having a kid let alone a slightly accidental one…”
“Alright; well I’ll keep your secret, one condition.” You grimace again wondering what outlandish thing your brother will demand of you.
“I get to be the godfather.”
“You were already going to be!!”
“Should I change my demand then?”
“No, that's perfect, great choice!” You both laugh at each other before he offers out his arms and pulls you into a hug.
“We’ll all get through this, now; how are you telling Derek?”
”Y/N, why is there a small child here?”
“It’s bring your kid to work day..” You offer surprised to see Hotch’s eyebrows raise.
“We have that?”
“No, I just couldn’t find a sitter.”
“She uh, is walking pretty well.”
“Mhm, she’s two.”
“Oh hey kiddo.” Spencer laughs and Hotch turns to him with a glare.
“What?”
“Y/N has a kid?? You’re an uncle??”
“Yeah, did he never say anything? I thought they knew!” Spencer scolds you and you shrug.
“Nobody ever asked!! I’m not going to run around like the lion king and shove her in everyone’s faces.”
“Aw spence is this your niece??”
“Yeah, Y/N’s daughter..”
“You have a kid???”
“Why is everyone surprised, can’t I be a single dad??”
“You’re dating Morgan, you're not single.”
“Can’t I be a dad?” Plus I thought you guys would be happy I was keeping her out of the public eye.”
“We are, but Reid, really you couldn’t even tell us your own brother was a father… It would have made sense why he skipped so many meetings! You could have gotten parental leave.”
“Why did you think he wasn’t a father? I’ve mentioned my niece before!” Spencer shrugs.
“We assumed you had a sister or something?! Why would we think your brother has a kid!” Derek and Spencer start laughing at the same time.
‘What?”
“Nothing, just an inside joke.” They chuckle a little and you roll your eyes.
”Papa!” You try to hide the smirk as your daughter interrupts the conversation. Derek reaches for her automatically and you can tell the team is biting down any questions they have to avoid saying anything in front of your daughter.
“So uh is this one of those two dad things?”
“Yes. But also-”
“You don’t have to..” Derek cuts in and you shake your head at his protectiveness.
“A, they already know from the files; B I’ve been meaning to tell them anyways.”
You nod to where your daughter is currently occupied with a tablet and some cartoon.
“I’m technically her mother; well I got pregnant and gave birth to her; I’m transgender.”
“Oh my god.”
“Yeah it’s-”
“You and Derek had a kid out of wedlock!!! You can’t get health benefits if you disclose that!”
“That’s what you’re focusing on??”
“Well yeah, it makes sense why you never said anything.”
“Of course that’s what you’re… yeah?” You scowl when Hotch seems to appear, case files secured between his arm and elbow.
Summary:Criminal Minds; Derek Morgan/male reader, Reader and Mick are paired up and Mick won’t take no for an answer
”We have to work with them.”
“I just think-” Derek starts and Aaron shakes his head.
“We have to work with them if we actually want to get anywhere with this case. I know they do things differently and I know this isn’t really a good time to have any issues, but we need to put their choices aside and stop this killer before anyone else is hurt.”
“Yes sir.” You echo everyone else and are a little relieved that Derek had the same issues as you.
”Y/N, you alright?” Derek’s concerned.
“Yeah you know I hate flying.”
“Come on baby, what’s bugging you…”
“I don’t want to work with someone else; I want to work with you.” You can’t help but laugh while you’re trying to whine and Derek nods as you’re talking.
“And I want nothing more for it to just be the team, preferably just us, we always work better together.”
“Betcha Hotch is going to swing it so we can work together.”
”Y/N you and Mick are together; Mick, thank you.” You watch one of the guys leaning against a chair wave.
“I’m Y/N.”
“Mick. I know the accent, it’s dreamy.”
“It’s Welsh, right? Or did I get my parts of the UK all muddled up again.”
“Good ear.” He grins, leaning forward and pointing at a few of the files.
“Here.” You scoop them up and press them towards him, as he takes them he makes a point of brushing your hands together.
You ignore it, and the way his gaze lingers on you slightly too long.
“You good Mick?”
“Mhm, you busy after this?”
“You seem confident we’ll get this finished soon..”
“Well we usually get a dinner break, plus we have to sleep, you in that fancy hotel around the street?”
“Yeah why?”
“The beds there are great; nice and roomy perfect to share.” He winks and you roll your eyes.
“Room service is nice as well; they do great breakfasts..”
You don’t know why you feel nervous being alone with him; you’re not even really alone, just in a corner of the office.
“You homophobic?”
“What?” You’re surprised what Mick has blurted out.
“All that flirting you looked grossed out? You have a problem with..” He’s raising himself up but before you can say anything Derek laughs, an easy grin meant to diffuse tension.
“Morgan what-”
“Y/N, this guy giving you trouble?” He turns to Mick.
“Are you giving my boyfriend trouble?” Mick just laughs and before you can be embarrassed Derek kisses you, probably a little longer than he should with how Aaron coughs and taps the files to straighten them up.
You’re trying not to hide your face in Derek’s chest, he knows you use it mostly as an excuse but you really don’t like flying.
“Y/N, was that so bad?”
“The flying? Or getting flirted with by Mick?”
“The flying.” Derek’s eye twitches, he’s clearly annoyed that Mick has flirted with you and you smirk a little.
“What’s wrong Derek? Do you not like the idea of some other guy getting handsy with me?” You know that Derek knows you’re teasing, especially when you direct his hands over your body and far lower than Mick had been looking let alone touched. You fake a yawn when Derek makes a point of kissing down your neck.
“You can’t be tired, you slept on the flight..”
“What else do we use the bed for?” You smirk and him pulling him in for one last kiss and grinding against him before you try to beat him to the bedroom.
