Summary: When you get captured by an unsub and your team finds out where you are, your lover and coworker, Emily Prentiss, seeks you out. Only she’s too late to save you.
She blamed herself for not driving home with you the night the unsub took you from outside your shared apartment. The work she had done could've waited... and maybe you would've still been with her and your guys' team. "Emily, we might've got something." Derek informed from across the alley they had been in, where the unsub had dumped his last victim. 'Clock's ticking' was carved into the girl's abdomen, serving as a reminder of the time you had left alive was thinning. Desolately, she stared at this poor girl, just like she had the past two. Seeing the state she was in... she knew what their unsub had in store for you, and it made her want to scream- lash out; hurt somebody. Hurt Robert Delmont- the man who was hiding you.
Emily's gaze moved from the lifeless body to Derek, who rushed over with his phone extended. "Okay, talk to me baby." He eagerly spoke into the phone, examining his coworker's distraught expression as his own heart raced. "I found Robert's house. I narrowed down your area and used the information you guys provided- and I found it. 24 Newberg Road, you're about six minutes away."
Emily hadn't wasted a second before running towards her SUV; Derek on her tail replied: "Copy that, thanks Garcia."
"Godspeed, guys. Save our girl." Penelope spoke from the other end, ending the call to inform the rest of the team as Derek and Emily climbed in the car, speeding to the home you were being held in.
Faintly through the singular basement window, you could see flashing red and blue lights. Relief washed over you as tears fell down your cheeks. You struggled against the restraints you were held in, arms sore from being held in the same upwards position for these past 8 & 1/2 hours. You could hear the steel door creek open and shut as footsteps descending followed. Your relief left you as you met face to face with Robert, who rushed towards you, throwing a punch to your face. "They think they're going to save you."
Your lip was already busted, and you had cuts and bruises marking your whole body. He moved behind you, putting a blade up to your neck. Your breath hitched as he pulled your head back by your hair, whispering in your ear; "Time to prove them wrong."
-
Emily had already been out of the passenger's side before it came to a full stop, rushing inside the home. Derek followed after her, whisper-yelling for her to wait. She didn't oblige, rather rushed in anyway. In no way was she going to string out the little time you had left. She motioned for Derek to search upstairs, receiving a nod in return. They both should've waited for the rest of their team, but Emily already made it clear she couldn't wait, and Derek understood. This was personal... and time wasn't in their favor, if Robert was following his 10 hours spent with each victim.
Her heart was pounding as she neared every corner, pausing when she observed the steel door cracked open. While she should've retrieved Derek for backup, she went down instead, keeping her gun aimed ahead. The door shut behind her, leaving her in total darkness as it made a beeping noise. Only then did she realize that it had no handle on the inside, but that it needed a keycard, likely installed by the twisted killer who brought women down here, guaranteeing that escaping was out of the question. The air was cold and bitter down here, smelling of metal and mildew; agony so potent in the air. She breathed heavily, continuing her descent as she prepared for what laid ahead.
But nothing could've prepared her to meet face to face with you, strung up and beaten. So vulnerable and broken. A tang of pain struck her heart as she watched your face pinch, tears mixing with the crimson on your cheeks. The knife against your neck made her blood run cold as she aimed at the unsub. "Back away and drop the knife." Her voice came out firm as she remained at a safe distance, not wanting to push the Delmont man. "Ah, Emily Prentiss."
"I said back away and drop the-"
"I do that and you put me in prison, or I kill her and you kill me. Doesn't seem like a win-win situation, now does it?"
"Let her go." She ordered, unable to tell the man that she didn't want to shoot him. If anything, she wanted to torture him for the trauma he had inflicted on you. Make him feel every bit of pain you have felt- every bit of pain she had felt in the absence of you.
"I know how deeply you care for her... she's so... extravagant. I'd want her too. Well, I had her... that's for sure." He chuckled as you shut your eyes tightly. Her lip curled as her eyebrows furrowed, reminding herself of the oath she took for this job. An oath that she wished didn't exist in this very moment. "You son of a bitch."
"You want me to slit her throat right now? I will."
"You know what I want you to do. If you comply, we can negotiate-"
"We both know that's bullshit. Don't we?" He stated, turning to put his lips up to your ear at the last part. You tried to pull away, but he yanked your head back. Emily was panicking because she didn't have a clear shot of him. He was perfectly blocked by your shaking body, and you would be hit in order to get him, no matter the angle.
"You walk out those doors and leave, I'll spare her. Leave her for you to find in a couple days."
"I'm not negotiating this with you."
"I thought you wanted to negotiate? Don't you want her alive?" He started, tilting his head as he watched Emily's expression harden. "I can leave her lifeless if you'd prefer... yeah. Yeah that sounds better." Pounding came from the steel door upstairs as all three below heard Derek's shouts. "Clock's ticking." He grinned as Emily's body shivered, mouth opening to speak. "No. Times up." He finalized; In a swift motion, he sliced your neck open as you cried out. Her body stilled, though her reflexes didn't waste a second to shoot his withdrawn arm. He scampered to the side, clutching his arm as he rushed towards her. She was quicker, firing one final shot that knocked him down for good.
Her gaze moved back at you, watching the blood pour to the ground below your bowed head. "Y/n-" spit from her mouth as she rushed towards you, untying the ropes around your wrists, letting you fall into her arms. You were coughing on your own blood as she tried to turn you on your side, clearing your airway as she applied pressure to your open wound. "Stay with me my love, stay with me." She instructed, pushing the hair out of your face as you looked up at her.
Never had she felt fear like this before as her arms desperately pulled your shaking body closer to hers, trying to keep you curled into her like you would several nights spent together. She'd whisper how much she loved you as she held you dearly as she'd kiss your head, reminding you that in those moments, it was just you two. Not the job, not the world. You were each other's safe havens; the only light outside the dark they faced every day.
"I'm right here. I've got you, love. Stay with me." She spoke quickly, keeping pressure as crimson spilled over her fingers. You were struggling to breath, but you needed to speak; you knew you weren't leaving this basement, just like you knew she was denying that truth. It pained you to be aware of your fate when you had finally found the other half to your soul that spent every waking moment reminding you of what real love was. Slowly, your arm rested on her hand upon your neck, grasping it. Her broken eyes peered down at you as both of you could hear your other team members desperately trying to get through that godforsaken door, calling out your guys' names.
"They're going to get us out of here... and we're gonna get you to a hospital- you're gonna be okay. I- I'm right here." She insisted, clenching her jaw as she fought back the tears lining her waterline. If you saw her break, she was sure you would too. She needed to be strong, but all you needed in this moment was her. "Em-" You tried, unable to continue as blood poured from the corner of your mouth. "Don't try to talk honey-"
"Emily." You managed to get out, choking on your blood as her head slightly shook. "Lis-listen to me." Your hand squeezed hers as she tried to talk again. "You k-know what's going t-to happen."
"No."
"Emily-"
"No-"
"I'm not going to m-make it."
"No! No I don't accept that." She exclaimed, her head shaking vigorously as a sob slipped from her throat. "Em, please-" You tried, but she cut you off as tears now began to fall down her cheeks. "I can't- I can't accept that. I need you. I'm always going to need you." Her voice was utterly broken; already in denial, she couldn't stop shaking her head at you, pushing away the thoughts of what life would be like when she stepped outside of this house, knowing you weren't ever coming home with her.
"I love you s-" You had started, beginning to fade out of consciousness. Her eyes widened as she used her arm from under you to touch your face, pulling your body up to hers. "So much." You managed to finish, though your eyes were slowly shutting. Exhaustion wasn't even a comparable word to what you were feeling. When the pain started to fade, and you began to feel numb, you knew your time was up. "Hey- Stay with me y/n." She slightly shook you; your eyes weren't fully closed, but your eyelids were drooped. "Please stay with me." Her words were quiet, small. So much pain was laced in those four words as she felt the exact moment your life left your body.
Her body stilled as she pulled back to look at your face; eyelids were still drooped, but you were gone. Her jaw slowly slacked as she shook her head, removing her hand from your throat before placing it on your cheek, gently tilting your head at an angle where you would be able to see her. "No- no please!" Sobs were spilling from her lips as her chest heaved, thumb stroking your face delicately. "I need you-"
A loud, ground shaking bang came from the upstairs as she pulled your lifeless body up against her chest, cradling the back of your head over her shoulder as the other hand tightly held your bare waist. "Emily!" Derek's voice erupted from the stairway as several footsteps boomed from afar.
"I love you- I love you so much." She wept, eyes shut tightly as the rest of her team members made it downstairs, halting at the sight. The unsub's body had been the first thing observed, but the sight of Emily cradling your lifeless body- seeing Emily shattered in a way that they'd never seen before caused them to still.
JJ's hand covered her mouth as Hotch lowered his gun, tears beginning to brim in his own eyes despite his usual cold exterior. Rossi shut his eyes tightly as Spencer beside him, unable to watch, turned away, walking into JJ's embrace. Then there was Derek, who stood with his mouth agape, heart plummeting. One of his best friends was forever broken, and the other dead.
Eventually, JJ had to pull Emily from your body, which took a tremendous amount of effort to do. Your lover had refused to let you go as she cried I'm sorry's and pleas for you to come back to her. Knowing you died before she said I love you back destroyed her. She just wanted to hold you; to kiss you one more time. Yet all she could do was kiss your forehead as they removed you from her arms, watching your hand leave hers.
