Story: Asteriscus hierochunticus - Chapter 4

[shamir-26.livejournal.com]

Title: Asteriscus hierochunticus
Author: Sara Nublas
Character: Emily Prentiss, all team involved
Chapter:4
Rating: FRAO
Warning: Spoiler to 6x18 "Lauren"
Summary: The story takes place after "Lauren", so also the summary is behind a cut as required... Emily doesn't plan to go back to her team because she doesn't think she deserves a second chance, but a twist of events and a friend in danger make her change her mind
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, no infringement intended
A/N: I am really happy to have comments, opinions, criticism.


shamir-26.livejournal.com/2071.html

 

 

Chapter 4

In all those months Morgan had dreamt of this moment several times and now that he was finally face to face with Doyle he felt nothing but sheer determination to kill him.

You hear a lot about those cheesy speeches on understanding how you really care about someone once you lose them, Derek had always felt a wave of self pity when dwelling on that consideration. He didn’t allow himself to suffer, to mourn, to regret the lost chances and the parapraxes, all he was after was vendetta, he didn’t have illusions on the fact that once he had his revenge he would have felt better day, nonetheless he wanted justice; Emily deserved at least that. In the meanwhile waiting to have any valuable lead on Doyle, he had tried everything, diving into work; tearing apart and rebuilding properties over and over again in a vane tantalization; crying for her; praying for her; acknowledging his affection for her, hating her for running away and not involving him, for having secrets; hating himself for not saving her; until he finally got to a state of numbness, each day just another dot on the calendar and possibly, hopefully a step closer to Doyle. After that? He never focused on long-term projects, but right now there didn’t seem much space for a bright future and he didn’t mind as long as he made sure to carry Doyle with him to hell.

Derek Morgan had learnt the hard way to be the man of the family, was this his biological family or his extended one at the BAU it made no difference to him. He took care of his people and had their back when they were in troubles, he saved the day, he protected his friend taking a bullet for them if necessary. He had always taken up his role with no hesitation, he had been always allowed to do so, until the day Emily Prentiss showed up and proved to be as though as him, as brave as him and instead of asking his protection, decided to protect him for a change. As much as he understood her reasons, as much as he was overly proud of her friend, he was deadly mad at her for running away and eventually dying, mad at himself for failing her, for getting too late, for not being the one laying on the floor with a stick in his guts.

Being the dying hero had his benefits, you wouldn’t survive to experience what’s left behind you, day by day waking up full of rage because the world goes on untouched without you. In those months death had been mercy, and survival damnation, but now with Doyle so close things were about to change.

//

Ian Doyle walked toward the profiler and stopped few paces away staring at his fearless eyes; he was a merciless killer and had no hesitation against his enemies but as a warrior he appreciated true courage when he saw it. He had immediately known Derek Morgan was a fighter, it was a shame they couldn’t be allies, “So, what the BAU is going to do without their action man, agent Morgan?”

“I’ll tell you what they won’t do, Doyle. They won’t give up your son as a pawn” Morgan growled back.

Doyle’s jaw clenched at the mention of his son, but then in seconds he regained control “They will. How many agents can they afford to lose?” he smiled smug “Emily was a dirty liar, but you are a hero”

Derek jerked toward him at the mention of Emily.

“What? Don’t tell me you liked her..” he felt a jolt of pleasure in seeing Morgan’s rage and pain and decided to tease him a little more “But in case you were wondering, you are exactly her type. It must be difficult to keep it professional when you work so close to such a beautiful woman. But you were both professional and never crossed the line, right? Well, too bad for you. If she was even just the shadow of Lauren…” he got closer to whisper to Morgan’s ear “Good god. That woman could drive you crazy, she was pure fire between the sheets” he took a step back watching Morgan shaking and growling with rage.

“You thank god that I’m tied to a chair, you son of a bitch. And you pray for your own safety things stay this way” Morgan hissed back as soon as he regained a bit of self-control.

 

Their confrontation was interrupted by one of Doyle’s man coming to report something. The two confabulated a while, then the man left Doyle. Morgan observed the former IRA leader’s expression morphing, he nervously rubbed a hand against his face, his eyes became thin gaps and he paced back and forth for a while, then he burst out in fury punching and kicking everything that was in his way. Derek remembered Easter delivering Doyle’s profile and defining him as a man obsessed with control to the point of planning meticulously each single step and having rage outburst where things didn’t go according to his plans.

When Doyle regained a smidgen of control he went back to Morgan, this time the roles were reverted, Morgan smiling in satisfaction and Doyle fuming with fury “Your people want to play with me? They think I will sit here while they do nothing of what I required?” he shouted furiously “Well, I’ll show them who dictates the rules” he holstered his gun and started hitting the profiler, on his face, his stomach, his ribs; after a while Derek stopped feeling pain or minding about the strokes, he just had to keep awake and patient.

//

As Emily mentioned her intention to confront Doyle face to face Penelope froze and Reid took a step back, she could swear that the temperature of the room just dropped below the zero.

“So once was not enough, you want to leave us again and go playing the kamikaze while we watch you dying for the second time?” Garcia replied upset.

“Garcia, this time is different. I’m not leaving you, I’m taking part to an operation and other agents will be there providing back up. Right now we have to use all we’ve got to gain the upper hand on Doyle and the last person he expects to confront is me” Emily tried to reason.

“Okay, but what makes you think this time he won’t succeed in killing you?” Reid added in support to the analyst, then he looked at the other agents in the room, pleading for their help in convincing Emily not to go “Why nobody talks? Tell her, tell she’s going to get killed for real this time. Tell her it’s a suicidal plan”

“It’s not. Paradoxically now I’m the person with the highest chance to survive down there” she objected again.

“Why?” Reid inquired almost desperately.

“Because I’m the only one who knows where Declan is, and Doyle won’t lose his only chance to find his son” she finally answered.

The profilers exchanged despairing looks, they hadn’t even got used to the idea that her friend was still alive and already they had to prepare themselves to the eventuality of losing her all over again.

Hotch surveyed his team with a look full of worry, pondering whether this time he was pushing his team beyond their threshold. He was aware that right now the urgency of the situation required their minds focused on rescuing Morgan and sparing Emily’s life, but once this was over his actions and decisions would have been questioned; you cannot be a team leader if your people don’t trust you. JJ probably understood what was bothering him because she got close and lightly squeezed his arm “It’ll be fine, we’ll all be fine. Just, let’s take care of one thing at a time, ok?”

Hotch nodded and joined Easter to plan the action.

 

They were going over the details of the operation when Garcia’s scream interrupted the briefing, her eyes glued on the computer monitor in horror, everybody joined her and froze in watching Doyle brutally beating Morgan, in that moment Emily realized how much pain her friends had gone through assisting helpless to her massacre, knowing that she was somewhere being beaten and tortured and they couldn’t help it.

Hotch addressed a stern look to his colleagues, he wasn’t going to get too late this time “Ok, time for talking’s over. The plans have changed now”

//

Despite all his efforts at some point Derek gave up to oblivion, he woke up still tied to a chair, the noise of rain drops ticking on the metal roof of the building welcomed his return to consciousness. He slowly surveyed his surroundings, Doyle was adjusting the sleeves of his shirt after working on the other two agents. When he saw that his favorite was awake he grinned and walked toward him “They were not as fun as you, nowadays agents are so easy to break, you show them the electrical equipment and they start wiping as kids, but people like you and Emily are a different story, breaking you requires time and patience. Have I ever tell you how it was to kill her? She almost got me, even after I exhausted her, I hit her, tortured her she was still willing to fight. And even after I drove that stick into her guts, she still wouldn’t tell me what I wanted. In this she was right, she beat me because took my son away from me. The only thing that would make her falter was threatening her little family… Would you too die for your family Derek or you will give me what I want?” he leveled his gaze to the profiler’s eye.

That moment Morgan saw a glimpse, a fast movement on the roof through one of the broken windows of the building. They were coming and all he needed to do was to make sure this time Doyle wouldn’t get away so easily.

He suddenly jerked and threw the both of them on the ground, the chair broke and he found his legs finally free while his hands were still tied behind his back. Doyle’s men didn’t have the time to react because the swat team was already on them; for a while Derek was able to pin Doyle on the ground but finally the Irish man gained the upper ground and got up pointing a gun at his head. “Game over, Derek” he hissed at him before pulling the trigger, then a sharp noise hissed over his head and blew right through Doyle’s chest. His eyes widened in surprise and recognition before a second bullet got to his head and finished him.

That moment Derek felt the tension, the rage, the wait that kept him going all those months melting over his shoulders, like the taut string of a bow which suddenly relaxes after shooting the arrow. He felt his strength collapsing as if he just completed the most demanding mission ever and thought nothing could stop him from finally drifting into oblivion, until a voice he’d never expect to hear again dragged him out of the pith, “Hold on Derek, stay with me”

He opened his eyes and he knew he was either dead or delirious, there was no other explanation to the fact that Emily’s ghost was keeping him in her arms holding his head and telling him to hold on.