The Photographer
folder
1 through F › Criminal Minds
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
23
Views:
1,821
Reviews:
1
Recommended:
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Currently Reading:
0
Category:
1 through F › Criminal Minds
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
23
Views:
1,821
Reviews:
1
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Criminal Minds or any of the characters, nor do I make any type of profit from this.
XXI
RAPPAHANNOCK GENERAL HOSPITAL
Richmond, VA
“Hey buddy.” Aaron smiled weakly as a teary-eyed Jessica walked Jack into the hospital room. “Daddy! You awake!” The young boy pulled away from his aunt and tried to launch himself on the hospital bed, hanging on only by his arms. Hotch forced himself to sit up hiding the excruciating pain radiating from his abdomen with a loving look as Jessica lifted Jack onto the bed and sat in the chair near Hotch, smiling at him tearfully.
“Are you ok?” Jack’s big eyes met those of his father’s, forcing Aaron to fight back tears. He flashed back to months ago, when he was in the hospital thanks to Foyet. The only difference was that it had been Haley with his son instead of Jessica. A pang of guilt flashed through him before Jack’s innocent voice brought him back to reality. “Daddy?” Hotch smiled at his son, gingerly running a bandaged hand through the boy’s sandy blond hair. “I’m gunna be ok. The doctors fixed me up and now I just have to rest. Did you have fun with Aunt Jessica?” The little boy nodded vigorously. “I made pictures for you!” Jack dug into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper, opening it and laying it on his father’s lap.
Aaron couldn’t help but smile as he looked at what his son had made. There was a painting of an extremely muscular Hotch with a smiling Jack on his shoulder. Next to them was a giant monster that looked like it was sleeping, except for the X’s it had in place of eyes. “That’s the bad guy. You beat him because you never lose.” Hotch carefully pulled his son into a warm embrace. Jessica let the tears stream down her face as warmth filled her. Both father and son needed this moment.
Their embrace ended as noise filled the hallway of the ICU. Two stretchers were rushed by his room; the first one occupied by a bloodied figure Hotch realized was Warren Neal. His heart jumped with dread as he saw who was on the second stretcher. “Morgan?” His deep voice permeated the hustle and bustle, causing Derek to turn his head and look at his supervisor, pain evident in his features. “I’m fine Hotch, these Paramedics are just over reacting. Can’t say the same for Neal, though.” His voice faded as he was pushed down the hallway, leaving Aaron with a proud grin on his face. He should have realized Morgan wouldn’t let Neal be taken into custody without getting his shots in first.
Jessica pulled a sleeping Jack from his father’s bed an hour later, kissing Hotch on the forehead before leaving so Reid could speak with the man privately. Spencer rolled his eyes, waving his arms towards the room Morgan was in. “Derek is already demanding to be released and Neal is still unconscious.” He tapped his skinny thighs before sitting in the seat Jessica had vacated. “How are you?” Reid knew it was a stupid question. Hotch was a mess physically and psychologically, the extreme case of PTSD he surely had developed was one of record. The stoic look on Hotch’s face reassured what he had assumed. He wasn’t going to get anything from him. “Get someone from Richmond PD to take Morgan’s statement. You weren’t at the scene, so once Neal wakes and is cleared, read him his rights and take him in. Bring JJ with you. You’ll need her for the crowd control.” Aaron’s voice was strong, a telling sign of the relief he felt from not only seeing his son, but the fact that his attacker was finally caught. He was safe.
Spencer nodded before heading out the door to deliver the orders. Hotch wasn’t alone long before Rossi joined him, standing in the doorway lazily. “Y’know you’re going to have to testify. And to do that, you’re going to have to pass a psych eval. So, do you want to start talking now? Or would you rather wait until things are so bad Strauss makes you go to a therapist?” Dave’s knowing eyes locked with Hotch’s as the Unit Chief rolled his eyes in the slightest. Rossi remained silent as he waited for the words he knew Hotch needed to say. “I was weak. I failed this team and the Bureau.” His voice quivered slightly as he stared at the pale white ceiling, avoiding Rossi’s look. Aaron blinked back his emotions before continuing. “I gave into the UnSub and his games. I showed him my pain and I showed him –“ “That you were human?” Rossi’s voice was calm as he sat next to Hotch. “Aaron, what you went through was more than enough to kill any other person, and you’re mad because you shouted in pain? That’s right, you’re Super FBI Agent Aaron Hotchner. So, yea, blacking out after having your finger cut off was unacceptable. If you ever get over these little cuts and bruises you should do the Bureau a favor and resign.”
Aaron turned his head to the side and looked at Rossi skeptically. “What, you’re not going to offer me your gun this time?” Dave shrugged his shoulders. “I figured you’re too weak to hold it.” Hotch nodded, sighing to hid the chuckle that was threatening to escape. “Ok, I get it, Dave.” Rossi merely smirked. “I do, too, Aaron, but you don’t need to worry. Your team was proud of you and they found this UnSub on their own. They believed in you and they still do.” Hotch was silent, processing what Dave had said. Maybe he hadn’t shamed himself. “Thanks, Dave.” The elder agent gave Hotch a warm, half smile. “Anytime.”
---
“C’mon man, I’m fine. Just give me my shirt.” Morgan jumped off the bed, his arm in a thicker splint and his shoulder wrapped along with his abdomen to support his bruised ribs. “Agent Morgan, you need to calm down.” The attending nurse tried to guide Morgan back to his bed, but gave up after the large agent stormed past him. “Freeze, Derek Moran.” Penelope Garcia stood behind the shirtless man, unhappy with his defiance. “Derek, you need to rest.” He rolled his eyes before looking back at her. “Baby Girl, I’ll be fine. Right now, Hotch needs me more.” He headed back towards his next stop: Warren Neal’s room.
Derek stood on the other side of the glass, looking at the unconscious and beaten man. He couldn’t help but feel smug as he eyed the cuffs keeping his prone form connected to the bed. The bastard had finally gotten a taste of what he deserved. He had regained consciousness several times, only to fall into the grasp of darkness yet again a mere five minutes later. Morgan felt a sense of pride at the fact he was strong enough to do that to someone. “You wanna talk?” Emily stood next to Morgan, staring at the hated man laying there. Derek sighed before rubbing his eyes tiredly. “Ok, I went a little too far with roughing him up. But, I had to make sure he wasn’t going to get back up.” Prentiss nodded, suppressing her smile. Boy had she wished she had gotten her hands on Neal. She knew that she wouldn’t have been able to mess him up nearly as badly as Morgan had, but it still would have been fun. “I guess it doesn’t matter. He’s going to death row anyways.” Emily looked at Morgan who was now smiling. “Derek, he’s not getting away. Get some rest so you can give your statement without the aid of coffee. I’ll stand guard here. JJ is taking you and Reid back to the hotel along with Garcia.” Derek placed his right hand on her shoulder graciously. “Thanks.”
Emily watched the injured agent walk away. She didn’t particularly want to be there, watching over the demon known as the Photographer. She knew he wasn’t going anywhere, but they weren’t taking chances. After everything that bastard had done, he didn’t deserve to breathe fresh air.
---
MARRIOTT COURTYARD HOTEL
Richmond, VA
“Ok, Jessica and Jack are in Hotch’s room, Garcia, you’re with me, and boys, you’re in the same place.” JJ distributed room keys to everyone before disappearing into her own room. The media had been hell outside the hospital and even the hotel. She was starting to get tongue tied from telling them ‘no comment’ so many times. “I need a drink.” She pulled out two bottles of liquor from the fridge, tossing one of the miniature sized containers to Garcia. The two blond agents drank in silence. There was nothing more to say.
Spencer and Derek sat on their beds, flipping through the channels aimlessly. The idea they would actually get some sleep was farfetched. Morgan was in excruciating pain, though would never admit it. Spencer was fighting temptations to find some dilaudid and was winning, so far. Neither man was about to discuss their troubles, though. They were too proud, and with recent events, the whole team was feeling even more guarded. For now, they would do this on their own.
Richmond, VA
“Hey buddy.” Aaron smiled weakly as a teary-eyed Jessica walked Jack into the hospital room. “Daddy! You awake!” The young boy pulled away from his aunt and tried to launch himself on the hospital bed, hanging on only by his arms. Hotch forced himself to sit up hiding the excruciating pain radiating from his abdomen with a loving look as Jessica lifted Jack onto the bed and sat in the chair near Hotch, smiling at him tearfully.
“Are you ok?” Jack’s big eyes met those of his father’s, forcing Aaron to fight back tears. He flashed back to months ago, when he was in the hospital thanks to Foyet. The only difference was that it had been Haley with his son instead of Jessica. A pang of guilt flashed through him before Jack’s innocent voice brought him back to reality. “Daddy?” Hotch smiled at his son, gingerly running a bandaged hand through the boy’s sandy blond hair. “I’m gunna be ok. The doctors fixed me up and now I just have to rest. Did you have fun with Aunt Jessica?” The little boy nodded vigorously. “I made pictures for you!” Jack dug into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper, opening it and laying it on his father’s lap.
Aaron couldn’t help but smile as he looked at what his son had made. There was a painting of an extremely muscular Hotch with a smiling Jack on his shoulder. Next to them was a giant monster that looked like it was sleeping, except for the X’s it had in place of eyes. “That’s the bad guy. You beat him because you never lose.” Hotch carefully pulled his son into a warm embrace. Jessica let the tears stream down her face as warmth filled her. Both father and son needed this moment.
Their embrace ended as noise filled the hallway of the ICU. Two stretchers were rushed by his room; the first one occupied by a bloodied figure Hotch realized was Warren Neal. His heart jumped with dread as he saw who was on the second stretcher. “Morgan?” His deep voice permeated the hustle and bustle, causing Derek to turn his head and look at his supervisor, pain evident in his features. “I’m fine Hotch, these Paramedics are just over reacting. Can’t say the same for Neal, though.” His voice faded as he was pushed down the hallway, leaving Aaron with a proud grin on his face. He should have realized Morgan wouldn’t let Neal be taken into custody without getting his shots in first.
Jessica pulled a sleeping Jack from his father’s bed an hour later, kissing Hotch on the forehead before leaving so Reid could speak with the man privately. Spencer rolled his eyes, waving his arms towards the room Morgan was in. “Derek is already demanding to be released and Neal is still unconscious.” He tapped his skinny thighs before sitting in the seat Jessica had vacated. “How are you?” Reid knew it was a stupid question. Hotch was a mess physically and psychologically, the extreme case of PTSD he surely had developed was one of record. The stoic look on Hotch’s face reassured what he had assumed. He wasn’t going to get anything from him. “Get someone from Richmond PD to take Morgan’s statement. You weren’t at the scene, so once Neal wakes and is cleared, read him his rights and take him in. Bring JJ with you. You’ll need her for the crowd control.” Aaron’s voice was strong, a telling sign of the relief he felt from not only seeing his son, but the fact that his attacker was finally caught. He was safe.
Spencer nodded before heading out the door to deliver the orders. Hotch wasn’t alone long before Rossi joined him, standing in the doorway lazily. “Y’know you’re going to have to testify. And to do that, you’re going to have to pass a psych eval. So, do you want to start talking now? Or would you rather wait until things are so bad Strauss makes you go to a therapist?” Dave’s knowing eyes locked with Hotch’s as the Unit Chief rolled his eyes in the slightest. Rossi remained silent as he waited for the words he knew Hotch needed to say. “I was weak. I failed this team and the Bureau.” His voice quivered slightly as he stared at the pale white ceiling, avoiding Rossi’s look. Aaron blinked back his emotions before continuing. “I gave into the UnSub and his games. I showed him my pain and I showed him –“ “That you were human?” Rossi’s voice was calm as he sat next to Hotch. “Aaron, what you went through was more than enough to kill any other person, and you’re mad because you shouted in pain? That’s right, you’re Super FBI Agent Aaron Hotchner. So, yea, blacking out after having your finger cut off was unacceptable. If you ever get over these little cuts and bruises you should do the Bureau a favor and resign.”
Aaron turned his head to the side and looked at Rossi skeptically. “What, you’re not going to offer me your gun this time?” Dave shrugged his shoulders. “I figured you’re too weak to hold it.” Hotch nodded, sighing to hid the chuckle that was threatening to escape. “Ok, I get it, Dave.” Rossi merely smirked. “I do, too, Aaron, but you don’t need to worry. Your team was proud of you and they found this UnSub on their own. They believed in you and they still do.” Hotch was silent, processing what Dave had said. Maybe he hadn’t shamed himself. “Thanks, Dave.” The elder agent gave Hotch a warm, half smile. “Anytime.”
---
“C’mon man, I’m fine. Just give me my shirt.” Morgan jumped off the bed, his arm in a thicker splint and his shoulder wrapped along with his abdomen to support his bruised ribs. “Agent Morgan, you need to calm down.” The attending nurse tried to guide Morgan back to his bed, but gave up after the large agent stormed past him. “Freeze, Derek Moran.” Penelope Garcia stood behind the shirtless man, unhappy with his defiance. “Derek, you need to rest.” He rolled his eyes before looking back at her. “Baby Girl, I’ll be fine. Right now, Hotch needs me more.” He headed back towards his next stop: Warren Neal’s room.
Derek stood on the other side of the glass, looking at the unconscious and beaten man. He couldn’t help but feel smug as he eyed the cuffs keeping his prone form connected to the bed. The bastard had finally gotten a taste of what he deserved. He had regained consciousness several times, only to fall into the grasp of darkness yet again a mere five minutes later. Morgan felt a sense of pride at the fact he was strong enough to do that to someone. “You wanna talk?” Emily stood next to Morgan, staring at the hated man laying there. Derek sighed before rubbing his eyes tiredly. “Ok, I went a little too far with roughing him up. But, I had to make sure he wasn’t going to get back up.” Prentiss nodded, suppressing her smile. Boy had she wished she had gotten her hands on Neal. She knew that she wouldn’t have been able to mess him up nearly as badly as Morgan had, but it still would have been fun. “I guess it doesn’t matter. He’s going to death row anyways.” Emily looked at Morgan who was now smiling. “Derek, he’s not getting away. Get some rest so you can give your statement without the aid of coffee. I’ll stand guard here. JJ is taking you and Reid back to the hotel along with Garcia.” Derek placed his right hand on her shoulder graciously. “Thanks.”
Emily watched the injured agent walk away. She didn’t particularly want to be there, watching over the demon known as the Photographer. She knew he wasn’t going anywhere, but they weren’t taking chances. After everything that bastard had done, he didn’t deserve to breathe fresh air.
---
MARRIOTT COURTYARD HOTEL
Richmond, VA
“Ok, Jessica and Jack are in Hotch’s room, Garcia, you’re with me, and boys, you’re in the same place.” JJ distributed room keys to everyone before disappearing into her own room. The media had been hell outside the hospital and even the hotel. She was starting to get tongue tied from telling them ‘no comment’ so many times. “I need a drink.” She pulled out two bottles of liquor from the fridge, tossing one of the miniature sized containers to Garcia. The two blond agents drank in silence. There was nothing more to say.
Spencer and Derek sat on their beds, flipping through the channels aimlessly. The idea they would actually get some sleep was farfetched. Morgan was in excruciating pain, though would never admit it. Spencer was fighting temptations to find some dilaudid and was winning, so far. Neither man was about to discuss their troubles, though. They were too proud, and with recent events, the whole team was feeling even more guarded. For now, they would do this on their own.