LIKE A GIRL ｡ CRIMINAL MINDS

TWENTY NINE

"Come on," he muttered. Daisy crossed her arms and watched the two socialites disappear into the elevator. She didn't trust either of them, and she'd made that perfectly clear. "We need to make sure Garcia has his every move on lock."

★☆

Penelope did, in fact, have all of Andrew Kane's movements on lock. She'd said he had made an appointment with his own daughter at a nearby hotel, so the BAU, along with other police officers, staked out the foyer as well as the room itself.

However, when Ellen stepped into the room, claiming Andrew had told her to show up, they had realised the man had tricked them. Daisy, Emily and Rossi joined Hotch and Morgan as they rushed back to their cars. Daisy looked down at her phone at the addresses Penelope had sent her. "There are four luxury hotels in the area that the Unsub frequents."

"We could split up, but we'll go in blind," Derek suggested

"Ivory marble, she mentioned it on the phone," Hotch was in deep thought as he strode through the building. "The men who walk through the ivory marble foyer."

"The Chase Regent," Ellen piped up from beside Rossi. Daisy didn't look back at her, she didn't have the patience. This woman had been nothing but frustrating since the moment they met, and she wasn't about to fawn over her just because she'd done one helpful thing. "Andrew liked it there. He said that the staff was very discreet."

"All right, let's set up a perimeter when we get there," Hotch ordered, pushing through the front doors. "Nobody gets in or out."

★☆

Daisy's heart was beating fast as she neared the door of the hotel room with Hotch and Morgan by her side. It seemed she was the go-to for back-up when its came to talking down unsubs - therapy was something she was good at, after all.

Holding their guns up, Derek pushed the door lightly, the entrance opening without any struggle. He went in first, followed by Hotch and finally Daisy. They whipped their weapons back and forth to check the room, but there was nothing of importance there. Daisy looked out towards the balcony, seeing the silhouette of a woman.

Megan.

"Hotch," she muttered, nodding towards the outside area. Hotch followed her over as she put her gun back in her holster. Megan was no threat. She wasn't about to kill FBI agents - they weren't who she was targeting. And Daisy, being a woman without shares in the stock market (or whatever rich people had), was the least likely to bite the bullet, and they all knew that.

It was almost tragically quiet - the only sounds came from the streets below; muted sirens and the rare screech of a car tire. It allowed a certain type of peace to wash over them. Daisy had always liked the city - she liked to know that she wasn't truly alone. 

Hotch went to speak to his colleague - to ask her to talk to Megan, but she cut him off before he could. Her expression was soft, kindly. It wasn't a look she'd sent his way before, and he could have sworn his legs started to melt. "You need to speak to her. She trusts you."

Hotch watched her for a second, then nodded once, cautiously making his way to the balcony and taking a seat opposite Megan. Daisy hung back, reaching for her phone to call nine-one-one. Her eyes flickered to the balcony every so often, seeing Hotch with his hand wrapped around Megan's.

She smiled sadly, feeling nothing but sympathy for the young woman. Everything from before - the poisonous seeds of jealousy that had planted themselves in her stomach - were pointless. Megan Kane needed help, not Hotch. And if she did need him, why was that any of Daisy's business?Obviously she didn't condone her behaviour (you know, the whole murdering people), but she knew that Megan understood the consequences. She'd chosen the easy way out, however.

After giving the call, Daisy stepped outside to see Hotch still holding Megan's limp hand. The call girl's face was pale, the colour having faded from her cheeks. The agent reached over to check her pulse, coming up with nothing. She was dead.

Hotch closed his eyes and bent his head towards the ground. Daisy pursed her lips and crouched down beside him, placing her hand on his knee as an act of comfort. He didn't move away, or tell her to stop, he needed her in that moment. He exhaled, his emotions mixed towards how the case had ended.

Daisy felt her phone vibrate, and she used her other hand to check it. Her eyes scanned the short text, and she relayed the information to her boss. "Emily and Rossi caught Andrew in the parking lot. He's in their custody now."

Hotch nodded once, but didn't reply. Daisy swallowed, watching how he struggled to accept what had happened. He'd been the only one to have contact with Megan, and the fact that he could have helped her but was too late was harrowing to feel. 

Shifting a little, Daisy rubbed circles on his leg with her thumb. "Aaron."

Hotch looked up at her, his lips parting in surprise at the use of his first name. She'd never used it before.

"There's nothing we could have done to stop this," she said, her voice soft. It was so calming, and allowed him to notice the remains of her natural accent on certain words. He had to give it to her, she was good at what she did. "Megan knew it was over."

"I know," Hotch mumbled. Daisy pushed herself back up and took Megan's hand from the man, placing it back in her lap. She was remorseful in how she did so, making sure that in death she wouldn't be uncomfortable. Her palm was still warm, seeing as the death had only occurred moments ago. Her eyes fell on the woman's face momentarily.

She was so young.

Hotch forced himself to his feet, taking one last look at Megan before he trudged back into the hotel room where Morgan was waiting for them. Daisy glanced at the table, seeing an empty champagne glass sitting there. It was no doubt of expensive quality, as the call girl had high standards. It was what she had used to poison herself - the same as she had done with her victims.

Inside the room, Hotch and Morgan had stepped aside to allow the paramedics in. It all seemed to move so fast. The emergency workers strapped Megan into a body bag and zipped her up, reducing her to nothing more than a lump of dead weight. 

Hotch turned and stormed out of the room as they put Megan's wrapped body on a gurney for easy transport. Daisy and Derek exchanged a worried look, before Daisy followed Hotch out into the hallway. The two stood across from each other, alone for the most part; police officers and health workers were rushing in and out, but they paid little attention to the agents. 

Daisy reached out and took his hand, squeezing it. She was careful not to overwhelm him with her physical touch, as she didn't know how capable he was of accepting it right now. She stared up at his face, watching as his lips flattened into a thin line. She didn't object when he pulled her closer so that they could embrace.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Daisy allowed him to bury his head in her shoulder. She moved one hand to tangle in his hair, knowing that it soothed him. He needed the comfort, and she was willing to provide it. No matter the thoughts or unresolved feelings between them, they were partners. They were there for each other.

Even when things were inexplicably hard to control.

★☆

I've figured out where to put the smut heheheheheheheheh

it's not gonna be super super soon but its gonna be soon !!! I've figured out daisy's story arc a little more and hoo boy it's hopefully all gonna pan out well!!!!

also sorry if this is a god awful chapter I wrote it in the hour between classes lmao and I also really really have to pee right now SUE ME

also I love megan kane she's one of the most underrated unsubs no cap