RUNAWAY
CHAPTER EIGHT...!
❝ PROTECTIVE CUSTODY , SEASON
FIVE ❞
THE TEAM had been trying to reach Hotch all morning. No answer.
In response, they tried getting ahold of Jennie. Again, no answer. At first, they assumed they were still asleep. However, as the day got later, and the two were still yet to answer, their worry only increased.
Soon enough, after some digging, Garcia revealed that there was a John Doe emitted to the hospital by SSA Derek Morgan — who had gotten his credentials stolen by George Foyet the night he was arrested.
Connecting all the dots, the team rushed to the hospital as soon as they heard.
When they arrived, and were given his room number, the group met the face of the exhausted Jennie Hotchner, who had her leg shaking up and down profusely. It didn't take a room full of profilers to figure out she hadn't slept.
"He still isn't conscious." She told them, her eyes not meeting the group. They all swiftly moved next to her, JJ sitting in the chair next to the girl.
"Jennie— can you tell us what happened?"
As the memories of the night flooded her mind, she couldn't help but let her eyes water, "He wasn't there when I got home last night. I-I was looking around for him, and the next thing I knew— this old guy was holding a gun to me."
Morgan's, who kneeled in front of the girl, eyes softened at her fragile sight, speaking softly, "Did he say anything to you?"
"He said—" She swallowed the lump in her throat, "He explained how brutally he had stabbed my dad. H-He explained in full detail. And he told me he had dragged him in the backseat of my car, and that he was laying there unconscious. A-And that he was bleeding profusely."
She shook her head, letting a tear fall, "He made me drive them to the hospital. He said if I told anyone anything that he would kill me. I-I didn't know what to do, I don't—"
As the girl's breathing got heavier, JJ pulled her into a hug, letting the girl rest her head on her shoulder.
The rest of the group looked at each other, before taking a few steps away from the two to discuss the case.
"You sure it was Foyet?" Rossi questioned Emily, who had made that claim when she inspected the apartment that morning.
"He had morgan's credentials."
"Did they catch him on the security cam?" Morgan asked.
"You could see him dropping Hotch off, but the cameras is only on the entrance, so I have no idea what direction he went once he left the hospital." Emily shook her head.
"It doesn't make sense for him to have brought Hotch to the ER."
"We know Foyet gets off from power and control, maybe what he wants is for hotch to know his life was in his hands."
"He could do that without risking the hospital." Morgan spoke, before a nurse had walked up to the group.
"Agents." The nurse began, looking at the group, "He's waking up. Remember he's weak, don't push him."
As the group began to move into the man's room, Derek looked back at the teen, his expression questioning why she remained in her seat.
"I, um—" She began, "I need a moment to calm myself."
He nodded, understandingly, before squeezing the girl's shoulder, "We'll be right in there when you're ready, Jen-Jen."
—
"Where am I?" Hotch asked, as Morgan entered the room, with his eyes still closed.
"In the hospital."
"How did I get here?"
Rossi looked up at the group, pausing for a second, "Jennie drove you."
"Is she—"
"She didn't get hurt."
The Unit Chief sighed, "What did he take?"
"What do you mean?" The Italian man furrowed his eyebrows at the question.
"The reaper always takes something from his victims. Do we know what he took?"
"There was a page missing from your date planner and the address section for b's."
He paused, "What did he leave?"
Emily looked up at Rossi for a moment, before back down at Aaron, "I don't know"
"He also leaves something with his victims"
"I looked over your whole apartment nothing felt out of place."
"Where are my clothes?"
Emily took it from his beside. He took his badge out an enevelope to see a picture of Jennie, Haley, and Jack had been placed there.
"Haley's maiden name is brooks. I always listed her in the B's in my personal information in case it fell into the wrong hands. He knows where they live."
—
JJ CAME BACK into the waiting room, to see Jennie still sitting there. She gave her a quick smile, sitting next to the teen, looking at her with worried eyes.
"They said they're taking Haley, Jack, and I into protective custody."
Jennie told the blonde, looking down at her hands, causing the woman to place a comforting hand on the girl's back.
"You should go in there." JJ encouraged the girl, referring to how she was yet to see her dad since he had woken up. The teen's eyes didn't meet hers, her voice soft.
"This never would've happened if I didn't go out last night." Jennie shook her head, "I-I could've been there. I could've— done something."
"There was nothing you could've done." The blonde reassured her, before pausing for a moment, sighing, "Honestly, if you hadn't gotten there at the time you did, there's a good chance Foyet may have done the same thing to you. Meaning you wouldn't have been able to help your dad...You saved his life, Jennie."
The teen finally looked up at her friend, giving her a soft, thankful smile, shrugging slightly, "He saved mine. More times than I can even count."
Jennifer smiled back at the girl, before motioning over to Aaron's room, "Go."
The girl let out a small breath, before finally getting up, and walking over to her father's room. When she entered, his eyes' immediately landed on his daughter, his gaze softening.
"Jennie."
"Hey," She gave him a small smile, going over to sit at the edge of the bed, next to her father.
"Honey, you look exhausted."
Jennie let out a small chuckle, "Thanks."
She knew that's not how he meant it, but she'd much rather laugh about it than explain how she hadn't slept all night, running off of more cups of coffee than she could keep track of.
"No, I— I'm sorry." He apologized, regretting his comment. He then apologized a second time, but this time, his tone indicated that he was apologizing for the incident with Foyet the night prior, "I'm so sorry, Jennie."
"It's okay. It's not your fault." She reassured him, before looking down at her nails. Before she had met Grayson, Jennie didn't know what her 'tell' was. But, soon after they began to hang out, the teen noticed how she'd often look downwards whenever she got nervous.
Aaron began to notice her tell as well, so when he saw her looking down at her hands, his concern grew, "Jennie— did he hurt you?"
"No, no. It's just—" Jennie reassured him.
He looked at her, awaiting for her to continue, his worry only increasing, "Jennie?"
When Jennie finally looked up at the man, he could see water building up in her eye, her voice shaking as she continued speaking,
"I don't want to live with Haley."
The man only remained silent, as Jennie continued, shaking her head.
"And I know— that's so selfish, and mean— especially because she spent years of her life being a mother figure to me, but, um—" She paused for a second, "I want to go home with you. In our small apartment— and, I want to stay up late, watching those crappy cartoons you hate, but you put up with because I think they're funny. And— I want to fall asleep on the couch, and then wake up to see you panicking because you slept through your alarm again. I just—"
She shook her head once more, finally letting a tear fall, "I just wanna go home."
"Jennie—" Her father breathed out, seeing a tear finally roll down her cheek, as he cupped a side of his daughter's face, "We're going to find him. I— I'm going to find him. And then you'll be able to come back home. Our home. And it'll be just us. But the only way that can happen is if you get put into protection first."
Jennie nodded, sniffling softly. However, she couldn't help but look down once more, shaking her head, her voice breaking.
"Why does this always happen to us?"
The crack in her voice felt just enough to make Aaron Hotchner's heart break, as he motioned her to sit next to him. There, she laid her head on her father's chest, and the two sat in a silence, savoring their last moments with each other for a while.
—
A COUPLE minutes later, Haley had entered the room, standing at the end of the bed. She gave Jennie a small smile, before looking back at the man.
"How do you feel?"
"I'm gonna be okay." Aaron spoke after a short pause, causing Haley to nod, "Did they explain to you what's happening?"
"They said the Marshall's Services is taking us straight from here, and putting us into protective custody."
The woman could see a glisten in the man's eyes, "Haley, I'm sorry"
She gave him a quick, small smile, before her face fell again. She then let out a small sigh, "Do you know where their going to take us?"
He shook his head, "No, I don't, and that's the point. I can't know where you're going. If you have any contact with anyone, he could track you."
The woman let out a long breath, becoming more emotional as she spoke, "Jack has school. He has friends. I have a job now."
Haley's words had struck a hard realization to Jennie. She hadn't even finished high school. She was supposed to start attending Columbia in the fall.
How can someone go through so much, without even obtaining their diploma yet?
Better question— what did the world have against Jennie Hotchner that they thought she had deserved to go through everything she's gone through as a 17-year-old girl?
"I know. and I'm sorry. We will catch him, and you'll come back, and I promise I will spend the rest of my life making this up to you." Aaron looked down at his daughter, "To all of you."
The blonde woman paused for a moment, "Are you sure that we're in danger?"
"Yes."
She nodded, water building up in her eyes, before she looked back at the man, "What about you? Are you going to be safe?"
"He wants to see me suffer. Knowing that my kids are out there, and that I can't see them, is better than killing me."
"What am I supposed to say to Jack?"
"Tell him it's a vacation. and that it's not gonna be for very long."
Haley's eyes dared to let a tear fall, as she spoke, her voice breaking "How am I supposed to keep him safe if there's no one I know to help me?"
"Haley, you're strong. You lived with me in this job, and you've practically raised Jack all by yourself. You're a great mother." Aaron told her, reassuringly.
She took a moment to wipe her tears, before sniffling, "Can you catch this man?"
"I will catch this man."
With that, Haley nodded slowly, before letting out a slow breath, motioning towards the doorway, "Jack wants to come in."
"I want to see him too i just don't think it's a good idea."
"Look, I know you're trying to protect him, but you both need this. Please."
The man paused for a moment, before nodding, "Okay."
The man sat up straighter, making sure not to disrupt his daughter's position, as Haley brought Jack into the room, carrying him on the bed.
"Hey, buddy."
Jack sat on the opposite side of Jennie, as Aaron looked at him. Jennie have the boy a small wave, which he returned, before his attention went onto his dad.
"Don't worry, it's okay. The doctors made sure that I'm completely fine. Did mommy tell you that— you three are gonna take a trip?"
"Yeah."
"So, I'm not gonna see you for a while"
The little boy's eyes saddened, "Why?"
"Well, think of it about it— like when daddy goes away from work. Only this time, you and Jen-Jen get to go some place with mommy." The man didn't take his eyes off his son, "But what do I tell you guys every-time I go away?
"You love us."
"More than anything in the world."
"Daddy?"
"Yeah, buddy?""
"Why is Jen-Jen sad?"
The girl had tried her best to hide her heavy breaths once Jack came into the room, but evidently it didn't work. After the little guy's question, Jennie was quick to wipe her cheek, making the tear rolling down it disappear.
"I'm not sad." She told him, sitting up, giving him a soft smile, "I'm— excited. We're gonna go on a trip, Jack. I'm happy."
Jack only looked at his sister for a moment longer, before turning back to his father, "Are you okay?"
He took a long pause, "I'm very proud of you. Every single day. The both of you."
With that, Aaron leaned in closer, giving a kiss to his son's forehead, and another one to his daughter's. He then mumbled,
"See you soon, okay? Take care of mom, okay?"
"Okay." Jack nodded.
"And Jennie?"
"Okay." The little boy promised his father.
Jennie gave Jack another small smile, as Haley took him off the bed, and led him out the room. Before Jennie could begin to follow them, her father spoke up once more.
"The Marshall's said they'll give you five minutes to make any— phone calls that you might need to make before they get rid of your phone." He told her, "So if you need to call anyone— don't give them any information that could benefit the man we're looking for."
"Okay." The teen nodded, letting out a small sniffle, hopping off the hospital bed.
The two looked at each other for another moment, staying silent, before Jennie wrapped her arms around her dad for another hug.
The man squeezed his eyes shut, holding his daughter tightly.
"I love you so much, Jennie."
"I love you too, dad."
—
JENNIE had found herself a bathroom within the hospital, pulling out her phone as she entered. When her father told that she was allowed to make a phone call, her mind only went to one person.
Ironically, it was the one person she had spent a good amount of time resenting for being on her mind so much.
"Hey, Grayson." She spoke, her phone pressed against her ear.
"Jennie?" His worry was heard from the other line, hearing how different her voice sounded, and the sniffle she let out, "Have you been crying?"
"I—" Jennie decided to ignore the question, "I have to go somewhere. I-I can't tell you where, or what'll be doing, but— I have to go there. For a while. I-I don't really know why I'm telling you this, but I just— I don't want you to think I'm, like, ghosting you, or whatever. Because, I'm not. I promise I'm not. And after I come back, I'll tell you almost immediately. B-But— I have to go. For a long time. And I'm sorry."
There was a long silence after the girl's rambled, which caused Jennie to speak up again.
"Grayson, please say something."
He paused for another moment, before speaking up.
"Will you be safe?"
"Wh— yes. Yeah, I'll be safe." Jennie told him, not expecting that question, "I-I'm so sorry. I know this is weird—"
"Jennie—" The man interrupted her, "I don't care about that. All I care about is if you're safe. I believe you, I trust you. And— as long as I know you're coming back, I don't care for how long you're going to be gone for. I just want to make sure you're okay."
Jennie was the one to pause this time, before swallowing, as she nodded her head.
"I'll be okay."
—At least, that's what she told him. But, deep down, Jennie didn't really know how accurate that statement was.
—
AUTHORS NOTE |
nicki minjaj
word count.
2872.