#but mah brain went *tense moments*

[pondofducks]

Me when I realize that our tagging system may have influenced a fandom account we reblog from:

[softestnatalie]

Abandoned corridors of the heart

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x female!reader

Timing: Season 1

Chapter Summary: There are a few complications on Merle's rescue mission. Your group is forced to leave the camp as chaos erupts.

Warnings: swearing, mild language, blood, gore, character death

Autor's note: School's starting again in a week and I'm NOT ready. I'll have much less time to write :( so updates will proably take a few more days as soon as I have classes again, hope you can understand. Also, reader crying because of Daryl got my heart aching :( And the reader gets to see sb she thought she'd never see again ;)

Chapter 3: Everything changes

You're stronger than you think.

That's what your mother used to tell you whenever you needed to hear it - whenever something was putting you down. And right in this moment, you were trying so much to hold onto her words, an axe in your hands and a geek on the ground, a few men of the camp beating it up. Still, no matter how many punches they delieverd, it didn't die. You didn't exactly know how to help, but you did remember the moment you saved Daryl - he shot it right through the eye as soon as he'd been able to grab his crossbow. After that, it didn't move anymore, so you assumed the head was the important part.

You were just waiting for the right moment to interfere and when Rick hit the geek with a pitchork, the spikes piercing it's abdomen and forcing it to stay on the ground, you quickly pushed the other men out of the way, raising your arms high above your head before bringing them down with as much force as you could, cutting it's head off in a swift movement.

All of you were breathing heavily, drops of sweat running down your foreheads. Rick looked at you and nodded, saying thank you for your help. You nodded back and drooped the axe right next to the bodyless head, blood leaking from the open throat.

"That's the first one we had up here," Dale spoke after a few heavy seconds of silence, "They usually don't come that far up the hill."

"Maybe because the cities are getting empty," you decided to speak your mind, "I mean as far as we know, they bite humans - we're their food - they're searching for more," your eyes trailed to the poor deer laying on the ground, it's neck wide open and chewed up. Your heart ached for the animal, which had to give his life for no reason at all.

You jumped when you heard more rustling from the woods, grabbing Rick's arm - since he was closest to you - and hiding behind him. He turned his head to you and raised an eyerbrow, making you lower your head in embarrassment.

Shane raised his gun instantly, pointing it at the forest and waiting for the creature to show itself. You grabbed Rick's arm a bit harder when the rustling got closer as you held your breath, body tensing. You relaxed though, when you realised who it was.

Daryl stopped in his tracks, looking at the gun in shock before his eyes trailed to the dead deer on the ground, geek laying next to the animal. His shock turned into anger, "Son of a bitch," he walked closer, "That's mah deer. Been trackin' it fo' miles."

The geek's head started to move again, making you cringe and Daryl scoff, "Don' ya know anythin’, people? Gotta be the brain," he lifted his crossbow and just like the first time you'd met him, he shot an arrow right through the eye.

Your group decided to leave the deer for safety reasons since nobody knew if it was still edible after it got bit. And you really couldn't say you were disappointed about the news, you probably wouldn't have eaten it anyway - your guilty conscience way too big. Though, the squirrel Daryl brought back with him wouldn't be any better.

But before you went back to the camp, there was one thing you desperately wanted to do; bury the deer. You wanted to give the poor animal at least a little bit of peace. So, you begged Shane - since he was always the one to make desicions - to help you. And after a few minutes he actually agreed, shoveling a grave before laying the deer inside.

After you were satisfied, you made your way back inside the camp, Shane following behind you. And the first thing you saw was Rick arguing with Daryl, and you could only imagine what the argument was about.

Daryl was rubbing his forehead, his eyes narrowing in anger as you and Shane walked closer. It probably wsn't the smartest idea to interfere in what was happening but you were curious and you did want to know how Daryl would take the news about his brother.

"Hold on, lemme process this," Daryl turned away from Rick, rubbing over his eyes with his elbow - and you thought he looked close to crying by the way his face twisted up for only a second before he turned to face Rick again, "Ya sayin' ya cuffed mah brother to a roof," his voice raised in volume, practically screaming, "And ya fuckin' left 'im there?"

Rick put his hands on his hips - a move he seemed to be doing a lot, you noticed - and nodded, "Yeah," unlike Daryl's, his voice was calm.

A 'pfft' left Daryl's lips and he pursed his lips, pressing them together and trying to supress his upcoming rage. It didn't seem to work though as he grabbed the rope hanging on his left shoulder and threw the squirrel he'd caught into Rick's direction.

The situation escalated even more when Daryl pulled his knife out of the holster he had on his left hip, swinging his arm around widly, trying to hit Rick with the weapon. Luckily, Shane was able to put Daryl down before he actually got to hurt anyone.

Soon after, they decided to go back and get Merle and for some weird reason Shane decided to send you with them. He came up to you while the boys were preparing the truck, you about to go back into your tent when he spoke to you, "Think you should go with them."

You turned around and your mouth opened in shock when you realised he meant you. You. "Wha- why me?"

Honestly, the last thing you wanted to do was to go outside the camp because, really, you didn't have a death wish. Moreover, you had close to no experience killing geeks and the others having to look out for you constantly would just slow them down.

Shane shrugged, his left eye twitching a little, "You were doing a good job earlier, you know, helping us with the geek."

You shook your head quickly, a confused chuckle escaping your lips, "Shane, I had no idea what I was doing," you pulled the hair tie Lori had given you only a few hours ago off your wrist and put your hair up into a ponytail, "Really, I'd be more of a problem rather than help."

You tried to talk your way out of it but by the way he was looking at you, you knew there was no chance of you staying at the camp, "You're going," he walked away and continued talking with his back to you, "I'm sure it'll be okay."

And then he was gone. And you were left standing there, your eyes trailing after him until he disappeared from your sight and if looks could kill, he'd have died on the spot. His words didn't make any sense to you.

You've done great.

You surely hadn't done great. You had a conjecture and acted on it, basically trying your luck without knowing how it would go. And it's not like you actually killed the geek - Daryl did.

I'm sure it'll be okay.

You wondered how he could even say that after the situation which had happened just a day ago. The last group to leave the camp was faced with death and almost didn't make it back - and you were sure they were far more experienced than you. You were also sure about one more thing; you really didn't like Shane.

You were standing beside the truck when you had prepared yourself to go - and with prepared you meant getting a knife from Dale. You were still hoping someone would come and safe you from having to go since you were sure the four men would be fine without you, and there really wasn't any reason for you to go. Again, you questioned Shane's intentions.

"Oh," you lifted your head at Glenn's suprised voice, Daryl standing next to him, making you even more nervous. The absurdity of the situation wouldn't allow you to give the young man a smile. You. Going on a rescue mission to safe the brother of a man who acted like he despised you.

"Yeah," you muttured, nodding your head.

Glenn seemed to realise you didn't really like the idea of going with them - and he could understand, of course - so he didn't answer anymore, just nodded and gave you a reassuring smile as he opened the back doors of the truck to let you inside.

The ride was awkward. Glenn was driving the truck, Rick siting next to him in the passenger seat. Daryl and T-Dog were in the back with you, each one of you sitting in a different corner. None of you said a word.

It didn't take long before the vehicle stopped - the brake squeaking - and Glenn turned around to face the three of you, "We'll walk from here."

Daryl was the first to stand up and jump outside while you and T-Dog started at each other before he slowly stood up as well. You allowed yourself a few more seconds to take a few deep breaths, rubbing your thighs with your shaking hands as Glenn reached out his hand in order to help you out. And, honestly, Glenn was about to become your favorite person and, hopefully, a good friend over time.

The walk was short and only took a few more minutes until you were standing in front of a large building, the sun blending you when you looked into the sky to see the roof as best as you could. You just wanted to get Merle as fast as possible so y'all would be able to go 'home'.

But to everyone's suprise, the roof was empty, only a bloody and cold hand was left behind.

You covered your mouth as your eyes widened and a gasp left you, staring at the limb before you looked at the redneck when he started to scream for his brother. And you were almost scared he would attract geeks with how loud he was being.

Your group followed the trail of blood in hopes of finding him somewhere inside the building. But it didn't change anything.

Merle was gone.

"I lost my police bag when Glenn saved me," Rick said as he stopped Daryl from searching for his brother on his own, "We can go and get it. It's full of weapons - guns, lots of guns - and then we can look for him together."

Daryl stepped away from Rick's touch and thought about the spoken words before he gave a curt nod, "We can do tha'."

And so it was decided. Your group made a plan how to get the police bag first and for that plan to work, you had to be in pairs. And, of course, just your luck, you were paired with Daryl. While Glenn would be the one to run and get the bag, Rick and T-Dog would wait around a corner while you and Daryl would wait around another corner to be able to help Glenn if anything went wrong.

And, oh, a lot of things went wrong.

Before you could react, there was a boy standing in front of you, screaming in a language you couldn't understand - but you assumed it sounded like spanish. Daryl raised his crossbow but before he could do anything, two older men came running towards the three of you, pushing Daryl to the ground and giving him a kick in his side.

Right in that moment, Glenn returned with the bag and a hat in his hands, looking at Daryl before his eyes trailed to you. His expression matched yours; mouth opened wide just as well as your eyes.

You ran to get Daryl's crossbow, which was laying a few meters away from him, as soon as the men's attention was on Glenn, sprinting over to him. It was heavier than you thought and your arms burned a bit when you picked it up and gave it to Daryl, who managed to shoot an arrow into one man's ass.

The next thing you knew, you were picked up and thrown over a shoulder before you got pushed inside a car, Glenn right after you.

"Daryl!" you screamed a few times until the car started moving and there was nothing the redneck could do to safe you. The car was small, you and Glenn sitting shoulder to shoulder, so he could feel your shaking body right next to him.

"We're gonna be all right," he whispered but it did little to calm you. And you loathed Shane for forcing you to go on that stupid mission, all you had done was give Daryl his crossbow, so why were you even there?

It took at least an hour until your kidnappers reached their destination. One of the men opened your door and grabbed your arm, pulling you out and leading you and Glenn inside what looked like a hospital.

"Ese," there was a light voice calling and the man behind you turned around, looking at the source of the noise, "What?" the unknown man lifted his arms, pointing them in your direction and having a look of utter confusion on his face, "Who are they?"

You lowered your head as the two of them started to discuss about you and Glenn, rocking back and forth on your feet. You were scared of them and what they would or could do to you. Nobody would be there to help.

"I said grab the bag, not bring two strangers with you!"

The voice pulled you out of your thoughts and only a few seconds later were you led further down the white corridors. And the sight you were met with almost eased your fear just the tiniest bit. Old people. A lot of old people. They were sitting in their chairs, just enjoying their time and it almost looked like a retirement home.

"You can just sit down if you want," the unknown man said, pointing at a few empty chairs. You and Glenn looked at each other and you raised your eyebrows as if to ask him what he thought, him responding with a little shrug and a nod. So, the both of you walked over in small steps and sat down.

That was pretty much how you spent the next few hours, just sitting there and watching the old people talk, occasionally standing up to change position or help somebody. At some point, you were brave enough to start talking to Glenn, not being all too scared anymore.

It was pretty late already, the sun starting to go down when the man from earlier walked in again but this time with a familiar face.

Rick.

You nudged Glenn with your shoulder as soon as you saw the member of the camp, nodding into his direction so that Glenn could see him as well. Daryl and T-Dog followed soon after, looking around skeptically.

"I thought you two were bein' eaten by dogs," T-Dog said when he saw you and Glenn walking towards them. And you almost laughed when the korean man raised an eyebrow and turned around, looking at the three tiny chihuahuas as they started barking as if they could understand our words.

You and your group got pulled into another room to talk about the situation without the seniors having to hear.

The unknown man - what seemed to be the leader of that hospital - explained their story. They didn't mean any harm, didn't even plan on meeting other people on their way to get the weapons. They were just as scared as you were.

Rick decided to give them a few of the guns and ammo we had inside the bag, showing his understanding. Still, he kept most of the weapons to himself and saved them for the camp. After the conversation, your group could go 'home'. The leader of the Vatos - that's how they called their group - said a big 'thank you' before he led y'all out.

But, of course, the relief you felt didn't last very long. Because when you and your people walked outside, the truck Rick and the other two had came with was gone.

"The hell is the truck?" Daryl asked at the same time Glenn spoke, "Who'd take it?"

"Merle," Rick pursed his lips as he seemed to realise Merle wouldn't want anything positive for the people who had left him behind - even if it was by accident. And if he found his way back to the camp, nothing good would happen.

And since y'all didn't have any other options, the streets being empty and no other car in sight, you started jogging towards the camp, trying to be there as soon as possible to prevent anything negative from happening.

You didn't think it'd be that bad.

The five of you could hear the screams from a distance and you could feel your heart sink once you knew they were coming from your camp. At first, you thought Merle was the reason for the loud noises, you didn't expect to see the entire - once peaceful - camp filled with geeks.

All you could hear was the screams of the people living here and the loud gunshots as they tried to defend themselves. It was dark by then but, still, you could see a lot of blood on the ground, coming from the people who had got bitten already.

You thought about running away, somewhere safer than there, but everything you had on your mind left you at once when you looked into an all too familiar face. It wasn't as beautiful as it once was, the skin being a light shade of gray and the teeth hanging out in an unnatrual way.

You took a step forward, almost as if you were in a trance, but jumped when another gunshot sounded and the face you couldn't seem to stop looking at fell backwards, blood spraying from the bullet wound.

"No!" you screamed, the tears that had been welling up in your eyes finally rolling down your cheeks. Your body reacted before your mind could as you got on your knees and crawled over to the body on the ground.

The others killed the rest of the geeks as you sat on your knees, practically sobbing at this point, tears blurring your vision, "Mom," you whispered shakily, touching her hair carefully.

You didn't even realise how quiet it got as your screams echoed around the woods, holding your mother's cold hand tightly. You didn't think you'd ever get to see her again and you were just trying to accept that, but seeing her like this put you at least three steps back.

Please don't leave me, I need you, you thought, your eyes wandering around the group for the first time since your parent got shot. And only then did you realise you weren't the only one crying. Amy - the girl you had tried to comfort just a day ago - was lying on the ground, her neck wide open and bood all over her. It was obvious that she got bit.

How ironic. Amy had been so worried about Andrea's well being, scared they'd get seperated way too soon and now it was the other sister laying motionless on the ground.

The sight made you cry even more. So many lives. And they got taken away as if they didn't matter at all. The others were darting their eyes back and forth, looking at you and then at Andrea.

You looked back down at your mother, your tears wet her white and dirty shirt. Your story wasn't supposed to end yet, you wanted a happier ending for her.

You sat like that for the rest of the night, the sun raising after a few hours and you thought the worst part was sitting there the next morning, realising she was gone for good. That morning, you felt physical pain for the first time - a deep ache consuming your whole body but mostly your heart - without actually being hurt.

Daryl came over to you after some time, sitting on his heels next you and your body tensed uncomfortably.

"We gotta-" he started to talk but you didn't even let him finish his sentence.

"Stop," you spoke curtly, shaking your head at whatever he had to say, "I wanna bury her," you waited for a response but when you got none you allowed yourself to look at him. His eyes weren't as hard and cold as they usually were - still distant but not cold. Maybe because he could actually understand you considering the current situation involving his brother.

He nodded softly and stood up, grabbing your mother by her shoulders, making you tense up even more, "Hey, hey! What are you doing?"

He stopped his actions, looking at you again, "Help ya dig a grave."

You stared at him for a few more seconds before you eventually decided you could use the help, so you let him continue, "Okay," you whispered.

And it was all going okay until Shane thought he had to tell his opinion even though nobody asked for it, "Hey," he called, walking over to you and Daryl, already beginning to shovel the grave up again, "We don't bury geeks. She wasn't one of us."

Daryl scoffed at him, his eyebrows furrowing into a glare as he stopped shoveling, "Ain't yer business."

Shane shook his head and licked his lips, "Sure is," he tilted his head a bit to look at you still working to close the grave, "We don't bury them."

You shut your ears after that, focusing on your task since you really couldn't care less about Shane in that moment. And you honestly couldn't even explain how much you hated him. The argument between Daryl and Shane got more heated and at some point it just kind of escalated.

"Hell with y'all," Daryl exclaimed, waving around with his arms, "Ya had this comin'," he pointed at your mother's grave with one hand before slowly gesturing to the other bodies as well.

And this got your attention.

You had this coming.

How dare he say these words? Innocent people died. And he has the audacity to act as if they deserved it? And point at your mother - the mother you'd just lost a few hours ago - while doing so? His words hurt and they cut deeper than a knife ever could. Did she deserve to die? Did you deserve to see her like this?

Too many questions you didn't know an answer for, but you did know one thing; You didn't want to see Daryl anymore.

"Go," you suddenly spoke up, "Both of you, I can do this alone," your voice cracked towards the end, your face twisting up in pain, showing how much Drayl's words actually affected you.

The redneck started talking again, seemingly realising his hurtful words, but you didn't let him finish, raising your voice instead and telling him to fuck off. Both men left eventually, leaving you alone to do your work.

Only a few hours later did your group decide to leave the camp behind in order to find help for Jim since he got bitten. So you packed your stuff just as well as the rest of the group to head to the CDC - hoping to get a cure and save Jim.

You said goodbye to your mother before you left, sitting at her grave for some time before eventually moving towards the van. You were hoping your group would be able to come back as soon as Jim got the help he needed.

You didn't think about a lot of things when the van started moving, but in the end you realised something.

Everyone leaves at some point.

Tag list:

@goth-cowgirl-03 @paintlavillered @hotgirlsshareaccounts @tiedyedghoulette @alialiclouds

[jeichanhaka]

And Carried Me Away: Ch. 10

Chapter 1|| Chapter 2|| Chapter 3|| Chapter 4|| Chapter 5|| Chapter 6||

Chapter 7|| Chapter 8|| Chapter 9|| Chapter 10|| Chapter 11|| Chapter 12||

Chapter 13|| Chapter 14|| Chapter 15||

Chapter 10: Spencer hissed in pain as he hit the floor, his elbows taking most of the impact. Though it stopped his head from hitting the floor, his left elbow hit the floor in just the right spot for the impact to be excruciating. He grimaced and cursed, distracted by the pain just long enough for Alsie to straddle him. Feeling her weight on top of him, his cheeks immediately flushed, his eyes widening and locking on Alsie. "Al..."

His sister's burnt sienna eyes stared down at him, familiar yet the gleam in them wasn't. It was cold, calculating. Not at all like Alsie, nor like her alter Ana. He swallowed, wondering if he'd triggered Emmie and thinking up how he could de-escalate things so Alsie could regain control.

"Um, Al...Emmie? I'm not a threat to Alsie. All right?" Spencer spoke softly, not moving anything but his eyes and lips. He glanced towards the bed, feeling relieved that Jemma was still sleeping. "I'm not going to do anything, Emmie. Alsie is safe, she is safe."

"...hm..heh." His sister smirked, her eyes narrowing. An uneasy feeling welled up in Spencer's gut, fighting against his certainty. It wasn't until Alsie's hand was wrapped around his throat that he realized it might not be Emmie staring down at him.

"A..." Spencer instinctively grabbed for the hand at his throat, alarmed though its owner hadn't started squeezing yet. She just held it there, threateningly.

"I thought you said you wouldn't move." His sister chided, leering down at him. Her thin lips pulled into a wry smile. It was evident, based on the tone, that this personality was testing him and his word.

Spencer paused, confused and fearful. His hand stopped midway on its way to grabbing the hand around his throat. He blinked, his brain whirling as he thought of who this alter was. Not Emmie, not Ana, certainly not Alsie herself. "I...Leigh? Are you Leigh?"

"Hm." The thin lips twitched, and a dry chuckle escaped them. "Yes. I am. And you...are a liar." Leigh glanced at Spencer's hand, her own still at his neck. Her lips twitched again as Spencer dropped his hand back to the floor.

"No. I'm not. I'm not a liar. You can trust me. I won't...I won't move." Spencer replied, his heart thumping. He tensed as Leigh tightened her grip slightly around his neck, not enough to be dangerous but enough that he questioned his resolve. If Leigh tightened her grip any further, he knew he'd break his promise and grab her arm. He also knew, going by the sinking feeling in his gut, that doing so would make things much worse. "Leigh, I...Let me talk to Alsie. Please. I'm not a threat. I..."

"Of course not. You're terrified." Leigh scoffed, her eyes recognizing the fear in Spencer's eyes. She frowned, removing her hand from his throat. "...you're nothing like James. Or Peter." Leigh muttered, shifting herself so that she was sitting on Spencer's stomach, her legs still straddling him.

"Wh..." Spencer took in a breath, relieved that Leigh hadn't decided to test his resolve. It wasn't himself getting hurt that had frightened him, but rather concern for Jemma's safety. As well as a reluctance to hurt Alsie. He took another deep breath, Leigh's mumble echoing in his thoughts. His eyes widened. "...What?"

Leigh stared down at Spencer, not bothering to respond to the single word question.

"You...James? Did you...do this to James? You..." Spencer asked, his brain running through a gauntlet of implications and likelihoods dependent on Leigh's answer. He didn't know much about James, but he couldn't imagine the older man to allow Leigh to choke him with impunity. Or to threaten him. Both which could only have meant terrible things for Alsie, things she may not remember.

"...heh. Don't worry." Leigh mumbled, touching Spencer's cheek. "He didn't mind it. At least, not enough that he'd hurt Alsie. Though..." She paused, moving a few stray strands of hair from Spencer's face. "...that has as much to do with his fear of Emmie." Another pause. "She broke his wrist once. And his fingers a few other times. Despite that, he just kept coming back. Almost like it was a sort of game. Or competition. Or maybe he just liked that Ana always appeared afterward."

"Leigh..." Spencer interrupted, not wanting to hear anything more especially not about what went on between Ana and James. "I..."

"Do you want Ana?"

"No. No." Spencer shook his head, grimacing at the thought and implication. "No. Leigh, I...I want to talk to Alsie. I need to talk to Alsie. About taking Jemma out for icecream and to the park today. She's been looking forward to today, and spending time together with her mom. Please."

"A...um. Hm." Leigh mulled over Spencer's words, her piercing eyes staring down at him. She licked her lip, considering him. Before she could say anything in response, the sound of the bed creaking drew their attention.

"Mahma? Unc' 'encer?" Jemma mumbled, staring down at the two, a loud and adorable yawn escaping her mouth. "Mah...awh. Icce ice...wan' icce c'eam."

"Jemma, hey." Spencer smiled at his niece, hiding his concern about her mother as he started signing. His eyes flitted to Alsie's face, hoping that seeing Jemma awake would trigger Leigh to switch back to Alsie. His stomach somersaulted when he saw his sister's face, the look in her eyes. "...Jem, why don't you go find auntie Joy?" Spencer signed his question, his gaze locked on his sister except for a few brief glances at Jemma to make sure his niece understood him. "Your cousin Kai would love to play with you."

"Buht..." Jemma pouted, almost whining when her uncle repeated his request. The expression on his face stopped her - and she crawled of the bed and toddled into the hallway, searching for her auntie Joy.

She completely missed the way Spencer suddenly grabbed her mother's hands, and the serious glare he gave his sister.

"Leigh." Spencer scowled at his sister, searching her face at the same moment he pushed her off of him. He squeezed her hands, his stomach twisting. The coldness - the loathing he saw in his sister's eyes as her alter Leigh stared at Jemma, horrified him. It had sent a chill through him. "...I need you to let me speak to Alsie. Leigh..."

Leigh simply glowered at him, attempting to wrest her hands out of his. His grip, however, was too firm.

"Leigh."

0Prison:

"All right. Thank you." Hotch said to one of the correctional officers as he entered the next room. His expression remained stoic even as William Reid noticed him and approached. The door shut behind him.

"Agent Hotchner...I..."

Hotch shook his head. "I understand your reason for wanting to talk with James, Mr. Reid. You needed to know about his relationship with Alsie. About..." The agent paused, deciding to move on to his next sentence. "It doesn't surprise me. What does surprise me is how you convinced the warden to let you."

He didn't elaborate, though the other man understood what he meant. Pretending to be representing James as a lawyer just to get to question him was dangerous. If the prison or law board found out, it was likely to have ramifications for William.

William Reid simply gave Hotch a look that said that he didn't and wouldn't regret his decision despite whatever consequence. It was an expression Hotch quickly and quietly profiled, meshing it with what else he realized about the man over the past couple of months. How doting and protective he was of his daughter.

"...Alsie asked you to visit him." Hotch stated, not needing nor looking for a response. Instead he glanced around the room, his expression shifting a bit. It was slight surprise and slight confusion. "Where's James? Didn't you manage to convince him to agree to answering my questions?"

"Yes. He just needed a bathroom break. The guard should be bringing him back soon." William replied, his thoughts on James. He grimaced and sighed, irritated. "...just so you know, James agreed to this interview only if I sit in as his lawyer."

"But...that..." Hotch started to reply, only to be cut off by the sound of the prison door opening.

"...oh." James smirked as he entered the room, his attention shifting from the guard escorting him to the agent. His eyes gleamed as he recognized Hotch. "Hello. I didn't think you'd get here this quick."

"James, if you'd sit so we can start..." Hotch replied. His eyes narrowed as he noticed James shake his head while smirking.

"I want something first. Then I'll answer whatever you ask." James demanded, his dark eyes lingering on the agent's face. He practically ignored William, though the man studied him curiously. "...Deal? No deal?"

"This isn't a game, James." Hotch said, irritated by the thirty-six year old's smirk.

"...No. It's not." James replied after mulling silently a moment. He moved towards the table to sit, his foot hitting the leg of the table on the way. "...uck!"

"James, are you..."

"...I'm fine." James spat, sitting down quickly after recovering. He scowled at the two men, his glare especially livid when alighted on William.

Hotch paused before sitting down himself, not from hesitance but from curiosity. His profiler eyes hadn't missed the glare the younger man gave William. It was different than the one James gave him. The one he received was simply anger while the one William had received was more of a warning. Or an unspoken demand. More baffling was the curious and concerned look William returned.

The unit chief made note of both, then sat down. "All right. First..."

"...I want to see my daughter." James interrupted, glancing at his hands before shifting his gaze to Hotch. "I want to see Jemma."

0Elsewhere:

The first thing Melissa Joyce noticed was the damp scent emanating from somewhere towards her right. It slowly expanded throughout the room but it was stronger in that direction. She swallowed, noticing then how dry her lips were; though she could smell a damp scent entering the room, the room itself felt so dry. Her head pounded, and she instinctively reached out to search for her walking stick.

She froze when a metallic rattling sound filled her ears and her reach was hindered by something wrapped around her wrists.

"No. No. Please no." She gasped, her lips trembling as she tried to wake herself up. It felt so real, this nightmare, so like the others she'd suffered through. Yet...her nightmares never had such a stench in them and the room was usually cold. And she could see in them...

Melissa trembled, becoming more worried the longer her blindness remained - evidence that it wasn't a nightmare. She was, somehow, trapped again with the psycho. He must've gotten out and come to finish her. He was supposed to be in prison for life, but somehow he'd to have escaped or...

"Where are you? Please...just let me go. Please!" She cried, and reflectively moved her arms what little way she could to block her stomach. The sound of a scuffling foot or bag could be heard across the room. "Please just let us go..."

The scuffling stopped, replaced by the sound of a sure footstep approaching. She realized the truth from the stranger's step even before he spoke, the voice not the same one as the man's who assaulted her in Western New York.

"...us?" The unknown voice asked, and Melissa tried to cover her stomach even more protectively. Her heart thumped terribly beneath her ribcage, fear enveloping her more firmly than before. "Us?"

The man repeated, what he was doing unknown to Melissa, though she sensed he was staring at her closely. She tried to squirm away, an useless endeavor because of the chains binding her ankles as well as her arms.

"Please..." She cried as strong, furious arms pulled hers away from her abdomen. "Don't...don't hurt..."

"...you..." The man growled, his glare on the just noticeable baby bump.