Chapter Three: One Big Family
04x01: Mayhem

*Trigger warning*

Eden had survived the attack on her life. It had been a little over a year since everything happened. So many things have changed. Reid wasn't doing good after being held hostage, she could sense something was off with the boy but decided not to pry as he would finally come to her when he was ready. Gideon quit the team, and there was a new addition to the team his name was Rossi, he wasn't really nice at first, kinda mean, a little misogynistic, and arrogant. After a while, he changed and became a nicer man. Eden was finally starting to open up, after everything she's been through the woman could use some friends. Life was good, she was a badass, which she already knew, but more than before, she literally had the scars to prove it.

There was currently a serial killer in New York on the loose, he wears a hood and keeps his head down, Agent Joyner the lead investigator on the case was being rude to Morgan because her superiors want her to solve this case or she will be fired and morgan is on the top of the list to replace her, Eden was second on the list but she dared not to tempt the strawberry blonde, after she found how mean her words were, especially when you are rude to one of her friends.

The unsub they found out was smart. There was more than one person doing this and they knew all the moves the FBI was making. We found out that this was an act of terrorism they were targeting first responders. The team decided it would be best to hit the ground running to leave some distances between each other the best they could. They all took separate cars. Garcia and Rossi were in one by themselves, Emily was in another, JJ by herself too, along with Reid, leaving the pairs of Derek and Eden and Hotch and Joyner. Little did the team know that there was an explosion, leaving Joyner injured and Hotch slightly injured. The police were on the scene and so were first responders, but the B.A.U told them not to respond until the scene was clear, that the first wave of responders were targets.

"Never think that war, No matter how necessary nor how justified, is not a crime" Ernest Hemingway.

Derek Morgan, was currently speeding down the busiest street in New York, he was currently, swerving through cars. Eden decided it would be best to grab the handle above her window just for safety precautions. His phone rang and he answered, Eden made him put it on speaker while she held it. She valued her life a lot more than that phone call.

"Yeah. we are still here." Eden mutters hearing the blonde woman on the end sigh.

"Yes, you are. Thank god."

"We are almost back at the federal building. What the hell's going on?"

"All right, we're going over the closed circuit footage right now."

"Who else have you checked on?" Derek says.

"You're the first. Rossi and Reid called me"

"All right, well, keep us on the line while you check on everyone else." Eden grips the handle tighter as Derek swerves the car harshly around a corner.

Emily: "Is everyone ok"

" I've spoken to Rossi and Reid and Morgan and Eden are on the line."

" Emily, where are you?" Eden groaned slapping her hand on the dash to stop me from flying forward.

" I'm following detective Brustin to one of the nypd's critical incident command posts."

"One of them?"

"Yeah, after 911 they decentralized. They had way too many eggs in one basket on that day." Eden explains.

"Has anyone talked to jj?"

" She was headed back to the hotel."

"In an suv?" Garcia asked,

" I think so.

" Stay with me for a minute. I'll call her mobile." Garica calls her and JJ's voicemail picks up it cuts off half through the voicemail

"What was that? What happened?" Derek muttered.

"It went dead mid-message."

"Try here again. She's probably back at-- "

"Emily?" the line went silent after a few minutes the phone hung up. They drove for another five seconds before arriving on the scene. They got out slamming their doors.

"Hey, hey Who's in charge here?"Derek asks flashing his credentials at some cop.

"Captain Warner." he points to a tall guy in a navy blue baseball cap.

"Ok, ok, let's get this area cleared as soon as possible.-"

" Captain Warner-- We got people down there. Captain Warner, I'm Agent Morgan. This is Agent Hunters, FBI. I'm looking for an agent, Aaron Hotchner."

"Go back to the federal building. There are evac marshaling spots. Check in to make sure they know where you are."

" We are not about to do that." Eden sasses crossing her arms over her chest Derek gets close to Warner's face.

"Get out of my face or I'll have you bodily removed, agent."

" Please, we're here!" Hotch screams from down the street.

" Hotch." Eden walk towards the barricades as a swat agent aims his gun at her. She looks back at Morgan who is looking at Warner, nostrils flared.

"The area's restricted."

" That's our boss down there." Morgan says

" My orders are what they are."

"I don't give a damn what your orders are." Morgans yells as Eden steps away from the agent.

" I get it, agents. But we've been told by you that responders are the targets. So till the blast site is cleared, no one goes in."Warner orders as Eden rolls her eyes.

Derek just kisses his teeth and paces for a sec while Eden thinks of a plan.

" You're in the marine corps, right? Right?" she ask as he ignored the question

" Please, go back to the marshaling point."

"I'm not doing it. I'm not just gonna let my man lay down there like that." Derek yells in his face

" Help us! Damn it, we're here!" Hotch yells Eden is getting mad, Hotch is family and right now he needs her

"Never leave a man behind. You do remember that, don't you?" Eden spat getting in his face this time he stared her down for a second, both of them not breaking eye contact as Hotch yelled again for help.

He just nods as Morgan and Eden take off running towards the man. " Hotch! Hotch" they ran fast falling on our knees next to Hotch who was kneeled down next to Joyner.

". Hotch." she Examined his faced immediately, pulling her hair up into a ponytail.

" We've got to get her out of here." he mumbled as Eden began looking at his face. He stared at her wildly as she looked him over. she needed to know that he was okay.

"They're not letting any ambulances down here till they clear the scene." he mumbled as I got into surgeon mode.

" Kid, you gotta get behind the barricades. Let's go. Go!"

" Go, Sam." Hotch Assured to some black haired curly guy, Eden looked at him strangely she hadn't noticed he was there but then her body got that aching feeling her gut, telling her something was off about this Sam character.

" Good luck." Sam muttered a slight smirk on his lips or at least she thought she saw a smirk.

" Talk to me. Can we carry her?" Derek asked as Hotch just stared at a Joyner and I began looking her over. She moved her fingers near where Hotch was feeling what he was feeling before pulling her fingers out of the whole in her and kissing her teeth, her hands crimson and covered with blood.

" Hotch, can we carry her?"

"Pulse is weak, she has an arterial bleed in her back, Hotch, she needs an Operating room, I can't do anything here."

" No, I tried."

"Morgan, she's gonna bleed to death if we don't get her out of here" Eden mumbled as Derek's phone started ringing.

"We gotta do something." Hotch says as Eden tries to think, it's hard to concentrate with Derek talking to Garcia right next to her.

"Garcia, I got hotch. But listen to me. You gotta get somebody down here right away, you hear me? Right now. What? You're absolutely sure? Hotch. The kid. He's the bomber." Derek explains all of them are looking back at Sam who was taunting them in the distance.

"Go"

"HEY!" Derek Yells running after him. Eden stayed kneeling down in front of Hotch as they locked eyes.

"Go Eden" Hotch says

"Hotch if the ambulance comes down and I am not back in time tell them he has an arterial bleed in the T2,T6 along with a broken spine, okay?"she explains as he just nods taking in the information she told him, she ran after Derek catching him on the next block still running after Sam, they continued running Derek pulling out his gun as he rounded the corner he and Sam was running into the subway two seconds before Eden. She ran down the stairs pulling out her gun, people were exiting rather quickly as a voice over the intercom was telling them to evacuate, she caught up with Morgan looking through the crowd. Derek yelled at the crowd to get out of the way and asked them if they had seen where Sam was as some people pointed straight ahead. Derek and Eden came to a dead train station, we saw a discarded train car parked and he nodded looking at Eden and entering first guns drawn.

"I know you're in here, kid! Show me your face, you coward!" Derek yells as the pair enter through the train car the only sound being heard was the sound of the automatic doors opening for them. they got to the end of the train car and were left walking on the tracks in the dark.

"You got nowhere to run, man. You hear me? There's nothing down here for you?"

" Is that all you see? Huh? Darkness?" Sam muttered appearing of the darkness he was barefoot and walking with his arm outstretched at his sides teetering on the tracks trying to walk straight

" You listen to me, you son of a bitch. You get your ass off those tracks and you put your hands on top of your head. Do it now. Do it now!"

" You will lose in the end."

" Shut up. Shut your mouth." Eden spat

"You want to know why? Because you fear what we embrace."

"Get off the–" Derek begins as Sam presses a button electrocuting himself. Eden holsters her weapon, lurching forward at him as Derek pulls her back, panting her back was pressed against his rapidly breathing chest, she looked away not being able to handle the sight in front of her and looked at the ground Derek called it into Emily, and The two decided to meet Hotch and Kate At Barclay hospital when they arrived they flashed their credentials at the desk.

"Doc. FBI. How's Aaron Hotchner?" Derek asks.

" He's got acute acoustic trauma in his right ear, and I pulled shrapnel from his leg."

" Just lay down. Sir!" The partners hear a nurse yell from around the corner. They follow the doctor to see Hotch standing up in a gown. He pulled out the IV

" Agent Hotchner, lie down." the doctor orders as Eden asks a nurse for a few gauzes and bandages she pulls the pin light out of the doctor's white jacket

" Doctor, I'm all right." Hotch pleads as Eden walks towards Hotch. She pressed the gauze to his now bleeding arm as Morgan talked to the doctor.

"Hotch, stop it. Just calm down." Eden mutters as they lock eyes with each other. Truth be told Hotch loved Eden just as much as he loved Hailey or Jack, yes he loved his Team members like family but there was always something different about Eden and both of them knew it.

" Doc, I got it, ok?" Eden looks back at Morgan and the doctor, giving them both a nod and she shines the flashlight in Hotch's eyes, who gently batted her hand away. She gave him a stern look.

"Hunters, where's Kate?"

"She's in surgery" Eden responds flatly.

"Where are my clothes, please?"

" Hotch, your go bag is on its way. Sit down and Let me take a look,'' Hotch gives her a daring look. "Don't make me handcuff you to this bed. Sit!" Hotch takes a seat on the bed as she fixes his wound and examines him.

"Has anything happened since the first blast?" Hotch asks.

" Nothing."

" Sam?" he asks as Morgan and Eden look at each other remembering the events that took place before.

" He's dead." Morgan mumbles

"Morgan, the profile's wrong."

"I know, I'm calling the team" he says walking away to call.

Hotch watches Her work placing a trembling hand on her wrist. "I'm fine Den I-I promise." he mutters as she places her hand over his, sending him a tight lipped smile. The rest of the team arrived shortly with Hotch's go bag and vest for Morgan, Hotch, and Eden

"Are you ok?" Emily asked as Hotch finished buttoning his shirt he stood next to Eden pulling on the kevlar vest. As she noticed he missed a button fixing it for him.

"Yeah. I just want to understand why I'm still alive." he mumbles

"I think the idea was to maim, not to kill." Reid babbles.

"Did you identify Sam, the bomber?"

" Garcia said Sam and the other dead unsub into every known database. Nothing." Reid answers.

" We know how terror cells evolve. They learn from one campaign to the next. How to stay off radar like the London bombers."

" Yeah, but they, uh, they hit at 8:50 in the morning With a series of coordinated blasts aimed at London's transportation system, And this cell targeted a lone suv where the only people on the street are 2 federal agents." Hotch explains.

" It's not multiple targets, it's one target. One target, one bomb."

"Garcia said the device was placed under Kate's suv." Rossi explains.

" It was likely made using oxidizing agents, Including chromates, peroxides, perchlorates, chlorates, and red mercury, All jammed into a device no larger than a cell phone."

" Imagine what a bomb the size of an oil drum could do." Derek says

" Yeah, but to make something that big, you'd need a chemical engineer."

" Like the recently deceased dr. Azahari Husin, Asia's most-wanted bomb-maker? Authorities dubbed him the, uh, demolition man. He treated each bomb like a work of art. One wrong move... He becomes a victim of his own creation. He'll be more revered than all of the people who died as a result of his devices." Reid babbles.

"Stop the bomber, stop the bomb."

" To do that, we need to know how they would deploy something that big." Morgan leers as they playt

the bomb footage of Hotch and Kate. Hotch just stares at the screen dabbing a cotton ball at a cut on his neck.

"Did you ever find Sam's cell phone?" Hotch asked.

"Yes."

" Did he call 911?" He asks again.

"No. He dialed one number 6 times every few minutes."

" It was a disposable cell." Rossi says as Reid nods "Garcia tracked the number, but it went dead minutes after Sam died."

" Whoever had it destroyed it. Well, if he didn't have a secondary device to detonate, There's only one reason that he stayed with us." Hotch spoke as Eden had just put two and two together.

" To make sure the ambulance got to you. And in a city on lockdown, an ambulance with its siren blaring and lights on, It's gonna make it through every roadblock virtually uncontested And straight into a hospital with a bypass order on it." She explains.

" What?" Rossi asked

"Secret service has a bypass on this hospital."

"Secret service? Who are they protecting?" Eden question looking around.

" That's who Sam was calling, the paramedic on the ambulance."

" The ambulance which I drove in here. This hospital is their target. Let's go." Hotch orders.

The BAU looked around for the secret service agents who they finally found talking to security.

"Who you got in here?" Derek asked

" Why is that information important to you?"

" The ambulance I drove in here-- where is it now?" Hotch asks.

"In the basement Why?."

"There's a bomb in it." Derek seethed earning a glare from the bald agent

"What?"

" It's rigged. It's rigged to assassinate whoever it is you're protecting. You need to get them and everyone else out of here right now." Emily explains as the agent shakes his head at her.

"We can't do that. He's undergoing surgery as we speak."

" The paramedic I came in with-- do you have eyes on him?" Hotch says as they show us the monitor. They watch as he walks through a hallway with a cellphone in his hand.

" That cell in his hands?"

"Garcia, can you remote access the cell phone grid I'm in and jam all the frequencies?" Rossi says into his phone.

Eden takes off running through the hospital and down the stairs following the ambulance driver. She hadn't noticed Morgan was behind her until she heard his panting. They stopped when they reached the basement guns drawn as they rounded the ambulance Garcia's voice was heard from the satellite comms attached to their vest.

"Dr. Angel? Morgan ? "

"Yeah, baby." "Penny" Morgan and Eden said at the same time.

" You sound stressed."

"Do we?" Derek asks.

"Where are you?" She asks as they both hop down from the ledge standing behind the parked ambulance

" Not where I want us to be right now."

" Garcia, take this down for me. Fdny 108." Eden mumbles as they walk closer to the ambulance

"That's an ambulance. you guys ok?"

" Yeah. we're Fine'' Eden cuffs her hands around her eyes peeking through the window of the ambulance she sees a bmg staring back at her and she looks at Derek gulping thick "Son of a– -" whispers opening the back doors slowly she holsters her weapon climbing into the back of the ambulance

" Oh, my god." Morgan mutters as they stare at the bomb in front of them.

" Penny, how long can you keep jamming the cell phone lines?" Eden asked, looking between Morgan and the device.

" Uh, a few minutes, max. Why?"

"Cause I am gonna have to get this ambulance out of here." she mutters climbing through the small window and getting into the driver seat. " Derek, I have to do this alone."

He shakes his head. "No, I am coming with you."

"No you're not."

"We don't have time to argue."He climbs into the back. "We both are getting this ambulance out of here."

"Or you guys could just evacuate the building like everybody else."

" No. As soon as the airways are clear, this thing's going up." Derek says as Eden hears the doors close in the back of the ambulance.

" Going up? Oh, my god, that's like 3 minutes, 'Cause that's when the satellite moves position." She yells nervously as Derek climbs into the seat next to Eden, both of them locking eyes for a brief second. She just gulps continuing to hotwire the ambulance.

"Garcia, listen to me. I need you to find an area of town where I can drive this thing, And you tell everybody, you hear me, everybody that we are coming." Eden tries to start the car and it wont turn over.

"Come on, baby." Derek mumbles Eden couldn't tell if he was talking to her or Garcia. But after a few more turns of the key the ambulance starts up.

"All right, talk to me, Penny. "

"Ok. Head north... And floor it. I'll tell you where to turn." She says as gun shots bounce off the back Eden begins looking back trying to back up as Morgan's hand pushes her head down.

"What was that?"

" It was nothing. Just talk to me!" Eden yells as she begins driving erratically through the street's siren blaring. Morgan just looks at her grabbing onto anything he could to keep steady. "How are we doing, Penny?"

" How's she doing?" There's a pause. "One minute fifty seconds. Why does it always have to be you? Why do you always have to do this?" she pleads as Eden sighs, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly.

"Penny listen to me, I am not going to die and I am not going to let Derek die either"

"You better not or I will be so mad at you. Den, you guys don't have much time. Please be smart about this. Signal's coming back online." The line is quiet for a second. "30 seconds to full coverage." Eden is just swerving through ongoing traffic. "Den, drive to the opening and then get the hell out."

" There's something I really want you two to know. " Derek grabs her hand and she looks between his eyes and the road.

" 20 seconds. Save it. Just get out."

"No, no, no, I'm not quite there yet." Eden says looking back. "Derek at ten seconds Get out."

"10..." Eden looks at Derek,

"I promise I will be right behind you. Go!" Derek just opens his door tucking and rolling.

"EDEN"

"Penny... Just listen to me. You know what you are?"

"9... 8..."

"Morgan, please. Tell her to get out" She says as Eden tumbles out the ambulance. After a few seconds it explodes in front of them. She lies there on the ground staring at the flames as Derek runs up to her.

"Morgan! Den, Derek?"

Eden pulls herself up off the ground, getting in a sitting position. "Penny... I'll tell you what you are to me. You're my god-given solace. Woman, you promise me one thing... Whatever happens... Don't you ever stop talking to me."

" I can't right now 'cause I'm mad at you."

"I can wait." Eden mutters as Derek just chuckles, pulling her off the ground and placing his arm around waist as they just walk away.

" I love you too Cherry," he mutters as Eden smiles at him. Shoving him with her shoulder.

//

She groaned sitting down on the bed it had been some time later and after explaining to Morgan how she was fine and needed to sleep she just stared at her reflection in the small tv in her hotel room. It was dark as she sat there every part of her body hurt. She looked at herself in the reflection one last time before running to the toilet and throwing up the adrenaline had worn off. She was no longer in this confident demeanor. Sobs began to rack her body as she hurled into the toilet hugging onto it for dear life. Her body shook rapidly for a while, before the exhaustion truly had hit.

The next morning, Morgan came and picked Eden up from her room before driving to get Hotch. seeing as he couldn't fly having been injured by a bomb, she explained how he might have concussion and some ringing in his ears.

"Hey, uh, uh, uh uh, "Derek reaches down and picks up Hotch's bag. " I Got it. We are your ride." Morgan says as Eden smiles really big next to him. Hotch just chuckles.

" I thought agent Davis was driving me."

"She was. I had her reassigned." Eden says, shrugging.

"Don't you two have something better to do?"

" Then to annoy you for three hours? Hell, no." Eden mocks walking towards car.

" Give me the keys."

" Not a chance, Hotch. Let's go" Derek begins walking towards the car.

"So did we ever find out who the secret service had in the hospital?"

"Does it matter?" Eden murmurs

" No, I guess it doesn't."

"Quantico's requested you transfer to run the new york office." Hotch mutters as the pair stop in their tracks

" Hotch, they haven't even buried her yet."

" We're at war. Things change." He says simply.

" Don't I need your recommendation?" Hotch just walks forward staying silent. " You didn't give it, did you?"

" Your actions, as incredibly brave as they were..."

"It was mostly my fault not Morgan's so blame me not him." Hotch just gives Eden a look. " They're not gonna consider him are they?" she asked, looking between the two men.

"They would still be the actions of two agents who don't really trust anyone."

" Hotch, what we did for this team." Derek says as Eden nods.

" My opinion doesn't matter. Job's yours if you want it." He turns to leave.

" Hotch. Your opinion matters to me."

" My life matters to me, and I have and always will entrust you with it. Would you do the same for me?" Hotch asked, staring at them in their eyes. They both look at the car. " Still want to drive?" Morgan just clicks the unlock button on the remote and it chirps.

They got in the car and the ride was silent. Eden was in the back; she was reading a book before she got car sick and closed her eyes falling asleep. It was the middle of the afternoon when they arrived in Virginia and Eden was fast asleep. Derek had taken Hotch hom first and decided to take Eden last, he woke her up and she looked at her house sleepily. Getting out of the car just seemed so hard and her house was right there. She just sighs climbing out. She gets half way to her steps before She feels tired and drops to her ankles squatting Derek, gets out of the car and helps her back inside. She was so exhausted so incredibly exhausted that she just collapsed in his arms. He carries her to her room and lays her down on the bed. He pulls off her boots and she is already asleep. He places the blankets over her and sighs at how peaceful she looks. He goes to leave and she stops him.

"Stay...Please...." Derek looked down at her hand and it was clasped in his and he couldn't deny the butterflies fluttering around in his stomach. He also couldn't say no to her. He just sits on the bed taking off his shoes. Eden feels the bed dips, and scoots over letting Derek have room. She is asleep as she lays her head on his chest and Derek just looks down at her. He smiles at her and hears the light snores leave her lips.

They were meant for each other and neither of them knew it.

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