4. twenty

AN: hi guys! happy monday!

i hope you guys enjoy this chapter! i know i haven't posted for liv and em in a while either, don't worry! their chapters are coming, i'm just posting the chapters when we hit the end of s4 in both books so i can start s5 fresh!

tws:
description of injuries
mentions of blood
jj freaking the fuck out over delilah being hurt again
which is entirely valid

i hope you guys enjoy! see you next week! <333




"but existing can sometimes cost blood." - clarice lispector





They found Derek first.

It probably helped he was passed out in the front yard of the house with shattered glass all around him and his credentials missing.

And, truthfully, it was concerning for him to be alone and unconscious, especially because Delilah should've found him by now. The concern only grew when the call of her name was met with silence.

Emily was freaking out as she searched the house with Dave. She was trying to stay calm, but the massive puddle of streaky blood in the kitchen had her stomach turning.

"It's not hers," Dave said confidently. "There's her footprint there. She never came in all the way."

Emily dodged the blood on her way to the back porch. She looked down at the half shoe print in the blood, the same print that matched Delilah's Docs, and her stomach turned again when she caught sight of the eye painted on the open door.

"Delilah?" Emily called.

"Clear!" Spencer called from upstairs.

Delilah wasn't in the house. It had been twenty minutes since they heard from either of them, thirty since they all left the local precinct.

"Delilah?!" Emily yelled, stepping out into the backyard. "Do you think he took her?"

"She wouldn't let him," Dave said.

"Yes, she would," Emily said. "If it meant saving Derek, she would. You know she would."

Emily's eyes searched the garden, her torch shining through the darkness.

And there, tucked near the trees against the fence, lay a body in the grass.

"Delilah!"

There was so much blood when Emily dropped to her knees beside her, though not as much as the basement back in the cabin, or in Foyet's kitchen. A knife stayed in her stomach, the silver handle glinting against Dave's torch. Her chest rose and fell slowly, eyes closed with dark eyelashes against pale cheeks.

"Medics!" Dave yelled. "We need medics!"

"You find her?!" Hotch yelled.

"We need medics!" Dave yelled back. "She's been stabbed!"

There were bruises beginning to form around her throat, but she was alive. Emily didn't dare touch her to stop the bleeding in case she moved the knife inside of her, but she could see the blood still dribbling through the holes in her t-shirt as she breathed.

"Delilah?" Emily whispered, shaky hands moving to cup freckled cheeks. "Lilah, wake up. You need to wake up, okay?"

"'M alive," Delilah murmured.

"Move!"

Dave tugged Emily away as paramedics ran over with a stretcher, and Hotch, and Spencer.

"Someone needs to call JJ," Spencer whispered, watching the paramedics start assessing Delilah's wounds.

"I'm fine," Delilah rasped, blinking her eyes open with a wince.

"Are you in pain?" a paramedic asked. "We need to move you to the stretcher and get you to a hospital."

"No, it doesn't hurt," Delilah murmured.

"You were stabbed," a paramedic said. "Twice."

"I'm well aware, thank you," Delilah said. "Can we get this over with? I've been bleeding out for god knows how long."

The paramedics shifted Delilah onto the stretcher and wheeled it through the backyard and towards the ambulance. Derek was sat on a stretcher getting a wound stitched up, though he did a double take when he saw Delilah.

"Delilah?"

"Where were you?" Hotch snapped. "She's been stabbed! Twice!"

"It's not his fault," Delilah said, wincing as the stretcher jostled on its way into the ambulance. "I had a gun to my head. If I told him, we'd both be dead. I figured injuries were short term, but death was permanent, so, here we both are, alive and well. It's on me."

"You've been stabbed!" Hotch cried.

"Why do people keep saying that like I don't know?" Delilah asked Emily.

"They're not used to you being so normal," Emily said, climbing into the ambulance with her. "Spence, call JJ. Tell her to meet us at the hospital."

"It's George Foyet," Delilah said, eyes finding Hotch. "He's the Reaper."

"How do you know?" Hotch asked.

"Because he stabbed me and told me that you'd regret this," Delilah said. "And I told him he was wrong, which he is. I think he was more surprised I didn't fight him."

"Why didn't you fight him?" Hotch snapped, watching the paramedics hook Delilah up to their machines.

"What part of me having a gun to the back of my head are you not understanding here?" Delilah asked. "I would much rather be stabbed and survive than have my brains blown out. Derek would've come to hear the noise, and then he'd be dead, too. It was a calculated risk and it paid off. Now we know who he is, and we're both alive. What's to be mad about?"

"You were stabbed!" Hotch repeated.

"Jesus fucking christ," Delilah muttered, rolling her eyes. "Look, I'm fine. Derek is fine. Foyet is the Reaper. Go and kill him. He's had ten years to plan. Catching him isn't enough. You need to kill him or he'll keep coming back, and it's not me that this is about, this time."

"What do you mean?" Hotch asked.

"We need to go," a paramedic said.

"He said you'd regret it," Delilah said, pushing the oxygen mask away for a moment. "He said you should've taken the deal. I told him you wouldn't care if I died, and he said he knew you better than I do. He said you'll regret this, one day, and its fate. He used a knife on me because I fit the victimology, but he only hurt me because he wanted to hurt you. He will stop at nothing to torture you. You have to kill him, even if he goes peacefully."

"That's murder," Hotch said.

"It's necessary," Delilah corrected him. "He got me, this time, but what about next time? What if it's Haley? What if it's Jack? You get him, you kill him. It's the only way to stop him. He's not going to stop torturing you, no matter how long it takes. End it before it goes too far this time."

Hotch's jaw twitched.

"Get her to the hospital," he said. "Call me with an update as soon as she's been seen. JJ will meet you guys there. Dave, I need you with me."

"Yeah," Dave said, eyes on Delilah. "Don't you dare die on me."

"No chance, dad," Delilah grinned, giving him a double thumbs up as they wrapped the oxygen mask over her face.

"Don't let her out of your sight," Dave told Emily. "And don't call Liv until you know the full story. She'll just freak."

"Got it," Emily said.





Hotch didn't believe her on it.

Foyet was alive and in custody, and Delilah was more pissed off over that than the fact she'd been stabbed twice.

She was fine, which she knew she would be all along. Foyet hadn't stabbed her through her organs. He liked to stab in places where you would slowly bleed out because it maximised his pleasure and your pain. So, he missed all internal organs and major veins and left her to slowly bleed out until the team found her.

She needed a blood transfusion and twenty eight stitches, and that was it. There was no blood in her stomach on the x-rays and her vitals were coming back stable for her condition.

JJ, and Emily, were very much not fine.

Which was fair. It wasn't every day that a serial killer decided to get a bit knife happy with your girlfriend, or your little sister.

Except, it was quite normal for Delilah to have serial killers going after her. The first time JJ patched her up in a bathroom was because she was scratched with a knife by a serial killer. Delilah much preferred how relaxed JJ had been back then.

Apparently, being stabbed enough to warrant a hospital visit was a whole other level of JJ that Delilah had never seen before.

She hadn't seen JJ in the hospital after the basement. She'd very much avoided everyone last time, so, she'd never seen JJ freak out over her condition like this.

"You do know this is just another normal Wednesday for me?" Delilah asked. "I've been stabbed five times, now. I think you need to calm down."

"Calm down?" JJ snapped, pacing up and down in the hospital room as the doctor stitched Delilah's stomach back up. "Telling me you've been stabbed five times isn't helping me do that!"

"My point was more that I've survived all previous times, and worse injuries. I mean, c'mon, JJ, you saw me after my dad. That was a million times worse," Delilah said.

"I expected to find you dead in there," JJ snapped. "Finding you alive made it the best case scenario, regardless of what injuries you had. This? This is not what I expected! You went to clear a house! There were two of you there to prevent this happening, and you just let him stab you?!"

"Would you rather me be dead right now?" Delilah asked.

Emily winced, shaking her head from behind JJ as JJ spun to glare at Delilah.

"What are we going to tell the boys?" JJ asked. "What are we going to tell Liv?"

"That I was stabbed," Delilah said.

"Why are you so calm?!" JJ snapped. "Are you on morphine and it's making you all mellow and unbothered?"

The doctor glanced at Delilah, then back at the wound.

"Agent Bellerose denied any pain relief," the doctor said.

"Dude," Delilah sighed, shaking her head.

"No- Delilah!" JJ cried. "This isn't about being tough!"

"I know it's not," Delilah said. "It just doesn't hurt that much, okay? Like, genuinely, it stings, but it's, like, a four out of ten. My throat hurts more and that's just bruises."

JJ groaned, shaking her head and rubbing her face with both hands.

"Did it hurt when it happened?" Emily asked.

"It burned," Delilah said. "I think my brain registered the first one and shut off before the second. I couldn't feel anything once he pulled the knife out. I think it pissed him off that I was so... Normal about it all?"

"It's pissing me off, too!" JJ said.

"Normal?" Emily said.

"I wasn't scared of him," Delilah said. "And the fear gets him off. I also think he left me alive to pass his messages onto Hotch. You know, the whole fate thing?"

"What did he say to you?" Emily said.

"That he'll regret it. He being Hotch, of course," Delilah said.

"How did it even happen?" JJ asked, putting her hand on her hip as she looked at Delilah.

"I went around the back," Delilah said, glancing down at her stomach, "And Derek went in through the front. He would clear upstairs and I would clear downstairs, but from the back, so both entrances were covered. I had a weird feeling in the back, though, 'cause the back door was wide open and blood was everywhere in the kitchen, and the eye was painted on the door and stuff."

"Yeah, I would also feel weird," Emily said.

"I didn't really know what to do, for a minute," Delilah said. "I started going into the kitchen and then he was just behind me with a gun to my head telling me not to ruin his masterpiece. I gave him my gun when he asked. He said that Hotch should've taken the deal and that he'd regret it, and then he stabbed me. He did both, then dragged me to the grass to choke me."

JJ started pacing again.

"I knew he wouldn't kill me," Delilah said. "He didn't have the time, for one. I told him he was wrong. I told him to kill me if he wanted to because Hotch wouldn't care. He said that he knew Hotch better than I did and that he'd regret this, and I said he wouldn't. He said he will, one day, and I'll see, because it's fate. I told him to get a dictionary because it was destiny and then passed out."

"It was about twenty minutes before we got to you guys," Emily said. "How much blood has she lost?"

"About a pint," the doctor said. "But the transfusion is finished and she's hydrated on the IV, so, once she's stitched up, she can discharge herself like she wanted an hour ago."

"She's staying as long as she has to," JJ said.

"We're flying home in, like, five hours," Delilah said. "It's nearly five in the morning, babe. We can go home and Liv can take over. We have our own in house surgeon. It's the best solution."

"The best solution is not getting stabbed at all!" JJ cried.

"Would that not be a prevention technique?" Emily asked.

"I think so," Delilah said.

"Not the time!"

"Bambina, I'm worried about your blood pressure if you don't-"

"You're worried?" JJ snapped. "You're worried?! You were stabbed! Again!"

"You're all stitched up," the doctor said, tying the last stitch and throwing the stuff away in the medical bin. "I'll give you guys some privacy."

"I will call your sister," Emily grinned at Delilah, giving her a double thumbs up. "Good luck."

"Not helping, Emily," JJ said.

"Sorry," Emily said, ducking out of the room and closing the door behind her.

"Baby-"

"Don't baby me, Delilah Bellerose! I am very angry right now!"

"At me?"

"Yes!"

"Because I got stabbed?"

"Yes!"

"I would've died if I fought back."

"I know!"

"Then why are you mad? This is so much better."

"It is not!" JJ cried, running her hands through her hair. "Okay, I can prepare myself for a lot with you. I know when you're having a bad time and when I need to worry, and I could prepare myself to find you in that basement because anything other than dead was better than what I made up in my head. I couldn't prepare for this! You were supposed to be safe! Why is there another serial killer so intent on hurting you?"

Delilah nodded slowly.

"Foyet said that Hotch is my father," Delilah said. "He didn't hurt me because he's focusing on me. He hurt me because he knew it would hurt Hotch. He'll move onto Haley and Jack now that Hotch has arrested him and not killed him like I told him to do. And I'm sorry that I got stabbed and caught up in this mess. I didn't want to be stabbed. I just figured that you'd rather me come home alive than in a body bag."

JJ blinked at her for a moment, her anger clearly pushed aside for the moment.

"You told Hotch to kill Foyet?"

"Yeah," Delilah said. "He hid for ten years, JJ. He came back. They always come back. The only way to really stop them is to kill them. It's the only way to know for sure. Hotch didn't listen, so, now we have to deal with the consequences. I can guarantee he's gonna escape in no time, and we'll be burying someone this time next year. I hope it's Hotch. He deserves it more than Haley and Jack, who are the obvious next choices for a sadistic serial killer who is now entirely focused on torturing Hotch."

"Does he know that?" JJ asked.

"I told him," Delilah said. "The man doesn't fucking learn. This entire case, he's had my back. It's the first time in nearly two years that he reminded me of the man I thought he was, and now he ignores me? Foyet was right. I was right. He's going to regret this, and it's all his own fault because he can't admit that, sometimes, just sometimes, murder is justified and a part of the job."

"In this case, it's necessary," JJ said quietly, sinking into the seat at the side of Delilah's bed. "Especially because of how many victims Foyet has. Do we want to add more to that list?"

"I'm just glad Colin and Nora both have gun licences and there's no way for Foyet to get into the estate without being noticed by the security measures. Jack and Haley are safe, for now. Maybe he'll just focus on Hotch directly. It's not hard to kill him," Delilah muttered.

JJ sighed, rubbing her face.

"I'm not angry at you for getting stabbed," JJ said.

"I know," Delilah said. "You're angry that things never just stay good because something always ruins it and I always end up hurt with you having to find me."

"I don't blame you for that, though," JJ said.

"You don't right now," Delilah said, raising an eyebrow at her. "You will, one day. Not to sound all Foyet on you, but you will realise it's my fault eventually. I made the decision to get stabbed."

"You made the decision to come home alive instead of in a body bag," JJ said, taking Delilah's hand in hers and running her thumb over Delilah's knuckles. "I would rather do this a million times than ever bury you. It was just the shock of it all. I don't know. I think I've gotten used to you not being in danger since you went to the CAC. I'm at the station waiting for an update and Spencer calls me to tell me you've been stabbed and you're in an ambulance. I was so scared, and you're not even bothered. Were you not even scared?"

"I wasn't scared," Delilah said honestly. "I think I knew he couldn't kill me with how little time we had, so, I had nothing to be scared of. Yeah, he could hurt me, but... I don't know. Nothing else has managed to kill me. Why would some loser with a knife be able to do it when my dad couldn't?"

"You're not invincible, you know?" JJ said softly. "One day, there will be something that scares you, something that kills you. Just because you survived before doesn't mean the next time will be the same."

"I know," Delilah said.

"Do you?" JJ asked. "Because I don't think you do, Lilah."

"What was I supposed to do in that situation?" Delilah asked. "Genuinely, tell me how I get out of that without being hurt in any way. Tell me what I did wrong there."

"You did what brought you home," JJ said. "But I don't ever want you to do something like that and end up dead."

"I knew I wouldn't-"

"Delilah," JJ sighed, shaking her head. "No. Listen to me."

"I am listening," Delilah said. "I genuinely don't know what you think I could've done differently in that scenario without me dying or Derek dying. I did what I had to do to come home."

"It's not this scenario," JJ said. "It's future scenarios. Every time you survive something, I know part of you believes that you get stronger. And you do. You get stronger mentally and physically, but one day, you are going to face something that you can't win against, and I don't want you to get overconfident and cocky and think you'll survive something that you can't."

Delilah sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Delilah," JJ said.

"I'm not-"

"You don't get it, okay?" JJ said. "And I'm not expecting you to. But do you remember how terrified you were when you realised that Spence and I were with Tobias Hankel and we could be dead?"

Delilah nodded slowly.

"Now imagine feeling that every few months," JJ said. "Imagine knowing that it's not just you I'm worrying about, that it's our sons and our family that I'm worrying about, too, because if you die, I have to tell both of our children that you're gone. I have to break Mason's heart, and Henry will never ever grow up and remember you as anything other than a face in family photographs or some woman we talk about sometimes."

"JJ-"

"You chose to fight back in the basement to come back to me," JJ said. "And every time you get hurt, a piece of me dies inside. Every time I find out something else has happened to you, I can't breathe until I'm back with you. I'm not angry at you, or blaming you for this situation. I just need you to know that you can't just make these decisions for yourself-"

Delilah rubbed her face, shaking her head.

"I know that," Delilah said. "And it's not my fault that serial killers seem to have it out for me, okay? I've done everything to make this easier on you. I don't think I'm invincible or whatever other shit you think. I think I'm always going to do everything to come home to you and our kids, no matter how much I get hurt in the process, because, as long as I survive, we can fix it. I don't know why you're mad at me right now when I've literally been stabbed!"

"I'm not mad!" JJ snapped.

Delilah raised an eyebrow.

"I'm fucking terrified," JJ said. "Every single time you go on a case, I am terrified you're not coming back. I don't know if it's because you never travel anymore, or because I saw you in that basement, or if it's because we have the boys now, too, but I worry about you constantly. I'm constantly terrified that you are going to die the moment you leave my side and you can't be mad at me for that. You can't. You don't feel it with me, because I'm not a field agent, but I feel it with you constantly."

Delilah stared at her for a moment.

"You think I might choose to die," Delilah said.

"No," JJ sighed. "No, Delilah. I know you won't choose that, not now we have the boys. No. I'm terrified that someone is going to make the decision for you and I don't- I can't bury you. No. I refuse."

"I'm sorry," Delilah said.

"It's not your fault you got stabbed," JJ muttered. "Move over."

Delilah shuffled over in the bed. JJ sat down beside her, wrapping her arm around Delilah's shoulders and kissing her temple.

"I never want to lose you," JJ whispered. "And it feels like I'm constantly being confronted with my biggest fear. I can't lose you. You are the one person I won't survive losing."

"I'm sorry."

"You can't help the fact you're clearly so killable," JJ chuckled tiredly, tightening her grip on Delilah. "I just... I can't protect you. I can't. That kills me more than anything. I know you can protect yourself, but... You protect me, and you protect our boys, and I protect them, but you..."

"You do protect me," Delilah murmured. "Maybe not with guns and shit, not that I don't think you'd have a good chance. But you help me stay calm. I know I have to come home to you and our boys. I know I need to stay calm and centred for you and them, and that's how you protect me. Mentality is more important than anyone's physical state in those situations. You take care of my mind, I take care of the rest."

"What if he comes back for you?" JJ whispered.

"It's not me he's focused on," Delilah said softly. "It's Hotch. He did this to hurt Hotch, but it won't work. Hotch should've killed him and he didn't. Foyet knows he needs to hurt someone else to get the reaction he wants."

"What reaction is that?" JJ murmured.

"He wants Hotch to realise that, deep down, they're the same," Delilah said. "That Hotch is capable of the same shit Foyet does. Foyet wants to break him. He wants to torture him. So, he'll move to his next target. He'll focus on Jack and Haley. Probably Haley. He hasn't killed any children before, so. I'm safe from Foyet for now."

"He left the knife," JJ murmured.

"I know," Delilah said. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I really didn't."

"I know," JJ whispered. "I'm sorry for getting mad. You were right. I was mad, and I shouldn't have been, 'cause it's not your fault."

"You're scared," Delilah murmured. "Let's face it, if the roles were reversed, I would've committed a murder, so, I'll take this over that."

JJ laughed tiredly, nodding her head.

"Yeah," she murmured. "You would've."

"How mad do you think Hotch is gonna be?" Delilah asked.

"Mad?"

"I told him to kill Foyet and he didn't listen, and there'll inevitably be a prison break in the next few days," Delilah said. "I can guarantee it. We can't stop it, either. He's had ten years to plan. Killing him was the only way to end it and he didn't listen."

"I know," JJ sighed.

"He listened to me until I got stabbed by him," Delilah said. "Why does he never believe me when I say these things?"

"Because he's a man," JJ murmured. "Because he's got a touch of narcissism. Because he can't accept that most of the things that happen with the two of you are his fault. Because it's easier to blame you than it is to blame himself."

"He's just a dick," Delilah muttered. "I hate him."

"I do, too," JJ sighed. "Let's just not worry about it for now, okay? We'll get you discharged soon, get you home to Liv, get you home to rest."

Delilah nodded, leaning more into JJ's side. JJ tightened her grip on Delilah, dropping another kiss on her forehead.

"At least scars are hot," JJ murmured.

"Evie knows we fucked in her office," Delilah said.

"No," JJ whispered, eyes wide with horror. "No, she's going to hate us!"

"I'm buying her a Ferrari," Delilah said. "Then she'll be friends with us again."

"She's never going to actually forgive us, though," JJ said.

"Eh, she's more materialistic than you'd think," Delilah chuckled.





Delilah sat on the jet on the way back to Virginia, hand resting over the bandages wrapped around her stomach. JJ sat beside her, head against Delilah's shoulder as she slept. Spencer sat opposite them, Emily and Derek in the booth across from them. Dave and Hotch sat at the back of the jet in their own booth.

"Did it hurt?" Spencer asked.

"She got stabbed, genius," Emily said. "Of course it did."

"I've never been stabbed. I don't know," Spencer said.

"It hurt more when I stood on Mason's lego last week," Delilah said.

"Okay, but the devil invented lego, so, understandable," Emily said.

"The devil?" Spencer repeated.

"Have you ever stood on lego?" Delilah said.

"No," Spencer said. "I organise the pieces in bowls depending on colour, shape, size and height. My lego isn't on the floor."

"Tell that to my twelve year old," Delilah said. "I wish he was as organised as you are."

"I'll try and coach him," Spencer chuckled. "I have been looking to build the new pirate ship set."

"I bought that for Mason a few weeks ago," Emily said. "We got one for Ziggy, so, we picked one up for Mase, too. I don't think he's started it. I helped Ziggy build his. It was fun."

"You can come over and see if he wants help," Delilah said.

"Yay!" Spencer beamed. "You are okay, though?"

"I'm good," Delilah promised. "I'm in tip top shape right now, all things considered."

"Good," Spencer said.

"I do, however, need some caffeine," Delilah said.

She carefully moved JJ, easing herself up and heading down to the coffee machine. She poured herself a cup, grabbing a second when she saw Derek coming towards her.

"Lilah?"

"Hi," Delilah said, smiling at him. "Don't apologise. It's not your fault."

"I'm so sorry."

Delilah sighed softly, tilting her head to the side. He was near tears, looking like a little boy who'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar instead of a grown FBI agent.

"You didn't do anything-"

"Exactly," Derek whispered. "You're like this because I didn't clear the house fast enough and find you before he knocked me out. I was right in the kitchen when he tackled me. I was looking for you and- I'm so sorry."

Delilah shook her head.

"This isn't on you," Delilah said. "You did nothing wrong. We agreed in the car that you would go through the front and clear upstairs. I would go through the back and clear downstairs. We'd meet in the middle. He was there waiting for us. I fit his victimology, even back then, and he told me we almost matched when Hotch and I went to find him. He got me within fifty seconds of us arriving on the scene. You could not have done anything to prevent this. And I made the decision to go along with his orders because I knew that me dying was one thing, but both of dying is a whole other thing. It's a few stab wounds. I'll heal. I'm alive, and you're alive. That is all that matters right now."

Derek nodded slowly. Delilah sighed, moving forward and pulling him into a hug.

"It's okay," Delilah murmured. "I'm okay. I'm alive. You're alive. That's what matters."

Derek wrapped his arms around her, dropping his head against her shoulder. Delilah rubbed his back, holding him until he let go of her and rubbed his face.

"I don't know what I would've done if-" he cut himself off. "I almost lost you because of me being an ass, but... Not being able to talk to you and you being dead are two very different things. I thought... After everything with the basement... I didn't think anything would happen to you again. I mean, you've been through enough. You don't deserve any of this."

"No, I don't," Delilah agreed. "But things happen. We can't control outside influences. That, unfortunately, is fate. What we can control is ourselves. You apologised and you've spent every day since proving me right about starting to trust you again. That's destiny, and it's what we make of it. Don't blame yourself for fate. You'll only be torturing yourself."

"When did you get so wise?" Derek chuckled tiredly.

"When I got tortured for sixteen consecutive years in many different ways," Delilah chuckled, sipping on her coffee. "We're all good. I promise. Minimal harm done to us physically."

"I feel like you're really underestimating the fact that you were stabbed," Derek said.

"I've been stabbed five times, now," Delilah said. "It's just another day."

"So weird," Derek said. "As long as you're good."

"I'm good," Delilah promised.

Derek nodded, heading back to his seat. Delilah followed and sat down beside JJ, smiling when JJ curled back into her side, half awake now.

"The blood came back as Foyet's," Emily said.

"That much of it?" Derek asked. "How?"

"He probably took a little at a time over the ten years to build up a store," Delilah said. "It's an effective way to convince people that someone is dead if there's no body. You'd assume the body was missing over jumping to fake deaths."

"But it was a fake death," Spencer said. "He faked his death to try and trick us."

"He did that before he decided to get me to pass his message on," Delilah said. "It would've worked."

JJ's eyebrows furrowed. Delilah looked down at her, raising an eyebrow. JJ shook her head. Delilah nodded, kissing her temple.

"I'm just glad he's in prison," Spencer said.

"For now," Delilah said. "He's had ten years to prepare for this. He's not staying put for long."





Delilah was right again.

Delilah- all the points.

Hotch- zero points.

By the time they got back to Quantico and had taken a moment to breathe, JJ was running in to alert them all.

"Foyet escaped," JJ said, eyes on Delilah. "Guards found him in his cell vomiting blood and convulsing. They rushed him to the prison hospital."

"Get me the US marshals office," Hotch said.

"I already called Don Reilly. I offered our assistance," JJ said. "He said they'd call us if they needed it."

"The Boston field office just identified documents from Foyet's house," Emily said, holding her phone to her ear.

"They're schematics for the electrical, heating, and water ducts for the east Woburn correctional facility," Spencer said, handing Delilah the schematics.

"He had the schematics," Hotch said.

"And not just for Woburn. For every jail, prison, and courthouse in Massachusetts," Spencer said.

"And ten years to plan," Delilah said, raising an eyebrow at Hotch.

"They're gonna find him, right?" Penelope asked quietly.

"No, they're not," Delilah said.

"He said he'd be more famous than we knew," Derek said. "And he was right."

"Delilah was right," Emily said. "You should've killed him when you had the chance."

"That's not how we do the job," Hotch said. "He came peacefully."

"Because he knew he had a backup plan to get out of it," Delilah said. "I told you to kill him when you had the chance or this would happen. He wants to torture you, Hotch. Not me, you. And he knows getting to me isn't good enough now. His next target is going to be Haley and Jack, and you did that. I told you how to prevent it and you didn't listen."

"Because I can't kill someone in cold blood for something that might not even happen!" Hotch said. "I'm not you!"

"I know you're not, or we would be celebrating the fact he's dead and not panicking that he's escaped," Delilah said. "I can do what's necessary and we all know nobody would begrudge me for killing him. He's a monster, and he's going to make you his next victim."

"Delilah-"

"He told me you would regret this," Delilah said. "And he was right. He's going to torture you, and he's going to torture the few people in this world that actually give a shit about you because he knows that I don't care about you anymore. I warned you and you didn't listen. Again. This is on you. This is all on you."

"That's not fair-"

"Life isn't fucking fair, but it's what's happening," Delilah snapped. "I'm going home."

"You said we could talk-"

"If we caught him," Delilah said. "You let him go."

"I didn't-"

"You did," JJ said softly. "The moment you made the decision to let him live, you let him go. I'm taking my girlfriend home to heal with our sons. I'm taking a few days off."

JJ led Delilah away. Hotch didn't say anything, just watched the two of them leave.

"I didn't..." Hotch trailed off.

"You should start doing what she says," Dave said quietly, patting Hotch's shoulder.

"Even killing?" Hotch whispered.

"This one was necessary," Dave said. "It is necessary. It's going to get so much worse, now. You are going to regret how this all played out."

He walked away, the others sharing a look before following. Hotch stood in the bullpen alone.






Delilah let JJ tug her through the front door of the house, stifling a yawn in her arm. JJ squeezed her hand with a tired smile, holding the door for Dave and Emily to follow behind.

"Mamma!"

"Mom!"

Delilah chuckled as the two boys ran to her and Emily, opening her arms for Mason.

"Please be careful!" JJ said.

"He's fine," Delilah said, wrapping him into a hug. "I missed you!"

"I missed you!" Mason said, grinning up at her. "Are you okay? Why do I have to be careful? Are you hurt?"

"You're hurt?" Ziggy asked, turning in Emily's arms to look at her.

"A little bit," Delilah said. "Let's sit down and talk, yeah? I'm all okay, now, so, you guys don't need to worry."

The boys nodded. They headed to the living room. Delilah smiled when she saw Haley, Liv, Nora, Colin and Jack already sat around, with baby Henry in Colin's arms.

"Will's on his way home after his shift," Nora said, getting up to hug Delilah. "He'll be about an hour. He's gonna bring in some food for everyone."

"How are you feeling?" Liv asked, pressing the back of her hand against Delilah's forehead. "No temp. Any bleeding?"

"No, all good," Delilah promised. "You can check in a bit."

"Thank you," Liv said.

"Check what?" Mason asked. "What happened?"

Delilah eased herself down onto the couch, tugging the boys to sit on either side of her. JJ hovered behind the couch before she sat on the back of it, resting her hand on Delilah's shoulder.

"I got into a fight with the unsub," Delilah said. "I mean, I didn't fight back. I did what he said so I would come home. He stabbed me twice, and then Emily found me and got an ambulance. I've been stitched up and had a blood transfusion, and I didn't need surgery. I'll heal in a few weeks and be back to normal. I'm healing."

The boys stared at her.

"You got stabbed again?" Ziggy asked. "Dude, why are you so stabable?"

"Ask the people who keep stabbing me," Delilah said. "It's not like I asked him to stab me."

"Fair," Ziggy said.

"Mase?" Delilah said, looking at him.

"You're okay?" he asked.

"I'm okay," Delilah said. "I'm right here, aren't I?"

"Yeah, but here and okay are two very different things," Mason said.

"I'm both okay and here," Delilah said. "I promise."

He nodded his head slowly, leaning against her side.

"You can't die," he said.

"I don't plan on it," Delilah said, wrapping her arm around his shoulder. "Don't worry, okay?"

"Okay," Mason said.

"I'm okay," Delilah murmured, kissing his temple.

"I know," Mason murmured. "Just... For someone who seems to survive everything, you have a habit of getting into life or death situations."

"Yeah, I know," Delilah sighed. "I'm sorry. I'll be more careful."

"It's okay," Mason said. "Besides, you already got yelled at, didn't you?"

"Yep," Delilah chuckled. "Mom chewed me a new one."

"I just worry about you, okay?" JJ said. "Can you blame me when you get stabbed and then tell me not to panic because you've been stabbed multiple times before now and survived them, too?"

"Lilah, really?" Nora asked.

"Okay, you get stabbed and show me a normal reaction to have," Delilah said. "I swear I was the calmest this time out of all of them."

"Because you were unconscious for most of it!" JJ said.

"Yeah, it helps," Ziggy said.

"Yeah," Mason agreed. "Doesn't hurt if your brain shuts off your body. It just hurts when you wake up."

"Exactly!" Delilah said.

"Sometimes, it doesn't even hurt when you wake up," Ziggy said. "Just depends how numb your body is and how much your brain is blocking out."

"It makes it easier," Mason said.

JJ sighed softly, shaking her head as she squeezed Delilah's shoulder gently.

"Liv, can you check her out, please?" JJ asked. "I'm making some food. You're eating, taking painkillers, and going to bed."

"Fair," Delilah agreed.

JJ headed to the kitchen. Liv followed her to grab her medical kit, returning a moment later with the box. Delilah tugged her shirt up, standing up so Liv could undo the bandages.

Liv pulled on a pair of gloves, gently checking the stitched wounds on Delilah's stomach.

"I'm happy with them," Liv said. "Good sutures, minimal tearing and bruising. Any tenderness?"

"No," Delilah said honestly. "It's like a dull ache, but it's not tender. It's like when you bang your elbow and you can feel it for days afterwards."

"Did they do scans?"

"No internal bleeding," Delilah assured her.

"Any pain meds?"

"Other than the lidocaine to numb the area, no."

"Toughing it out?"

"Doesn't hurt as much as you think."

"I mean, you did get stabbed in the thigh, clean it with vodka, suture it yourself and survive without an infection for three weeks," Ziggy said. "This is nothing. You're tough."

"Or she's got enough nerve damage due to excessive trauma that the pain just is not registering with her brain receptors anymore," Liv said, starting to put new gauze and bandages over the wounds.

"No, it hurt when it happened," Delilah said. "It burned. I still have receptors and can feel pain."

"Then why didn't you use pain meds?" Mason asked.

"I don't know," Delilah said. "I have a high pain tolerance. I've been trained to endure a lot."

There was a clatter of pots in the kitchen. Delilah winced, looking at Liv.

"I fucked up," Delilah said.

"Clearly," Liv said lightly. "Maybe just stop getting targeted by serial killers, hey?"

Delilah, Emily and Dave shared a look. Liv raised an eyebrow, but didn't ask any questions. Dave nodded once at the two girls, the two of them nodding back.

He would explain it to the others. He would handle it while Delilah focused on healing.

"I don't try to be targeted by serial killers," Delilah said. "I can't help it."

"I know," Liv said. "And so does she. Doesn't mean she doesn't worry any less."

"I know," Delilah murmured, tugging her t-shirt down when Liv was done. "I'm gonna go get changed."

Liv nodded, watching Delilah head upstairs.

Delilah got changed into some pyjamas, knowing she shouldn't shower for a while thanks to the fresh sutures. She'd clean up properly later.

"Lilah?"

"Hey, Stardust," Delilah said, looking at her nephew in the doorway with a smile. "You okay?"

"She trusts you with her life because she knows you won't hesitate to do anything to save her," Ziggy said. "She doesn't trust you with your own life because she knows you won't hesitate to sacrifice yourself if it means saving someone else, especially the people you love."

Delilah opened her mouth, but she didn't know what to say, because that just hurt.

It was true. That was why it hurt. The ten year old was the one who told Delilah why JJ was truly angry, had picked up on it when Delilah didn't, or maybe refused to.

"Don't tell her I said that," Ziggy said. "You know she'll just whine about how there's too many profilers in this family."

"There are too many," Delilah said. "You're apparently the newest addition to the team."

"I just get you," Ziggy said. "So does she. That's why she worries so much."

"I know," Delilah murmured. "Thank you, bambino."

Ziggy smiled, heading back downstairs. JJ was walking into the room within another five minutes, holding a plate with a grilled cheese on it in one hand and a bottle of water in the other hand.

"I love you," Delilah said softly.

JJ blinked at her, a small smile spreading across her lips.

"I've been such a bitch today," JJ sighed, setting down the plate and the drink and sitting down beside Delilah. "I'm sorry. I love you."

"You had a totally normal reaction to me being hurt again," Delilah said. "I'm sorry that I can't give you peace. I know that's what you wanted and I keep ruining it."

"You're not ruining anything," JJ whispered, wrapping Delilah into a hug. "This isn't your fault. I was just worried about you and couldn't process it in the right way. I just kept thinking about how you were almost the fourteenth victim with Elliot and you'd be the Reaper's, like, thirtieth, or something, and... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"You have every right to worry," Delilah whispered. "I don't make it easy on you."

"I'm not asking for easy," JJ said. "An easy life and a peaceful life are not the same thing. We're building a family and our boys bring us peace, and you bring me peace. We have to have hard times to have the good ones. I love this life we're building. I love you. Today just reminded me how easy it is to lose you."

"I'm right here," Delilah whispered, tucking her head in the crook of JJ's neck. "I'm alive. I'm alive, and we're home with our family, and I love you."

"I love you, mio sole," JJ murmured, bringing her hand up to cradle the back of Delilah's head. "So much."


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