Asseveration

A Criminal Minds Story

"Let me go!" She screamed as she pulled against the strong arm dragging her through the forest's fallen branches and leaves, "I don't want to go with you!" His strength was too much for hers as he tightened his grip on her wrist. His wild eyes moving back and forth and behind him.

"FBI, Lucas Gillen stop!" He heard their voices, but paid no attention and barreled forward. Ripping through the trees and the bushes he stumbled upon a clearing that opened up to a cliff. With widened, worried, frantic eyes he whipped around and attempted to moved to the left, but it was too late as the two agents that had been following him burst into sight, their guns drawn.

"Lucas Gillen. It's over Man, let her go," The agent called out, his tough voice showing no mercy as his gun landed right on the unsub. The younger, female agent looked up at her partner the slightest hint of worry painted across her features. The unsub stared at the smaller agent for just a second. She looked so much like her, but he shook his head and moved back.

"It's not over. I'm saving her from him! I'm keeping her safe," The frenzied man called as he dragged himself and her closer and closer to the edge, "Just stay back."

His left arm was wrapped around her waist keeping her in place despite her struggle to get free. The other hand shoved a gun to the side of her head as he edged closer and closer to the edge of the cliff. One wrong move, one misstep and both of them would be sent over the side and plunge the sixty feet to the rough ground below.

"Please," The young woman pleaded through gritted teeth as she pushed her whole weight forward, "I don't want to die." Her dirt-smudged blonde hair caught in her lips as she tried to keep her tears back and her body from convulsing with fear. Blood seeped through the front of her shirt, but it wasn't hers it came from the jagged wound of her captor's arm. Her shoes dragged against the soil as she attempted to gain solid footing on the ground.

Shoving the gun tighter against her head the man growled, spitting, "I'm trying to protect you! Don't you see that!" He screamed louder as he moved farther back, his gun moved outwards towards the two agents in front of him, "I'm her father!"

The man wasn't her father. The BAU knew that. He did have a daughter, but she died three years prior from a robbery gone wrong. They never caught the man who killed her and it devastated the man. Then about a week ago he snapped, and he started shooting any male that had any sort of interaction with woman who resembled his daughter. He put six men in the hospital before he switched to kidnapping which led the BAU to this very moment.

"JJ, Morgan, I need you to be my eyes. I've got Prentiss coming from the east and Reid and Rossi from the west. What's the situation?" Hotch questioned from his place at the SUVs. His voice slightly cut up due to the static from the comms.

"He's got a gun to her head and a cliff at their backs. He's losing control, and he knows it. He'll take them both down before he gives in," Morgan answered in a whisper as he looked over to JJ, "There is no shot."

"Then we try to talk him down. JJ I need you to run point on this. Don't validate his emotions or give into his fantasy, but try to connect. He claims he trying to protect the girl then use that... You can do this."

"But Hotch, I -," JJ paused as she looked at the young girl struggling in the unsub's grasp. She need here, "Alright." She put her gun in its holster before putting her hands up and stepping forward. Morgan stayed back, but he was ready to move in an instant.

"Mr. Gillen. My name is Jennifer. I'm going to step a bit closer okay, so that we can talk easier," JJ spoke slowly as she put one foot in front of the other.

"Alright, that's far enough," Lucas stopped her, "Don't come any closer."

JJ gulped. She wasn't a hostage negotiator. Sure she had experience talking down unsub's before, but whenever there was a victim at risk or an innocent there was always backup. Only one other time was she asked to take the lead in a situation similar to this and that was two years ago over the radio.

Face to face was something completely different. Here, the twenty-six year old Katherine Hardy was looking at her and pleading with JJ to save her. It was in her eyes and should something go wrong those eyes would be the last thing JJ would see.

"JJ, just take a deep breath." Hotch's calming voice brought her out of her thoughts as she breathed in and out.

"Mr. Gillen, I know what happened to your daughter," JJ started as she took another step forward, "I can't even imagine," JJ tapped her front teeth together in hesitation, "... She loved cats. Is that right?"

"No! No! No! This," he screamed backing to the very edge of the cliff, "This is my daughter."

Without missing a beat JJ continued, "I'm a cat person myself. I don't own one, but a friend of mine does. Your daughter's cat is named Chunk right?"

The man nodded the gun dropping slightly as his eyes dazed in memory, "She loved that cat. He was the reason she was out in the first place. He didn't have any food, she told me…"

"Hotch I'm in position, but I don't have a shot," Emily's voice came through the comms. JJ looked over, but couldn't see her though she knew that her friend was there somewhere within the trees.

"No luck here either. We'll risk sending them both over the side," Rossi added.

"Keep going JJ. You're pulling him out of his fantasy and he's realizing that Katherine isn't his daughter. He spent the last three years searching for his daughter's killer by letting him know that he is not alone in that search might help him deescalate," Reid piped in.

JJ nodded, "She went out to get food, but it was snowing."

The father twitched, his lips curled down as his nose dripped, "I called her while she was at the store. I told her I'd stay on the phone with her, but she told me her hand would fall off before she got there." He laughed slightly before shaking his head, "She was always dramatic."

"It's like zero degrees Dad. I'll call you the moment I get back."

"She only lived a few blocks away from the store. She should have been fine," He continued his eyes watering as tears dripped down his cheeks.

"Don't forget Ky. Call me the minute you are inside."

"I won't Dad. I promise."

JJ felt her own eyes watering, "She never called." The agent noticed his grip loosening on the young woman, JJ shot her a look to be patient and wait.

He breathed in a shaky breath wiping his nose on his sleeve the gun still firmly in hand. His feet still inches away from the edge. "After twenty minutes I called her again, but she didn't answer. I tried once more and immediately knew that something was wrong. I got in the car and I drove and drove, but when I got there…," His grip tightened on the gun as he tried to quell his anger, "She was left in the alleyway alone, in the cold as she bled out. That monster just left her there. She was probably so scared. Detectives believed it was a robbery gone wrong, but I never did. This was planned. My baby was targeted. She wasn't his first victim."

"I believe you," JJ started her hands lowering slightly, "Look at me." The father looked up his eyes searching for any fault in her words as JJ continued, "I believe you. I'll do everything I can to find Kylie's killer, but I need you to lower your gun and let Katherine go. She's scared Lucas. That's not what you want for her. That's not why you took her."

Lucas shook his head, "It's not safe for her out there. It's not safe for you. Not until he is caught."

"I understand that you want to protect her, but holding a gun to her head and threatening her life is not the way to do so. You just have to let her go and my partner behind me will make sure she gets back to her mom and real dad who are desperately waiting for their daughter's call saying that she is safe," JJ moved forward, she was close enough now that she could grab the girl if it was necessary, "Please, Lucas."

"Please. I want to go home," Katherine whispered.

Lucas thought for a moment and then looked back at JJ before he released his grip, "I'm sorry." In her rush to get away Katherine's arm swung back knocking the unsub off balance as he teetered across the edge.

"No!" JJ screamed, as she rushed forward just as the ground broke beneath the father's foot, and he slipped. His hand grabbing onto the pant leg of the girl sending her to the ground and sliding across the edge. Her hands shot forwards with her nails digging into the dirt.

JJ flew over the side her hand gripping onto the father as he let the gun clatter down side to the ground below, her other hand held onto the girl. Morgan was at her side within seconds Gripping JJ by her belt while pulling up the girl, "I got you. Jayje, I got you."

She could feel her own body slipping further off of the edge as JJ clung to the man, but he was dragging the three of them down, "I need you to let go of Katherine okay, so that we can pull her up. You just keep a hold on me."

Out of the trees came Emily, Reid, Rossi Each falling to side as they too reached for the girl. As the man released her leg Emily and Reid pulled her up and moved her out of the way. Suddenly JJ's hips were pulled past ledge and the only thing keeping her up was Morgan's hand firmly attached to her belt and Rossi at her legs.

"Grab my hand," Morgan called out as he leaned as far as he could, but he wouldn't be able to reach without letting JJ go or falling himself, "Come on Man."

JJ could feel the sweat pool in her palms and his, and she could see the look in his eyes, "Hold on Lucas. We'll get you up. There is still something you need to do." the dirt and rocks were digging into JJ's body as the blood was rushing to her head. Her arms were starting to stiffen and she couldn't hold him much longer. They both knew it. Morgan kept his hand outreached telling him to reach for it.

"Promise me that you'll find him?" He looked up, his voice strained.

"I promise," JJ told him, "But I'm going to need your help, so just hold on. Help is coming."

Emily had returned, but even with her grip on Morgan it wouldn't be enough. "Hotch is on the way." She told them. He'd bring what they needed, but JJ felt the edge of the ground crumbling beneath her.

"You look so much like her you know? My Kylie," He grunted his hands slipping. He looked up at Morgan completely sincere, "Keep her safe."

Looking back at JJ who was shaking her head, "No. Wait."

He released his grip on her wrist, and he started to slip. JJ held on with all of her might, but she couldn't hold him and he fell.

Lucas Gillen looked up at the blue sky as the earth raced towards his back. It was beautiful and bright. The air seemed to be trying to push him back up or give him more time. Perhaps it did, allowing him one more thought.

"I love you."

"Love you too Dad. Call you in ten."

JJ stayed on her knees, her eyes closed and her head down. Physically, emotionally, and mentally drained she allowed a single tear to escape before she took a deep breath. A hand on her shoulder caused her to look up into the eyes of her boss. He just kept his hand there for awhile letting her know that he was there, but he didn't say anything. After a few minutes he let go and stood back.

JJ nodded and stood up to see her whole team there, just waiting. She smiled, "Let's go home."

Prentiss agreed, "Yes please, I've got a bubble bath, a box of chocolates and a glass of wine calling my name."

Morgan butted in as he pushed against JJ's shoulder before turning to Emily, "Sorry Princess, but pizza first. I've already alerted Baby Girl, and she is going to have six greasy, cheesy pies awaiting our arrival."

"Okay, pizza first," Emily smiled, "Did you tell her to get pepperoni and anchovies."

"You know it. And a triple meat, olive combination for myself, a sausage, olive, and pepper for the Italian Stallion…"

"Oh grazie," Rossi pinched his fingers together and blew a kiss into the air.

"You didn't forget a plain cheese did you?" Reid asked.

"And an extra cheesy pizza for the kid," Morgan smiled, ruffling his hair as the three of them pulled ahead. JJ rolled her eyes as she fell back and fell into step with Hotch.

"Hotch there is something I need to do before we go."

Hotch nodded already knowing what it was.

After all there was a promise that she needed to keep.

How was it? It's been awhile since I've written anything and I know I have another story that needs finishing, but I wanted to get this idea out. Should I keep going? Will JJ discover that Lucas's daughter was targeted after all? That she wasn't the first victim and it wasn't a robbery gone wrong? Let me know what you think!

Thanks!

-HCB