unedited

also in the right order this time (sorry about the thirty eight and thirty seven fiasco to those who were confused)

THIRTY NINE. THE KEY TO BREAKING DAISY ALVAREZ

HARRISON GOT EXACTLY WHAT HE WANTED. The words he'd uttered; that was what broke her. Seething with rage, Daisy lifted her legs against the wall and pushed herself off, forcing him down to the ground with her. Accidentally tearing her dress, she whipped out her gun and held it up to his face. His eyes widened a fraction, but he didn't give her the satisfaction of his shock.

"She's not going anywhere, and you're never gonna get to her," her voice trembled furiously. She couldn't contain her anger anymore, and who could blame her? She wasn't about to let history repeat itself, even if it meant pulling the trigger on the man below her.

Harrison grinned at the emotional slip. He had the upper hand once more. Her sister. That was the key to breaking Daisy Alvarez. So, he didn't answer, he just lay with his back on the sticky bathroom floor, his tongue sticking out a little as he tried to catch his breath.

The lack of reaction seemed to drive Daisy further into rage. She grabbed his throat and felt the same urge to squeeze just as she had done to Morton so many years earlier. The only thing running through her mind was Beatrice. The image of her bloody body in Morton's basement; almost gone from the world, had stuck with her for so long. The memories of the flickering hospital lights, the lack of sleep, the fear that her baby sister wouldn't wake up - they haunted her ever thought. Who was she to chance letting that happen again? "Stay away from her, you sick bastard."

"What're you gonna do, brave girl?" he taunted, his voice hoarse from the lack of oxygen he was getting. It was clear he wasn't going to give up. Everything he'd been working towards for the past six months had led up to this, and if he was going down, he was going to break her spirit as he did so. "Maybe she'll be more respectful than you...maybe she'll keep her mouth shut."

He used the last of his strength to kick Daisy off of him, and swung his fist. Daisy fell back as he punched her in the stomach, wheezing a little at the impact. The gun clattered to the floor, and both of them looked at it, then at each other.

While Harrison dove for the gun, Daisy bent down and ran for his legs, tackling him back to the ground. His head smacked against the ground and he groaned, his hands falling either side of his body. He was completely disoriented, and Daisy once again grabbed her gun and climbed on top of him.

"FBI!" After what seemed like years, Derek and the team finally burst through the door. The first thing they saw was Daisy kneeling over Harrison's body, the gun pointed at his head. Her eyes were wide and her teeth were clenched so tightly it seemed her skull could have imploded. Spencer helped Daisy to her feet, carefully taking her gun away so that no rash decisions could be made.

Hotch crouched next to Harrison, grabbing his hands and roughly turning him over so he could cuff them behind his back. He recited the Miranda Rights in a deep, scary tone that would have frightened Daisy had she not been so enraged.

"She's pretty, you know. I've always thought her hair looked beautiful natural, not dyed like it used to be," Harrison wheezed, filled with twisted joy despite the fact that he was being taken into custody. His face was burning red and he looked like there was nothing that he wanted more than to grab Daisy by the throat and squeeze just as she had. But he couldn't. He instead stared at her with a crazed hunger and made a final lunge for her, but Hotch yanked him back and led him out of the room.

Daisy cried out at his words and jumped forward, only to be grabbed by Spencer, who held her back. Harrison's laugh bounced off the walls as he was pulled out of the restroom, leaving shivers running down her spine.

She heaved for breath in Spencer's arms, hot tears streaming down her face, and once she could no longer see or hear Harrison, she broke into a fit of sobs.

Scrambling to the sink, Daisy yanked her earring out and frantically scrubbed at her neck and scalp to get rid of any sign he'd touched her. Her vision was cloudy, her mind was numb and her skin was getting irritated from how viciously she was cleaning it.

"Daisy, hey, hey, hey," Spencer rushed forward, taking her hands and pulling them away from her body so she couldn't hurt herself. He supported her body as she collapsed, one arm wrapping around her waist while the other maintained a grip on her wrists.  Emily hastily grabbed tissues from one of the stalls and returned to plug some of the blood that was dripping from her head and face. "Daisy, you're safe."

"Is Beanie okay?" she whimpered as Emily pressed a cold paper towel to her neck, gently wiping away the broken fragments of skin. Daisy winced at the stinging feeling, leaning back against Spencer. Her entire body was screaming to rest, but her brain refused, working at a thousand miles per hour. "Spencer, is my sister okay?"

"She's fine," he assured her as Hotch ran back into the restroom. His heart nearly shattered in his chest at the sight of Daisy crumpled in Spencer's arms, her cheeks blotchy and red, blood trickling from her forehead.

"I can't let him get to Beanie," her breathing began to pick up. She looked over at Hotch with pure desperation in her eyes. "Aaron, what if he hurts her?"

Hotch and Spencer exchanged a look, before the unit chief took the woman by the hand and looked into her eyes. "Beatrice is safe. Security footage confirmed he'd been snooping around the area, but he never did anything. Now, I need you to breathe, alright?"

"Okay," Daisy sniffled, trying to steady herself on her feet. No one around her was planning on letting go, not after seeing her in such a state. It came as a shock to them, especially Spencer, who had viewed Daisy as strong and unbreakable since the moment they met. Hotch's palm cupped Daisy's cheek, and she looked into his eyes, copying his breathing. "Okay."

"We need to get you checked out," he cradled her head, feeling sick when she grimaced in pain. "What did he do to you?"

"Nothing I couldn't handle," Daisy leaned onto him for support, her legs nearly giving way again. Hotch didn't hesitate in taking her weight, Emily appearing on her other side to alleviate what was left. The raven haired woman pressed her cold hand to Daisy's burning neck. Daisy exhaled in relief at the feeling, letting her coworkers lead her out the back door where the rest of the team were waiting.

"Alvarez," Morgan jogged towards Daisy, a paramedic behind him. His eyes were wide and full of concern as she was handed over to the medical professional. He noticed how Hotch refused to move from her side, holding her hand as long as he could. Derek felt an ache in his chest at the sight of her beaten body.

Daisy sat in the back of the ambulance, grunting as she was given ice for her head and stomach, as well as antiseptic for her scratched-up neck. Her aching arm was put back in a sling while the medic made her look left and right with a light pointed at her eye, only to determine that she had a mild concussion and would need to be under supervision for the next few days.

Looking up at Derek, Daisy managed a small smile. Hotch was wrapping her in a blanket, covering her exposed arms, legs and upper chest. She thanked him softly, as goosebumps had quickly risen once she stepped into the cool night air. "At least we got him."

Derek lifted his hand and lightly touched her bruised face. She didn't flinch, not wanting to increase the amount of guilt already on his face. He blamed himself. The backup may have been a few minutes late, but Daisy was right. Harrison was in custody. Derek could see she wasn't about to let him blame himself, and his lip curved a little. "Yeah, but you don't exactly look like a million bucks."

Feigning offence, Daisy lifted a shaky hand to her chest. "How rude! And after the gift I gave you?"

Derek shook his head, an amused breath leaving him. He leaned forward and lightly pressed his lips to her forehead. "It was the best part of my night, baby girl."

Daisy tilted her head and stared up at the man with a dazed smile. She poked him in the stomach, causing him to scoff. "Go on, Agent Morgan. I'm sure you'd love to be the one to drive Harry into the station."

Morgan looked between her and Hotch, who hadn't said a word. He just stood beside Daisy with his arms crossed, not wanting to leave her. "Alright, well, I'll see you two at the station. You gonna be okay?"

"I'll be fine. I've got my big brave unit chief here to protect me," Daisy looked up at Hotch and pushed her fingers through his folded arms to hold his hand. The corner of the man's mouth twitched, which Derek caught. Daisy returned her gaze to her friend. "Thanks, Derek."

Derek nodded. "Anything for you, sweetheart."

With that, he turned and walked towards one of the SUVs, taking Emily and Rossi with him. Daisy and Hotch were left alone amidst the chaos of the crime scene, a moment of peace finally settling over them.

Somehow, Daisy knew what Hotch was thinking. First and foremost, he was glad she was safe (that was a given). But, she also had a feeling that deep down, he was replaying the scene of her and Morgan in the club over in his head. She chuckled softly to herself, and nudged him with her shoulder. "Aaron."

"Yes?" Hotch was staring out at the local P.D starting to clear out.

Daisy's head turned to follow where he was looking. Crime Scene Investigation had arrived as a precaution to inspect the bathroom, while the police and club security cleared out the building for the night. Staff had brought out leftover food and were giving it out, though Daisy had denied it politely. "I was thinking of someone else while I was kissing Morgan."

Hotch blinked a couple of times, his hand tightening around hers.

"And, I mean," she trailed off. "Derek's a great kisser. If this idiot on my mind doesn't get his ass into gear and make a move..."

Hotch finally smiled, looking down at her. "How bad is that concussion of yours, Alvarez?"

Daisy pulled a face. "Aaron, it's not fair."

"What's not fair?"

She was quiet for a moment, pondering what to say. "I've been sleeping in your bed for four nights. I've been wearing your clothes, eating your food, opening up to you. I've been waiting for you to do something. You've held me and kissed my cheek and acted like we're in a relationship, but the last time I tried to...be with you...you pushed me away."

Hotch swallowed, moving so that he was standing in front of her. He lifted his hand and tucked some hair behind her ear, as she would usually do when she was stressed. "Do we have to have this conversation now?"

Daisy gritted her teeth, the faux playfulness wearing off. She pushed herself to her feet and swayed a little as a wave of dizziness hit her. Hotch reached out, but she pulled away. "If it's not now, then we're never going to have it, are we?"

It was less of a question and more of a statement.

So, she swallowed the last words she had to say and turned, trudging away from the man she wished would chase after her.

★☆

excuse me

yes?

huh?

what?

bonk!

anywhom

i worked ten hours today and it's one am rn so uhhh i'm finally gonna crash

um maybe let me know what you thought but pls be kind i'm fragile today