Unavoidable

Chapter 21

Authors note// There's some texting going on in this chapter so for Lil the message will be like this: <message> and for others it will be >message<! There will also be a bit of a POV shift so I will mark that out for you guys! Thank you guys sm for the support!!

I wake up the next morning still on the couch with a fluffy blanket draped around me. I slowly sit up and stretch my sore muscles. The stress and tension I feel regarding Julius hovers around me like a dark cloud, heavy and ominous. By the time I am able to get off of the couch it's around noon and I look around the large apartment for Emily. She's nowhere to be found. Immediately I start to panic. My mind races with the endless possibilities including the most likely one, or at least the most likely in my anxiety consumed mind, that Julius somehow got her. I head towards my phone on the island and spot a slip of paper. My hand trembles slightly as I reach for the paper.

Lil,
I'm heading to the store to get get groceries for tonight, we're having our date whether you like it or not:)
See you in a couple hours love
-Em

Relief floods my body as soon as I finish reading the note and I decide to return to my spot on the couch. I pick up a random magazine from the end table and flip through it leisurely, trying to pass the time until Emily gets back. My stomach is filled with butterflies over the thought that even though I'm stuck inside she still wants to treat me to something special. I can barely pay attention to what's on the pages of the magazine and so I decide to flip through the channels on her TV.

Two hours or so later, my phone buzzes and I expect it to be Emily or someone from the team, like Spence or JJ, to be texting me but my stomach drops to the floor when I see it's an unknown number. My hands once again start to shake as I unlock my phone to view the message. Instead of a typed out message, a series of pictures is attached. My breath hitches in my throat and I start to really panic. There's maybe ten or so pictures of Emily. There's some of her in her car driving, some of her at a coffee shop, and some of her in the grocery store getting stuff for dinner. I nearly drop my phone at the sight of them. She had no idea she was being photographed and she looks so beautiful and carefree it makes my heart hurt. I type back a message.

<Who is this?>

>I think you know who this is kitten<

My stomach rolls at the familiar pet name for me. I press a hand to my stomach trying to quell the nausea that is starting to arise.

<What do you want Julius?>

>You know what I want kitten, what I've always wanted.<

I gather some courage and force the anxiety down. I can't let him sense my fear.

<And what is that? Because you've been awfully quiet these last few years.>

>You.<

<You won't get me, you know better than that.>

>Either you come willingly kitten, or you come by force. Up to you<

<I'm not coming Julius.>

>If you don't come outside and get into the white car on the north side of the building within the next ten minutes, I'll have my men kill your little girlfriend. Are you really going to let her die just to avoid me, kitten?<

My phone falls from my hands and clatters to the floor. I can't let her die. My breathing accelerates as my mind wanders back to the day she was shot. She almost died then and we hadn't even been together yet. I don't know what I'd do without her now that we are. I know what I have to do now as I grab my phone off the floor. I briskly head into Emily's room and throw on a pair of jeans and an old tee of Em's. I check my phone. Six minutes left until I have to be outside. I throw on my tennis shoes and dial Emily's number. It rings for a moment before Em picks up. 

"Hi love what's up?" 

"Hey, uh," My voice quivers and I inhale deeply. "I just wanted to let you know how much you mean to me and how I'm so grateful that, um, that we got through our issues."

"Lilith what's going on? Are you feeling alright?" The concern in her voice is palpable through the phone. 

"I'm fine, I just, uh, needed to tell you that before..." I trail off. 

"Before what? Lil your worrying me," Emily says. I curse internally. I don't want to make her too suspicious.

"Um, just before you get home with dinner," I reply. "I'll see you when you get home, love." I hang up the phone before she gets a chance to keep talking. I check my phone again. Three minutes left. I take another couple of deep breaths before putting my phone on the island and heading out the door. 

I make my way down to the north side of the building rapidly and stop at the side door before going out to meet my fate. I steel myself and then head out the door. I spot the white van across the street from her building and I'm so focused on scanning the area that I don't notice the person creep up behind me until a cloth is pressed against my face and the world goes dark. 

Emily's POV

I grab the heavy grocery bags out of the trunk of my car before heading into the elevator. I set the bags down and slump against the wall. I keep replaying Lil's call over and over again in my head. I know she's under a lot of stress because of the whole Julius situation but that call was weird. The elevator dings and I hoist the bags up before stepping out onto my floor. I start to feel uneasy as I walk toward my door, but I shake it off and pull out my keys. The door to my apartment swings open and I call out to Lil as I put the bags down on the counter. 

"Lil?" I call. "Where are you love?" I walk around my front room and spot her phone by the note I left on the island. I call out more urgently now, "Lilith?! Where are you?!" I check every room and she's no where to be found. I know if she left willingly, she'd bring her phone with her. I start to panic. I grab her phone off the counter before I remember I don't know her fucking password. I dial Garcia's number into my phone

"Hello my lovely," She says cheerily.

"Garcia," I reply, my tone all business. "Do you know Lilith's phone password?"

"Um, no I don't. Why what's up?" I can hear Garcia typing away on her computer. 

"She's gone," I say and my voice breaks. "Penelope, she's gone and I don't know where she went. She left her phone and she's not... she's not here." I wipe away the tears that are falling down my cheeks as I realize that call was her way of saying goodbye. 

"Oh god. Emily, I'm sure she just stepped out for some fresh air," Garcia attempts to calm me down. "I can try and crack her phone for you?"

"Thank you," I say, shakily. 

"Of course, mon ami. Give me a hot sec," She continues to type away at her keyboard. "Okay try 854201." 

"Okay thank you," I reply and put my phone on speaker as I set it down on the counter. I pick up Lilith's phone and type in the password. It clicks open and the first thing that pops up is a message exchange between her and an unknown number. I scroll through the messages and my stomach rolls. Her phone clatters to the ground as it falls out of my hand. 

"Emily? Emily?! What's going on?" I vaguely hear Garcia calling me from the other side of the phone. 

"Garcia get Hotch and the rest of the team now," I say, my voice growing stronger as rage fills my body. 

"Emily talk to me, what happened?" I pick up the phone and take it off speaker. 

"Lilith's been taken," Garcia gasps on the other line. "Julius has her."