Tainted (Criminal Minds / One Chicago FanFic)

Chapter 11 (Edited)

Alexa Hotchner's Apartment, Chicago Illinois 

Alexa sat on her couch staring off at a random spot on the floor when a knock sounded on the door. Brett and Gabby left a few hours ago helping her finish the bottle of wine after the call she received. 

Derek walked over to the door with his hand reaching for his gun just in case, he looked through the peephole. He unlocked the door after a second and opened it to reveal her dad and Spencer. "Any luck on tracking the number?" Derek asked her dad who shook his head no. "Garcia tracked the number back to a disposable phone that was turned off immediately after calling you," her dad replied. 

Alexa let out a sigh running her hands through her hair, "We're gonna find him, I promise," her dad said trying to reassure her. "At some point, this guy is gonna surface for air and when he does, we'll get him," Derek added. Alexa just nodded her head, she was exhausted, but just couldn't sleep. 

"Why don't you try to get some rest?" Derek suggested, "I can't sleep even if I tried," Alexa replied. Derek walked over and took a seat next to her putting an arm around her shoulder while she rested her head on his shoulder listening to the steady sound of his heart beating. Derek started running his fingers through her hair hoping it would help her relax enough to fall asleep. 

After a few minutes, he felt her hand on his shirt relax confirming she fell asleep, "How's she doing?" Spencer asked looking at Derek who was still running his fingers through her hair. "She's still processing everything, going over what happened at the scene," Derek replied softly looking up at Spencer. "We're gonna head back to the station, I just wanted to check on Alexa," Aaron said looking at Derek and then at his daughter. 

The only thought on his mind was finding the man who shoved a gun in his daughter's face and threatened her. Words couldn't explain the feeling that washed over him when Alexa called him and told him what happened. The thought that his little girl was held at gunpoint after witnessing a murder, he could've lost her too and that thought infuriated and terrified him. Before he left the apartment with Spencer, he leaned down and pressed a kiss to Alexa's head. 

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The loud bangs startled Alexa from her sleep causing her to look around panicked. Derek was up in a second and by the window with his gun pulled looking outside to the street noticing the officer watching the building was lying on the ground in the middle of the road. "What's going on?!?" Alexa asked him panicked from the gunshots. 

"Come here, come with me," Derek said leading Alexa over to a corner of the room. "Get in the corner," he said as Alexa listened to him standing in the corner. "Alexa listen to me, take this gun," he said loading the weapon and handing it to her. "What?! No!, I can't," Alexa said as he put the gun in her hand. "Yes, you can, listen to me. Keep your finger off that trigger, if anyone walks through that door. You grab a hold of it, and you squeeze. Fire, you hear me," he said before he made his way to the front door. 

Alexa stood in the corner shaking as she watched Derek walk out the door to the apartment. BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! A few seconds later gunshots echoed from the hallway. "Derek," Alexa called out scared, "Just stay there," Derek told her. She did what he said staying in the corner, all she could hear was the sound of her heart beating in her ears. 

The door to the apartment slowly opened and Alexa lifted the gun trying to stop shaking. A man in a hood stepped inside the doorway scanning the room, everything moved in slow motion. BANG! The man fell back onto the floor and Derek ran in kicking the gun out of his hands. 

Without thinking Alexa dropped the gun she was holding and ran over, grabbing a towel off the counter. She knelt next to the man using the towel to put pressure on the gunshot wound in the man's left shoulder. She didn't know why she was helping the man who tried to kill her, she didn't even think twice before she ran over. 

Alexa helped the paramedics load the man onto a stretcher and bring him downstairs and out to the street loading him into the back of the ambo. Everything still felt like it was in slow motion as the ambo drove down the street lights flashing and sirens wailing as they drove away. 

Alexa looked down at her hands that were covered in crimson red blood, "Alexa?! Are you okay? Are you bleeding?" her dad asked her running over to her along with JJ, Spencer, David, and Emily. "it's not mine," was all Alexa could say. "What happened?" Spencer asked looking at Derek. "She shot him, then went out of her way to stop the bleeding until the paramedics showed up," he replied. 

"Let's go get you cleaned up," her dad said leading her back inside the building and to her apartment. Alexa went to the kitchen sink and washed the blood off her hands, as one thing kept running through her head. "Are you okay?" her dad asked as she turned to him with a blank stare. "i-i shot him. o-oh my god, i-i shot someone," Alexa said still trying to wrap her head around what happened and what she did. Her stomach turned suddenly at the memory sending her running to the bathroom. Alexa knelt over the toilet violently throwing up. 

Her hair was pulled back before she threw up as a hand rubbed her back. "I got you, sweetheart," her dad said as she continued to throw up and cry. After a few minutes, Alexa sat back and flushed the toilet. Her dad helped her to her feet and she walked over to the sink rinsing her mouth out with water a few times. 

Alexa's hands were shaking as she turned around her dad pulled her into a hug, "Just take a deep breath okay," her dad said rubbing her back. The door to the apartment opened and closed as Alexa let go of her dad making her way out to the sitting room.

 Alexa noticed Derek and the rest of the BAU standing inside the front door when they walked in. The ginger walked over to Derek pulling into a hug. "It's okay baby girl, it's over now, I got you," he said holding her tightly before placing a kiss on her forehead. "It's really done?" she asked as she let go of the hug, "It's really done, after he's released from the hospital police are moving him to a federal facility downstate," her dad replied. 

Alexa nodded, "So I guess you guys are heading back soon," she said more than asked trying to hide the sadness in her voice. "You know, nobody would judge you if you wanted to take a few days off to process everything," JJ said to Alexa. She just nodded knowing even if she didn't want to take time off work she should take it. She pulled out her phone noticing it was almost 5 am. 

Alexa went to her contacts pulling up Chief Boden's number and giving him a call. The line rang 3 times before it stopped. "Alexa, how are you doing? I heard from Antonio they caught him," Chief Boden said through the line. "They're sending him to a federal facility downstate when he gets out of the hospital" Alexa was quiet for a moment still feeling nauseous. "Chief I hate to ask but... would I be able to sit this shift out? I'll take furlo," She asked. "Gabby's already offered to sub in on Ambo with Brett until your back. Take the time you need Alexa, and if you need anything let us know," he said through the line. "Thank you chief," she replied softly.