Nothing to Everything

13: La Regina

Hotch gets called right as Penelope and JJ pull into my driveway. "Well, that's perfect timing." I say to Hotch from the couch where my legs are draped over his lap. We both get up to stand and head to the door. I open the door as Penelope and JJ start walking towards the door. They pause when they see Hotch exiting my house. "So that's whose car that is..." JJ whispers to Penelope. Hotch kisses me goodbye then walks to his car, nodding his head hello as he passes JJ and Penelope. "So I guess this night is gonna start with a conversation about why Hotch was just leaving your house." JJ says as they walk in. We order pizza and are sitting in the kitchen when I explain what happened before they arrived. "So yeah, I forgive him for the first part of the night. Jack needs to come first for him and him staying was to help Jack have a good time. But Mike's, I'm not fully sure about that part." I finish telling them. "Would Mike really have kicked him out?" Penelope asks. "Oh yeah, definitely. He almost kicked him out even though I said he didn't have to, instead Mike just did not serve him anything." I laugh. "Mike and Anthony were the first people who fully accepted me when I moved to Virginia. Bringing you guys there truly was like introducing you to family." JJ and Penelope smile at me and I smile back. I go to refill my wine glass and realize we are empty. We all look at the wine bottle and then to each other. Without saying anything we all get up and head to the wine cellar. We end up going through four bottles of wine throughout the night. As much as I love having Emily around, it was nice to not have to worry about blowing my cover. I was able to let loose and just enjoy myself. We talked about anything that popped into our heads. Eventually we ended in my room and all cuddled on my bed until we fell asleep. ——————————————————————————————————————————"Oh no, this isn't good." I'm half awake hearing JJ. "Penelope! Izzy! Wake up! We have to be in the office in five minutes for a case!" We all sprang out of bed and quickly got ready. JJ sent a message saying we were on our way. I don't think any of us have gotten ready so quickly. We were definitely going to be late, but not as late as we could've been. We were all passed out so deeply we didn't hear any of our phones ringing with texts and calls despite them being on ring. Thankfully when we entered the round table room there were mugs and a pot of coffee. We all sat in the last remaining seats and immediately reached for the coffee. Hotch looked disappointed, Derek, Tara and Luke looked amused, Spencer looked confused, Rossi and my dad didn't care and Emily looked hurt. "There have been murders popping up locally. It is not certain they are related, but they are all gruesome and seem to be done using similar weapons and in similar areas." Hotch begins to present the case. He gives out beginning assignments and I'm going to the ME office with Hotch now that I'm back in the field. He dismisses us and I head to my desk where I have pain killers, a protein bar and my water bottle. JJ and Penelope stop for some pain killers and then we split ways again as I meet Hotch at the door to leave. Once he starts driving he asks, "late night?" I groan. "Don't talk so loud." He laughs and rests his hand on my knee. I lean my head on the window and snooze during the ride. I wake up as Hotch puts the car in park. Hotch wasn't joking when he said all the murders were gruesome. Some bodies have been stabbed with so much overkill, some were asphyxiated and one was even killed by a rat eating it's way through the body from the outside. The rat was still in the body when it was brought to the medical examiner. In total there are 3 victims so far. All the victims look slightly familiar, but I can't place where I recognize them from. We ask the examiner a few questions then head back to the BAU to meet up with everyone else. When we get back the rest of the team is already back in the round table room. "What if it is The Royals? We had thought Frank was The King before, now that he died maybe they are trying to find a new one." Derek is saying when we enter. "It's not The Royals." I say definitively. I say it with such authority Derek looks at me shocked. "How do you know? Frank kept secrets from you." He asks. "Because I do, it's not The Royals." I stand my ground, but the mention of them does jog my memory. "Do we have IDs on the victims?" I ask Hotch. He shakes his head. "We are guessing they are part of that lifestyle, but we haven't been able to ID them yet." He replies. I nod my head then take out my phone and head to the hallway. Enzo picks up on the second ring. "Go for Enzo." "Are there any Royals missing?" I ask with no background. "Uhm, yeah. Three commoners have vanished." Enzo confirms my suspicions. The victims are all part of The Royals. "Send me their names please." I tell Enzo and can feel Hotch coming up behind me. "Also, enforce emergency protocol, tell Luca and Leo to go to my mom and send out the mass message then drop you off to me. No one is alone until I call off the protocol. And Enzo, please get my mom fast." I then hang up the phone and call my mom. "Mom, Enzo, Luca and Leo are coming to get you. Go to the panic room until they come get you. Emergency protocol is in call." I tell her and when she confirms she understands I hang up. "What is emergency protocol? And why are they getting your mom? Why is Enzo coming here?" Hotch asks right in a row. I scan us into the custodial closet for even more privacy. "The victims are all commoners in The Royals rank." I start and see something akin to confusion pass on Hotch's face. "The emergency protocol means that no one travels alone and switches up some marching orders for the royals. They're getting my mom so Luca and Leo can protect her. Enzo is coming here to be my extra protection." "And why do you need extra protection? How do you have the authority to command the biggest overarching group of Virginia mafias?" "Derek is partially correct. Frank was Il Re. He is wrong that the royals are scrambling for a new king..." I trail off gathering myself. "I am Frank's heir, I'm now La Regina, The Queen. I inherited the title, but Enzo, Luca and Leo do most of the work as the Princes." I pause. "This is also how I knew it wasn't the Royals." I give Hotch time to let that sink in. "Strauss knows, I told her as soon as I got it confirmed I was named Frank's heir." I whisper. "I was going to tell you, I swear. I just didn't know how." My voice trails off to nothing. My phone pings with a text. Enzo: We have your mom, heading to you.I like the message then turn back to Hotch, "these murders, they're personally aimed at me. I'm guessing it's Dylan's dad's crew. The second biggest group of Virginia mafias." I take a breath. "Sometimes they force people to claim loyalty, tell them if they don't do something to prove loyalty they'll make them, usually by going after someone the person they're blackmailing loves. They're most likely orchestrating these murders." I soften my voice, "they don't like that I went from a sixteen year old nobody who killed one of their possible heirs to La Regina." Hotch nods then exits the closet, I follow shortly after. As I'm passing the elevators the doors open and there is my mom running towards me being trailed by Enzo, Luca and Leo. She gives me the biggest hug then I tell her to sit at my desk. "I have the names you wanted." Enzo tell me then whispers so only Luca, Leo and I can hear, "how do you want to play this?" "Hotch now knows about me, but the rest of the team doesn't. We'll play it as it is. You three are leading with La Regina in the background. It's not a secret that the title of La Regina is on a need to know basis." Luca stays with my mom while I lead Enzo and Leo to the round table room. "No! They can't be in here Izzy!" Derek yells when they enter. "They brought the IDs of the victims. We know their identities now. They are commoners in The Royals. Why would Royals be killing Royals?" I ask Derek as Enzo hands Hotch the files. Derek knows enough that under no circumstances would that happen and nods begrudgingly. "So Frank was The King? Now Enzo, Luca and Leo are in charge?" Derek asks me. "We are the face of The Royals. The identity of the monarch is kept on a need to know basis. But we keep them informed and they give us their input." Enzo replies before I can. Derek lifts an eyebrow and I know he caught on to the fact Enzo didn't say pronouns. "We believe it's the other group of mafias from Virginia." Enzo says. I chime in with the kicker, "Dylan's dad's group." That name got all of their attention and everyone snapped their eyes to me. "The Dylan from last week? The one who called you a murderer?" I flinch when Spencer says murderer but nod my head. "That would be the one." I say. "He took you to prove his loyalty those years ago, didn't he?" Derek asks. I know I need to tell them what happened because it's now relevant to the case. "Yes, Dylan and his friend, John." Recognition flares in their eyes. "Yes, that John. The two heirs of that crew." I sit down to tell the rest. "They decided that stealing the only thing Frank cared about would impress their dads and solidify their heir hood." I pause and take a deep breath. "They took me. They kept me for three days raping, cutting and stabbing me. I heard them say that on the fifth day they would show their dads. I didn't understand what was going on but knew that wasn't good." I wiped away tears. "On the fourth day, John came down alone. I knew this was my chance. I fought like hell and ended up killing him then escaping. I got out then collapsed in front of a random couple who called the police and ambulance." I pause. "It went to trial and it was determined I acted in self defense. Dylan doesn't think so from what I did to John's body, it was overkill." Enzo chuckles at me calling it overkill which makes me burst out laughing. The team is now half crying, half looking at me like I've lost it. "After the trial, when I was 18 is when Frank explained The Royals and his part in it. I made sure not to do anything illegal but I did hang out with them." Hotch decided that it was a good time to take lunch and let everyone decompress after that story. Once we are dismissed Emily practically runs up and hugs me. She was crying the hardest besides Penelope who JJ is comforting. After Emily pries herself out of my arms Penelope replaces her. After a few minutes somehow I'm in the middle of a team hug. The hug breaks and I make eye contact with Enzo who is smiling. He knows how much my team means to me. We all eat in the bullpen except my mom and dad who tried to sneak into his office, but I caught them. They deserve to catch up though. After lunch we immediately head back to working in the roundtable room. Enzo is helping Spencer make a map of where the other crew has property along with the murder sites. There is never less than three people surrounding me and one is always either Enzo, Luca or Leo. Emily and Hotch are also keeping an even closer eye on me. At 2pm we get a call that another Royal has gone missing. This time it's Bianca who has gone missing. Enzo's sixteen year old sister. I look at Enzo and I know we have the same fiery look in our eyes. Bianca isn't even fully a member yet since I made the rule that you have to be 18 to fully join. Bianca is just like a little sister to me, they took her knowing I love her like family. After the trial, Enzo and I went to the house where I was kept and torched the basement, but it's still standing. We both nod at each other, that's where they have her. Enzo points to a point on the map, "she's in this house." "How do you know?" Hotch asks. I'm the one to reply while putting on my bulletproof vest, "because that's where they held me twelve years ago. They're trying to repeat history." Fifteen minutes later we are pulling into the driveway. We all get out and Hotch looks at Enzo, Luca and Leo, "you can't come in." Enzo huffs, "that is my sister! Like hell I'm staying out here." "Enzo, I promise I'm gonna get her, but for us to actually take down the person who took her, we can't have civilians in there. They could use it against us." I tell him. He nods and I turn, walking into the house. I lead the team right into the basement. In the center of the basement is Bianca and Matt, John's little brother. Matt is holding a knife to Bianca's abdomen, the first place I was stabbed. "Matt, let Bianca go." I say and Matt's head snaps up. "Your dad's quarrel isn't with her, it's with me." I remember Matt from when I was in this basement, he came to feed me when he was here one day. "I can't, if I do they'll kill my mom." He replies looking back at the knife in his hand. My face softens."Matt... we both know the likelihood of your mom still being alive right now..." it is very unlikely. After John was killed, their father blamed their mom. Bianca looks at me wide eyed as I take a few steps closer. Matt looks up at me. "You're now La Regina, you know my dad won't let me live. I'm eighteen now, I'll end up in prison with his guys." He tries to say it softly, but voices carry in this basement and I know everyone heard. "You have to kill me.""I can't just kill you Matt." I reply softly. He looks at the knife then back at me silently asking. I say yes with my eyes. He lifts the knife as if to stab Bianca and I pull the trigger. Blood splatters onto Bianca and me but I'm already moving to untie her. She is in my arms in an instant and we both look down at Matt's lifeless body. They went to school together for a few years and I know they weren't continuing the feud."He deserved to be born into a better family." Bianca whispers and I nod, agreeing with her. I lead her out of the basement and she runs to Enzo as soon as he's in view. He sees the blood on us and looks scared. "It's not our blood, it's Matt's..." I tell him. He looks at me like he can't believe it. "His dad was forcing him, holding his probably already dead mother over his head." Hotch comes up behind me and puts his hand on my back. "Are you two ok?" He looks between Bianca and me. Bianca nods. "You mean besides the fact I am going to have stacks of paperwork to do because of what just happened? Then yes." I retort, "if you are including the paperwork then no." Bianca starts cackling seeing Hotch's reaction and I join in. I start crying from laughing too hard which makes Bianca laugh even harder, "it... looks... like you're... crying blood." She says in between laughs. By now the rest of the team is out of the house and is also just looking at Bianca and me like we are crazy, which in this point of time, we may be. It takes us a good ten minutes to gather ourselves. "Turn the emergency protocol to safety precautions. They may retaliate so we should be on high alert." I tell Enzo. They all heard I was La Regina so no point in hiding it anymore. Enzo nods and they head back to the bar with Bianca and my mom. I turn to face the team. Emily is the first to talk, "you're the leader of The Royals now?" I nod, "Frank officially named me his heir in his will, I didn't know until the lawyer told me after he died. Enzo, Luca and Leo do most of the heavy lifting and the day-to-day operations. I told Strauss as soon as I found out it was official." Derek turns to Hotch, "did you know?" "Izzy told me earlier today, when it became apparent to her what we were dealing with." Hotch replies. They seem satisfied and we load into the SUVs to head back to the BAU. We get back to the BAU and since it's Sunday, everyone goes home. We'll all be coming back at 9am tomorrow anyway. Penelope, JJ and I all go back to my house since we had drove in together. They stayed long enough to gather their things and then they left. As they were pulling out Enzo and Bianca were pulling in since we still had to take precautions. We sat on the couch and I took a nap on Enzo's shoulder. I wake up to footsteps coming in from the door. I see Bianca leading Emily in, "the female brunette who's in love with you is here." Emily blushes at what Bianca calls her but it goes away when she sees how I'm laying with Enzo. "When I told you that it wasn't supposed to be known to Izzy that you knew!" Enzo snips at Bianca. I turn to Enzo, "does Bianca know everything you know?" I ask trying to gauge how much he blabbed. Enzo nods and I turn to Bianca, "do you know how much you are allowed to say in front of her?" I nod towards Emily. "Only the her stuff, right?" Bianca asks and I nod. "Only the her stuff, not the other stuff." I say as I get up to hug Emily. "Sorry, I'm still waking up from a nap. What's up?" I tell into her ear as I hold her. As I let her go I realize she may not want to talk in front of the present company, "wanna go outside and talk?" Emily nods instantly. I take her hand and head out to the back porch. As we sit down and get settled I kiss her which makes her smile. "I like seeing you smile," I say as she leans her head on my shoulder. "Why was I not invited to hangout with you, Penelope and JJ last night?" She asks so softly I almost don't hear her. "Oh princess... it wasn't like that. They know not only what's going on between us, but also the other stuff. I just needed a night with friends that I don't always want to kiss. They were also semi helping me avoid the one who bailed on me Friday night. That's how the plans became to be." I kiss her head. "I promise it wasn't anything malicious." I put my arm around her and bring her as close to me as possible. We sit there in comfortable silence for around thirty minutes. "You shot someone today." She says as if reminding herself."He was already dead." I reply, "and he knew it." Emily twists to look at me. "Who was he?" She asks softly. "John's little brother." I answer. "He would've been an amazing person if he had been born to any other family," I whisper, "he had a good soul. I wish I could've saved him from his dad."