𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞, 𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘀

𝟎𝟏𝟗

𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲
ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ
𝗮 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿
𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘶

     "𝐈𝐭'𝐬 him," Penelope frets as she makes small, swift steps down the BAU hallway with her heels. "I'm pretty sure it's him, it's blurry and he's not, like, posing for the camera or anything like that, but you said he'd come and it's been a while, and now he's here, and—"

Derek meets her halfway and they head straight to her office. "Garcia, calm down, let me take a look," he says, quieting her rant.

Garcia sits at her desk once again as Derek leans down behind her. She zooms in on the security footage outside of Louise's house. There, in a blurry frame, Derek can recognize Ian Doyle clear as day. Driving by Louise and Declan's house with his window down, eyes trained towards the home.

"That's definitely him," Derek groans. "What's he planning?"

"That's not all," Penelope says as she pulls up another video. "I was looking past that day to see if he had come back at all, but it wasn't Doyle that I found..."

Derek watches as she pulls up a video of someone walking up the sidewalk to the house. Penelope zooms in on the person, clearing the image, but it doesn't take much for Derek to recognize this one either, even without the new red hair. His heart pounds, anger and guilt fusing together to bear weight on his chest.

"What the hell?" he mutters.

"Why would she know about this?" Penelope asks as she looks at the image of Noah heading straight up to the porch of her half-brother's house.

"Looks like the kid decided to do her own investigation," he says through gritted teeth. "Time to call in reinforcements," he adds. He pulls out his phone and dials the number of Hotch's satellite phone.

After the first ring, there's a voice. "Hotchner," he answers over the sound of men yelling orders and helicopters flying in and out.

"Hey, it's me," Derek replies. "How's it going out there?"

"You know, long days, some territorial issues to work out, nothing surprising. How's everything there?"

"Hotch, we found Declan Doyle."

"What?"

"Listen, I knew that finding the kid was the only way I could find Doyle, Hotch. I know what you're thinking, man."

"Is Declan safe?"

"Yeah, he is for now. I've had surveillance at his house and his school for a few weeks."

"Morgan, I didn't authorize this," Aaron says lowly, but he isn't as shocked as he should be.

"I know you didn't, Hotch, but listen to me, I think Doyle may have found Declan too."

"Alright, I'm coming back," Aaron replies.

"You want me to wait?" Derek asks, only now looking for some command.

"Morgan, it could be a trap. You make sure you have eyes on Doyle."

"And if it is him?"

"Then, you take the shot."

Derek calls the team into the round table room. Penelope pulls up the images on her tablet, her eyes drifting to the blurry image of Noah. She and Derek decided not to tell the team about Noah, it will only make them worry and they need to be focused on Doyle.

"What's going on?" JJ asks as she walks into the round table room. She looks around at everyone, the only person absent being Spencer.

"We've been investigating Doyle," Derek answers as he stands at the front of the room with Penelope.