Darling deception- a criminal minds fanfic

Impulsive understanding

Of all the impulsive plans that Darling Dawson had come up with on the spot in her life, jumping off the back of a jet boat into drugged water when she was a weak swimmer anyway was certainly at the top of the list.

She couldn't remember the argument with Sydney that ended in the woman holding a gun to her head as Darling yanked the messenger bag across her chest and tried to swim in the strong currents towards any kind of shore.

There was yelling from behind her, Rhon distracting Sydney just enough so Darling could escape with the bag of sealed drugs ready to be re-put in the water supply that was naturally filtering out without Sydney re-adding it every few days.

Darling prayed that the booster shot she had gotten would protect her as she gasped for air but got a mouthful of water, spitting it out but stumbling back under the stream as a memory swept over her with the rush.

The water that had meant to be a blanket of safety, of comfort in a way.

But was brought nothing but comfort.

The water burning Darling's skin and thoughts away was too loud rushing around her head to hear Morgan calling out to her as he entered her house.

She sat in the shower fully clothed, arms wrapped around herself as she tucked her knees to her chin, a slight rock to her body whilst she held back her silent sobs even from herself.

"Darl?" A voice echoed through the house and found its way to Darling who brought her head up from staring at the blood mixing with the water in confusion at the voice.

"Derek?" She called out quietly, but it couldn't be him; she hadn't seen him for months, it wouldn't make any sense at all for him to-

"Darling? Are you home?" His voice called out again as it got closer and Darling didn't have time to think about the fact she was most certainly not in the state to see him as she pushed herself to her feet, opening the bathroom door with an overwhelming urge just to see him, just to hear his voice right in front of her, to know he was there.

Just as she opened the door she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror on the back of it, pausing mid swing and quickly shut it.

She couldn't let him see her like this; not again.

"O-one second-" she attempted to call out with a non-shaken voice, jittering hands poorly attempting to lock the door and rushing to grab her robe as she quickly took off her sopping wet clothes, carefully throwing her bloodied and wet hair up into a wrap towel with a few whimpers she couldn't hide as she took off her makeup and tried to reapply it over her freshly bruised face, accidentally biting her split lip more in the process.

"Mother fucker-" she failed to mumble in pain, eyes watering as she shook her head and attempted to continue her concealer.

"Darling? Are you okay in there?" Morgan was suddenly outside the bathroom door.

Shit.

"I- uh, yeah I'm all good! Just, uh, cut my leg shaving-" she called out, dabbing her lip with a tissue as she used the other hand to wipe the blood she hadn't cleaned up from the sink, "-what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to pick you up for the reunion- don't tell me you forgot about the event of the century?" He chuckled, swearing he could hear a slight sob behind the door and dropping his humour, "seriously Darl, are you sure you're okay in there?"

She almost whimpered at him calling her Darl, how much she had missed it, how much she had forgotten to let herself miss it and him with how hectic her life had been since getting her 'promotion' at her simple Whitehouse receptionist job and then spending the last year on training missions, this week being the first in a while she had been able to come back home properly to see Addie, Tobias and Duncan after a particularly bad 'training' mission that kept her away for months and was the reason for the injuries she had covering her now.