A Course of Passion

4: Case Closed

We get to the greenhouse as fast as possible and as we pile out of the car, pulling our guns out, I spot Ryan's van. It's marked with his photography brand and I just hope we are not too late. As we approach the greenhouse, we can hear Dana talking. Derek goes in first, demanding out loud, "Dana, put the knife down."

The rest of us pile in, guns aimed at her, "don't you see? She'll try to take him away from me." Dana says back, holding a curved knife at her sister.

I read the situation quickly, and return to Dana, eyeing Nicole, "and Nicole now understands that that would be wrong. Don't you, Nicole?"

Nicole blinks a few times but answers, "yes, yes. I'm so sorry, Dana."

Hotch tells us, "lower your weapons, everyone."

We all lower our weapons, me placing mine into it's holster, "but this is crazy. Dana tried--" Ryan goes to say. Luckily Morgan pulls him back a bit to stop him.

Hotch goes on, "Dana, you love Ryan." She nods once back at him, "but you also love your sister."

I add on, "we know you're sad, Dana, but hurting Nicole is not gonna make that go away."

She process' what I said, and agrees, "you're right. It won't."

She takes a step away from her sister and puts the knife towards her own neck, her sister yelps, "Oh, my God, Dana, don't!"

"Ryan, tell her you love her, right now." Derek urges Ryan from besides him. His eyes telling him the urgency behind the circumstances!

"Dana, I--I love you." He quickly utters out, following allowing. She opens her eyes and he says again, "I--I do."

"I knew it." Dana releases some air but keeps the knife on herself, "you came back for me."

"Yeah." He barely utters back.

Tara speaks to her sister, "Nicole. I know you would never stand in the way of your sister's happiness, would you?"

Nicole nods, knowing what to do, "no. Ryan, it's over between us. You love Dana and always have." I can see the tears she is trying to hold back as she lives through a nightmare no one could have imagined.

Hotch builds off of that, "Dana, you and Ryan can finally be together like you were meant to be."

She stares at Ryan and repeats Hotch's last few words, "meant to be." With that, she released the knife she is holding and begins to walk to Ryan, leaning in for a hug.

I move towards Nicole, to let her down from where her sister restrained her and Morgan goes to arrest Dana. As they walk her out of the greenhouse, Nicole and Ryan embrace, shocked at the events that just unfolded. After bringing her to the station and finishing up all the paperwork, we get back to our plane and head off back to D.C. Morgan brings over a cup of coffee to Tara and we all sit together as the sun sets, "so, that's where the sun went." Rossi comments as Tara puts her coffee down, looking at the ring on her finger, "nice rock."

"Thank you." She says back, eying the ring on her own finger, twisting it a bit.

We all catch on, but Rossi is the one to ask, "Uh-oh. Trouble in paradise?"

She responds, "uhh, no. I love him. I really do." She looks at a few of us then goes on, "it's just, um this job makes things--"

"Complicated?" Derek offers.

"What's complicated?" Spencer gets pulled out of a file.

"Relationships." Rossi tells him, then turns his attention back to Tara, "you're not the only one, Tara." He then looks to Morgan, with a smile and asks, "so, Morgan, when are you and Savannah walking down the aisle?"

"Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa." Morgan chuckles back, pumping his breaks, "Baby steps. Baby steps."

"When Derek Morgan says I do, it'll be a national day of mourning for single women everywhere." Spencer responds, causing us all to smile and a few to chuckle.

"Come on guys, share the wealth." Morgan then eyes me, "what about you and Mr. perfectly posh detective?"

I squint at him, holding my own cup of coffee closer to my lips, "there is no detective right now. "I roll my eyes, not wanting to get into it with the entire team. I see Hotch and Derek both look to Spencer whose face is now back down and looking at his file, a small smile on his face. Derek goes to open his mouth but I speak up instead, "there's no detective, no agent, no officer, alright?" I clarify, "it's about time I take some time for myself." I try to sound confident, knowing how well profilers can read people.

"Well, my young protege's, when you decide to marry, just don't elope." Rossi points a finger at Derek then looks to both Spencer and I.

"Wow. Sounds like there's a story there." Tara smiles.

"Oh, there is." Hotch clarifies, making it impossible for Rossi not to share.

Rossi looks to Tara to explain, "I married the third ex Mrs. Rossi at a drive-in wedding chapel in Las Vegas. I had an Elvis impersonator perform the ceremony."

"You're kidding?" She questions back with a laugh.

"Wait for it." Hotch returns, knowing there is more.

Rossi goes on, "I'm playing twenty-one. I've got a streak going, I can't lose even if I try. Krystall's the dealer. One thing leads to another I should have known it wouldn't last. Krystall spelled her name with a K and two L's." I chuckle at his story, as do the rest of us and he finishes telling us what happened, "we sobered up the next morning, the divorce was just as quick." He takes a swig of the scotch in his glass, "I will never make that mistake again?"

"What, get married, or have the King of Rock 'n' Roll as your justice of the peace?" Derek questions with a sly grin.

"Both." He leans up, raising his glass for a toast, "Thank you very much." He mutters as if he's Elvis.