February Night

Chapter 21

Another couple of days passed until Lucy got a phone call from Spencer. She had been sitting in the bookstore almost all day long without really doing anything. Her thoughts had been running wildly because the BAU still hadn't managed to catch that guy.

"We got him, Lucy", she could hear Spencer say. "Do you hear me?", he asked when she didn't answer.

"Y-yeah, I do", she stammered as she slowly got up from her chair.

"Are you at the bookstore? I come to pick you up and we'll drive to the bureau", Spencer said and Lucy nodded until she realized that Spencer couldn't see her. So, she told him that she'd wait for him and then hung up. Suddenly, her knees felt weak and she had to sit down again. They had him. They had finally caught the man who had been threatening her for weeks and was one of the reasons her life had turned upside down like that.

When Spencer eventually arrived at the bookstore, Lucy was already waiting for him outside. She jumped into the SUV and Spencer greeted her with a hug. "Where's Luke?", she asked as they drove down the street.

"He's at the Bureau, interrogating this son of a bitch", Spencer explained; his voice almost a whisper and Lucy didn't know if she should laugh or be shocked by the words that had just come from Spencer's mouth. He literally never cursed. But when she looked a bit closer, she could see how angry the genius agent was.

"Do you...know his name?", Lucy quietly asked, trying to ignore the fact that Spencer was angry. He nodded while his eyes never left the road.

"His name's Damien Peters", Spencer murmured. Damien Peters...now the face, the man who she had been afraid of so much, finally had a name. Now she could name the man she hated from the bottom of her heart. Lucy clenched her fists and tried to swallow back the anger that had taken over her. When she suddenly felt Spencer's hand grabbing hers, she calmed down again.

"It's almost over", he promised her with a little smile. Lucy just nodded. She hoped he was right.

~

Arriving at the BAU, Spencer immediately led Lucy through doors and rooms and she followed him without speaking a word. She knew that he was bringing her to the interrogation rooms where her brother was currently talking to Damien Peters. "Oh, there you are!" JJ came rushing towards them. "How are you feeling?", she asked after she'd given Lucy a short hug. Lucy shrugged. What should she say? Her feelings were going crazy and she didn't know how she felt. Relieved? Afraid? Excited? Nervous? Well, all at once. It was overwhelming.

"Is Luke in there?", she asked and pointed towards the door near them. JJ nodded. "You can see him from here", she said and Lucy followed the blonde agent to a window. Through it, Lucy could see her brother standing in front of a table where a man was sitting. And she immediately recognized him. She swallowed and put a hand on the cold glass. Luke looked everything but happy. When he slammed his hand hard against the table, Lucy winced.

"Stop lying to me, you son of a bitch!", he exclaimed angrily. But Peters just grinned and folded his arms in front of his chest.

"What are you gonna do against that, agent? You don't know if I'm lying or not", he said with a devil smile on his lips.

"I know you're lying", Luke growled. Lucy could see how hard it was for him to not fully let out his temper. She hadn't seen him this angry in ages. Actually, she couldn't remember seeing him so angry ever. The door opened and Spencer joined Luke and Peters.

"We have proof of what happened that one February night back in Manhattan, Mister Peters. And you're just not telling us the truth", Spencer spoke; his voice calm and low. But his body language showed how tensed he was. Lucy bit her lips while she watched the scenery. Her heart was nervously racing in her chest. Of course, Peters was lying. Of course, he was denying that something happened in New York.

"I'm not gonna say anything", he murmured and leaned back in his chair, looking almost chilled. Lucy clenched her fists and took some deep breaths.

"Don't worry, dear. He'll speak sooner or later." Penelope had appeared and put a hand on Lucy's shoulder.

"I hope so", Lucy whispered, tears filling her eyes. She was scared. What if he wouldn't speak and deny everything? Of course, they had found some DNA on her clothes. But...would this be enough to convict him for some years in prison?

It seemed as if Luke and Spencer weren't so sure neither. They were now standing at each side of Damien Peters, looking down to him with a facial expression that could have killed a man with just their looks. Never had Lucy seen her brother or Spencer like this.

"Listen, man. If you won't finally open your goddamn mouth and speak the truth, then believe me, we'll make you speak", Luke said in a tone that let shivers run down Lucy's spine. This wasn't her brother in there. This was an FBI agent that desperately tried to get the truth out of a suspect. Spencer and Luke were staring Peters down. And then Spencer leaned down and said with a low, slow voice: "We know ways to hurt you. Really hurt you. And then you'll eventually talk to us."

Wow. Goosebumps formed on Lucy's arms when she heard Spencer talk. And Peters' face showed her that he started to think about telling the truth before those two agents would make their words come true. He swallowed and looked from Spencer to Luke. Luke nodded at Spencer's words. And then, suddenly, he started to speak. He told the truth about what had happened that night. That he and his friend Steve had seen Lucy and thought she'd be an easy target. Maybe she'd even say yes to one of them or even to both. But the brutality had taken over very soon and they had tried to rape Lucy, threatening her with a knife. Damien confessed that Lucy didn't have any other choice than defend herself.

And while Damien talked, Lucy almost broke down behind the glass. The relief was overwhelming and she clenched at Penelope's hand while she stared into the interrogation room. Damien buried his face in his hands as Spencer and Luke left and joined Lucy and the others. Luke immediately pulled Lucy into his arms and she whispered into his ear: "Thank you." Some tears ran down Lucy's cheek and Luke whipped them away. There was no reason to cry and be afraid anymore.

"You're welcome. We got him. It's over." He kissed her forehead before he let go of her again.

"Well, not yet." Emily had joined them; arms folded in front of her chest and looking serious. Lucy frowned at her.

"You'll have to give testimony at trial in a few days, I guess", she explained and a sigh escaped from Lucy's lips. She had hoped this was all over. But she could understand that she had to go to trial. There was no other way to bring Damien Peters into jail. And that was all Lucy wanted.

When the team and Lucy walked away from the interrogation rooms, letting Peters with some officers, Lucy turned to Spencer. "I didn't know you could get this angry", she smirked and watched him slightly blush.

"Oh, erm...well...", he stammered, letting a hand run through his curly hair. "I just...wanted him to tell the truth. I already knew it but...we needed him to tell us too", he quietly said. Lucy just nodded but knew, she wouldn't forget angry Spencer so soon. The butterflies in her stomach had woken up again at the thought that maybe she was more important to him than she had thought.