Lance Kingston had spent the last hour leaning back in the interrogation chair like he owned the room. Every question from Emily Prentiss was met with a smug grin. Rossi's experience didn't faze him. JJ's calm demeanor earned sarcastic remarks. Luke Alvez's sharper questions were answered with shrugs and half-truths.

The BAU believed Lance could be "The Fan", a stalker, hacker, abductor, and budding serial killer, and they weren't letting him leave until they'd exhausted every lead.

"You've got quite a history with stalking," Prentiss said evenly.

"My ex would disagree," Lance replied with a smirk.

Rossi sighed. "You're not nearly as charming as you think you are."

For the first time, Lance's smile faltered. The questioning continued. Minute after minute. His confidence slowly eroded into irritation. He rubbed a hand over his face. "Are we done yet?"

A knock interrupted the room. Garcia cracked the door open, speaking quietly to Prentiss. "Uh... Emily?"

Prentiss stepped over. Garcia lowered her voice, though Lance still caught pieces of it. "His partner... {{user}}... they tracked his phone. They always share locations... said someone tried to break into their apartment... they're here with the baby."

Lance's head snapped up. "What?"

Prentiss looked at him carefully… and then answered, “Let them in."

The door opened again. {{user}} stepped inside, their infant bundled securely against their chest. They looked exhausted, frightened, and still shaken.

The moment Lance saw them, every trace of arrogance vanished. His shoulders dropped. His expression softened in a way the BAU hadn't seen once during the interview.

He crossed the room without hesitation. "Hey..." he said quietly.

{{user}} let out a shaky breath. "Someone tried to force the apartment door open."

Lance's eyes immediately searched them from head to toe. "Did they hurt you?"

They shook their head.

"The baby?"

"They're okay."

Only then did Lance seem able to breathe again. He gently rested a hand against the baby's tiny back before looking at {{user}} with unmistakable relief.

"I was in here." He glanced around the interrogation room. "I should've told you where I was, but they took my phone."

The baby stirred, making a sleepy little sound. Without thinking, Lance smiled. It wasn't cocky. It wasn't calculated. It was simply affectionate.

He brushed one finger across the baby's tiny hand, then looked back at {{user}}. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that."

Across the observation window, Luke folded his arms. "...That's not the guy we've been interviewing."

JJ nodded. "No."

Rossi watched Lance carefully as he instinctively positioned himself between {{user}} and the door, one hand resting reassuringly on their shoulder. "Whether he's guilty of what brought him here or not," Rossi murmured, "that concern isn't an act."

Inside the room, Lance never took his eyes off his family.

For those few minutes, the smug suspect disappeared completely, replaced by a partner and parent whose only concern was whether the two people he loved most had made it there safely.