#I wanted to take it further but i was scared the fbi would break in

[inspector-m3]

thinkin about ghost....again

this ones a little nsfw?it's not like...staight up porn but theres like suggestiveness, so just to be safe minors be gone. im serious 😑 like, you can read anything else on my blog but stay away from this okay?

Ghost who matches readers freak. He'll wake up in the mornings with small bites littered across his arms or you squeezing at his chest.

Ghost who absolutely melts when you play with his chest, at first it may be a somewhat innocent action but after a while he'll let out the most pathetic whine because you've accidentally worked him up, which means it's your problem to fix.

Ghost who you'd expect to not want any roughness after his harsh job but when it's you he loves it. He'll offer up his hand or arm instead when he sees you biting at your nails or peeling the skin.

Ghost who's grown to love that gnawing sensation when you just needed to feel a certain pressure on your teeth. He won't admit it but he loves it when he looks down and sees his chest and neck covered in bites and bruises.

Ghost who knows you're not trying to hurt him or cause him pain (at least not too much)

Ghost who will gladly let you tackle him to the ground and do a bit of roughousing with you because god you look hot when you're staring down at him with that grin. so to no one's surprise your little wrestling match on the floor escalates.

[alisonsfics]

jealousy jealousy

pairing: tony dinozzo x reader

summary: you’d been too scared to confess your feelings to tony, which you means you have to sit idly by as beautiful women flirt with him. then one day, you’ve had enough and tony overhears you ranting about how much you want to be with him.

word count: 2.6k

“Gibbs, they’re sending someone from the FBI over with those files.” You mentioned, hanging up of your phone.

Gibbs nodding, continuing the form he was filling out. “Good work, L/N. What do you have, Dinozzo?” Gibbs asked. Tony looked up with a surprised expression. He thought he had more time before Gibbs called on him.

“Nothing yet, boss,” Tony responded, bracing for Gibbs’ response. Gibbs didn’t even have to use words. He just glared at Tony. “I’ll try harder.” Tony said, going back to typing on his computer.

You smiled to yourself. Every member of the team had been in that position before. Any day you were on Gibbs’ good side was a good day.

Your computer dinged, and you saw an email pop up in your inbox.

New email from tdinozzo@ncis.com

You glanced up at Tony and saw him pretending to innocently be hard at work. You opened up the email:

“You gotta quit me making me look so bad. You gotta at least give me a fair shot.”

You quickly typed back a response.

“You love me and you know it”

You heard Tony’s computer ding. You looked over the top of your computer to watch his reaction. He chuckled to himself when he read it. He looked up, meeting your gaze.

You blew a kiss in his direction. He chuckled and winked at you.

“Maybe you’d have something for me if you started working and stopped flirting, Dinozzo.” Gibbs said, seeing the way you were both smiling at each other.

“To be fair, boss. She started it.” Tony said, throwing you under the bus. You eyes frantically darted over to Gibbs. The wrath of Gibbs wasn’t something anyone looked forward to.

“But, unlike you, she’s getting her work done at the same time.” Gibbs said, giving you a smile. Your frown and worry disappeared. “Thank you, boss,” you said, cheesily grinning.

“Take a little break. Maybe Dinozzo will focus better. Can you bring Abby this Caf-Pow for me?” Gibbs asked, holding the cup up for you. You stood up, grabbing it from his hand.

“Right away, boss,” you said, heading towards Abby’s lab.

You could hear Abby’s signature rock music playing before you even got off the elevator. You knocked on the open door, causing Abby to jump and turn around.

“Caf-Pow delivery from Gibbs,” you said, smiling. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. You walked further into her lab, handing her the cup. “Gibbs usually delivers my Caf-Pow’s himself. Is he mad at me?” Abby asked, staring down at the cup like it would give her answers.

You wrapped your arms around her, giving her a quick hug. “He’s not mad at you, Abs. He was trying to get me out of the squad room. Because apparently I was distracting Tony too much.” You explained.

Abby smirked. “Of course you were distracting him. He can never take his eyes off you. You both are so in love. You just can’t admit it.” Abby said, cheerily.

Abby was right. Well, at least about your feelings towards Tony.

You had never told Abby about your crush though. Abby hated keeping secrets, so you didn’t want to make her keep yours. Regardless of whether you confirmed it or not, she had been confident for years that you and Tony liked each other.

The only person you ever told was McGee. After all, you needed someone to talk to about it, and McGee had really good advice.

“We are not in love, Abs. We’re just friends.” You told her, like you had a thousand times before.

“I’m holding out hope.” She told you, ignoring what you said. Abby slid two stools over for you both to sit on.

“I’d be a shame if you both were to get locked in an elevator together or something.” She suggested with a sneaky smile. Your jaw dropped. “Abigail Sciuto. You wouldn’t dare.” You said, stunned.

“You underestimate my commitment. I know for a fact that Tony could only handle so long in a confined space with you before he is all over you.” She said, winking at you.

You both froze when you heard the elevator doors ding and slide open. Neither of you wanted Tony to overhear your conversation.

“I’ve got company and gifts, Abby.” You both heard Tony’s voice announce as he entered the lab. You noticed a woman in a pantsuit following close behind him.

“Agent Fusco, this is Abby Sciuto, our forensic scientist, and my colleague Agent L/N.” Tony introduced the three of you.

Tony turned around and grabbed the evidence box out of Agent Fusco’s hands. “This is the evidence that the FBI has on our case, Abs. Do your thing.” Tony said, handing the evidence over to Abby.

Abby started organizing the contents of the box, and you couldn’t take your eyes off Tony and his new friend. She was practically drooling over Tony.

“Why don’t I give you this. You can call if you have any questions or if you don’t have any dinner plans?” She said, batting her eyelashes at Tony and handing him her phone number.

You expected Tony to laugh in her face and throw the card away. He didn’t.

He actually smiled at her and slid the card into his pocket. “Thank you. I can show you out now.” He said, placing his hand on the small of her back and gesturing towards the door.

You watched in shock as they both exited the room.

As soon as the elevator doors closed, you and Abby turned to face each other. “Did you just see what I saw?” You both exclaimed at the same time.

“Little miss I can just bat my eyelashes at a man and make him fall to his knees. Like come on, are you kidding?” You complained. Your jealousy wasn’t even hidden at this point.

This isn’t what Abby was going to point out, but she didn’t think you were ready to hear it yet.

“It sounds like someone is jealous.” Abby said, knowing she’d almost caught you. You shook your head, defensively. “I’m not jealous. I just think it’s a little unprofessional.” You lied.

Abby tilted her head to the side. She didn’t believe a word coming out of your mouth.

“Really? There’s not even a little part of you that wishes it was you asking Tony out?” She challenged you.

You knew she was absolutely right, but you couldn’t bring yourself to admit it.

“I need to get back to work, Abby.” You said, turning on your heel and heading towards the door.

“You’re in denial. The heart wants what it wants.” She called after you as you left the room.

You walked back into the squad room, and Tony was walking past you going towards he bathroom.

Apparently, your jealousy was written all over your face.

“You okay?” Tony asked, stopping in front of you. He didn’t think it had anything to do with him, but he knew something was wrong.

“Yeah yeah, I’m fine.” You lied, giving him a fake smile. He didn’t seem satisfied with your answer, but accepted it.

He walked past you, and you headed towards your desk.

Later, you were standing in the observation room as Tony and McGee were interrogating a suspect.

You had been grumpy since you saw Agent Fusco flirt with Tony. You were unbelievably undeniably jealous. The only person you wanted Tony to flirt with was you, which you knew was stupid because you couldn’t get the courage to tell him how you felt.

Your attention was focused on the suspect, trying to decipher whether they were telling the truth or not.

On the other side of the door, Abby was pacing the hallway. She was trying to decide whether she should tell you what she noticed earlier about Agent Fusco.

You jumped as Abby burst through the door. “Jesus, Abby. Almost gave me a heart attack,” you said, placing your hand on your chest.

“Sorry, but I need to tell you something. You didn’t notice this because you were feeling jealous, but you need to know. Agent Fusco is like a knock off version of you. You both could be sisters, which is probably why Tony is interested. I know you kinda hate her right now, but you only hate her because you think she’s this girl Tony likes more than you. But she’s not. She’s the girl that reminds him of you, and he can date her without risking your friendship. It’s the only reason he hasn’t made a move. He doesn’t want to lose you on the off chance you don’t feel the same way.” Abby ranted.

You felt butterflies appear in your stomach at the thought of her being right.

Then, your self doubt kicked in.

The technician at the soundboard was so intrigued as he eavesdropped that he accidentally bumped a button and turned on the microphone in the room.

“Abby, I know you have this fairytale idea in your head that Tony and I will end up together, but that doesn’t make it true.” You started to say. Unknowing to you, Tony, McGee, and the suspect were hearing every word.

They were all frozen still, not fully realizing what was happening.

“I care about Tony so much, but I can’t get my hopes up for the fairytale. The odds Tony likes me are practically zero. I cant handle the disappointment. So, yeah I have to fake a smile as he flirts with other women, but there’s nothing else I can do. So, just stop bringing it up! Every time you do, I get excited but then I have to get pulled back down to Earth and it sucks.” You argued, all your pent up emotions coming out.

You were about to continue when McGee started knocking on the one-way glass. Being the only one who knew about your feelings for Tony, he wanted to protect you. He knew you didn’t want Tony to hear what you were saying, but he felt like he couldn’t react fast enough.

Abby sprinted out of the room after you yelled at her.

You realized Tony had heard at least part of your rant, and you felt sick to your stomach.

You had to get away from Tony, and you had to apologize to Abby.

You ran out of the observation room and headed straight for the elevator down to Abby’s lab.

When you got there, Abby had locked her door. You walked to the vending machine down the hallway and bought two chocolate bars. You needed to apologize to both Tony and Abby, and chocolate wouldn’t hurt.

You sat down on the floor outside Abby’s lab. You would wait as long as it took to apologize.

After a few minutes, the elevator doors opened in front of you.

Tony stepped out of the elevator and gave you a hesitant smile. “You're next in line, I promise.” You told him. He furrowed his eyebrows, having no idea what you were talking about. “Line for what?” He questioned.

“People I need to apologize to,” you said, simply. You fidgeted with the hem of your shirt, not wanting to look him in the eye. You were still feeling mortified that Tony heard your little rant.

Tony leaned against the wall in front of you. “Why do you need to apologize to me?” He asked, cocking his head to the side.

“I embarrassed you in front of all our coworkers. All because I couldn’t act professional.” You admitted.

Tony’s expression softened. He saw how guilty you felt. “You can take me off your apology list. You didn’t do anything wrong to me.” He told you.

Your head snapped up to look at him. You were shocked that he wasn’t mad. “So, Abby locked you out?” He asked, gesturing towards the closed lab door.

You nodded your head. “She has every right to. I shouldn’t have yelled at her just because I was frustrated.” You said, honestly.

“You want me to get her to let you in?” He suggested. Tony always did everything in his power to help you out. You shook your head, knowing Abby needed time.

Tony took a step toward you and held his hands out. “C’mere,” he said, waiting for you to grab his hands. You placed your hands in his, and he pulled you up to your feet.

He wrapped his arms around you, pulling you in for a hug. You breathed a sigh of relief, knowing Tony wasn’t mad at you. You wrapped your arms around him.

He continued to hold you, and then you remembered something.

“Oh, I have an apology gift for you.” You said, pulling out of the hug. You grabbed the chocolate bar out of your pocket and handed it to him.

He chuckled to himself, always amazed at how sweet and caring you were. “Special apology chocolate?” He asked, smiling at you. You smiled back and nodded your head.

“So, why don’t I give this back to you as an apology gift from me? Then, we can call it even?” Tony suggested.

You tilted your head to the side, trying to figure out what he was talking about. He had nothing to apologize to you for. He slipped the chocolate bar back in your pocket.

“An apology for what?” You asked him.

“Not doing this sooner,” he said, taking a step forward and kissing you.

His hands cupped your face as he passionately kissed you. It took you a second to kiss him back, still in shock.

You wrapped your arms around him, letting your fingers caress his back. He nudged you backwards until your back was pressed up against the wall.

You felt the butterflies swirling around in your stomach. His hands strayed from your face and traveled down to sit on your hips. You grabbed the collar of his shirt, keeping him close to you.

His lips felt electric on yours. Every inch of your skin was tingling. The kiss became more impatient. You both had spent years dreaming about being in this exact situation.

Tony spent many nights wondering what your lips would feel like on his. Your lips were softer than he imagined they would be.

He let his fingers sneak under the fabric of your shirt. His fingers left goosebumps on your bare skin.

You both heard a door slam open and turned to see a speechless Abby.

“Just friends, huh?” She said, with a smirk on her face.

Tony took a step back from you, knowing you wanted to apologize to Abby.

“Abby, I’m sorry about what happened earlier. I didn’t mean to snap at you. I just was overwhelmed, and I’m really sorry.” You said, sincerely.

Abby’s lips curved up to form a smile. “Don’t worry. I know you didn’t mean it. I don’t have any regrets. Someone had to talk some sense into you both and get you to confess how obsessed with each other you are.” She said, still smirking at you both.

“Also, I wasn’t really mad. This was part of the plan. Who do you think called Tony and told him to come down here?” She said, coyly.

You remembered the comment she made to you earlier about locking you both in an elevator together. It wasn’t an elevator, but it did the trick.

And she was right. Tony was only able to last so long in a confined space with you before being all over you.

Tony stood right behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist. He pressed a soft kiss behind your ear.

“Thank you, Abs.” He said, before smiling down at you.

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[mercy-burning]

Good Little Helper

Pairing: Season 5! Spencer Reid x fem!Reader Summary: Reader gets assigned to be Spencer’s personal assistant of sorts after he gets shot in the knee. Category: SMUT(18+) Content Warnings: fingering (female receiving), blowjob, praise kink, dirty talk, blink and you’ll miss it cumplay Word Count: 4.7k

MASTERLIST

NOTE: So, remember yesterday when I posted about how I wished new ideas would stop distracting me from everything I’m currently working on? Yeah. This wouldn’t leave me alone, and I couldn’t work on anything until I got it out of my head, so here! Have a fic! (It was supposed to be a blurb, but I got a little long-winded so now it’s too long to be a blurb oops 😙✌) Also, I apologize for any editing mistakes, I just wrote this out in one go, so hopefully it’s alright!

***

Being assigned to assist Dr. Reid with practically his every need after he was shot in the knee wasn't exactly how I expected to spend the past few months.

And that's, like... a huge understatement.

In fact, when Agent Hotchner came up to me in the break room and said he'd like me to do the job, I dropped my coffee and shattered a mug. I could tell he was a little impatient with me, even through his kind reassurances that it was quite all right as he helped me clean it up and waited for an answer.

In the end I'd said yes to the job, though the more I thought about it the more I wondered how much lust and naivete had clouded my judgement when I did.

Because there was absolutely no way I was going to be able to survive weeks, possibly months, as Spencer Reid's assistant. Not only because he was intimidatingly intelligent and there was almost nothing I could offer him in decent conversation, but also—and more prominently—the fact that I was pretty sure I was in love with him.

Maybe that was a stretch. I definitely had a stupid major crush on him that felt more like we were in middle school, but I could barely look at him without going warm all over. In fact, I think we had only ever made eye contact once and I averted my gaze immediately, afraid I'd give myself away. If I'd have held it any longer, I was positive I'd have burst into flames.

He'd tried talking to me once, a few months after I started working at the Bureau, and it was only to ask if I'd send some files over to their tech analyst, Penelope Garcia, but when I tried answering, I stumbled over my words and ended up only getting out a squeaked, "Uh huh," before taking the files from him and scurrying off.

I almost cried that day.

Basically every time I was in his presence, I was a total wreck. Even more so than I was on any other given day.

Being his assistant did get fairly easy pretty early on, though. I mostly just stayed out of his way while he worked, and if he need anything that he could've gotten himself if not for the injury, it was my job to get it for him. I worked on my own paperwork most of the time, and he was always busy working on geographical profiles and whatever else, we only ever really had to talk when he asked for something. And that only required a, "Sure," on my end, so I could just get up, get what he needed, and then go back to work.

Still, it didn't help that sometimes I'd get distracted.

He was very distracting.

I usually waited until I was sure he was so busy in work that I wouldn't get caught. And that's when I'd peek over my computer or hide behind a book and stare at him. I know that sounds creepier than it is, but if you had to spend almost every hour of the day with him, you'd have done the same. Even though for months he was put on rest from the field, he always showed up looking more like a college professor than an FBI agent. Which, I suppose suited him more anyway. Regardless, it was a damn fine look. His hair was decently long and extremely pretty, and when he got the cane?

I was a goner.

It was at that point, though, when I started to realize that he probably wouldn't need my help anymore. He'd been allowed back into the filed by then, and even when I went with them on cases it still felt like I was more out of place than usual. Sure, I'd picked up on some minor skills that aided in profiling and otherwise, but at the end of the day I was still only a desk clerk. Sooner or later, I knew there would be a time where Agent Hotchner would inevitably tell me that I'd done a good job and could return to my menial day job.

So, even though Dr. Reid and I had gotten into a pretty regular, non-awkward rhythm, I was being a little more squirrely than usual.

And of course, he noticed.

"Y/N, are you doing alright?" he asked, looking up from his stack of paperwork. That was another thing we'd ended up doing— late into the night after everyone had gone home, we stayed late in the conference room and quietly filled out paperwork.

I barely looked him in the eye when I answered. "O—Oh, mhm. I'm fine."

"Oh... You just seem... a little different today."

On any other day I would have freaked out on the inside like a teenager, excited that he'd noticed me at all enough to notice a difference in my behavior. But that was his job after all.

"Actually, you seem rather... sad."

I did look up at him this time, and the soft glow of the table lamp lit up his features— features that looked me over with concern. I could feel my face grow warmer with every second I looked at him, until I quickly looked back down at my paper and shook my head.

"N—No, I'm okay. Promise. Just a little tired, that's all."

Usually he would have left it at that, given we didn't ever really have longer conversations than that that didn't pertain to whatever case the BAU was working on. But he pushed further, and I swallowed.

"Are you sure? Because... You can tell me if there's something wrong. I'm a good listener..."

Did I dare tell him what was really plaguing me? That I was scared I wasn't going to be able to spend time with him every day, thus most likely giving away my crush? That is, if he hadn't already figured it out by this point... Truthfully it wouldn't have surprised me.

The thought made me go warm again, and still, I kept my head down.

"I'm sure..."

And then I did something I probably shouldn't have. I looked back up at him, just a quick glance, but under his intense gaze I crumbled, flitting my eyes back down and playing with my hands.

"Is it... because of me?"

Afraid suddenly that I'd made him feel bad, I straightened a little. "No! No, not at all I... Um... I—I guess I'm just... A little sad that I'm probably... not going to be of any help to you anymore. You know, now that you're healing up."

A small smile flashed over his face, and I inwardly melted.

"Oh... In that case I... I guess I'm sad, too."

"Really?" I asked softly, my heart jumping.

"Mhm," he answered back in earnest. His features were softer than they'd ever been, eyes wide and kind, smile inviting... "You've been a great help. And you're fun to be around."

I couldn't help but smile shyly at his confession, completely bewildered that he'd think of me as someone he'd enjoyed being around, though I'd offered just about nothing interesting to any conversation we'd had. "Y—You don't mean that..."

"I do."

"C'mon, really? I... I—mean... coming from you that's... that's too generous."

He laughed a little. "How do you mean?"

"I... Well, y—you're you... I mean, you're... smart, and nice, and cu— uh,... n—nice..." I stumbled hard on that last one, squeezing my eyes shut at the thought of almost calling him cute to his face... And then I realized I'd called him nice two times... in a row.

I hadn't even realized he'd gotten up and walked over to me until I felt his cane gently tap my leg. I jumped, looking up at him and almost crumbled again right then and there. He stood over me, tall and clearly amused, and I wanted to just curl up and hide where no one would ever find me.

I also didn't want to be craning my neck so far up to see him, so I stood up, sending my chair rolling back a foot or two. The added height was better, but he was still fiarly taller than me, and with the way were standing so close to each other?

Maybe I'd made a mistake...

"I—I'm sorry," I stammered.

Still amused, Spencer tilted his head a small amount. "What for?"

"I... I don't know, m—making this awkward?"

"It's not awkward."

"It... It's not?"

He shook his head, quiet for a few beats before he nearly whispered. "What were you going to say?"

I paused. "I... What?"

"Before... You said I was smart. And nice... And... What else?"

It sounded like he was trying to get me to confess something, and quite honestly I couldn't tell if it was for humiliation or amusement or clarification purposes. I mean, it was probably safe to assume he wouldn't go out of his way to humiliate me, but... it still made me nervous.

"I—I didn't... I..."

"Y/N... Tell me?"

I'd been cornered. Quite literally, too, as my lower back hit the edge of the table. My hands shook anxiously at my sides as I contemplated what to say. The truth? Embarrassing for me. A lie? I was no good at telling lies, and I'd still end up embarrassed, because he'd be able to tell.

So, after a very long silence in which he waited on me to answer, I blurted out, as quietly as possible, "Cute."

The word sounded juvenile coming from my mouth. Right now, standing under Dr. Reid's intense scrutiny, it didn't even feel like the right word to describe him. Not that it wasn't true... But it just wasn't an elegant enough descriptor for him.

And that alone probably proved just how different we were. How out of my league he was...

"That's what I thought you were going to say," he mused, slightly breaking me out of my self-deprecation.

I would have asked him something then, anything to keep myself from looking like even more of a fool with a childish schoolgirl crush, but all words escaped me entirely. All I could do was look up at him, slowly growing warm under the intensity of his eyes and praying he wouldn't think of me as silly.

Though, it wouldn't have mattered, because he kept talking anyway, his body taking up even more space around me as his arms came around to well and truly trap me against the table.

"You're right, you know... I'm almost completely healed, and pretty soon I think I won't need an assistant anymore."

I was scared that maybe I was wrong before, and he'd actually humiliate me now, though the look in his eyes suggested otherwise. I wasn't sure what to make of all of it. SO I just stood there, trying to breath steadily as Spencer studied my face.

"And I meant it... That makes me sad. You know why?"

I shook my head, afraid to make a sound.

His head dipped lower, close enough that I could feel his breath on my mouth as he spoke. "I probably won't get to see you every day."

"Y—you want to see me?" I couldn't help but ask.

He scanned my eyes, amusement and something else lingering there as he did. "Yes."

And then he kissed me.

It was a short distance, but it felt like we went far. And I hadn't even registered that I whimpered into his mouth until he returned it with a low groan that boiled my insides and absolutely melted me. I was helpless against him as he pressed himself further against me and used his hands to keep my back steady.

The whole time my mind was swimming with dizziness. It felt like my body was covered in butterflies from head to toe, particularly strong where his hands pressed into me and his cane rested firmly along the inside of my thigh.

I leaned forward when he pulled away, because I was afraid that he was saying goodbye. But one of his hands came up to my face and my eyes fluttered open, immediately taking notice of how messy his hair was now that I'd had my fingers in it.

I must have looked scared, because suddenly his eyes changed, and he removed his hands away from me altogether, putting distance in between us. "I—I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kissed you without asking..."

The relief that rushed through my body must have gotten to my head, because I breathed out a demand I'd never have had the courage to get out before.

"Do it again."

One second I was staring at him, admittedly afraid that he'd regretted all of it, and the next I was seeing stars as he came forward and kissed me again. His hands cradled my face as he did so, coming on to me with gentle care while still maintaining that hunger that surprised and excited me.

I hadn't realized how much I missed his touch until he'd given it back to me, my body once again melting into him and allowing him to do whatever it is that pleased him.

Apparently that was lifting my leg off the ground and making me sit on the table.

My body went along with it easily, and I was glad for it because my brain was nothing but mush, unable to process fully how he'd decided that I was worth kissing. All I really knew was that I wanted him. Anything he wanted from me, I was willing to give. And that must have come across very clearly, because when he pulled away and spoke to me, I whimpered at his words.

"Y/N... You've been such a good girl, helping me with whatever I needed these past few months..." Meanwhile his hand danced along the hem of my skirt, the tiny brushes of his skin against mine sending me into a mess of shivers.

"I think it's about time I've thanked you for all your help, don't you think?"

The implications in his tone made me whine again, and I pressed my forehead into his, our noses brushing as I answered. "Please."

I was so taken by the way he groaned as his lips connected with mine once more that I almost didn't realize that his hand was now fully up my skirt, his fingers drawing gentle lines over my panties and practically making me melt again. His hungry kisses contradicted the softness he took to my clothed cunt, a fact that warmed me to my core and made me want him more than ever.

When he slipped the fabric aside and ran the pad of his finger through me, I whined hard against his mouth, something that must have excited him— He nipped at my bottom lip and took a deep breath.

"How long have you wanted this, Princess?"

If not for the kissing and the finger slowly sliding up through my arousal, the nickname would have done me in. By now I was an utter wreck, but I somehow still managed to answer, even through a little stammering. "F—Forever."

It was the best I could come up with.

He breathed a laugh as his finger circled my clit. "That's a long time..."

"Uh huh," was all I could manage in response. My body and my brain were too focused on the things his finger was doing to my body, involuntarily rolling my hips forward for more. I needed more.

Thankfully he picked up on my urgency and reciprocated with slipping his middle finger inside me, one knuckle, then two...

I cried out as my head lurched forward, connecting our mouths once again. My hands clutched around his neck and my fingers tugged at his hair to keep myself from falling, because the slow, searing pace at which he fingered me made me wonder how I'd still been able to breathe.

He added another finger soon enough, picking up the pace and rendering me practically useless in his embrace. Meanwhile I registered the sound of his own little whines, still deeper than mine but little enough to tip me off that he was enjoying this just as much as I was, and that alone helped get me further along in pleasure.

I pulled my mouth from his reluctantly, squeezing my eyes shut as I allowed my forehead to rest against his. "D—Doctor, I'm c... I'm so close."

"His honorific falling breathlessly from my mouth seemed to do something sinister to him, because his fingers sped up and his breathing got heavier.

"Yeah? You gonna come for me, Princess?"

My stomach tightened and I nodded as best as I could, relishing in the sounds coming from below us, wet and downright filthy.

"Go ahead...Be a good girl and come for me... You deserve it..."

Each little sentence was punctuated with a slightly faster pace, each one bringing me closer and closer until I squeaked into his mouth and shook violently around his fingers, my vision going white. My legs had been open wide since he'd started teasing under my skirt, but now they threatened to clamp shut from the intensity. But I wanted nothing more than to be good for him, to make this as easy as possible, so I held out and kept them open as wide as I could stand as my orgasm rocked through me.

Spencer whispered praises into my skin as his hand slowed and his mouth trailed down to my neck. And even though it was more than nice feeling him lick and bite over my skin, I felt rather sad when he removed his fingers from me.

That sadness didn't last long though, not when he pulled back and studied me for a moment, eyes lust-blown and purely ravenous before he brought his glistening fingers up to my mouth.

I didn't even have to think. I brought my tongue out and let him slip his fingers over it, closing my mouth around them and sighing as I sucked them clean. This only seemed to excite him more, his features displaying all sorts of desperation until he couldn't take it anymore.

He kissed me again, bringing both his hands to rest at my waist. And with his hands so low I wondered if maybe he'd take to ridding himself of his own pants, but it never happened. Rather, he pulled away after minutes of more kissing, and sighed quite sadly as his upper body pressed firmly into mine.

Something else pressed firmly against me as well—right along the inside of my thigh—and I gasped, mind running wild through all the possible outcomes of the night.

But Spencer only stood there, occasionally nudging his nose against mine while his hands gently kneaded my sides.

"D—Do you want to stop?" I asked softly, afraid he'd regret what we did.

He proved me wrong. "God, no... It's... It's just that I'm still not cleared enough for any... strenuous activity on my leg, and I don't..."

I didn't want to push him, obviously, but I thought I could make the mood a little lighter. "O—Oh, well on the bright side... I could stay your assistant for a while longer."

The laugh that rumbled in his throat made me smile, though from the way he stood there, I knew he wouldn't risk it.

"Um... Raincheck?" he whispered.

On the one hand, that meant he definitely wanted to see me again, and I was more than happy with that. But also, that meant our fun for the night was done...

Yet... Maybe not...

"Sure," I answered, pecking his lips once more. Then I brought my hand to his chest and slid it down until I reached his belt, and I leaned back to look him in the eye, a boldness I never imagined coming from me in a million years.

"But I can still help you..."

I watched the desperation and disappointment in his features slowly dissolve into a newfound hunger—and an amusement—that grew my confidence tenfold.

"Oh?" Spencer mused. "How do you suppose you can help me this time?"

He wanted me to say it. So, without second guessing myself anymore, I grazed my finger over his erection. "I'm very good with my mouth, Dr. Reid."

He grabbed me by the hand then, dragging me along to the chair I'd kicked back before and sat himself down, one of his hands still gripping the cane. Matched with the desire in his eyes and the swollenness of his lips and the tousled strands of his hair, the sight was truly something to behold. It was something that only ever existed in my dreams, nd now it was real.

Not wanting to waste any time, I sunk to my knees and nestled myself in between his legs. He reached out and caressed my cheek before lifting my chin with his middle finger.

"You like being my good little helper?" he drawled.

I tried to nod, but he clicked his tongue and held my chin in place. "Words, Princess."

"Yes. I—I'd do anything you asked. Anything you want, it's yours..."

He hummed then, removing his hand from my face and moving to undo his belt swiftly with only one hand. The action, the sound, everything... it was enough to make me wet again, and I subtly ground down onto the heel of my foot as I watched him pull himself free from the confines of his pants.

I didn't have time to marvel at him before I was drawn forward like a magnet, my hands crawling up his legs and my eyes batting up at him, ready and eager to please him however he wanted.

"Eager, are we?" he mused once more, gently stroking himself with his hand.

"Yes, Doctor," I breathed, inching closer and kissing the outside of his hand.

His movement stopped then, and it didn't take longer than a second for him to decide to let me work on my own.

"Then have at it, Princess..."

I started by kissing my way up the length of him, taking my time to gauge his reactions as I did so, occasionally darting my tongue out to taste him. Once I reached the tip, I sucked on it gently, using my tongue to swirl around it until I could taste the saltiness of his precum.

And then I started taking him slowly into my mouth, watching above me as Spencer's eyes started to shut, obviously debating whether or not to lay back and enjoy this or watch me intently.

Either way, I was more than happy to keep it up, finally getting him to the back of my throat. I flexed my tongue and held him there as long as I could, promptly gagging over him and blinking tears from my eyes as he let out a loudest sound I'd heard from him yet. His head flew back and his tongue quivered along his bottom lip as he cursed my name.

The act made me proud, so I retreated for air, sucked at his tip again for a few seconds, and then repeated it, taking him down my throat again and watching through teary eyes as he visibly swallowed and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Fuck, Y/N, you're so... Such a good fucking girl..."

The praise caused my insides to burn hot, and I ground down onto my heel again, lifting my mouth to start bobbing up and down.

His eyes opened then, and he looked down at me, using his hand to brush stray hair from my face and the other to grip onto his cane for dear life. I looked up at him the whole time, making sure to convey through not only my actions but also my eyes that I loved this. I thrived off of his praise, I enjoyed the feel of his dick gliding over my tongue and hitting the back of my throat, and I longed to feel him coat the inside of my mouth with his release.

I was so entirely into him in every capacity, it wasn't even funny.

I was so glad he could tell, a smile grazing his features as his hand gently gripped some of my hair. "So eager to please, Princess... And so fucking good at delivering..."

I whined onto his dick as he held me down, rendering me immobile. The only thing I could do was look up at him and choke, and of course, I was more than happy to do it. In turn, I was met with a deep groan and a tug of the hair.

"Hold it, hold it... Atta girl..."

My cunt throbbed at his words, and my throat continued to burn, tears falling down my face at ten-speed until finally, he let up and pulled me off of him.

I coughed a little and blinked away tears as I caught my breath, Spencer's fingers combing hair from my face as he smiled proudly.

He didn't even need to say anything then. I wanted to give him more. So I leaned down again and took him in my mouth, quickly making work of his tip while my hand came up and stroked the rest of him.

"Fuck, Princess, just like that... Make me come just like that..."

Rather than just continuing, I offered him a high whine and a wide gaze, hoping to exceed expectations.

I guess it worked, because he came right then, his dick pulsing over my tongue and in my hand as his warm release shot down my throat and over my tongue. I hummed around him, fluttering my eyes closed at the taste and the feeling, probably enjoying the fact that I'd done this to him more than I should have.

It was worth it to see the look on his face, though, after he'd given me all he had and I purposely spit some of it out onto the tip of his dick so I could lick it up and give him just a little more stimulation after the fact. His mouth hung open, eyes heavy and unwilling to leave me, even as I finished and sat back to wipe the tears and saliva from my face with a satisfied smile.

Though, the longer he looked at me, the more shy I became. Funny when I'd just had his dick down my throat, but I'd never been good with people staring at me for long periods of time.

"Was that... Was that okay?" I asked, suddenly worried I hadn't done something to his standards. "I know I don't do this a lot, so I'm sorry if it wasn't that g—"

"Y/N..."

I blinked up at him, still on my knees and unwilling to move. Not that I wanted to, but I couldn't even if I had.

"That was fucking perfect... I meant it, you're... so good."

I knew he was capable of better words, but after having the life sucked out of you, I could imagine 'better words' were hard to come by. Still, I laughed a little, playing with the hem of my skirt. "Good. I'm... glad I could help."

He smiled at me, readjusting his pants and then moving to help me off the ground.

"Hey, uh... Even when you go back to your regular job after I get better, I... I hope you know you're always welcome to come visit me if we're not busy."

The words warmed me in a different way, my heart swelling as well. "You... You mean that?"

Spencer nodded, grabbing my hand and dragging his thumb over my wrist. "Of course. I mean, you're more than just a good helper, you know. You're also kind, and smart, and cute..."

I laughed at his emphasis on cute, heat warming my face. "Ha-ha..."

"I really mean it, though," he said softly, removing his hand from mind and bringing it up to lift my chin, so I'd meet his eyes. They were swimming with sincerity, the epitome of warmth and comfort and kindness— the kind that always drew me to him in the first place. "And... If you'd want to maybe ditch the paperwork one day and grab a coffee or something, maybe—"

"Yes," I interrupted without thinking. My heartbeat picked up upon seeing the look in his eyes when I agreed, a mixture of amusement and relief. "Y—Yes, I'd love to."

"Good. Then it's a date?"

"Definitely."

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[inactive-luv]

The Absence of Rain

The Absence of Rain

"the absence of rain is when good things are most present."

the absence of rain

Summary: Y/N Y/L/N meets a stranger in the rain

Pairing: (Spencer Reid x Autistic!Fem!Reader)

Details: I hope I did my best to convey proper Autistic traits; my ASD is not the same as the readers' character, the same way no one's ASD or Autism is the same.

Category: fluff

Word Count: 1.7k

Warnings: Autism

A/N: I decided to make the reader Autistic. This was originally just a short story I made in English lit class my senior year, but upon rereading it, I decided to use the same prompt to write this fic

...

It's two in the morning. The Virginian rain drizzles as it has for the past two days without stop. She loved the rain, even if it was a sign of sadness or sorrow. She misunderstood it when people said the absence of rain was when good things happened. Until tonight when the theory was proven very, very true.

...

She walked from her job down to the bus stop at two in the morning when it started to rain harder than the usual drizzle from earlier in the evening. She spent time analyzing the splashing of droplets, echoing in her head after a long day. Her head raised to watch the water slap against the glass roof above her.

She stayed like that for a while, soothed after a stressful day by the calming aspects of the rain. She was watching and waiting, sitting in her bus stop seat. Her hands folded in each other to scratch lightly at her fingers, bundles of nerves across her skin aching to be touched.

She wants to stay here forever and quietly wishes for a late bus before her peace is interrupted when she sees a dark figure move across the station bridge. Her face turns puzzled, trying to analyze the new person in her space.

He looks tall from a distance. That's the first thing she notices about his body before she investigates further. She thinks about his satchel bag and his converse shoes, how he holds his umbrella in his right hand, and a book in his left. She can't make out the cover, but it must be pretty slim from how fast he blows through it.

She thinks about what would happen if he would walk over to her. She's seen him only a few seconds, yet she feels drawn or compelled to wonder further. He steps to his side, adjusting his stance, and his face falls under the light of the bus station for a second.

His jawline, eyes, lips, and everything about him leaps out immediately, catching even more of her attention. He must have felt her gaze over him, like an ocean wave crashing over a beach. A certain persistence to discover makes her eyes stay glued to the dark figure.

He swallows his lips before turning to see if she was maybe looking at someone else. He expected it. He expected not to be expected of. So when her eyes stayed fixated on him, he was a little curious. And during this time, all she can think about is if he came closer. Suppose he could turn to her so she could find the thing. The thing about him that made him so compelling.

And he does it. He starts to walk over with his book in one hand and the other in his pocket. The sounds she once found comfort in faded as he walked up to her, and everything turned to silence. The soft patter of the rain, once saturated and abstract ringing through her head, turned pale and hushed.

He watches how her eyes still stay attached to him, almost obsessively. A silence fills the space between the two before he breaks it so haphazardly, she can't help but shudder a little.

"Excuse me?" So she turns her head and is met looking up to the dark figure. He's much taller now that he's closer to her, and his hair is long. Long hair so obviously stretched under the rain, with soft curls ever so innocently framing his face.

He doesn't know what to say after that. He couldn't make out exactly who she was or who he was even expecting but, she was beautiful. He finally took notice of the more calming features about her rather than the creepy stare. He saw how her skin glowed, and her lips parted slightly as if in deep thought.

During this time, he notices the silence forming again, and he breaks it once more before he can hear her voice. "Uhm, can I sit?" He murmurs as an excuse he perhaps too eagerly came up with, taking notice of her puzzled expression. "Yeah, here, let me move my bag." Her voice dribbles out of her mouth, laced with an extensive kindness that intrigued him incredibly.

He mumbles a small 'thank you' back while he undoes his umbrella and takes a seat next to her. His head is facing the street now, but he still feels her eyes on him. It takes him a minute to swallow the lump in his throat before he turns to her again, craning his neck to meet her eye-line looking up at him.

His eyes meeting hers makes her pause for a moment before hastily averting her attention from him to anything in her way. The grass peeking through the concrete or the way the rain filled the puddles on the sidewalk.

And just like that, the silence, as well as it faded out, fades back in. The soft sounds of rain climb back through her ears to fill her brain again. Easily and slowly, she listens to the buckling of the stranger's bag, as if he was trying to make an as little sound as possible not to annoy her. But the sound doesn't upset her. It calms her.

It intertwines with the rain in a calming way. Everything blends smoother than she expected. She expected sounds to scare her as much as they usually do meeting a stranger, but the sound of his skin against the leather, and the pitter-patter of the rain, calm her.

So she's at peace when he breaks the silence once more. Although now, his words don't break the silence as much as they seep into the silent sounds, merging to form a tranquil melody. She realizes she could get used to his voice.

"Where are you coming from at," He looks down at his watch, over his sleeve for convenience, a trick she notices because she does the same thing, "two in the morning?" His tone acts as if he made most of his living in the night; the calmness, even in such an abundant presence of darkness, leads her to believe he'd done this a million times.

"I lost track of time in the library." He smiles again, "I thought only I did that." She smiles back at him and feels her cheeks start to swell and pink. He listens to her words; there weren't any libraries open this late at night he of all people should have known that.

He contemplates asking; further, he really wants to. He wants to listen to her voice again and again over and over because, unlike anyone else's, he thinks he'll never get tired of it. But he doesn't pester; he waits, hoping she'd further the conversation herself.

Little does he know she's thinking the same thing. She was thinking about every question he's asked and every question she wants to ask him. But he was a stranger even if she hoped he wasn't for much longer.

It takes a lot of strength for her to continue the conversation but noticing his peaked interest, her tone of voice heightens, "I was working at the university, that's why I was out so late." His questions are answered and followed by more, "Really? What do you do?" he wanted to know everything about the mysterious girl at the bus stop, and she was willing to answer every one of his asks.

"I help my friend who's a professor there, but I'm a medical examiner." His eyes light up, "Really? That's cool." He tries to keep his voice calm, but it trickles out so quickly, and this time she can catch his investment, and it gets easier to talk to him as if she'd known him a hundred years.

"I look at dead bodies all day. You think that's cool?"

"Well, to be fair, so do I,"

"Oh! Are you a serial killer?" Her best shot at sarcasm was successful, he laughed.

Like a modern orchestra erupting into its triumphant climax, the rain, the air, his laugh soothes her ears until she's blessing the world for her ability to hear. It's a kind of sound that reverberates in her mind and stores itself to her happiest emotion.

A type of sound she wants to hear for the rest of her life, but sadly, all of this excitement at once becomes too much too quickly, and her smile slightly fades while his head is turned.

She didn't have too much trouble with sound, so her anxiety heightened slightly when she became overwhelmed. A type of overwhelmed he could sense before he tried to lighten her mood. "No, I just catch them," He turns to reach into his bag, swiftly pulling his federal badge out and showing it to her.

She reads his badge quietly, "Doctor Spencer Reid." That's the first time she learns his name. A doctor working with the FBI. She reciprocates his actions and reaches into her pocket to pull out a card. On it, her name and medical license. "Doctor Y/N Y/L/N." A doctor working in a hospital.

"I'm in medicine. What about you?" Spencer clears his throat and holds up three fingers in one hand, clutching the card tightly in his other. "Chemistry, mathematics, and engineering." Her eyes widen, and her mouth forms a small 'o'; he just twists his face as if he was used to that answer.

And then, abnormally sudden, the rain started to let up, proving good things do happen in the absence of rain.

...

[shemarmooresfedora]

Rebuilding Family

Summary: Y/N and Spencer were college sweethearts at Cal-Tech but once Spencer got accepted to the FBI Academy, he ended things deciding it was not fair to make Y/N wait for him. When they meet again years later, he discovers something unexpected.

Pairing: Spencer x Fem! Reader

Masterlist

Chapter 10

You were packing up your stuff as students filed out of the lecture hall, it was your last class of the day. As you were walking out towards the parking lot, your phone started to vibrate in your bag. It was the school.

“Hello?” you answered.

“Hi Y/N. It’s Mrs. Flynn. I was just calling to let you know that Jo is now waiting inside with me because she was getting cold outside,” she informed you.

“Spencer’s not there?” you questioned, looking at the time displayed on your phone.

Pickup time was fifteen minutes ago.

“I’m on my way. I’ll be there in ten minutes. Sorry for the inconvenience,” you opened your car door and set your bag down in the passenger seat, turning on the ignition.

“No worries, I have to reorganize the classroom library anyways so I was already planning on staying after.”

Once the call ended, you tried to call Spencer but it went straight to voicemail.

“Hey Spencer, I don’t know if you forgot but it was your day to pick up Jo. I’m getting her now,” you said as you reversed out of your parking spot.

Minutes later, your phone rang again. Expecting Spencer’s contact to show up on screen, your brow furrowed when the name read “JJ” instead.

“Hi JJ?” you said, more of a question than a greeting.

“Y/N, Spencer has been shot. I already told Will to go back to the school to pick up Jo. You should get here if you can. He’s in surgery now but there has been no update since he went in,” JJ explained.

“Oh my god. Okay, I’m turning around now. How did this happen? He didn’t mention he was on a case?” you pulled into a random parking lot to turn around.

“Well technically, we weren’t. We had a lead on a possible local case and we went to interview a potential witness who could give us some more information. We realized too late that he was the unsub. He thought we were on to him and shot Spencer in the leg while trying to escape.”

You had silent tears running down your face.

“I’m five minutes out” is all you could muster and then you hung up the phone.

You ran into the ER doors to find the rest of the team in the waiting room. You were glad you went to Rossi’s dinner party now or else this would have been a much more awkward first meeting.

“Any updates?” you asked frantically.

“No,” Derek sighed, “But no news is good news.”

You took the empty seat in between JJ and Penelope and put your face in your hands, not wanting everyone to see your tears.

-

Two hours of crappy coffee and vending machine snacks as your only source of sustenance later, a doctor emerged from behind the double doors.

She had a completely neutral expression that you couldn’t read but then again you weren’t a profiler.

“Dr. Spencer Reid?” she asked, glancing down at her clipboard.

All of you stood and desperately crowded around her.

“Dr. Reid is in stable condition and awake. The bullet went into his thigh but it wasn’t through and through. He will need to be on crutches for about a week or so but luckily the bullet wound is near the edge of his thigh rather than the middle, meaning recovery time will be shorter,” she explained.

There was a collective sigh of relief along with a few “thank god”s.

“Although he is awake, I don’t think it’s best if you all go in at once since he is very drowsy. He has been asking for a Y/N?” the doctor looked around at you all.

All eyes fell on you. You collected yourself, grabbing your purse and following the doctor down the hall.

“I’ll let you know how he is,” you told everyone before you disappeared past the double doors.

The doctor guided you into a room at the end of the hall. You thanked her quietly and she nodded in acknowledgement, leaving you two alone. Spencer had his eyes closed but his hospital bed was inclined so he was sitting up slightly. You briskly walked over and took the seat right beside him. You took his hand in yours and squeezed it lightly, combing his messy hair out with your fingers.

As you were softly massaging his scalp, you heard a light groan. You retracted your fingers immediately as Spencer began to open his eyes.

Once Spencer took in his surroundings, he quickly sat up completely in bed, letting out a yelp of pain.

“Jo...it was my turn to pick up,” he said frantically.

“Hey, look at me, Spence. It’s okay, she’s at JJ and Will’s. You were shot in the thigh though so you’re not going anywhere. Please lie back down,” you assured him.

He nodded his head, relaxing a bit and looking down at his hands in his lap. He seemed to be processing something in his head.

“You called me ‘Spence’,” he stated.

Shit. That was twice now. It keeps slipping.

“Sorry, I-,” you began to ramble some apology that you didn’t even know where you were going with it. Luckily, he stopped you before you could further embarrass yourself.

“I didn’t say it was a bad thing,” he spoke softly as he looked up at you, tears threatening to fall.

“I was so scared, Y/N,” he sobbed.

You swiftly pulled him into your embrace, tucking his head into your neck as you began to gently stroke his hair again.

“It’s okay, let it out. I can’t imagine what that was like. I’m so sorry you had to go through that but you're safe now, I promise,” you whispered to him.

“I was so afraid I was going to abandon you and Jo again. It hurt worse than the actual bullet,” he muttered into your neck.

You removed your hands from his hair and cupped his cheeks, forcing him to look up at you.

“Spencer Reid, you did not abandon Jo in the first place so there is no ‘again’. Second of all, you would have died a hero saving lives and I would have made sure Jo knew that and she never forgot her Daddy or how much he loved her,” you spoke earnestly, never breaking eye contact.

Spencer’s eyes softened. A second later, his lips were on yours again. This time, however, you didn’t pull away. Life was too short and this was already complicated as is, what’s the harm.

You basked in the familiarity of his lips locking with yours. Once he finally pulled away for air, he rested his forehead against yours.

“Go out with me. A real date. No more college dorm dates with takeout,” he smiled.

“You know you didn’t have to get shot to ask me out, right?” you teased.

“I thought I needed a grand gesture,” he beamed, chucking lightly.

“Yeah, Spence, I’ll go on a date with you.”

His lips found yours once again.

-

“Jo, are you ready?” you called out from the kitchen, packing snacks.

“Mommy, I’m already at the door!” she exclaimed.

Jo was eager to go see her Daddy at the hospital. You would spend the day there until he was discharged and then he would live with you guys for the week. You insisted on being there to take care of him while he was healing. You didn’t want him hobbling around all alone in his apartment.

When you walked out to the front entryway, there was a stack of various toys and books that hadn’t been there when you came down the stairs.

“What is this?” you gestured to the pile, amused.

“Daddy has big boo-boo so he needs stuff to cheer him up,” she stated.

“I don’t think we are going to be able to bring all this. Plus, remember Daddy is coming home with us later today. So here’s what we will do,” you handed Jo her dinosaur backpack, “You pack all the stuff you can fit in this bag that you think Daddy needs right away and the rest of the stuff can wait.”

Jo made quick work of sorting through her massive pile, trying to decide what would make her dad the most happy.

-

“Daddy!” Jo excitedly screamed, running towards the bed.

“Jo!” he returned with the same sentiment.

She was unable to get up on the bed herself so you had to lift her up.

“Remember what I said, careful with Daddy or he won’t get better,” you reminded her.

“You can sit her on my good leg,” Spencer patted his right thigh where you gently set Jo down.

“We brought you loads of stuff, Daddy,” Jo chirped, looking over at you.

You revealed a box of donuts from your bag and the coffee tray you had been holding. You handed him a chocolate frosted donut with sprinkles and Jo a strawberry frosted with sprinkles. The two ‘cheers’ed their donuts before biting into them.

“Jo also brought you some things to cheer you up,” you handed her her backpack.

First, she promptly pulled out a pink Disney princesses band-aid and stuck it on Spencer’s already bandaged thigh.

“You need that so it doesn’t get infected,” she repeated Spencer’s words from when she fell at Rossi’s dinner party.

“Thank you, princess. What would I do without you?” he kissed the top of her head as she rummaged around in her backpack some more.

She set up her five favorite dinosaur toys on his tray table in front of them, glancing up at him for approval.

“Perfect,” he smiled, nodding.

Next, she pulled out a piece of paper that had been colored on.

“Who’s this?” Spencer asked, looking at the three stick figures doodled on the paper.

“That’s you, that’s Mommy, and that’s me,” she pointed to each of the sketches.

“Aw, that one is definitely making the fridge,” you smiled.

Finally, Jo took out her Magic Tree House book that she was currently reading. She needed help with some of the words but either you or Spencer or the both of you would help her read it every night.

“You already finished the last one?” Spencer picked up the new book that was next in the series, examining it and smiling proudly.

“And I didn’t need help with a single word on the last chapter,” Jo beamed.

“You’re so smart,” Spencer kissed her head again, “let’s see how far we can get on this one before we can go home.”

[playbucky]

Lover Boy.

Requested by @prettyphyscoinpink – Can I get a Kenny Crosby x reader request where she works for municipal law enforcement and when her boss gets abducted the FBI gets involved and he’s forced to come clean about their relationship. Characters – Kenny x Reader, Hana, Jesse Word Count – 1.3k.

‘We’re gonna have to tell them Kenny.’ You told him. ‘They wo-‘ He started. ‘Don’t say they won’t know, they are profilers.’ You warned him, pointing at finger. ‘It’s not relevant to the case.’ He said, you titled your head back and let out a groan. ‘No?’ You asked, he shook his head. ‘My boss got taken, we don’t know why and-‘ ‘I’ll protect you.’ Kenny said confidently, you shook your head. ‘You will, but they will notice when you take a particular interest to me, you gonna give the same concern to the others I work with?’ You asked him, he opened his mouth to say something before Hana appeared at your side. ‘Is everything okay?’ She asked looking between the pair, you looked at Kenny who nodded. ‘Yeah, I was seeing if she was hiding anything from us.’ Kenny told her, you closed your mouth and nodded tightly when Hana turned to you. ‘I need to get back to my patrol.’ You told the pair before walking away before they could say anything. ‘I’m not an expert of anything but that looked like a lovers quarrel more than mutual discussion.’ Hana stated, Kenny glared at her before he went to walk away before stopping. ‘We’re dating.’ He announced to her, she looked shocked but smiled at him. ‘She wants to tell everyone that we are.’ Kenny stated. ‘And you don’t?’ Hana tilted her head. ‘I do but-‘ Kenny trailed off. ‘But what Kenny? Come on an amazing woman like that and your scared of committing to her.’ Hana said, gesturing to the door that you had walked through minutes ago. ‘Hana, trust me I’m not scared to committing to her, I’m worried that reality will crash down on us.’ Kenny said, Hana opened and shut her mouth. ‘I hate to break it to you lover boy but reality is crashing down, her boss has been abducted who knows what’s gonna happen next.’ Hana reminded him

‘Andrew.’ You said, surprised to see him. ‘Y/N, what are you doing here?’ Andrew asked, panic filling his voice. ‘Working.’ You commented then the door shutting behind him stopped you from going any further. ‘No one is scheduled to be here.’ He said, his brows furrowing before the door was kicked open and two armed men walked in, aiming their guns at you. ‘Don’t shoot her.’ Andrew said, the pair of you holding your hands up as he stepped in front of you. ‘You said no one would be here.’ One of the men grumbled, Andrew lowered his head before glancing back to you. ‘It’s my fault, I forgot I asked her to meet me here.’ Andrew told him, the man looked at you ‘You know?’ The talked man asked you, you looked at him before turning to Andrew. ‘Baby, what are these men talking about?’ You asked, playing along with him. ‘Baby?’ the second man questioned, tilting his head to look past Andrew and make eye contact with you. ‘You’re married.’ He stated, Andrew swallowed before nodding. ‘When you work this job you need a place were you can let your stress out.’ Andrew said, ‘Is she a cop?’ The shorted one asked, you head whipped to them. ‘A cop, me? You are out of your mind.’ You replied, scoffing and looking at them disgusted. ‘You’re a cop? You said you were a business man.’ You told Andrew, whacking his back he winced and turned to you, trying to get a hold of your hands. ‘I know baby I’m sorry but –‘ He tried to tell you. ‘Enough, the pair of you are coming with us.’ The taller man commanded.

‘We’ve got footage.’ Hana said as she put it on the large screen, before playing it. Hana watched as Kenny clenched his hands at his side, watching the footage play out before he swallowed thickly and turned away, focussing on the paperwork in his hand as his jaw pulsed whilst he fought to calm down. Jesse turned to him before he glanced to Hana, who arched an eyebrow. ‘Kenny, is there something you need to tell us?’ Jesse asked, Kenny looked at him before shaking his head. ‘If you don’t do it, I will.’ Hana warned him, he glanced at her before sighing. ‘Y/N and I are dating, have been for the last six months.’ Kenny stated, glancing at her again before looking at the others. ‘And you didn’t think to tell us at the beginning.’ Jesse questioned, Kenny dropped the paperwork. ‘She wasn’t involved.’ Kenny stated, Jesse narrowed his eyes at him. ‘Kenny, its her boss, she’s been involved from the start and now she’s right in the centre.’ Jesse inform him, pointing to the screen, Kenny clenched his jaw. ‘You don’t think I know that?’ Kenny questioned, leaning forward on his clenched fists against the table top.

‘What do they want Andrew?’ You asked him quietly, watching then two men as they walked back and forth letting their guns hang at their sides. ‘Money and drugs from the evidence locker.’ Andrew stated, you titled your head. ‘Why did you bring them here?’ You quizzed, then you turned to him. ‘Evidence locker was cleared last night, and it came here this morning.’ You thought out loud, he nodded. ‘But they incinerate everything tonight.’ You continued your thoughts. ‘That’s why there here.’ Andrew told you. ‘You want them to think they have it before it disappears?’ You asked, turning to him. ‘We have two hours until it goes up in flames.’ Andrew stated, you titled your head back so it rested against the tiles. ‘There isn’t much we can do until they want us, so am I allowed to ask about your lover boy?’ Andrew asked, you shook your head and shut your eyes. ‘You can ask but I might not answer.’ You replied, he chuckled and leaned forward scratching his forehead. ‘Is he a he?’ Andrew asked. ‘Yes, he’s a he.’ You replied. ‘Okay, short, tall, average height?’ Andrew started continue questioning. ‘Tall.’ You said, then cracked open an eye, ‘You’ve met him actually?’ You added, his head whipped around to you. ‘I have?’ He asked a little louder, covering his mouth he ducked his head. ‘Yeah.’ You whispered as the men turned and looked at you. ‘You remember when the F.B.I came by and helped?’ You asked, he nodded. ‘Which one, Crosby or Ortiz?’ Andrew quizzed, you titled your head to the side before turning to face Andrew. ‘Crosby.��� ‘Oh, oh yeah I see the pair of you now, I also noticed the not so subtle glances when he was here.’ Andrew informed you, your rolled your eyes. ‘We weren’t even together then.’ You told him. ‘No, but I’m pretty sure that the room was able to feel the tension.’ He stated, you chuckled before nodding.

‘Y/N.’ Kenny said, pushing your door open as you lifted the bag onto your shoulder. ‘Kenny.’ You said with a smile. ‘You’re okay?’ He said, moving around so he could get a better view of you. ‘A few scraped but I’m okay.’ You told him, he smiled down at you before wrapping the his large arms around you. ‘I’m sorry.’ He apologised into your hair. ‘You didn’t have anything to do with it.’ You told him, rubbing your hands up and down his back. ‘No, but I should’ve told the team about sooner.’ He admitted, you gave him a small smile before shaking your head. ‘It’s okay.’ You told him, smiling as you rested your arms on his biceps. ‘It-‘ ‘Kenny, we’re both safe, Andrew and myself.’ You told him, his blue eyes watched you before he took the bag off your shoulder, flinging it over his. ‘Whether you should’ve told them sooner or not it doesn’t matter.’ You took your hand in his. ‘Not anymore.’ You finished, bringing his hand up to your lips and pressing a kiss to the back of his hand. ‘Anyway, purple suits you.’ You stated, lightly hitting the bag that rested on his back, he chuckled. ‘I know.’ He replied cockily.

[doctorstethoscope]

The Right Chapter 6 || Aaron Hotchner x Fem Reader

Happy Saturday my loves! Another short update today but I promise that Tuesday’s chapter will be longer and that you’ll love it. 

contains: canon-typical description of violence, guns, blood

wordcount: 1.6k

“Garcia, tell me you have something helpful.” Hotch groaned into the phone. This case had not been an easy one.

“Hotch, something’s wrong. (Y/N) called me from the station with a theory and then I heard a man and she gasped and the line went dead.” Garcia spilled out as fast as she could. 

Aaron felt his jaw tighten immediately. He placed a hand on Rossi’s shoulder, and the look on his face told Rossi to round up the rest of the team, even if he didn’t know why. Aaron took off towards an SUV, not waiting for the rest of the team. “And you’re sure? The call didn’t just drop?” Hotch asked.

“Hotch., I’m sure. Drive fast.”

“Call the rest of the team and let them know. They’re in the car behind me but they don’t know why.” Hotch said, hanging up the phone and dropping it into the cupholder as he pressed his foot down on the accelerator. 

He was driving too fast, taking wide turns, and he was sure that if you were here in the car with him you would have been commanding you to slow down, with both hands dramatically wrapped around the handle above the passenger side door. But you weren’t here, and he didn’t know exactly where you were, or if you were safe, and so he pressed down on the accelerator even further, pushing the engine well past its intended limits. He whipped the car into park outside the front door of the police station, not waiting for the others before charging towards the front door. 

“Hotch!” Rossi called after him. “You need a vest. Get back here. We need a strategy, we can’t just rush the building.” 

“The rest of you take the back.” Hotch called in response, as a strategy. Looking amongst themselves, the rest of the team wordlessly appoints Morgan to follow Hotch, and he takes off after him as soon as his vest is strapped in. 

“Hotch-- Garcia called while we were in the car. (Y/N)’s theory was that the unsub was anti-government in some way. Like the system had failed him or something.” He explained lowly as they made their way through the empty station lobby, moving towards the back, where the bullpen and their makeshift office was. 

The first thing Hotch noticed was you, the unsub’s hand around your throat and his gun pressed to your temple. You’re bleeding from your forehead, but you’re conscious. The unsub was using you as a human shield. Then, Aaron noticed that in a room full of armed officers, not one had their weapon drawn. The group of them all had their hands raised in surrender. And then he saw why-- one of the officers, bleeding, slumped against the far wall. 

“What are we going to do? Even if the rest of the team can sneak up on him from the back, we can’t take him down without hurting her.” Morgan asked. 

“Just follow my lead.” Aaron said, swinging open the door with his gun drawn, catching the attention of everyone in the room. He locked eyes with you, giving you an almost imperceptible nod, one that said “I’ve got you” without saying anything at all.

“Well well, it looks like your friends did show up!” The unsub said, gripping your neck a little tighter and shaking you back and forth. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner of the FBI. Let her go and put the gun down.” Aaron said steelily, not breaking eye contact with the unsub. 

“Awful rude of you to walk in here and start making demands without even getting to know me, don’t you think?” 

“I know everything I need to know about you.”

“Sure you do. Now, you and Muscles behind you can both put your guns away before you make me shoot another one of these good-for-nothing beat cops.” 

Aaron weighed his options for a moment. If the unsub brandished his weapon at the officers with intent to kill, he and Morgan would have to take the shot. And maybe it would work. Or maybe the unsub would jerk his body just the wrong way, and the bullet that Aaron shot from his gun would tear through your frame, and you’d collapse, blood pouring out of you, and he’d have to lift you off the floor just like he lifted Haley-- he took in a sharp breath and tucked his gun back into the holster.  Morgan followed suit. The door behind the unsub, the one he had dragged you back in through what felt like a million years ago, clicked into place and the usub turned around quickly, meeting the eyes of JJ, Prentiss, Reid and Rossi. 

“Ah, ah. All of you, too. Guns away, and go ahead and stand over there with your friends.”  The team looked to Aaron, who nodded, and then they followed orders. “And not one of you is going to even bother asking my name?”

“What’s your name?” Prentiss asked, not a hint of interest in her voice. You might have laughed if you weren’t so focused on not hyperventilating.

“Alec. Gordon. Not that you care,” He rolled his eyes. “I’m the guy who’s going to take out an FBI Agent in the middle of nowhere, Kentucky. That’s what they’ll remember me for. I’ll matter then.” He spits out. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Reid mumble something. Alec is still ranting and raving, but you’re too dizzy, too breathless, to really pay attention. You watch Aaron’s chest rise and fall, tensing when you realize he’s the only member of your team not wearing a vest. Why wasn’t he wearing a vest? Alec must have felt your muscles tense up under his grasp. 

“Getting nervous, are we? Don’t worry, It’ll all be over soon.” He said, tracing the gun down your cheekbone to your chin. You swallowed, willing yourself not to look at the team, not to let them see your eyes filled with fear in your last moments. Suddenly, Reid speaks, interrupting Gordon.

“Alec, I know someone in power failed you. But taking it out on the people in this room isn’t going to help. Who was it, who did you tell about the abuse you were facing at home, who did you trust enough to share that with, and then they did nothing?” Reid asks, and your face scrunches up in confusion. How had they figured all of that out in such a short period of time? And if they knew all of that, how did they not know his name when they came in?

“Where to start, agent? There’s the principal, who watched my father strike me, the paramedic who corrected my broken arm but never filed a report, the firefighter who responded the first time I called 911 but was too scared to say anything. You all consider yourself to be protectors, public servants, even though you just want power. But who protected me? Not one of you. You’ll all pay for it now.” 

“Alec, she isn’t who you want.” You hear Aaron’s voice cut through the loud pounding of your heartbeat. “You want someone in power? That’s me. I’m in charge of this unit. Let her go, and I’ll let you take me. 

“Hotch!” You gasped, speaking for the first time since he’d walked in. The whole team seemed to jump. You started kicking against the unsubs legs with renewed vigor, even though it did nothing to free you. “Hotch, no! Jack needs you. Stop!” 

He didn’t stop. He stepped forward, not looking you in the eye, but staring the unsub down. “Agent, be quiet. That’s an order.” 

Something in his tone shut you up immediately, and your eyes welled up with tears. Hotch was about to die, in your place, and the last words you were ever going to hear him say were him barking at you like some rookie. And he wasn’t going to know how much you loved him. 

“Here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going to get down on my knees. You are going to put your gun in the air, and you’re going to release my agent. I will hand you my cuffs, you will cuff me, and then you will let all of these people go. When you’re ready, you put that gun up in the air for me,” Aaron said, still not meeting your eyes. You were fully crying now, shoulders shaking even as you stayed silent per Aaron’s request.

“Pass your gun to one of your buddies, first.” 

 You watched as Aaron unholstered his weapon and passed it to Prentiss. Why was she letting him do this? Why were all of them allowing this? Aaron knelt down, and you felt the cool metal of the gun move away from your face and the unsub’s grip on you loosen. You look down at Aaron and his posture is bent, his back arched as he reaches behind him. Without warning, Alec shoves you towards Morgan and you collapse into his arms, instantly hearing a shot ring out in the otherwise silent room.

You tuck into Morgan’s chest, loud, shuddering sobs racking through your body. It should have been you. You wished that it was. 

“We need a medic!” You hear Aaron’s voice call out, and he… doesn’t sound injured at all, actually. He sounds very much alive. 

You whip your body around so fast that Morgan has to catch you so you don’t fall. The unsub is on the floor, bleeding from his thigh. Prentiss has him in cuffs. Hotch is holding the Glock 26 that he keeps in his ankle holster. You look him over once, twice, three times. He’s unharmed. You collapse. 

  @the-modernmary @greeneyedblondie44 @angelic-kisses13 @wanniiieeee @hotforhotchner11  @baumarvel @ssamorganhotchner @zheezs14 @ijustwannaread2k19    @romanogersendgame

[pocketfulofrogers]

To Outlive the Devil

Pairing: Jay Halstead x Reader

Summary: A good save and a case practically solved leads to intelligence almost losing one of their own. Can you get out before it’s too late?

Notes: Canon violence, nothing worse than a typically dark episode. This is a past and present cut together story and it’s just shy of 4k. 

Now

Your bleary eyes open up to a cold and damp bedroom. An abandoned… apartment? The peeling wallpaper had given way to yellow stained drywall. From the small window on your left, it appeared as if you were several stories in the air, but there were no distinguishable landmarks that told you if you were even still in Chicago.

As you begin to come to your senses more, you feel the thick rope tied around your wrists and ankles. The rough material burns against you skin and you notice you already have sores.

How long have I been here?

Your memory is fuzzy and your head throbbed violently. It isn’t until you shift uncomfortably that you realize it’s a heavy metal chair you’re tied to.

Slowly your body begins to pick up on the danger your muddled brain had managed to identify and your pulse begins to quicken. As much as you try, your heartbeat continues to pound in your head as you try to twist your arms free.

The pain that responds is only a small price to pay for even the chance of freedom. Desperately, you continue to twist and pull until one of the knots manages to loosen up enough for you to squeeze your hand out. It’s just a short sprint to the front door in front of you.

You will your frozen fingers to work faster as you pinch and tear at each knot and then internally scream at your stiff muscles to carry you forward just a little bit more.

When your hand reaches the doorknob and it isn’t locked, relief floods your system. But when you’re able to wrench the door open, the person behind the door barely registers in your mind before everything goes black once again.

Then

Jay leans against his fist on his desk and tries to keep his frustration at bay. They’d been at this for two days straight and had been on the case for the last three months. “That’s two bodies in as many weeks. Is no one else starting to think…”

“That maybe hunting Chicago’s very own Criminal Minds level serial killer couple is out of our depth?” You interrupt, tilting your head towards him. “Doubt it.”

In fact, over the last two weeks, it’s the only thing you could think about. A younger woman named Madison roped, at least you were hoping she wasn’t a willing participant, into a horrific and violent life by a man you had yet to learn the identity of. You’d spent many nights pacing your bedroom, ranting and theorizing to Jay when all he wanted was just a bit of sleep.

The further you dove into it, however, the less hopeful you became for a quick arrest.

Voight had about ripped your head off when you suggested passing the case to the FBI and got to hear the ‘this is our city’ speech once again. But the truth was you were running out of ideas, running out of leads to chase down the rabbit hole, and running out of time.

“I hate to say it, but Voight’s right.” Antonio almost looks pained, but he continues on before you can question him. “The first time these two surfaced five years ago, CPD went full force. They shut it all down, had every uniform pulling overtime, and tried to smoke them out. Instead, it scared them into hiding.”

“Five girls in three months, Dawson, they’re escalating.” You take a breath before looking him in the eyes. “I can’t keep notifying parents.” There’s a certain pang in your voice only those who have had to watch a parent’s life crumble around them can hear. Jay reaches out to squeeze your forearm for just a bit of comfort and you run your fingers over his.

It’s enough.

“Then we end this.” Voight’s eyeing you, sympathetic to where you’re coming from, but not willing to give up yet. “Let’s find these monsters and make them pay.”

Pinching the bridge of your nose, you nod and turn to Adam. “Ok, let’s go over everything together, see if we can find something we missed.”

“Since it’s all we have, let’s revisit the address on Madison’s unemployment file.” Jay suggests.

Adam looks confused. “The house was condemned last year, torn down in the spring.”

“I know, but what about the name on the house, did anyone look into it?”

“Figured it was a stolen identity.” Kevin pipes up. “Clara Knight, died in 2012 of a heart attack at 66. No other properties in her name.”

“Knight?” Mouse perks up and starts shifting through his files. “I found a few erased emails from a Robert Knight, but I couldn’t find any relation or connection.”

Adam is already typing ferociously. “Got a death certificate for a Robert Knight, 68, died a few months ago. Seems like the guy barely existed.”

“Any children?”

“A daughter.” His face is grim. “Murdered in 99, she was 16.”

The hairs on the back of your neck prickle. “Pull up a picture of her.” You don’t need to see it to confirm what you already feared, but still the image of her face churns your stomach. A beautiful blonde girl with the hope of the whole world in her smile. “He’s been at this a lot longer than anyone thought.”

“Any property still in his name?” Voight asks.

Anxiety rippling through your chest, it feels like an eternity before Mouse nods. “His nephew Isaac put his house in Roseland on a tax form.”

Now

When you come to, the first thing you notice is that your restraints have been changed to zip ties and for a moment you’re concerned about your circulation. You’re worry is cut short by the cup of water on a table to your right, the plastic straw close enough for you to reach it.

The sudden realization of the searing pain in your throat and the cracked skin on your lips lets you know it’s probably been about two days. It’s the dryness of your tongue that overrides every single rational thought of concern that maybe the glass beside you isn’t safe to drink. But, fifteen minutes pass with no incident so whoever it is probably wants to keep you alive.

The thought sends ice down your back.

Alive for what?

“What do you want from me?” You scream into the empty apartment.

Then

“We need a vacation after this.” Jay declares as he leans the seat of the car back a little. “Somewhere warm with water so I can look at you in a tiny bathing suit all day.”

You roll your eyes, but he doesn’t miss the small smile you give before bringing the binoculars up again. “We’ll see what we can do about that.”

“Hey lovebirds.” Adam calls over the radio from the car down the street from yours. “Have you seen anything yet or are you too busy staring into each other’s eyes again?”

It’s Jay’s turn to roll his eyes. “Didn’t you just take your third piss break?”

“Hydration is very important.” He defends.

“I told him to wear the diapers.” Alvin adds. Adam tries to defend himself, but you can barely hear him over Kevin’s laughter next to him.

Just then, out of the corner of your eye, you see the movement of a curtain, the flash of blonde hair, and the air shifts. Jay immediately catches the tense set of your shoulders and starts asking questions.

“They’ve got a girl up there.” You tell him through gritted teeth.

“Are you sure? I didn’t see anything.”

You nod and get out of the car despite the hushed protests from Jay as he follows you. To do what? You weren’t sure yet but you had felt so powerless these last few months that maybe you weren’t being the most rational right now.

The curtain moves again and, rather than getting caught, you quickly spin around and push Jay against the car before crashing your lips to his. Other than a noise of shock sounding from the back of his throat, he doesn’t miss a beat.

“North corner window.” You mumble against his lips and slide your hands up his chest, tilting your head to the side to give him a better angle.

When he pulls away, he brings his phone up and looks you in the eye. “We’ve got confirmation on the nephew Isaac, but he’s got another girl up there. If we bust in, he might get spooked and hurt her.”

It’s quiet longer than either of you would like.

“What should we do, boss?” Adam asks for you.

“Do you think you can get in quietly?” Voight asks.

Jay waits for your nod. “We’re on it. Going silent.”

Picking the lock was nothing. Sneaking around a house you know nothing about except for a quick glance at a blueprint from 2005 was the difficult part. Jay splits the two of you up, sending you upstairs while he clears the lower level. Circumstance didn’t allow you the option to argue with him that splitting up in a situation like this is the worst thing to do.

He was your partner and it was your job to always have his back, as difficult as he makes it, but he’s rounded a corner into the living room before you get the chance to cuff him to you.

Your breath catches in your throat when a step on the stairs creak, but you keep moving until you find a girl in the second room you clear. She’s blind folded with on leg tied to the bed. She tenses when you approach, but relaxes once you’ve gotten close enough to whisper who you are.

“Tracey.” She says he name with a whimper and your heart breaks as you cut the rope and take off her blindfold.

When she sees you’re really who you say you are, she throws herself into your arms and begins to cry. There’s nothing more you want to do than to sit here and comfort her, but your ears picks up on a man’s voice you don’t recognize.

“Ok, Tracey, I know you’re so scared, and I can’t imagine what you’ve been through, but I need you to be brave a little longer.” You pull back and look her in the eyes. “My partner and I came in here alone. I need you to tell me where the man and woman who took you are.”

She nods. “I don’t know where she went, she left a while ago. He’s here, downstairs I think, in his office.”

There’s a crash downstairs, the sound of broken glass and your blood runs cold. Immediately, you look for any other way out, but there’s nothing. No balcony, no window, nothing. Voight’s on the radio already, but you silence him.

“Stay directly behind me.” There’s a kind of urgency in your voice that puts her even more on edge.

Creeping down the stairs, you can hear Jay struggling in the kitchen, but it sounds like he’s holding his own.

“Bringing the girl out.” You whisper into your radio and glance back at Tracey. “As soon as we get down, I want you to run to the door. Do not stop. When you get across the street there are people who will help you.” She nods but she looks terrified. “I swear I won’t let him get anywhere near you.”

It’s the door opening that alerts Isaac that something else is going on. You round the corner with your gun drawn and the scene before you makes your knees weak.

Jay is bruised and cut up, struggling against the man behind him, the arm around his neck, the gun pointed at his head.

“She said you were cops, but I told her she was paranoid.” Isaac snarls.

“Madison? Is she here?” You ask, your voice as level as your gun trained on his head. Voight is yelling over the radio, but you tune him out. “I’d love to meet her.”

He snickers and smiles wickedly. “Even if she could be caught, neither of you will be alive long enough to see it.”

He only manages a twitch before you pull the trigger and land a shot right between his eyes.

Jay falls forward, breathing heavy and you rush towards him. “Jay’s hurt!” You call out when the door is broken down. Adam kicks the gun away from the obviously dead suspect and you let them handle the scene.

“Where does it hurt? Did you get hit? I told you it was stupid to split us up! How’s your breathing?” Your hands are frantically searching every inch of his body. He has to grab your hand and grip it tight in his to stop the assault of questions rapid firing from your lips.

He sits up with a groan and kisses your knuckles when he sees the panic on your face. “I’m okay. Because of you it’s just a few cuts and bruises.” He manages a smile and you almost cry right there.

Voight places a hand on your shoulder. “Tracey is on her way to Med. Medics said she’s going to be okay. We’ve got another bus on the way for you. Nice work you two.”

Now

The creak from the front door opening pulls you from a daze and you wince at the sunlight flooding the room. A blonde woman stands before you with a duffle in her left hand and a gun in her right.

She tilts her head to the side. “You’re still alive. What a shame.”

You struggle to focus your eyes from the concussion you’re assuming she must’ve given you. “Maddison.” You croak out. “What are you doing?”

She drops the duffle next to you and grips your hair to pull your head back, pushing the barrel of the gun into your temple.

“I’m going to make you suffer.” She hisses and roughly lets you go. “I tried to warn him that you were watching us, but he wouldn’t listen.”

“Isaac?”

“Don’t say his name!” She screams and the sound cracks through your skull. “He told me to get some supplies, but when I cam back, I watched from the back window as you murdered him.”

You shake your head and try to reason with her. “Maddison, he was hurting people. He was going to kill my partner.”

“Partner.” She repeats sarcastically. “You mean Jay Halstead, your boyfriend of 3 years?” Maddison moves in front of you to revel in the fear that has filled your eyes and smiles sinisterly. “Yeah, I know who he is.”

You start quickly, the panic in your voice betraying the training you were struggling to hold onto. “If you want to kill me fine, do it. But don’t hurt him, Maddison. Please, he’s done nothing.”

She tsks as she opens the duffle and begins to pull out long metal pieces until finally, a long-barreled shot gun. “Why would I kill you when the alternative is so much better?”

You begin to struggle against the restraints as your mind starts to put together scenario after scenario of awful images. Maddison pays no mind to you begging and pleading to see reason. Instead, she pauses from building some contraption to walk over to you and jam a needle in your neck.

When you come too again, she’s sat casually in front of you. “I thought hitting you in the head again might actually kill you, and that’s not what I’m going for, so… you’re welcome.”

You glance around again and notice the barrel of the shotgun behind you just to the left of your shoulder. “Yeah, thanks.” You deadpan looking back at her. “What’s with the ‘Saw’ set up?”

She raises a brow. “Hold onto that strength while you can.” She points out the wires and hooks running along the floor and ceiling to trace it back to the door in front of you. “I used to be a STEM major. Did you know that?” She doesn’t stop long enough for you to respond. “Turns out I still remember a few things.”

You stare past her towards the door and then look quickly back to the gun, beginning to piece together her plan.

“Yes.” She coos. “It’s exactly what you’re thinking. The first person that opens that door, if he happens to be the right height, will get a life ending shot to the face. And I’d like to ask you what the chances are that anyone other than your boyfriend will be the first through the door.”

None.

For the first time you feel utterly defeated, hopeless. Madison watches closely, soaking in every moment of your anguish.

“Now you’ll know what it feels like.”

Then

You phone buzzes for the fourth time in the last hour. “Yes?”

“He’s actually insufferable, where are you?” Will speaks quickly, his tone seeping in irritation.

You laugh. “April already sent me out to get him food because he was whining so much. I am in route with a burger and some other stuff from his favorite place. Should be there in 15.”

“Thank god.” He says quietly. “Would you give it a rest? She’s 15 out with enough food to hopefully put you in a coma so I don’t have to.” You laugh as Will continues to yell at his brother.

“I almost died! Where’s your compassion?” You hear Jay yell back and only laugh harder

“You have ONE bruised rib and a concussion. I’ve seen high school football players handle worse with less complaining!”

“If it’s not so bad, why won’t you let me leave?!”

“I’m stepping up the pace, be there soon.” You laugh and hang up.

The Chicago night was chilly, but something else causes the hairs on the back of your neck begin to prickle. You don’t stop walking, don’t even pause a single step. Instead, you glance in a shop window and catch the reflection of a woman, a flash of blonde, not too far behind you.

Casually, you switch the bag of food to your other hand, but before you’re able to grab your gun, there’s a pinch in your neck and everything goes black.

Now

Jay had forced his way back to work sooner than anyone recommended. You’d been missing for 5 days. Disappeared with no trace other than your cell phone and a bag of cold diner food spilt on the sidewalk. If it were up to him, he would’ve been at his desk the moment 30 minutes hit and you weren’t there.

Alvin called two hours later telling him what they found and Adam and Antonio had to physically restrain him, Will almost sedated him. Voight promised him that they’d find you, and Jay knew they’d do everything they could, but he needed to be a part of the search.

“Did she have any enemies?” Alvin asks and he doesn’t flinch when Jay begins to laugh sarcastically.

“Any enemies? Do you hear yourself? She had tons. We all do. But let’s stop pretending like her being taken the day we closed that case isn’t connected.”

Alvin tries to sympathize with him. “We have to ask. You know the drill.”

He throws his hands up in exasperation. “Are you seriously going to treat this like any other missing person? It’s Y/N, Al! Y/N!”

“We know.” Voight says from his office door. “I made a few calls, Jay, we know where she is.” For a fraction of a second, Jay is frozen, but the thought of what you could be going through right now moves him. He’s grabbed his jacket and is in the car before anyone else has moved.

“I thought only the CIA had access to things like that.” Adam whispers lowly in the car into Kevin’s ear.

He shrugs. “Do think it’s out of the question that he’d break several constitutional laws to save any one of us?”

Adam sits back in his seat with pursed lips, nodding.

You struggle against the restraints long after Madison leaves you with only a gag in your mouth. The multiple cars pulling up and all the people shouting told you that you were running out of time. As of this very moment, you were locked into your fate of watching the man you loved die.

This was not an option.

The hard plastic digs into your ankles and wrists, your movements quickening with each door you hear them break down. You try to scream, to warn whoever was on this floor that there was a danger they couldn’t possibly see, but your muffled cries wouldn’t carry.

Tears soak the bandana shoved in in your mouth and you try to scream again.

No! Stop! It isn’t safe!

You hear Voight’s voice a few doors down and begin to try and rock the chair back and forth. It was considered heavy for a good day, and today was not that. Having not eaten or really moved in so long had left you weak and foggy. The adrenaline coursing through you veins only aiding a little in your efforts.

The sound of the front door breaking down sends a jolt of energy through you and you send yourself flying in front of the gun just as the bedroom door opens.

Jay raises his weapon at the sound before his brain can register what has happened. His wide eyes find yours just before you’ve hit the ground.

“Y/N!” He screams and rushes towards you. Frantic, shaky hands move quickly to remove the bandana and zip ties before applying pressure to your shoulder. “I need a medic!” He calls franticly over his shoulder, but when he turns back to you, he has to shut down the thought that you might not make it that long.

“You found me.” You try to say, but instead sputter blood onto your cheek.

“Oh, God.” He gasps. “You’re okay, you’re going to be fine.” But the more he says, the less you hear him.

“I love you.” You try to reach out to his face and graze his cheek, but your fingers won’t cooperate and only leave smudges of blood across his skin.

When your breathing starts to quicken and become more raged, he knows time is running out. So, in defiance of the orders and suggestions coming in through his ear piece, he lifts you up to cradle you to him and runs.

**

An annoying, incessant beeping is the only thing you can hear, but when you move to reach for it, a shooting pain stops you cold. You groan softly and pry your eyes open only to see both Will and Antonio hovering too close to your face.

Will starts to wave a flashlight in your eyes and you push him away. “When was the last time you guys brushed your teeth?”

Antonio chuckles softly and places his hand atop your head, his thumb brushing softly. “We got her.” He says quietly. “She couldn’t help herself. She stayed close to the scene to see the fallout and Kim caught her.”

Will nods his head towards Jay who was sleeping soundly in what you had to imagine was a very uncomfortable position. “We’ve been keeping an eye on him as well as you. Do you want me to wake him?”

You look back over at him and smile before turning back. “Better not. These are the last few moments of peace I’ll get for the next year at least. You would think someone would be a little more grateful towards you for saving their life, but I can already hear how mad he’s going to be.” Only a small part of you is joking.

“Well, I’ll get shot next time and we’ll see how you feel.” Jay’s sleep riddled voice carries from the corner, but he hasn’t opened his eyes yet. “I’ll give you an hour.” He adds before settling back in.

Now that’s the love of my life.

[fortheloveofwonderland]

Under Silken Skies [Spencer Reid x fem! Reader]

A/N - just an angsty little oneshot I needed to get out of my head. Fufills my Break Up Square on my CM Bingo Card for @cmbingo​ . My permanent Tag List is open. Find my CM Bingo Masterlist Here. Find my full masterlist here.

My request are also Open for prompts/reqs/headcannons/aesthetics or just to say hi.

CW - major character death and lots of angst. Very vague mentions of smut and virgin! Spencer, vague mentions of Maeve and what happens to Spencer in the S15 finale (if it had ended differently). This does not have a happy ending.

WC: 4K

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He was eleven and you were thirteen. You didn’t know his name, only he was smart and awkward and got teased because of those things.

You found him tied to a flagpole as you’d left detention one night on your way across the soccer field. He was naked aside from his underwear and blindfolded. 

He cried as you untied him, his skin like ice. You insisted you were there to help, whether he believed you or not you weren’t sure. 

You stripped off your oversized jumper and slipped it over his head, helping him guide his arms in the holes. He didn’t thank you. He didn’t ask why. He just wrapped himself in the warmth.

He told you his name was Spencer. Spencer Reid and he’d been tricked by a girl and stripped of his clothes and tied to the flagpole. 

He’d been there hours before you found him. 

You sat together on the dewy grass, no more than a handful of words passed between you. He asked why you’d helped, why you’d stayed but you’d simply shrugged. 

Maybe you’d felt bad for him or maybe you’d felt drawn to him. You knew all about school bullies. 

He seemed so small and unsure of himself, as though the mere act of sitting with you was cause for panic. 

He didn’t make eye contact. You saw him glance in your direction a few times when you weren’t looking. 

He was so fragile you didn’t understand how anyone could do that to such an innocent creature. He just wanted to fit in, isn’t that all we really wanted? 

He couldn’t help being smart. 

There was a sadness about him that went further than what the bullies had done today. You could tell it was the kind of air that followed him around, a permanent dark cloud. 

It hurt you to know someone so young could carry so much pain. It didn’t seem fair that at his tender age he already seemed defeated by the world that surely had so much more to throw at him. 

What if he wasn’t strong enough to cope with the terrors of the world? You hoped maybe these formative years would make him stronger against what was to come. Maybe it was helping to build up those walls early, making him stronger for the horrors he would no doubt have to face later in life.

You weren’t sure, but one thing you were sure of was Spencer Reid had sad, sad eyes. You could tell he needed a friend and maybe you could be it. Maybe you could protect him.

So for now the two of you sat side by side on the soccer field, under the moonlit silken sky.

***

He was twelve and you fourteen and he was finally getting out of the hell hole that was high school. 

It was his graduation day and his gown drowned his small frame and his cap was too big for his head and kept falling to the side.

You straightened it for him again and gave him a soft smile. 

He was going to CalTech in the fall and you were so proud of him, but gosh were you going to miss him. 

It had only been little over a year since the night on the soccer field but the two of you had become friends. He helped you with your homework and you kept the bullies away from him. 

You’d become his protector, he looked up to you and although he would never tell anyone this, he had a crush on you. A big one. 

He was excited about CalTech but he was sad to leave you. 

There were a lot of mixed emotions in the air. You’d stay in touch and he’d come back and visit but it wouldn’t be the same.

Who was going to keep him safe at college? Who was going to keep an eye on him? What happened if the bullies at CalTech were even worse and you were hundreds of miles away not being able to do anything about it?

He’d told you not to worry about him, that he’d be fine but it was hard not to. He was still so tiny and fragile, like a baby bird and if truth be told you were scared for him. 

“I’m proud of you Crash.” You straightened his tie. 

He rolled his eyes under his thick glasses. One time you’d heard his mom call him that and you hadn’t stopped calling him it since. 

“Thanks Y/N.” He smiled but it was a sad smile. 

You placed your hands gently on his shoulders, knowing what he was thinking. You’d gotten really good at reading his mind.

“Me too.” You whispered. You leant close and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

His face turned crimson and he chewed his lip. His cheek felt like it was on fire where your lips had touched him. 

“Come on Crash, it’s time.” You slid your hand in his and started leading him towards the stage he was going to walk over and accept his diploma. 

Within a matter of weeks he would be gone and you’d be alone again just as you had been before you’d met him. 

So for now the two of you walked hand in hard across towards the stage, under the sun soaked silken sky.

***

Spencer was sixteen and you were eighteen and you’d just witnessed his second graduation; this time from CalTech. 

The gown fit him a lot better this time than it had at his high school graduation. Over the last year or so he had sprung up in height, now towering over you. He had grown up a lot over the last few years. He was slowly becoming a man. 

“Look at you.” You nudged him in the arm. “So grown up.”

“Shut up.” He batted you away with a shy smile. “I wouldn’t have asked you to come here if I knew all you were going to do was embarrass me.”

“Sorry Crash.” you smirked. “I am so, so proud of you kid.” 

You gently tucked a strand of his hair behind his ear. His cheeks burned in embarrassment. 

He was coming back to Vegas and you would have been thrilled if it wasn’t for the fact in a few months you were going off to college yourself. 

It seemed unfair life had brought you together only to tear you apart over and over again. There seemed like there was never a right time for the two of you. 

“You ready?” you asked him softly, trying not to focus on the thought of being torn away from him again. 

“Almost.” he nodded, taking a few deep breaths.

You assumed he was trying to calm his nerves before taking to the stage for his graduation ceremony but it wasn’t that. 

His hands were shaking when he came close to you and placed them on your hips.

“What are you doing?” you tilted your head at him in confusion.

Before Spencer could change his mind about his next move he closed his eyes and moved in close to you. His lips were so soft as they pressed against yours, barely ghosting your lips. You could have been convinced it hadn’t even happened. 

He chewed his lip bashfully when he pulled back, looking at the floor.

“Sorry.” he whispered. “I uhm...lets go.” 

He walked past you, leaving you staring in his wake.

Had that really just happened? 

You brushed your fingers against your lips in disbelief. But your lips were tingling, it had definitely happened. 

Eventually you followed him in confusion but there was no time to ask him about it. Hopefully you’d get a chance to later.

So for now you walked behind him, watching him adjust his cap, under the Californian silken sky.

***

Spencer was now eighteen and you were twenty, in your final year at Georgetown. 

Spencer now had a doctorate in mathematics and was working towards one in chemistry. He kept talking about doing another doctorate in engineering when he was through.  

He had grown even more so and was really starting to grow into his looks. He’d always been cute, but recently when you looked at him you saw a handsome man looking back at you. 

Hanging out in your dorm that night it was hard to say how it started. One minute you’d been engrossed in a movie, your head on Spencer’s shoulder and the next you lips were pressed together, his tongue exploring your mouth. 

He hadn’t kissed you again since his CalTech graduation and you didn’t know where this had come from now. But you did know you’d been thinking more inappropriate thoughts about your friend as of late and they were seemingly materialising in front of your eyes. 

Spencer was a virgin, you were not. In that moment you wished he could have been your first time. 

It was slow and gentle and Spencer was a bag of nerves the whole time. He groped at your body with seemingly no purpose other than to feel every part of you. 

He didn’t last long, the feeling of being inside of you was too intense, too sensational. But it was nice. It felt right. It felt like home.

Afterwards he held you in his arms in your small single bed too nervous to look you in the eye. You stroked circles on his bare chest feeling the most content you’d felt in a long time. 

You both stared up at the ceiling which you’d painted midnight blue and was peppered with glow in the dark stars. 

“Spence?” You whispered softly.

“Yes Y/N?”

“You know I love you, don’t you?”

He exhaled and pulled you into him closer.

“I know.” He kissed the top of your head. “And I love you.”

You didn’t know what would happen tomorrow. You didn’t know if this was a one time thing or if this meant you were together now. You suppose it didn’t much matter right now. The only thing that mattered right now was Spencer holding you in his arms.

So for now you laid there together on your dorm room bed, under a mural of the silken sky.

***

He was twenty two and you were twenty four, and he’d just been offered a job at the FBI. 

In Quantico, Virginia.

You were sure you’d spent your whole relationship out of state from one another. The past three years Spencer had been away while he worked on a second BA and then his third doctorate. 

Since leaving college you’d stayed put in Vegas, getting a job as a curator at a local art gallery. 

You saw Spencer when you could but it never seemed to be enough. At least not for you. 

And then he’d dropped the bombshell about his job offer and told you he was moving to the other side of the country. 

It had been hard enough over the years to maintain your relationship but you were sure this would be the death of you. And so you’d told Spencer it was time the two of you went your separate ways.

He’d tried to argue that you could make it work but you weren’t willing to find out. The four years you’d gotten had been amazing but all good things had to come to an end.

And maybe you and Spencer had never been destined. It had always been just a little too difficult. You’d finally thought once you were in the same state it would be easier, but he was leaving again. 

It was hard but he supposed he understood. He would miss you with every fibre of his being but this job was too good for him to pass up.

You told him if you were meant to be, you’d find your way back to each other one day, although you weren’t sure you believed that. 

You sat on the swing set in the desolate park together, hands entwined together as you swung back and forth on your separate swings. 

He was leaving tomorrow. He was packed, his flight was booked and he had an apartment to go to in DC. 

He was leaving and you were staying and it broke your heart. 

“I’m gonna miss you Crash.” You squeezed his hand.

“I’m going to miss you too Y/N.” 

It felt like the end of an era but an era that had never really had a chance to begin.

He was supposed to be your one true love, your greatest love story. But this story didn’t get a happy ending.

You swung back and forth into the night, just revelling in being with him one last time. You couldn’t think about tomorrow. Tomorrow was a world away.

So for now you swung, hand in hand, under the midnight silken sky.

***

You were twenty nine and you loved him, you really loved him.

He had turned your whole world upside down and made you feel things you’d never thought you’d feel again.

You loved him, you really did.

But he wasn’t Spencer Reid. 

Maybe you’d gotten lucky and got to have two great loves of your life. Your life with Spencer was over long ago, it was only fair you were allowed to move on.

You wondered what twenty seven year old Spencer was doing with his life. Was he still at the BAU? Did he get a fourth doctorate? Was he happy?

God you hoped he was happy.

It was a small ceremony in front of your closest friends and family. No frills, no fuss. Just you and him being joined in matrimony. 

He was a good guy, a nice guy; he treated you right and he loved you. At the end of the day, that’s all that mattered right?

So you didn’t get butterflies in your stomach when he kissed you. Maybe you didn’t go weak at the knees when he looked at you or felt like you were coming home when you made love. And so what if you’d felt all those things with Spencer? That didn’t matter, did it? It didn’t mean you didn’t love your new husband.

It was just a different kind of love. You weren’t in your teens falling in love for the first time. This was the kind of love you had when you grew up and got older. It didn’t mean it meant any less; that he meant any less to you.

He led you outside by your hand as your friends and family showered you in confetti. He turned and smiled at you brightly. He looked the happiest you’d ever seen him, you didn’t know if you could match his happiness. 

You smiled back at him, probably not quite meeting his enthusiasm but if he noticed he didn’t say as much. It was only now that you looked down at the ring around your finger did it suddenly feel like a noose. You couldn’t allow yourself to think about how wrong it suddenly felt.

So for now you allowed your new husband to kiss you, under the Vegas Springtime silken sky.

***

He was thirty one and she was thirty. Her voice was like honey and he yearned to be able to hold her in his arms.

Her name was Maeve Donnovan and she had a stalker which was preventing them from meeting.

It was the first time Spencer had felt anything akin to love since you. He was sure he would never love again, you were the only person that could take that place in his heart.

And then had started having headaches and sought out the help of a geneticist and he started falling in love with her. For the first time in years you weren’t the first thing on his mind when he woke up in the morning. He didn’t spend all his waking hours pining over you. 

Maeve was slowly but surely replacing you in his heart. And Spencer really needed that. He needed you finally gone from his mind. 

“I think the stalker’s gone Spencer.” she’d told him that Sunday on the phone. 

A huge weight had been lifted from her voice, he could hear the smile in it down the payphone. He couldn’t help but smile in return.

“Are you sure?”

“Pretty sure yeah.” she was smiling brightly. He knew she would have a beautiful smile. 

“That’s great Maeve.” he smiled, gripping the phone in hands. 

Did that mean what he thought it meant? Could they finally meet now? Have a normal relationship?

“I want to meet.” her words were rushed as though she weren’t sure she should be saying them. But he caught them.

She wanted to meet. She wanted to meet him. 

He didn’t care what she looked like because she was already the most beautiful woman in the world to him. But what if she didn’t like him? What if he was too nerdy, what if his hair was too long and messy? What if she took one look at him and turned and ran?

He swallowed those nerves, trying to push them aside for another day. 

So for now he smiled shakily down the phone, under the blustery DC silken sky.

***

You were forty and recently divorced. You knew on your wedding day it would end this way.

You loved your husband but you would never love him the way you loved Spencer. You managed ten years before you’d called it quits. He’d always known your heart didn’t fully belong to him.

You missed Spencer everyday and it was so unfair how he could still take up so much of your mind. It was a cruel world you supposed. Maybe you just weren’t supposed to be happy.

You’d had your happiness and it had been short lived. But you were thankful for the brief happiness you had been given. It was more than some people got you supposed.

He was thirty eight and home visiting his mother. He didn’t work full time at the BAU anymore since his reinstatement after he was incarcerated and lectured at Georgetown part time. It allowed him more free time to fly out to Vegas to see his mom.

Lecturing at Georgetown brought back so many memories for him. Georgetown was the place he had lost his virginity, the place he’d told you he loved you for the first time. Georgetown held so many pleasant memories for Spencer but they were all bittersweet.

After spending some time grieving Maeve after she died, his mind landed right back on you. It seemed he was always pining over someone. It wasn’t fair. 

He was getting coffee on his way back to the hotel he was staying in when a familiar face materialised in front of him.

You weren’t there one moment and then suddenly you were, as though you had just appeared out of thin air. 

You held your own coffee cup in your hand, your eyes wide and jaw slack. He watched you swallow a lump in your throat.

“Hi Crash.” you couldn’t help his old nickname tumble out from between your lips.

“Hi Y/N.” his voice croaked, still trying to comprehend how you could so suddenly be here in front of him after all these years of absence.

He felt like that twenty two year old swinging with you side by side in the park counting down the hours until he left you. 

He felt like the sixteen year old young man who was falling hopelessly in love with you.

He felt like the eleven year old boy utterly grateful for you untying him from the flagpole. 

“It’s been a long time.” you spoke, your mouth dry.

“A really long time.” he agreed with a stiff nod. 

“Uhm...do you want to...coffee?” you ignored the fact you both had coffees in your hand. 

“O-ok.” he nodded stiffly again.

After all these years you had so much to say to each other but no words would come out. 

So for now you walked in silence down the Vegas street, under the cloud coated silken sky.

***

He was thirty nine years old when the explosion occurred. He’d thought it was just a concussion and didn’t pay it much mind. 

You were forty one years old when you received the phone call from Penelope Garcia to inform you that Spencer was in the hospital.

They called it intracranial bleeding, his brain was swelling, bleeding; shutting down. They’d told you there was nothing they could do.

How cruel this life had been to you. It had stolen Spencer away from you when your relationship barely had a chance to blossom. It had brought him back into your life, for the two of you to fall back in love with each other only to have one final year together.

It had been the greatest year of your life and you had to try and focus on that as David Rossi read his eulogy. 

He spoke all about Spencer’s life, the life you’d barely gotten to be a part of. Hearing it second hand and not from Spencer’s lips was tragic enough in itself. 

You didn’t really feel as though you belonged here. You didn’t know him the way his team members knew him. You felt like a stranger in this place now. 

You’d jumped at moving to DC when you and Spencer reunited because there was no way you were making the same mistake twice and letting him get away again. But now DC seemed like a suddenly very lonely place. 

As the brilliant man you knew and loved was being lowered into the ground, his final resting place, the heavens opened. The rain cascaded down from the sky and you couldn’t help but think how apt it was on this already bleak day. 

Garcia came to you at his graveside when the ceremony was over. The rain disguised your tears. She nudged you with her shoulder, her own tears falling.

“The world is going to be a very different place without boy genius in it.” she sobbed as she spoke.

“You’re telling me.” you chewed your lip, your eyes locked on his headstone as you spoke. 

“He loved you know? He always loved you.”

You nodded statically not looking at the other woman. You knew he loved you, that much you were sure of. You only wished you had more time. 

Maybe if you’d know what life had in store you would have come with him to DC all those years ago. Had you known you didn’t have all the time in the world, that your love only had a finite number of days you might have been more inclined to cling to them.

That was hindsight though you supposed and dwelling on it didn’t change the past. What was done was done. You didn’t go to DC with him, you stayed in Vegas. You spent years pining over him only to have the universe throw you back together again. 

And then he’d been snatched from you once more in the most horrific way. And now it was over for good.

“Come on Y/N, you’ll catch a cold if you stay out here.” Garcia placed a gentle arm on your shoulder.

“I’ll be right there.” you told her, still not looking away from where the love of your life was buried beneath the dirt.

You heard her leave as more tears started to fall from your eyes. Your knees gave out and you fell to the grass in the rain. 

You sobbed into your hands, cursing life for being so unyielding. But there was nothing you could do about it. The wheels had been set into motion long before you and Spencer had even met. This was always the way things were going to end up. Fate was a cruel mistress. 

And so you knelt in the dirt sobbing next to the grave of the love of your life, under the grey, weeping silken sky.  

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Tag List -

@muffin-cup​

@andiebeaword​

[stxrrywildflower]

echo

pairing - bau team x teen!reader

summary - you have to protect henry from an unsub

warnings - mentions of case, violence, injury

word count - ?

when you were sixteen, j.j. and will hired you to be nanny for henry due to their demanding jobs as an fbi profiler and police detective. obviously, you had agreed as you would need the money for college soon.

the two parents were incredibly welcoming, immediately treating you as one of their own. henry loved you too, always being such a good kid when you babysat for him.

however, you knew that with both of their jobs. you were at some risk. j.j. and will planned ahead, giving the code word of ‘echo’ incase you were ever in trouble. one text to them and they would instantly go into full parent mode. it was only to be used in emergencies, such as if henry got seriously injured or some criminal threat.

tonight, for the first time ever, you had to use the code word.

it was a fairly normal friday afternoon. j.j. had called and asked if you could babysit henry while her and will worked the same case. the exact details weren’t revealed but you knew it was bad judging by the news as well as the fact that two separate divisions were solving the case together.

after being dropped off at the families home, you slung your backpack on your back and walked through the gates up to the front door. you first knocked on the door before stepping back. will opened the door a moment later, greeting you with a slight smile, “hey y/n.”

“hey will, is j.j. already working?” you asked, spinning around when you heard thumping on the stairs.

henry rushed in and immediately ran into your arms. you grinned at the young boy and picked him up, placing him on your hip as you ruffled his hair.

“yeah she had to head in early. i just have to grab my bag and then i’m heading out,” will informed you before leaving the room to get his stuff.

you had been babysitting henry long enough that you didn’t need instructions from them. everything was already memorized. henry jumped out of your arms and ran into the living room.

will walked in with his bag and kissed henry on the forehead to say goodbye. “i’m not super sure when we’ll be back. you already know everything and where your room is if you stay over. thanks again,” and with that, the police detective left the house to drive to quantico.

“alright henry,” you started, “you ready for lunch?” henry’s giggle was answer enough.

for the next six or so hours, you and henry played games, colored, and finally watched tv. by eight pm, he had finally settled down to watch a movie.

while henry’s eyes were glued to the tv, you slipped out of the living room and grabbed your phone so you could watch the local news without scaring or distracting him. the breaking news made you extremely uneasy.

“the local killer who has been terrorizing washington d.c. has been reported to be roaming the streets. all residents have been advised to stay inside and lock there doors. a picture should be showing up on your screens now. if you see this man, please contact the police,” the news anchor reported.

you slipped your phone into your pocket and made your rounds around the house to double check that the doors were locked. just as you were locking one of the windows in the front, you noticed a strange van outside of the house.

at first, you thought that it might have been one of the neighbors or some utility truck. but, after the man inside stepped out, you filled with panic. standing outside of the house, just seconds away from walking up, was the killer on the loose. he seemed to noticed your figure in the window and grinned wickedly.

he was targeting you. he was going to storm in this house and kill you. he was going to kill you and then kill henry. oh my god, henry.

you were on autopilot as you ran through the house, picking henry up in one swift motion and only putting him down when you hit the stairs.

“remember when we would play hide-and-go-seek?” you started. upon seeing the young boys nod, you continued, “i need you to go upstairs and find the best hiding spot you can. stay quiet and don’t move until i come and get you. there’s a man outside who wants to hurt us. i love you henry. now go hide.”

“i love you too,” henry replied before running up the stairs and down the hallway as fast as his little legs could take him.

you slipped behind a wall, thankful that you kept your phone with you. after taking a deep breath, you opened the messaging app and clicked on j.j.’s contact. it was a simple four letter word that you sent that could potentially save your life.

‘echo’ you typed before pressing the send button.

by now, all the lights in the house went out. you ditched your phone on the ground just before the front door slammed open. you shut your eyes, a stray tear slipping down your face. it was now or never.

at quantico, j.j. sat at her desk surrounded by the team at their individual work stations. will remained next to his wife while many of the other cops were out on the street. just as j.j. finished going over one of the files about the unsubs past life, her phone buzzed.

j.j.’s furrowed her eyebrows as she noticed it was a message from you. one four letter word was displayed across her screen. ‘echo’ she read.

“oh my god,” j.j. spoke as she jumped out of her chair, grabbing her bag and making sure her gun was on her hip. “hey,” will called, grabbing her wrist to prevent her from going anywhere.

“echo will, echo,” j.j. repeated. after those words processed, will stood up too, his eyes going wide.

hotch and rossi both emerged from their office and walked down into the bullpen. “what’s going on?” the unit chief asked.

“i think the unsub is at my house. y/n sent a text with our code word she only uses in emergencies,” j.j. ranted as she ran her hand through her hair. hotch pondered for a split second before turning to the room.

“let’s go,” was all he said.

meanwhile, back at the house, loud footsteps walked through the house. a million different scenerios flowed through your mind. if you stayed put and hoped j.j. was on her way, you could just hide and hopefully wait it out. but, there was always the chance the man would discover you. the second option was that you fought back. the only con is that he had a knife and you had just barely above average fighting skills.

after choosing the later decision, you went into full stealth mode to find the best vantage point. as you slipped through the rooms and behind various furniture, you held back a smirk as the killer looked around randomly.

finally, when the mans back was turned, you striked.

the first attack was a solid kick to the back of his knees. the mans knife clattered across the floor as he stumbles slightly. you held your hands up in fists as the killer turned around. he charged at you, pushing you back into the wall. a hard punch was landed to your nose and eyes. your lip managed to split in the process too along with your injured ribs from the tackle. you managed to get out of his grip and kick him in the crotch. when he doubled over, you elbowed him in the back causing him to cripple to the ground.

you were honestly slightly proud of yourself for making it this far but you still had a long way to go. after kneeling down beside him, you punched him once in the nose to add to the pain. the final blow, which knocked him out, was a hard kick to the head.

with shaky hands, you rushed out of the main room and into the connected garage. as fast as you could, you rummaged through the cabinet trying to find something to further prevent the man from causing anymore harm. you stumbled upon zip ties and let out a sigh of relief.

you fastened the zip ties around his wrists and ankles thus preventing him from moving if he did wake up. you left the man on the floor and ran to the stairs.

“henry!” you called, your voice echoing up the stairs, “it’s safe, you can come out now.” maybe that last part was a slight lie but you needed henry to know that it was okay.

the blond-haired boy peered around the railing before running down the stairs and into your arms. despite the pain it brought your ribs, you picked henry up and placed him on your hip as you hugged him. after moving into the main living room, you leaned against the back of the couch and shut your eyes.

for the second time that night, the door slammed open. in stormed the bau team and you could hear other sirens outside. you winced at the lights being turned on so suddenly but still turned to face the group.

j.j. and will immediately rushed over to where you were with henry. will took his son out of your arms and lead him away from the scene. j.j., however, pulled you into a hug, cradling your head with her hand as you began to cry. you were sure that the blood from your nose was definitely getting on her vest.

“i’m sorry,” you choked out.

frowning, j.j. pulled away and placed her hands on your cheeks. yours, in contrast, moved to hold her wrists.

“hey, don’t even say that. you saved henry and for the most part, saved yourself. did you take him down all by yourself?” j.j. questioned.

you nodded as you used the back of your hand to wipe away some of the blood on your face. “i am so proud of you.”

the man was all but thrown into the police car as hotch walked over to where you and j.j. were still standing. “ambulance it waiting,” the man spoke. she turned to you, “we need to get you to a hospital to look at your injuries. i know your parents are out of town and i’m already down as an emergency contact. is it all right if i go with you?”

j.j.’s voice mirrored the one she used for henry. after shaking your head yes, j.j. wrapped an arm around you before leading you out of the house and to the driveway.

with one final smile to will and henry, you both climbed inside, j.j. holding your hand the entire way.

[q-gorgeous]

Magical Girl Ghost

fanfiction

ao3

Paulina and Dash were the ones who dared Danny to wander into the ghost portal with the end goal of embarrassing him in some way for doing or not doing it. Now the only people who know Danny's secret are his bully and a girl who can't stand him. What happens now? Prompt by @ectopal 

word count: 2603

i dont know how to name fics leave me alone

“Come on, guys, we’re not even supposed to be down here. You guys are only here because we have to work on a group project together. Get out of the lab.”

“What, are you scared?” Paulina cooed meanly.

“No. It’s just dangerous down there.” Danny glared at Paulina and Dash as they looked up at him from the bottom of the steps.

Dash laughed. “Come on, how dangerous can it be? You’re parents aren’t even real scientists, what they study doesn’t even exist.” 

Paulina smirked when Danny fumed and started stomping down the steps. “They are real scientists. This isn’t the only thing they do.”

“Oh yeah?” Paulina says, turning into the lab and flipping her hair over her shoulder. “What do they do then?”

“Lot’s of things.” Danny walked up behind her. “Recently they helped some company come up with some clean energy machine, they did some secret invention stuff with the FBI so I don’t know exactly what that was, but they also-”

“What’s that one?” Dash interrupted.

He was pointing at a big hole in the wall that was lined with metal. Off to the side were knobs and buttons but it looked like whatever it was was off. 

“That’s, uh… The ghost portal.”

Paulina burst out laughing. “Really? They built a portal.. Trying to get to the ghost dimension?” She brushed a tear out of the corner of her eye. “Are you sure they are real scientists?”

“Yes!” Danny threw his hands up in the air. “They have hundreds of patents for their inventions and everything!”

Paulina put her hands on her hips. “That’s an inventor or engineer. You don’t necessarily have to be a scientist to be one of those.”

He growled. “Well they’re still scientists anyways.”

“Whatever you say.” Paulina looked away from him and started walking towards the portal. She had just stuck her head inside when she was pulled backwards. 

“Don’t go in there!”

Paulina squirmed around and once she was far enough away from the portal again Danny let go of her.

“Don’t touch me, you freak!”

“Yeah!” Dash said, getting in Danny’s face. “If you touch her again you’ll have to deal with this.” He held up his fist next to Danny’s face.

“I have to deal with that anyways.” Paulina brushed herself off, a disgusted look on her face, and turned back towards the portal. “What does it matter if I go in or not? It doesn’t look like it’s on. And ghosts aren’t even real.”

She looked back at Danny to see an uncomfortable look on his face. 

“You don’t believe in ghosts, do you?”

His eyebrows shot up. “No!”

“Then why don’t you take a look inside?” Dash pushed him towards it.

“No!” Danny turned to face him. “My parents said-”

“Your parents, your parents, blah blah blah.” Paulina mocked. “They’re not even here right now and it’s not even on. What does it matter?”

“What does it-” Danny stopped and shot a hard glare at her. “You know what? Fine! I’ll go in.”

Danny turned around and walked toward a big metal cabinet that stood on the other side of the room next to a table filled with beakers and notes. 

“Uh, that’s the wrong way Fenton.” Dash said.

Danny opened the cabinet and rummaged around until he found something. He closed the doors back up and scowled at something in his hands. He peeled something off of the fabric he was holding and his dad's face fell to the floor. 

“I’m just grabbing my jumpsuit. If I’m gonna be breaking all of my parent’s rules I might as well do it safely.” He unfolded it and began stepping into it and finally pulled up the zipper.

Paulina laughed. “Your whole family has matching outfits? That’s embarrassing.”

Danny shrugged. “I like to pretend it’s a space suit or something. Anything’s better than a ghost hunting outfit.”

He walked up to the portal, looking around the inside a little bit. “You know, I’ve always wondered what could be on the other side of this portal if it ever actually worked. 

“Yeah, okay, just go in.” Paulina waved her hands at him. 

Sighing, Danny walked forward and into the portal. It felt much bigger than it looked from the outside and his footsteps echoed in the small space. He was looking at the ceiling when he tripped and caught himself on the wall. Looking down he saw a giant cable running across the floor. 

“Why would they-”

The humming surrounding him startled Danny and as he lifted his hand, a on and off switch could be seen underneath it. 

Panic started rising inside of Paulina. “Dash it’s turning on!”

He scoffed. “It’ll probably just blow up or something.” 

“Danny’s still inside, you nitwit!”

His eyes widened and Paulina started running towards the portal. It began glowing a sickening, radioactive green. It was getting brighter and brighter and Paulina met Danny’s wide and panicked eyes before she was dragged away and to the side, a shout getting caught in her throat as she watched the portal flash with electricity. 

“Danny!” She slapped at Dash’s arms that were still wrapped around her waist. “What are you doing! I almost got to him!”

Dash pulled her further away from the portal, keeping a tight grip on her. “And watch both of you get burnt to a crisp? No way. Now let’s get out of here before the Fenton’s find us.”

“Dash-”

An echoey groan caught their attention and they looked back at the portal. A glowing figure stepped out shakily, holding its head. It looked up at them and opened its mouth like it was going to talk to them, but its eyes rolled back into its head before it fell onto the ground. 

“What is that?” Paulina screeched.

Just as Dash started trying to drag Paulina up the stairs, a bright flash, this one white, lit up the room. Two white rings appeared around the form's body and traveled up and down to leave Danny Fenton laying on the floor. 

“What the fuck?” Dash whispered, his grip on Paulina finally loosening. 

Paulina broke free and ran across the lab and slid on her knees towards Danny.

“Are you dead?” Her hands hovered over his burnt jumpsuit. “Please don’t be dead.”

He groaned and his body rose and fell with his breaths.

“Oh thank god.”

Dash walked up behind her, staring at Danny over her shoulder. “How the fuck is he still alive? That should’ve incinerated him.”

“I don’t know. I think something happened to him.”

“Well no shit!” Dash whisper yelled. “What are we supposed to do?”

Paulina looked at Danny on the hard tiled floor. “First we’re gonna get him up to his room. That can’t be comfortable like that.”

“You want me to touch him?” Dash shook out his hands at just the thought.

Paulina pointed at him. “You’ll have an easier time getting him up all the stairs on the way to his room. Besides, we’re just gonna leave him down here for his parents to find him? And tell them how we dared him to do this?”

Dash paled. “Oh man, they would kill us. I bet they’d literally kill us.”

Paulina shook her head. “Just grab him already.”

He picked Danny up gingerly with a disgusted look on his face. He adjusted the other boy to fit easily in his arms and turned to the stairs and started walking up to the kitchen. Paulina followed closely behind him and they were halfway up the stairs when the doorknob on the front door started jiggling.

“Go! Go!” Paulina ushered Dash up the stairs and she turned to see Jazz walk in the door and look up at them right as Dash’s back disappeared into the hallway.

Jazz looked at where Dash disappeared before turning her gaze to Paulina, a brow raised.

“Hi, Jazz!” Paulina greeted chipperly. 

Jazz narrowed her eyes. “Are you guys behaving?”

Paulina scoffed at the older girl and crossed her arms. “Of course we are. We’re not five.”

“Right.” Jazz said as she headed into the kitchen. “What are you guys up to?”

“Working on a group project. We got hungry and came down for snacks.” Paulina shrugged. “But we’re getting back to it now, so I’m going to go join them upstairs.”

“Have fun.” Jazz called as Paulina walked up the stairs. 

She hurried down the hall to Danny’s room and walked in, closing the door behind her. When she looked up, she was met with Dash pacing in the middle of the room. 

‘What if he doesn’t wake up?” Dash asked. “What if he has brain damage or something and he dies in his sleep? It’d be our fault. We killed him.”

Paulina fought back the panic. “We didn’t kill him. He’s right there. He’s breathing.”

“Why did he look like that in the basement then?” Dash stopped pacing to look at her. “Last time I checked, humans didn’t have magical girl transformations in real life.”

“I don’t know!” Paulina seethed at him, her hands in fists at her sides. “But he was breathing, he was making noise.” “What if he was pretending?” Dash whispered. “What if he turned into something, and he doesn't need to anymore so he was just pretending and-”

Both Paulina’s and Dash’s head whipped in Danny’s direction where he groaned, laying on his bed. He brought a hand up to his head and pried his eyes open. 

“Danny!” Paulina gasped. She rushed over to the side of his bed. “Oh my gosh, are you actually alive?”

He looked at her like she grew a second head. “Uh, yeah? I ache pretty badly though.”

“See, Dash.” Paulina turned towards him. “I told you he was alive.”

“Wait, wait.” Danny shook his head. “Why didn’t you think I was alive?” He looked up at where Dash stood by the door. 

“You were in the portal when it turned on!” Dash whisper yelled. “What was I supposed to think? And then you walk out of the portal all inverted and glowing with white hair and-”

“What? I couldn’t have had white hair.”

Paulina shook her head. “No, it’s true. You looked completely different when you walked out of the portal and then you just changed back to normal for some reason.”

Danny furrowed his brows. “You guys like to make fun of my parent’s intelligence but you’re not even making sense right now. There’s no way I could’ve-”

His voice suddenly died out as another bright ring appeared around his waist. He watched in both fascination and horror as it traveled over his body, leaving behind an inverted version of his jumpsuit.

Quickly, he jumped out of bed and ran to the closet door where a body length mirror was hanging off of it. He stared at his reflection in horror.

“What is this? What happened?” He turned to look at them. “Did you guys do this somehow?”

“No!” Dash shouted, lowering his voice as he was hushed by Paulina. “That’s literally how you walked out of the portal thing. Then the same transformation happened and you were back to normal.”

Danny’s breath started increasing. He started feeling around for his phone. “I have to call my parents. They’ll know what to do.”

Just as Danny opened his phone to call his parents, Dash swiped it from his hand.

“If you tell your parents about this you’ll have to deal with me.”

Danny jumped at the other boy, trying to grab his phone. “Like I said before, I already have to deal with you. That’s not much of a threat.” He tried to grab his phone again. 

“Listen here-”

“Oh, wait!” Danny said, malice dripping from his voice. “If I told my parents what you guys did and how badly it hurt me, you’d probably get sent to juvie. Is that what you’re worried about?”

Dash’s face paled and Paulina felt a chill crawl up her spine.

“If you don’t want me asking for my parent’s help you guys are the ones who are gonna have to do it.”

“What?” Paulina said.

“No!” Dash exclaimed.

“Yes!” Danny shouted right back at him. “It’s your guys’ fault!”

“Why don’t you ask your spooky girlfriend for help?” Paulina pointed a finger at Danny and put her other hand on her hip. “Isn’t she like a witch? Doesn’t she do like voodoo magic stuff? Maybe she’d know how to get rid of it.”

Danny’s eyes widened in panic. “No! I can’t tell them! They’ll think I’m some kind of freak! I’ll lose the only friends I have!”

“You are a freak though.” Dash said flatly. 

“Fine. Don’t ask Sam.” Paulina scrunched her nose up. “Why us though? Why do we need to be involved?”

“One, again, it’s your fault.” Danny lifted up a finger. “Two, I don’t care if you guys think I’m a freak because you already hate my guts. And three, I have leverage against you guys and I’m what stands between you guys and charges.”

Paulina shifted uncomfortably between her feet. “How are we supposed to help you though? We don’t even know what’s going on.”

Danny shakily lowered himself back down onto his bed. “I don’t know. Figure it out. I’d ask my parents. But. You know.” He motioned with his arms.

Paulina scowled. 

“Maybe start with trying to change back?” Dash said quietly. “I don’t know about Paulina, but seeing you like that is starting to get freaky.”

“How do I do that?”

“I don’t know!” Dash threw his hands into the air and dropped heavily onto the desk chair.

“Maybe start with thinking human thoughts?” Paulina suggested.

“Human thoughts?” Danny lifted an eyebrow.

“Yeah like.” Paulina paused to think. “Humans are warm and firm and not glowy, think thoughts like that or something.

Danny rolled his eyes, but closed them in concentration a second later. About a minute or two passed and Paulina could see Danny getting agitated, his hands gripping into tight fists. He opened his mouth. 

“I don’t think this is-”

Another bright flash of light filled the room and Danny was left to his normal self again. He looked at his hands and at the hair hanging in his face and smiled.

“Maybe this won’t be so difficult after all.”

Paulina had a feeling nothing could be that simple, but she ignored it. “Let’s get started on that project again. When’s it due?”

“Uh…” Dash said, balancing a pencil on his nose. “The seventh?”

She frowned. “That can’t be right. I thought we had until the ninth.”

“Nah, nah, I’m positive it was the seventh. I was paying attention in class that day.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah!” 

Dash and Paulina both took out their phones, scrambling to check their class site. 

“Uh, guys?” Danny said.

They ignored him, still bickering about the due date.

“Guys.”

“See, I told you Dash. It was due on the ninth. If it was the seventh we wouldn’t have had-”

“Guys!” Danny shouted.

“What?” Paulina turned her head to glare at him but her eyes widened. 

Danny was staring up at the two of them in panic, his body halfway through the floor.

“Help!”

“What the fuck?” Dash said.

Paulina rushed over to grab Danny by the hand and motioned for Dash to grab the other one. Together, they hefted Danny back out of the floor and were able to set him back down. 

“What was that?” Dash asked Danny, who was staring at his feet as if they’d betray him at any moment.

Yeah. It couldn’t have been that simple. 

[witchyfrankincense]

La Méprise (part three)

Spencer Reid x fem!Reader

Summary: You start history with Spencer Reid in your university auditorium.

Warnings: violence, fight, reminding of trauma, season 13 spoilers, prof!Spencer, student!Reader, suggestive.

❁❁❁❁❁❁

Like clockwork, Spencer had turned around faster than you realized no one was following your steps next to you. Your heart dropped more than it already had as you understood that there was something, some nick, that you had failed to catch. But maybe you were the lost one here?

It seemed like Spencer had no doubts about his forthcoming actions – you watched him take quick, aggressive strides towards Mike. Seconds later, his tensed fist made contact with Mike's face. Spencer's act made you jump. Your usual first instinct would have been to yell, to interfere. But this time you didn't.

Right after the action, Mike was angrily pushed against the wall.

"You should stop talking," Spencer mumbled, angrily shoving him at the wall for the second time, pulling the man by his bunched-up jacket. Mike let out a pained groan and scoffed, later inhaling a deep breath of air. "Okay," he spat out. "Okay. Man."

"If you ever even look at me again," Spencer spoke, a harsher than usual undertone in his voice. However, soon after, he just went silent, staring at Mike for a few more moments before releasing him from his grip. You breathed out, shoulders dropping. You felt tiredness wash over you, obvious from all the stupidly scary events that had just happened.

After seeing Spencer turn back around and start walking towards you, you nodded and turned away from the sight of Mike silently chuckling and wiping his bloody nose. You opened the door. The fresh breeze of the outside air lifted your mood and you took a wide step outside.

"Can you still walk with me?" your voice reached both of yours' ears after you closed the door. "Oh, yeah. I'll join the team later," he replied, glancing in your direction. You both went quiet, still walking, Spencer seemingly following your lead of way. "Thank you," you suddenly muttered, placing your hands into your jacket pockets.

"Hm?" Spencer replied to your unexpected gratitude. You let out a small sigh, looking down at your synced-up footsteps. "Thank you for doing that. I would've punched the bitch myself, but, you know," you softly spoke. He smiled. "I'm not...usually a puncher," he weakly mumbled, shoving his hands into his pant pockets.

"I could've guessed," you joked, instantly frowning on yourself. "It's, not like you, you know, look like you wouldn't be able to, uh, punch someone, I was just—,"

"Joking. Yeah. To be fair, I agree," Spencer finished for you, making your shoulders drop in relief. You both let out chuckles. Continuing to walk down the asphalt path, you looked around the university campus. "Yeah, I usually take the bus to university. Quicker that way. I don't have the ability, nor want to sprint here at 8 a.m. Though, I enjoy a walk sometimes," you craned your neck to his side, sharing a random daily life thought. He nodded, straightening his shoulders.

"That is very true, actually, did you know that walks are extremely good for your well-being? Just 30 minutes every day can increase cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones, reduce excess body fat, and boost muscle power and endurance. It can also reduce your risk of developing conditions such as, uh, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and some cancers. Unlike some other forms of exercise, walking is, you know, free and doesn't require any special equipment or training," he finished talking, glancing at you brightly. You raised your eyebrows in shock and cheered.

"Wow! Spencer—,' you stopped, realizing your lack of knowledge about his last name. "Reid," he mumbled back, continuing to walk. "—Spencer Reid, the fact machine! Hey, buddy, does that head ever get too heavy for you?" you laughed out, crossing your arms and raising your head. "Hey," he mocked your tone, "That, is downright mean," he raised his voice playfully, his eyebrows furrowing.

You both bickered as you rounded the corner. And, you continued talking while walking down the lonely road. And while you pointed out the apartment building you were staying at.

And when you both said goodbyes after he had led you to the building door, a creeping feeling of awe kept trying to make you fall – to slip down the very stairs you built.

Five days later

Thursday.

"Spencer?"

Three mornings. After the boringly passed weekend, you had spent the last three mornings walking into the auditorium and longingly glancing at the seats – hoping to see the familiar curly-haired persona. But you never did, as each time you looked up, the seat was empty. Had you scared him off? Or maybe he thought you were weird? Many questions swarmed your mind constantly, and, well, there was really no hope of distracting it. Because the only person who could, wasn't showing up.

On the blessed fourth day, you walked into campus, sipping your new-bought iced latte with caramel, dressed in dashing black baggy jeans and 90's-esque top with a bunch of shiny silver jewelry all over your neck and hands, not expecting anything to be different. Because you got it, you understood – obviously he had a job to do, a terrifyingly important one, at that, and going to these lectures and meeting you was just a side mission – a pastime.

However, as you were making your way to the door, you noticed him – Spencer, standing near the entrance.

"Spencer? Hey, you're back," you exclaimed, quickly swallowing your sip of coffee and smiling. He returned the smile, nodding. "I am, uh, I had a bunch of cases, so, didn't really have time," he spoke, joining your stride to the door. "No, it's all good, Spence. I get it. Your job is extremely important, and I definitely don't expect you to, you know, always be here." Seconds later, you mentally cursed at yourself after realizing your accidental use of a nickname instead of his full name. "Shit—, sorry, I called you Spence," you pointed out quietly, glancing at him to watch his reaction. He, however, gave none.

"It's okay—you know, this teammate of mine, JJ, she's my best friend—, she also calls me Spence, so, yeah, you can, if you want," he mumbled out, a smile playing on his lips. "Wow, didn't know you had a girl best friend! I bet she's super cool," your voice rose in slight excitement.

You realized that you both had stopped walking.

"She is," Spencer replied wholeheartedly, smiling. His eyes then dropped down to your outfit. "You look pretty today, by the way," he pointed out, seconds later turning back to face the entrance and beginning to walk forward. Your mouth hung open in slight shock and it took you a good second to catch your expression, shake your head and speed walk towards Spencer.

He complimented you.

"Thank you," you mumbled after catching up to him, flashing him a grateful smile. He nodded. "You know, there's something I want to tell you," he suddenly spoke up, his lowered tone making your heart drop for no other reason than worry. "What is it?" you instantly asked, grasping the handle of your bag.

"Oh," Spencer lightly laughed, glancing at your direction. "It's nothing bad, I promise. I mean—I'll just tell you. I'll be in temporary teaching at this university," he mumbled. You raised your eyebrows, aiming your gaze at the ground. "Really? That's cool," you answered, smiling through your words. "So, you'll be my professor?" you blurted out a thought, regretting it a moment later.

"Yeah," Spencer chuckled back, looking at you. "Guess I will."

Butterflies suddenly erupted in your stomach, and your expression changed as you realized that. Shut up, you softies. You had no idea why you felt so warm out of the sudden, as all you did was think about Spencer being your professor.

Spencer being your professor? Did you have some weird professor and student fantasy?

You subconsciously shook your head and continued walking in silence alongside Spencer, deep in thought. However, a moment later your inner mind light bulb lit up and you lifted your head up, straightening your posture. "Wait, what trained FBI team member takes up temporary teaching for some inexperienced students?" you asked, shooting him a quick look. You saw him tense up, visibly sighing. He looked at you and weakly smiled.

"I really wished you hadn't asked me that," he muttered and you frowned. "Oh—I'm sorry, I didn't—,"

"It's okay. You have the right to know. I've—uh, I've been to prison. Falsely accused," he began, nervously correcting himself after noticing your intense stare. The both of you blinked in shock – you because of Spencer's sudden confession, him – probably because of the same thing.

"Of what?" you asked carefully. Spencer swallowed. "Multiple drug possession. Suspicion of drug distribution. Murder of Nadie Ramos," he muttered quietly. You felt your eyebrows furrow, mind running through all possibilities. "Oh."

"I was framed. But I still spent almost three months there. It was, uh, bad," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I'm sorry," you replied, feeling at a loss of appropriate words. Spencer quickly shook his head, smiling. "You don't have to be. That's why I'm teaching. I was recommended to do it. It's like a...break, I guess."

You returned his smile, looking back at the ground. "You start today?"

"Yeah."

You began walking through the corridors, making your way to the auditorium. "I bet you'll make a great professor," you quietly exclaimed, watching his somewhat anxious expression shift into a softer one. He chuckled. "Thank you. I hope I'll live up to your expectations." "You will," you muttered almost instantly, voice higher. Once again, seconds later regretting even opening your mouth. Spencer laughed again. Walking through, Spencer pushed the already open door further, stopping so you'd walk first. You thankfully nodded back to him and smiled. "Go sit," he suddenly mumbled behind you and you felt him place his warm hand on your bare lower back, softly pushing you towards the seats.

You inhaled harshly, barely containing the need to arch beneath his hand, and quickly nodded, hurrying to the stairs. Spencer visibly grinned behind you.

Hopelessly ignoring your previous spot, you hurried to the second aisle, quietly hoping that the seat you chose wasn't taken. After all, you were fully ready to support Spencer on his new-found teaching, you obviously knew him more than the other students.

"Hello, uh, my name is Spencer Reid," he started, voice raising on his last name. The others quickly settled down, slightly interested in their new professor. He was easy on the eyes. You grinned to yourself, still gazing at him. Apparently, Spencer did indeed feel your stare at him, so he looked back, a smile beginning to play on his lips as he breathed in. Moments after, he began going on about a whole cluster of themes and subjects he had decided to teach you all. You failed to take your eyes of him.

<>

"Yes! So, this'll be it for today, don't forget to buy or get that book from somewhere else because it shares extremely good opinions and is very important for your understanding of what we're going through! And have a great day!" Spencer raised his voice to express his last thoughts to majority of the students who were already getting up from their seats and heading towards the exit door. You stayed, a wide smile on your lips as you noticed him glance at the leaving students with brighter than usual eyes. You stood up, fetching your bag and dropping it on your seat. You slowly walked towards Spencer, him finally looking back at you.

"See, you were great, Professor Reid," you jokingly exclaimed, seeing him laugh while packing his belongings behind the desk. "Thank you, Y/N, guess I am pretty great at teaching. I just, I don't know, felt as if you were all so interested in what I was speaking about, so, yeah, that was pretty great," he expressed, running his hand through his fluffy hair.

Your eyes subconsciously traced his hand, cheeks somewhat heating up, and you smiled. "Yeah, we were all pretty into your teaching. It's cool, your way of talking, I mean. But I think that wasn't the only reason why they were so immersed in you," you spoke, not realizing your accidental change of view. You both chuckled, Spencer seemingly deepening his gaze at you. "I wonder what that is," he teasingly replied, leaning down to get his case full of books and teaching material, however not turning his eyes away from yours.

You broke the eye contact, deciding that the conversation was way  too teasing for your liking, and laughed quietly to yourself.

Oh, shut up, Ms. I-might-have-a-professor-kink, I know you'd love for this mood to go on for the rest of your pitiful life.

"I wonder, too," you mumbled, feeling warmer. Spencer returned a light scoff. "Well, you seemed to know it when you first brought up the fact, so, tell me. I'm clueless, Y/N," he replied again with a tiny bit of a smooth velvet tone in his voice and your heart almost dropped in fear of his words. Why was he so confident? "Well, I think we're both kinda', you know, aware?" you hesitated, looking back at Spencer. His tongue darted out of his mouth, wetting his lips and he stood back, sliding his chair under the desk.

"Are we? Am I?"

You swallowed, trying to regain your usual snarky mood, while also moving back to your seat and snatching your bag from it. "I think so, yes," you exclaimed, sighing and joining his stride to the door. You both walked beside each other, Spencer sheepishly smiling and looking straight ahead. He didn't say a word until you reached the door.

"Well, why don't you think about that like a good student and tell me tomorrow, hm?" Spencer suddenly spoke up, making you freeze in your step. You widened your eyes at his words and looked up at him. His eyes were shimmering. You both stopped walking and you nodded, feeling awfully hot at his title for you. He smiled and unexpectedly raised his hand, leaning in closer and brushing a strand of hair out of your face, pushing it behind your ear. You continued to stare at him, wide-eyed, and he seemed to enjoy your confusion.

"Goodbye, Y/N," he muttered and lowered his hand near his side, opening the door and closing it behind him. You began feeling weak, reaching behind blindly in search of the wall. After you had found it, you leaned against it, trying to regain your breathing.

What just happened and why did you like it?

<>

[maddiwrites]

Secrets of the Shore (Chapter 24)

Pairing: JJ x OC

Summary: This is just my rewrite of the show Outer Banks with my own twist by adding another main character which also happens to be John B’s twin sister.

Note: Here we go!!!!! The final chapter to this series/rewrite!!!! Thank you to everyone who’s stayed with me and has left me with great feedback and compliments. I’m so grateful! I loved writing this series and I’m looking forward to season 2! As always I love you all and forever grateful for every single one of you! 

Word Count: 4k 

Chapter 23 Masterlist

JJ pulls me aside by Kie's car and lets me silently cry into his shoulder while he kisses the top of my head and tells me everything is going to be okay in sweet whispers. I let him hold me because I feel like I can finally breathe for the first time in weeks.

"I should have went with him," I mumble for the millionth time in his shoulder.

"Trust me, if nothing else kills him first, you would." I pull away and give him a confused look. He quickly explains with a small grin. "I think the reason you two lasted so long together was because the three of us were there to buffer most of your fights."

"It's not my fault he's stupid." I smirk.

"See?" JJ says like he just made his point.

I roll my eyes and look over at Pope and Kie when I finally hear them talking like friends again.

"I'm sorry for acting like a dumbass," Pope stammers. "I was just upset and I was acting petty..."

"Yeah," Kie agrees with him.

"And I just..."

"It's okay."

"...just wanna be friends again."

Another round of thunder rumbles above us and I know it's going to rain any second. But that's not what has my attention. It's the way Kie moves closer to Pope and how her hand gently caresses his cheek. Then their lips meet and they're embraced together as one.

My mouth physically drops to the floor and I cover it with my hand. I can't believe what I'm seeing. Only hours before, the two of them couldn't be further away from this moment. Pope hated her and Kie was adamant about being nothing but friends. I guess Kie did have a thing for Pope. She tried convincing herself otherwise and it didn't work.

JJ laughs next to me and squeezes me tighter to his side. He shakes his head but smiles proudly at his best friend for finally making his move.

Unfortunately, the moment is ruined by another wave of police sirens closer than I wish they were.

"Hey, guys, I'm sorry to ruin the party, but, uh, we gotta go right now," JJ says. Kie and Pope pull away from each other, both of them wearing delirious grins. "Come on!"

As we move towards the car, a round of about four different cop cars surround us with their red and blue lights and loud sirens. JJ backs up, making sure I'm right behind him by clutching my wrist behind his back.

"Pope..." Kie says worriedly.

"Move! Hands up! Hands up!" Officer Shoupe approaches us first with a mean scowl on his face. He looks at each one of us, no doubt looking for John B.

"Pope, hands," Kie says through clenched teeth when Pope hesitates to comply.

Shoupe's eyes land on mine and he holds my stare for a second longer than everyone else's. I make sure to keep my face stoic and unreadable even though I want to proudly smirk in his face and even say 'ha ha.'

"We're too late. He's gone. God damn it!" He says to his team. He speaks into his radio strapped on his shoulder. "Bratcher, have your guys stand down. Let me talk to these kids." Shoupe approaches us again and looks directly at me. "All right, where the hell is he? Where the hell is he?" When I don't say anything or even as much breathe in his direction, he looks at JJ. "JJ? I see you're living up to your name." Then he looks at Pope. "Pope, how about you? This isn't a fucking game! You can do the right thing now! Where'd he go?" Shoupe glances one last time at me before looking behind my shoulder. He pulls his radio up to his lips. "Suspect has just left Station 26 in a small boat."

The man on the radio responds. "Need marine patrol to respond."

Another crack of thunder strikes a new wave of nerves through my body. John B's barely out of here and I don't know if the storm is going to hold off long enough to give him a steady getaway.

Next thing I know we're being tossed in two separate vehicles. I keep my teeth clenched and my eyes forward. I pretend to look strong and committed when all I feel is nervous and scared.

The police bring us into a large tent set up to protect them from the rain. I'm literally in shock by how many people are here, working together to find my brother. Many men and women walk past us with rain jackets with the letters FBI on their backs in gold bold letters. I'm literally speechless by how important these people think my brother is.

Every word that comes from these people's mouths sound like a code I'm trying to decipher as they speak to one another.

"They're still trying to verify..."

"Mobilized..."

"Follow Plumb to that tent..."

"Wait for your friends..."

"...SBI on the scene..."

"They killed a person."

"This way." Someone physically tugs on my arm and pulls me to sit on a row of plastic chairs with my friends.

"...That's all you can say?"

Shoupe stands in front of me, temporarily distracting me from trying my best to eavesdrop on the other agents. "Sit down. Don't move. We got a lot to talk about." He looks at the agent who pulled me by my wrist. "Keep an eye on these kids."

I look up at the agent placed on babysitting duty. Younger, fit, brunette, stubble. He looks at each one of us like he's studying us, placing a mental bet on which one is going to break first. His gaze lands on me and he holds it longer than he did the others. They probably recognize my face as easily as they would recognize my brother's.

There's a lot going on inside and out this tent. Agents speak so fast with one another you might think they're speaking a different language. Every time thunder rumbles above us, I don't know if it's my heart or my stomach swirling with nausea. Rain is pouring down outside, each drop pelting against the concrete and drowning out the demands and orders of every superior agent.

The lights are bright against the dark wall that is outside. If I keep my eyes open for too long I think my head is going to explode.

I feel fingers interlocking with my right hand. JJ's looking at me like he's waiting for me to break like a fragile vase teetering off the countertop. I nod my head in a silent way of saying thank you and that I'm still confident our plan is going to work.

"Hey, we're back up. We got power," I hear someone announce.

My head snaps forward. I look outside the flaps of the tent opening. I can barely see the lighthouse, but the light circling around it is bright enough to light up the entire island.

"Shit," I curse to myself.

Ironically, power is all I wanted this summer. Mentally and, because of Hurricane Agatha, physically. But now, I dread it.

"That's them! There they are!"

Dozens of agents run outside with their binoculars, flashlights, and guns, and tasers. Immediately I stand up to follow, but just as quickly, I'm pushed back into my seat by our babysitter agent who isn't even cool enough to get an FBI windbreaker.

Kie's looking at me with as much fear as I'm feeling. My leg bounces anxiously and the hand I'm not using to squeeze JJ's is wrapped around the bottom of my seat tight enough to turn my knuckles white.

I try peering out through the plastic 'windows' of the tent which are just clear plastic tarps cut out in squares in the tent. Boats with red, white, and blue lights chase after another boat in the water - a boat that would be impossible to see if the lighthouse was still out of power.

"Subject is changing heading. They're heading south."

I look at our baby sitter's radio that's gripped tightly in his hand.

"Subject is attempting to escape to the south."

I look at JJ with wide eyes. "He's going straight into the storm."

I don't know if it's a second, a minute, or an hour later, but my name is being called. Another agent, this one more superior than the others, stands in front of me. He's tall, bald, has light brown skin, and bright hazel eyes. He's not smiling but he looks pleased with himself nonetheless and I don't know why because John B isn't captured yet.

"I think your brother would like to speak with you," He says.

My jaw tightens and I narrow my eyes in his direction. I don't believe him. John B wouldn't ask for me unless he knew this was the end. And it isn't. It can't be.

But if it is and I don't talk to my brother one last time, I will hate myself forever.

So I follow him despite the calls of disagreement coming from my friends. He and a couple agents behind him pull me into another tent where more important agents are running around like chickens with their heads cut off.

People move out of my way like I'm Paris Hilton and they're the paparazzi. They look at me like I'm a celebrity and they're speechless with surprise and judgement.

But I don't care about the FBI, Kildare's cops, the rain or the storm. I care about the man sitting on the other end of the fold up table with a pair of headphones around his head and a fake look of concern on his face.

Ward looks up. When he sees me, he looks like he's seen a ghost.

"Ms. Routledge," The agent says to grab my attention.

I'm placed in a seat in front of Ward on the other side of the table. I don't take my eyes off of him for even a second. It's the first time I'm seeing him since our day on his boat. I hate that he's sitting here like he's a fucking victim and not the man who should be behind bars. I hate that he's being treated like an ally while my brother is being chased like a criminal.

But I love that he's looking at me like I can change all of that.

I take the headset from a woman agent next to me and place them on top of my head. I'm instantly met with rustling and whistling of the wind. A couple of disgruntled grunts swim through my ears and I know I'm listening to John B rolling through the storm on the Phantom.

"Don't listen to him. He's a liar!" John B yells into his radio. His voice comes out through the FBI's speaker so everyone can hear. Ward's lips press into a thin line and his hands tighten around the circular end of the headphones by his ear.

They must have tried to get Ward to talk John B down first. Maybe it's because Ward is technically still our legal guardian or maybe...

Maybe Sarah ended up finding him after all.

Ward finally rips his eyes away from me and looks down. "John B, I am begging you. Think of her and turn around." I'm met with nothing but heavy breathing from the other end. I hold my own breath and make sure not to move even an inch so I don't miss a single word that my brother has to say. My heart feels like it's being twisted, shredded, and torn apart by a wild bear. John B is in danger. Not by the cops but by mother nature herself. Out in the ocean where he can disappear forever. Just like my father did. And the thought itself is absolute torture. "John B, what are you doing?"

There's another long pause with seconds lasting as long as hours. My hear skips a beat when my brother finally speaks up again. "Ward Cameron, do you hear me?"

Ward looks at me again and slowly brings nods. "Yes. Yes, son, I'm right here. I'm right here. Please bring her back, okay? We'll work it all out when you get home."

I jump up from the table so fast, my hips bump against the table and shake the radio display on it. "You son of a bitch!" I yell at him, not caring about the hands pushing me by my shoulders to sit back down. Or the barks of other agents telling me to calm down. I want to rip Ward's head off his stupid shoulders and punt it into the deepest part of the ocean. Or a log shredder.

"You killed my father!" John B shouts through the speaker. It's the only thing that actually gets me to calm down and I glare straight into Ward's eyes. I don't pay attention to how the agents react to John B's accusation, because even with the truth out there, I don't trust them to move on it. At the end of the day Ward Cameron is Ward Cameron and my brother is just John Booker Routledge. "And you framed me for a murder I didn't commit. You took everything from me! You took everything from me! But I'm still here. And I swear to God, Ward, I will come back one day and take what's mine. So, you listen to me, all right? I'm coming for you." A small smirk tugs at the corner of my lips and a sense of pride runs through my fingertips from John B finally standing up for himself. "I'm coming for you."

For once, Ward Cameron looks shitless. Like he did when he realized his mistake on our fishing trip.

"You." The agent next to me points at the radio set and looks at me. "Talk to him! Talk to him!"

I look back at Ward Cameron and place the headset on my head. A crack of thunder shakes around me and I physically flinch away from it. "John B?"

Another pause. Silence that is deafening. "Marleigh? You okay?"

I can't help but laugh. "Come on, brother. You should know by now cops don't scare me."

I can actually hear John B laugh on the other end and it's the only thing that makes me feel better. "Yeah, I know."

"Are you sure about this, Johnny?"

I swallow the lump in my throat as I wait for his reply. "I'd rather die than go to jail for something I didn't do, Mar."

I feel the wall I put up when I was placed in front of Ward Cameron crumble within seconds. Tears cloud my vision at the realization that nothing I can do will stop John B from driving straight into that storm. And I hate that I understand him for it. Because I would do the same thing.

I look up at Ward as tears trail down my cheeks silently. I can tell he's calculating my next move, waiting for me to stop my brother.

"I'll take care of this, okay?"

"I know. You've always taken care of me." His voice cracks and another ripple of thunder rips through the sky. "I love you, Rocket."

A sob wracks through me and I push myself away from the microphone so he doesn't hear me feeling weak. When I gather my composure I push myself closer to the radio. "I love you, Bird."

The head agent slams his palm against the table in frustration. "No!"

I close my eyes and let the tears drown my vision. I feel like I've been placed in an ice bath. Frozen to the core, wanting to kick and scream my way out of it, feeling numb but also like I'm being ripped apart by something sharp.

Another agent walks out. "I wanna have Search and Rescue standing by."

"Any response?" A woman asks another agent.

That other agent shakes his head. "They're not calling it off yet."

Everyone's running around, talking into their ear pieces and looking at one another for any kind of clue on what to do next. I refuse to look at them because I know what's going to come next.

John B use to tell me that being a pessimist would be my downfall. He was always an optimist - hoping and aiming for the best. Believing Dad was alive kept him going where telling myself he wasn't helped me move on. Growing up, we would butt heads a lot. But as a team, we worked well together because he pushed me to go further in life and I helped him stay grounded when it was necessary.

But today, being a pessimist is my strength. Because I'm prepared when Officer Shoupe approaches me with a sullen and sorrowful expression. I don't even have to ask what's wrong because I know it's the last thing I want to hear.

"Marleigh," He says. I think it's the first time he's ever talked to me like I'm a person with feelings and not some teenager causing chaos on his island.

I'm nauseous. My heart is thudding against my chest so heavily I think it might crack a couple ribs. The blood running through my veins feels like it's been lit on fire and I'm on the verge of exploding. The dread and the devastation runs through me in half a second and then is suddenly replaced by a blinding white flare of rage.

"You!" I turn on my heels and try running up to Ward Cameron to wrap my hands around his throat, to pull a gun from the nearest agent and shoot him in the head with it, to tear his eyes out with my finger nails. But I'm easily stopped by the millions of agents that surround both of us. They physically pull me away, barely even flinching as I try clawing through them to get my hands on the entitled Kook in front of me. "This is all your fault! You son of a bitch! I'm going to kill you! No - get off of me!"

I kick and scream until my throat is raw and my legs feel weak. Ward is pulled away from me so he can grieve the death of his own daughter. I only stop thrashing around when my body goes limp. My legs are rubber and my head is heavy. I fall to the floor and fold into my knees and cry the hardest I have ever cried before. I cry for the loss of my brother. For Sheriff Peterkin. For the justice my dad will never get. For the gold he's worked so hard to get live on without his name ever being mentioned with it.

I don't know how long I stay on the floor until someone helps me up. They place a windbreaker over my shoulders and walk with me to the tent where my friends are waiting for me.

My heart is a bloodless organ, my head a hollow skull. I can't feel anything from the thinnest part of my fingertips to the deepest emotion in my brain.

I follow Officer Shoupe and two other agents back to my friends like a zombie. I can't even look at my friends because I'm afraid they'll feel the same heated pain that I'm experiencing and I don't want  that.

Shoupe looks at them the same way he looked at me.

"Did you find them?" JJ immediately stands up. He tries meeting my eyes but I keep them focused on the dirt ground below me.

"No," Shoupe says.

"So, they got away?" I hate the hope laced in JJ's voice.

Another crackle of thunder makes me flinch.

Shoupe sighs. "We, uh...we lost them." He looks up. "I'm sorry."

A deafening silence falls around us and I finally look up. JJ's brows are pinched together in confusion and anger, Kie's about to burst into tears, and Pope looks frozen in shock.

"What do you mean you lost them?" Pope asks. "Like they're gone?"

"What are you talking about?" JJ demands.

Again Shoupe sighs. "They took an open boat into a tropical depression, Pope."

"So they're dead?" Pope asks.

"We don't know."

JJ snaps. He takes a threatening step towards the set of officers and points an accusatory finger at them. "You drove them through the storm, man! Are you kidding me? Come here!" It takes two agents to pull JJ away from Officer Shoupe. "I'm gonna kill you."

I don't even react to the outburst because I can't. I can't feel anything other than my own teeth clattering together and my lip quivering with the threat of a new round of tears.

"JJ, stop!" Kie tries to calm him down through her own sobs. But even I know, she's wasting her breath.

"I'm gonna kill you, you bastard!"

"Hey!" An agent scolds him.

"You killed him! He didn't kill anyone and you know it!" Pope yells along with JJ. He doesn't try to attack like the blonde, but he makes sure to get as close to Shoupe as possible.

Shoupe sighs. "We're still looking for him, all right?"

"Pope. Pope, just stop!" Kie pleads. She grabs onto Pope's arm and pulls him closer into her body. "Please, stop."

When JJ proves he's calm, he pulls me into him and holds me tight against his chest. I wrap my arms around his waist and let myself fall apart for a second time. I cry into his shoulder, not caring about the snot or tears that will probably ruin his second best button down shirt. I grip onto him so tight that I wouldn't be surprised if my fingernails ripped holes into the fabric. He's the only reason I'm still standing on my two feet. I can't feel my legs.

"Pope...Pope!"

Mr. and Mrs. Heyward run into the tent followed by Kie's parents. All four of them run to their kids and pull them into their own family group hugs.

I watch even though the sight destroys me. Kie with her two parents. Pope with his. I observe the way they hold their children, kiss the top of their head, and tell them everything is going to be alright. Pope keeps mumbling about how sorry he is and Kie is weeping into her mothers neck.

They have that and I don't. Not anymore. It's all been ripped away from me like a toddler and chocolate they're not allowed to have.

But it makes me even more grateful for JJ. Even though I hate that he's in the same boat as me, I know I can always rely on him to be by my side. We have each other and even though it doesn't always seem like enough, it is.

There's nothing that I wouldn't do for this man. He's my light at the end of a dark and dreary tunnel. My guide in life to live it to the fullest without any regrets. My life partner that's going to make me the happiest girl on the island one day. I couldn't ask for anything more from the love of my life.

Mr. Heyward looks up from his family moment and holds out his arm for JJ and I to join. JJ and I take advantage of it and let Pope's parents hold us like a parent should, despite any hateful feelings they have towards us for leading Pope down this road with us.

My brother's gone and I don't know how to comprehend that yet. I don't know where life's going to lead me and the future went from being adrenaline inducing to absolutely terrifying. With Kie, Pope, and JJ by my side, I'm hopeful that I can get through pretty much anything.

JJ's my rock and my leader. I will love him until the universe physically pulls him away from me. With him, I'll take on life one day at a time. Each one will be a struggle, but I made a promise to John B that I refuse not to keep until the day I die.

I will take care of this. I will make sure Ward Cameron gets what's coming to him. And I will not let him take anything else away from me. Not even over my dead body.

Taglist: @notyourcupofteax @acvross-the-universe @jjmaybankzz @moniamaybank @realistic-breadstick @urbinoutfiters @jeeperky @brebear121 @x-lulu @freddymaybank @jjpouggues @lemur46 @is-it-really-a-secret @kkmikayla @folkloverr @alexa-playafricabytoto @jjxrudy @migilini @buckysbcrnes @rochyu @itsagurl @dazzlingnights 

[aubreyprc]

open season but make it spicy

open season but Emily and Morgan are the ones being hunted. for @eprcntiss who is very much the sole reason this, and about 27367289 other things exist, everyone thank her for listening to my rambles and my thoughts. It’s hotchniss, of course. (And Moreid, obvs)

ao3

Hotch watches her as she laughs with Morgan, the two of them almost melded together as they sit on the couch on the jet. The smile he sees on her face, it’s one that reminds him of the weekends the two of them had shared together ten or so years ago, back when she was just a carefree twenty year old who came with no strings, no demands of commitment and no drama, back when he was a newly single twenty something, working security while training for the FBI’s new behavioural unit, who happened to catch her eye. They were never supposed to be anything serious, and he’ll never confess to her that she’s his biggest regret. That he wonders sometimes, what his life would be like now if he’d said what he wanted to that rainy day in June, instead of letting her walk away.

He tries to ignore the pang of jealousy that rushes through him as he watches Morgan run a hand over her thigh as he stands, laughing while he shakes his head. They look like they’re having fun together. He should be glad she’s finding her footing here. He has no right to be jealous.

“You’re staring.” Gideon says, looking at him from his seat across him. Hotch’s eyes snap his way, the older man’s words pulling him from his trance and he clears his throat. “Anything I should know?” He questions. There’s no accusation in his voice, just curiosity and a slight hint of concern for one of his oldest friends.

“No.” He says, looking down at the file, doing his best to try and ignore the way he can feel her eyes casting over him for a small moment before Morgan takes his seat next to her, handing her a coffee.

“Okay.” Gideon accepts, he turns his head slightly to look at the newest member of their team, and doesn’t miss the way her eyes quickly dart from Hotch to Morgan just as he does. Looking back at his file he makes a note to himself to watch the both of them more closely during this case, his suspicion around the two of them rising.

Emily forces herself to move her eyes off Aaron when she see’s Gideon turn to face her, she smiles as Derek hands her a coffee, a small thanks on her lips as she tenses under the older man’s stare, before feeling him look away and she exhales, bringing the hot coffee to her lips.

“If Reid focuses any harder on that book I’m scared he’ll fall into it.” He comments, nudging his head towards the genius, reading a page intensely.

“Maybe you should go and save him.” She comments with a raised eyebrow when she looks back at him, watching as he pierces his lips together and drops his head shyly. “The two of you are idiots.” She smiles, she drops her hand onto his arm and he looks at her. “Take the risk... what’s the worst that could happen?” She sighs, squeezing his arm, “I know what it’s like to wonder about the what if’s, Morgan, and I wouldn’t wish it on anybody.” She tells him and he looks at her sadly, before smiling, placing his hand over hers and squeezing it.

“We land in fifteen.” Hotch’s voice says and they turn to face him and as Emily turns, she spies him staring at her and Morgan’s entwined hands before looking away just as quickly, forcing his jaw to relax as he continues, “The police and the Rangers are waiting for us, once we land we head straight to the station before heading off to the sites.” He says, watching as everyone nods and grabs their files. He takes another look at Emily, and their eyes bleed into each other’s for a moment too long until Reid walks between them, breaking the spell they can not fall back into.

She’s making coffee in the station when he comes up next to her. Her whole body tenses when she feels him stand there and her breath catches in the throat, the smell of his cologne over powering her senses and she’s taken back to the hotel rooms in different cities when he had a weekend off work, nights spent in his apartment where they’d talk for hours, wrapped up in each other as they watched the stars from his bedroom window, days spent hidden around town, the both of them acting as though they had all the time in the world. She’s taken back to when she was happy, free. Back to a time before Irish accents haunted her dreams and the cries of a child she grew too attached to followed her around.

Forcing herself to relax, she turns to face him, a small smile on her lips.

“Do you want one?” She asks, pointing to the pot of coffee she was making.

“No,” he smiles, “You’re heading out with Morgan?”

“Yeah.” She answers, pouring herself and another’s coffee. He assumes Morgan and he has to physically stop himself from rolling his eyes.

“Is there something going on between the two of you?” It comes out of his mouth before he can stop it, and the way her head snaps to him he knows it sounded more unprofessional than he would have liked.

“Excuse me?” She says, barking a laugh at him, “I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”

“It’s against protocol for two agents on the same team to -“

“So you’re asking as my boss?” She questions, facing him fully, crossing her arms over her chest. “That’s it?” She challenges, staring at him, he meets her eyes, the look in them almost begging him to say it. He won’t. He can’t.

“That’s it,” he lies, “Would there be another reason?” He asks as nonchalantly as he can and he watches as she drops her head, shaking it with a bitter laugh.

“No,” she says, looking up, grabbing the two coffee. “Of course not.” Her voice is low, hating herself for even expecting a different answer. “There’s nothing going on with me and Morgan.” She tells him, “But even if there was, it wouldn’t be any of your business, would it, Sir.” She spits, before walking off, closing her eyes as she forces herself to not cry. Finding it ridiculous that he still has this hold on her. He made it clear all those years ago he didn’t fall like she did, and it’s fine. They were never supposed to be anything anyway, and she thinks maybe it’s for the best he let her go that day in June. Even if it did land her in the arms of an international terrorist, under the guise of a name she doesn’t even want to utter. A time she looks forward to the day she’s able to forget.

He watches again with an ache of jealousy and a feeling of something he can not explain when she walks off with Derek. He has to force himself not to react as the man wraps his arm around her shoulders and pulls her into his side, the two of them laughing as they head towards their car.

“Are you sure there’s nothing you want to tell me?” Gideon comments as he arrives at the man’s side. Hotch looks at him, watching as the older man looks at him with he can’t figure out and just drops his head.

“No,” he says. “Everything’s fine.” He tells him, heading off in the opposite direction. Gideon sighs as he watches the man walk off, and wonders just what he’s hiding as he follows Emily and Morgan.

The three Agents and the Ranger are walking around the area of the latest murder victim when an arrow shoots from high above them, as if it falls from the sky. The three Agents jump backwards as the Ranger gasps, before dropping to the floor less than a second later. They all freeze, staring at her as she lays there, an arrow rested deep into her chest, eyes staring blankly at them, but then two more are shot towards them.

Morgan turns quickly, grabbing Emily by the waist and pushing them both to the floor, moving them both behind a tree. They drop to the ground as they’re hidden, she’s sat in the middle of his legs as his arms wrap around her tightly, a hand rested lightly over her mouth as footsteps and two male voices head their way. He feels the terror coming off her as they hide and he pulls her further into him, leaving his hand lightly against her mouth to keep her quiet, unsure of how she’d react.

They’d only been partners for ten months, she came off a desk job, he has to take precautions to save the both of them.

Their hearts hammer in a similar beat as the voices quieten and the footsteps fade away and as silence meets their ears, he drops his hand as the back of her head hits his shoulder, her eyes dropping closed as they both catch their breath.

“Come on,” he whispers, helping her off the ground and he stands. He grabs her hand, holding it tightly in his as they walk slowly from where they’d hidden. “Gideon?” Morgan calls as they reach the area. Their hands detangle as he searches for the man while Emily stares at the now murdered Ranger.

“Gideon!” Emily hears Morgan shout and she snaps her head in the direction his voice came from and rushes towards him.

“Is he okay?”

“Yeah it looks like he was knocked out with something. Do you have cell reception?”

Emily pulls out her phone, shaking her head as she looks at him. “You?”

“Nothing,” he tells her with a sigh, “We need to get out of here.” He says, looking around the area, high up on the hills, behind the trees. He looks in the correct area at just the right time to spot an arrow heading in their direction and manages to throw them both onto the floor at the right time.

Emily groans as she hits the floor, she feels the  back of her head hit something hard, as well as something graze her temple. His body half covering hers as she brings a hand off her head, blood meeting her fingers.

“Are you okay?” He asks, looking at the cut on the side of her head.

“Yeah,” she tells him, “It’s just a cut.” He sits up slowly, looking around the area the shot came from.

“Thanks...” She whispers and he looks at her.

“For what?” He questions.

“Saving my life.” Emily smiles, squeezing his fingers and he smiles back.

“Always princess.” He whispers, laughing at her eye roll over the nickname. “We need to get out of here.”

“Yeah..” She agrees, slowly sitting up to next him, her hand still on her head.

As they stand, dusting off the ground from their clothing and while she holds her hand to her head again as she continues to bleed, a branch snaps behind them and they both spin around. Morgan takes three protective steps in front of her as the two men, both holding up loaded arrows stand in front of them.

“Run,” the older one whispers, pulling back on his crossbow as they go to grab their guns and the Agents freeze. Holding their hands up. “I said...run.” He taunts, and Morgan grabs Emily’s hand as he turns and they run.

“What about Gideon?” She whispers as they speed down the steep hill.

“He’s Gideon.” Morgan explains. “He’ll be fine.”

The two run until they reach the bottom of the hill and they duck behind some trees.

“Does this mean we’re the ones being hunted now?” She whispers, before wincing as her temple throbs.

“I don’t know,” He whispers back, “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m good,” she smiles, “Just a small cut.”

“Are you dizzy? Anything like that?”

“No,” she lies, leaning her head against a branch and taking a deep breath. She opens her eyes to find him staring at her with terror and all she can do it smile and take his hand. “I’m okay.”

“If you have a concussion-“

“We wouldn’t be able to do anything about it if I did.” She teases with a smirk and he laughs, shaking his head because she’s right. They’re being hunted in the middle of woods, for christ sake. “What do we do now?”

“We hope the team come looking for us.” He tells her, “And we do our damn best to stay alive.”

After no answer from either of the three agents in the woods, nor the Ranger after an hour, Hotch grabs the rest of the team and a hand full of cops and head into them, his mind running wild with what he could find there, the image of Emily laying dead with an arrow in her chest makes him want to throw up, of course he’d be devastated to lose any of his team but her...he can’t lose her. Not like this.

He runs a finger over his wedding ring as his mind runs wild with thoughts about Emily, about her smile, her laugh, the way she used to wrap herself into his jacket while he still had it on, clasping her hands together around his waist, rest her chin on his chest and look at him with a cheeky grin, a grin he used to love kissing.

He runs his finger over his ring to remind him of what he has. He’s a married man, he can not be thinking about her like that. Not anymore.

The car parks as they reach the crime scene and the lack of Morgan, Prentiss or Gideon is not missed on any of them as they exist the vehicle.  Reid runs straight ahead, ducking under the tape and stopping almost instantly with a gasp that has everyone rushing.

“That’s the Ranger.” JJ says, sighing. “Any sign of them?”

“Nothing,” a cop says, “Maybe they head off into the woods after the Ranger was taken down.”

“Maybe...” JJ mutters, looking around.

They all turn, guns pointed outwards as footsteps approach behind them, but all weapons are dropped when a limping Gideon heads towards them, almost dropping completely to the floor before Hotch catches him.

“He-“ Gideon mumbles before shaking his head as Hotch lowers them to the ground. “They.. Two unsubs.” He tells him.

“Where are Morgan and Prentiss?” Hotch asks him, trying to remain as calm as possible.

“Run-“ The older man mutters again before almost falling back under. Hotch taps his face lightly until he eyes open.

“Where are Emily and Morgan?” He asks again and it’s not lost on the team that he used her first name, something that isn’t even uttered much by Penelope yet, who makes sure to always use first names.

“Hunted.” Gideon mutters.

JJ and Reid look at each other, their boss using their new members first name is forgotten as quick as it happened.

“They’re being hunted?” Hotch asks, looking around the woods.

Gideon nods, before the EMTs head his way and he allows himself to be taken to the ambulance.

“If they’re being hunted they could be anywhere.” Reid says with a slight tremor to his voice. “They could be hurt.” His voice cracks.

“They’ll be okay.” Hotch says, who he’s reassuring, he doesn’t know.

“How long until dark?” JJ asks one of the Rangers heading their way.

“Three, maybe four hours.”

“That means we have three hours to find them. We find them we find the unsubs.” Hotch tells them, trying to act as natural as he can but he feels sick. Physically sick at what they...she could be going through out there. She could be hurt. She could be alone. She could be dead.

They’re all staring at the map on the board.

“They could be anywhere...” Reid comments, worry coming off him in waves. “The woods here are huge and they’re locals, they know the whole terrain.”

“They have to be somewhere.” JJ says, “Look at where all the bodies were found. It all coordinates around this one large part of the woods. That has to be where they are.”

“That area is huge,” Gideon says as he walks back into the room, “They’re hiding in plain sight, but it’s in an area we haven’t discovered yet.”

Aaron looks to the floor, holding back his worry as his heart hammers in his chest. He can’t help but think about what he would give to take her place, to keep her safe and it shocks him, that even after ten years, he would die for her.

He steps out of the room, heading outside unnoticed as he thinks about their quick but intense relationship...he wonders if he could even call it that. He thinks back to their last weekend together when he let her go instead of holding her close.

They’d been doing their thing for six months. Something that started out as easy hook ups after hard days and drinks on the weekends that would lead them right into bed, had turned into nights under the stars in a different city when time allowed it, seeking each other out not for sex but for comfort. A hug. A kiss. A simple stroll with the other felt more peaceful than anything else. They’re six months into their thing, Emily lay in his arms, he’s running a hand through her hair when she says it.

“I got a job offer in Europe.” It’s a whisper, her fingers trailing mindless patterns on his bare chest as she speaks.

“A job?” He asks in the same hushed tone, she turns her head, leaning her chin on his chest as she looks at him.

“Yeah..”

“Doing what?” He questions softly, running a hand down her spine.

“Linguistics.” She tells him and at the sight of his bright smile her own comes out, he moves them into a seating position before clasping his hand on hers.

“Em... that’s incredible.” He tells her with a smile, “That’s what you wanted right?”

She nods, smiling as he laughs happily, cupping her face and kissing her, his heart fluttering when she smiles into it, wrapping her hands around the back of his neck and he pulls her into his arms, her laughter sending a flutter up his spine as he smiles.

“I’m proud of you.” He whispers into her hair, kissing her head.

“Thank you.” She says shyly, “It means -“

“I know,” He whispers, running a hand down her back as she leans back, her face inches from his, he runs a finger over a loose piece of hair, tucking it behind her ear before smiling, “Lets not think about that right now.” He says, cupping her cheek. “This is a good thing, sweetheart.” He smiles and she smiles right back, biting her bottom lip, blushing slightly as she drops her head.

They spend the rest of the weekend ignoring what comes with the job offer. Refusing to acknowledge that taking the job means she will have to move to Europe, start a new life out there and it would be without him.

Instead, they laugh, they talk, they spend it wrapped up in each other. Exchanging whispers and chaste kisses instead of confessions and tears.

On the Sunday night, he’s running a hand through his hair as he walks into his lounge, frowning when he finds her pacing slightly, picking the skin of her fingers.

“Hey,” He says softly and she turns, her eyes wide and she smiles, but it’s the her smile, it’s one that’s forced and laced with anxiety. “What’s wrong?”

“They called...” She says, holding her phone up. “I can start next month.” She tells him and he stares at her, nodding his head as his heart shatters in his chest. He wants to be happy for her. He is happy for her. But that doesn’t mean that the thought of her being four thousand miles away doesn’t make him want to drop to his knees.

“That’s great.” He smiles, forcing his voice to sound as though his heart hasn’t shattered. As if the knowledge that this is it for them, that whatever they are is over, isn’t leaving him with an ache in his chest.

“There’s an offer for the same job in DC, in the same department...” She says, looking at him slightly, before dropping her head and pushing her hair behind her ears nervously. “If I wanted to stay local... the options there..”

“Is that what you want?” He asks, putting his hands in his pocket and taking small steps towards her, “To stay local?”

“I guess it depends...” She says, looking at him, she takes a deep breath, swallowing down the panic, “Do I have a reason to stay?” She looks at him, holding her breath and he stares back.

He wants to say, yes, I love you, please don’t leave. But he won’t, he can’t. Europe is where she wants to be. It’s all she talks about.

How she fell in love with Paris the first time she saw it. How she’d love to venture back to Italy when the time was right, gain some closure for something she wouldn’t tell him about, how she loved the cold air in London... and how could he take that from her?

How could he be the the one that holds her back from her dreams?

“I think you should go to Europe,” he tells her, he sees her mask slip slightly, and he freezes, the pain written over it makes him want to take it back, pull her into him and tell her she’s the one. That he loves her and of course she has a reason to stay. She has him.

“Yeah..” She says, her mask slipping back on almost just as quick as it drops and she smiles sadly at him, “That’s what I thought.” She tells him quietly with a nod, refusing to meet his eyes as she looks around the apartment.

The silence is deafening as they stand there, neither having anything else to say.

“I should go,” Emily announces after a few moment, walking backwards before turning, grabbing her coat from the pegs on the back of his door, ignoring the way he softly says her name as she holds back tears.

“Emily..” He says again and she turns, meeting his eyes for the first time since her question. She waits for him to speak, but it’s obvious that he has nothing to say, and neither does she. What’s left to say apart from goodbye anyway?

“Goodbye, Aaron.” She says, before grabbing her bag from the floor and heading out of his door.

As she steps outside, the heavy rains hits her skin instantly and she take an deep breath, a raw sob escaping her throat as she exhales before quickly running down the steps of his apartment building and towards her car.

As she drives away from his street she can’t help but curse at how stupid she was, to even think he could love her. They’d said at the start that they wouldn’t be serious, a little summer fling and she always knew they’d end badly. She fell for him some time during month three, and she had spent the final three hoping that maybe he did too. Learning that he didn’t shatters her more than she thought possible, and the dam breaks as soon as she’s home, stood in a burning hot shower as she realises she’ll probably never see him again, and a sob erupts from her chest as her back hits the wall of the shower as she accepts that he never even loved her either.

He stands staring at the door as it shut behind her for what feels like hours, he curses under his breath and runs a hand through his hair, before rushing towards his door and opening it, the rain makes him pause for a second, he goes to shout her name just as her car door shuts, and as he stands in the rain on his front step, he watches her drive away from him and he feels his body ache with the thought that that’s the last time he might ever see her, that after six months of them being the happiest he’s ever been, they ended like that. He collapses onto his couch as he fills with regret, and he wonders if letting her go was the best decision, if allowing her to live out her dreams at the cost of his happiness was worth it. He wonders if never telling her he loves her would haunt him forever. He assumes it will as a tear rolls down his cheek.

“Hotch.” Gideon says for the fourth time, slapping the man gently on the shoulder and it pulls the man out of his thought with a jump and he turns, cleaning his throat and he faces the man.

“You and Prentiss...What’s going on there?” He questions, Aaron opens his mouth to speak when Gideon holds up a hand, “And don’t tell me it’s nothing, I might have a concussion but I’m not stupid.” He tells him.

“Nothing is going on..” He mutters, “We have...a past.” He explains and Gideon nods.

“You worked for her mother, right? About ten years ago?”

“Yeah.”

“And you and Prentiss...” He says, and Aaron nods.

“It ended..pretty badly.” He tells him, looking to the ground, “I guess it’s still pretty raw.”

“For her or for you?” Gideon asks, looking at his friend and Aaron sighs.

“For the both of us.” He says, putting his hands in his trouser pockets.

“Does Haley know about her?” And the silence Hotch gives him is an answer in itself. “Is there a reason for that?”

“I’m not cheating on my wife, Gideon.” He tells him and the other man nods.

“Maybe not physically,” He tells him, “But emotionally...” He says and Hotch stares at him with anger and the older man stares directly at him. “You’re out here pacing a hole into the pavement because your ex girlfriend is being hunted in the middle of the woods..”

“Two members of our team-“

“So you would be out here pacing like this if it was Reid and Morgan? JJ and Reid?” He asks and Hotch looks at the floor because even though he cares for his team, thinks of them as family, he would be more controlled than this. More put together.

“You’re in trouble, Aaron.” He tells the man honestly, “Loving two women never ends well.”

“I don’t-“ He starts, but stops when Reid and JJ, along with a handful of cops run towards them.

“They’ve found a body.” JJ says, “Female. Dark hair..” She says and it’s obvious in her tone about who she thinks it is and it takes all of his strength to not hit the floor.

“Let’s go,” Gideon says, watching Reid run towards the car at a speeds he’s never seen the man use before and JJ follow behind.

“Look at me,” Gideon tells Aaron, who’s staring into space. “Aaron.” His eyes snap to his friends and Gideon claps a hand over his shoulder. “It’s not her.”

“How do you know that?” He whispers, the thought of loosing her making him want to throw up.

“Because Morgan would protect her with his life, you know that,” He says, “He’d die before he allowed anyone to lay a hand on her.”

Aaron stares at the man, terror written in his eyes.

“They’re armed, they’re skilled and they’re okay.” He tells him, “It’s not her.”

As they head to the scene, Gideon sends a prayer that they aren’t going to find Prentiss dead in the woods, because he doesn’t see Aaron getting over that, he doesn’t see how he could. The one that got away is one that haunts you forever, and getting a second chance and loosing it just as quickly? He couldn’t imagine anything worse.

Emily sighs as they walk, pausing as dizziness takes over her and Morgan stops at her side, taking her hand in his own as he stands in front of her.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” He asks worriedly, eyeing the cut on her head. “You could have a concussion.”

“There’s nothing we can do about it.” She tells him, “Keep moving.” She smiles, pushing him gently and he laughs, stepping backward before turning, watching a few steps in front of her. They’ve walked maybe half a mile when she starts to see stars and she wobbles on her feet, catching herself on a tree with an open palm, bending her head over as a wave of nausea comes over her. Morgan rushes back to her, pulling her hair from her space just in time as she throws up on the ground.

“Jesus, Em.” He says. “You definitely have a concussion.” He’s worried now, because he doesn’t know how bad the concussion is or even how hard she hit her head. They need to get out of here quickly.

“I’m okay.” She whispers, lifting her head up and wiping her mouth, taking a few deep breaths as  she closes her eyes. “We need to keep moving.” She says, exhaling.

“Emily, you-“

“We need to keep moving, there’s nothing we can do out here.” She says and he knows she’s right. He loops her arm through his and they walk, watching their steps and their surroundings and the sun sets behind them.

They’ve been walking maybe ten minutes when they stumble across a recent dead body. They freeze, staring at it before the sound of a branch snapping from a few meters away from them grabs their attention and they look up to find the unsubs staring right back at them. They both duck behind a tree as they get their guns out.

“Do you have a shot?” She whispers and he nods, aiming his gun at the younger one as he pulls back of his arrow and he shoots three times, watching as his body crumbles to the floor and when the older one rushes to his side, the two of them run in the opposite direction quickly, before taking a seat on a few rocks. Catching their breath, he looks at her and he doesn’t miss how pale she’s turning, that the cut on her head isn’t bleeding any less or the fact that she ducks her head, resting it in her arms. He takes a seat next to her, pulling her into him and she laughs, accepting his grip and resting her head on his shoulder.

“So, what is going on with you and Reid?” She teases and the man laughs, rubbing a hand up and down her arm in an attempt to keep her warm.

“Honestly?” He says, “I have no idea. We’re sort of just doing this...I don’t know. It’s complicated.” He sighs.

“Isn’t everything?” She comments, closing her eyes briefly. He taps her arm, shaking her slightly.

“You gotta stay awake, Princess.” He tells her and she groans, the pain in her head starting to pulsate. “Tell me and you and your mystery man, you talked about having a what if..” He says, trying to keep her talking she laughs.

“That ship has well and truly sailed.” She tells him sadly, “Which is why you shouldn’t wait with Reid.” She says, looking at him. “You should tell him how you feel.”

“And if he doesn’t feel the same?”

“Then at least you told him... and you can move on.” She smiles, squeezing his hand

He goes to speak when he hears their names being shouted and they both look up.

“Come on,” he says, standing and helping her up, gripping a hand around her waist as he runs them towards the voices of their team, hoping they find them before she passes out.

He’s out of the car before it’s even come to a stop, rushing out and heading straight to where the Rangers stand. All he sees is dark, wavy hair and the closer he gets the more it looks like her and it makes his legs wobble as he runs. He stops in his tracks when the dead eyes staring back at him don’t belong to her and he doesn’t think he’s ever felt relief like it. It causes a loud exhale to escape his chest as he closes his eyes, running a hand over his face.

“Is it Emily?” JJ asks a few feet away from him and he turns, simply shaking his head in response because he can not trust his voice right now. JJ takes a breath of relief and shares the news with Reid and Gideon, the older Agents eyes pierced directly at Aaron’s as the other man sighs, his whole body visibly relaxing.  

“Where the hell are they?” Reid asks, looking around the large area of woods their standing in.

“There’s another body!” A ranger shouts, “He’s alive. Looks like he’s been shot.” The last word of the sentence causes the Agents to look up, quickly following the man towards the body.

“Is that one of them?” Hotch asks as they spot the man laying on the ground next to a set fire.

“That’s the younger one.” He nods, following behind Hotch as the team head in his direction.

“Morgan?” Reid calls as he looks around the area. “Prentiss?”

“Emily?” JJ shouts, “Morgan?”

“Where’s your brother?” Gideon asks him, leaning over the dying man as Hotch searches for the lost members of their team.

“He’s gone, after the Agents.” He gasps, pointing his finger out in the direction they went in. “One of them, they’re in a bad way.” He whispers, before choking slightly.

“What do you mean a bad way?” Hotch asks as he bends down at his other side. “Which one?”

“The woman..” He chokes out, “She’s...I don’t know. But she’s sick.” He tells them and Aaron feels his heart drop as he looks back around.

“Sick how?” Gideon asks, the man only shakes his head in reply, his eyes falling shut.

“I got them!” Reid screams, before taking off in a run. JJ watches him go, not quick enough to stop him. Hotch and Gideon stand, heading their way. All three have their guns out as they look around for the remaining unsub. Gideon spots him coming up behind Reid and fires, the bang causing everyone to jump as the unsub hits the floor. Hotch takes off in a run as soon as Emily comes into his line of vision, everyone too preoccupied to notice his dire need to get to her.

They’re hid behind a bush, catching their breath when shouts of their name hit their ears. They look up, listening carefully to the shouts.

“Is that Reid?” Emily whispers, her whole body aching as she leans against Morgan for support, his arm securely round her waist.

“I think so,” he replies, “Let’s go.” Dropping his arm and taking her hand, he misses the way she closes her eyes, her body losing balance catching herself and following him quickly. Trying to ignore the call of sleep her body is begging for.

As soon as Morgan spots Reid, the second unsub falling in a hump to the ground, he relaxes and laughs with relief, dropping his head. He turns to Emily and his smile drops instantly as she almost collapses to the floor. He catches her as her body jerks back into life. He pulls her into him.

“Come on princess. Just stay awake. We’re done. We did it.” He whispers and she sighs, laughing slightly.

“God, my head hurts.” She complains for the first time and Derek laughs, kissing the side of her head.

Hotch reaches them just as Reid does and as the genius pulls the man into his arms, Hotch grabs Emily, keeping her upright with his arm replacing Dereks as the two men engulf each other.

Aaron looks at her, cupping her chin with his hand as he inspects the injury on her head and she frowns in confusion, her breath hitching in her throat for another reason other than her concussion.

“Are you okay?” He asks softly, running a thumb over her cheek as he looks at her. Her eyes stare into his as she smiles.

“I’m okay.” She says, her skin burning under his touch. His eyes move from hers to the cut on her head. “I think I have a concussion.” She tells him and his eyes snap back to hers, his face a look of worry.

“There’s an ambulance waiting at the top.” Gideon says and it snaps the moment. Emily moves away from his touch as his hand drops from her face and he would have let go of her completely if she didn’t sway on her feet slightly as they started walking. He stares at the team all walking in front of them before he wraps his arm around her waist again, holding her up. She moves her head to the side to look at him, her small smile making his entire body flutter like a teenager.

“Thanks.” She whispers. He wraps his other hand in hers and doesn’t miss the way her body relaxes into him. It makes him almost smile, that even after all they’ve been through she still trusts him like she did at the start.

He walks them slowly up the hill, his fingers running against her hand as they do. Once they’re at the top they can’t help but notice the burning stare Gideon is giving them and she pushes away from him slightly, heading towards the EMT’s who greet her with a smile, helping her take a seat on the chair in the ambulance.

She has a concussion, but other than that she’s lucky, is what they tell her as she signs this discharge papers. He watches as JJ smiles towards her, guiding her out and can’t help how much he wishes it was him taking her home, him wrapping his arms around her, he just wishes it was him.

“You know what you’re going to do yet?” Gideon asks as they head out of the hospital just behind Reid and Morgan.

“About what?”

“About her.” He says, pointing his head towards the smiling brunette as she leans against the SUV with JJ.

“There’s nothing to do.” He tells him, “I’m married.”

“Okay then.” The older man says, “Let’s get out of here.”

He watches her on the jet as she sleeps, the rise and fall of her chest his only comfort as he completes the report. A strand of hair falls onto her cheek and his fingers itch to brush it back behind her ear, he craves to be back ten years, where he could reach out and touch her whenever he wanted. Kiss her whenever he wanted. He takes a deep breath when he spots Morgan’s hand come across her face to brush the hair away and his body aches with jealousy as he looks away, forcing himself to focus on anything else.

What he doesn’t expect is for her to be at his office door that night.

“Hey,” he smiles as she walks in, “Shouldn’t you be heading home?”

“I am,” she says, “I just..wanted to say thank you for earlier. For helping.”

“Of course.” He says, “How are you feeling?”

“Tired.” She laughs, “It’s been a long day.”

He laughs in response, agreeing with her.

“I should apologise, about asking you about your relationship with Derek. You’re right. It’s none of my business.

“Emily shakes her head, “It’s fine,” she smiles. “You were doing your job. Two Agents -“

“I wasn’t doing it because it’s my job, Emily.” He tells her. Emily closes her eyes as she takes a breath.

“Aaron,” She whispers, opening her eyes to look at him. “Don’t. Please.” She asks, “It’s too hard, okay?”

“Okay.” He accepts, before shaking his head because, no, he has to talk to her about this. “Emily-“

“Aaron.” She says, “Please.” She begs, “You’re married. I cant do this with you. Not again.” She sighs, “It was a bad idea then and it’s a bad idea now.”

“We were never a bad idea, Emily.” He tells her and all she can do is stare at him, her mouth agape as his words hit her. “Sometimes I wish I’d stopped you walking out of the door, told you there was a reason for you to stay."

“Why didn’t you?” She whispers, tears forming in her eyes as she comes to terms with with what this means for her. For them. 

“Europe was where you wanted to be.” 

Emily shakes her head, “No,” she smiles sadly, wiping her tears just as quickly as they fall, “I wanted you.” She whispers painfully, dropping her head to the floor. 

There’s silence then, as what could have been runs through their minds like a snippet of their dream life. 

“I wish I’d stopped you.” He whispers, holding back his tears. 

“I wish you’d stopped me.” She replies, a sad smile on her face as a tear rolls down her cheek.

 “Good night, Aaron.” She says after a few moments, turning and walking out of his door. 

He’s hit with a wave of shock as he realises he wants to stop her from walking away just as much now as he did ten years ago. 

[rampantbeast]

The Murder of Anne Marie Fahey

Anne Marie Fahey of Wilmington, Delaware, had had a turbulent, parentless childhood. When she got selected to be the Appointments Secretary for the Governor of Delaware, it was presumed that her life would take a turn for the better.

Thomas Capano, a wealthy and politically involved attorney (the Capano family-owned multi-millions worth of real estate), started a sordid affair with the charming, attractive, and also 17-year-younger, Annie, after spotting her at the governor’s office.

This affair with this narcissistic and controlling millionaire cost her her life. Her diary entries spoke of great pain and misery.

Rich But Manipulative

Tom Capano, like the textbook rich admirer, would gift her clothes, shoes, a TV, books, cash, and appliances and even offered to buy her a car and an apartment. For any young woman on a $30,000 per year salary, his attentions would be flattering.

Undeterred by the fact that he was married, Anne Marie realized too late what sort of a man she was dealing with. She wrote in her diary:

“I allowed someone to take control of every decision in my life … a controlling, manipulative, insecure, jealous maniac.”

He would use his wealth, age, and power to tell her what to wear, what to eat, and who to associate with.

Jealousy Takes Over

Unhappy in her relationship with the millionaire, Anne Marie reportedly started an affair with another man, 31-year-old executive, Michael Scanlan. While Capano was a serial womanizer and had countless affairs with other women, he couldn’t tolerate Anne Marie’s love for someone else.

She had broached the fact that they should break up to him, who, unable to deal with rejection and unwilling to lose control, shot her and got rid of her body. Strangely, Anne Marie kept her relationship with him a complete secretfrom her family and the man she was seeing- which would prevent immediate suspicion on Capano when she disappeared.

Dinner Date Before the Murder

The last time Fahey was spotted in public was with Capano, who had taken her to a trendy restaurant in Philadelphia called Ristorante Panorama. The night of June 27th, 1996, she met him after an email conversation. Both their tones in the e-mails indicated no unfriendliness at all.

This was very different from the beseeching and furious phone calls he had made to her when he found out about her affair with Michael Scanlan. In one email, Capano seemed willing to talk it out with her and end the affair amicably. It was these countless e-mails and the notes her sister found in her diary that would give investigators a clue as to who was behind her disappearance.

Anne Marie Goes Missing

The staff at the restaurant reported that Anne Marie had looked haggard, tired and confused. Capano was domineering, intimidating and would order her meal for her. Neither of them ate much and barely spoke to one another.

By June 30th, when Anne Marie did not show up to her job, her dinner appointment with the man she loved, and didn’t answer any phone calls, her family was swift in calling the police. A missing report was filed, and her apartment was searched. It was uncharacteristically messy, a dress was lying, waiting to be put on, and some grocery was unpacked. Her purse was still home and her car was still parked outside.

Manipulation to Murder: A Web of Lies and Deceit

Capano and Anne Marie’s credit card records were analyzed by the FBI, who had gotten involved because the case spanned two states- Delaware and Pennsylvania. They uncovered a strange purchase of new carpets at Wallpaper Warehouse made by Capano two days after Fahey went missing. The $308 had been used to purchase a rug- police suspected foul play.

Had Capano rolled Fahey’s dead body in the old carpet and thus needed a new one? Capano had requested his housekeeper to not come in for work for a week after the disappearance, and when she did return, she found a love seat and old carpet missing. He had also reportedly inquired about blood-removing products at a local store.

Capano’s shifting stories about the night of the dinner and his behavior, finally made the police search his house. They found two splotches of dried blood- the DNA would later match Anne Marie’s.

Testimony from a site manager further stirred police suspicions; Capano had ordered 4 large dumpsters at a site to be emptied when they weren’t even full. Capano’s brothers sided with him. Thepolice suspected that one of them at least was involved in the murder or the cover-up.

The Brother’s Involvement

Gerry Campano, Tom’s brother, had reportedly sold his boat, and the buyer reported to the police that it had been sold without anchors. With months quickly passing, the police needed a quick lead. They decided to surveil Gerry, collecting information on his illicit drug use and weapon possession.

The FBI raided his house to find several firearms and cocaine in his 3-year-old son’s closet. They offered Gerry a plea deal instead of charges of child endangerment and drug possession.

The plan worked like magic- Gerry admitted that Tom had sought his help in disposing of a body. He told the police that Tom had wanted an extortionist dead, and had borrowed $8,000 and a gun from him. He had returned the gun a month later. Gerry hadn’t seen who the body belonged to when Tom told him he needed the boat on the morning of June 28th, 1996.

A huge marine cooler contained the bodyof Anne-Marie, which was then chucked into the ocean. The cooler would float atop the ocean, and Tom was not having any of it. He took the body out from the cooler, weighed it down with the anchor from the boat. Gerry’s story would corroborate the dumpster-emptying story- the dumpsters contained a couch with bloodstains.

Patterns Emerging — An Unusual Case

This murder case relied more on theory than on evidence. Prosecutors theorized that Capano had brought Anne Marie to his place, where she had waited, unsuspecting, on the love seat. He then shot her, contacted Gerry in the morning to dispose of her body, and then covered his tracks. For the beginning of the trial, the prosecution had no murder weapon, no body, and no witnesses to the crime except Gerry, who hadn’t seen the corpse’s face.

A final, essential piece of evidence would be found by a New Jersey resident, who discovered a cooler, floating in the river and collected it for his use. The cooler had bullet holes from when Tom had tried to get it to sink, and had bloodstains on it.

The barcode on the cooler was a match with the receipt of the cooler Tom Capano had bought some months ago- the prosecution had damning evidence. Many testimonials would help create an airtight case against Capano. The cooler had red fabric stuck in it- a red dress was missing from Fahey’s house.

A Solid Case Against Capano

Restaurant staff were called in to tell how both Fahey and Capano had been acting- she was visibly distressed and he was intimidating. The defense argued that Anne Marie could not have wanted to break up with him as badly as she let on because she continued to accept gifts from him. He, therefore, did not have any reason to kill her.

The prosecution said that she was too scared to break up their affair- Capano had a history of not taking no for an answer. The FBI had a report regarding Capano threatening, stalking, and harassing a female legal intern who had rejected his sexual advances. Close associates also reported that he was a serial womanizer and was very entitled when it came to women responding to him the way he wanted to.

Capano’s shifting stories made him a prime suspect in the eyes of everyone. He once said that the blood on the love seat that he dumped was from Fahey’s period, and then said that she had tried to slit her wrists on the seat. His flummoxed attorneys would constantly ask him to stop changing his stories.

Juries, Trials, and Death

There was no doubt that Capano was responsible for the disappearance and murder of Anne Marie Fahey. The 12-person jury came back with a guilty verdict for first-degree murder on January 17th, 1999, 11–1. Capano was sentenced to death on March 16th,1999.

Since the jury was not unanimous in their decision for the death penalty, Capano’s lawyers appealed for a change in the sentence. The obstruction of justice, premeditation and planning, and ‘statutory aggravation’ in the case was considered sufficient grounds for a death sentence. Execution for a murderer in a case with no murder weapon, no witnesses, and strangest of all, no recovered body was pretty untraditional.

Capano remained in custody, and his death sentence was overturned to life imprisonment in 2006. This was the result of the US Supreme Court ruling in Ring v Arizona, adopted by the state of Delaware. In 2011, he died from a cardiac arrest

My sympathy and love goes out to this poor girl. She should have been able to live a full life, but that was brutally taken away from her.

[angelofthebau]

Your Majesty [Part One of Three]

Aaron Hotchner x Female OC/Reader

Word Count: 3204

This town is full of gangs, it always has been, but one woman is in charge of them all. When the BAU team are called onto a dangerous poisoning case, the PD captain tries to reject their help. But the team aren’t leaving, and they’re going to be dragged into a bizarre town with a interesting queen who seems to have taken a shine to the BAU Chief.

Angel Note: I already began this story using smaller parts, but the second part somehow got deleted (thanks Tumblr). So I’ve rewrote it. I am still taking my Tumblr break, but this was a request that I really wanted to do.

        Jet briefings were always the worst. They meant that time was of the essence, an unsub desperately unravelling further at each moment, but the case that the BAU were about to be thrown into was far more complex and dark than they could have initially thought. True, it was already dark enough - as Penelope Garcia explained over the video feed from back in her ‘cave’ in Quantico - three children and two teenagers dying of mysterious causes, all in quick succession, with no link between them available to see at the local PD’s surface view.

     ‘Eight year old Susanna Rose, six year old Jaxon King, eleven year old Jessica Baker, sixteen year old Michael Barren and nineteen year old Austin Rivers. All lived in different parts of town, Susanna and Jaxon went to the same school, Jessica went to a different school just outside of town. Austin worked at a gas station and she still lived with her parents, and Michael was in high-school with no job,’

     Going back and forth over the case file, agents Prentiss, Jareau, Rossi, Morgan, Hotchner and Dr Reid threw around possible links and early theories. The possibility of an unknown disease was thrown out by the local PD, due to none of the family members from the victims’ households becoming sick. An interesting toxicology report on Susanna, Jaxon and Jessica found an unusual concoction of substances within their system. The ME was still finishing their report on Austin and Michael, but they were betting the same mixture would show up too. A lethal, rare compound of chemicals that created havoc on the human nervous system and causing the body to attack itself, eventually shutting down completely. A poison.

    “We’re landing,” Hotch interrupted the conversation, hushing it to a silence as the plane descended.

     “Detective Mills, it’s a pleasure to have you here,” Mills greeted the two agents with an outstretched hand as they walked into the precinct. He was met with a firm handshake from the BAU chief.

     From the back of the precinct, Captain Halloway happened to glance up from the case file, catching the end of Mills’ handshake with a stranger. A suit. Tailored. Serious. FEDs.

     “SSA Hotchner and Jareau,” Hotch spoke lowly, accepting the formality. “The rest of my team are with the ME and the latest victims’ family,” 

     “Mills,” Halloway bellowed, striding over to his detective and the two FEDs, a scornful look plastered on his features. 

     Mills flinched as the Captain stopped beside him, facing the agents.

     “Captain Halloway,” He introduced himself. “I’m sorry, Agents. We have this case handled,” Halloway spoke sternly, before turning towards Mills. “What did I tell you about calling the god-damned FBI?”

     Mills’ mouth fluttered open and closed, like a fish, as Halloway stared him down.

     “Sir, with due respect, this case is incredibly time-sensitive and my team has agreed to be at your disposal,” Hotch interrupted, sensing the tension.

     “This is still your case, we are just here as a resource to stop more people from being killed,” Jareau soothed.

     “No-one else is going to be killed, agents. Apologies for your wasted journey, but things are under control here,”

     “Captain, how can you be sure that you have this handled?” Hotch questioned, his arms crossed against his chest, his face smouldering.

     “Agents, you don’t know this town. I can assure you, this is being taken care of,”

     “Why is there information missing from your case file? Surely, if this case is being taken care of, then you have a suspect, or a lead, or something more than what’s in this file,” 

     JJ held up the dull, thin file. Halloway took a sharp intake of breath, staring up at the ceiling to compose himself for a second.

     “Please, Agents. Go home,” He mumbled, trying to sound as authoritative as possible, but he knew he was in a difficult territory. The FEDs would never back off from a case like this and the precinct truly had no leads or suspects as such. Halloway had a secret weapon as such - not enlisted by him, but someone that he knew would put an end to the killings. Someone who was better at catching a killer in this town than the cops were.

     JJ and Hotch stood still, showing no signs of moving at all, and bore a glare into Halloway.

      Halloway shot a scowl towards Mills. Mills shrank into himself further.

      “Do you want to start a fight with the Queen?” Halloway spat at Mills.

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     “So, what’s with the Queen business?” Rossi asked as soon as he entered the conference room that Halloway had reluctantly given the BAU, Prentiss following behind. Morgan and Reid were already in the room, relaying information from the ME report to Hotch and JJ.

      Hotch looked up from his casefile.

      “Something’s not right about the case,”

     “Mills clammed up as soon as Halloway got close to him. Something’s happening, but we’re not sure what yet,” JJ added.

     “Corrupt cop maybe?” Prentiss offered, but Hotch shook his head.

      “He’s allowing us to stay on the case. Why would a corrupt cop do that?”

     “To avoid suspicion?”

      “But who’s the Queen?”

       Halloway opened the conference room door, just catching Reid’s question as he entered. The agents became silent, watching his every move. He exhaled loudly, shutting the door behind him. He drew the blinds in the conference room and flicked on the huge screen at the back of the room, remote in hand.

      “This town is gang territory. It has been for years, most of our cases were rival gangs fighting over turf. Usually open shut investigations, until five years ago,” He began. He pressed a button on the remote, illuminating the screen with three group photographs, with each photograph titled by gang name.

     “There are more gangs, but these three are the main groups that run in this town. Caana, Arc and Silver. Caana…”

       Halloway clicked the button again, showing a collage of photos of at least twelve different people, some mugshots - some candid.

        “They’re the oldest. Dating back to before this town was really a town. Drug smugglers mostly, forever thinking they’re a cartel but they’re just drinkers and fighters now, with the occasional pill selling,”

         He switched the screen again, showing another collage. Only five people, all candid shots.

        “Arc are clever bastards. Own half of the town, cooked their books, ran an on-ground black market operation. We’ve always been two steps behind them, and they’re in and out of the town regularly,”

     “Past tense?” Reid wrinkled his nose. Halloway nodded.

     “They’ve never been tied to any of our old cases themselves, but Arc get the blame for most of Caana’s fighting with…”

         The next screen was a huge collage, over thirty different people. Only one mugshot.

       “Silver. Silver are the worst. These guys are into everything. Half of them came from The Silk Road collapse, huge dark net presence. We suspect some hitmen run with them too,”

     “Why was the government never notified of these gangs?” Morgan asked, chewing on the end of his pen. Halloway shook his head.

     “Five years ago, our cases slowed. Calls about Caana’s bar-fights stopped. Arc’s name stopped being mentioned. Most of the members of Silver seemed to drop from the face of the earth. The black market stopped - everything just seemed to halt. We found out that there was a hierarchy controlling all three of these gangs, keeping them out of trouble with the law and calming down their rivalries. The gangs started keeping to themselves, Arc even improved the community significantly. We knew they wouldn’t just stop their activities, another group had to be controlling them and covering them all up. But the town became more peaceful and we hadn’t had a homicide case hit our desks until now,”

     “So which group was overseeing them all?” Hotch asked.

      “Not a group. One woman,”

      “The Queen?”

       “A few gang members from Caana mentioned ‘Queen’ if we ever spoke to them. It was always ‘Queen will handle it’ or ‘Queen will punish’. Almost biblical, in a sense,”

      Halloway clicked to the final slide. There was only one photo, it was candid but the woman’s features were clear enough.

      “Elizabeth Tatiana Leighton. Known as Tate Leighton. We ran into her three years ago…I ran into her three years ago. She’s the Queen. She runs all three gangs. She stopped the rivalries, she oversees every single thing that the gangs do. I have no idea what she holds over them, she has no one else by her side, but she controls every member. She’s ruthless,” Halloway paused to look at the photograph, a ghost of a smile flickering in his face.     “But, in a way, she’s on our side. The activity from the gangs went cold years ago, no-one knows what they’re doing now or if they’re even operating anything anymore. There’s only been one altercation since she took control. From what I heard, the members involved in the feud were scared onto the straight and narrow by her,”

      “So you can’t track anything to her?” Prentiss asked. She was almost in awe of Tate.

      “No. A note was on my desk a few days ago, just before the first body was found,”

       Whilst Halloway dug into his pocket, searching for the note, Hotch stared at the screen. He memorized Tate’s face, noticing the youth in her features. She must have been only twenty-something. He wondered how she got into this business, and how she controlled so many people.

      “It is under my control. Accept my grave condolences to the families of the victims. I do not tolerate killing of innocents, especially children. I am taking care of this. Do not follow this up. I will give you my word when everything is clear. I will pay for the victims to be remembered. Signed, Majesty,”  Halloway read. The team were stunned silent for a moment.

     “So, we have a young woman in control of three dangerous gangs. She has morals and a rule-book,” Rossi commented.

     “The issue is, we can’t leave this case alone,” Morgan sighed.

      “Why not?” Halloway asked in worry.

     “I have a feeling that this woman is going to take an eye for an eye to whoever is responsible for this,”

     Mills bounded into the room. He stopped for a brief second, lingering beside the door as he noticed Tate’s photo on the board, before quickly snapping out his gaze.

     “There’s a call about another body,” Mills burst out. Halloway nodded to the team as they all stood up from the chairs.

     “I won’t lie, I’m uncomfortable, but I’m glad to have you here,” Halloway muttered to the room. The agents shot a glance at him, before leaving the conference room.

      Tate was the first to find the body. She hadn’t heard from Olen in a few hours and now his body lay on the beach, next to Caana’s old smuggling cove, unused as a passage for the last decade, in bad shape. She kept her distance from the body, but spent a minute in silence. Olen was a good man. She respected him immensely - he was intelligent and cunning, but understood Tate’s viewpoint in life and supported her from the moment she took over the lowers. 

     When Deacon had come to her only a couple of hours ago with news of an FBI presence, Tate had already set a plan in motion. Her most trusted lowers were assigned to tail the agents, ordered to stay in pairs for their own safety. She only wanted to know what they agents knew, purely to aid her own investigation. Before Deacon had left to begin his assignment, he’d handed her a file, filled with pictures and information on the FBI agents working on the case. She’d spent a good half hour memorising their names, their faces, their accomplishments - trying to find any weaknesses to play with in case the agents turned on her.

     In a way, she wished that she could share information with the law. The poison was called Keltrox, which Silver had acquired from a known gang contact. They’d given it to Tate in order for her to analyse it and create a cure. With the business that her lowers got up to, they pissed a lot of people off - Keltrox was a hot new thing on the market, according to Silver, with a high chance that someone seeking revenge on one of her lowers would use it.

     Sadly, knowing where the Keltrox came from couldn’t narrow Tate’s search, as any of the gang members could have gotten their greasy hands on it - not just Silver. Hell, maybe even the drunkest in Caana had a stash somewhere.

     Tate’s blood began to boil the longer she stared at Olen’s lifeless body. The kill felt personal, as if Tate had been poisoned herself. Innocent people dead, and now one of her most loyal lowers. It was a message, and Tate could hear it loud and clear.

    The agents hadn’t been to the beach according to her hourly reports. Olen wouldn’t have been at the beach unless he had good reason to slip away from his assignment. The killer had to be one of the most trustworthy lowers to pull something like this. Her most loyal lowers knew that Tate would be at the beach, in this very spot, if she was unable to be found anywhere else. It was the beach that she washed up on years ago, on a tiny lifeboat she’d managed to get onto when Alzena began to fail and wreck. The moment that she’d found the freedom that she’d been looking for was completely within this spot - now, there was Olen’s corpse.

     His eyes were still open. She badly wanted to close them, to sprinkle sand over them, to keep his vision away from what would happen now. But even Tate knew that the FBI would find something more within Olen’s corpse, and her compulsion would ruin that chance. She didn’t want to lead them down the wrong path.

     “The call said the body was next to Caana’s cove, it should be just over this hill,”

     Halloway’s voice sent Tate running into a dip in the rocks of the cove, poking her head above to see two agents accompanying Halloway towards Olen’s body. She ducked back down as they drew closer to her, cursing her sandy footprints that she’d left behind. After a few seconds, she ducked her head back up, recognizing the agents as Prentiss and Hotchner. They talked for a little while, their conversation indistinguishable to Tate, until Prentiss left the beach with Halloway. Hotchner stayed, seemingly staring at the ground until his face turned towards Tate’s direction.

     He’d clocked the footsteps.

     He raised his head, locking eyes with Tate immediately. His hand automatically grabbed onto his gun holster, but Tate stood up fully, hands above her head. Hotch relaxed his grip.

    “Tate Leighton,” He addressed her, but Tate shook her head.

    “Close his eyes please, Agent Hotchner,”

     Hotch stared at her for a brief moment, then silently leaned towards the body, gently brushing Olen’s eyes closed. Within those seconds that he turned away, Tate had taken off, vanishing as he turned back to look at her.

     He stayed on the beach for a minute or so, dissecting his encounter with the Queen herself. She looked even younger than she did in the photo that Halloway had shown him. She knew his name. They were being watched.

       What he never expected was her empathy. They painted her to be ruthless and uncaring, almost numb. He didn’t believe that her request to him was a plan to get away, but instead a compulsion of emotion, compassion.

      He made his way back towards the car, meeting up with Prentiss and Halloway.

     “Did you find anything else?” Prentiss asked, opening the back car door.

     “Tate Leighton,” Hotch spoke lowly, settling himself into the driver’s seat of the SUV.

      “The Queen was there?” Halloway burst out.

      “She was there before us, there were footprints from the body to where she was hiding,”

      “Is she a suspect?” Prentiss asked, and Hotch shook his head as he started the car engine.

      “I don’t think so. She asked me to close the victim’s eyes, and then she left.”

      “Huh,” Prentiss thought aloud.

      “She knew my name. She’s watching us,”

       Hotch began to drive back to the precinct. At a red light, just before the turn for the precinct, he glanced out of his window. Tate stood there on the sidewalk, watching him.

      “Thank you.” She mouthed to him.

     As quickly as she appeared, Tate left, losing herself in the small straggle of people on the sidewalk, making her way back to the beach. She called her lowers, checking on their status. They’d heard the news about Olen by now, but were sticking to their assignments. Deacon and Clarke followed the agents to the beach, seeing Olen’s body, and they’d noticed her on the sidewalk, but said nothing about her encounter with Agent Hotchner. It wasn’t their place to ask her. Deacon was slightly worried about what he’d seen, though. He didn’t like his Queen getting involved with law enforcement, let alone the FBI. What he’d seen on the sidewalk - the way she’d gone back to the car to say thank you to Agent Hotchner...it made him feel a little sick.

     Meanwhile, back at the precinct, the team felt like they were hitting dead end after dead end. Sadly, Tate’s work meant that most of the gang’s activities were covered up to the maximum, even Garcia was having a hard time finding out any recent information, and Tate was a ghost in the system. No information could be found on her regarding the last ten years, almost like she vanished during her teens, only to resurface on the beach following a shipwreck five years later, somehow becoming the leader of three gangs in a small, dangerous town. Hotch’s mind replayed Tate’s behaviour over and over again, trying to dissect it further than he already had, but he never found anything new.

     “That’s weird,” Garcia’s voice interrupted Hotch’s thoughts and the team’s conversation over the phone speaker.

     “Whatcha got, baby girl?” Morgan answered.

     “When I was digging into the Queen, one of the things I found was that the boat that she was on when she was at sea was called Alzena - you know, before it was hit by a bad sea storm and she ended up sailing on the lifeboat,”

     “And?”

     “Now, here’s the thing, I was tracking packages into the town to see if anything suspicious had been reported and nothing had - however, there was a package that was sent about a month ago and the address it was sent to was an abandoned building, so it was sent to the posting office because it couldn’t be delivered. No-one went to pick it up from the office and that package was reported missing four days ago by staff,”

    “That could have been the poison,” Prentiss said, looking to the team.

    “Guys, the name on the package was Alzena Smith,”

     Prentiss shot a look at Hotch.

     “We need to bring in Tate Leighton,” He declared, rising from the chair to find Halloway.

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