"... and the victims were all found with cuts on their wrists' and necks in their homes. Garcia's looking for any patterns as we speak." JJ informed the group, I'd made a few notes with some ideas I had come up with in the short time in which she was talking and looked over them quickly while everyone else stood up to go get a coffee. I grabbed my papers and the shots from the murder scene and paced back to my desk. I've been working with the BAU for a few weeks and this was my first major case to be working on and I was hoping to make a big impression during this case, by big impression I mean show of my skills that got me this job; I had a PhD in English, psychology, sociology, psycho-social behavioural analysis and criminology, which my Aunt Penelope said was more than enough needed to make me useful to the team. I dumped the files on my desk and rifled through the pictures, taking in everything captured by the camera. First were pictures of the homes of the victims, in the first two, blood covered the walls and the spaces surrounding the bodies; slit wrists, slit throats, possible suicide but with no motive.
"Rendell." I heard a voice call for me, I turned around to see Special Agent Derek Morgan walking towards me, "Prentiss and I are on coffee run; do you want anything?" He asked,
"Yeah, umm... double espresso?" I asked. Morgan looked over at my papers,
"Sure thing, you still catching up?" He chuckled,
"Not catching up, really. Something just doesn't feel right about these suicides, but I don't know what it is yet." I picked up the top photo; a boy of around 17 years old, hanging by the throat in his closet, only problem was; it looked too staged.
"Now you mentioned it, if I was gonna hang myself I wouldn't do it in the closet." He leant over, taking a good look at the photo in my hand,
"I know right, it looks sort of fake." I commented,
"Hmm," Morgan frowned, standing up straight, "I gotta go get these coffee's, why don't you ask Reid for some help? He's a pro with this kind of stuff." He turned to leave,
"You mean he's a pro with everything." I corrected him. Morgan smiled,
"Pretty much. See you later." I waved a hand in reply as he left, my eyes still focused on the pictures. I placed them back on my desk and leant back in the chair, sighing. I closed my eyes and pushed my dark hair from my forehead, if I was gonna dig something up on this case I was gonna need a hand. My mind wandered to what Morgan said, maybe I should ask Reid. He is the smartest after all, and there's the fact that I've been wanting some time with him too. I'm not gonna even try to cover it up; I have a serious crush on him and have done since I joined the BAU, I don't really know what it was about him; maybe it was his eyes; so dark and mysterious, like he has a constant strain on him but won't show it to anyone, maybe even his soft chocolate hair which naturally bounced into beautiful light curls, or maybe it was the way he could outsmart just about anyone and still find a way for them to be right too. I don't know what it is, just something. And I like it.
I picked up the files and photos of the case and walked over to my Aunt's office where she was tapping away on her keyboard, head in the clouds.
"Hey Aunt Penny." I greeted as I took a seat next to her,
"Hello, my darling little sweetness! How're you finding your first case?" She turned away from her computer and hugged me,
"Well it's... weird. These kids were supposed to have committed suicide but they had no reason, they got straight A's, had a normal family background, two of them had girlfriends. Why would you kill yourself if your life is near perfect?" I asked myself more than Aunt Penny. I looked up at her computer screen, one of the pictures was up on full screen; the boy in the closet.
"Well, I'd be jumping for joy not reaching for the razor." She admitted I scanned the picture, checking every detail possible; as I was about to give up I finally noticed something, "Wait," I looked closer, "Can you zoom in on his hand?" I watched as my Aunt clicked a few buttons and soon enough the boys hands filled the screen. Thick red marks covered his wrists,
"Is that..."
"Friction burn." I answered,
"Which means-" Penelope started, before I cut her off again,
"They were tied up before being killed in a suicidal manner." I concluded, standing up slowly,
We stayed in silence for a moment, thinking it over again,
"Congratulations." My aunt said, I raised an eyebrow, "You're officially part of the team." She smiled. I smiled back before leaving her room to find Agent Hotchner or someone else I could tell about this. Eventually I ran into Prentiss and Morgan as they came back from coffee rounds and told them what I found,
"Have you told Hotch yet?" Emily asked, I shook my head,
"I haven't found him yet; do you know where he'd be?"
"Tried his office?" Morgan suggested,
"Oh, of course!" I mentally smacked myself in the head, for as smart as people say I am, I'm pretty dumb when it comes to common sense. "Thanks guys, I'll see you later." I turned and practically ran to Hotch's office and knocked on the door,
"Come in." He said, I turned the handle and stepped through the huge oak door into his office, "Ah, Rendell, you finding the case ok?" He asked,
"Yeah, thanks Sir. Actually I think I've found something potentially important in the case." I explained,
"Go on," Hotch leaned forward over his desk, obviously interested,
"Well I was looking at some of the crime scene photos and something just didn't seem right about them, so I went to see my Aunt and asked if she could enlarge the pictures so I could see it all a bit clearer and while I was there, I noticed friction burns around all the victims wrists. I don't think these are suicides Sir." I informed him, catching my breath from talking so fast. I do that a lot when I need to say something important. I placed the photo on his desk and he scanned it over.
"You're right." He said, still looking at the photo, "Good work Agent Rendell, now all you have to do is try to make a profile. You may need assistance from the rest of the team." He handed the picture back to me and smiled slightly,
"Yes, Sir. I'll get right on it." I left his office, smiling and strode back over to Prentiss and Morgan who had been joined by the beautiful Reid. My heart began to flutter and I tried my best to keep my cool.
"How'd it go?" Prentiss asked turning to me,
"We got a murder on our hands." I told them, taking a breath before continuing, "Hotch wants us to make a profile as soon as we can based on what little we have of the killer." I informed them. The group nodded before Reid's face lit up, consumed by ideas, he walked hurriedly over to his desk while uttering a 'good job, Rendell' to me. My breath was taken again hearing him say my name; it may have only been my last name but still.
Emily placed a hand on my shoulder; "I got a couple of ideas I need Garcia to research for me, nice find Lia." She praised before walking off, leaving Morgan and I standing.
"How'd you find it anyway?" He asked taking the papers from my hand,
"I just got my Aunt to zoom in on the picture and I saw it." I answered honestly. I heard Morgan talk some more as I drifted off into a world of my own and my eyes wandered over to Reid. He was sat at his desk frantically scribbling down notes, then crossing them out, then writing something over the top of it. I watched as his brilliant mind worked, his eyebrows furrowed and he started to bite on the corner of his bottom lip. Take away the frown and add a cheeky smile and that face could be used as an instrument of seduction when used on the right audience… Well, me at least. My heart began to beat a semi-touch faster at the thought of him looking at me like that, I doubt it would happen but it could, right?
"Rendell." I heard Morgan say, I ignored him, too wrapped up in my thoughts to care, "Lia." He spoke again, and still I kept quiet, hoping he'd walk away,
"Ophelia."
"God, Morgan do you have to use my full name?" I snapped quietly,
"Then do you mind staying on Earth while I'm trying to ask you something?" He frowned and folded his arms across his muscular chest,
"I was, I just… I was thinking about the case." I lied, looking down at the floor,
"What were you looking at Reid for?" He asked looking over in Reid's direction, I couldn't help myself and looked too; he was so beautiful.
"I wasn't," I lied, "I always look to the left when I think." Slightly true, I tend to stare in any general direction whilst thinking about random things, but this wasn't random, it was the most amazing man I'd ever met. It was then that Reid decided to look up, only to find both Morgan and I staring at him. He frowned nervously and looked back at his desk quickly; well that was awkward. I was still looking at him from the corner of my eye while I faced back to Morgan,
"Hey space cadet." I snapped back into life, "Come with me a sec." It wasn't so much an offer, more of a softly spoken demand. I watched Morgan leave down the hallway; I stood there wondering what he could possibly want when I decided it best that I follow.
After a minute of jogging down halls I found him leaning against a wall near the front entrance of the BAU building.
"What are we doing all the way out here?" I asked, leaning on the wall too, catching my breath.
"You like him don't you?" Morgan stated,
"What? Who?" I asked, knowing full well what he was about to say yet still I thought; Please don't say Reid, please don't say Reid, please don't say Reid!
"Reid." And we have a winner.
I faked a scoff, "Pshh, no. Seriously, Reid? So not my type." Lies, all of it, I began to feel my cheeks burn up; hopefully I could just blame my recent exercise for my red face.
"Really? So is that why you blush and struggle to speak every time to see him? You're blushing even now and we're only talking about him." He exclaimed,
"I do not blush when I see him; I get flustered a lot because I…rush around and don't take many breaks… And I'm not blushing right now, I've been running for the past 2 minutes to try and find you." I lied defensively, pleased with my excuse,
"You know you look like your Aunt when you lie." Derek smiled, flashing his white teeth,
"Fine, you got me. But please don't tell anyone, I don't want it getting around." I gave in,
"Why don't you just tell him how you feel? You're a beautiful, smart girl and I'm sure he likes you too." He comforted,
"Did he actually say that?" I questioned,
"Well no but-"
"Well then you can't be sure that he does. It'll blow over when I start going out on weekends."
"Naw come on, don't be like that." He put an arm around my shoulders,
"It's not just this time, it's always like this; I have a crush on a guy and he doesn't notice me or even acknowledge that I exist outside of the office." I slumped onto one of the padded chairs nearby, shortly joined by Derek,
"So make him notice you." I frowned questioningly, "Go up and talk to him later."
"What if he's busy or just plain doesn't like me in that way?" I asked, saddened by the thought,
"Uh-uh, Reid's never too busy to talk; it's one of his specialities." Morgan laughed. I smiled at his joke remembering when Reid was talking at the briefing earlier, getting through the information clearly, but quickly, like he revised what he was going to say for the previous two weeks.
"Even if I did, I wouldn't know what to say, I always get tongue-tied around him, then I get this weird feeling in my tummy like it's about to explode." I admitted,
"Girl, you got it bad." He nudged me playfully, I smiled, "Just do something for him to notice you; wear your hair different, provocative clothes-"
"I'm not dressing like a slut." I defended,
"I never said that." He leant back looking at me as if I had grown an extra head,
"You implied it; provocative clothes you said."
"But I never said dress like a slut and give him a lap dance!" He laughed, "I just meant something simple like wear above the knee skirts instead of below the knee skirts, maybe a button down blouse, something that'll catch his attention."
"What's wrong with the way I dress now?" I asked, nervously,
"Too… covered up." He teased, winking. I rolled my eyes and stood up to leave,
"You're impossible." I told him, walking away,
"Come on Lia! You know I was messing around." I heard him call behind me, I replied using sign language and walked back to the office, all the while thinking about the advice Derek had given me. Maybe the prim and proper look wasn't the right way to go about things; none of the other girls on the team wore it. Instead of sitting down at my desk I grabbed my bag and wandered into the ladies room I always kept a spare set of clothes, it was kind of necessary in this field of the FBI. I took out the small black skirt and put it on, suddenly feeling self-conscious about my legs; I wasn't exactly a slim girl, but I wasn't fat either, I was just well-muscled. After shuffling the skirt down to a sensible length, I changed into a pale pink short sleeved blouse and walked back out of the cubicle. I applied some extra mascara in the mirror; I didn't want to overdo it completely.
When I was comfortable in what I was now wearing I exited the bathroom and walked nervously back to my desk and sat down quickly, pulling out a clean sheet of paper and making a list;
Operation; get him to notice me. I wrote
1. New dress sense. Check.
2. New hair cut? Thought processing.
3. Have a conversation with him. Working on courage.
I was about to think of a number 4 when a velveteen voice came from behind me,
"Well that won't work." It said, I turned around in my chair to face Reid,
"What?" Was all I managed to squeak,
"If you're trying to get a guy to like you, you're going about it the wrong way? You shouldn't change for people, if they can't like you for who you are, they're not really worth wasting your time on." He paused, think about what he was going to say next, or waiting for me to speak, even though I could just about manage to breathe with him here, "If you want him to notice you just go and talk to him." He advised, sitting on the corner of my desk,
"What if I don't know what to talk to him about?" I asked, quieter than I'd hoped,
Reid furrowed his brow, thinking,
"Depends really, do you have any idea what he's into?" He asked,
"Sort of but not completely." I admitted, I wondered how long it would take for him to realise that it was he I was referring to.
"What's he like?"
"Well, he's tall, really smart, usually quiet but talkative once he gets started on something. I know he reads a lot of books." I was describing him subtly so that maybe we could talk for just a few more minutes. I couldn't believe he hadn't figured it out; maybe he's just as dumb as me with common sense.
Reid began to work his brain again, but another emotion I didn't recognise crossed his hazel eyes,
"Maybe you should talk to him about some of the books he reads, if he's that into them it'll definitely start a conversation." He suggested,
"Yeah," I thought it over, "Why didn't I just think of that?" I asked myself,
"A lot of people tend to try and figure things out for themselves and end up missing the simplest things." He smiled. God, I could've melted completely right then and there, but I fought desperately with myself to stay cool. Instead of accidentally saying something completely stupid, I nodded in retaliation, "Any way, I'd better get back to work," Reid stood up and my heart shouted for him to not go, "You look really pretty today." He added shyly, walking away slowly, as if he didn't really want to go. My heart skipped a beat; I struggled for words to form in my throat,
"Oh, umm… Thanks." I blushed like crazy, hoping he wouldn't notice, before he turned back to walk to his desk he shot me the sweetest smile.
Why was this happening all of a sudden? I'd been dying for him to notice be for the past 5 weeks I'd been here! Damn, maybe Morgan's advice was actually helpful.
'For future reference: listen to Morgan more often.' I wrote under the list and cheerily crossed off Have a conversation with him.
I quickly jotted down some notes on what I thought could be the killer's motive and decided to visit my Aunt again, this time, asking if any patterns had been found.
Sure enough Penny Garcia brought the goods and I accepted them with glee.
"What's got you so happy?" She asked suspiciously, I beamed,
"Nothing, just…" I thought about telling her, then realised she was quite the gossip and decided against it, "Nothing." I smiled again, leaving her office.
After a few more hours of tapping on our computer's thinking of possible motives and backgrounds, analysing the victims and drinking lots of caffeine, it was time to go home.
I was shutting down my computer when I felt someone approach me; I flicked the screen off and turned around. Reid stood there, smiling awkwardly,
"Hey Lia." He started,
"Hey Reid." I smiled
"So, umm... I don't really know how to say this," He spoke shyly, his gorgeous eyes darting across the room,
"Just say it." I advised, hoping that maybe... just maybe, today would be perfect and he'd ask me out for a coffee,
"I uh... I kind of need your advice on something." He admitted, moving toward me,
"Sure, what on?" I asked, willing to answer any question he could think of within reason,
"We'll I've kind of been crushing on this girl for a few weeks and I've been dropping hints but I just don't think she gets them, you know? And I thought since you're a girl, you might be able to help me out with what to do." I looked at him, disbelieving it all, earlier he'd been so sweet when he was talking, even said I was pretty, and now he's asking advice on how to get another girl? My heart sank as I thought of a reply,
"Y'know Reid, you're an incredibly smart and amazing guy. Any girl would be lucky to have a guy like you after them. I guess the best I can give is; just keep dropping hints, if she still doesn't get it then just tell her how you feel. She's gotta be completely brain dead if she even thinks of turning you down." I smiled weakly. I wanted to scream at him for unknowingly building my hopes up then shooting them back down to reality before the day was even out. I felt unwanted tears welling in my eyes, "I gotta go, I'm looking after my neighbour's cat, and I uh, gotta feed it. I'll see you tomorrow." I turned on my heel and walked through the door before Reid had a chance to say goodbye, but I couldn't risk him seeing me cry. Why was I getting so upset about this? It's not like I even had a chance with him in the first place, he's way too good for me. He was probably after JJ still, that superficial bitch. I'd tried not to let my instincts come between JJ and me but when we're out of work hours I curse her to the high heavens, she probably did it about me too. I drove to my Aunts house- where I was staying until I found a place of my own- and unlocked the front door,
"It's me." I called out so I didn't frighten her,
"I'm just on the phone sweetness; I'll be with you in a sec." I heard her shout. I hung up my coat and slipped off my heels, relived to feel a flat surface under my feet again.
I wandered into the kitchen where my aunt was sat and grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl, I stealthily listened to the conversation she was having on the phone, and I recognised Derek's voice and smiled to myself, remembering the events of the day.
"Uhh-huh. Okay… Okay I'll talk to her. See you tomorrow… You too, bye." She said before turning to me, "How come you told Morgan before me?" I stopped mid bite,
"About what?" I played innocent,
"About this thing you have for Reid." She squealed, "This is so cute! Have you talked to him yet? Do you want me to drop some hints for you at work tomorrow?"
"No, Penny, if you drop hints you'll just end up telling him everything. And I talked to him earlier, he likes this other girl, it's probably JJ." I was defeated,
"Nuh-uh." Penelope smiled mischievously, "A little birdie told Morgan that Reid was into you." She beamed, enamoured with the idea that Reid and I might actually be a possibility,
"Oh yeah? And who might that birdie be?" I asked doubtfully,
"Oh you know, just a tall, skinny brown haired nerd who kind of likes you right now."
"What?" It doesn't take 5 PhD's for someone to know whom she was describing, "He said that? No way, he asked me about how to ask out this girl he likes. I know he did, it was right before I left the office!" My emotions were all a swirl, I was so confused,
"You are such a sweet naïve child, Reid tells Morgan almost everything, and Morgan's not that harsh to make this up." She squealed again, hugging me tightly. I hugged her back, still sceptical about it all,
"I'm gonna take a shower. See you in the morning?" I half asked,
"You're not gonna eat dinner? I actually cooked tonight." She pleaded,
"Okay, well, I'll see you in a few." I agreed.
After a long hot shower I grabbed some comfy pyjama's and trudged back downstairs following the scent of something good being cooked.
"That actually smells pretty good Aunt Penny"
"Why thank you." She smiled pleased with my compliment. She served up and we made idle chit chat over the freshly made casserole; which was really good, I must admit.
"So, you and Reid-" She started,
"Don't start this again." As much as I'd love to spend the hour talking about his soft voice and deep brown eyes I had a feeling she was just going to poke fun,
"What? I was just gonna say that I think you two would be really sweet together." She put her hands up in defence,
"Yeah, well if I'm not able to boost my confidence enough to even talk to him without blushing like crazy then it probably won't happen anyway." I sipped my coffee, feeling slightly down,
"Not if I have anything to do with it." She gave me a mischievous smile,
"No, don't even... Just don't" I trailed off, kind of wishing that she would talk to him, but not because that would just be embarrassing.
"Okay, I'll keep out of it." She smiled again,
"Well, while you're busy keeping out of it, I'm gonna go to bed, I gotta get up early tomorrow." I put my plate in the dishwasher, and hugged my aunt. "See you in the morning." I said, walking up the stairs,
"Night sweetness." I heard her reply. I smiled, she's always called me sweetness, ever since I was little, neither of us knows why though.
I clambered into bed and drifted off into a blissful sleep, thinking about what might happen tomorrow.
