Author's Note:

Hi! This is a side story to my Criminal Minds FanFic series An Unyielding, Horrifying, Love. Certain characters are from that series, so I strongly suggest reading that as well if you haven't already. Just a warning: this is a bit of a spoiler for that series.

This is going to start out bland and I'm going to be jumping around between perspectives A LOT, but this isn't your usual CM FanFic, and neither is the AUHL series. These focus mostly on the victims rather than the team.

So hope you enjoy the little story I have for all of you!

Savannah sat in the back seat of Miss Peterson's Toyota, watching the sickening swirls of the reflection of passing trees on her window as they drove on to what would be her new home. This wasn't the first time she was being assigned a new place to live, having been in foster care for nearly six years. Six years, twice as many families. This would be the thirteenth one she was being shephered into and expected to enjoy.

Looking away from the window, she took out the pictures of her new foster family given to her back at the agency. Their names, ages, and a little background information were written on the back. The woman, an Aryanna Meyes, was twenty seven and already been a foster parent before. She was a brunette, with a pretty, perfect smile, fair skin, and expressive brown eyes that said something more than the happiness she was supposed to express for the picture. The man, a James Meyes, was twenty eight and new to the foster care business. How all of that worked out, she didn't know, but if the two felt like explaining they would. Savannah wasn't about to pressure an unwilling answer out of anyone again. James was tan-skinned and black-haired with rather dark hazelish-greenish eyes. Both pictures looked professionally done, unlike the others she'd been given, meaning either the foster care agency took them or the two had money, and lots of it. That would be a first for the foster families she'd belonged to in the past.

Another first about this couple was that they had no other children staying with them nor did they have any children of their own to worry about getting along with. Savannah was used to being at least one of two foster children in one foster home, and there were a few instances where she was one of several children in the home altogether, some being the foster parent's biological children. She wondered what this meant would be happening in this new house. Would she receive constant attention? Would she be forgotten? Would she be given whatever she wanted? What was she to expect?

Savannah sighed quitely, looking at her lap. She slipped the photos in her duffel bag - it was given to her at the start of her travels thoughout foster care - and straightened her denim skirt over the teal leggings, then looked at her brown boots for any truly disgusting scuff marks. She rubbed at two before giving up, her thumb hot, red, and raw. She then pulled down her grey tank top so it covered her belt loops and fixed her denim jacket so the back lay flat against the seat, unlike before where there was a large fold causing her discomfort. Once situated, she ran her fingers through her straight black hair absent-mindedly as she stared out the window.

Miss Peterson looked at her in the rear-view mirror. "We'll be reaching the Meyes' house in fifteen minutes, okay?"

Savannah stopped running her fingers through her hair. "Oh. Okay. Thank you."

Miss Peterson smiled. "Mrs. Meyes is well-known and well-liked by most everyone in this area."

"And where is 'this area' again, Miss Peterson?"

"Richardsville, Virgnia."

Savannah nodded. "Oh. Thank you."

Miss Peterson smiled again. "It's near Quantico."

Savannah nodded.

"Oh, Savannah?" Miss Peterson asked, looking at her again in the rearview mirror as they turned down a road lined with white, red, and blue houses.

"Yes, Miss Peterson?"

"I have to tell you that Mrs. Meyes is very close to her family, specifically her half-brother, who I have to warn you is an FBI agent. She moved from Connecticut to be closer to him while being far enough away for them to value their time together. I was informed you may be meeting him today. I figured I might pass on the message to you so you can be prepared."

Savannah nodded. "Oh. Okay. Thank you."

Miss Peterson nodded, then trained her eyes back on the road.

Ten minutes later, the Toyota pulled over in front of a small, white, two-story house with a white picket fence and a nice front porch. The first story windows had window boxes with purple, pink, red, yellow, and blue flowers growing inside them while the second story windows had none. On the front porch was a porch swing, two wooden rocking chairs, and a small ice cream parlor-like table and two matching chairs. One of those chairs was occupied by a young, tan-skinned man matching the image of James Meyes. He wore a light blue collared shirt tucked into tan pants held up by a brown belt. He wore the average brown shoes Savannah saw most men wearing. He didn't seem very threatening. In fact, he stood up when he saw Miss Peterson pull the key from the ignition, grab her purse and briefcase, and open her car door.

Savannah was suprised by how tall he was. She'd been amongst tall families before, but this challenged what she knew to be tall. He had to be...6'5'? She almost didn't want to get out of the car until she heard Miss Peterson laughing as he called to her from the porch.

He's a tall, thin teddy-bear like man, Savannah. Relax and get out there, she told herself as she took a deep breath and opened the door. Instantly she took another deep breath, inhaling the oddly sweet air, savoring it on her tongue. It was like honeysuckle and love, if it was possible to smell such a thing.

Miss Peterson removed a small suitcase from the trunk and handed it to Savannah. "I figured this might be my last time seeing you off to a new home, so I wanted you to have this as a parting gift. I don't do this for all of my..." She had to stop to wipe a tear from her eye. "I'm sorry. I don't usually get emotional about these things. It's normally all in a day's work, but..." She pressed her fingers to her mouth as her eyes creased up from restraining from crying.

Savannah took the suitcase, confused but shyly so. "Thank you, Miss Peterson."

The social worker smiled as she led the way to the front door, her heels clacking on the cobblestone walkway.

Mr. Meyes smiled as he opened the door. "HONEY!" he called inside. "SHE'S HERE!"

A female voice from inside screamed, then exclaimed, "YAY! FINALLY!"

Mr. Meyes chuckled, shaking his head, eyes closed as he signaled for Miss Peterson and Savannah to enter the house.

So Mr. Meyes is a polite, tall, thin teddy-bear like man who loves his wife. So far so good, Savannah thought.

Mr. Meyes closed the door behind them all, then disappeared into the dining room to their right. Savannah took this time to examine what she could see so far of their house, and so far, she was liking it. The room she was in at the moment was definitely the living room, with tan walls and white decals. A leather sofa and loveseat set sat angled in such a way that from wherever one sat, there would be a somewhat-perfect view of the black flatscreen TV in the mahogany entertainment center. A mahogany coffee table sat in front of the sofa with stacks of magazines and a newspaper, a few coffee mugs and cork-and-wood coasters. In front of where Savannah currently stood was a carpeted staircase up to the second floor. To her right was a dining room with walls painted a soft lime green with white trim. A nice mahogany dining table and six chairs sat centered in the room with a cerulean blue table runner and cerulean blue seat cushions. There were several paintings on the wall that looked as if they had been painted specifically for this room, as one was, in fact, of the room, another of the house, and the others were of various items in the room such as the crystal flower vase filled with red and yellow tulips and white baby's breath. So far, Savannah liked what she saw.

A few moments later, a young woman came walking in, a curious smile on her fair face. Her brown eyes were expressive, capturing her unexplainable joy beautifully. Her shoulder-blade-length brown hair was layered, straightened, and blow-dried to the point where it looked like it belonged on the cover of Seventeen magazine, the magazine Miss Peterson said Savannah was too young to be reading but purchased for her anyways. Her lips were shiny coral pink, contrasting from the shirt she wore that matched Mr. Meyes' beautifully. She, however, wore dark skinny jeans and a denim vest instead of tan pants and nothing. Savannah looked down shyly, and noticed the woman wore black high-heeled boots. This made Savannah look back up again at the woman. Everything about her was Seventeen magazine-worthy, but this was Aryanna Meyes.

Mrs. Meyes smile's didn't seem to fade for an instant. "Hi! You must be Savannah. I'm Aryanna Meyes." She extended a thin hand, and as Savannah took it shyly she noticed the French tips and coral pink polish. Her suspicions were confirmed: The Meyes' had it well.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Meyes," Savannah replied.

Mrs. Meyes sighed, her smile no longer showing her teeth. "Mrs. Meyes...I'm still not used to being called that and I've been married now for a year and a half! I keep feeling like my mother-in-law is being called over or something!" She laughed, a sweet joyful laughter that warmed Savannah's heart and brought a smile to her face.

Mr. Meyes smiled, his eyes not leaving Mrs. Meyes' face. "It must be my mother's being a teacher."

His wife nodded. "Yes, I do believe that is it."

A slightly older man stepped into partial view behind the couple, and it was almost difficult to see the resemblance between him and Mrs. Meyes, but it was definitely there in the eyes and nose. He wore business casual well, Savannah decided.

Mrs. Meyes turned at the sound of his soft footsteps. "Savannah, I hope you don't mind, but this is my brother, Dr. Spencer Reid. He's an FBI agent, but don't let that fool you. He's quite the sweetheart."

Mr. Meyes shrugged a little as he added, "And quite the genius."

Dr. Reid laughed. "Alright, alright, you two." He came closer, stopping once he was next to Mrs. Meyes. "Hi."

"Hi," Savannah said shyly.

Miss Peterson shifted slightly, waiting for someone to say something more.

Dr. Reid noticed this, and therefore said, "I hope that my arrival here wasn't too much for you on your first day here."

"No, I don't think it will be," Savannah said politely.

"Spencer? Where'd you go?" said a young female voice.

Dr. Reid's hand flew to his mouth. "Oh, God! Amy, I'm so sorry! Hold on - I'll be right back." With that, he rushed back to what had to be the kitchen.

Miss Peterson turned to Mrs. Meyes. "I apologize. We haven't officially met. I'm Marcy Peterson, Savannah's social worker. I've been with her for the past six years."

Mrs. Meyes smiled, extending a hand, which Miss Peterson accepted quickly. "Aryanna Meyes. Miley Gran spoke very highly of you."

Miss Peterson's eyes lit up. "Miley Gran spoke highly of me? Why, I'm honored!"

Mrs. Meyes smiled. "I'm sure it was well deserved praise. And this is my husband, James."

"Yes, we've already met. His mother and I go way back, so I've been connected with his family since his infancy," Miss Peterson replied, nodding.

James laughed. "Yes, you two went to high school together."

Miss Peterson smiled and nodded as Dr. Reid came from around the corner in the living room, pushing a young teen in a wheelchair.

Mrs. Meyes glanced over at the two then said, "Why don't we join them over there instead of standing here? Can I get you two something to drink?"

"Black coffee's great, thanks," Miss Peterson said.

"And for you, Savannah?"

The girl looked up at the woman's eyes. "Milk or orange juice is fine, thank you."

"Which do you prefer? We have both."

This was unexpected. "Uh, milk is fine, I guess. Thank you."

Mrs. Meyes smiled. "I'll be right back. Make yourselves comfortable!" With that, she disappeared into the kitchen as Mr. Meyes led the social worker and child over to the sofas. He sat in a matching armchair next to the large picture window, Miss Peterson on the love seat next to Dr. Reid, and Savannah on the far end of the sofa, being careful not to ruin anything. She didn't feel like ruining what could be a good relationship by ruining their expensive furniture.

Savannah finally got to look at the girl in the wheelchair and was rather shocked at what she saw. The young teen's brown, wavy hair flowed to her waist, some hanging over her pale, freckled face. She wore brown and teal glasses obviously to help her expressive brown eyes see. Her smile seemed the opposite of her dark outfit which consisted of a black, long-sleeve turtleneck (In the middle of spring? How odd, Savannah thought, but dared not mention it.), dark skinny jeans, and tall, black riding boots. Around her neck hung a silver and gold heart-shaped locket with some kind of engraving on it, while her left wrist had a black brace and her right a Pandora bracelet with quite a few assorted charms. Her wheelchair itself seemed part of the outfit, the seat being cushioned by orange and blue throw pillows that looked handmade, the definitely handmade "backpack" patched together with squares of red felt and majenta and rose-striped fleece and bits and pieces of denim and faux leather and the like, and the possibly handmade, brightly colored, wool blanket the teen was folding and handing to Dr. Reid, who put it in the "backpack."

Once he was seated again, the teen thanked him then focused her attention on Savannah. "Hi!" she said, oddly cheerful. "My name's Amy. You may have heard of me on the news, but that really doesn't matter. I have a feeling we'll be great friends."

Savannah's eyes widened. "Amy...as in Amy Nickhoales?"

Amy's smile drooped at the corners some. "Yep. That's me!"

Savannah's jaw dropped. She was meeting her idol of late! "I...I don't know what to say. I mean, I've never met someone I've heard about before. I..."

Amy laughed. "I can tell!"

Savannah pressed her hand to her mouth to cover her smile, trying to supress her laughter. She had been taught it was impolite to laugh in front of others by her first foster family, as well as many more things. "Do not trust men" was on that list, along with "Never speak unless spoken to" and "Do as you are told and no more" and "It is important to look great everyday because you never know when is a first-impression moment."

Amy sighed, then stopped breathing, her eyes widening. After thirty seconds, she continued breathing, but it was short and ragged, her eyes bugging out from the sockets.

"Amy?" Dr. Reid asked, putting his hand on her shoulder.

She blinked, returning to normal. "Huh?" She met his worried eyes, then looked at her still lap. "Oh. It happened again, didn't it?"

Dr. Reid nodded slowly. "Yes, it did."

Amy sighed. "Sorry everyone. It happens."

Savannah thought, What happens?

Dr. Reid nodded. "PTSD," he said, almost as if reading Savannah's thoughts.

Miss Peterson nodded as Mrs. Meyes came back in holding a small tray. "I understand completely."

Mrs. Meyes placed the tray down on the coffee table. "The times where you wish you had more hands always come when you need to carry beverages!"

Everyone minus Savannah (who pressed her hand to her lips again) laughed.

Mrs. Meyes handed Miss Peterson her coffee. "Coffee for you, V8 for James (how you drink that stuff I shall never know), cranberry juice for Amy, coffee for Spencer, and orange juice for Savannah. I would have brought everyone milk and cream but I just discovered that the store sold me spoiled dairy products, so I'll have to go out and get more. I'll be right back. Let me just go put this away-"

"Hon, sit down, relax. You haven't stopped moving since you woke up at five thirty this morning!" Mr. Meyes said.

Savannah's eyes widened, widening further when Mrs. Meyes replied, "I had so much to do in preparation! Everything had to be just perfect for your arrival, Savannah."

"Perfect...for me?" Savannah asked, shocked.

"Of course! It's been five years since I've fostered a child, so I forget your expectations of us foster parents are so low. Then when I do, part of me says, 'Prove to her that you can be better than whatever she's experienced!' so I go all-out," Mrs. Meyes said, then calmed down some. "But, I'm going to need your help for part of it."

"Oh? Why would you need my help when you've done so much without me?" Savannah asked, no longer following those rules she suddenly found silly.

"Because I want you to be happy," Mrs. Meyes said, then took her husband's hand as she sat on the arm of his chair. "I sit corrected" - she giggled - "we want you to be happy. You are all we can have."

Tears suddenly formed in Savannah's eyes. No one had ever wanted her to be happy before. "I...really? Oh thank you!"

Mrs. Meyes smiled, tears forming in her own eyes. "You are so very welcome. I just hope this is as successful as the last one, but ends on a much happier note."

Miss Peterson nodded. "I highly doubt lightning strikes the same spot twice."

Mrs. Meyes simply looked at her lap. "I should hope not."