Authors note: This little thought hasn't left my mind for ages so I figured that it was about time that I fleshed it out and see what I could come up with. This is set in about season 3, so we still have Emily around and JJ hasn't had Henry yet although in this fic, she is in her early pregnancy. With that said, I hope you like it.
It's Like She's Another Reid
"Morning Pretty Boy" calls out Morgan as he approaches Reid and begins to make a coffee. "What's that? Your third?"
Reid rolls his eyes but smiles as he shakes his head, "Uh yeah it is. I couldn't shut my brain off last night."
"Wow, hey" Morgan says, suddenly right next to Reid and placing his hand on the younger mans' shoulder. "You're not having nightmares again are you?"
Before he has a chance to answer, Emily, JJ, Hotch, Garcia, and even Rossi swarm on him, having heard Morgan's words.
"Spence?" JJ asks worriedly, as she notices that Spencer did in fact look quite tired and somewhat stressed.
"Guys relax, I'm fine. I'm not having nightmares I promise" he finally replies, his hands up in a surrender gesture.
They all visibly relax but Hotch isn't completely satisfied, "So what is it Reid?" he asks.
Stirring his coffee, he sighs as he reaches into his pocket and holds up a piece of paper. Morgan looks at it before taking it and at Reid's nod, he unfolds it and reads out loud.
Dear Spencer,
I'm sure you remember me from when from when we met a few months ago as we visited our Mothers. This is totally out of the blue and I'm sorry if this means that I'm bugging you. Here's the thing, my father won't stop sending me these letters. He hasn't contacted me or my Mom since he filed the divorce and signed away his parental rights when I was 12. It's really freaking me out. He won't stop saying things like 'I have to save you before you get your Mothers' disease' and 'You have to believe that I'm the only one who can save you'. It's so weird you know? After the most recent letter, I called my Mom and luckily she was having a really good day. I told her about it and then I heard her talking to your Mom. Your Mom told my Mom to tell me that I should tell you and that maybe you and your team could do something. I didn't have the guts to call you but I would really appreciate it if there was anything you could do. I know that the BAU can't get involved without being invited by the local law enforcement but even they said that they don't have any leads. I talked to a detective and he said that they are fine with extending an invitation to the BAU cause and I quote 'he sounds like a total nut job and it sounds like a good idea to get those BAU guys in before he goes and hurts someone'. Please help.
From Celeste
The team all look at him as Morgan finishes reading and Reid leans against the counter and sips his coffee.
"When you visited your Mothers? Spence?" JJ asks, her worried expression now shared with everyone.
"Her Mother is a mild schizophrenic who is in the same institution as my Mom, except hers isn't that bad, she would still lose herself in her episodes and that's why she was institutionalised. Our Mothers have become quite close friends and I met Celeste the last time I went to Las Vegas" Reid explains.
"What do you know about the letters?" Hotch asks, now in full work mode.
"You want to take her case?" Reid asks, a little surprised.
"If local law enforcement have already agreed to invite us in then I don't see why not. JJ, do we have any open cases?"
"No, I was just about to look at new case files but the way I see it, this Celeste is first in today so we should make her the first served" JJ replies, her eyes pleading with Hotch to agree with her.
"Conference room, let's go."
With that, the entire team move in unison, gathering their things and heading up the stairs. The moment they sit down, Garcia opens her laptop, ready to start searching.
"Okay Reid, tells us about her" Hotch says, leaving no room for discussion.
"Her name is Celeste, as you already know. She's 23 and was born in Las Vegas. Like she said in the letter, her father left her and her mother when she was 12. Her Mother is a mild schizophrenic whose delusions consist of her talking to characters from the books that she's published, Young Adult fiction mostly, and she's not paranoid. Celeste checked her Mother into the institution when she was 19, she had just finished college. She had found out that her Mother was forgetting to eat because her episodes would last for such long periods. Our Mothers became quite close due to their shared love of books. Celeste has an IQ of 182 and graduated the same high school as me when she was 17 but she could have easily graduated at 14. As a result, by the time she entered college she had already completed two literature degrees and had completed two PhD's by the time she finished" he explains to his colleagues.
"Wow, it's like she's another Reid" Emily says astounded.
"So man, do you think she needs our help?" Morgan asks, his big brother protective side apparent as he speaks.
"From the few times that I've spoken with her, she doesn't seem to have a reason to lie. I know that my Mom has had more interactions with her, it probably wouldn't hurt to ask" he replies, clearly torn on what to do.
"Then do it, assuming it's an appropriate time, call your Mother now to be safe. If she's just someone who has father issues then no time has been wasted. But if she's as smart as she sounds then we don't want JJ to get a call in a few days, being informed that this girls' body has been found when there was something that we could have done to prevent it" Hotch announces, his brow creased in thought.
Reid nods and checks the time before opening his phone and dialling a number, "Uh Garcia?" he asks as the phone rings.
"Yeah?"
"Can you be prepared to record the conversation? Just so we have the option of re-listening to it in case I miss something my Mom says."
"Yeah of course" she replies as her fingers begin tapping frantically.
"Hello? Yes this is Dr. Spencer Reid. I was just wondering how my Mother is today" he says as a receptionist answers the line.
He listens for a few moments before motioning to Garcia to start recording, "Yeah, I would like to talk to her. Thank you."
Garcia lets him know that it recording and Reid decides to put the phone on speaker, "Everyone please behave, I feel bad enough that I don't talk to my Mom as often as I should. Please don't make things worse by teasing and don't say anything. Mom would freak if she knew that you could hear what she's saying" he pleads, particularly to Morgan.
"Hey, no worries kid, until your conversation is over, we're all mute" Morgan says reassuringly as the rest of the team nods in agreement.
"Spencer?" they all hear a woman ask.
"Hi Mom, how are you feeling?" Spencer replies.
She speaks slowly, as if she wanted him to hear every syllable, "You know Spencer, I've been worried."
"What are you worried about?"
"A Mother knows Spencer, you're uneasy about something so I'm uneasy about something" she explains as if it's the easiest thing in the world. "So, what is it that is bugging you sweetheart?"
"It's Celeste" Spencer tells her.
"Marie's daughter? Oh is this about the horrible man that she has for a father. You know he has been harassing her with letters and emails and phone calls. He's even been stalking her while she jogs in the morning! The nerve! Marie has even been getting some horrible, nasty threats from him. You know it's not Marie's fault, I've always heard that her ex-husband was very untrusting. He never believed that Marie couldn't help her episodes, and even blamed her for writing so many novels simply because of her success!" she rants, clearly defensive of her friend.
"I heard, Celeste sent me a letter asking if my team can help her and I think that we can."
"Really? Oh Spencer, I think you should, even those medical people look worried. She was here yesterday in tears, I don't think that she's been sleeping much."
Looking up at Hotch, he smiles when his unit chief gives the nod, "Well Mom, I'm looking at my boss and he's reading the reports that the local police have written" he tells her. It wasn't a lie, Hotch had been looking over the reports that Garcia had sent to his PDA.
"And? Does he think that it's worth investigating?" she asks, a little scepticism leaking into her voice.
"Yes Mom, he's currently informing everyone on my team of what we're going to do first" he says soothingly, in an attempt to calm his Mother.
"Wonderful, that's just wonderful" she replies, her tone of voice turning a complete 180 from harsh to almost a coo.
"Mom, do you know if Celeste is in Las Vegas? If she is, I want to make sure that she's brought to the BAU as fast as possible. I don't want to risk her father trying to come after her, especially if he's been stalking her."
"Oh my baby, always so concerned for others. Yes she is, she told me yesterday that she wasn't going to leave her apartment for a few days, so I'm sure that you'll find her there."
"Thank you so much Mom, I'm sorry that we couldn't talk about other things" he apologises, his face showing how guilty he really feels.
"Now Spencer, you didn't have to call me, you could have just spoken to the medical staff but you chose to speak to me and I was able to hear your voice. I look forward to your letter" she soothes, making her own attempt to calm her son.
Her words worked and he replied with a smile on his face, "I've also sent a book that you should get today, it was written by one of your students."
"I look forward to it, goodbye Spencer. I love you my baby boy" she coos, her love for her son blindingly obvious.
"I love you too Mom, bye" Spencer replies as he hangs up and then turns to Garcia, "Did you get the information?"
"Yeah, Aww she's so sweet" Garcia replies with a smile causing Reid's' cheeks to take on a light shade of pink.
"Yeah, Momma's little baby" Morgan adds, although there was only brotherly affection in his words.
Reid rolls his eyes with a slightly annoyed smirk, "Garcia, can you look up her address and send it to us?"
"Done and done Dr Adorable. While I'm at it, let's have a look at this Miss Celeste" she replies, her fingers seemingly flying across her keyboard. "Okay, full name: Celeste O'Connor, born in Las Vegas as you said with Irish ancestry. Blah blah blah, no point in reading that out loud cause Reid already said it, oh hears a picture!"
Garcia presses the remote for the TV and Celeste's picture appears causing Emily to let out a long whistle.
"Damn" Emily says, clearly stunned, "Beauty and brains. I wonder if she would tell me how she gets her hair like that."
Her words cause the entire team to smile and shake their heads, since Emily had been going through a phase where she had been trying to get her hair to look a little different. They couldn't help but agree with her however.
The picture showed a young woman with vibrant emerald green eyes and delicate features set on an oval face. Her hair past her shoulders in length, auburn in colour, framed her face with soft curls. From the picture, it seemed that Celeste was five foot six in height and that she had a slim build. In the picture she wore a soft green halter necked shirt, blue skinny jeans and black high heeled boots. It was clear by the way her eyes shinned and by her beaming smile, that someone had made her laugh moments prior to the photo being taken.
"I wonder what made her look so happy" JJ mused as she tilted her head slightly and continued to study the picture.
Reid cleared his throat slightly, "uh that would be me" he confesses quietly.
"My man!" Morgan exclaims, "And just how did you do that?" he asks with his signature cheeky grin.
The others chuckle at Reid's slight blush as he says, "some young guy, a visiting doctor student, made fun of her mothers' reading choice, she was reading one of her own books out loud to Celeste, my Mom and myself. All I did was tell him 'If you think it's so stupid for a woman to be reading one of her published works then why do you have a copy of the same novel in your bag, and also, why have you bothered trying to work up the nerve to ask her to sign it if all you planned to do was insult her'."
"Oh yeah, go Reid!" Garcia cheers, "no wonder she's looking so happy."
"Garcia" Reid groans, "I hate to rain on your parade but it's possible that her father is trying to kill her. So can you please put your little fantasy on hold?"
She giggles at him, "nope, I'll just keep it to myself."
"Alright, let's get back on track here" Hotch says, bringing the mood to a professional one. "Garcia, I want you to find out everything you can on her father. Even if it's the smallest thing, I want to know why he suddenly 'cares' about what Celeste does with her life. Pay special attention to medical record and police checks, if it's sealed then un-seal it."
"Yes sir" she replies, closing her laptop, tuning off the TV and heading back to her office.
"Wheels up in 30, I'm going to Strauss to tell her. If I'm not back in 10 then come in since by that point I'll probably need back up" he tells the rest of the team, who nod in acknowledgement.
As they leave the room and head down the stairs, Rossi turns to Reid.
"I know that Garcia was only half-kidding, but is there any truth? Is there something between you and Celeste?"
Reid thinks for a moment as he slings the strap of his satchel over his head, "I believe that we have a friendship but beyond that I don't know. She's not as socially awkward as I am so it's easier for her to settle into new situations and she seems like the type of person to say what she's feeling so yeah, I don't know" he replies.
"Hmm, fair enough" Rossi says, seemingly satisfied with the response.
O~O~O
Once they were all seated on the jet, Strauss allowing the case provided that they took other case files with them, Garcia began telling them about Celeste's father.
"Okay so his name is James Arden. He married Anita O'Connor when they finished their senior year, they were childhood sweethearts, and had Celeste four years later. James worked for a printing company and Anita worked from home as a professional writer. When Celeste was five years old, Anita started showing warning signs that she might have a schizophrenic break, to the extent that the family doctor called in one of his associates, a psychiatrist, who confirmed that Anita had had a mild schizophrenic break already. They said that she was one of the lucky ones as her episodes allowed her to continue with everyday life. She could work, look after Celeste and maintain the house while her husband was working. However it opened up a rift between the couple which astounded many people since he was the only person to have a problem with Anita's diagnosis." she begins.
"They started arguing like real bad, to the point where both Anita and Celeste were rushed to the emergency room by their neighbour when they were found unconscious on their living room floor. Apparently Daddy dearest had a few too many to drink, his system had a low alcohol tolerance and he went all kinds of crazy. Now, prior to this, Celeste and Anita had been skyping to Anita's Mom, who saw the whole thing. The video was enough for James to be arrested. Now, the video, which I have unfortunately watched, shows the two lovely ladies smiling and happy when James appears behind them, clearly drunk out of his mind. He looks as though he's surprised to see Celeste but that doesn't stop him for long. He lunges at Anita and drags her off the chair and onto the floor by her hair. Celeste rushes to her mother to try and help but James back hands her so hard that she goes flying and hit a nearby wall which causes her to lose consciousness. Sadly, Mommy sustains a vicious beating before she looks to the computer screen, blinks twice before seemingly losing consciousness as well. James, checks her pulse on her wrist, nods, says 'You deserve to die' and leaves the house. At this stage, Grandma has finally gotten through to the neighbour by phone as said neighbour runs through the open door. Turns out that Anita was alive and was actually pretending to be dead, Grandma O'Connor and Anita apparently had this thing where if you blinked twice then that meant you were fine. So anyway, they spent two weeks in hospital under the watchful eyes of their protection detail. Celeste sustained a severe concussion and a broken arm, but Anita was bad and I mean bad. I'm talking multiple broken bones, cuts, bruises, internal bleeding from a ruptured appendix which was removed, as well as damage to her hearing and eye sight" she stops and takes a breathe before continuing.
"She was so horrified at what her supposed loving husband had done to her and her daughter that she filed for a divorce which a judge signed off on the second he saw them. Said judge lived down the road from the family and feared for their safety. Once the paperwork had been completed, Anita and Celeste changed their names to O'Connor and moved in with Grandma who lived in a very secure neighbourhood and kept them hidden, however as we know from Celeste's letter which I have confirmed, James signed away his parental writes when Celeste was twelve years old. Anita took years to recover physically but Celeste helped her recover mentally far quicker than the doctors thought. What Celeste did was she played into Anita's mild delusions, asking which characters her mother was talking to and had taken to 'playing' with some of the children characters. The doctors said that due to Celeste's acceptance of her mother's condition, she was able to heal the metal wounds effectively and she was even taken of suicide watched after a couple of months" she finished.
"Well, that explains a lot" Rossi remarks. "How long was he in prison? Surely they would be monitoring his movements and communication."
"James Arden was imprisoned for fifteen years and escaped around the same time he started contacting Celeste again. He found her details while he had his 30 minutes of internet a day. He is supposed to be in jail for another 20 years before he can apply for bail."
"How did he escape mama?" Morgan asks.
"My love, he escaped by pulling the fake suicide trick. Once they had him in the ambulance and outside the prison grounds he 'woke up', attacked everyone around him and ran off."
"Thanks Garcia" Hotch says after a moment.
"I'm here when you need me" she replies before disconnecting the link.
"Reid" Hotch says suddenly, causing the man in question to look up. "I need to know that you're not too close to this case."
"Like I told Rossi, JJ, Emily and Morgan back at the BAU, I consider Celeste to be my friend. I don't know her or her mother enough to be too close. If that changes, I will tell you Hotch, I promise."
Hotch nods, satisfied with what he has heard. "Let's make sure that you get the chance to get to know them enough. Reid, Morgan, I want you to go and pick up Celeste as soon as we land. The quicker she's in our custody the better, the rest of us will go to the local PD and wait for you there."
Morgan nods thoughtfully, "All good Hotch."
JJ looks up from her file, adding, "I spoke with the detective and he has formally submitted an invitation, however he thinks it would be better for everyone that we take Celeste back to the Quantico. I did explain that doing that might make Arden angry, causing him to take his rage out on surrogates but he was adamant."
"That is a real possibility; we should also ensure that her mother has a protection detail" Rossi muses. "He was more than willing to kill her once and was too drunk to realise that he hadn't succeeded. He might try again."
"We'll sort that out at the PD" Hotch agrees. "But I don't want any surprises; Prentiss, call the detective and voice our concerns again, I need to call Strauss and give her an update."
O~O~O
Once the jet touched the tarmac of the Las Vegas airport, it wasn't long before the team were off and assembling to complete their tasks.
"Garcia sent us Celeste's address, and with Morgan driving we shouldn't be too long" Reid jibs lightly with a small smile.
"That's cute kid, that's real cute. Can we go now?" Morgan asks in retaliation.
"Knock it off you too" Rossi chides gently, no real threat in his words. "Go get that girl before she becomes even more scared."
With a nod from both men, Reid and Morgan leave to get Celeste. The rest of the team head over to the local PD and are met by the detective.
"Appreciate you coming down here, Arden doesn't seem like too much trouble but he's been on the watch list ever since he almost beat his then wife to death. How can we help?"
"Were you able to enhance the security at the hospital were Anita O'Connor is?" Emily asks once the detective takes a breath.
"Yes ma'am we did. And Ms O'Connor asked me to send her thanks. She's really happy that you're going to protect her daughter."
Hotch's expression turns slightly grim as he asks, "Have you also seriously considered that Arden may be pushed over the edge when we take Celeste back to Quantico? We have seen in past cases that the stalker will either chase the person they're stalking, kill themselves or take out their rage on random people that remind them of the original person they stalked."
"Yes I have, and I still feel it would be better to take that young lady as far away as possible. Most people around here know her and her mother, personally I don't but I have met her a few times. She's too nice a girl to have her life made hell by Arden. She has a good head on her shoulders, takes care of her Mom and knows her limits. It's a shame that most people are so shocked when they find out just how intelligent she is. Looks can gets you a long way in Las Vegas."
Rossi, as he tries to ignore the headache that he feels is coming, pipes up "So we've heard. To what extent has the stalking gone?"
"Threating emails, letters and phone calls, showing up at her apartment and refusing to leave, and harassing her at her job which caused her to be fired" he replies with a hint of irritation. "I hope he's stopped. By the way we have Miss O'Connor's laptop, mobile phone and the letters that Arden sent. She gave them to us, not wanting them but is obvious that you'll have a better use for them" he finishes as he goes to collect the mentioned items.
O~O~O
"Alright thanks JJ" Reid says as he hangs up his phone. "JJ says that Celeste turned in her phone and laptop because of her father."
Morgan shakes his head, "Damn, what is going on in this guy's head?"
"I have no idea" Reid confesses. "As far as we know, he doesn't have a history of mental illness and yet he's displaying more than a few signs."
"Let's hope that Garcia can shed some light on that one, here we are. I'll stay here just in case, you watch out pretty boy."
Reid simply nods, quietly happy that Morgan expressed his concern for his safety. Making his way into the building, he chooses to take the stairs rather than the elevator, less chance of being trapped should Arden show up.
"Assuming he's not here already" he mumbles under his breath.
Reaching the third floor, he approaches Celeste's apartment and knocks, not even the slightest bit surprised that she doesn't answer at first.
"Celeste? It's Spencer Reid, I got your letter and I'm here to take you to somewhere safe. No one is going to hurt you, I promise."
The door opens ever so slightly, "Spencer?" a young woman whispers, "Are you sure that he's not here?"
"I searched as I came up the stairs and one of my co-workers is watching the front door and the surrounding area, he's not here" Reid reassures her. "Do you have a bag packed by any chance?"
"Yeah I do, it's got everything I want and need in it" she replies, her voice shaking.
"It's going to be alright Celeste, come on out. The sooner we leave the better."
"Yeah, your right" she says as she opens the door fully, looking almost the same as the picture that Garcia had found except the Celeste that was standing in front of Spencer wasn't smiling and her red eyes as well as the tear stains on her cheeks made it clear that she had been crying.
"Would you like some help with your bag?" he asks, hoping to alleviate some of the fear that she was obviously experiencing.
She simply nods and gestures for him to come inside the apartment, shutting and locking the door behind him once he had entered.
"I meant what I said, no one is going to hurt you" he reminds her as she turns around to face him.
"I believe you, I'm just freaked out" she says, wiping yet more tears from her face.
"Where's your stuff?" he asks quietly.
She leads the way to her bedroom, where a moderately sized suitcase was placed beside her bed.
"I have enough clothes and stuff for a couple of weeks and I packed personal stuff too. You know, the things that can't be replaced" she murmurs, as she reaches to pick up her handbag. "I know my handbag is a little big but it hold heaps of stuff" she explains.
"It's okay, you don't have to explain yourself to me Celeste."
She nods, her lip quivering before lunging herself into his arms. He responses in kind, wrapping his arms around her waist, holding her securely while she wraps her arms around his neck and clings to him.
"I'm sorry" she mumbles into his chest.
"Don't be" he replies, rubbing her back gently. "Let's get you out of here, does your landlord need to know anything?"
She shakes her head no and reluctantly lets Reid go. "Yeah, let's go."
Reid nods and picks up her suitcase while she once again picks up her handbag, slinging the strap over her shoulder and following Reid. They lock the apartment and walk carefully down the stairs and to the door.
"We need to move quickly and efficiently to that car there" Reid says, motioning to Morgan who promptly drives closer. "Get into the back seat as soon as you can okay?"
She nods the affirmative and then they move. Reid jogs to the back of the car, placing her suitcase inside before getting into the back seat while Celeste practically sprints to the seat behind Morgan, shutting the door as fast as she can.
Once her seatbelt was on and Reid was in, Morgan floored it. The sirens were on and blaring, making everyone else get out of the way.
"I never go about first meeting like this Celeste" Morgan begins to say. "But we have to get to the airport ASAP."
She nods and Reid asks "What happened?"
"Hotch called" he begins. "They were getting ready to leave themselves once they had done what they needed to do. Collected everything and all that when Arden came bursting into the office. Everyone's okay and Hotch told me to drive straight to the airport, the jet is already waiting."
"And Arden?" Reid inquires.
"Ran to a vehicle and drove off in the direction of Celeste's apartment. The local PD are already there and are waiting for him" Morgan replies and he drives straight onto the tarmac of the airport and puts his foot to the floor in order to drive to the jet quicker.
"Oh jeez, I hope no one gets hurt because of me" Celeste says as she hunches her shoulders and closes her eyes.
"None of this is your fault Celeste" Morgan says as he stops the car. "Whatever he does is not your fault. A press release has already been issued warning people of that exact thing but right now we gotta focus on getting you and Reid back to Quantico" he finishes as he nods to Reid and gets out of the car.
"Morgan's right, come on we need to get on the jet" Reid adds as he too gets out of the car.
He runs to the other side of the door, opening it and taking her bag for her. She jumps out the car and doesn't protest when he wraps and arm around her waist as they bolt up the stairs and into the jet.
"He won't go after my Mom will he?" she asks as they sit on the couch.
"That's already been taken care of Celeste" Reid informs her, watching as she visibly relaxes a little.
"The teams here, we'll be in the air in a couple of minutes" Morgan says and he boards the jet after putting her suitcase with the other luggage and is quickly followed by the rest of the team.
Celeste shuffles closer to Reid, a little uncomfortable around so many new people. He wraps an arm around her shoulder and whispers soothing words to her as the rest of the team sit down and the plane takes off.
O~O~O
Once in the air, the team moves a little closer to the couch.
"Hi Celeste, I'm JJ, it's really nice to meet you. You know in spite of the circumstances" JJ says sweetly, causing a small smile from Celeste.
"Hey, Spencer has told me heaps about you, all of you" she replies.
"Well I hope you were nice pretty boy. I'm Derek Morgan."
"Aaron Hotchner."
"Emily Prentiss."
"David Rossi."
"Hi, and yeah Spencer was nice about what he said" Celeste says, still unwilling to move.
"Can we get you anything? Water? Scotch?" Rossi says lightly, causing Celeste to giggle and making Rossi happy that his plan had worked.
"No thank you. I'm fine, well now I am. I can't believe that he's coming after me. Why the heck would he do that? He lost any right when he hurt me and my Mom."
Hotch looks to Celeste, "Yes he did and we will get him. You're safe with us and your mother's hospital has been given an increase in security detail."
She simply gives a small smile in response, suddenly feeling quite tired.
Emily notices and jumps up, "Hey sweetie, stay awake for us okay."
Her words spring everyone into action but it's clear that Celeste is struggling with the request. "I'm just really tired."
Spencer tightens his grip slightly, "We know but we have to make sure that you haven't been drugged or poisoned."
Rossi looks at Reid, disbelief covering his face, "You couldn't have said that a little more delicately?"
Celeste leans into Spencer, a hand on his chest. "No, don't. I know Spencer, I know how he phrases things. I do the same" she utters, her green eyes pleading with the whole team.
JJ elbows Rossi lightly, "Now isn't the time for a lesson Rossi, I'm sure that if Celeste is bugged by anything that Spence says, she'll tell him."
Emily returns from the jet's kitchen with a few small kits. "Here Celeste, I need you to prick your finger on two of these and the other two need a saliva sample. Can you do that for us please?"
Celeste nods, holding her hand out so Emily could prick her finger and obtain the required blood sample for the tests. While they were analysing, Emily pressed a tissue to the prick until the tiny amount of bleeding stopped before offering Celeste a cotton bud to collect the saliva sample. Celeste took the cotton bud and rubbed her tongue and inner cheek with it before giving it back so Emily could transfer her saliva onto the remaining tests, nodding her thanks.
Celeste struggled to stay awake for the few minutes that it took for the tests to work their magic, until finally Emily looks up at Reid and nods causing him to pull her closer and whisper "It's okay, you can sleep." She was out instantly.
O~O~O
"Hello my babies! Oh! Sorry, I'll take the volume down" Garcia apologises as she lights up the jet screen.
Reid smiles softly, "It's alright Garcia, she won't be waking up anytime soon."
"If you're sure, I have an update for you all."
Hotch turns to the screen, "What is it Garcia?"
"Okay, bad news first, Mr James Arden has escaped police custody. He fought his way loose and is on the run. He kept asking where Celeste was but didn't seem to know where she was heading" she began, "Also turns out that he had bugged her apartment."
"I had a feeling that he might have done that" pipes up Reid, "When I was talking to Celeste in her apartment, I deliberately didn't say that we were going to Quantico."
"Points to Dr Adorable for thinking that and also Points to my love Morgan for checking Celeste's bags for bugs which came up empty. Now for the good news" she says, a little more cheerfully.
"Let's hear it Mama" Morgan says.
"The good news my doves, is that Celeste's mother, and all the other patients I might add, are perfectly safe and sound. Arden couldn't even get on the street before someone was after him."
"That's good" says Hotch, "At least we know for sure that they're safe. That and the press release telling the public to be vigilant, we've hopefully eliminated his chances of taking his frustration out of surrogates."
"Also sir, Strauss is outside my door and wants an update" Garcia says, clearly uncomfortable at the idea of Strauss seeing her lair but at Hotch's nod she stands up and lets the chief in.
"Aaron" Strauss says in greeting, receiving another nod from Hotch in reply. "Is that her? I'd like to talk to her" she adds, her tone impatient.
Spencer couldn't help the frown appearing on his face, his hackles rising at Strauss' tone, whether the older woman meant for his reaction or not.
"With all due respect ma'am" he begins, "Celeste hasn't slept soundly for weeks and I would rather jump out of this jet before I wake her."
"Agent Reid" Strauss begins, clearly about to scold but is cut off.
"No Chief Strauss, you approved this case and we very rarely are able to save someone before they become a victim and for the last time is not Agent Reid, it's Doctor. You'll have your chance to speak with Celeste once we're back but for now, why don't you consider turning down your demanding bossiness dial for five minutes while Hotch gives you the update you asked for."
JJ, Emily and Morgan turn their faces away from the screen, unable to hide their smirks but able to control their giggles while Rossi looks at Strauss with an 'I told you so' expression and Hotch just raises his eyebrows before shaking his head and updating Strauss.
"You got guts Reid, I'm proud" Rossi praises, making Reid turn his attention to anywhere but the team, resulting in starring at the EXIT sign.
O~O~O
Hotch finishes updating Strauss and adds, "Also ma'am, I have to agree with Reid. You asked for an update, which you have been given however I feel that it was a step too far to demand an interview with Miss O'Connor when it was quite obvious that she was sleeping. I'm unsure how she looks from your side of the screen but even standing here, I can see the dark circles under her eyes as well as other very clear indicators that she hasn't had much sleep recently."
"Message received loud and clear, I'll back off" Strauss replies, to which Hotch thanks her and she leaves. Garcia clearly barely controlling her giggles, waves and disconnects the link.
Hotch lets out a laugh before saying to Reid, "I have to say, that was fun to watch."
His comment causes the whole team to chuckle quietly and Reid to smile as he shrugs the shoulder that Celeste isn't sleeping on.
Emily smiles as Celeste snuggles closer to Spencer in her sleep, "She seems like such a nice person. It sucks that she lost her job because of this nut job."
"What did she do?" JJ asks curiously, although she had begun to fidget.
Rossi raises an eyebrow at the blonde, "She worked as an assistant professor at the local university. Uhh JJ? Are you alright?"
Nodding, "Yeah I'm great."
Emily leans forward, resting her elbows on her knees, "So what's with the fidgeting?"
Reid can't help but let out a low chuckle, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a snack bar "Here JJ" he says, smiling widely as she practically dives for the bar.
Hotch joins in with Reid's chuckles, causing confusion among the rest of the team. Smiling as wide as Reid as JJ scoffs down the snack, Hotch manages to say in between his laughter, "Cravings."
This makes JJ blush but shrug as everyone else joins in with the laughter.
O~O~O
Once the laughing had died down, quiet conversations were picked up instead. It was when they were about 30 minutes away that Reid felt movement in his arms.
"Spencer?" Celeste asks, her voice thick with sleep.
"Right here, you're safe" he replies, his voice low so as not to startle her.
She nods against his chest but makes no attempt to move. She peaks at Hotch from under her eyelashes, "How long was I asleep?"
Hotch's expression almost becomes soft, like when he's around Jack when he answers, "Almost the entire flight. It was obvious that you needed it so we weren't about to wake you." He looks at his watch for a moment before adding, "We should be landing in about 28 minutes."
She nods again and gives Hotch a smile, "It's so nice to wake up and not worry about him being out to get me."
Morgan turns and reassures her, "He isn't going to get to you Celeste, we won't let it." He looks at Reid for a moment before a cheeky grin appears on his face, "Especially pretty boy, he defiantly won't let anything happen to you."
Reid just rolls his eyes at his friend but Celeste becomes curious. "What is with the 'pretty boy'? You never mentioned that Spencer."
Reid lets her become more comfortable before answering, "That's just Morgan, he has a style all his own but it's all in good fun. You should see him and Garcia."
She smiles, seemingly content with the answer that she was given and once again rests her head on his shoulder. The rest of the team however, notice how protective she became and after sharing a look with one another, they all wondered how long it would take to determine if the two geniuses on the couch would stay as friends or become something more.
O~O~O
Once the plane lands and everyone has collected their luggage, the team and Celeste all climb into a seven - seater car and head back to Quantico. Hotch driving, Rossi riding shotgun, Spencer, Celeste and JJ in the middle seats, with Morgan and Emily sitting in the back.
JJ looks at Spencer with a sheepish expression, "You wouldn't happen to have any more of those snacks bars would you Spence?"
Chuckling lightly, "Check your purse JJ" he answers with a wink.
"Really?!" she exclaims, her face lighting up as she looks inside her purse and finds, sure enough, the very thing she was after. "Spence you're an angel, how did you get it in there without me noticing?" she asks as she proceeds to eat.
"A magician never reveals his secrets JJ."
Celeste lets out a giggle, "Cravings?" she asks politely.
JJ nods and once she swallows, says proudly, "I'm about 3 and a half months along."
"Aww that's sweet" Celeste replies with a smile, causing JJ to smile with her before the lure of the snack bar became too much and she began eating again.
"So Celeste" Emily begins, leaning forward to rest her hands on the back of the seat. "Why don't you tell us a bit about yourself?" she asks kindly.
Turning, Celeste gives Emily a smile, "Well, what don't you already know?" she replies cheekily. "I know that Garcia has mad wicked computer skills."
"True dat!" Morgan exclaims. "Just how much did you tell her about us pretty boy?"
This causes Celeste to laugh, "I'm almost as smart as Spencer remember? And besides, I googled you guys" she informs, still giggling.
"Ah" Rossi contemplates. "A genius that took the easy way out" he says playfully.
Celeste looks back sheepishly and shrugs, "I had the time in between lectures" she begins but then her expression becomes sad as she adds, "you know, before I was fired."
JJ gives her a one armed hug, "Everything will be fine, and your father has no chance of outsmarting Spence. We'll get him Celeste, don't worry" she says in a very motherly way.
"Thanks JJ" she replies, accepting the embrace and resting her head on the older woman's shoulder.
"Alright, we're here. Celeste, we're going to take your things inside until we can determine a safe place for you to stay, okay?" Hotch says as he parks in the BAU parking lot.
Celeste nods, and follows Spencer out of the car, accepting her handbag from him with a smile. Upon making their way into the building, they're met by Garcia in all her bright, sparkly glory.
"Welcome back my darlings" she greets with a wide smile. "Hi, I'm Penelope Garcia. You must be Celeste" she adds to a slightly shocked Celeste.
"Err hi" Celeste replies, taking a step backwards towards Spencer.
"Did I do something wrong?" Garcia asks worriedly.
"I'm sorry" Celeste says. "Even though I grew up in Vegas, I'm actually more socially awkward than I appear to be" she explains.
"Oh, well then that's okay" Garcia reassures. "Would you like to have some tea? I have all kinds."
"Can Spencer come too?" Celeste replies shyly, to which Garcia giggles and nods. "Great!" Celeste adds, taking Spencer's hand and following Garcia.
Behind them they could hear Morgan laughing good-naturedly, which made Celeste unconsciously move closer to Spencer.
"He's not making fun of you I promise" Spencer assures her. "It's just his personality."
Garcia sends them a knowing smile as she opens the door to her computer lair, "Come on in, there are spare seats in the corner over there. I'll get the tea, any preferences?"
Both Spencer and Celeste shake their heads no, so Garcia just poured the pot of tea that she had made up already. As they all sip on their tea, Garcia catches them up on what they missed while they were driving.
"So, the others are being told this by Strauss but I'm going to tell you because I don't like her" Garcia begins, getting a smile from Celeste. "Okay, so no word on your father Celeste but both of your Mother's have checked in and they're just fine. They send their love and Reid, your Mom wants you to know that she loves the book you sent her."
The three of them chat casually for a few more minutes before they hear a knock and Hotch enters the room.
"Strauss has been updated and I've managed to convince her not to interrogate Celeste. Reid you're Celeste's protection detail and I want the two of you to stay here with Garcia while we head out to a case. Also, I can't see why Celeste can't stay with you Reid so if you're okay with that…" he trails off looking at Reid.
"I have room at my place" he replies, looking at Celeste. "Is that alright with you?"
Celeste nods and faces Hotch, "Agent Hotchner, I'm not very good with the whole catching bad guys thing but I do think I can help with the case."
Hotch thinks over her request before giving a nod, "Okay, you're in. I don't see any harm in using an extra brain, we'll fill you in when we're on the plane" he says as he hand Reid a copy of the case file and waves goodbye while he leaves the room, closing the door behind him.
O~O~O
Hours later and the three of them were hard at work on the new case. Garcia was doing her usual computer magic, her fingers tapping away furiously. Spencer was reading through a series of diaries that had been found at the crime scene, he had read through fifteen of the twenty-seven so far. Celeste was using her many degrees and doctorates to analyse the handwriting and literature of the diaries that Spencer had already read to see if she could find any clues that could help the rest of the team.
It's quiet in Garcia's office when Spencers' phone rings causing a break in the work flow.
"Dr Reid" he answers, as he places a bookmark in the diary he had almost finished. "Hey Hotch…yeah we haven't left yet…alright, one second" he says as he places the phone on speaker.
"Go ahead Hotch."
"Celeste?" Hotch asks, his voice dulled slightly due to the phone.
"Yes?" she replies.
"I just got off the phone with the lead detective on your fathers case" he says grimly.
Celeste's expression becomes as grim as Hotch's tone of voice, "Has he hurt someone because of me?"
Hotch goes silent and can be heard taking a deep breath before answering, "He has tried on a few women, yes."
"Agent Hotchner? Please. Has he hurt someone?" she asks again, worry etched in her voice and expression.
"The detective confirmed that your father has been sighted abducting a woman. She hasn't been identified yet and we don't know if she has escaped or what has happened to her" Hotch finally admits, making Celeste close her eyes and seem to hunch in on herself.
"Sir, can I do anything?" Garcia asks, piping up in an effort to ease the pain of her new friend.
"Yes Garcia" Hotch confirms. "You should be receiving the footage soon. I'd like you to start the facial recognition program but then I want the three of you to go home and get some sleep."
"Yes sir, but can I take my laptop home? You know just in case?" Garcia wonders, secretly hoping the answer would be a positive one.
"Yes Garcia, I think it would be a great comfort to us, knowing that you can still be called for help if we need it" Hotch replies, a hint of a smile in his words. "But Celeste and Reid, go home and try to sleep."
"Okay Hotch" Reid agrees as he looks at Celeste and hangs up his phone.
"Did you drive to work Reid?" Garcia asks as the email comes through with the video.
"Yeah I did, lucky huh?" Reid replies, gathering his things and motioning to Celeste to do the same. "You don't want to see the footage Celeste, it's not worth it."
Celeste bits her lower lip and looks as though she's about to argue but at the look in Spencer's eyes, she agrees to his words, waves to Garcia and leaves with Reid once he too has said his goodbye to Garcia.
Walking through the building, it was clear that the majority of people had already gone home for the day. Celeste was quiet as Spencer lead her to his car and it wasn't until they were a few blocks away from the BAU that the silence was lifted.
"This is my fault" she whispered, eyes downcast. "If I hadn't let Vegas then maybe he wouldn't have abducted that woman."
Looking over to her momentarily before looking back at the road, "This isn't your fault Celeste, we know that he had bugged your apartment. Judging by his actions in the days leading up to today, it probably wouldn't have been long before he tried to abduct you" he says.
"But Spencer, what about the woman he has abducted?" she asks sarcastically but with honest worry.
"The exact details, I don't know. But there's a decent chance that he will try and make her more like you and will treat her as if she is you. If she plays along with his delusions, the better her chances will be" he admits. "He's clearly suffering from some sort of mental issue but since we don't know what it is exactly, we can't know for sure as to what course of action he'll take."
"Oh no" she remarks disheartened.
"Our job is to keep you safe, the rest of the team will help that woman" he reassures, pulling into is apartment complex's car park. "Come on, let's go inside."
Climbing out of Spencer's car, Celeste takes her handbag while Spencer takes her suitcase and leads her inside and up to his apartment. However, Spencer makes sure to check and clear the building as he does so. Whether or not Celeste notices, he doesn't know.
"Have a seat, I'll get us some hot chocolate" he says softly, noticing how drained Celeste appears.
She replies with a small smile of gratitude and takes a seat on the couch, glancing at the chess board as she goes.
"Do you play?" Spencer asks, gesturing to the chess board.
"I used to all the time, but I haven't played for years. Never had anyone who would take me seriously since I left high school" she replies with a short laugh.
Reid response with a chuckle of his own, handing her the hot drink as he sits down with his own. "Why don't we play once before getting some sleep?" he offers before adding cheekily, "You know, to make sure you can still play."
Sipping her drink and smiling she replies "Oh I see how it is. You're on!"
The game is short and sweet with Spencer claiming check mate with one move to spare.
"Not bad, but I think you're a little rusty" he teases gently with a wink.
"Oh you cheeky bastard" she laughs. "Alright then smarty, tomorrow morning we'll go with something that's slightly more my speed."
"And what's that?"
She pauses for a moment, to 'build' suspense. She looks to her left and then her right, like a child would when they want to share a secret before saying, "Those really easy but funny riddles!"
"Alright" Spencer agrees with a bemused grin. "But for now, we should get some sleep."
O~O~O
Sure enough, the next morning Spencer and Celeste were swapping simple riddles back and forth while Spencer drove to the BAU.
"What belongs to you but others use it more than you?" Celeste asks when they stop at a red light.
"Spencer takes a sip of coffee before answering "Your name."
"Correct!" she exclaims as if they were on a game show.
Spencer grins at her tone, her enthusiasm contagious. "How about this one" he begins. "What travels around the world yet never leaves its corner?"
"Hmm" she replies, taking a moment to think. "I know! A stamp!"
Spencer laughs as he parks at the BAU, "What is it about these kinds of riddles that makes you so excited?"
"They make me feel like a kid again, and seeing as though I've been nothing but a boring adult for ages, I like being childish every once in a while" she explains easily.
"Fair enough."
"Morning troops" greets Garcia as they reach Spencer's desk and put their things down.
"Morning Garcia" Spencer replies as he finishes the rest of his coffee and heads to make another.
"Good morning Penelope" Celeste says happily, still on a high from the childish riddles.
"You two are nice and chipper this morning, that's good to see" Garcia responds with a grin. "Speaking of good things, I have a positive update for you."
"It is about the case or Celeste's father?" Spencer asks, stirring the sugar into his latest cup of coffee.
"Both" she begins. "In regards to the case, they were able to put the final pieces together from the super smart/fast reading/deciphering thing that you guys did on those diaries. They caught the guy and are wrapping things up before they come home" she says. After taking a breath she continues, "As for your father Celeste, they found him and the woman he abducted. Apart from being a bit scared and shaken the woman, her name is Claire by the way, is just fine and the few very minor injuries that she sustained will recover completely in a few weeks. Your father has been moved to a maximum security prison while they sort everything out. He's on suicide watch and they're calling in a couple of different psychiatrists to see what's going on inside his head."
"I wouldn't be surprised if he has some sort of mental thing" Celeste remarks. "I mean the indicators are there. But the lady, sorry Claire, she's really alright? Just like bruises or something?"
"She had a couple of minor cuts and bruises and a sprained wrist. She sprained her write when she punched your father in the face and ran. The local detective happened to be searching the area when he heard her yelling for help and they found them."
"I'm so glad she wasn't badly hurt" Celeste says, visibly relieved that it seemed to be all over.
"When will everyone be back?" Spencer asks Garcia.
"Later on today, so we get to do paperwork until they get here" she replies. "Well I have to go back to my computers so I will see you too later." She waves and does just that, leaving Spencer and Celeste in the bullpen.
O~O~O
When the team arrives back at the BAU, they're greeted with the sight of Reid doing paperwork and Celeste sitting on a spare surface of his desk, completing a crossword puzzle.
"Another word for secluded, eleven letters, begins with b" she says out loud, as she taps her pen gently against her chin.
"Beleaguered" Hotch says, causing the two to look up and greet the team with smiles.
"Thanks!" she replies, writing it in before placing the puzzle down.
"How did it turn out guys?" Reid asks, spinning his chair around.
"We got the guy, thank goodness" Emily replies. "I am going to need a bottle of wine before I even consider touching the paperwork on this one."
"Hello my darlings" Garcia greets, coming towards everyone with a plate of iced tea.
"Ah baby girl, that looks divine" Morgan says, accepting a glass and taking an appreciative sip.
Everyone else also takes a glass, agreeing with Morgan on the refreshing taste.
"Let's not talk about the case" JJ offers.
"Are you going back to Las Vegas Celeste?" Rossi asks, genuinely curious but also allowing for a subject change at the same time.
"Yeah I am" she answers. "I'll be staying with Mom for a bit, while I look for a new apartment."
"Smart" JJ adds thoughtfully. "You know, we could give you a hand. Derick is really good at renovations so he knows a few good real estate agents and we could help you pack" she offers, looking hopeful at the rest of the team.
To her relief, nods of agreement are sent her way along with a grateful look from Celeste.
Hotch looks thoughtful for a moment, his brow furrowed in concentration before he gives a small laugh, "We just technically finished two cases at the same time. Strauss has no choice but to let all of us have at least a few days off, we can use those days to take a small family vacation and we can all go to Las Vegas to help Celeste" he says cheekily.
Morgan laughs at the rare sight of Hotch's playful side, "Oh yeah! Las Vegas baby!"
Celeste joins him, "Then what are you all standing around here for?" she asks, hands on her hips and playful smirk of her face to match Hotch. "I have an apartment to find and moving to do" she pauses for a moment, giggles and continues, "And I will take you all out for dinner, drinks, and even take you guys to the Strip. I'd offer the casinos but Spencer is banned from most of them" she finishes with a wink in the direction of a smiling Spencer.
The team exchanged knowing glances, noticing what the two geniuses weren't. Maybe Celeste would be another Reid after all.
Authors note: kudos to those who found my reference to Matthew Gray Gubler's voice acting in 'Batman: Assault on Arkham'. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please let me know what you think in a review .