Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds and I do not make any profit from this!
Notes: Please excuse any mistakes, they are all my own. If there is anything that you find wrong please let me know so I can fix it. Please read and review! Hope you enjoy!
"Damn, probably shouldn't have gulped down that last shot. I think I'm still going to barf." Emily Prentiss, FBI agent and former Interpol spy, struggled off the elevator and raised her right hand to sooth her throbbing temple. A deep, playful chuckle alerted her to the presence approaching in front of her and she wanted nothing more than to smack said figure.
"Didn't know you were such a push over Princess, you should have told me that you weren't up for it."
Derek Morgan, also an FBI agent and resident tough guy, sauntered over to his partner's side and gently handing her a medium sized cup of coffee. He grinned and tried to help his suffering friend, but it was difficult when he was also trying to hold back a fit of laughter.
"Shut up, Morgan, or I swear I will force myself to vomit on your shoes. See how you like that." Emily slowly but surely made her way to her office desk after entering the bullpen of the BAU through the glass doors with Morgan. She sat down softly and sighed as she reached for the aspirin in her bottom left drawer. Popping two into her mouth with a swig of her caffeinated elixir she got to work on the leftover files still sitting on her desk from last night. Morgan did the same and they worked silently together.
"Morgan, Prentiss, conference room. Now." Aaron Hotchner, the unit chief of the BAU, called into the bullpen as he walked across the catwalk from his office. Both agents quickly disregarded their dreaded paperwork and scurried up the stairs to find out about their latest case. Once they were seated, Jennifer Jareau or JJ, the media liaison, along with David Rossi, formerly retired profiler and current bestselling novelist, joined them at the conference table.
"Hotch, where are we going today?" Derek couldn't wait to get away from doing paperwork. Not that someone dying was a good thing, but still, paperwork was pretty bad.
"Las Vegas, Nevada. There have been a string of murders going back six years and they are just now finding the bodies." Hotch's stoic face gave nothing away, but everyone could tell that something about this was irritating the man.
"Why are we just being called in now if the murders have been going on for years?" Rossi pondered aloud.
"The local police force didn't think there was any need for the BAU's involvement, but lately the killings have increased and a new chief detective was just appointed and his first major decision was to call us in. We can expect that there will be plenty of tension when we arrive at the station so expect little to no cooperation from the locals. Wheels up in thirty." Hotch quickly escaped to his office while the others headed back to grab their own go bags. This was a case that none of them were going to forget, even if they didn't quite realize it yet.
….
Spencer Reid hugged himself and closed his eyes as a shiver ran down his spine. This wasn't supposed to happen. He was meant to finally be safe. He wasn't meant to receive any more letters or photos, but that never stopped him before. He never got any peace, why should it finally start now?
"Spencer, I'm glad you're here." A gentle hand rested on the tall man's shoulder accompanied by a soothing voice he knew well. Spencer opened his eyes to look into cerulean orbs that had become a calming sight to him.
"Detective Jones, congrats on the promotion to Chief." Spencer gave a small smile that actually reached his eyes.
"Come on Spencer, its Daniel, how many times I have to tell ya'. You don't need to be so formal. How's your mother doing?" Daniel smiled reassuringly at the young man and led him to his office and once inside gesturing for him to sit.
"She's okay, still fluctuating from good and bad days. The medicine really helps when she takes it. They let her start he own literature class and that makes her very happy."
"That's fantastic. Now, how have you been? And don't lie to me Spencer."
Spencer gulped and crossed his arms around himself again and tried to take deep comforting breaths.
"… I thought he was finally leaving me alone. I thought I was finally free, but I guess freedom comes at some kind of cost and I know exactly what that price is." Tears started to burn his eyes and deep sorrow filled them as he spoke.
"This is not your fault Spencer, you know that. I know it hurts, but there is nothing you could do to help them. He would have done it anyway, with or without you. He should have been stopped long ago, but George was too prideful to except any help. I'm sorry you had to suffer for so long, but I'm finally going to put an end to this monster's reign. I won't let him hurt you ever again and he won't be able hurt anyone else once we catch him." Daniel reached across the way and lifted Spencer's chin so they were looking into each other's eyes.
A rueful grimace planted itself onto Reid's face and he laughed a low mournful laugh.
"How do you catch a monster that's killed 60 people, when that monster is your father?"