Disclaimer: see my profile
A/n this takes place this year, but doesn't address Reid's headaches or the new story line opened for Emily. It is an established Reid and Emily romance. I'm not sure how many chapter, possibly four or five
Crash
"Are you sure everything is set up?"
"Don't worry angelfish. I've got it covered."
Emily hurriedly pulled her dark purple sweater over her head and swept back her hair from her face. "I know Garcia… I'm just a little freaked out that we won't make it back in time." She said in the direction of her phone, that lay open on the end table next to her hotel room bed.
"You've got until tomorrow. I'm confident it will all work out for you."
"I hope you're right," Emily slipped into a pair of faded blue jeans over thick socks. "I want everything to be perfect. It's our first Valentine's Day together."
"It's going to be the best Valentine's Day my baby cakes has ever had."
"I think it'll be the first for him, let alone the best," Emily replied while tying her hair into a ponytail.
"That's so sad… My poor baby!"
"Garcia…"
"Sorry, but how could anyone not want to be his Valentine. Are other women blind and stupid?"
"I don't know and I don't care. He's mine." She strapped on her gun and picked up her coat.
"I like that over protective, possessive tone in your voice." Garcia teased.
"I can't lose him… You know what he's been through in the last three years."
"You're not going to lose him. He loves you."
"I know he loves me. I just can't help but feel like something's going to happen."
"Nothing is going to happen to either of you. You've been through too much to get together. It's your time for a little happiness."
Emily picked up the phone, taking it off speaker. "Thank you Garcia… I don't know what I'd do without you."
"My pleasure… You know I love my Junior G Man. I want him to be happy."
"If everything goes to plan he'll be very happy."
"Eww… I don't want those pictures in my head."
Emily giggled nervously. "Sorry PG, I'm just really anxious about tomorrow. You know he doesn't like surprises."
"He's going to love this one. I guarantee it."
Emily frowned, her amusement dampened for the moment. "I hope you're right."
"You're so cute"
"Garcia…"
"I mean it. You're so sweet together. He worships you and you adore him. Everyone can see it."
Emily sat on the edge of the bed, tucking her phone under her chin so she could tie her boots. "I hope not. We try to stay professional."
"You do honey… I just mean that it's easy to see you love each other. I knew it three years ago when you first joined the team."
"I didn't love him then." Emily exclaimed.
"Yeah… You just keep telling yourself that."
"I'm hanging up now."
"TTFN." Garcia said and hung up before Emily could push the end button.
Emily shook her head and stood up again. She put on her gloves, zipped her coat and wrapped her scarf around her neck. If only they could finish this case before tomorrow.
CMCMCM
It was as though the whole world had gone white at the same time. The sky, the ground, and the trees along the long stretch of I-94 East of Fargo, North Dakota. He shivered and adjusted the heating vent in front of his seat. Warm air pushed from it with comforting regularity, but he couldn't relax.
"Did you know this stretch of I-94 was closed over New Year's?"
"I don't want to hear about it." Emily ground out from behind the wheel.
He stared out the window as cars passed them and the snow fell in sheets around their loaned SUV. The storm, arriving much sooner than predicted, attacked the city and the outlying areas like a monster from some b-grade Japanese horror film.
"How much further?" He asked
"Seven miles…"
He returned his attention to the snow and the passing cars on either side of the highway. Snow fell faster and he felt Emily slow down. "Damn it… Why does everyone have to drive like it's sunny and the roads are dry?" She fumed as another SUV sped out around them, throwing up wet snow and slush onto the driver's side window and the windshield. She sprayed cleaner on the windshield as the wipers slapped back and forth.
"Studies have shown that driver's of vehicles equipped with four wheel drive are more likely to drive fast in unsafe conditions."
"You think?" Emily snapped. "Look Reid, I don't need to hear about weather, or driver related studies and statistics. I'm trying to concentrate on the road."
"I'm sorry."
She flicked her eyes over to him. "I'm sorry too. I'm just tired. It's Sunday for God's sake and we're out here driving in a snow storm away from civilization after a man who's killed seven women in six months."
"I can't see Hotch anymore." Reid said as he watched the road ahead of them.
"I know… I don't know how we lost him."
The snow came down even harder in the late afternoon sky. He shivered again despite the heat from the vents.
"What the hell is wrong with that jackass?" Emily suddenly shouted.
He jumped and looked over his shoulder. A car following them too closely fish tailed behind him. He couldn't see anything other than the yellow headlights in the snow and the grey light, but it looked like the car was traveling too fast.
Whoever was behind the wheel must have been impaired Reid thought. The car suddenly sped up and around their SUV. Emily hit the brakes when the car pulled in right in front of them cutting them off. The SUV fishtailed as Emily tried to regain control. Something hit the back of their vehicle and pushed them off the road and down the embankment with a crash that sounded like the blast of a shotgun.