Title: If Only You Knew
Rating: M
Summary: Reid gets into trouble after consoling a victim's husband
Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds or its characters but I know any OCs and the plot
Status: One-Shot
Blood.
You feel it seeping through your fingers.
Pain.
You try not to make any noise, but you're unsuccessful.
Darkness.
You can't see light, only darkness.
You try to remember what happened, how it lead to this. What happened?
You go over it in your mind.
"Five victims. All female, aged 20-25. Stabbed to death."
You were given the task of informing the latest victim's husband.
"The latest victim, she was stabbed an extra five times."
You remember talking to Morgan. Laughing.
Oh, that seems like a long time ago.
You remember being on the plane, listening to JJ tell you about Henry.
A long time ago.
Blood.
You glance down and see your hands covered in the red, sticky stuff.
You try not to think about.
You remember knocking on the door. Flashing your credentials to the man answering the door. You tell who you are. He invites you in.
You tell him why you're here. You tell him his wife was murdered. He breaks down. You let him cry.
He's wiping away tears when Morgan's phone rings. You nod.
He answers the phone.
"The latest victim, the UnSub changed his MO." You nod and glance over the Crime Scene photos in the file. Something's different with this one.
You spilt up once you arrive in the city. You and Morgan to the victim's husband's house, JJ and Hotch to the Police department, Morgan and Prentiss to the crime scene.
Breathe.
You take swallow breaths.
Pain.
It hurts too much.
You hear someone apologising.
You remember.
Morgan says he can stay, you wave him off.
You tell him you're right here.
If only.
He leaves and you talk. You talk to the man that's lost his wife.
You go through what you know about the profile, asking him questions, making him remember. Something's off, though you push it to the back of your mind.
You've been there half an hour.
You get a phone call. It's Morgan, giving you an update. There was nothing at the Crime Scene, the murder wasn't done there. He hangs up.
You ask to go to the bathroom.
He points you in the right direction. You thank him and get up.
On your way there, you find a room. It's empty, but dirty and stained. You ring Garcia, ask her to run a search on the husband.
She says she'll get back to you.
She doesn't.
You return and ask him more questions, trying to get him to remember his wife's last moments. He doesn't want to cooperate.
You put it down to grief.
Pain.
You let a groan escape from your mouth.
You comfort him. Tell him it'll be ok.
Then you get the call.
It's Morgan
He's telling you something's up. You ask if he's sure. He says the dates match up.
You glance at the husband, the one supposed to be grieving.
He's not grieving.
As you talk to Morgan, he realises something's wrong.
You didn't even see the knife until it was too late.
Blood.
It stains your fingers.
The floor in the room you found.
You hear Morgan calling for you through the phone, lying next to you.
Then he appears in front of you.
He tells you he's sorry.
You can't speak. You're afraid you'll cry in pain.
Then Morgan appears. With Hotch.
They tell you to hang in there, that the ambulance is coming.
It hurts.
You want them to take it away, to stop the pain.
They can't. You know that.
Morgan tells you to stay with them.
"Reid, stay with us."
You want the last thing you see to be their faces. You don't. You see something else.
Blood.