Blinking down at the text message I smiled and clicked open, scanning the contents with a satisfied smirk before typing a reply. Seven fits with my schedule and as you know Italian is my favourite. Mills x Hitting send I placed my phone down on my desk and sighed contentedly. My dinner date and I had been best friends since the start of University; we had similar interests and beliefs, were on the same course and more crucially were the same age. Child Genii were not as common as most think and two in one university let alone one course was almost an improbability but somehow we found each other and stuck together. In the usual way we had our ups and downs and although for years whilst at Uni we pretty much spent every moment together over the past few years as our careers developed we barely saw each other but we were adults now and like adults texting was pretty much our only method of contact as well as the odd dinner date.
Today was a catch up on paper work day, my files for each child I worked with needed to be complete before I was willing to do any more work with them and as my fingers danced across the key board my mind would not stop straying to the thought of dinner tomorrow, my lips curled into a smile. Oh how I could really go for him, yeah we'd been friends for twelve years but that did not mean I was not attracted to him but we were friends and he was the only thing to really matter to me anymore. Exhaling slowly I pushed him from my mind and looking down at the pile of paper in front of me and began to read again.
"Dr Bailey," A voice said from behind me, turning my eyes landed on two men. The taller white man had dark hair, a dark suit and an aura which made me think of the matrix. He was the complete opposite of his companion who would find himself more at home in a Dwayne Johnson film.
"Can I help you gentlemen," I said with a gentle smile taking note of their fire arms and body posture.
"I am Special Agent Hotchner and this is Special Agent Morgan with the BAU. We would like you to consult on our current case," Matrix man said as I got to my feet pushing my chair under my desk. My smile faded slightly as I studied their faces, something had shocked them.
"Consult? You believe my skills would benefit you in what way?" I spoke evenly and slowly shook each man's hand. From the manila folder tucked under his arm Agent Hotchner fished a photograph.
"These bodies were found this morning outside of a community centre locally, from what we can piece together we believe our unsub may be a child," His words seemed on edge slightly and as I looked down at the image I could understand why, the bodies were mutilated. Intestines and organs strewn around the pale forms of four children, two boys and two girls about three or four years old.
"I shall aid in any way I can," I whispered handing the photo back and snatching up my bag and swallowing my nausea, "Just allow me one moment to excuse myself to my colleagues," Hurrying to one side I poked my head into the side office and relayed a rather pathetic garbled sentence to my manager before hurrying after the agents.
In the car I was allowed to look at a few more images, honestly I would rather have never seen them.
"Would a child have enough strength to do this," Morgan said to Hotchner.
"Yes," I said softly, glancing to the man before looking down at the images, "Despite our preconceptions of children being weak it is nothing unlike ourselves fighting our peers, children's skin is ten times thinner than our own and even a blunt instrument used with force could break skin as it obviously takes a tenth of the force. Children also have a lack of empathy, it is very easy for them to dissociate others reactions with the fact whatever they may be doing may impact emotionally or cause pain," Morgan's eyebrows raised a little. Neither man replied, for them they were probably used to seeing adults killing people but the thought of a child being able to do something probably made them sick to their stomach, I would not blame them if it did for my own stomach churned uneasily.
The drive to Quantico took about twenty minutes and as I was scanned, ID'd and officially registered as a consultant Hotchner and Morgan steadily hurried me through.
"Once we reach the office I shall introduce you to our team," Hotchner said, I nodded softly as we went through one office and into a big room with a round table but as the door open I stopped and blinked. The room was full of people all seeming to be sitting around waiting and before I could open my mouth Hotchner started introducing me.
"Everyone this is Dr Amelia Bailey, she is a leading expert on child criminal psychology and will be consulting on this case," He said guiding me to a seat, sitting slowly and smiling sheepishly to my neighbour I did not get chance yet again to speak as my attention was quickly diverted to yet another man who was talking straight at me seeming to try and give me their profile.
"Agent Hotchner," I said softly as I looked around at all the people, "What makes you believe that your…Unsub?" I waited and watched him nod, "Is a child?"
"A witness who walked down the street saw a figure hunched over victim number four pulling items from the abdomen, only this person did not seem much larger than the victim," The man sitting next to me said with a smile. My lips curled into a wry smile.
"I see," I said nodding turning to him, "Now Dr Reid was it you who suggested me,"
"Wait you two know each other," Agent Morgan said laughing. Turning my eyes to the grinning muscled man I smirked.
"We started our first university course together," I said innocently, they all looked between each other, "If you are wondering my age then yes Dr Reid and I are the same age,"
"Another genius," Morgan whistled looking to Reid, "Do you have all of them on speed dial,"
"Dr Bailey and I may know each other however that does not mean I was biased when suggesting her expertise will be needed," He seemed to be trying to defend himself.
"Reid it is fine, I know Dr Bailey's work," The eldest man said walking forward and extending his hand, "I am SSSA Jason Gideon," My lips curled into a large smile.
"It is a pleasure to meet you Agent Gideon," I said, "Do you mind if I explain a little about the difference in child psychology, I believe it may aid your teams perception," He nodded and I took to my feet smoothing my pale blue sun dress with white daisies on.
"Children's minds as you know are not as morally developed as an adult. In the profiles you develop you will all often state specific points in an unsub's childhood which weights greatly on how their life brought them to the point of criminal activity. Children are not entirely selfish, although young children who are not given strict boundaries will be what a lot of parents would describe as 'little devils' all a child wishes for is the love and acknowledgement of those who supposedly care for them. If a child is not given those small moments of admiration they will develop behavioural issues, these can manifest as rebelling, unwillingness for routine…almost anything to get attention from anyone around. Children are stronger than you realize, a child who has developed their gross motor skills can negotiate space faster than you think they are capable of. They have very little understanding of empathy as that does not properly develop until the age of seven. The age you are suggesting for the child in this case is three or four possibly a smaller older child, this is a crucial age and if the child has had a 'stresser' it could quite easily be aggravated if children victimise them. They will lash out; once they get away with it they will think it alright. It is possible this child has killed small animals, unobservant parents or guardians…possibly those who are either working or incapacitated and receiving little aid. I have seen cases of child killers but the age of the child you are suggesting is something I personally have never heard of,"
The door opened and a blond lady hurried in tossing a pile of new photos onto the table, my stomach churned and I instantly turned away Dr Reid jumping up and leading me instantly from the room with one arm around my waist.
"Hey Milly it's alright," He said guiding me to a desk half way across the room; I half noted it must be his. Taking a deep breath I exhaled slowly.
"Easy for you to say Spence," I whispered, "You know how squeamish I am," With a half smile he knelt in front of me and pulled a bottle of water out of the bag beside the desk and handed it to me.
"I am sorry but it was a necessary step, nothing could be more helpful than having your input," He said softly brushing my hair from my face as I unscrewed the bottle and took a sip, I chuckle half-heartedly.
"Is this why you want to go out for dinner tomorrow? Because you knew what I'd be doing today," I whispered and rolled my eyes, "It better be a good dinner Spence or you may have to do something else to please me," I saw him visibly swallow and I slowly leant forward and pressed my lips to his lips before touching the end of my nose to his, "If it was not you who was here I may have puked on the nice blondes shoes,"
"You just kissed me," He whispered pressing his forehead to mine.
"Did I over step a line," I said softly, his dark eyes stare into mine and he presses our lips together once more in a chaste kiss.
"I have wished you would kiss me for a while but at work was not where I expected it," He said a little breathlessly, my lips curled into a smile and I chuckled.
"How about we discuss this in more detail after dinner tomorrow at mine," I whispered against his lips. I heard a man clear their throat.
"Dr Bailey," The voice of Agent Morgan said, "Are you okay," Glancing up I distanced myself from Spencer a little, I smiled.
"Extremely squeamish," I said sheepishly, "Not what I thought I would be doing when I awoke this morning," He nodded and I stood shakily to my feet and Reid jumped up lacing his fingers with mine and led me back into the room budging his chair closer to mine and keeping my hand tightly grasped between his.
The table had been cleared of photos and the board only had what the profile so far consisted of scrawled neatly across it, every image had been removed apart from the pictures given to the FBI from parents of the victims.
"I apologise for upsetting you Dr Bailey, I usually work with people who are used to these situations and it never occurred that these images may upset you more," Hotchner said looking between Reid and I.
"I should have voiced my issue with it earlier but I truly want to help you. Apparently my stomach does not agree with me," I said with a gentle smile, "Is there anything you would like to ask me…I honestly do not know what I can really do now, I work with the children…if this is a child then I…" I swallowed and inhaled slowly trying to calm myself.
"It is fine Dr Bailey, Reid why don't you find somewhere quiet and start looking further into a profile with Dr Bailey. Morgan and Gideon are going to the children's nursery," Hotchner said nodding to Reid.
We ended up sitting back at his desk as he literally flicked through a file.
"So the parents say these children where at a play day at the community hall, the parents where all talking when a witness ran in screaming that there were four dead children outside," He said softly, my face turned into a snarl.
"Play day and no holding pen on the door?" I snorted as he slid over the plan of the community hall, "Are there any parents whose child disappeared recently? Any missing child reports for runaways? Look at schools close for attendance records that are suspicious for time off and behavioural plans, parents will not be interested, won't show for meetings…possible prospect of involvement of outside agencies," As I spoke I slowly leaned back in my chair and stretched out hanging my head back. Spencer looked to me and smiled as I sat back up I cocked my head to one side.
"What?" I whispered quietly blinking a few times, Spencer was still for a moment.
"It's just…you look really nice today," He spoke slowly and I could not help but smile slowly.
"You looking forward to tomorrow after dinner," I whispered softly, I watched him swallow a little before nodding once, "Well then we better get on and find this child so we can go for dinner tomorrow then, wouldn't want to have to postpone," Within the flash of an eye Spencer jumped to his feet and ran to the board and began to work seriously.
Before we knew it news came in of another two children's bodies found at a park fifteen minutes from the community hall, I almost hurled on poor Spencer's desk but yet again I managed to control myself. Hotchner and Morgan returned and stood around with Spencer looking at the images whilst I sat with my head in my hands.
"He is staying in the area…is there any wooded area there within five minute walk? Somewhere children would play? Lots of hiding places and no adult supervision?" I said slowly looking up from the desk to the three men, blinking Spencer jumped and grabbed a map.
"There is a wooded culvert heading into a park," He said looking around to Hotchner who whirled around and pulled out his phone.
"I'm coming…" I said loudly standing up, Hotchner frowned turning back, "If there is a child then murderer or not you will not get them talking, I can," With a soft look he nodded.
"Get her a jacket," He said to Morgan before looking to Spencer, "Do not leave her, I'm going to get the dogs"
"Hey I don't think lover boy would let go of her hand let alone leave her," Morgan said patting Spencer's shoulder who just stared wide eyed at me, "Hey I saw you two sucking face, don't pretend," I opened my mouth and the closed it before shrugging.
"Right…let's go," I said getting to my feet and picking up my bag.
Sitting in the car Spencer was going frantic trying to 'get me up to speed'.
"Spence calm yourself," I said patting his thigh lightly, "I am not going to go and do something stupid," He exhaled slowly.
"I shouldn't have brought you into this," He whispered more to himself, "If something happens to you it will all be my fault,"
"Don't say that," I scolded as I watched us slow up next to a park, silently swearing for being in stiletto heels, "You know how much I hate it when you talk badly about yourself,"
"Dog teams already here," Morgan said, "Just waiting for our call," Turning his head Hotchner looked back at me.
"I think we'll follow your lead on this Dr Bailey," He said before opening his door. Nodding I took a deep breath.
"Cover your guns," I said softly, "And try and have a female with each male as we don't know anything about the child," Taking Spencer's hand I walked out into the park and looked over the tree line behind it, there was a small fence around the play area which was now covered with police tape. This place was not secure, children could easily wander off without parent's knowledge and by the row of low end housing behind me I could see that doing so would be easy.
"The child probably live in or has a relative that lives in one of those houses," I said absentmindedly before turning back to the tree line and tugging Spencer with me.
It took a few minutes to find what looked like a well used child size hole in the bush and then finding a route to the other side.
"So this is what you do each day," I mused looking to Spencer who just smiled.
"No usually it is much more dangerous," He said and I winked.
"Well I think this is as much danger as I would like," I chuckled halting in my steps and glancing to Spencer meaningfully. In front of me was a bush and in it I could see a little face looking out at me but being a child it was obvious that they did not know I could see them.
"Sweetheart I think we should have a sit down here," I said brightly to Spencer slowly sitting down and pulling him with me gently.
"Yes," He said in almost confusion before I gave him a meaningful look, "Darling, this is a very lovely place to sit," He gently leant up against a tree and I curled up against him.
"I think we should start a family," I spoke clearly but as if I were telling a secret, Spencer looked down at me and smiled nervously before we both looked to the men surrounding our spot, " E," I sung the letters softly.
"Oh starting a family sounds excellent but I am not so sure about babies," Spencer replied seeming to get my meaning finally, "They cry a lot and you can't play with them,"
"Oh and we do so love playing, trains, painting, dancing, hide and seek…I'd like a child that was good at hide and seek," I sighed wrapping my arms around Spencer.
"Me too but where would we find a child that is good at hide and seek?" He replied.
"I'm good and hide and seek," A little voice came from the bush. I pulled a confused face.
"Who said that Spencer? I can't see them can you?" I said before tapping my chin.
"Me!" And out of the bush jumped a little boy, he must have been three with dirty blond hair and a mud caked pale face. I blinked once, there was no blood…not a single drop.
"Oh my Amelia, I think he must be really good at hide and seek," Spencer said before I pulled away from him and opened my arms to the little boy, "But what was he hiding from,"
"Come here little one, it's alright…you're safe," I cooed and he ran forward.
"You take me away from the mean fairy…she wants to eat me!" He said in terror burying his face in my hair. Screwing my face up a bit I looked to Spencer who frowned.
"We've got you now sweetie, no mean fairy will get you now," I promised standing up, "Some of my friends are going to come over now okay? They're special people who are good at catching fairies," The team walked over and everything clicked.
"Your unsub is someone with dwarfism," I said slowly, "They probably think that by eating bits of the children the child's ability to grow will be passed on to them…that's why they would be as big as a child," Elle did not look convinced.
"But you can tell a dwarf from a child," She said bluntly.
"Not some primordial dwarfs," Spencer said, "Their proportions are the same as a regular adults only at a fraction of the size," Gideon nodded slowly.
"Primordial dwarfs rarely live past the age of thirty so you are most likely looking for one who is getting close to that age, they are extremely rare so they should not be too hard to find on medical records," I explained as we began to talk back towards the park, Spencer taking off his FBI jacket and wrapping it around the child's shoulders.
Iris Walker was arrested later that day in her home two blocks from the park covered from head to toe in blood about to stab a little girl she had bound and gagged in her living room. She did indeed have osteodyplastic primordial dwarfism type II and was twenty five years old standing at not even the height of a three year old. Her squeaky voice hyperactive personality could easily confuse a child into thinking she was a fairy but Miss Walker truly believed that devouring the insides of children would make her grow and stop her from dying young. It was a sad case, Miss Walker's parents had thought her freakish and whilst seeming supportive in the hospital her father had divorced the mother for baring such an unhealthy child. When Walker turned eighteen her mother took her own life not wishing to have to bury her child, it truly was a heart breaking case. The little boy in the woods turned out to be Freddie Colder whose aunt lived next to Miss Walker, because of the documentary released about primordeal dwarfs calling one 'the real life thumbalina' Freddie's aunt had taken to referring to her neighbour like that and joking that she'd grow wings. Freddie's mother and father were away on business and the baby sitter they had hired was nothing more than a teenager who decided to get high on weed with her boyfriend and have sex on Freddie's parents bed, she didn't even know he was missing. Being bored he had left his home two blocks from Walker's and had met her on the way, being familiar with her he had followed her to the park but when she killed two children the boy ran into the woods and hid. Walker then snatched two year old Martha Brindle whilst playing in the street outside her home about twenty minutes before SWAT raided her home.
Sitting next to Spencer's desk I watched as he quickly finished the last of the paper work he was willing to do tonight, it was almost eleven in the evening but I really did not wish to be alone right now with the images of the mutilated children flickering through my mind.
"They'll never go away will they Spence," I said tugging his cardigan tighter around me, looking up at me quickly his glasses slipped down his nose at an odd angle, "The pictures I saw…and the image of that poor girl in the living room…" He sighed.
"They fade over time but they'll never go away but you need to remember that she would most probably still be out there without your help. I'd have never thought about a dwarf," He said and I shrugged.
"I read a book about dwarfism last week, that is the only way I knew," I muttered shrugging before finding a gentle hand on my shoulder.
"You saved a lot of lives today Dr Bailey," Gideon said gently as I looked up to him, "I've suggested that bother Freddie and Martha's parents take them to counselling and ask if you would assess them both," Nodding slowly I agreed and he motioned for me to follow him. Standing I slowly walked after him and into his office sitting down with him at his desk.
"Dr Bailey," He started.
"Amelia, Agent Gideon…" I interjected, "Dr Bailey is my mother…and father…and grandfather…" His face contorted into a look of mild surprise.
"Amelia, what you have seen today is traumatic…even for us a case like this is not the norm. If at any point you feel that what you have seen is something you cannot handle please remember about the two children you saved and all the other children that she would have gone onto murder," He said sliding a card across the table, "And you can always talk to me because I think there will be cases in the future that you may be helpful with, I'd like you to consider becoming a proper consultant for the BAU but I understand that something like this is not for everyone. Talk with Reid, take your time to consider it and just take it easy for a while. Everything you saw today will slowly fade," I nodded and picked up the card with Gideon's number on it and chuckled.
"I'll have a think but I am not promising anything," I said pocketing the card. Someone knocked on the door three times and turning I saw Spencer walk in.
"I'll take you home if you're ready to go," He said with a soft smile looking between me and Gideon with his arms folded loosely across his chest and my bag slung casually over one shoulder. Looking to Gideon I smiled.
"I will think about it," I said softly before standing and laughing softly, "Oh Spence the pink is so your colour," He smiled and put one arm around my shoulder and I leaned into his side stifling a yawn. God I so was not cut out for late nights.
Sitting in Spencer's car I almost clung on for dear life, he did not drive me often…I had a sense of self preservation.
"Spencer," I said looking to him as we stopped at the traffic lights, he looked to me and waited, "Can I stay with you tonight," He was silent for a moment.
"Sure," He said softly changing the signal on his indicator and pulling left. My shoulders drooped slightly with relief.
"Thanks, really don't want to be alone tonight," I sighed looking out the window as we pulled a car park and he pulled into his space.
Spencer's apartment looked more like a library than a home, every conceivable place was packed full of books. Kicking off his converses and shrugging off his cardigan he locked the door behind me. I'd been here plenty of times but I'd never stayed, we hadn't had a 'sleep over' since my sixteenth birthday where my parent's decided it was not to happen again till I was eighteen and legal…we'd never had sex and although my parents trusted Spencer more than anyone two sixteen year olds of opposite genders and a double bed didn't bare thinking about.
We dumped out bags and made our way yawning straight to Spencer's room.
"Just lend me a tshirt and I'll crash on the couch," I yawned one more rubbing my left eye with the heel of my hand. Turning he just smiled.
"You are more than welcome to share my bed, technically we are less…" He started and I just walked over and pressed my lips to his silencing him.
"Sugar it's too late for reeling off statistics…let's just go to bed," And with that I pulled my dress over my head and crawled onto the bed in my underwear scooting over to the right hand side. I truly had never seen a funnier look on Spencer's face than the one he was giving me. After a moment he seemed to remember himself and pulled one of his cotton Pj shirts from his drawer and threw it to me.
"Thanks," I said with a wry smile, pulling it on and buttoning it up whilst he stripped his clothes and pulled on his cotton long pj bottoms and climbed in next to me. Laying my head back on the pillows I smiled to him.
"I admired you for your Job before but now…now the respect and admiration I have for you is something else entirely," I whispered as he flicked off the light.
"That means a lot to me," He whispered back tentatively laying an arm across my waist, his fingers gently brushing my exposed back in circles.
"Is it true what you said earlier? That you have wanted me to kiss you for a while," I replied, his fingers halted for a second before carrying on their circling.
"I thought we were going to discuss this tomorrow evening," He said nervously, leaning in I pressed my lips to his and slipped my arms around his neck. Lips melding with mine his hand on my waist pulled me close, his aroused waist pressing into my stomach.
"We should sleep," He panted, not ceasing rolling me onto my back, his lips attacking my neck.
"Mmm you could get called in at any time," I replied breathlessly, hands fisting in his hair as he nipped at my collar bone.
"We need to be up early so I can take you to yours and then drop you to work," He whispered, one hand trailing my thigh.
"And it's already gone midnight," I whispered meeting his eyes, with both groaned in annoyance and he flopped onto his back.
"Damn logic," He grumbled.
"And statistics," I whispered curling up against his chest.