(Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or it's characters)
I have no idea if there is another criminal minds fic like this, but I was just lay in bed and had an idea. I read a book several years ago called "Before I fall", it's amazing and in the style of ground hog day, where the day ends and restarts again. If you've seen the actual "groundhog day" or "live, die, repeat (day after tomorrow)" then you.l get what I'm going for. I love the whole concept of living a day over and over and so I thought why not make a criminal minds fic on the concept, and here it is.
There will be 6 chapters, maybe more. I'm trying to condense this story, oh and BTW be prepared for characters death (you'll see what I mean soon enough).
Please tell me what you think in the reviews.
Enjoy!
Spencer's alarm went off and he rolled over groggily, slamming his slender fingers on the off button and collapsing back onto his pillows. He closed his eyes for a second, remembering every part of his strange dream. He cracked his eyes open and glanced at the alarm clock; 6.27am it read, beneath it stood the date Monday 13th of September. He sighed, heaving himself from bed, perching on the edge and rubbing his eyes. He kept his eyes closed as he stood up, opening them just in time to witness his hip connect painfully with his chest of drawers. He clamped his hand over his mortal wound, hissing in pain and cursing the inanimate object.
He shuffled into his bathroom, turning the shower on and discarding his pyjamas in the laundry basket. The hot steam closed in on him, waking him up and shooing away the slight nausea he had been experiencing. He washed his hair quickly and slipped out, grabbing his tooth brush and scrubbing away the fuzzy feeling that had developed on his teeth over night.
He bounced back into his bedroom, stubbing his toe on a book. Spencer reeled back in frustration, hopping around on one foot and picking out his outfit for the day.
He selected a light grey shirt, decorated with tiny black umbrellas. He fastened a dark grey tie around his neck and threw on a red cardigan, buttoning it over his shirt. He matched this with a pair of grey pants.
He skidded into the kitchen and started to brew some coffee. He returned to his room and pulled on a pink sock he found under a book and a yellow one with navy turtles across it.
Spencer paused in front of a mirror, flicking his drying hair around until he was satisfied, hoping it would dry the way he'd styled it. He glanced at the time; 6.52am.
He heard the ping of the coffee machine and he rolled into the kitchen, expertly pouring himself a mug, and corrupting it with several teaspoons of sugar.
He took his coffee to the couch and opened the book he'd started the night before. I'll just finish this and then I'll head to work, he decided, flicking through the pages at lightening speed.
He got to his desk by 7.41, glancing at the files on his and his co-workers desk. He loved an early start.
Hotch was already in, pouring over a thick file in his office.
JJ came not long after Reid, throwing her bag down and making herself a mug of coffee.
Emily and Rossi were next, chatting about Rossi's new car. They were shortly followed by Garcia who waved at them all before disappearing into her lair.
Morgan, of course, was last, coming in with 5 minutes to spare from being late. Morgan made coffee and was frisking the first file on his desk (Spencer finishing his last), he glanced over at Spencer's finished pile of paperwork and poured.
"Hey pretty boy, you look a little lonely without any work to..."
"Uh uh, Morgan, you can do your own." Spencer said simply, turning a few pages at once of a book he found in his drawer.
"I still think you should be given more", huffed Morgan, storming back to his desk and painfully lifting the top of a file. Luckily as he peeked into the file Garcia bumbled in with her usual wad of files.
"This is a local one my lovelies, so leave your go bags and move your butts!" Shrilled the glitter clad tech analyst.
The team were briefed and set to work. They established that their killer was a middle age male Caucasian, who had a classic God complex, believing himself to be an equal to God's power. He was very organised, having once killed 6 victims in their home in Virginia, all of whom were adults. He also proved he could take on stronger individuals targeting houses belonging to law enforcement officers. The case had been ongoing and the police had finally (and reluctantly), decided to give the case to the FBI.
Reid got up, figuring it was as good a time as any to start his geographical profile.
"Hey Reid, could you take the files you filled out this morning down to the third floor. In fact take all the ones you guys finished, excluding Morgan who I doubt did any", Hotch raised his eyebrows at the darker agent who could only smirk.
"Uh sure." Spencer tore himself away from the board with reluctance and headed over to his desk, where his finished stack of paperwork stood.
"Need any help, Spence?" JJ asked watching her friend struggle through the door with the mountain of work.
"No thanks, I'm good. I think." He added, barely making it through the glass doors, he was walked to the elevator with his arms full of files. He looked over the pile just to see the doors of the elevator snap shut.
"Urgh, No!" He moaned. He glanced back up to the conference room. Hotch was the only one still in there, the others had gone to their desks to grab a few things, or in Emily's case, restock herself with coffee. Reid's feet tapped impatiently, he huffed and made his way to the staircase, not wanting to stand around much longer.
He managed to get through the door without incident; the files still towering in his arms. He looked down the steep flight of stairs. Spencer swallowed thickly and took a step forward, gazing at the 10 flights below him.
He took another step when his foot suddenly slipped from beneath him. He barely had a chance to gasp as the ground disappeared. It soon reappeared, slamming into his back. Spencer held on to the files as he tumbled down the steps. With each bounce and yelp several files flew from his grasp. After around 3 steps, Reid forgot about the files and tried to stop his fall, flailing his arms out. Somewhere along the way his eyes closed. All he could think was the amount of noise he must be making. A savaging agony tore through his ribs as they connected with the hard concrete steps, he cried out. The cry was cut short when Spencer's head cracked harshly on the corner of a step, knocking him out cold.
Spencer's body barged to a stop as it came into contact with the wall at the bottom of the first flight of stairs. Spencer collapsed back to the ground.
Spencer cracked his eyes open, groaning in pain as light flooded his vision, as opposed to the comforting darkness he'd been enjoying just moments ago.
"Spence? Are you alright?" Spencer closed his eyes against the prying light and flipped himself over, forcing his arms under him and pushing himself up, he reopened his eyes to find files littering the stairwell. He rolled up his sleeve and found a long red mark that was purpling and the side of his head was throbbing intensely. He touched his chest when his ribs had been hit, but he wouldn't expose his stomach to his team.
"Hey kid, are you hurt?" Spencer squinted up to see Rossi hovering a couple of steps away and JJ perched next to him, the door was about to swing open again so Spencer jolted to his feet.
"I'm okay, just sore", he mumbled, stretching his limbs and wincing. Morgan and Prentiss came through the door looking extremely worried, before they could ask Reid said, "I'm fine, honestly. I just slipped. I think the top step's wet, watch out", he warned, as Morgan made his way gingerly down, and glanced at the bottom of his shoe which was in fact wet.
"Stupid cleaners," he growled. "Where the hells the sign?"
"These stairs are probably never used, they wouldn't expect..."
"Don't excuse them Reid", chided Emily, as she too tutted at the slippery step and set to work helping JJ collect the files.
"Sorry," Reid mumbled, pressing the side of his head gently and grimacing when his fingers connected with a small lump forming a little below his temple.
"How about I take the files down and you go get a coffee?" JJ suggested taking the files from Emily.
"Uh, shouldn't he go to the hospital?" Emily frowned, and Spencer shook his head vigorously at her. She held her hands up in surrender. "Alright, suit yourself!" She laughed.
"Let's go get you an ice pack, man", said Morgan, throwing a protective arm around Spencer.
"And coffee?" Spencer added hopefully. Morgan smiled.
"And coffee." He confirmed. Morgan helped Reid stumble up a few steps, but the younger agent insisted he could walk just fine on his own.
Before long Spencer was sat in his chair in the conference room with 2 ice packs, one for his ribs and the other for his head. He almost laughed when Morgan served him his coffee.
"I know you only like a little bit of coffee with your sugar", chuckled the older agent, handing Spencer a big tub of sugar and a teaspoon.
"I should fall down the stairs more often", Reid joked.
"Ah, don't get used to it pretty boy", Morgan licked his lips and tapped the back of Reid's head playfully.
"What happened to you?" Hotch frowned as he entered the room and saw Spencer holding an ice pack over his ribs, another lay dripping on the table.
"Uh, I had a mishap with the stairs", he confessed, blood rushing to his cheeks. Hotch scowled at the bruise forming on Reid's face, but let it go seeing as the agent was already working again.
Spencer decided to stay in the conference room for a while after that. By lunch he finally built up the courage to retrieve his sandwich and a coffee refill.
Rossi and JJ left to interview some of the victim's families, whereas, Emily and Morgan spoke to key witnesses.
Reid remained behind, discussing with Garcia, and feeding information to her from the others.
Spencer (bored with his current job), started filling a clear board full of equations. He frowned when something didn't seem to add up.
He pulled over the map and pinned the recent murder sights. He mumbled randomly to himself as the others discussed the profile.
Their unsub was pretty easy to profile, but he always seemed to get away with his kills, leaving little evidence, except notes to taunt those that hunted him.
"He's a slippy bastard", grunted Morgan. He glanced at the clock and sighed when he saw it read 7.10pm. He wasn't going home early.
Reid scowled at the map. He'd pinned where the next kill sight would be. He was certain it would be there, he'd bet his life on it. But it all came together so easily for him. It was blantently obvious that this would be the next location, which was what worried him so much.
"Hey, genius, can you possibly return to your body and tell us what you've found?" Rossi smirked, Spencer continued to stare at the board, his eyes narrowed and his mouth bobbing open and closed with thought.
"Re..." Rossi started again, but Spencer turned around, snapping out of his daze.
"I think I've found the next location. And based on the time frame he won't have hit it yet." He rambled.
"Seriously? We have him then!" Morgan clasped his hands together.
"Wait, wait. How did you figure that out?" Emily questioned, crossing her arms.
"An Adrian Shepard and his wife live there. Mr Shepard is on the Virginia police force." Garcia informed them, turning her computer screen around.
"I asked her to check out the location", Spencer explained to their confused faces. "That matchs with our Unsub's victimology. He has hit houses belonging to officers as well as higher authority figures. It also fits in with his God complex. He's proving that he is the highest authority. As for the geographical profile, that is mostly maths and a bit of science. I could explain it if you'd..."
"That's alright Reid. What's the address?" Morgan asked, hopping from his seat.
"Brookebanks farmhouse, Garcia, can you send it to..."
"Already done my gorgeous brainiac," grinned Garcia.
"Spencer are you sure about this location?" Spencer gave him a look that made him smirk. "Of course you are", he chuckled, strapping a vest on.
"Reid, Prentiss and Rossi take the first SUV. Morgan and JJ, you're with me, let's head out and catch our unsub."
"Emily and I will head around back", Rossi said, gun raised, 'FBI' emblazoned on his chest as he strutted around the back of the building, with Emily in the same stance at his heals.
"JJ and I will take the side entrances, Morgan, you and Reid try the front." With that Morgan and Reid were left on the drought ridden land, their guns still holstered.
"You knock, I'll kick it down", Morgan said simply, pulling his gun out. Spencer nodded and made his way to the door. He gave it a loud thud and called, "FBI, come out with your hands up!". No answer.
Morgan raised his foot and slammed it into the door frame. The door fell open like a dead weight, smacking hard against the wall.
"I guess it was open", whispered Reid, grinning from ear to ear.
Morgan went to punch the genius playfully when a 'ziiiippp' flew through the air, halting with a dull, wet thud. Spencer staggered back, pain erupting across his shoulder. He pressed his fingers to the pain and gasped when they traced a small bloody hole in the meaty part of his shoulder.
"Shit!" Hissed Morgan, pulling himself and Spencer down and looking over at the bloody young man. Spencer was drained of colour and his eyes were focused on the blood streaming from his wound.
Fearful of another bullet, Morgan grabbed Spencer's legs and pulled him behind a nearby couch. Spencer got his arms under himself and with great effort, he helped get behind the couch.
"I'm okay, Derek," winced Spencer as the older agent looked over the hole. Morgan ducked down and pulled out his radio.
"Hotch? Are you there?"
"What is it Morgan? We heard a struggle..."
"He's in here Hotch, and he's armed. Spencer's been shot", Morgans eyes flutter to the younger agent, who was holding his hand tight against the wound and looking back up at Morgan with determination.
"Shit, where?" "Is he okay?" "How?" "Is he conscious?", several voices came through at once.
"He's alright at the moment", Morgan replied.
"We're going in", that was Rossi's voice.
Rossi and Prentiss opened the back door cautiously, aiming their guns around. They heard the muffled whimpers from the front room. Assuming it was their youngest, they began to make their way over.
The slamming of the back door made them spin around. Only wind, thought Emily. She was about to turn back when she felt something sharp pierce into her back. She yelped and swayed slightly, before crashing to the floor. She gagged as something metallic filled her mouth.
Rossi fired several shots into the dark corridor, glancing down at Emily who had stopped struggling and was completely still.
"No", he whispered, kneeling down beside the fallen agent.
As his knees bent another 'zip', soared through the air. Rossi's head snapped back as a bullet caught him between the eyes.
"Rossi are you in? Who fired?" Hotch muttered into his radio. "Dave?" Still no answer. He frowned
"Emily?" Morgans voice broke in on the radio. Neither agents replied.
Hotch turned to JJ, "go check around back, I'll take this entrance". JJ nodded at the order man and slunk off to the back door. "And be careful", Hotch barked as she disappeared.
Hotch tried the door, but it wouldn't budge. He sighed, taking a step back and then ramming his body into the door. The door gave way with a groan. The house was silent. Not a good sign. Hotch crept along the wall, his eyes skirting the front room and catching sight of movement behind the couch.
"Morgan?" He hissed, Morgan's head peered over the top, relief washing over them both. Hotch darted behind the soft yellow couch, taking in the two agents. Spencer was bleeding heavily, but his eyes were wide and alert and he was moving and breathing with little hinderance.
"You alright Reid?" Hotch asked the young man who nodded weakly. The radio started to crackle and the three looked at each other nervously.
"Hotch! Morgan, Reid?" JJ's desperate voice crackled to their ears.
"I've got them JJ", Hotch reassured.
"Hotch, Rossi and Emily are down! They're...oh god, no, no!" Her voice cracked naturally without the radio's interference.
"JJ find a pulse. Have they both been shot?"
"N..no pulse, Hotch. They're dead! Oh god! Hotch they're..." the radio cut out suddenly, a dull whack echoing over the intercom.
"JJ?" Spencer whispered into his own radio. No answer. Static blared through.
"Jenifer!?" He sobbed.
JJ grasped her throat where the bullet had buried its teeth. She gagged on the blood flooding her mouth and dancing over her tongue. She couldn't breath. She sunk deeper over Emily's body, which she had been knelt next to in order to find a pulse that no longer existed.
Her mind flickered to images of her son and her husband. She prayed they would be okay.
"Henry.." she gargled, fighting the agony and blood that was swamping her.
She rasped out a wet breath. A second bullet entered her skull.
The gasping stopped.
"JENIFER!" Shrieked Spencer, who was growing paler.
"I'm going in there" snapped Morgan.
"No, you wait here with Spencer. We can't leave him alone", the two older agents shared a look, their eyes glancing over to Reid and then back at each other.
"Fine", hissed Morgan.
Hotch got up and slowly stepped into the corridor.
Rossi, Emily and JJ were lay in the back utility room, the kitchen stood next to the room and a corridor connected the kitchen with 2 bedrooms and the living room where Morgan and Reid currently resided.
Hotch flung open the first bedroom door. Once he was happy that it was clear, he moved on the the second bedroom. His eyes caught something lit up in the room. With a frown laden on his features, he carefully made his way to the flashing device, shutting the door slightly so he was aware of any movement. He lent down to examine the item and almost jumped back in shock. A quiet beeping was radiating from the device; it read 4.39 and was slowly counting down.
A bomb.
He was so lost in shock and fear, Hotch didn't notice the door tip toe open, nor did he see the figure waiting, with a gun poised on the unit chief. Hotch went to grab his radio when a whooshing of air skimmed by his ears and pain erupted over his thigh. He swivelled round and fired off his own shot, landing it in the unsub's arm. Unfortunately, the unsub also managed to pull off a second shot, this one landing in Hotch's abdomen.
Hotch felt himself falling down, though his fingers still tried to grasp for a better hold on his gun.
Hotch reached out for his weopen that had slipped from his fingers. The figure in the door had vanished and a sudden, overwhelming panic took hold of the unit chief.
"Morgan, get out of here! There's a bomb!" He shouted into his radio.
Morgan gazed over to Spencer.
"Can you stand?" He asked and Spencer nodded vigorously, getting to his feet and staying low.
"We're gonna catch this son of a bitch. Stay behind me", Morgan got up slowly, helping the young agent up further. He gave Reid a sad look, hoping against all hope that he would see those tawny eyes again.
"Oh and Spencer," Reid looked over to his friend, fighting tears. "We might not like what we see."
"Hotch, we're coming. Where's the unsub?"
A very weak Hotch responded through the radio.
"No! Morgan, get yourself and Reid out of there! That's an order!"
"We are not leaving you!" Morgan insisted, beginning their trek down the hallway, stealing looks back at Reid who wasn't coping too well.
Hot.." Morgan froze, he swore something moved in the dimly lit kitchen ahead. Forgetting Spencer was behind him, he rushed for the room, firing at the figure ahead of him.
"Morgan wait!" Yelled Spencer, trudging into the room as fast as he could.
Spencer heard a familiar 'whiz' shoot through the air, he prepared for the pain, but none arrived. He opened his eyes in time to see Morgan stumble backwards, his gun sliding across the laminated tiles.
"NO!" Shrieked Reid as his best friend's body crumbled to the ground, a thick, viscous pool of crimson erupting from the gunshot wound.
"No, no, no!" Yelped Spencer, skidding over to Morgan and kneeling down beside the older agent. Morgan's eyes were open wide and Spencer's heart fluttered with hope. He grabbed Morgan's shoulders; the man flopped around like a fish out of water.
"Oh..." gasped Reid, his eyes skimming the hole that sat in the centre of Derek's chest. Morgan's eyes remained staring; though they were open, they were unresponsive, cloudy and dead. The life had already left them.
"Mooorgan!" Reid's voice broke as he called out to his dead team mate. He wrapped his arms around Derek's thick, dark, muscular ones; they were already beginning to feel colder. "Please d...don't leave me too", Spencer sobbed into Derek's neck, snuggling himself close to his friend, filled with a childish desire that he could somehow bring Derek back from the dead.
Spencer screamed into the man's clothes, allowing tears to fall. He didn't care that the unsub was still there; he wanted the son of a bitch to come and shoot him; he needed the pain to go away.
"I..I can't..." he cried into Morgan, who was growing colder and paler, blood still leaking from his chest. Spencer barely noticed the increasing pain in his shoulder.
The unsub held the gun to the boy who was grasping the beefy, black man, sobbing unindurably over his body. He pulled the trigger and the gun clicked softly, alerting him that bullets were out of stock. He shrugged and glanced at his watch; 1.54 seconds, that's enough time, he thought, shoving his hands in his pockets and plodding away from the scene. The agent inside wouldn't bother him.
Spencer rocked gently, holding onto the warmth Morgan still had.
"Don't g-go..." he wailed.
The radio murmered to life. "Morgan? Reid? I-is anyone...a-a-alive?", Hotch's voice choked through.
Hotch watched the radio, but it didn't reply to his pleas. He could hear soft crying from the room ahead. Aaron sighed, he had failed his team. He glanced at the bomb; 37 seconds. He felt a tear slide down his cheeks. He looked at his wounds. Die now, he begged his body. His eyes fearfully traced the diminishing numbers on the bomb. Die, please, die. Aaron's body didn't give in to his demands. He remained breathing even as the clock struck 0.
The unsub paused a good distance from the house, the young agent didn't exit. He gleamed when an explosion rocked the very earth his feet stood on. The farmhouse was obliterated, along with the agents inside.
Reid felt an unbearable pain rip through him, as if he was being torn apart; though nothing could compare to the agonising pain his friend's death had caused.
Suddenly - all pain vanquished - he felt as if he was floating, everything was white and tranquil.
Spencer Reid shot up from under his covers, gasping for breath and holding his chest tightly, peering down to see if he had in fact been ripped apart. He was one piece.
He glanced at his clock; 6:27am it read. Beneath it was a small Callender which revealed it was Monday 13th of September. Reid frowned, yesterday was Monday, he thought.
Morgan! His whole body became taunt. Emily, Rossi, JJ, Hotch! He grabbed his cell from his table dialling his best friends number.
"It was just a nightmare, just a nightmare. They.. they're fine..." he stammered to himself, biting his lip as the phone rang.
Once.
Twice.
But it felt so real, he thought, his eyes narrowing in pain.
Third ring.
"Reid? It's like 6 in the morning, man."
TBC
So that's chapter one and day one complete. Things will start strange now.
I know this may not be accurate, as in the team wouldn't go alone to the sight, they'd have more backup. But just ignore that because none of this story is supposed to be accurate, I mean time loops are not real. Right?...
I hope you enjoyed. Next chapter may not be tomorrow. I think I'll take this story slower.
Thanks for reading, please review, I will see you soon with Day 2. (Hey! I'm a poet and I didn't know it)
