Near the Holly
Chapter Two
I Own Nothing :(
A/N: Thanks to all reviewers! :) I'm glad so many of you like the story so far! Also, in case any of you were wondering, this is NOT the sequel to my other story The Funny Thing about Friends. That sequel should be posted soon. Sorry for the wait! :)
"Are you narrowing anything down?" JJ asked Spencer. It was nearly an hour after he had begun working on the map, and he was trying his hardest to figure out the comfort zone of the unsub.
"Sort of." Spencer mumbled in response. He continued to stare at the map.
JJ stood up from the chair she had been sitting on and stretched. "Kimberlee, where's the bathroom?"
"Go down the hall to the left, and it's the fifth door on the right. You can't miss it." Kimberlee replied.
JJ nodded and smiled, and she left the room in the direction of the bathroom. Spencer sighed, aware that he and Kimberlee were now together in the room alone. That was something he had been hoping would not happen.
Once JJ had left, Kimberlee stood up and walked closer to Spencer. She grabbed his elbow gently and pulled him away from the map. "I need to talk to you about something. It's important."
Spencer furrowed his brow, obviously confused. "Oh. Okay, what is it?"
Kimberlee search through a pile of files lying next to her, and when she found the one she was looking for, she held it out to Spencer to see. She placed her hand on her neck and seemed to be half-mindedly tracing the scar that led down it. "It's about Hollis."
Spencer winced. Hollis. She was the topic he had been hoping Kimberlee wouldn't bring up. He hated even thinking about her, because the slightest memory of her made his heart ache. Hollis was the true reason why Kimberlee and Spencer were so awkward around one another. After all, they hadn't seen each other since the night Hollis died.
Growing up, Kimberlee and Spencer wouldn't have even known of each other's existence under normal occurrences. Kimberlee was the spunky, free-minded artist, while Spencer was the quirky genius. Not to mention the fact that there was an eight year age difference between the two. However, Hollis was the connection between them. Hollis was Kimberlee's best friend, and she was also Spencer's sister.
Sister. Spencer shuddered. So many years had passed since Hollis' death that the fact that she had ever been his sister seemed surreal to him. Her life was almost like a dream that was fading more and more from him with every passing moment. Her death had been untimely, after all.
The April evening began normal as usual - Hollis was sitting on tree swing in the backyard of their Las Vegas home, reading a chapter out of To Kill a Mockingbird aloud to Spencer. He had read the story a dozen times, but he enjoyed listening to Hollis' sing-song voice retelling the story to him once again. A car horn beeping from the street in front of the house drew Hollis and Spencer's attention away from the book. Hollis looked up to see Kimberlee waving from the driver's seat of her brand-new Buick that she had gotten for her 16th birthday. Hollis smiled and stood up from the swing. She ruffled Spencer's hair. "Don't worry 'Pence. We'll finish tomorrow." And with that, she bounded across the yard and jumped into the passenger seat of Kimberlee's car.
However, Hollis would never finish reading to Spencer. For in less than an hour, an unknown driver would run her and Kimberlee off of a quiet back road, ending her life and putting Kimberlee's in grave condition.
Don't worry, 'Pence. We'll finish tomorrow. Spencer avoided eye contact with Kimberlee and dropped the file on the table. "I-I would rather not open that. It was a long time ago."
"I know that, and it's been long enough." Kimberlee sighed. "Her killer is still out in the world somewhere, Spencer. It's not fair."
Spencer shook his head, still not meeting Kimberlee's eyes. "You're right, it isn't fair. But I think it's time to…to just forget about it. Let the past be the past."
Kimberlee stared at Spencer for a long moment before speaking again. "You don't agree with a word you just said. The Spencer Reid I knew years ago wouldn't let Hollis be forgotten. Not like this."
Spencer let out a sigh, defeated. "What do you want me to do?" He looked up at Kimberlee. His voice was very quiet, almost to a whisper. "It was a hit-and-run. Probably some drunk who decided to get behind the steering wheel of a car. Trust me, if I knew exactly what happened that night, I would find the man who did this and –" Spencer trailed off. He noticed that he had balled his fists up at his sides, and he quickly unclenched them.
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about." Kimberlee replied. "I know that this is a very personal and delicate topic for you. Hell, it is for me, too. But I needed to bring it up because," She paused and stared into Spencer's eyes. "I think the man who ran Hollis and I off the road that night is a serial killer. And we weren't his last victims."
"What?" Spencer looked at Kimberlee, shocked. "What do you mean?"
Kimberlee grabbed the file off the table. "Here, look. Just recently I found a connection between our accident and others. There have been twenty-three similar hit-and-run accidents along the back road Hollis and I were driving on, starting in 1987. That's the year before Hollis and I were in our accident. All of the cars run off the road were red, each had two female passengers inside at the time of the crash, and in each accident they were hit in the late afternoon or early evening. C'mon Spencer. That has to be more than just a coincidence."
"So, you think that you two were targeted by a serial killer?" Spencer was still slowly processing all of the information in his mind. How had no one noticed this earlier?
Kimberlee nodded. "I wasn't positive, and I wanted another opinion. You and your team showed up just in time. Ironic, huh?" She ran a hand through her hair. "But there's more. If I'm right, and there is a serial killer on the loose, then he's more than likely still active. The last hit-and-run happened only five months ago."
Spencer stood, wide-eyed. Hollis was killed by a serial killer via vehicular manslaughter? He shook his head, taking all of the information in. There was a psychopath somewhere in Nevada who had not only taken his sister's life, but had also taken the lives of other innocent girls. Spencer felt angry blood rushing through his veins. He was going to find this son-of-a-bitch and –
"So, will you and your team help?" Kimberlee interrupted his thoughts.
Spencer looked up at Kimberlee. Would he help? Of course! Finally, he had a chance to avenge his sister's death. But as for the team…well, they didn't even know he had a sister, to begin with. As far as they knew, he was an only child. Hollis was a very sensitive subject for him – her very memory brought tears to his eyes. He would rather not reveal his deepest pain to everyone on the team, no matter how much they cared about him. There were some secrets that needed to be kept, well, secret.
"I'll get to the bottom of this. I mean, we'll get to the bottom of this. But just you and me. My team can't find out about this, okay?" Spencer finally responded to Hollis. She gave him a small smile and pulled Spencer into a hug.
Before he could react, he heard the sound of a door opening behind him. He broke away from the hug to see Hotch standing behind him in the doorway. Hotch had both of his eyebrows raised, and his expression showed both intrigue and awkwardness.
Dammit! Spencer thought, finally realizing how he must look to Hotch. He was standing in a room alone with Kimberlee, hugging her. Spencer's cheeks grew burning hot. Why did everyone have to think that he and Kimberlee were an item?
"I – uh, we were, uh – I was just—" Spencer stuttered. "We – we aren't dating!" He finally managed to say. JJ returned to the room at that exact moment, her facial expression becoming much like Hotch's.
"What's going on here?" She asked with a small smile.
"Ughh!" Spencer threw up his hands in frustration. First Hollis, now embarrassing himself in front of Hotch. How much more could he take in one day?
Spencer exited the room, flustered. Hotch called after him, obviously confused by everything that had just happened in the past few seconds. Hotch hurried after Spencer, and finally reached him in the hallway. He grabbed Spencer by the wrist and pulled him aside.
"Okay, Reid. What's going on? I enter the room to find you and Kimberlee hugging each other, then you scream out that you're not dating, and you run out of the room! I'm kind of worried here." Hotch spoke to the younger agent. Spencer tried not to look into Hotch's eyes. They were so damn wonderful. There had been so many times when all Spencer wanted to do was tell Hotch everything about Hollis and his pain, and to have Hotch hold him in his arms and console him. It was a lovely fantasy, but, sadly, it was only a dream.
Maybe he could tell Hotch about Hollis now – no, he couldn't. He had to do this on his own. For Hollis.
For his sister.
Spencer put on a fake small smile that was utterly unconvincing. "Sorry, Hotch. I've just been thinking too much about the maps, and I'm tired, and I haven't seen Kimberlee in so long…it's just all been rather hard to take in."
Hotch gave him an unconvinced look. "And how exactly does that explain you hugging Kimberlee in the room a few minutes ago?"
Spencer swallowed hard. "Uh…"
Hotch ran a hand over his face. He appeared confused. "Okay, never mind. Are you okay? Do you need to take a break?"
Spencer shook his head. "I'm fine."
Hotch eyed him over. "You would tell me if something were going on, right?"
Spencer dropped eye contact. How could he lie to Hotch? How could he lie to the man that he loved? Yes, he admitted it. He loved Hotch. Aaron Hotchner, I'm in love with you! He mentally screamed to the man standing across from him. There were so many things crossing through his mind at the moment. Just tell him, dammit! You obviously trust him. He thought to himself. Finally, he sighed.
"Of course. But everything's fine." He managed to give Hotch a smile, which seemed to slightly convince his superior.
"All right. Let's get back to work then." Hotch finally said. Spencer let out a small sigh of relief. His heart was beating like crazy – he most certainly was in love. However, he felt another feeling, and it wasn't as light and airy as the love he felt for Hotch. It was the feeling of guilt.
How could he lie to Hotch? Why didn't he just open up and let Hotch help him? He can help you avenge Hollis' death! Spencer sighed and shook the annoying voice out of his head. He needed to learn how to keep his emotions under control.
Spencer sat in his hotel room later on that evening after a (very) long day at work. He was dedicating his free time to working on Hollis' case. Suddenly, the details of the case all made sense. He had never looked over Hollis' case folder in the past – he was only a young boy at the time of her death, anyway. But now, it was blatantly obvious that she and Kimberlee had been the targets of a serial killer.
He was pulled away from his work by the sound of someone knocking – no, pounding rather – at his hotel door. He laid the folders he was looking through on the bedside table, and went to answer the door.
He couldn't help but let his jaw fall slightly open when he saw Hotch standing in his doorway. He looked very un-Hotchlike. He was wearing an old, gray T-shirt and a pair of blue sweatpants. He was obviously dressed in his pajamas, much to Spencer's delight. Keep yourself under control, Reid. He warned himself.
"Oh, uh, Hotch." Spencer swallowed hard. Hotch's muscles looked rather well-defined in that old T-shirt, and it was quite nice to see Hotch out of his suit and tie for once. Spencer cleared his throat. "Um…what's up?"
Wow, stupid, way to start a conversation. The voice in his head criticized him. However, it was interrupted by Hotch.
"I need to use your sink." Hotch's expression seemed harsher than usual, and Spencer realized that he was pissed off. He also became aware that Hotch was holding his toothbrush in his hand.
Spencer cocked his head to the side. Without thinking, he asked, "Why?"
Hotch let out an exasperated sigh. "Because my piece of shit sink won't turn on! Shitty hotel…"
Spencer couldn't help but smile. He found Hotch to be slightly amusing – and scary – whenever he was angry. At the same time, he found it extremely attractive. Then again, he thought everything Hotch did was attractive.
"Sure, come on in." Spencer stood away from the door, letting Hotch enter to use his bathroom. Hotch mumbled his gratitude, and hurried into the bathroom to brush his teeth.
A few moments later, he exited the bathroom. Spencer was standing a few feet away, his arms crossed in front of his chest, a small glimmer of a smile on his face.
"First thing tomorrow, I'm complaining to the manager." Hotch told him. He seemed serious (as always) but at the same time, there was a small smile shown within his expression.
"They should put nicer hotels in our budget." Spencer replied. He sat down on the edge of his bed, his glance never leaving Hotch. The glow of the bedside table lamp shone lightly on his face, highlighting his features that Spencer loved so much.
Hotch gave a small nod and smile of agreement. His glance flickered around the room, and landed on Hollis' case file. He picked it up. "What's this?"
Spencer nearly pounced at Hotch, and his snatched the folder from his grasp before he could see anything inside. He felt a cold sweat break out across his body. "It's, uh, nothing. It's just busy work and research. That's all."
Hotch had both of his eyebrows raised, and he appeared skeptical. "Really? You just took that file away from me as if your life depended on it."
Spencer gave a nervous shrug. "Oh. Sorry about that." You're so lame! The voice in his head whispered to him.
Hotch crossed his arms. "You've been on edge since we got here. What's messing with your mind?"
Spencer swallowed hard. Why couldn't he just open up for once and tell Hotch what was going on? He loved the man, for crying out loud! "I've just been tired, is all. I'll be fine by morning." Spencer lied.
Hotch sighed softly and gave Spencer once last skeptical look. "Okay. Goodnight, Reid. Thanks for letting me use your bathroom."
Spencer gave Hotch a smile. "Goodnight, Hotch." And with that, Hotch left the hotel room.
Spencer turned off the beside lamp and lay down against his pillow. He soon fell sound asleep, fantasies of Hotch swirling around in his mind.
To Be Continued
A/N: Review please(: Hope you all like it. Sorry for the wait, my brother took my laptop on vacation with him for the week, thus I couldn't finish my chapter as soon as I would have liked to. Sorry!
