AN: So, other people do weird things when they get writers block too, right? Cause when I get writers block I clean and listen to rap music...? Well, it works, so here is another chapter! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own Criminal Minds.
"Okay, Dr. Reid, we will be sending you home tonight with a protective detail." Hotch told Reid after he sat with a sketch artist and helped make a composite sketch of 'Bryan'. Reid was relieved that he would be going home. His headaches had been getting worse and he needed some peace and quiet. Getting onto the car with Morgan, Reid thought about his predicament. After a few minutes of quiet, he asked a question he knew Morgan would be reluctant to answer.
"What happened to the victims?" His voice was quiet. Morgan, startled, turned to his passenger.
"What?" Though he knew exactly what the young man beside him had asked. Reid turned large hazel eyes on him.
"You heard me." It was said softly, almost like he was trying not to disturb the quiet that had settled over the SUV.
"I'm so not telling you that, kid." Morgan replied stiffly, and Reid saw his opening. He was a profiler, even if it was only in his dreams.
"That bad, huh?" He said turning away from Morgan slightly.
"No, it's not. Really. It just that you're a civilian and-" Morgan said quickly, trying to explain himself.
"It's fine, you don't have to tell me how bad it is."
"It's not that bad!" Morgan protested.
"You wouldn't keep it from me if it wasn't that bad." Reid contradicted.
"Yes, I would, and I am!" He said, now frustrated.
"I don't believe you." Reid said stubbornly.
"They were strangled, Reid! Damn it!" He hit his hand on the steering wheel, glaring at a contemplative Reid. "You are one tricky bastard, you know that?"
"Yeah, it's kind of hard not to be when you have and IQ 187. Was the strangulation manual?" Morgan just blinked at him and slowly nodded. Reid hummed quietly and suddenly realized that this man had no idea why he was asking. And, that he probably sounded very morbid. "I- I went to a few lectures on profiling. I'm just trying to, uh, get a feel for what this guy is like, ya know?" He felt his face get a little red. Morgan gave him a strange look but nodded.
"Well what kind of 'feel' did you get from this guy, kid?" He muttered as they pulled up in front of Reid's apartment complex. Reid contemplated this question for a moment before answering.
"Well, despite the popular belief, strangling someone with your bare hands, especially a grown man, takes strength. Like, a lot of it. And stamina. Much more difficult than TV would have you believe. Which would mean that this guy is probably young, and fit. It would also mean that he is dedicated to killing this way, as most killers would try and, upon realizing how difficult it is, settle for using something like rope or a belt." Reid lectured.
"Dude, I was expecting something like 'he likes it personal'. Not a full profile." Was Morgans slightly sarcastic reply. Reid looked at him, confused.
"That wasn't a full profile. I didn't even include-" he began, but Morgan cut him off, realizing that the kid didn't know he was being sarcastic.
"Nevermind." Was all he said as he got out of the car. Reid quickly followed him out of the car, having to take long strides to catch up with Morgan.
"But there is something off about this whole… situation. He shot at us earlier."
"Yeah, so?"
"So, if killing young men who look like… me with his bare hands is so important to this guy, why would he try to shoot me?" He hesitated before saying "me", but Morgan finally understood what he meant.
"He wouldn't…" Morgan said his eyes widening with the realization. Reid nodded. "So,who besides our UNSUB would shoot at a pair of FBI agents and a college professor?"
"No, I think it was our UNSUB, but I don't think he was trying to shoot me…" Morgan nodded along, now expanding on the thought.
"So, say this guy was trying to shoot me and Prentiss. Why? What would he gain from taking out two FBI agents?"
"Maybe… trying to scare the rest of your team off?"
"No, he's too intelligent for that. He would know that killing two agents would only make the rest of the team that much more motivated to catch him. So what would he gain? Wait… Well, taking out the people assigned to you would give him access."
"Hmm, yes, that seems like the most likely reason." By now they had reached Reid's apartment. There were already two officers standing by the door.
"Night, Dr. Reid." He said and, after nodding at the officers, Morgan was gone. Looking at his watch, Reid thought it was high time he got to sleep.
"I don't know everything." Reid said as he, Morgan, Hotch, and Elle stood in the doorway. "Despite the fact that you think I do." He said to Morgan.
"I've never said that, when have I ever said that?" He said defensively.
"Every day since I met you." Reid laughed.
"This morning at breakfast." Elle chimed in.
"Yesterday when he beat you at cards." Hotch commented, looking at his watch.
….
Reid and Morgan stood in an old elevator that had stopped moving. They both looked around and Morgan bounced on his toes slightly. The elevator shook precariously.
"Don't do that." Reid told him.
"Why's it stopped?" Morgan mumbled.
"I don't know…" Morgan began pushing buttons on the panel. Repeatedly. "Stop that." Morgan looked at him.
"What? What's the problem?" He asked pushing more buttons.
"Don't do that!" He half shouted. Morgan looked at him for a moment, pausing his button pressing.
"Why not?" He asked.
"Because, there are six elevator related deaths per year. Not to mention ten thousand injuries that require hospitalization." he gestured with his hand, "Chill out."
"Those sound like pretty good odds to me, what, wait, are you scared? Are you scared of me?" He ribbed.
"No, I'm not scared. I don't want to be in an elevator with you, to be honest." he spoke over more of Morgans jokes.
"What, what's that, Oh-" He spoke still pressing buttons and bouncing on his toes. Suddenly, the elevator dropped about a foot lower, sending both agents sprawling into the wall behind them. Morgan looked around, obviously freaked out now. "Woah. Woah." he said in a low voice.
"Ju- Just, pry the doors open!"
"They're stuck, man." Morgan grunted as the death trap they called an elevator shook, once again throwing him against the wall. He closed his eyes. "No, no, no, not today."
"Hotch!" Reid called out as morgan pressed the call button.
"Hotch!" Morgan yelled louder.
….
Reid hovered over Garcia as she typed.
"Are you… are you hacking into the governments HMO database? Is that legal?" He questioned uneasily.
"Of course not." she said slyly "We'll both go to prison and you'll be someone's bitch." he gave her a look before muttering,
"Really?" More to himself than her. She smiled wickedly.
…..
The team sat on the Jet, going over the case they had recently been given. The jet shook with turbulence as Garcia's face was replaced with the login screen on the computer. The jet shook again as Reid buckled his belt and looked at Rossi, who sat across from him. The Italian had shut his eyes and crossed himself while muttering something, most likely a prayer, under his breath.
"I didn't know you were a bad flyer." Reid commented.
"I'm not, I just hate turbulence." Rossi said defensively, grabbing the armrest tightly.
"You know, turbulence very rarely causes planes to crash." He said as JJ reached over to stop his glass of water flying off the table.
"That does me absolutely no good at the moment, thank you." He said sarcastically. Reids brows went up for a moment before he answered.
"What we really need to worry about are microbursts, the sudden downbursts of air associated with thunderstorms, in a small craft like this if we hit one of those at the wrong altitude," he hit his fist against the palm of his hand. "Boom, pulverized." When he finished his little rant, he reached over and took a drink of his water. Rossi stared at him in horror for a moment before turning to JJ.
"I beg of you to make him stop." JJ just shook her head at him and he sighed. Reid smiled from behind his water as the plane shook again.
AN: All of the dreams in this chapter and the first one are scenes from the show. I might make my own dream scenes in future chapters, but maybe not. Please R&R! :)
