Hey, hey, hey, Rage908's new chapter is on its way! Anyone who tells me that wasn't lame is gonna be my absolute best friend! Also, please note that any locations mentioned in this story are most likely not real places. Just places made up in my head. There is no Vera Beach Florida, there is, however, a Vero Beach Florida that my Aunt and Uncle live at.
-RAGE908
"Any thought that is passed on to the subconscious often enough and convincingly enough is finally accepted." – Robert Collier
"Maybe it's just your subconscious telling you that you need to step off the case." Hotch suggested to Paige while they sat in an uncomfortable silence that screamed in Paige's eardrums. The jet was flying smoothly on its way to Vera Beach, Florida. It was a case that was messing with Paige's mind, bringing her back to days she kept away.
"I don't want or need to back off the case, sir. If anything, I want to stay on and help catch this person." Paige negotiated, leaning forward in her seat, towards Hotch. She sighed, and put her hands over her head. "I don't want to chicken out on my third case. It's too soon." She whispered.
"Paige, no one will think any less of you if you need to take a leave." Hotch contradicted. He placed his fingers to touch each other, and then crumbled them together, intertwining them. "But," He paused, watching as Paige lifted her head up, and met his eyes with hers. "But, I also understand if you need to stay."
"Sir?" Paige whispered, finally leaning back up, and sitting up straight.
"Yes, Singer?"
"A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of colored ribbon." She paused, her face guarded and expressionless. "Napoleon Bonaparte."
Hotch nodded, and proceeded to get up, and scurry off to sit by Rossi, and talk with him about the case. Paige huffed and sighed, and glanced out the window. While she stared, and thought hard about the case, and the significance of a faded memory of a long gone friend who couldn't be there for her, the other team members stared at her.
Morgan, Prentiss, and Reid sat together, quietly speaking. Prentiss worried about Paige all the time, even if she didn't know her that well. Reid and Morgan were bummed about tonight, and were talking about how they would make it up to Paige and Penelope.
"So, I'm thinking that we meet at my place, go to a scary movie, get them all scared and what not. Then, we take them to a bar, let them cool off, then we go to this park by my place. It's got these cool hanging lanterns that Pen would love." Derek suggested, smiling wittingly.
"What movie, and what bar would we go to?" Spencer whispered back, noticing that Paige was within hearing distance.
"A good scary one. Anything out right now?"
"You're asking me?" Reid mocked, acting surprised for Morgan's sake.
"Hilarious." He said distastefully.
"I try." Morgan laughed. "No…" Said Doctor Spencer Reid. "I really do…"
"I know, kid." Derek mused, laughing a little more. "I know."
Hotch and Rossi argued over Singer's issues with the case.
"We need her head in the case." Hotch explained, setting his chin on his fist.
"We also need her subconscious cleared. She needs to know that she's understood here." Rossi agreed, yet still racked his mind for answers. "What about her story? If she thinks it's connected to the case, then…"
"Dave, you're not actually suggesting that we take her story into examination, are you?" Hotch asked, lifting an eyebrow at his partner.
"I think I am. Remember when Reid accused his dad of murdering Riley Jenkins? Remember how he had that dream? We let him have a chance, let's give her one."
"I remember. But, if those memories are in fact tied to this case, then she could be in potential danger if the media is told." Hotch pointed out.
"True. So, no media. Oh well. If we have her, I think this will be a step closer. She said the boy from her memory was her best friend until he skipped high school, then the next day was found drunk, and taken to prison. His name was Owen. She didn't mention a last name."
"When we land, call Garcia and ask her to search for an Owen who went to a public Chicago area high school, who would have a criminal record around the time he was fifteen." Hotch commanded, and then got up, and got the attention of all his agents. "We'll be landing in fifteen minutes. Rossi, Morgan, Prentiss and I will go to the scene. Reid, Singer, you two are going to the station and setting up. Did Garcia get back to any of you about the missing girls?"
"Garcia said that there were two missing persons files, and both were from the same city." Morgan answered. "Holly Greg and Renee Capelin."
"Reid, Singer, talk to Garcia when you get to the station. Get from her the places where the victims were last seen, and map it out."
"Yes, sir." Reid replied, slumping in his seat.
"Okay." Hotch whispered, as he sat down and faced Rossi. "This might be difficult."
"It's what we do." Rossi offered, and then smiled.
"Right." Hotch smiled back. "Save the world and rid it of all evils?"
Rossi chuckled. "Baby steps."
"Yeah, well, we need to get jogging, or running." Hotch muttered, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Then, let's do it." Rossi said simply, shrugging, and buckling his seat belt as the jet began to land in Vera Beach, Florida.
"If our subconscious was attractive, we wouldn't have to bury it down deep within us."- Doug Coupland.
Vera Beach Police Department (VBPD)
Monday 10:00 A.M.
"You guys have a place where we could set up?" Spencer asked Deputy Michael Rowley, adjusting the strap of his messenger bag. The Deputy smiled, and asked them to follow him to the conference room. The two agents followed willingly, trailing behind the Deputy like a lost puppy.
"Here you guys go. Do you need anything?" The Deputy asked cheerfully, but mainly directing his question at Paige. She smiled, playing on to his flirtatious tone.
"Could we get a full sized map of the city area, and Florida?" She asked sweetly, lifting a hand to her hair, and tousling it a bit for effect. Reid stifled a laugh. The poor Deputy was clueless as to Paige's love life. Which, Reid thought arrogantly, was pretty much his, and he loved that. Reid smiled to himself, and watched the Deputy's face turn beat red, as he nodded in a daze.
"Sure thing. I'll be right back!" He said excitedly. He ran out of the room, receiving odd looks from his colleagues. Paige and Spencer giggled simultaneously, sitting down at a rather large, fake wood, dark brown, rectangular table. They sat across from each other, Paige holding the case file, and pictures of the victims, while Spencer held a coffee cup in his hand. Both agents like their coffee the same. Top coating of creamer, and one packet of sugar.
"Can I have a sip? I need some caffeine." Paige asked, smiling innocently at Spencer, and gesturing to his coffee cup. He sloshed around the liquids inside of the cardboard cup, and hesitated.
"Hm, I don't know." He smiled playfully, and then handed her the cup. She took a sip, and leaned back in her chair, satisfied. Suddenly, the door flew open, and the red-faced Deputy came flying back in.
"Here are the maps. Anything else, ma'am?" He sputtered out, between gasps for oxygen.
"No, but thank you." Paige replied, taking the maps from him, and opening the door to let him out. He smiled, and nodded, and walked out of the room willingly. "Just too damn easy." Paige murmured, smiling wryly. Spencer chuckled, and stood to help her pin up the maps onto the huge corkboards that hung on the miserable white walls.
"Okay…so, we know that Maddie Camp was found at Watt Front River in Watt Front Park yesterday." Paige whispered to herself, stabbing a red thumbtack onto the map.
"And, we need to call Garcia because we don't know anything else…" Spencer concluded for now, flipping out his phone in an orderly fashion. He quickly dialed Penelope's number, and waited patiently.
"You've reached the Quantico radio, starring the ever so lovely, Penelope Garcia! Penelope has the amazing career of working as the BAU's tech analyzer. The BAU is a department of the FBI. Any questions and or concerns? Contact SSA Aaron Hotchner." Penelope greeted, using a low, fake, radio-talk-show-host voice.
"Hello, Garcia. You got me, and Paige." Spencer replied, chuckling along.
"Requests?" She said, again using the fake, deep voice.
"Can you tell me the details about the two missing girls on file that may relate to this case?" Paige asked, leaning in to talk into the phone's receiver. Reid took the phone away from his ear, and put it on speaker.
"Okay, go." Reid said, setting the phone down to the table, and turning back to the maps, grabbing a handful of thumbtacks.
"Great band, honey." Garcia noted, while the sound of her typing on her computers keyboard filtered through the speaker of the phone. "Okay, Holly Greg was reported missing two days ago, at Watt Front River, but behind a restaurant rather than in the park. She was in the same condition as our other victims. Now, Renee Capelin is a different story. She was reported missing at five-thirty this morning. Her body hasn't been found."
"This most likely means… she's still alive." Paige suggested, turning to look at the map with Reid.
"Where was she last seen, Garcia?" Spencer asked, looking over his shoulder at the phone, as if it was an actual person.
"Renee Capelin was last seen at…the dump site for Holly. She works at the restaurant where Holly got dumped." Garcia said, her voice making her sound thoroughly surprised. She paused, leaving Spencer and Paige only hearing the clicking of several keys. "She pretty much went missing after Holly's body was dumped."
"Okay, thanks Garcia." Reid said, and then hung up the phone, not waiting for a witty reply.
"Victimology." Paige said, after pinpointing the last sight of Renee onto the map. It was obvious that the killer was drawn to Water Front River.
Reid pinned up three pictures of the different victims onto a white board on the opposite side of the room. He began writing similarities and differences for the victims. "All three have short, cropped, light brown hair. All have green eyes. Same body type. Around the same age." He mumbled, as his hand fumbled across the board, writing quickly.
"These woman look…familiar." Paige mumbled back, tilting her head to the side.
"Come on in, sorry about my husband. He's been acting so strange lately. So, tell me, how are you Paige?" "Paige?" "Paige?"
"Paige?" Spencer said, touching her shoulder. She shook her head, and looked up at him. "Are you okay?" Paige nodded. "Anything you wanna talk about?" She shook her head. "Alright." Spencer shrugged, and turned back to the board.
Who was that woman? She looked exactly like the victims. Paige remembered the woman from somewhere. She was a smoker. She only smoked two a day. Once at breakfast, once at dinner. She always wore a bandana on her head. Her laugh was high and obnoxious. She was a memory just floating, as if there was no significance. There was nothing attached to her, nothing that seemed important. Paige kept scanning her memories, but it was difficult.
Maybe she was hallucinating. Perfectly normal, with this job, she thought sarcastically. Paige watched Spencer write more about the victims absentmindedly. Something was trying to tell her something, she knew it, but she couldn't bring herself to find those memories. Not right here, or right now. Those were suppressed for a reason. Paige coughed suddenly, a tickle in her throat bothering her. Reid glanced back at her, checking to see if she was okay.
"I'm fine. I'm gonna go get some water." She replied to the glances, and shuffled out of the room and to the nearest water fountain. The Deputy watched her from his desk intently, which freaked her out a bit. She sipped water, and felt the cold run down her throat. She shivered briefly, and then stood up straight. She glanced at the Deputy, and then walked back into the conference room with Spencer.
"Hey, you okay?" He asked, walking up to her from the board, which had more writing crammed onto it than before.
"Yeah, I'm okay. But, man, that Deputy is creeping me out."
"Same." He agreed, leading her back over to the board. "Haven't made much progress. Hotch called just after you left, said to meet him and the others at the Camp Crime Scene."
"Right now?" Spencer nodded. "Well, let's go."
They walked out to the parking lot of the VBPD and got into a large black SUV. Spencer decided to drive, while Paige sat in shotgun. He started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. They drove quickly to Watt Front Park. It was a bit far, Paige noted.
"Do we know who or when Maddie Camp was found?" Paige asked suddenly, her thoughts being clouded over by another thought. Her mind had questions everywhere.
"She was found yesterday by a Park Ranger, I believe." Reid answered, but didn't take his eyes off the road to look at her.
"Huh. Okay." Paige whispered, sort of disappointed. Her thoughts weren't correct, but she had tried to make sense of something. She still had the problems of the random memories that kept hitting her intensely.
"And…here we are." Spencer whispered, as he parked sloppily by a sidewalk. Both agents jumped out of the vehicle quickly, and ran up to the yellow police tape. Paige pointed out Hotch and Rossi, and Prentiss and Morgan. Reid lifted the tape, letting Paige go under it, he followed. Paige walked up to Hotch, Spencer jogged to keep up with her.
"Reid, Singer. Tell us what you know." Hotch greeted, the normal way.
"We know that Holly Greg was also dumped along Watt Front River, right next to Cullman's restaurant. And, that restaurant was where Renee Capelin worked. She was abducted this morning around five-thirty. All of these women, including Maddie, are around the same age, have the same features, hair, eyes, body type. The two victims that were dead on arrival were both dressed in clothes that ultimately belonged in the sixties to eighties era." Reid explained, making wild gestures with his hands. Paige stifled giggles, and listened closely.
"Alright. Singer?" Hotch asked.
"I had another memory. It was of a woman who looked a lot like these woman. She was apologizing about her husband, and inviting me into something. I remember her, but I can't connect it. She smoked; she wore bandanas all the time. But, I can't remember her." Paige told them, pacing back and forth, trying to make sense of it.
"Keep trying. If you get anything else, call me or Rossi. Morgan, Singer, Reid, go to the Greg Crime Scene. Prentiss, you and I are going to talk to the park ranger. Singer, I want you to talk to the restaurant staff. Morgan, Reid, you check out the bodies and the site."
"Yes, sir." The three whispered in unison. They trudged back to the SUV, Morgan called driving. Spencer called shotgun, which left Paige with back. They climbed in, and took off.
"Paige..my cancer is getting worse. I'm afraid...I'm dying. Thank you, Paige, thank you for making my sons life better. Thank you for making my last few months better." The woman said quietly. Paige leaned back, and was stunned.
It was Owen's mom all along.
"This whole world's spinning out of control, oh which way shall we go, which way shall we go?"
"What have you found, Garcia?" Hotch asked back at the VBPD, where a laptop was set up to talk to Garcia.
"Owen that Paige was talking about was probably Owen Kyler. His Mom died in his freshmen year, and he was arrested in his sophomore year for under aged drinking. He was reported missing from school before that. He lived in the Chicago area. His dad's trail is extremely tricky, but I'm clearing it up to track him down. Owen has no trail what so ever. There's nothing. He's either using aliases, or just that good." She explained, not looking at the camera, but at her computer screen. She typed ever few minutes or so, and then would stop suddenly.
"Try to find his dad. Call back."
"Right away, sir." Garcia said, ending the video chat immediately. Hotch pinched the bridge of his nose, and turned to Dave Rossi.
"Paige may call with something. But right now, you and I need to find Owen's dad with Garcia, and help Paige." Rossi said, crossing his arms. Hotch nodded, and pulled out his ringing phone.
"Hotchner."
"It's Singer. The lady from my memories is Owen's mom. Full name was Owen Kyler, if Garcia didn't already get that to you."
"She did."
"Okay, well, she died, and she, Owen, and I were pretty close. But, she looks a lot like these women."
"Singer, if you have a theory, then please share. Nothing can be wrong."
"Hotch…I think that when Owen started to re-create his Dad, he was becoming his Dad. Same behavior, same everything. He even started talking different." She paused, nervous. "Hotch; I think the UnSub is either him or his father. Owen could have…cracked. He was absolutely different after his Mom died."
"Okay, Singer. Thank you. We're looking into him and his Dad."
"When or if you find them…can…can I…come?" Paige bit her lip nervously when Hotch didn't answer at first. Hotch hesitated, and sighed.
"Yes."
"Thank you, sir."
"No problem. All of you can come back to the station. I think we're ready to give the profile." Hotch muttered, hanging up the phone. He thrust it back into his jacket pocket, and took a deep breath. Rossi looked at his friend softly, and then proceeded to sit down with Prentiss at the large fake wood table.
"Are they coming back?" Prentiss asked Hotch, glancing up at him from the table.
"Yes. Rossi, we need a plan here. If Penelope finds the Dad, I'm taking Paige with me to talk to him. I doubt she'll find the boy." Hotch said, sitting down next to Rossi.
"Why's that?"
"She thinks Owen's killing these women because they look like his mom. He re-created his Dad in high school, which means he's angered at her for 'leaving' him." Hotch carried on, explaining the delicate situation.
"Are you sure it's…healthy…for Paige to go?" Prentiss asked suddenly, remembering a time when she was in this sort of situation. She had attacked the parent's of her best friend after he had died suddenly. She didn't want Paige to go through that.
"I think so. I'll be there for help." Hotch pointed out. Prentiss nodded, still unsure. She definitely trusted Paige, but the human mind is complex when it comes to touchy subjects. Instead of our head controlling what we do, we let our feelings lash out, Prentiss thought.
"Right." Prentiss whispered back, glaring down at the table.
"I need Morgan, and you, Prentiss, to give the profile. You two know this, correct?" Prentiss nodded, and stood, exactly the same moment the other three agents busted into the conference room. Then, Penelope suddenly came back up onto the screen.
"Hey Low?" She announced, seeing no one on her screen. Hotch turned the computer towards him, and cleared his throat.
"You have all of us."
"I found Owen's dad. He lives just a little ways away from here, actually. Souder town, Florida. Just a mile from Vera Beach. No hits on Owen. He doesn't exist in computer world." Garcia said, reading addresses and other useful things off her computer screens.
"Owen was great with technology. He'd be the person I'd go to if I wanted to disappear." Paige mumbled, receiving looks from her teammates.
"Alright. Well, Owen's dad was arrested thirty-two times. All Petty crimes." Garcia went on, still typing fervently.
"Singer, you're with me. We're going to talk to Owen's Dad. Morgan, Rossi, Prentiss, and Reid, I want you guys to keep working on the profile. Collect what you can from the killing styles, dump sites, the victims, anything." Hotch paused, and turned to Paige. "Ready?"
"It's about time I got some freaking answers." She whispered back, the corners of her mouth lifting up slightly.
Hotch smiled back briefly. "Then let's go."
"Hello Daddy, Hello Mom, I'm your ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb."- The Runaways
O'Lion Residence
Still Monday, 4:00 P.M.
"This would be it."
"It reeks. I'm not even outside the car, and it reeks."
"Try stepping outside the car. It's worse."
"Thanks, Hotch. I'm really excited now."
"You wanted to come."
Paige sighed deeply, and forcefully took off her seatbelt, and opened her door. She jumped out of the car, and followed Hotch up to the door of Marvin O'Lions. Other wise known as Owen Kyler's father. Hotch knocked briskly, and waited for the door to be answered.
A man around his late fifties pulled the door open. He was grimy, crusty, and dirty. He had a gray beard, and little whiskers everywhere else. His head was bald, and his beer belly protruded from his sick, hairy chest. Paige wished he could put on a shirt, at least. He stood for a moment, quietly waiting for them to identify themselves.
"Can I help you?" He asked his voice scratchy and low.
"Yes. FBI I'm Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner, and this is Special Agent Paige Singer."
"Singer?" The man asked suddenly, looking away from the ground, and to Hotch's eyes.
"Yes. May we come in? We have questions regarding your wife and son."
"I don't got a wife or a son. Not no more." The man countered, and crossed his arms.
"Anymore. You did. And we need to know about them." The man hesitated, and then moved aside for the agents to come in.
They all sat in the dark, gross living room. The couches had stains on them, some red, some purple, some brown. The cushions were assembled messily. The coffee table was missing a leg, and was being held up by a stack of books. Paige read the titles of each book, each one bringing her back further. The Tell-Tale Heart, The Raven, The Giver, Many Lives, Many Masters, The Unofficial Biography of Elvis Presley. The Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe was a favorite of Owen's. Poe's works were loved and appreciated by Owen. The Giver was Paige's favorite; she had given that exact book to Owen as a gift in freshmen year. Owen loved reading, it was virtually the only thing he did. Many Lives, Many Masters. Paige read that one, and Owen read it, too. They sometimes read to each other, and then discussed their own views on the books topics. Elvis Presley. Owen's favorite musician. Paige bought that book for him for his birthday when they were thirteen.
"Thank you, so, so, so much! I love it." Owen exclaimed, cradling the book in his hands.
"I'm glad you like it." Paige mused, stifling laughs.
"I want to give you a book I read, actually. It's in my room. I want you to read it, so we can discuss it." Owen murmured, setting the Elvis Presley book down. He ran down the hall to his room, and was back out in a flash. In his hand, he had the book: The many Works of Edgar Allan Poe. "It has our favorites in it." He flashed a smile.
"Thank you, Owen!" She smiled, and grabbed him up in a hug. Owen laughed, and let go. Paige did the same. They sat and flipped through the pages, reading from different things. Pointing out facts about Elvis, and trying to decipher Poe's meanings.
"'I was a child, and she was child, in this kingdom by the sea. But, we loved with a love that was more than love, I and my Annabel Lee.'" Owen quoted, making Paige giggle.
"'The angels, not so half happy in Heaven, Went envying her and me,'" Paige contested, smiling.
"Funny."
"I try."
Both smiled, and began reading passages to each other from the two books.
"So, why are FBI agents sitting in my living room?" The man asked, sitting down and popping open a can of beer.
"We need to know the whereabouts of your son, Owen Kyler. We also need to know what he was like after his mother died." Hotch commanded, realizing that Paige wasn't able to speak to him just yet.
Paige felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, so she took it out, and had a text from Spencer. She opened it, and read it quickly. Can you make sense of this? - Reid. There was a picture attached to the message. Paige enlarged it on her phone, and saw that there was a message written out, with what looked like pen, on one of the victims arms.
"I was a child" Was written on one arm. Paige realized that there were more photos, and so she scrolled through them.
"And she was a child" On another arm.
"In this kingdom by the sea, I and my Annabel Lee." On a stomach.
That was no coincidence.
That was real.
Paige panicked, and quickly tapped Hotch's arm. Her eyes were widened with shock, and disappointment.
"What, Singer?"
"Owen and I used to read a poem by Edgar Allan Poe, Annabel Lee, familiar with it?" Paige said hurriedly.
"Yes, why?"
"Reid just sent me pictures of victim with the words "I was a child, and she was a child, in this kingdom by the sea, I and my Annabel Lee." That's not a coincidence."
"Probably not. He's trying to send us a message. He knows that you're on this case. He also wants help."
"Who?" The man broke in, confused.
"Owen Kyler." Hotch clarified.
"My son? What'd he do?"
"He's a suspect for murder." Paige blurted, hot tears stinging her eyes. "Hotch. We need to search up and down the river tonight. He wants us to help, well fine. But, we know he'll dump this body, and get another."
"Right. I'm going to call Rossi, and tell him to give the profile, and we'll get back over there." Hotch agreed, standing up quickly. "Thank you for your time, sir."
"Y-yeah. Sure." He replied, still confused. He hadn't talked to Owen since he was arrested for drinking under aged.
Hotch and Paige swiftly got to the station, in the middle of the rest of the team explaining who they were looking for.
"He's not going to fight back. He wants to get caught, because this isn't what he wants." Rossi announced; wanting to make sure no one does anything unnecessary.
"Then, why not just stop killing?" The red-face Deputy asked from the chair he sat in, surrounded by all of the other cops.
"Because, he can't. 'He' is technically two people. One part of him wants to stop, because this isn't him. Yet, the other wants him to kill because of past occurrences." Paige stepped in, walking up briskly next to Rossi. Rossi smiled at her, and let her take the stage.
"How would you know?" Another officer asked.
"I'm a profiler. It's my job to know." She answered bravely, watching the cop's face change suddenly. He rolled his eyes, and grumbled something incoherent.
"Anyway, we'll have police officers, and the BAU, stationed up and down the Watt Front River. We should be able to catch him. According to the crime scenes, he kills the women he takes at the sites, so she should still be alive." Rossi concluded, nodding at the officers. He turned to the rest of the team, and sighed.
"Um…" Paige began, but stopped, hoping no one caught it.
"What, Singer?" Hotch asked, wondering if something was wrong, or if she was remembering something useful.
"What if I was all wrong? What if this even isn't Owen? I mean, how the hell would he get to Florida?" Paige questioned, biting her lip to signify her nervousness. Hotch frowned, and sighed.
"Our subconscious never fails us, Paige. If this was a wrong turn, then none of it was your fault. We decided to entrust your memories. In fact, I don' t think you were wrong at all." Hotch assured her, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. Paige looked up at her boss, and tried to smile.
"Okay. So, what time are we looking at here for the dumping of the body?"
"Well, according to the autopsies that were done, the victims all died around…" Reid began, and then shuffled through some papers in a folder he was holding. He pulled out a paper, and handed it to Paige. " Maddie was found yesterday at three in the afternoon, she died hours before hand. Same with Holly. They died during night hours, obviously stabbed at the scenes." He finished, taking the paper back from her.
"So, we're looking at…really soon. It's getting dark." She pointed out to the window, watching the sun face behind a dark blue, and purple sky.
"We better get going." Rossi said, leaving the room, the rest of them following behind him. Rossi, Morgan, and Hotch climbed into one of the black SUV's, while Reid, Prentiss, and Paige climbed into another. Hotch and Prentiss drove behind police cruisers to the river. Paige sat in the backseat, watching out the window. Some part of her was really excited to see Owen, even if he was going to be convicted for murder. She sighed, and leaned back in her seat, watching as they got closer to the river. The water was wild, currents coming from all different directions. The moon was noticeable in the dark blue water.
Prentiss was behind Hotch, who pulled over to the side of the road. Prentiss followed his action, pulling over behind him. They all stepped out of the vehicles, and watched as more Police cruisers park many, many feet behind them, and some pass them to park many feet ahead of them. Hotch, Rossi, and Morgan walked up to Prentiss, Reid, and Singer. They looked at each other, and out to the other police teams, splitting up to keep up with the whole distance of the river.
"Alright. Prentiss, Rossi, you guys go down the river. Morgan and I will go up with the Sheriff. Singer, Reid, you guys got this general area." Hotch proposed, keeping his eyes on the faces of his team. He didn't have much worry about this case. The UnSub definitely didn't want any trouble, so he doubted anyone would get injured. The team split up into their smaller groups, and went off.
Reid and Singer walked up the closest they could to the edge of the river. They peered into it, watching the water movements for a few moments, silence filling the background. The sound of other policemen walking around hundreds of feet away from them didn't frighten them. The area they had to cover had what seemed like millions of trees, and a dimly lit path. There were no lamps, only the small light coming from the moon and flashlights far away from them to light the night. Reid pulled out a small flashlight, and aimed it around him. He nudged Paige's arm, gesturing for her to follow him onto the path, and through the trees. She nodded, and followed him into it. The trees and path were only three feet away from the edge of the river, and they started about five feet from where the parked.
As they strolled through, they listened for suspicious sounds. It was hard to see, even with the moon and the flashlight. Paige hoped she and Reid would be the ones to find him, but there were so many people, and so much river, it was a small possibility. Suddenly, the radio attached to Singer's belt beeped, scaring her a bit. She giggled at her sudden awareness, and pulled the radio from her belt. She pressed a button, letting off a beep. The radio had static, then was overtaken by a voice.
"Morgan to Singer." The radio blared, startling Reid rather than Paige. She laughed, and turned down the volume, then pressed the 'talk' button.
"Copy. What's up, Morgan?" She answered, whispering.
"Hey, anything yet? Hotch noticed that you guys have a very woodsy area."
"No, nothing yet. Our area is a little over abundant in tree population…" She whispered back into the speaker.
"Alright. Keep the radio on. They're gonna call out on the radios if he's found."
"Gotcha. See you in a while."
"See ya Singer. Morgan out."
"Singer out." She let go of the talk button, and clipped the radio back onto her belt. Reid flashed the light in different directions every few minutes or so. Paige couldn't help but feeling cold now. Her thin dark blue FBI coat wasn't keeping her very warm. She walked closer to Reid, hoping that he was a bit warmer than she. He was, most definitely, so she walked even closer. Reid smiled, and grabbed her hand.
She smiled up at him, which he saw out of the corner of his eye. Suddenly, though the radio spoke once again.
"This is Deputy Rowley, we've got our guy. We're located at the south end of the river." Paige and Reid looked at each other, and broke out in a run together, hands slipping away from each other as well. They ran until they reached the south end, which they were pretty close to. Paige noticed Morgan, Hotch, Prentiss, and Rossi running too. Eventually, the runners caught up with each other, and began to slow as they neared.
When the reached the end of the river, they saw Deputy Rowley with a man in cuffs. Police cruisers were around the scene, lights flashing. The team walked up to the scene, all of them suddenly stopping Paige from walking further.
"Is it him?" Hotch asked her.
"Owen Kyler. It's him." She whispered, looking at the man fondly. Tears welded in her eyes. "I have to talk to him."
Hotch stared at her, hesitating again. Finally, he nodded slowly, and watched as Paige stared at Owen before walking slowly up to him.
"'Scuse me, miss. Ain't nobody supposta talk to him." An officer said, obviously not noticing she was FBI. She flashed him her badge, making him step out of her way. She walked closer up to him. He was leaning on the police cruiser, all slick and cocky. He still had that sandy blonde hair, and these sea-foam green eyes. He was tall, and his clothes were dark. He bit the inside of his cheek, and watched as an ambulance drove up onto the grass, and the EMT's lifted Renee into the back of it.
"Owen Kyler?" Paige said bravely, deciding not to give up her identity just yet.
"That would be me. What're you? Media, psychiatrist?" He said coolly. He shook his head, laughing. "Ain't no one can help me, ma'am."
"You always said the word 'ain't' was a terrible one." She whispered to him, half smiling. He stood up straight, and looked at her dumbfounded.
"No…way…" He whispered, stepping closer to her. "Paige freaking Singer?" He smiled, and laughed.
"Hi." She breathed. "I wish it wasn't these circumstances, Owen."
"I…I know. He…he made me. He was obsessed with her! He wanted her dead because she left him!" Owen shouted, alarming her team. Reid walked over instinctively. Paige rolled her eyes, and gritted her teeth.
"Owen. You are him. It's called split personality."
Owen laughed. "You know what's funny, Miss Singer?" He cooed. "I know that. I couldn't stop."
"I'm getting you help, because you are my best friend. Even if you did abandon me." Paige said straightforward. Owen looked at his damp shoes in shame. Reid watched the two from a safe distance.
"Alright, Kyler, you're going to jail." The Sheriff said, placing a hand on his shoulders, and leading him backwards back to the car.
"You know what's also funny, miss Singer?" He called, as the Sheriff placed him into the car. The Sheriff waited for him to finish before shutting the door.
"What, Mr. Kyler?" She played along for one last time.
"I told you."
"Told me…"
"You made it to the FBI, didn't you?" He mused, as she watched the Sheriff shut the door, and pat the back of the cruiser, sending it off. Owen nodded his head at her from the window, as they took off to the station. Paige bit her lip, and sighed.
"I see the reason he was your best friend." Reid said from behind her. Paige let the tears finally roll down her cheek. She turned on her heel, and threw herself into Reid's arms. Reid hugged her, and stroked her curls tenderly. "Paige, we're in a really beautiful setting, and you're crying." He whispered in her ear. She didn't say anything at first, afraid she would choke on her own words.
"You're right. Let's go home and cry about it." She joked, wiping her tears. Reid put his arm over her shoulders, and led her back to the SUV's where everyone else was waiting.
"Promise me you'll always remember one thing: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." Christopher Robin to Pooh Bear- A. A. Milne
"So, ladies," Morgan chuckled as he walked up to the seats where Reid and Singer sat on the jet. "Are we on for some night?"
"How about we just say Saturday night?" Singer suggested. "And, that was really mean, Derek." Derek laughed, and sat across from Reid.
"So, you remember the agenda, Reid?"
"Hm? Oh, yeah. That." Reid smiled, and glanced at Paige. She smiled, as if she had no idea what they were talking about, and leaned over to see what Prentiss was reading across the aisle from her.
"What are you reading?" Paige asked, giving up on guessing the title. It sure seemed familiar.
"The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom." She answered, book marking her page, and setting it on the table.
"You didn't have to stop reading." Paige mumbled, embarrassed.
"It's alright." Prentiss said, shrugging her shoulders. "I've read it eight times. You?"
"Yeah, I've read it a couple times, too." Paige replied, trying to remember the book more clearly. "Ah, yes. I remember flinching at the parts about the war…with the captain."
"It is a tear jerker." Emily agreed.
"You watch the movie?"
"No…no I haven't." Emily answered bluntly. "I totally should. Hey, you know, Paige, we should rent it sometime and maybe invite Pen and watch it together." Emily said, smiling nicely, and warmly. Paige loved the way Prentiss' eyes looked. When she was nice, they were warm, and colorful. But, Paige had learned not to piss her off.
"That sounds like a lot of fun!" Paige agreed, cheerfully agreeing to Emily's invitation.
"Great! We'll do it soon!"
"Awesome." Paige smiled, excitedly. She leaned back to sit straight in her seat. Her eyes watched Hotch approach her, hesitant. Was he always this hesitant and awkward with new agents? Paige thought.
"Singer. I wanted to congratulate you on your wonderful work. I know it's hard working with memories like that." He said, offering a small rare smile.
"Thank you, sir. It means a lot to me for you to say that." She answered solemnly. Hotch nodded, and went back to his seat, across from Rossi. Paige smiled to herself, and nestled herself into her seat. She gently closed her eyes, and let herself fall asleep.
Paige's ApartmentTuesday 5:30 P.M.
Paige Singer walked into her apartment in Washington, DC exactly at 5:30 P.M. Jonas was waiting patiently for his take out food at the couch. She smirked, and dropped the bag of McDonalds on his lap. She watched him take out a ten-piece chicken nugget meal, with large French fries, and a large Dr. Pepper. She wrinkled her nose in disgust, and went to the kitchen.
She opened the refrigerator, which had a carton of milk, and a two-liter of Mountain Dew, and a carton of eggs, half full. She smacked her lips, and closed the fridge, moving to the pantry. In there were crackers and tuna. She stared at it in disbelief. Against her will, she peeked out to the living room. Jonas was gone suddenly, so she snuck out of the kitchen, and sank into the couch. She grabbed a chicken nugget, and nibbled on it. So, they didn't taste so bad. It still grossed her out.
After a few moments, Jonas never emerged from his room, so Paige ate the rest of his nuggets and fries. She sat back and watched the news, as boring as it was to her. She felt that it was her job to keep up with the government and the people in it now that she worked for them. She nibbled on the last nugget, while watching something about a case that had been solved with the help of an FBI team.
She smiled cockily.
Then, she yawned. She knew she should probably go to bed, like Jonas. She had to work for the rest of the god-awful week. She loved her job, but it was tiring. She trudged to her room, not bothering to throw out the McDonalds bag. It sat on the coffee table alone for the rest of the night. She was too tired (or too lazy) to throw it away.
She hoped Saturday came extremely fast.
The Behavioral Analysis UnitQuantico, Virginia
Friday 6:00 P.M.
The team dropped their Go-Bags in front of their desks, sighing and groaning. Another case solved, another bloody memory stored. The case had gone by slow, taking three days to complete. They had left on Wednesday morning, worked through then, Thursday, and today. They finally got back to home.
Tomorrow was Saturday, which also meant that tomorrow was the date. Paige couldn't help but smiling at the fact. At her desk, she gulped, and blinked a few times. A picture of Jonas and her sat on her desk. She smiled at her little brother, so adorable and innocent. She was amazed at how quickly Liam and Jonas had become like brothers. The two were inseparable.
She grabbed what she needed from her desk, and put her wool coat back on. She was excited to go home, and rest a bit. She walked around her desk, slowly. Morgan, Prentiss, and Reid were hanging out by their own desks, Penelope with them.
"Good night, guys." Paige said cheerfully, waving her small hands at them.
"See you later, Paige. Still on for Saturday?" Morgan replied, leaning against his desk.
"Most definitely." Paige turned to face him, and answered. Reid smiled shyly at his feet. Suddenly, Hotch came out of his office, and walked down the stairs.
"Good job on the case, everyone. " He announced to his team.
Hotch nodded his head, and walked to the exit, smiling to himself. He had plans of his own. He couldn't wait to spend a day with Jack. That was something that was worth everything.
"No man is worth your tears, but once you find one that is, he won't make you cry."- Author Unknown.
Paige tapped her thumbs on her steering wheel to the beat of The Rolling Stone's Beggar's Banquet album. Her favorite Stone's song was on the album, Sympathy for the Devil. She bobbed her head to the beat and rhythm, while weaving in and out of traffic to Garcia's apartment. She sighed as she stopped at a red light, only a corner from Garcia's. The light made her very impatient, so she sat, moaning.
She hadn't even asked Garcia the point of coming over to her place in the first place. She had figured Garcia wanted her to help with her outfit. But, knowing Garcia, she was already dressed and ready to go. Paige watched the light carefully, squinting. There had to be another reason. Unless, she was blowing it out of proportion. Paige lifted her shoulders, and let them fall disgracefully. The light shifted to green, and she turned into the nearest parking spot by the building.
As Paige walked up to the lobby of the apartment complex, she chewed on her lip. Something was definitely fishy. Its Garcia…she's capable of many things. What had she done? Paige ran up a few flights of stairs, until she finally reached Garcia's apartment. She sighed, then knocked gracefully and politely on her door.
Garcia opened the door, and stuck her head out into the hall. She swung it around, checking if anyone was in it, then pulled Paige into the room violently. "Paigey!" She squealed cheerfully, smiling.
"Hey, Pen." Paige greeted, while readjusting her clothes and sloppy hair.
"I suppose you want to know what you're here for?"
"Yes."
"Well, I've been snooping." Penelope stated carefully.
"Penelope, you know you're not supposed to do that." Paige grumbled, crossing her arms defensively. "What'd you dig up, and who was it on?"
"You."
"Me?" Paige shouted, balling her hands into small fists.
"Before you get any angrier and ruin your totally hot looks, it wasn't that bad. I snooped into your Dad's life."
"And?"
"And…Paige." Garcia looked down nervously at her hands, and sighed. She plopped down on her couch, and patted the seat next to her. Paige sat next to her, and stared at her.
"Pen?"
"Paige, your Dad is dead." Penelope whispered, trying not to look at her friend. "I'm so sorry."
Paige didn't flinch. "How?" She whispered back.
"Suicide. I don't know the details. I'm so, so, so sor-"
"It's okay. He's just another guy." Paige replied, standing up, and sighing.
"No, he's not, Paige." Penelope contradicted, standing up twice as fast.
"Penelope. He wasn't in my life for some twelve years. I'm very sad he's dead, but oh well."
Garcia bit her lip, and shut her eyes. "Paige, I love you. I'm sorry."
"It's okay. Are you ready? I'm read to have a good night." Paige mumbled, hugging Penelope quickly.
"Yeah, let's go. Separate cars?"
"Sure."
"I'll race you!" Penelope said, rushing out of her apartment. Paige laughed, and ran after her, shutting the door after her.
"Bitch!" She yelled, as she followed Penelope down the massive stairs to their cars.
Morgan's HouseStill Friday 5:45 P.M.
"Reid. You look like you're on the job."
"Sorry." Reid mumbled back, looking down at his apparel.
"Untuck the shirt, loosen the tie, and unbutton the vest if you must where it." Morgan critiqued his friend's clothes. He pulled on Spencer's tie, loosening it some, and then unbuttoned his vest. Finally, he pulled his shirt up, and stepped back to look at his work. "Much better." Derek mused, laughing as he walked back into his bathroom to check his looks one last time. Spencer rolled his eyes, and straightened his tie.
"So…" Reid said, walking around Derek's apartment aimlessly. He touched random things, books, CD's, furniture.
"They should be here any minute." Derek replied excitedly. He walked out of his bathroom feeling refreshed and hot, needless to say.
"Okay." Reid mumbled back, not paying much attention.
"Okay, Reid, spit it out. What's bothering you? We have two very hot dates, and you're moping." Derek insisted, walking up to Reid, and slapping him on the back. Spencer stood with his hands in his pockets, taking the hit.
"What if I mess up?" Reid whispered, shuddering delicately.
"You won't. Reid, it's obvious that Paige likes you, and you like her. You guys are perfect for each other." Morgan assured, smiling encouragingly.
"Whatever you say." Reid muttered, smiling back subconsciously. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Derek bit his lip excitedly, and walked up to the door. He opened it, and welcomed them in. Penelope leaned in to Derek, received a small peck on the lips, and nudged Paige. Paige gawked, and tried to laugh. She walked up to Spencer, and smiled.
Spencer stared at her in awe. She was stunning, absolutely stunning. She wore regular faded blue jeans, with a few rips in the legs. They fit her perfectly. Her shirt was a black and gray stripped one, with a V-neck. Her hair was, as normal, pulled up into its sloppy bun.
Derek, on the other hand, stared at Penelope. She was dressed in a white spaghetti strap dress with cherries on it. She had a short sleeve white, furry jacket over it, and red pumps. Paige thought she looked mediocre compared to her. Spencer waved back to Paige, and took a few more steps closer to her. Derek and Penelope kissed a few more times, and smiled with each other.
"Ready to go?" Derek asked, still staring at a smiling Penelope.
"Yeah." Spencer and Paige answered together.
The four of them walked to Derek's car, and got in. Spencer and Paige sat in the back, and Penelope and Derek in the front. Spencer sat by a window, and Paige sat in the middle, leaning on Spencer's shoulder. He smiled, and watched her closely.
They soon arrived at the local movie theatre, and parked. Spencer and Paige quickly held hands, leaning into each other. Penelope and Derek gossiped with each other about how adorable they looked. They walked up to the movie ticket booth, and read the movies playing. None if them sounded good.
"What about…never mind. I'm not seeing that." Paige whispered, gawking at the list.
"These movie's suck. What're we gonna do now?" Derek complained, sighing. Penelope grabbed his hand, and squeezed it.
"Let's go clubbing. Paige, any suggestions?" Garcia shouted, grinning.
"That's a laugh." Paige snorted.
"Fine. Everyone in the car. I'm driving us to a awesome bar with a great dance floor for Derek and I." Penelope declared, moving the three of them back to the car. Paige and Spencer tried to protest, but nothing was working. Penelope stood her ground, and wouldn't let anyone budge her. They all climbed back into the car, and she drove off.
Somehow, some way, they ended up at a small bar. There was a huge dance floor, which Penelope and Derek hit immediately. That left Spencer and Paige alone at a table in the corner, away from the loudness. Paige had decided to get a beer, which wasn't new, but wasn't common for her.
"Want some?" She offered to Reid, gesturing to the bottle in her hand.
Reid hesitated, the shook his head no. Paige shrugged, and smiled at him. She set the glass down, and slid closer to him.
"So, tell me about yourself. I realize I know nothing." Reid asked, propping his head up in his hands, watching Paige.
"Okay, ready? Twenty-five facts about Paige Singer. You can ask, or receive." She said, making up her own little game.
"Okay…one: Middle name?"
"Paige Ivy-Mae Singer." She answered, bobbing her head up and down.
"Really? That's a pretty name. Two: Favorite movie?"
"Star Wars, or Indiana Jones."
"I knew I liked you for a good reason." Spencer laughed. "Favorite food?"
"Chinese. No, Indian. No, no, um…Mexican. Scratch that, greasy." Paige sputtered, unsure of the actual answer.
"Confusing girl." Reid replied, laughing.
"What's that, mister genius?"
"Three."
"Right."
"Random facts?" Spencer suggested, licking his lips.
"Four: My favorite color is sky blue. Five: I can ice skate. Six: I hate Monopoly. Seven: I got confused for a boy once. That sucked. Eight: I got an offer from this local Victoria's Secret store to model for them, once." Paige said matter-of-factly.
"Did you do it?"
"No!" Paige shouted, hitting Reid's arm playfully.
"Anyway, nine: I've never broken a bone. Ten: When I first got interested in what I wanted to do with my life, I was going to be an artist and move to Liverpool, England. Eleven: I've eaten liver before. It didn't taste that bad. Twelve: I didn't learn how to ride a bike until I was ten. Thirteen: I spent my thirteenth birthday watching a Star Wars marathon on television." Paige paused, and glanced up at Spencer. "I can only imagine what you did for your thirteenth birthday."
"I was one year out of high school by then, Paige." Spencer replied, laughing. His laugh was light, and normal, not forced or nervous. It was adorable.
"Fine, what about you?"
Reid hesitated. "One: I admitted my Mom to an Insane Asylum when I was eighteen. Two: I write to her everyday because I feel guilty for doing so. Three: My Dad walked out on us when I was a kid. Four: I was once tied to a goal post naked by some jocks. Five: There's this really pretty- scratch that- beautiful girl with silky, big, green eyes, and crazy, cinnamon, curls that are always thrown up in a sloppy, perfect bun. And, I think that…I think that I really…love her."
Paige sat and stared at her drink for a few moments. Spencer knew he shouldn't of said anything, but he wanted her to know. He bit his lip in a nervous habit, and waited her answer. Paige wanted to tell him how her heart seemed to swell up when he said that, she wanted to tell Spencer she loved him, too. She sucked in short breaths, attempting to talk, and just making the situation look worse with every one. She became teary eyed, and sniffled. Her hands sat helplessly in her lap, which she stared at now. She was ecstatic that he said that he loved her. She hadn't known if it was her own faulty attraction, or if he had felt something too? All she knew was that he looked disappointed, surprised…maybe even scared, and she wasn't trying to make him feel like that.
"Fourteen: I love this man, who is smarter than Einstein. He is somewhat annoying to everyone," She sighed and smiled wryly, picking up her eyes, and lifting them to Reid's. "He has beautiful brown hair, that is a bit to long, and needs to be cut just a little bit. He has big eyes, and he's tall, lanky. He drink to much coffee, which makes him extremely skinny, because he hardly eats otherwise. I really do love him. He's a keeper." Paige replied sincerely, picking up her drink and taking a sip. Reid lifted his head a bit more, and smiled brilliantly. "You know, Mister Reid," She began, pausing to set her glass back on the tiny napkin on the dark wood table.
"What's that, Miss Singer?" He played along, sitting up and giving her all attention available.
She sniffled, and cleared her throat. "You, my fuzzy friend, make geeks, nerds, and intelligence very, very, sexy." She stated matter-of-factly. Reid smiled, and leaned over, and kissed her forehead. "Does that mean 'golden star'?"
"Yeah, sure." Reid answered, amused. He watched her beer slosh around in the bottle, as she picked it up, and swirled it around. She, herself, stared at her reflection in the glass, thinking endless thoughts. She bit the inside of her cheek, and snapped her head in the direction of Penelope and Derek, who were walking back over. Both were gasping for breath, and clutching to each other.
"Hey guys. Spencer, did you…ah…do what we talked about?" Morgan asked, winking, as they approached the table closer. Paige gasped, and hit Spencer's arm.
"You planned it? With Derek!" Paige yelled, just loud enough for the group to hear. She laughed loudly, and leaned onto Spencer. Spencer and Derek just laughed.
"Sorry, I needed some help." Spencer admitted, shrugging his shoulders. He smiled slyly, and glanced at Derek happily. He mouthed a thank you, and received a brief nod in his direction from Derek.
"You guys ready to bounce? Spence and I got one more place to hit." Derek grinned, and took Penelope's hand, and lead her out of the bar, Spencer and Paige, hand in hand, following.
Sometimes, a simple quote cannot just sum up what is difficult and terrifying. You just have to let the day end, and hope for the best.
Derek dropped Penelope off at her apartment, and Paige and Spencer at Paige's. Derek felt extremely happy, he felt on top of the world. He had the girl of his dreams, and so did his best friend. He couldn't wait to tell Reid about his latest plan. Reid would be ecstatic. Hopefully. No, no…he would. It's Reid.
Derek stopped at a red light, and sighed. He rubbed his temples while waiting for the light. He felt agitated all of the sudden. He sighed, and put his hands back on the wheel, and leaned his head against the head rest. He sometimes wondered why people as young as Singer and Reid even go for jobs like this. They were so young. It almost seemed like they were intoxicating their youth by doing this job.
Derek got home sooner or later, and jumped onto his bed. Nothing felt better then knowing that tomorrow, everyone would be happy, knowing that someone else was thinking of them. He knew he would. He loved Garcia, all of her thoughts, her actions, her wisdom, her past, just her everything seemed wonderful and beautiful.
Tomorrow was Sunday, and unless they were called in, they had it off. Weekend plans were a go. Penelope and him made plans to go rent some movies and watch them. Spencer said him, Paige, and Jonas were going o hang out and do the same. Everything was perfect, perfect. Was there another way to spell out perfection? Derek smirked to himself, P-E-N-E-L-O-P-E. Perfection seemed unreal, especially with the job that he and his friends worked. It seemed crazy. Even Hotch seemed happy.
If something went wrong, Derek Morgan was gonna be pissed.
"Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own." – Robert Heinlein
"Jonas, what're you doing? Got a hot date or something?" Paige grumbled, as she walked out of her bedroom, rubbing her eyes. She stumbled over to the couch, where Jonas sat eating scrambled eggs. He cut them into smaller bits with his fork, stabbed them, and shoveled them into his mouth. "And, where did you get the eggs from?"
Jonas looked up at his sister, and chuckled. "Spencer made me some. He said he'd be back in a while. As for me, no, I don't have a date." Jonas explained, chuckling as if Paige was silly for not knowing. Paige lifted her eyebrows in disbelief, and sat delicately next to her brother. She was in blue pajama pants, and a white tee shirt. You could easily see the outlines of her black bra underneath it.
"Right. What time is it?"
"Twelve."
"O'clock?"
Jonas widened his eyes at his sister, and tried to hide a smile. "Yes." He stated.
"Is something up? You're acting like the Duke of Windsor."
"Prince Edward, or the rock group?"
"You've been hanging around Spencer, haven't you?" Paige accused lightly, leaning back on the couch. "Anyway, any plans for today?"
"Well, Liam asked if I wanted to come over. Besides that…" Jonas shrugged, and stood up, taking his plate into the kitchen.
"How old are you, again?" Paige called to him.
"Ten?"
"Right. You're almost a teenager."
"Three years." Jonas agreed, coming back into the living room. "Why?"
"Well, first off, I forgot your birthday, and Christmas is coming soon. Second, you got a girlfriend?" Paige smiled cockily, and nudged her little brothers arm. He reddened in the face, and bit his cheek. "YOU DO!" Paige cheered over and over, until Jonas clamped his hand over her mouth to contain her excitement.
"If I tell you about it, will you shut. Up?" Jonas whispered, eyeing her suspiciously.
"Yes, sir!" Paige cheered, smiling.
"Okay, her name is Toby. She's beautiful. She's smart, like me. No, we aren't going out, and no, I haven't kissed her. She's my best friend besides Liam." Jonas explained quickly, rushing through everything.
"Aw, Jonas." Paige complained. "You're no fun. But, cute."
"Another thing."
"Yes?"
"She's sorta…coming over."
"Okay?"
"You're fine with that?"
"You guys will most likely watch History Channel and play with flashcards." Paige assured, smiling. "I'm fine."
"Cool." Jonas said, smiling. The two exchanged smiles, and went on their separate ways. Paige leaned back and wondered where Spencer was. She also wondered if she slept through a case. Oh God. What if she didn't answer her phone. Oh shit! Her phone! What if they called?
Paige flew off the couch, and back into her room, where she got dressed, and dug around for her phone. She found it, but saw that it was blank, nothing to worry about. She also searched around for Jonas's phone. She wanted to make sure the kid wasn't doing anything stupid. She found it in the couch cushions, and looked through it. He made three calls to one number, unidentified. Paige frowned.
She used her own phone to call Garcia, hoping she wasn't somewhere special.
"Hello, honey nut cheerios!" Garcia greeted, obviously happy.
"Hey, am I interrupting anything?"
"Nope. I'm just chilling with Derek."
"Can you trace a number for me?"
"Case work?"
"Personal."
"Gotcha." She shuffled around for a moment, then sighed. "What's the number?"
"810-460-3820."
"I'll get back to you."
"Thank you so much, Garcy."
"No problem, my little love bug." Paige ended the call, and set both phones down on the coffee table. She peeked into Jonas's small bedroom, and watched him for a moment. He had the basics- a bed, bureau, desk. He rumaged around the desk, and found a book. He layed it on his desk, with admiration and grace, and smiled at it. Paige crept away from the door, and blinked. Her phone on the coffee table buzzed, which scared her. She quickly regained composure, and grabbed it. She answered the phone, carefully placing it to her ear.
"I found the number."
"No witty Garcia-ness?"
"Not right now. Did you know who's phone that number was from?"
"Jonas's."
"Right. The number is a home phone number coming from the Chicago area. I traced it back to Mr. Paul and Mrs. Heather Singer. I looked into their lives for a split second, and found some interesting stuff. They had a daughter and a son. The daughter, Laura, married a man with a surname North, and had a daughter named Elizabeth. Now, the father married a woman named Rhea, and they had two kids. A daughter, Paige Ivy-Mae, and Jonas Joncas. Paul and Heather's son, however died, and their daughter died. Their granddaughter, Elizabeth lived with the North grandparents. Where, the Singer kids felt closer to the Singer grandparents rather than the Mother's side." Garcia explained the life of these people- Paige, Jonas, and Lizzie included.
"Right. I knew the family history, I just didn't know who's number it was." Paige mumbled.
"I'm not sure why, but I'm a little mad that Jonas had to sneak around your back to talk to his family, Paige." Garcia said firmly. She hung up, and left Paige scared, and lonely. When Paige turned around, phone still to her ear, Jonas was watching her.
"Why'd you call Gramma and Grampa?" Paige whispered, tears formulating in her eyes.
"I figured you wouldn't want me to."
"I loved them too! Why doesn't anyone freaking see that?" Paige yelled through tears of hot, boiling hatred, all melted down.
"I believed you! But, Mom insisted to Gramma and Grampa that you hated them." Jonas yelled back, his face becoming red with fear and anger.
"Mom said that to them? No wonder." Paige muttered darkly. "What'd you guys talk about?"
Jonas hesitated. "They want me to come for Christmas."
"Do you want to?" Paige asked, tenderly crouching down and pulling her brother into a hug.
"Yes, but I don't want you to be alone."
"I won't be." Paige paused. "I promise you."
"I'll call them back and tell them the truth. I promise you."
"Good. Now, we got to get this place cleaned up for Toby!" Paige boasted, standing up, and looking about her.
Now, plans for Chirstmas. What now?
We all grow up with the weight of history on us. Our ancestors dwell in the attics of our brains as they do in the spiraling chains of knowledge hidden in every cell of our bodies. ~Shirley Abbott
If you don't believe in ghosts, you've never been to a family reunion. ~Ashleigh Brilliant
Family: A social unit where the father is concerned with parking space, the children with outer space, and the mother with closet space. ~Evan Esar
A family is a unit composed not only of children but of men, women, an occasional animal, and the common cold. ~Ogden Nash
