Title: Truth or Dare

Rating: NC-17/M

Pairing: Morgan/Reid

Summary: Four women have gone missing in Akron, Ohio. Four women who are the spitting image of one flamboyant techie. How long does the BAU have to find her, and get her back home safely? Meanwhile, Morgan challenges Reid to a dirty game of truth or dare.

Chapter 8: The Morning After

The smell of coffee was what woke Spencer up the next morning. Groggily opening his eyes and blinking a few times, he noticed that it was only seven-thirty-two in the morning. More than enough time to get up, get showered, eat and meet Hotch in the lobby where they would drive to the police station and get started on the case.

Spencer flinched violently at the thought. No, it's not just a case. It's Garcia. Her life is what is at stake here.

Spencer groaned. He couldn't believe himself. His best friend – No. His family was out there, scared and hurting, and here he was living out his best fantasies. What the hell was wrong with him? Sure he'd loved what he and Derek had done last night. But how did he find the will to focus on that, and not poor, poor –

"Spence?" Derek's chocolate brown eyes peered curiously at him. Sometime during the night, Derek had had the same revelation, and had cried himself back to sleep. His eyes were bloodshot, and tear tracks were visible down his handsome, chiseled face. Spencer's heart broke into millions of pieces, and before he could stop himself, a loud sob wrenched it's way from his heart out of his mouth.

Derek pulled the younger agent into a gentle hug, his voice cracking as he spoke.

"I know, Pretty Boy. I know. I want her back, too. I miss her. I wish– God, I wish it had been anybody else but her." His words ended in a sob of his own. Spencer felt drops fall onto the top of his head. His own fell onto Derek's chest, staining the tight blue shirt he was wearing.

They held each other for a moment longer, before pulling apart to look at each other's faces. Derek gave Spencer a quick kiss on his lips before standing up and said, "Coffee is on."

In an attempt to lighten the mood just a touch, he added, "I still can't believe you suckered airport security into letting you take your own blend with you. It was well over the legal limit of what they are allowed to have on the plane."

Spencer barked out a raspy laugh.

"Yeah, like I'm gonna hijack an FBI private jet with a box of special blend coffee imported from Argentina." Derek threw back his head and laughed, the sound rumbling from his midsection, shaking his whole body.

A few minutes later, while sitting at the small mahogany table in the equally small kitchen sipping his coffee, Spencer went over the message on the laptop, and the translation from Prentiss.

I have something of yours.

Squinting at the doilie that decorated the table in front of him, Reid thought hard.

Do not despair. I will not hurt her until I get what I deserve.

What do you deserve, Reid thought bitterly. Besides a good kick in the balls?

Beside him, Derek seemed lost in thought as well.

You have until Friday to deliver me my amulet. Or I will dump the fat girl into the river, and you will never see her again.

I promise.

Derek slammed his fist angrily down onto the table, making Reid almost jump out of his skin, and the coffee in their cups to slosh around wildly. Spencer knew what Derek was going through. He clasped the older agents clenched fist between his own hands. Derek's eyes wandered slowly to Spencer's face and settled on his lips.

"Derek, I promise you, we will get her back. This... this sicko... is not going to get away with this. I promise.

I promise.

Fifteen minutes later found them walking into the Akron police station, being greeted by someone new.

Hotch extended his hand, confused but still polite to this new person.

"We were expecting Detective Crowley." Hotch said, matter-of-factly.

The uniformed officer before them nodded.

"I understand that. Detective Crowley is away at the moment. Another body turned up. Blonde, average height, bound in plastic and naked."

Spencer's heart sped up and began beating violently against his ribcage.

No, please. NO!

Hotch's eyes widened. "And– and do you know... who the victim is?"

"Yes. Name is Catherine Harlows. Worked as a stripper in the gentlemen's club in the North End. Went missing about a week ago, taken from her home this time."

Spencer swore that everyone let out the breath they'd all been holding. So it wasn't Penelope. At least..

No. Do not think that. She is going to come home and be just perfectly fine. I–

Hotch nodded curtly. "Thank you. Do you have a place for us to work?" The officer, whose name was Martinez, Spencer now noted showed them to a room off the left. Inside was a whiteboard with all the victims names and photographs on it, along with a map of Akron underneath.

"Ok, Reid. You start the geographical profile. See how close the dump sites and grabs sites are, and see if you can get us an idea of where in Akron this... this fucker is." Hotch spat out the curse, like he wanted to bring down to Earth every plague and sickness known and unknown to man on the guy who had taken Garcia. Reid nodded, and quickly got to work at the map on the whiteboard.

"Morgan, Rossi, you guys head to the current crime scene, see what you can dig up there. JJ, star interviewing families and friends and co-workers of the victims. Prentiss, you and I will head to Harlows' apartment in the city. See if the killer left any clues this time around."

With an air of finality, the team had their orders. Hotch slammed his briefcase on the desk. He took a look around at his team members. No, his family.

"I promise you. Penelope will not end up on that whiteboard. We will bring her home. That's a damn guarantee."

A curt nod, and they all took off in different directions, frantically racing against the clock to bring home their friend. Their family.

DUNDUNDUNDUNDUN DUUUUUUN! I'M BAAAAACCK! LOL

So, how many of you have been waiting for SO LONGfor this chapter? LOL. I have been computer-less for a long while, so I am just getting back into the groove of writing. I hope you enjoy this chapter, because I will be updating (WELL I WILL TRY TO) everyday. It's about time we brought Garcia home, right!? xD So, RATE REVIEW AND FAVE IT UP! :D