Chapter Nine

Relationship Revelation

I laid across my bed, crept tightly into the sheets of my bed, loving nothing more than that warmth wrapped around my body. The image of the girl flashed into my mind the second that I thought that it would be forgotten. The blood the left her neck seemed to stain my mind as I laid there. Clenching tightly to the blanket wrapped around my body, a sound from the front door was heard. I waited for Emerald to take care of it, as I laid there, but another sound was heard.

With a heavy sigh, I pushed back the blankets before getting up from my bed and walked towards the door. My barefeet padded across to the door, where I looked through the peep hole. I couldn't open the door faster, when I saw that it was Spencer on the other side. He stepped into my apartment and grabbed me tightly, holding me as I collapsed into his chest and cried against him.

"It's ok. I've got you" He hushed softly into my ear as he held me, the faint sound of the door closing behind him caught my attention, pulling away from him slightly. I saw Derek moving to stand towards the dining room.

"Wh-what are you guys doing here?" I spoke through my sobs

"We met Emerald at the police station." Spencer spoke, wiping some of the tears from my face "Are you ok?"

I shook my head and took a deep breath trying to calm myself "I can't get the image out of my head."

"Come here," Spencer pulled me back into his chest where I found comfort in his arms and the scent of this cologne as I took a deep breath.

"Is this the box that was dropped off from earlier?" Derek asked from the dining room table. I turned my head, still rested against Spencer's chest to look, and slowly nodded my head.

"Let's go lay down," Spencer spoke, before leading me back towards my bedroom "Call Hotch? Get a team out here to take care of that?"

Derek nodded his head, as I passed him, before grabbing the phone from his back pocket and stepped off to the side to made the call. Spencer and I walked into my bedroom, where I eagerly got back into the warm blankets, as he shut the door tightly behind him. A soft sigh left my lips, as I watched Spencer walk towards my bed, and come to sit down beside me. I reached across the grabbed his hand, and held to it tightly.

"I've never seen you with your gun," I spoke softly, lacing our fingers together and playing with his hands slightly.

"Without it, I look like a teachers assistant." He spoke, and couldn't help the laugh that slipped through my lips, but quickly it turned into cries.

Spencer moved towards me, and pulled me into his arms, as I wrapped my arms him and cried into his chest. He didn't say anything as he held me, just let me cry until there was nothing left. Even then he didn't speak. Spencer did move to lay down across from me, laying side by side. From outside the bedroom door, I could hear his team moving about, and knew it was only a matter of time before I had to leave the safe protection of my bedroom.

"It's all my fault," I spoke in a soft whisper

"What's your fault?" Spencer asked, his brows pulling in tightly in confusion.

"All of this," I sniffled lightly "That girl would still be alive if -"

"Don't," Spencer spoke sternly, before moving to lay beside me closer, caressing my cheek, causing me to look up towards him "None of this is your fault, Shai. This guy, who ever he may be, is sick. He is the real fault of all of this, not you."

"Yeah, but if I'd only-" Spencer shook his head, as I started to speak.

"Nothing would've changed this. If it wasn't you he was fixated on. It would've been someone else." He spoke sternly "Don't go blaming yourself when it was out of your control,"

I relaxed slightly when his voice softened, before nodding my head once again. Spencer bent down and kiss my forehead, before moving to lay back down, tucking me close to his side. We laid there for only five more minutes, before there was a soft knock on the door. Spencer and I sat up quickly, and moving away from each other, before he stood to answer the door. Standing in the archway stood Hotch and Jennifer. I fixed my hair away from my face, before moving to stand from my bed. I noticed how Spencer's face turned down in a frown when Hotch stepped into the room, downcast in a frown and his eyes hard set.

"We know that you've been through a lot, but we'd like to ask you a few questions" Hotch spoke, before I nodded my head.

"This can wait a little later, couldn't it?" Spencer spoke, his voice holding anger

"Spence, you know we can't," Jennifer spoke softly, as if she the reason behind his anger.

"W-We can talk in the kitchen?" Jennifer nodded her head as I spoke, before the four of us turned out of my bedroom and towards my kitchen.

I looked around my apartment as unknown people walked about the room taking photos, and processing items of my home. Spencer set a protective hand on the small of my back, before we walked into my kitchen. I slid the door closed, giving us a bit of privacy from the rest of the apartment, though it wasn't much.

"There isn't really anything for me to tell you that I hadn't told you the other day," I spoke, wrapping my arms across my chest and looking down towards my feet. Suddenly I felt vulnerable and small, Spencer must've sensed this, because he stepped towards me, and wrapped a protective arm across my waist and back.

"He referred you at our crime scene from today, and copied the same message onto the box he sent today," JJ explained, her tone soft and friendly "Is there anyone that you know that you have a past with that maybe ended on bad terms,"

I paused to think for a moment, only to shake my head "I've been in the state for over six years, and really haven't…dated, or hung out with someone outside of work, because I've been busy with the opening of our new store"

"Maybe someone within work then? Someone who might've showed too much affection towards you, and acted friendly." Hotch began to question towards me "He would've made you feel uncomfortable when alone with him, and maybe would've tried to pursue you outside of work."

I shook my head quickly "No. Mitchells in DC is the only store that I have run, and Emily had been my only employee since the opening two years ago."

"Its ok, we're just trying to help," Spencer spoke calmly in my ear, rubbing his hand against my arm. I looked towards him, and suddenly felt calm within seconds as I looked into his brown eyes.

I sighed heavily and tried to relax, but only found my heart rate racing faster and faster as I tried to think back to the questions that Hotch and JJ asked only moments ago.

"I…I don't know who would be like this," I spoke softly "I briefly dated when in New York but it wasn't really anything serious. I thought the guy was fit and accepted it when he asked me out."

"What was his name?"

"Nicholas. Nicholas Fuller. But he wouldn't do this. We barely went on more than five dates" I explained quickly

"It doesn't bother to try and eliminate him" Hotch spoke, before pulling out his phone. He waited a moment, before there seemed to be an answer "Garcia? I'm going to need for you to run a name for me..."

Hotch walked out of the kitchen and back towards the chaos of my apartment, JJ following close behind him. I was thankful that she closed the door behind her, leaving Spencer and I alone once more.

"Nicholas wouldn't do this," I spoke toward "We barely even lasted a month."

Spencer hesitated for a moment "Was it a hard breakup?"

I shook my head "I don't think so. But he became the reason I only hired females. I didn't want another….I didn't want that to happen again,"

Spencer looked towards me, his brows knitting tightly together in question "What happen?"

I hesitated, before taking a deep breath, and then speaking "Nicholas didn't take me ending this too well, yes. But he soon moved on afterwards. But at work he was still….affectionate and one night when we were unpacking shipment, he made a few unwanted advances towards me."

"Did he hurt you?" Spencer asked, his voice gentle, but I could tell by the tone he was no longer my Spencer. But FBI Agent Spencer.

"No," I sighed heavily "Spencer, Nicholas was a harmless creature that I went out with cause I was bored and thought it would make me him back off for a moment, but it only seemed to make him…confident. But he wouldn't do this, he's not capable enough to do this."

"Like Hotch said, it doesn't hurt to eliminate him for the list." He spoke softly towards me, moving a strand of my brunette hair from my face, before tucking it behind my ear. He placed a soft kiss to my forehead, before pulling me into his chest, where I found comfort.

~ {}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{} ~

Soon everyone was gone from my apartment, except for Spencers team. Derek, and who I soon found out to be Emily, were sitting off in my apartment. I moved around in my kitchen trying to make something to eat, the stress of whole situation was making me hungry. Spencer had stepped out for a moment, but left me with Emily and Derek, which eased my mind better.

I gathered the cookies that I had baked only a few days before, then walked out to the living room and placing them onto the coffee table. Emily set down her coffee cup, before smiling towards me.

"These look amazing, thank you" She spoke, before reaching forward and grabbing a treat, and taking a bite, a satisfactory moan leaving her lips "Oh, my god."

I smiled down towards her, before taking a seat and picking up my tea that I'd set down only a moment ago.

"My grandmother sends over the ingredients from England so that I can attempt to make her Ginger Shortbread cookies. Hers are better," I smiled towards her, watching as Derek took a few cookies and relaxed against couch.

"Well, please, if you make more of these we might become greater friends," Derek spoke.

"Thank you…for staying here," I spoke after a long pause of silence "You didn't have to, and I'm thankful that you are…"

"Don't even have to thank us, you mean a lot to Spencer, and we wanna make sure you're kept safe until we catch whomever is doing this" Emil said, just before there was a knock at my apartment door.

Quickly I stood up to walk towards the door to answer it, but Derek stood before me, and held out a hand to stop me. I froze at my place, as he walked towards the door, his hand loosely placed on his gun that was holstered at his waist. Emily stood up slowly and moved to stand in front of me, just as Derek opened the door. But we all physically relaxed as my sister walked through the door.

"Well, aren't you something fit to be greeted with," Emerald spoke, winking towards Derek, as she walked further into my apartment.

"Emerald, you've got a key. Use it next time please," I scolded lightly

"I gave it to Spencer," She frowned towards me, as she placed her thing down "And I thought that would be a better person to give it to"

I nodded my head and moved to sit back down on my seat, as Derek locked the front door once more, and my sister moved around to come and sit beside me. She wrapped her arm around me, and held me comfortingly, as I took a sip of my tea. As the night grew older, I stood from my seat, as I felt the exhaustion taking over my body once more.

"Um, this couch pulls out into a bed, if you ever get tired." I spoke towards Emily and Derek as I stood from the love seat "Blankets are in the pantry and pillows in the basket below. Please, help yourself to anything in the home."

"Thank you," Emily spoke, the exhaustion weighing heavily on her brown eyes as she laid across the couch. Derek already passed out slightly in the chair across from me.

Emerald and I stood from the love seat and walked to our bedrooms, where I closed the door tightly behind me, and towards my bed. I walked towards my window and pulled the drapes tightly closed, blocking off the moonlight, before I got into my bed and tried to have my mind relax to be able to sleep. But every moment I closed my eyes, the face of the woman with her neck slit flashed behind my eyes, causing me to wake up quickly.

~ {}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{} ~

It had to of been no more than an hour, before a the sound of my bedroom door woke me up from my restless sleep. Looking over towards the door in the darkened room, I saw that it was Spencer. He looked freshly showered and changed as he walked towards my bed, and took a seat on the edge of the bed.

"Hi," I whispered softly

"I hope I didn't wake you?" concern in his voice as he spoke.

I shook my head "I can't sleep,"

"I'm sorry, I wish I could so something to make this better,"

"Just lay with me?" He moved quickly to get under my comforter, and moving to lay beside me. I grabbed onto his hand and held to it tightly, as I moved closer to him, ending up sharing the same pillow with him. "How do I get the nightmares to stop?"

"I wish I knew the answer, truly, but even I can't stop the nightmares" He spoke softly, his minty breath fanning over my face "But they lesson, and soon, they just turn into dark dreams."

"I know you told me not to think of this as my fault. But I still feel like it is," I whimpered slightly, feeling the tears build up again.

Spencer moved closer to me, and wrapped his arm around my waist, letting me rest my head on his chest. I took a few deep breaths to hold back the tears, and let out a relaxed sigh as the burn from the tears left my eyes.

"We're going to get this guy." He whispered, running his fingers through my hair slightly "Don't worry about anything, because I'm going to do everything I can to protect you,"

"Thank you," I squeezed to him tighter "You're my hero, Spencer. I hope you know that?"

I moved back to look up towards him, to see his lips turn up slightly into a smile "I'm no hero."

"Well, you're mine," I laughed lightly, brushing back some of his hair, before I kissed him lightly on the lips.

Spencer's hold on my tightened around my waist, as he pulled me closer, slowly tucking me beneath his body, as our lips moved against each other. My slim arms wrapped around his neck, before my finger began to run through his hair. It was like the moment his lips touched mine I was able to forget everything outside the two of us. My hand moved down against the front of the sweater he was wearing, before moving underneath the clothing. Spencer moved back from me slightly, and grabbed my hand softly.

"Shai," He spoke slowly "We...right now's not…"

I nodded my head, suddenly feeling rejected, before moving away from him slightly and rolling over to face my back towards him. I could hear Spencer let out a deep sigh from behind me, before relaxing into my bed, and wrapping his arms around me.

"I'd rather our first time not be with my team outside the other door, and your sister down the hall," He whispered lightly, before kissing me temple.

I nodded my head "You're right. I'm sorry."

"Don't be,"

With Spencer's arm wrapped around me tightly, the nightmares seem to be at the recess of my mind, as I slowly fell asleep.


AN: Holy crap that was a long chapter. I'm feeling really inspired with this story, thanks to the fact that every time I turn on the television Criminal Minds seems to be on. I love that cause it helps with this story. Also your guys's reviews are really helpful, makes me feel like I'm doing something right with this story. Thought I would like to say that someone (won't name) left a review that was sort of harsh. I love critical reviews, it shows me what I might need help with, but not be mean about it and literally yell at me through the review and use foul language. It's not wanted or needed. You will be blocked, just for a future reference. Imagines of what Shai's apartment looks like is posted on the homepage

xo

Charlie