Route 66
"We have to assume that Samantha Wilcox…" Hotch trailed off. He coughed slightly. "Excuse me… She's still…" Hotch swayed on the spot. Victoria widened her eyes as Hotch collapsed.
"Aaron!" cried Rossi.
"Hotch!" bellowed Morgan. The team jumped to their feet. Victoria called an ambulance.
"Ambulance is on its way," she announced, kneeling beside Hotch.
"What do we do?" asked JJ.
"Get on the jet, start working the case." said Rossi. "I'll stay with him."
"So will I," Victoria announced.
Morgan nodded. "Keep us updated."
Victoria and Rossi dipped their heads. Victoria stood, keeping an eye out for the paramedics. Spencer hugged her briefly before whisking away. Victoria watched him go, biting her lip. Her two months with him was more than halfway over. She hadn't felt this safe in a long time, and she wasn't sure she wanted to go back to her house alone. Then again, she didn't want to overstay her welcome.
…
Spencer and the rest of the team brainstormed back and forth for a bit, but none of their hearts were in it. They just wanted to know if Hotch was okay. Finally, Rossi video chatted them. He wanted to know about the case, so Morgan filled him in.
"All right. Hotch would want us to focus on this case, not him. I'm hopping on the first flight there." said Rossi.
"What about Hotch?" said JJ.
"I'll stay with him and keep you guys updated. Garcia's on her way." said Victoria, coming into view of the camera.
"Thanks, Parker." said Morgan. Victoria dipped her head. The video ended and Spencer's attention returned to the case at hand.
…
Victoria paced the lobby of the hospital. She was worried about Hotch. Everyone was, but… Hotch had sort of become like a father to her, or big brother. Several hours had already passed, and still no word. Her phone buzzed with an incoming call.
"Spence," Victoria breathed.
"Hey," said Spencer. "How's Hotch?"
"I don't know," said Victoria. "He's still in surgery. Spence… I'm worried about him."
"We all are," said Spencer gently.
Victoria sighed and rubbed her forehead. "It's just… He's the toughest guy I know."
"Tougher than Morgan?" Spencer joked.
"Definitely," said Victoria. "I'd be more scared of Hotch than Morgan."
"Me too," Spencer agreed.
"Penelope and I used to joke that… serial killers check their closets for Aaron Hotchner before they go to bed." Victoria gave a watery laugh.
Spencer chuckled on the other side of the line. "H-he'll be okay."
"Yeah," Victoria murmured. She wasn't sure if she believed it. It didn't feel real yet. "How's the case going?"
"Not good, another man just turned up dead." said Spencer.
"Shit." Victoria muttered.
"I have to go." said Spencer.
"Okay. Go get 'em, tiger." said Victoria.
Spencer chuckled. "Bye."
He hung up. Victoria sighed. She looked at Penelope, who was sitting in the lobby, helping the team via laptop as best she could. Victoria went through her call history. She hadn't had any harassing calls from Korey in a while. Maybe he had finally given up.
…
Spencer and Rossi put Garcia on speaker phone. She informed them of yet another murder. "Any word on Hotch?" asked Rossi.
"Not yet, but Parker is about to go rouse the nurses for intel." said Penelope.
"Go get 'em, girl." said Rossi. Spencer smirked with a hint of pride. But then he remembered why Victoria was having to harass the nurses in the first place, and his smile vanished. His two months with Victoria were almost over, too. He knew that Korey had stopped calling and texting. He knew Victoria probably missed her home. But Spencer wasn't sure he was ready for her to go just yet.
…
Victoria and Penelope stood in Hotch's room. He had been sleeping for the past hour. Victoria breathed a sigh of relief when Hotch's eyes fluttered open. He looked a bit confused.
"What happened?" he croaked.
"Sir," sighed Penelope. She rambled a long-winded explanation about scarred tissue from Hotch's stabbing a few years earlier. She threw her arms around Hotch's neck.
"Garcia," Hotch chided with a wince of pain.
"Sorry sir!" Penelope squeaked. "I'm just glad you're okay."
"Thank you both for staying with me." Hotch croaked.
"Wild horses, sir," said Penelope. "I'll go call Jessica to bring Jack here."
Hotch nodded as Penelope shuffled out. Victoria exchanged a weak smile with Hotch. "How're you doing?" Hotch asked.
"You just got out of surgery and you're asking about me?" Victoria said, shaking her head. Hotch raised his eyebrows at her, urging her to continue. Victoria sighed. "I'm all right. I was just worried about you."
Hotch smiled. "Thank you. How are you with your Korey situation?"
Victoria sank into a chair. "I'm all right. The calls and texts have stopped. I think I'm gonna go back home in a few days."
Hotch frowned. "Are you sure?"
Victoria nodded. "I'm not going to hide from him forever. The police think he left the state. I'll be okay."
Hotch nodded. "Let me know if you need anything."
"Yes sir," said Victoria. "Thank you, for everything." She stepped out when Penelope brought the phone to Hotch so that he could speak with Jack. Victoria FaceTimed the team, who were on their way back from the case.
"Parker!" cried Morgan.
"Hotch is awake. He's doing great. Jessica's bringing Jack to him now." said Victoria.
The team visibly relaxed. Victoria smiled and ended the call after a little small talk with the team.
…
Spencer stepped out of Hotch's hospital room. Victoria was leaning against the wall of the hallway, looking at her shoes. Spencer pressed his lips together and approached her. "Hey." he said.
"Hey," Victoria replied.
"Everything okay?" Spencer asked.
"Yeah," said Victoria. "I… I think I should go home this weekend."
Spencer nodded. "Okay." he said, disappointment settling in his stomach.
Victoria pursed her lips. She seemed disappointed, too. "Okay."
Spencer turned away. "You ready?"
They left the hospital together and returned to Spencer's apartment. They didn't spend their evening together. Victoria sat on her laptop, hammering away at the keyboard with a story. Spencer read a few books, but he kept glancing over at Victoria. He didn't like the awkward silence between them. When they had quiet moments like this, it was usually comfortable. But tonight it was just… unpleasant. And yet, Spencer didn't try to fix it.
The next day, Spencer watched Victoria pack her things. He wanted to stop her, but there was no reason to. Korey's harassment had stopped. The two months were over, just about. Victoria didn't want to hide from Korey anymore. Police thought Korey had left the state. There was no reason for Victoria to stay. But Spencer wanted her to.
…
Victoria was silent the whole drive home. Spencer did nothing to break the silence. She had hoped that Spencer would fight for her. But why would he? He didn't love her. They were just friends. Maybe he was ready for her to leave his apartment. Victoria bit her lip. She blinked back tears and looked out the window, watching the moon flicker between the trees.
Spencer pulled up to her house. "See you at work tomorrow." he muttered.
"Yeah," Victoria choked. She pushed open the door. Spencer popped open his trunk. Victoria retrieved her bag, slammed the trunk shut and marched to her house without a second look back. She closed and locked the front door. She blinked back tears and entered the kitchen. The cops had been nice enough to at least clean the spilled coffee, but the rest of the mess was still there. Victoria sighed and got to work. She repositioned the table back on its legs. She cleaned the broken glass and the stains the police had missed. She mopped up the floors for good measure. She placed the engagement ring on the counter.
She looked at her handiwork for a moment. She decided to make some green tea. She heated up some water and began seeping the tea. After a few minutes, she added honey. She sipped the tea for a while at her kitchen table. Now that Korey was gone, she could… She should tell Spencer. He deserved to know how she felt, right?
But what if he rejected her? She wasn't sure she could survive another letdown. Korey had been bad enough, but she felt like Spencer's rejection would be ten times worse. He was her best friend. If she lost him… She wasn't sure she would be okay. But there had been moments where she was positive he felt the same way. Like when they laughed so hard they cried during "This Is 40." Or when she nudged him playfully and he offered her a sarcastic smile in reply. Or when they'd danced at JJ's wedding. Or at the bar. Or when she'd held his hand under the table after Strauss's funeral. Or when they'd looked at each other for comfort. Or when he'd asked her to stay with him. Or the time he'd begged her not to go back to Korey… But every time he mentioned Maeve (which wasn't often), it was like a stab to the chest for Victoria. Did Spencer still love Maeve? How could he not? They'd been perfect together. And she'd been ripped away from him… Victoria was just his friend. Nothing more. She didn't want to overanalyze anything. But there were times when she was sure Spencer loved her, too.
Victoria stared into her empty mug for a few minutes. She moved to the sink and turned the water on. She thought she heard the click of a door being closed, but wasn't sure over the sound of the water running. She cleaned out the mug, turned off the faucet and headed out of the kitchen. She flipped the light switch and plunged her house into darkness. She shuffled through the shadows as her eyes adjusted. She bumped into something in the middle of the walkway that smelled like leather and denim. It was warm beneath her hands.
"Hello, Victoria," said Korey.
Victoria widened her eyes in horror. Korey shoved her back. Victoria stumbled and fell into her glass coffee table, which shattered. She could hear Korey moving toward her. She crawled away, her right side stinging with pain. Korey grabbed her feet and dragged her toward him. Victoria grabbed at something –anything –and slashed outward. The shard of glass she was gripping sliced Korey. She wasn't sure what she cut, but it was enough for Korey to draw back with a growl. Victoria scrambled to her feet and stumbled away. She looped back to the kitchen, hoping to get a weapon or something. Her gun would be nice, but it was locked in the safe. She could hear Korey's heavy feet thudding after her, so she sprinted out of the kitchen and toward the foyer of her house. If she could get to the front door and out of the house, she could hide in the forest or something… She just needed away from Korey.
Korey's arms grabbed Victoria from behind. His hand covered her mouth as she screamed. She kicked out and squirmed, but Korey was too strong. Victoria's teeth met Korey's hand. She bit down until she drew blood. "Ah, bitch!" hissed Korey, throwing Victoria down. He kicked her in the ribs. Victoria gasped for breath and crawled away. She grabbed at a shelf to help her stand. She felt around for something to use as a weapon. Her hands closed around a small figurine of a sparrow. She swung out with it. It connected with Korey's face. He stumbled back, but Victoria had only succeeded in pissing him off. He grabbed Victoria and veered her around until her back was up against the wall. He covered her mouth with his hands as she blinked back tears. Korey reached into his pocket and withdrew a napkin doused in chloroform.
Victoria moaned as the napkin covered her mouth and nose. She felt her head spin and her vision faded. She slumped against Korey's grip, and her vision ebbed away. Korey's voice sounded distant, but Victoria could still hear him say: "Let's see if Dr. Reid is smart enough to figure it out."
…
Sorry for the late update! Happy (late) Thanksgiving to my American reviewers! Thanks for all the support you guys!
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