Here it is Chapter 35 - and I think you will all really like it! Let me know what you think... As always I don't own Criminal Minds.
Happy reading - enjoy :)
"Oh. There he is." Morgan said standing up from his desk chair "Pretty. Boy. Last chance" He said as he sat down on the edge of Elle's desk. He leaned over the divider between Elle's desk and Reid's desk. "I can get my man to swing you a hotel room for practically nothing. Even you might get a little lovin' out there."
Elle smirked behind Derek's back as she listened to him try to convince Reid to join them in Jamaica.
"Thanks anyway" Reid said distractedly as he picked up computer disks and put them in his messenger bag.
"Oh come Reid live a little huh?" Morgan said.
"I have to go. I'm uh going home. Have a good one guys." Reid said as he walked away from his desk and out of the bullpen.
Spence walked out of the double glass doors of the BAU to find JJ standing waiting for him by the elevator.
"Need a ride to the airport Spence?" JJ asked as she stood up from leaning against the wall.
Spence smiled "Yeah, that would be great. Thanks"
At the airport JJ got out to help Spence with getting his bag out of the SUV. He set the luggage down on the curb and then turned back to say goodbye to JJ.
JJ closed the back hatch of the SUV and then took three steps bringing her into Spence's personal space. She reached up and smoothed his hair back behind his ear. Her fingers trailed around the side of his head to the back of his head and his neck. She leaned up on her tip toes and kissed him.
Spence bent down making it easier for JJ to reach his lips. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. He swept his tongue along the crease in her lips, prompting JJ to open her mouth as Spence deepened the kiss.
JJ lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck as the kiss continued. Both Spence and JJ were carried away in their passionate goodbye. They were brought back to the reality of where they were when someone wolf whistled at them as they walked by on their way into the airport.
Spence tipped his head and leaned his forehead against JJ's while he caught his breath.
JJ gave him a quick peck on the lips. "I know I'm going to see you again tomorrow, but I'm still going to miss you. Tell your Mom I said hi." She whispered pulling away slightly "I love you" She said and then leaned in to briefly kiss him again.
"I love you too. I'll see you tomorrow." Spence said as he kissed her once more and then stepped back picking his bag up from off the curb beside him and turning to walk into the airport to catch his flight.
When JJ got back to the BAU she went to see visit Garcia in her fortress of digital omnipotence. She knocked on the door and entered Pen's office. As she walked towards Garcia she overheard her speaking the words she was typing into the computer out loud. She sat down on the edge of Penelope's desk as she watched the computer screen.
"Hey your still here." Garcia said turning from her screens to look at JJ.
"Yeah. I don't get the same vacation time as the rest of the team. Got to make sure there's plenty of work for them when they get back." JJ said as she rolled her eyes. As if the team ever had to worry about running out of work. "What're you doin'?"
"I'm in Camelot." Garcia said turning to glance at her computer screen.
"Camelot?" JJ repeated.
"Yeah. It's an online world" Garcia said glancing back and forth between her laptop and JJ "See I'm just outside the magical city of Camelot adventuring with the incredible Sir Kneighf."
"Oh the incredible Sir Kneighf" JJ said with wide large eyes.
"JJ, this guy is amazing." Garcia said as she reached out and nudged JJ's knee with her hand.
"Oh gosh. Please tell me you don't have a crush on a fictional character." JJ said shaking her head and raising her eyebrows as she looked down at Garcia.
"He's not fictional. He's the online alter ego of a real person." Garcia said nodding her head as she corrected JJ.
"Mm hm." JJ muttered through pressed lips as she nodded her head up and down in response to Garcia's explanation. "I mean you don't even know anything about him. Or even if he is a him." JJ said raising her eyebrows and smirking slightly at Garcia.
"OK you know what I don't…look, we meet online at specified times that he is never late to. We spent hours adventuring and chatting during which time I have his undivided attention and he lavishes me with flattery." Garcia said.
"Wow" JJ responded.
"When was the last time you had a date go that well?" Garcia asked as she continued to stare at JJ intensely and smirked.
JJ paused where she sat on Garcia's desk, lost in thought for a moment…She turned to face Garcia about to utter the same words she had last time - 'see if he has a fictional brother' but thoughts of Spence and their goodbye kiss at the airport caused her to flush slightly.
Garcia noticed the blush on JJ's cheeks. "JJ have you been holding out on me? You have. I can tell."
"I umm… I have to go look over some files… but we can uh talk later." JJ said as she stood up and walked towards the door of Garcia's office.
"I'll let you go for now peaches, but we will talk later. You will give me the info you've been holding back. I'll find out eventually with or without you." Garcia called as JJ closed the door behind her.
"Hi Mom" Spencer said as he leaned down and kissed his mother on the cheek in greeting.
"Spencer!" Diana said turning to face her son. "I'm so glad you could make it for another visit. Did Jennifer come with you?"
"Sorry Mom, JJ wasn't able to make it this time, but I'm sure you'll see her soon. I brought you a present." Spencer said holding about a wrapped gift.
Diana took the gift from Spencer and unwrapped it carefully. "Its Margery Kemp. This is one of her minor works."
"I know. She's your favorite, but you already have all of her major works." Spence said with a smile.
They spent the afternoon discussing JJ; the adventures of her knight, Spencer; and of course, literature.
The next morning when Spence arrived at Bennington to visit his mother, the nurse at the front desk stopped him to give him a package that had been delivered the night before to the desk for him.
"JJ get some reporters here as soon as possible." Gideon said as he leaned into the round table room from the doorway and then turned to start to walk away.
"For what?" JJ asked turning towards Gideon in the doorway.
Gideon stopped and turned back to answer JJ "Just say we need help on a new case." He answered before turning to walk away again.
JJ turned and made eye contact with Spence who stood at the front of the room in front of the white board. He looked back at her and raised an eyebrow.
"Press conference?" Morgan questioned from where he was seated next to JJ at the table.
JJ nervously got up from her seat at the table and went to find Gideon and Hotch.
JJ knocked on the door frame to Hotch's office. "Do you have a minute?" she asked.
Hotch looked up from the stack of papers on his desk. "JJ. Come on in. What is it?"
"Gideon just asked me to get the press together. I know I'm not a profiler Hotch, but I think this is a really bad idea." She said fidgeting with her hands in her lap.
Hotch nodded, thinking for a moment. "What's your reasoning?" He asked.
"This guy has all of our personal information from the FBI computers plus he knows things about us that we didn't even know about each other." She answered "Why does Gideon want to have a press conference anyway?" She asked Hotch.
Hotch sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "A man came to the door of our house and delivered a package to Haley. He told her a girl's life depended on it. Haley's with a sketch artist right now. Gideon wants to use the press to track down the man who delivered the package. He might have seen the unsub."
"Hotch, Haley was able to give a description of the guy?" JJ asked after thinking for a moment.
"Yes. Young, dark hair. She's sitting with the sketch artist right now. Why?" Hotch asked leaning forward in his seat.
"What if …" JJ paused in thought for a moment "Hotch what if the unsub used a courier service to have the package delivered? What if we can track down the delivery person without a press conference?"
"That would be preferable." Hotch responded after thinking it over for a minute.
JJ nodded. "We could have Agents go out to the local courier and delivery services with the sketch once it's done. See if he's recognized." JJ offered as a solution.
Hotch nodded standing up from his desk and smoothing down his tie. "You haven't contacted the press yet?" He asked as he stepped from behind his desk.
JJ rose to meet him. "No. I wanted to wait until I was sure that we really had to."
"Good. Let's go talk to Gideon. I agree with you. Getting the press involved at this point would be a mistake." He said as he lead the way out of his office and down the catwalk to Gideon's.
JJ and Hotch attempted to reason with Gideon that involving the press at this point would be an unwise move. While it might send the message that Gideon wanted to send the unsub about not being able to dictate to them how to run the investigation, it would also anger the unsub, who had the personal information of not only the team, but also their families and loved ones. They would not be able to protect everyone and would in fact be putting several people in danger by having a press conference.
At first Gideon had balked and vehemently opposed the idea of not having the press conference.
Hotch turned to JJ "Give us a minute, would you JJ? I'll come find you when the sketch is ready." He said guiding JJ to the door.
Once JJ was out of the room, Hotch turned back to Gideon. "I know that you feel like the unsub stole the last safe haven and respite from the ugliness of the world from you Jason, but you can not use a press conference and ignoring the rules he gave us to get back at him. He doesn't care about your feelings. He cares about us following the rules. You need to take a deep breath and take a step back from how you feel and look at this situation rationally. The team can stay here and be safe from the reaches of this unsub, but Jason, we can't send Agents to the homes of every one of the contacts the unsub was able to glean from the computers when he hacked the system."
Hotch paused and took a deep breath. "JJ came up with a solution that I think will work equally well in our situation. I think we should run with it." He said.
When Gideon just nodded and didn't respond verbally, but leaned forward resting his elbows on his desk, Hotch proceeded to fill him in on the plan to find their delivery man.
Half an hour later JJ was briefing a group of Agents on what to say to the courier and delivery service employees that they would be visiting with the sketch. She watched the Agents file out the doors when she was done with the briefing. On her way back to join the team in the round table room, she stopped by Anderson's desk.
"Hey Anderson?" She said getting his attention.
"Yes ma'am?" Anderson said looking up from the papers on his desk.
"I know Agent Greenaway is exhausted and Agent Hotchner is probably going to have someone take her home soon. Can you make sure that whoever it is stays with her and doesn't leave her alone? Pass the word?" JJ said nodding around the bullpen towards the other Agents scattered around.
"Yes ma'am" Anderson replied.
JJ nodded at him and walked away to the round table room.
Not minutes later Hotch and Elle came down the stairs and through the break room into the bullpen.
"Anderson. Take Greenaway home." Hotch said indicating towards Elle.
"Yes sir." Anderson said standing from his desk.
"No, I'm fine." Elle said not wanting to imposition anyone.
"I'll have your car brought over later." He said refusing to have the discussion with Elle.
"Alright" Elle sighed "Come on Anderson" she said as she headed for the door.
Anderson followed behind her slipping into his suit jacket as walked.
"Get some sleep" Hotch called out after Elle.
"Yeah" She mumbled in response.
About an hour later one of the Agents called with the identity of the courier. He had been at work and they were bringing him in for questioning. They would be there shortly.
JJ hadn't been able to help Spence out with the solution to the book code. She had been in an SUV on the way to South Boston when he and Garcia had solved it last time. He had worked with the librarian and Garcia to come up with the solution. Once they solved the book code, he made the call he had known he would need to make, having his mother picked up and put in protective custody by Agents from the Las Vegas field office.
JJ and Morgan's trip to South Boston revealed that Rebecca Bryant was Rebecca Garner, whose entire family, except for her father Randall died in a fire when she was four.
"That's why your so skinny you know. Too much coffee." Diana Reid said as she stood in the break room at the BAU.
"Thanks a lot guys. I've got her" Spence said as he turned to see his mother escorted by two Agents.
Spence showed his Mom the round table room, and after her mild panic attack wondering why Spencer had brought her to this government building, he had her watch the tape of Randall Gardner. No sooner had Diana said the man on the tape was Randall Gardner, than Garcia had come in announcing that the IP address at the end of the string belonging to Sir Kneighf, The Fischer King, belonged to Randall Gardner.
"…He thinks he's The Fischer King." Spence said after listening to his Mom explain about Rebecca and Randall Garner.
"Who does?" JJ asked as she entered the room.
"Randall Garner, our unsub." Spence said.
"Jennifer!" Diana exclaimed "Its so good to see you. Spencer told me I would be seeing you soon, but I had no idea it would be this soon." Diana said as she enveloped JJ in a hug.
As JJ hugged Diana she saw Garcia jaw practically hit the floor from where she was standing behind Diana. Her eyes got big and she mouthed 'later' to Garcia. Garcia nodded and somehow managed to relocate her jaw to it's proper position.
Elle smirked as she and Morgan slipped into the room. She wasn't sure what she had missed just now, but from the expression on Garcia's face it was huge.
Hotch and Gideon followed Elle into the room completely missing the expression on Garcia's face as they were eager to get an update on the case and hoping that they were in a position to wrap the case up.
"He believes you're all modern day nights of the round table." Diana said as she pointed to the team.
"Uh guys, this is my mother, Diana Reid." Spence said moving around the circle the team stood in . "Mom, this is Derek Morgan, Elle Greenaway, Penelope Garcia, Aaron Hotchner, and Jason Gideon." Spence said pointing out the team members to his Mom as he introduced them.
"What JJ doesn't rate an introduction to you Mom?" Morgan asked looking sideways at Reid.
"Oh I already know Jennifer. She has come to visit me with Spencer a few times now, since they started dating." Diana said casually.
Garcia's jaw once again dislocated itself. She and JJ would be having words later. How could she keep this from her!
Elle snickered and muttered "I knew it." under her breath.
Derek Morgan looked stymied. "Come again now?" He managed to croak out thinking that he could not possibly have heard what he thought he had heard.
"Oh yes, they've been dating for quite sometime now. I think they make a lovely couple." Diana continued.
Gideon and Hotch showed no visible reaction what so ever, however both were smirking on the inside. This little bit of humor went a long way in bring some much needed levity to the day. Hopefully they could wrap this case up soon and go into one of their offices away from the team and laugh out loud about the situation.
JJ and Spence had both flushed bright red and were having a difficult time making eye contact with anyone in the room.
"Mom" Spence said flustered as he guided her to a chair at the back of the room, while the rest of the team grabbed seats at the round table. He joined the team at the table to discuss the case.
The team proceeded to go through the information they had all been able to gather. After Garcia mentioned searching tax records to find out if Garner owned any property, Diana interjected into the conversation.
"Excuse me." She said reaching out to get the team's attention "Just before the agents got me from the hospital" She continued as she dug in her bag. "A man delivered this to me." She said a she pulled a post card sized item from her bag. "It's a photo of a house with an address on the back"
"Shiloh, Virginia, that's only ten miles from here." Morgan said.
They assaulted Garner's house with Morgan, Elle, and Hotch leading the way into and through the house followed closely by Reid and Gideon. Once they cleared the entry way they split up with the Agents from the entry team to clear the rooms on the first floor. As Reid made his way towards the stairway, he noticed a moving shadow on the wall coming from the second floor.
"There's only one question that matters Mr. Garner" Reid spoke softly "There's only one really important question. Can you forgive yourself?"
"I couldn't get to them." Garner said in his raspy damaged voice.
"If you tell me where she is, you can save Rebecca now." Reid said nodding towards Garner where he sat behind the desk. "Tell me where Rebecca is."
"You already know. I sent your mother the map." Garner said.
"What map?" Spence asked trying to piece together the puzzle in his head.
"Can I forgive myself?" Garner asked the question
As he spoke Reid began backing towards the door.
"No I can't" Garner said as he depressed the button on the detonator for the bomb he wore strapped to his chest.
"Run!" Reid yelled as he leapt through the doorway of Garner's office and was thrown down the hallway by the concussive blast of the explosion.
Morgan put on the flames that had caught fire on Reid's pants. The team then proceeded to make their way down the stairs while discussing why Reid hadn't let the team know that there was a bomb. As they proceeded down the stairs Reid let them know that Rebecca was in the basement. They managed to make it to Rebecca's cell and unlock her chain from the floor just in time as they no more than left the room, than the ceiling collapsed into her cell, onto the bed, and the room burst in a flaming inferno that no one could have survived.
When they arrived back at the BAU, JJ and Spence went to talk with Hotch and Gideon in Hotch's office. After discussing their relationship with both of their superiors, JJ was granted the next two weeks off. Gideon and Hotch had gone to the director and explained that the whole team had earned, deserved, and needed time off. They were a team and leave should be granted to the whole team.
JJ and Spence walked into the round table room where his mother sat writing in one of her journals.
"Mom, we found her." Spence said "Rebecca's safe. You helped us save her life."
"Diana, we couldn't have done it without you." JJ said.
"Is it time for lunch yet?" Diana said as she looked up from her journal.
"What?" Spence asked confused.
"I'm lecturing everyone on Tristan and Isolde. They're all gathering in my room after lunch"
JJ turned to look at Spence in confusion. She had never seen this part of Diana's illness before.
Spence leaned down to whisper in her ear. "She's Professor Reid. Right now she's preparing for a lecture."
JJ nodded as she slipped her hand into Spence's offering him silent comfort as he prepared himself for whatever might come.
"Can we attend the lecture too?" Spence asked.
"Have you read any of the material?" Diana asked glancing up to make eye contact with Spencer.
"I've had them read to me." He said with a smile.
"Oh.. Wonderful" Diana said with a tilt of her head "That's best way isn't it?"
"Yes ma'am, by far." Spence responded.
JJ watched in awe of how Spence took everything in stride without becoming flustered or upset at his mother not realizing at this particular moment that he was her son and not some student. It made her love him even more.
As JJ sat watching Spence read to his Mom on the BAU jet on the flight to Las Vegas, she hoped that tomorrow Diana would be the woman she had met on her previous visits, if only because she wanted her to get enjoyment out of the Mother's Day gift for her that was currently packed in JJ's suitcase. It was a photo album with current photos of Spence. There were pictures of she and Spence since they started dating, pictures of Spence with Caitlyn and Madison from Christmas, and pictures of Spence and Diana from their last visit. During their visit at Christmas, JJ had seen how much Diana treasured the photos she had given her of Spence, and how few current photos of Spence she had. She wanted to give her a piece of Spence's life, so that she could see how well her son had turned out, what a good man he was, and so that she could be surrounded by pictures of him when he couldn't be there.
Later that evening JJ and Spence were relaxing in their hotel room. Spence lay face down on the bed in his boxers.
"Baby, why didn't you go to the hospital? This looks like it hurt pretty bad." JJ said as she rubbed burn cream onto the back of his left thigh.
Spence grimaced briefly "I didn't realize it was that bad until just now when the hot water hit it in the shower."
"Hmm.. Well I think the burn cream is really all you needed. A couple days and you'll be good as new." JJ sat patting his ass as she finished rubbing the cream into his leg.
"Well as long as its better by the time we have to go back to work in two weeks, I can deal with it." Spence said rolling over and pulling JJ into his arms.
"I'm sure it will be better by then baby, but your right, we'll have our hands full dealing with Morgan, Elle, and Garcia when we get back. We don't need to have you still injured too." She said smiling at him.
"Yeah, but we don't have to deal with those three for the next two weeks. I can think of much more pleasurable things to deal with until then." Spence said lightly running his hand up and down her back.
JJ gave him a wide smile. "I'm sure you can Dr. Reid" she said silkily as she ran her hand down his torso and leaned in to kiss him. All thoughts of anything involving Quantico and their three co-workers and friends was left far behind for the rest of the evening.