The Storm
Victoria ran a hand through her hair and frowned as she studied her wedding dress budget. She had yet to ask anyone to be her bridesmaids, and she and Spencer had only speculated about a date. She noticed Spencer sit beside her and peered at the papers spread out on the bed. He plucked the one she studied out of her hand. She looked up tiredly. Spencer smiled at her and stroked her hair.
"You were staring holes into that paper."
Victoria managed a small smile. "We need to set a date."
Spencer laid back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. "Yeah."
Victoria rolled her eyes. "Try to contain your excitement. We're only getting married."
Spencer peered at her and grinned. He sat up. "I am excited," he insisted, "but the planning…"
"Yeah. It's a lot."
"When were you thinking?"
"Fall," Victoria said immediately. Spencer nodded. "October. You love Halloween."
Spencer frowned. "I don't want the wedding on Halloween, though."
"Right," said Victoria, "but we both love fall. The trees would be really nice."
"They would. I'll be right back." Spencer left to grab a calendar, which also contained important dates concerning work. He flipped to October of that year.
"Weddings are normally on Saturdays." Victoria informed him.
He nodded. A curl fell into his face as he looked at the Saturdays in October. "That leaves the fourth, eleventh, eighteenth and twenty-fifth."
"Okay."
Spencer rolled to look at her. "If the colors of the tree leaves are important to you, typically they start to change around the fifteenth to the twentieth or so."
"So they'd be nice around the twenty-fifth?" Victoria guessed.
Spencer nodded. "More or less, yeah. It changes each year."
Victoria bit her lip. "It's pretty close to Halloween."
Spencer smiled. "Yeah, it is."
"Could we do the twenty-fifth?"
"October twenty-fifth…" Spencer thought for a moment. "The actual day doesn't matter as much to me. I'm just glad we're getting married."
"It should matter to you, dork," Victoria replied, shoving him slightly, "that'll be our anniversary."
"And we can spend it in haunted houses. I like it." Spencer replied. Victoria laughed. Spencer pulled her down beside him.
"Have you thought about your groomsmen?"
"Derek as my best man," Spencer said immediately. He fell silent after a few moments. "I could ask Rossi or Hotch. I thought about your brothers, too. Especially Jason. And Seth."
"They'd love that," Victoria murmured.
"Have you thought about bridesmaids?"
"Penelope as my maid of honor," Victoria answered. "Alice, JJ… Maybe Emily, too. Maybe Tara."
"When are you going to buy your dress?"
"I have to find it first," Victoria replied. "I don't know. I want the girls with me."
"Understandable."
Victoria was quiet for several seconds. "I'm not inviting my dad."
Spencer said nothing for a few seconds. He shifted and rolled to his side to peer down at her. His brow furrowed. "Are you sure?"
Victoria met his soft, hazel eyes. "Yeah. I've thought about it, and… It's just drama that I don't need."
Spencer nodded. "And you're not really on speaking terms with him."
"Right. There's not much of a point. He's been trying to get ahold of me, but…" Victoria shrugged. "I haven't answered."
"Do you want to?"
"Sometimes," Victoria admitted. "But then I remember that he's a narcissist and will never be the father I want him to be, so I never answer the phone when he calls."
Spencer kissed her forehead. "So who would walk you down the aisle?"
"Actually, I was thinking either Hotch or Rossi." Victoria confessed. "They've both been huge parts of my life."
"I know," Spencer pulled her close to him. "So ask one of them. I'm sure they'd be honored to do it."
Victoria nodded. "Ugh, we have so much to do."
Spencer chuckled. "At least it's for a good cause."
Victoria smiled. "Yeah, it is."
The next day, Victoria invited the girls to lunch. She had called and asked Alice the night before, who had said, "It's about damn time you asked. I was beginning to think you had a prejudice for pregnant ladies."
Victoria dressed casually and smoothed her sweater in the mirror before leaving the apartment. She drove to the little Italian hole-in-the-wall and parked her car. When she shut it off, she noticed a smell. Her car emitted an aroma of burning oil. She wrinkled her nose and sprayed a little perfume. She'd get to it later. She hopped out of the car and entered the restaurant. A hostess led her to her reserved table, where she waited for her friends to show up. One by one, Penelope, JJ, Tara and Savannah showed up.
They chatted animatedly, catching up on everything that had happened since Derek had left the team. Savannah passed around pictures of Hank Spencer Morgan, and everyone cooed for the baby's fat cheeks. Penelope rattled about the newest guy she'd been talking to, Greg. Apparently they played online every weekend, but they also Skyped a lot. JJ talked about a school project she'd helped Henry with while Tara lamented that she needed a new pair of black heels, as her favorite pair were no longer in wearable condition.
"V, you've been really quiet. You okay?" Penelope said, looking at Victoria.
"Oh, yeah, how's the wedding planning going?" Savannah jumped in.
Victoria flushed. "Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you guys about."
"Girl, if you need help doing anything, you know we've got your back." said Tara.
"Yeah, a mom of one of Henry's friends is a wedding planner. If you want her number, I can give it to you." JJ added.
Victoria smiled. "Thank you, but I was actually wanting to talk about something more specific." She reached into her back and passed around gift bags. The girls looked at each other but opened the gifts. Everyone pulled out wine glasses, but inscribed on the glasses was the word bridesmaid. Except for Penelope's, which bore the designation of maid of honor. Everyone stared at their glasses for a second. Victoria picked at her fingernails under the table nervously.
Penelope threw up her hands and squealed. "Maid of honor!" She jumped out of her seat and embraced Victoria. "Yes, yes, yes! A thousand times yes!" Penelope chirped. When she withdrew, her eyes sparkled with tears. She wiped her eyes. "Happy tears, dammit."
JJ stood. "Okay, my turn." She hugged Victoria. "You didn't need to ask."
"I thought I'd stick with a little bit of tradition." Victoria laughed. Tara and Savannah both hugged Victoria, too. They all sat down, grinning. Victoria tucked her hair behind her ears. "Now, there is the matter of my finding a dress."
Penelope wiped her eyes again. "I am bursting with happiness right now. Can we go look now?"
"Hold on, hold on!" Victoria laughed. Her smile faltered.
"Uh oh. You're sad. What's wrong?" Penelope caught on.
Victoria forced a small smile. "I'm fine," she assured her. "After my grandmother's funeral, remember how I stayed in Louisiana for a few more days to clean out her house?"
"Yeah." Tara said, her eyes softening.
"Well, I found this." Victoria reached into her bag again to withdraw an envelope. Her hands trembled as she held it. She swallowed the lump in her throat. "There's a letter in here. When Alice got married, my Nana took her and her bridesmaids to New Orleans to dress shop. This letter promises me the same thing… Except she…" Victoria paused to catch her breath. "Sorry."
"Take your time." JJ murmured, reaching to take Victoria's hand.
Victoria smiled sadly. "Nana knew she wouldn't live to see me get married, so… She wrote a check for the trip."
"Oh, V…" Penelope breathed. She placed her hand over Victoria's. "Are you asking us to go on a trip to New Orleans for your dress?"
Victoria looked up. "Yeah. I want all of you there, but if you can't, I understand."
"Are you kidding? Of course we want to be there!" Savannah grinned.
Victoria smiled, her grief ebbing away. "I'll have to talk to Hotch for the time off, but…"
"Oh, this'll be so much fun. After we find the dress, we'll go to Bourbon Street… Agh! I am so excited!" Penelope clapped, grinning widely. Victoria couldn't help but smile, too.
…
Spencer sat at his desk, prepared for a day of paperwork. Victoria sat across from him, fidgeting frequently. He knew that she was preparing to ask Hotch to give her away for the wedding. Spencer caught her eyes and smiled. "It'll be fine."
"I know, I know… I'm not good at this… mushy gushy stuff."
Spencer chuckled. "Says the therapist."
Victoria stuck her tongue out at him. "That's less personal for me. I feel more like a science person when I'm working," she said. She frowned at herself. "A science person… A sciencer?" Spencer raised his eyebrows at her. Victoria widened her eyes. "A scientist!" she realized.
Spencer stared at her. "Sciencer?"
Victoria cringed. "Shut up. I'm really nervous."
Spencer laughed. "You'll be fine."
"No, she won't be! Everything is not fine!" Penelope yelled, hurrying to the conference room. She nearly spilled tea all over herself.
Spencer exchanged a glance with Victoria. He noticed that JJ was late and Rossi was already in the conference room. Hotch was also late. Spencer's stomach knotted. He and Victoria entered the conference room, Tara close behind. "What's going on?" Spencer asked.
"Hotch has been arrested." Penelope stated.
Spencer blinked. "What?"
"JJ wouldn't say much over the phone, but she's on her way right now." Penelope replied. She seemed panicked. Spencer managed to remain calm. Victoria's brow furrowed and she pushed her glasses further up her nose.
"Do we know where he's being held?" she asked.
"Not yet. I've made some calls, but nothing yet." said Rossi.
Victoria straightened. "I'll see if I can't urge that along."
"How?" Penelope asked.
"Remember Cramer?" Victoria replied.
"They're not still watching us?" Penelope frowned.
"No, but I know people through Cramer. I'll let you know when I find out." Victoria left the conference room, her high ponytail swishing as she walked. Spencer watched her go for a moment before turning to the others.
"Until JJ gets here, there isn't much we can do." he reasoned.
"I can set up my laptop." Penelope replied. She left to go grab her things.
Rossi rubbed a hand over his face. "Hurry, Parker…"
…
Victoria sped to Cramer's office. She flashed her credentials to the receptionist. "This is urgent."
The receptionist frowned but allowed Victoria to pass, who barged into Cramer's office. He looked up from his computer. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Agent Parker?"
"You don't have another meeting for a few hours. One of our own has just been arrested. I need to know who I need to talk to in order to find out where he's being held." Victoria replied.
Cramer frowned. He rolled his eyes. "Maybe I stopped order your reports too soon."
"With all due respect, sir, now's not the time to judge my team. I'm one of them, so if you want reports on them, you'll have to get someone else." Victoria snapped.
Cramer eyed her for a moment. "I suspect you've been biased for a long time."
"We can argue about that later. Do you know who I need to talk to or not?"
"Andrew Castleborn. He's involved in internal affairs and agent protection. He could find out for you." Cramer replied, scribbling a note on a sheet of paper. He handed it to Victoria. He had written down Castleborn's office and phone number.
"Thank you, sir." Victoria replied, backing out of his office.
"Agent Parker?" Cramer called. Victoria paused. "You still need to work on your attitude. You can't be run into every office prepared to fight."
Victoria's lips twitched. "Sorry, sir. Old habits and all."
Cramer dipped his head and waved her off. She left and dialed Castleborn's number. On the third ring, he answered. "Castleborn."
"Mr. Castleborn, I'm SSA Victoria Parker with the BAU. One of my team has been arrested. Senator Cramer told me that you were the person to contact to find where my teammate is." Victoria said.
"What's your agent's name?"
"SSA Aaron Hotchner."
The line fell silent as Castleborn researched for a bit. He put her on hold to make another call. He picked up after a few minutes. "Agent Parker? I've found him."
…
Spencer looked over as Henry, Jack and JJ entered the conference room, followed by Will carrying baby Michael. "Uncle Spencer!" Henry called.
"Oh, hey Henry!" Spencer greeted, squatting to his godson's line of sight. He scooped him up in his arms. "How are you?"
"Good. Mom says we're going to hang out at the office today." Henry replied.
"Oh, that sounds super fun." said Penelope.
Spencer's eyes slid toward Jack, who looked at the table with a shadowed face. Spencer's heart clenched for Hotch's son. "Hey, Jack. Have you been practicing that magic trick I showed you?"
Jack glanced at Spencer, the corners of his mouth drawn. He looked toward JJ. "Can I go to my dad's office?"
JJ stroked Jack's hair. "Of course."
Will gestured for Henry to come with him. "We'll go find something to get into." He led the children out of the conference room. Spencer's stomach twisted for Jack. JJ grimaced.
"It's bad." she muttered.
"How much did he see?" Tara asked softly.
"All of it."
Spencer folded his arms. Rossi's phone beeped. He looked at the message. "Just got word from Parker… She found Hotch. He's downtown."
…
Victoria hurried into the conference room, where Garcia typed away while Spencer paced. Victoria sat in her usual seat. "What did I miss?" she huffed.
"I've gone through old conferences of Hotch's and have found that the 911 call placed to arrest Hotch was spliced. You'd have to be crazy good to do this." Garcia replied.
"JJ went to talk to Antonia Slade." Spencer added.
"And Rossi is trying to get to Hotch." Garcia stated.
"Slade?" Victoria queried, frowning. She recalled the female serial killer locked up from their most recent case.
"When Hotch went back to talk to her, she told him there was a storm coming, and he'd be swept away." Spencer answered.
"And this feels like a pretty big storm." said Garcia.
Victoria nodded. "What can I do?"
"We're just waiting for JJ to give us word about Antonia's son. The only reason Antonia said that to Hotch was because he mentioned her son." Spencer replied.
Victoria blew out a long breath through pursed lips. Spencer's phone rang after a few minutes. Judging from his short and affirmative reply, Victoria stood up. "Where are we going?"
Spencer looked at her. "Get your vest. We're going to Asher Slade's house."
"Be careful, guys." Garcia called as Victoria and Spencer left the conference room. Victoria strapped on her Kevlar and headed for the SUV while Spencer called for backup. JJ and Rossi would meet them at Asher's residence. Victoria stopped when Spencer grabbed her arm. She looked at him, her brow furrowed.
Spencer cupped her face. "Please be safe."
Victoria nodded. "You too."
Spencer nodded. He placed a chaste kiss on her lips.
"Get a room you two." Tara teased, climbing into the back seat. Victoria grinned and then hopped into the front seat. Spencer slid into the passenger seat, and Victoria sped off. Spencer leaned forward to switch on the sirens. "Can't speed without these on."
Victoria shot him an apologetic smile. "That's what I keep you around for."
"Remembering things?"
"And getting stuff off the top shelf."
Spencer laughed and shook his head. Victoria pulled up to Asher's residence, where SWAT waited. JJ and Rossi arrived shortly after. JJ took over the tactical plan with the SWAT captain. Victoria listened, gripping the collar of her vest. She pulled her hair into a ponytail and then pulled her gun out of its holster. She and Spencer took the back of the house. They checked the rooms, shouting "clear" when they found nothing. Victoria was very aware of the SWAT members with their large guns behind her. They entered a back room, where a man sat at a computer. He wore headphones.
"Asher Slade, turn around with your hands up!" barked one of the SWAT members.
Asher jumped and swiveled in his chair, taking off his headphones. His hands clenched around some objects. Several assault guns readied to fire. "Drop it!" yelled one of the SWAT members.
Victoria frowned at Asher's behavior. He shook his head and shrank back. "I-I can't!" he cried. Victoria's eyes flowed around the room, noticing the organized boxes. What caught her eye most were the perfectly lined up action figures on his shelf. It reminded her of when Jason was little, when he'd line up his toy cars in a perfectly squared formation.
"Drop it!"
"It'll break." Asher stammered.
"Weapons down!" Victoria snapped. She stepped forward, lowering her gun. "Asher, can you show us what's in your hand? If it's not dangerous, we'll let you keep it, okay?"
Asher frowned. "Why would it be dangerous?"
"Because we're with the police, and we have to be prepared for the worst." said Spencer, stepping forward and holstering his gun.
"You're not police. You're with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. You're Dr. Spencer Reid and you're SSA Victoria Parker," Asher stuttered, his neck reddening. Victoria and Spencer exchanged a glance. "I had to research you so I would know who to SWAT. I decided on Agent Aaron Hotchner because he's the team leader, obviously."
"Can you show us what's in your hands?" Victoria prompted.
Asher looked at her, but held out his hands. "Slowly!" barked a SWAT member. Asher obeyed, uncurling his fingers and revealing the items clenched in his fists. Victoria frowned at the objects, which looked like computer chips.
"They're forms of the E-9 chips, only mine are better." Asher murmured.
"Can you put them down so we can talk?" Spencer asked.
Asher nodded and set the chips down. Spencer withdrew a pair of handcuffs. "We have to handcuff you for your protection, okay?" Victoria murmured. Asher nodded, though he looked confused and flustered as Spencer cuffed him. Victoria felt a pang for the man. Spencer led Asher away so that they could talk. Victoria looked up when Rossi approached her.
"You handled that well." he praised.
Victoria smiled softly. "He's Autistic."
"How do you know?" Rossi frowned.
Victoria gestured to the aligned figures. "Jason used to do that. Still does."
Rossi nodded. He patted Victoria's shoulder. After several minutes, Tara, JJ, Rossi, Spencer and Victoria regrouped and called Garcia. "He gave me a name of the person who helped him. Garcia, what do you have on Eric Rawdon?" Spencer said into the speaker.
"If I can direct your attention to Rossi's phone, I will introduce you to Eric Rawdon. He has had multiple online chats with Asher, until he was arrested for criminal conspiracy." Garcia replied. Victoria glanced at Rossi's phone. A picture of a gaunt-looking man filled the screen.
"Conspiracy with who?" Rossi asked, pocketing his phone.
"It looks like a bunch of anarchists. Rawdon isn't exactly an anarchist himself but he did wanna make something go boom." Garcia replied.
"So he's charismatic and duplicitous… I mean he'd have to persuade a bunch of anarchists to rally around him." Tara speculated.
"What's the overlap with Hotch?" JJ asked.
"Long ago but not forgotten, Hotch wrote a profile on Rawdon that he delivered in court." Garcia answered.
"And this is revenge." Spencer muttered.
"No, we know it's bigger than that." Rossi disagreed.
"There's no way Rawdon could've pulled this off while in prison. Garcia, what's the last contact Rawdon had with Asher?" JJ said.
"Emails from last week… The IP addresses are from all over the state but none from Virginia Super Max Prison, where Rawdon currently resides." said Garcia.
"So someone else took over the account or multiple someone's, depending on who still supports Rawdon." Tara murmured.
"I may add word to the end of Tara's last sentence because whoever is sending these emails is hogwild over the last twelve hours… The message is always the same: 'The storm breaks tonight, get his bed ready.'" said Garcia.
"That's reminiscent of the emails of the 9/11 hijackers sent to each other weeks before the attack. Coded messages like 'the summer will surely be hot' was their way of saying the plan was set." said Spencer.
"Except this is 'the storm breaks tonight,'" Rossi muttered. His eyes widened. "He's planning a prison break."
Victoria exchanged a horrified glance with Spencer. Rossi exited to make a few phone calls, warning the Virginia Max Prison. He returned after several minutes. "We need to make our way to the prison." he said grimly.
…
Spencer listened more than talked with Warden Knab and the SWAT captain. They discussed their plan of attack, and ultimately decided that Rossi would stay with Warden and a squadron to catch any escaping prisoners, while Spencer, JJ, Tara and Victoria would go with the SWAT captain and a squad into the prison to find where the prisoners were escaping from. They needed to find Rawdon, too. The captain gathered a few troops and waved Spencer and the others to follow. Spencer withdrew his gun and shot a glance at Victoria. His chest clenched at the thought of her going in there. Yet, he wanted her at his side. He caught Victoria's gaze. Her lips twitched, but he caught her miniscule message: I love you. Spencer offered her a quirk of his lips in response. They turned their attention ahead to storm the prison.
"We got one!" called Tara ahead in the first block. Spencer was only a few feet behind, bringing up the rear in case a prisoner attacked. He'd rather get hurt than Victoria, JJ or Tara. The prisoner lied on the floor of his cell. Tara crouched beside him. "Where are the others? How are they getting out?"
The prisoner pressed a finger to his lips. "Shh…"
"Freeze!" JJ yelled, pointing her gun ahead, where a prisoner took off. Spencer followed the others as they ran toward C Block. The prisoner stopped and turned. He fired the gun in his hand, but missed. The SWAT guys gunned him down. JJ rushed to check the man's pulse. She shook her head, silently informing everyone that the man was dead. She stiffened. "Wait, be quiet!" she hissed. Everyone stilled. Spencer raised his eyebrows when he heard what sounded like footsteps within the wall. JJ turned to the others. "You got a flashlight?" One of the SWAT guys handed a flashlight to JJ. She crawled deeper within the cell, up under the bed. She glanced over her shoulder. "Captain, we've got a tunnel."
Tara turned away. "Rossi, we've got a tunnel in C Block along the sewer line on the east wall." she murmured into the speaker on her vest. They waited for several minutes before Rossi radioed in.
"We got 'em." he announced in the earpieces.
"Including Rawdon?" Tara asked, her voice echoing through the hall and earpieces.
"Negative." Rossi replied.
Spencer's shoulders slumped for a moment. He looked at Victoria, whose brow dipped with a slight scowl. The captain turned to two of the SWAT members. "Kershaw and Brink, you stay here in case more prisoners come back through. We should keep moving to the control room." he said.
"We should also sweep E Block. Rawdon could be holed up there." Spencer added.
"Captain, I'll stay on your six." Tara said.
"And I'll stay on yours." Victoria suggested. Tara nodded to Victoria, relief flickering across her features. Spencer's stomach twisted as he caught Victoria's eye. She mouthed an apology and followed Tara and the captain.
…
The captain paused outside a doorway, which led toward the control room. "It's gonna get hairy in there. They're not gonna give it up without a fight. I'll need you two to stay here."
"Copy that. We'll wait for your signal." Tara said. Victoria said nothing, her eyes flickering around the round room, which cells encircled. Unease prickled the skin around her shoulders and the bottom of her neck as she examined the prisoners in this ward, locked by themselves behind heavy doors. The prisoners stood at the doors, watching through the thick, glass windows. Several minutes passed.
"They're taking a long time." Victoria croaked, still glancing around every few seconds to make sure these prisoners were still locked in their cells.
Tara nodded in agreement. Victoria and Tara jumped when they heard a muffled bang on the captain's line of communication. Ice trickled into Victoria's stomach. Tara leaned toward the speaker attached to her vest. "Captain, do you copy?" Static replied.
Victoria leaned toward her speaker. "Captain?" she demanded. Again, static answered. She and Tara exchanged knowing looks.
"Dr. Lewis?" asked a voice.
Tara turned toward one of the cells. "Dennis? What're you doing here?" She walked toward a cell across the room. Victoria followed, not wanting to be alone, even if only on one side of the room.
"You should know," said the man in the cell that Tara inched toward, "they sent me here right after your interview with me. I don't appreciate my words being used against me, Tara."
Tara stopped just outside the door. "Dennis, I had nothing to do with that."
"Then why was I transferred?" Dennis argued. "It must be what they read in that report you wrote about me. They assumed that I'm like them."
"Who's them?" Tara asked.
"The worst of the worst," said Dennis. The hairs on Victoria's neck straightened as a smile fanned across Dennis's face. "Don't you know where you are?"
"The serial killer ward." Tara muttered. As she said it, the door leading out of the ward shut while the cell doors opened. Victoria's heart pounded. She withdrew her gun. All around the room, serial killers left their cells and inched toward Victoria and Tara. Victoria turned, placing her back against Tara's.
"Tara…" Victoria breathed.
"Dennis, don't." Tara said.
"I've dreamed of this, Tara. Dreamed of it." Dennis replied.
"I will shoot you." Tara warned.
"There's only one problem. You can't take us all." Dennis replied.
Victoria's heart raced as she eyed the serial killers surrounding Tara and her. She dared them with her eyes to attack. Finally, one charged just as Tara roared into her speaker, "JJ, Reid! Backup, now!"
Victoria shot the killer who charged at them. He fell to the floor in a spreading pool of blood. Dennis laughed. "Backup's not coming."
"Dennis, please." Tara begged.
"Are you trying to beg your way out of this?" Dennis sneered.
"I'm trying to save your life. Look behind you." Tara muttered.
Victoria frowned, bewildered. She glanced over her shoulder and her heart soared. Hotch led a team through the doorway into the ward. Several serial killers charged, but Hotch his squad gunned them down. The others held up their hands in surrender. Victoria lowered her gun and gasped. She holstered her gun. "Well, that was only mildly terrifying." she muttered.
Tara shot Victoria a breathless grin. Hotch placed a hand on Victoria's arm. "Are you guys okay?"
"Yeah," Victoria said. "I feel like we should be asking you that."
"I am now." Hotch replied, nodding.
Victoria opened her mouth to answer, but flinched when she heard gunshots in the distance. She widened her eyes, meeting Tara's gaze as dread swam in the acids of her stomach. "That's Reid and JJ!" Tara breathed.
"Spence!" Victoria cried. She led Hotch, Tara and the SWAT team through the halls toward E Block, where Spencer and JJ ducked within the cells and shot at the prisoners firing at them. Victoria shot one in the back of the head while Hotch shot another. One of the prisoners threw something.
"Flash bang!" Hotch roared. Victoria ducked to the side. Her ears rang slightly when the damn thing went off, flashing light and smoke in the narrow hall. Hotch led the way inside while SWAT apprehended the rest of the rioters. Hotch turned one of the disguised prisoners over. It was Rawdon. "Where's the bomb?"
Rawdon smiled. "You'll never stop it in time. Boom!"
"Last time you assembled in one of three locations. You're too compulsive to deviate. Arlington, but they're looking for you there. Appomattox County's too far away. They're at the Ivy Tower." Hotch withdrew, whipping out his phone as Rawdon's face blanched.
"That's not true!" Rawdon roared, but the lie glistened on his teeth as he grimaced and leaned his back.
"What's the Ivy Tower?" Tara asked.
"A safe house for fundamentalist groups." JJ answered.
"Garcia, we got a location. I need you to get it to all available SWAT resources." Hotch ordered into his phone.
Victoria holstered her gun as SWAT arrested the prisoners. She looked at Spencer, who still seemed like he was catching his breath. He took her hand for a moment and squeezed it. She nodded to him and they followed Hotch, Tara and JJ out of the prison. They clambered into the SUVs and raced for the Ivy Tower. Victoria weaved her fingers through Spencer's in the backseat of the car as they sped along. Her heart still beat against her ribs as if it wielded a sledgehammer. The SUV swerved, halting at an angle to provide cover for the inevitable shootout. Victoria hopped out of the car. She stood behind a door, aiming her gun at the group hurrying out of the warehouse. A helicopter waited for takeoff, and a large group of Rawdon's supporters filtered out. When they saw the SWAT and FBI vehicles, they pulled out guns and started shooting. Victoria pulled her trigger several times, taking out two guys. But the two carrying the bomb made it to the helicopter, which floated into the air. Victoria and her team concentrated their fire on the chopper. Eventually, someone fired the million dollar shot and the chopper exploded in the air. Fire rained down, and Victoria shielded her eyes from the blast. After a few minutes, the blaze died down, leaving everyone in an eerie silence.
Victoria holstered her gun and turned toward Hotch. She hugged him, much to his bafflement. "Parker…"
"Shut up and be thankful that someone likes you enough to hug you." Victoria said. Hotch chuckled and returned the embrace. Victoria withdrew, smiling. "I'm glad you're okay."
Hotch smiled. "Me too. How's Jack?"
"Uh…" Victoria looked at JJ.
"He's upset," JJ murmured.
Hotch nodded, his smile vanishing. "Let's get back to the bullpen."
"Dinner at my house tomorrow night?" Rossi offered.
Victoria looked at him. "If you're cooking, hell yes."
Rossi grinned and kissed Victoria's cheek. "You flatter me, my girl."
Victoria turned to Spencer, who pulled her into a wordless embrace. Victoria breathed in his scent, which sweat muffled slightly. Victoria looked up at him. "You okay?"
"I was just worried about you." Spencer murmured.
"We'll talk about it later, okay?" Victoria said, patting his chest. She withdrew, remembering protocol. Spencer let her go, remembering it himself. They left the Ivy Tower, which burned behind them.
…
Spencer hung his keys on the rack beside the door. He locked the door and kicked off his shoes. He turned to Victoria, who rubbed her temples. He gazed at her for a few moments before closing the distance between them with a hug. "Oof." Victoria yelped into Spencer's chest.
Spencer buried his face into the crook of Victoria's neck. "Sorry." he muttered, pulling back after a few moments.
"Want me to make some tea?" Victoria asked. "Or cocoa? Cocoa's always good."
Spencer shook his head. "Can we sit and talk for a moment?"
Victoria nodded. "Yeah. Sure."
They sat on the couch, a blanket draped over them. Victoria placed her feet in Spencer's lap while he rested a hand on her leg. He gazed at her for several seconds. "What happened with Tara?"
Victoria looked away. "We were trapped in the serial killer wing when Rawdon released them from their cells. I guess Rawdon killed the captain and those other two SWAT guys when they went into the control room. The captain told us to stay behind… Tara knew one of the prisoners… Dennis. They talked, but… When they were released, they surrounded us. I… I could hardly move. I had my gun out and my back to Tara. My heart was beating so fast… Those serial killers were staring at us like a meal. I wanted to call for backup, but I couldn't move. I was watching those guys crowd around us. And then one ran at us. I shot him right as Tara called you and JJ for backup. Hotch came with a squadron and they either shot or arrested the remainder of the serial killers. Then we heard the gunshots and I knew you and JJ were in trouble. I led the way to E Block, praying that you were okay."
Spencer was quiet for several seconds. He cleared his throat. "We were on our way to help you when we saw them. We thought they were with us, because one of them was wearing the captain's uniform. Then they started shooting at us. We hid inside cells and shot at them, but we were outnumbered. I ran the probability of our survival and it didn't look good. I…" Spencer trailed off and looked away from Victoria. "I kept thinking that I might not get to marry you."
Victoria moved and crawled toward Spencer. She placed a tender kiss on his lips. "Well, we're both okay. I'm sorry I went with Tara instead of staying with you. I just knew that I'd be less distracted if I weren't with you. I get so worried about you out in the field, and I know you'd be upset if I got hurt because I was too busy worrying about you. I know I would be if it happened to you."
Spencer looked at her and smiled softly. He tucked a strand of hair that had fallen from Victoria's ponytail behind her ear. "If I die, I want you to have all my books."
Victoria's brow wrinkled, but her eyes sparkled in amusement. "That's one of the most romantic things you've ever said to me," she said. "But don't die though. I like you."
Spencer grinned. "I like you, too." Victoria relaxed, lying on top of him. Spencer held her close, stroking the hair of her ponytail until his movements slowed and he dissolved into sleep.
They awoke late the next morning. Victoria dressed in a pair of ratty jeans and rolled the hems up. She pulled on a pair of Converses and an old sweater. Spencer admired her messy ponytail and minimal makeup. She looked so cute. He wore a flannel and a pair of jeans. He slipped on some Converses and followed Victoria, who drove her car, to her house. They spent the day packing things of hers into boxes and cleaning the house. Victoria paused every now and then to reminisce. She stopped to examine a framed photograph of her brothers and her. She stood in the middle, her arms around them and a wide smile on her face. Spencer peered over her shoulder at the picture and smiled. He caught the sad smile on her face and kissed her cheek.
"Put it in the box to take to my apartment." he said.
Victoria looked at him, the apples of her cheeks popping. "Yeah. I was going to." She set it into the box. Spencer paused in his packing when he noticed Victoria staring into space.
"You okay?"
Victoria looked around. "Yeah. I've just lived here for the longest time… It's weird."
Spencer stepped toward her. He placed a hand on her neck, thumbing her jawline. "A good weird?"
"Yeah." Victoria smiled. She lowered her gaze. "I try not to think about Korey, or talk about him, but…" She looked up, tears sparkling in her eyes. "Thank you."
Spencer frowned. "You don't need to thank me."
"You got me out of that. And you're getting me out of here."
Spencer furrowed his brow. "Victoria, you're moving in with me. We're getting married. You don't need to thank me."
Victoria rested her head against his chest. "I'm glad I found you."
Spencer wrapped his arms around her and nestled his face in the crook of her neck. "Me too."
They loaded Victoria's car with a few boxes of her things and drove back into town, where they stopped for lunch at a small café. Spencer and Victoria waited at small table by the window, arguing over the new Star Wars villain, Kylo Ren. "I think he's going to be redeemed." Victoria stated.
"Yeah, but does he really deserve redemption?" Spencer retorted.
"If he deserved redemption, he wouldn't need it, ya dingbat." Victoria said, sipping from her Dr. Pepper.
Spencer laughed. "Touche." He glanced up when an older couple stood by their table. The woman held out a hand.
"Sorry to bother you, but… Victoria, is that you?" the woman turned her attention to Victoria, who looked up and paled.
"Mrs. Langston." she breathed. Spencer's stomach jerked and he straightened. He reached for Victoria's hand across the table. He ran his thumb over her knuckles. Korey's mother eyed him for a moment.
"I won't bother you for long," said Mrs. Langston, "I just wanted to say… I'm so sorry for what my son did to you. I… I don't know where I went wrong with him, and I can't help but feel responsible for what he did. I'm sorry, Victoria."
Spencer could see Victoria trembling. He squeezed her hand. She gaped at Mrs. Langston for a moment. "I… I…" Victoria swallowed. "It wasn't your fault."
Mrs. Langston's eyes filled with tears. "Well, you seem happy now."
"I am. Thank you."
Mrs. Langston nodded. "Have a nice day, Victoria."
"You too." Victoria breathed. The woman and her wordless husband left. Victoria looked at Spencer, a dazed look in her eyes.
Spencer leaned forward. "You okay?"
Victoria blinked. A tear dripped down her cheek. "Actually… Yeah. I'm okay."
…
Victoria laughed, watching Spencer pull a strand of colorful bandanas from behind Garcia's ear. He rolled around on the ground while Jack and Henry laughed. Victoria giggled beside Penelope. The boys left after a few more magic tricks to watch movies while Victoria sat with the team and ate dinner. They swapped stories about high school and college, about dumb pranks and stunts they tried and the new movies in theatres.
"V, when are we doing more wedding stuff?" Penelope whined.
Victoria swallowed a mouthful of wine. "Well, you and I planned out that trip to New Orleans a few days ago. That's the first item on the agenda. But… That does remind me… I need to ask Hotch and Rossi something."
"Uh oh," Rossi chuckled. Hotch grinned.
Victoria straightened in her seat. "Both of you have been huge influences on my life. And all of you are my family, so I want all of you involved in the wedding. I'm not inviting my father to the wedding," Victoria said. "Which means I need someone to give me away and someone to dance with me." Rossi and Hotch's humor faded. Their eyes sparkled as soft smiles touched their lips. Victoria inhaled. "Hotch, would you walk me down the aisle?"
Hotch looked at the table and smiled, his cheeks turning pink. He looked up, his eyes misty. "Yes, of course."
Victoria beamed and looked at Rossi. "Rossi, will you dance with me for the father-daughter dance?"
Rossi smiled. "Of course, kiddo," he said softly. "You'll need an Italian to teach you to dance properly, anyway."
Victoria laughed. Her amusement faded when Garcia and Hotch's phones went off. They exchanged grim glances. They stood, gesturing for the team to do the same. Victoria took Spencer's hand as they entered the house, where Rossi closed them in a private room.
"We just got word of three more prison breaks in three different states, all organized by Rawdon's partners from his last bombing attempt." Hotch said.
"The local field office got a head start because of what we did and were able to stop the bomb threat, but they…" Garcia trailed off.
"Who didn't they catch?" Rossi asked.
"All have serial killer wings like Virginia Max." Hotch muttered.
Victoria's heart sank. Tara sighed. "Let me guess, they were released first to cause maximum chaos and to deal with law enforcement." she said.
"A lot of them were killed or recaptured, but not all of them." Penelope confirmed.
"How many got away?" JJ asked.
"As of right now, thirteen serial killers. One of which is Peter Louis." Penelope replied.
Victoria frowned. She looked to Spencer, who stared at Hotch, his lips parting in horror. "Mr. Scratch," Spencer muttered. "That's why he testified against you. He was part of their plan all along."
Hotch nodded. "So we have to catch him again. Along with all the other murderers."
…
I am officially done with Season 11! I am seriously loving Season 12… I won't spoil anything for those of you haven't seen it. I'm trying to stay away from Tumblr because there are a lot of negative Nellies on that site. Anyway, I'm gonna throw in a super fluffy chapter or two before I move onto S12. Also, as I've said before, if any romance is given to Spencer (IDK that there will be, but ya never know) in the show, I will work around it to keep Victoria in. I was able to give Spencer Maeve, but that was before Victoria and he got together. Now that they are, if there is a romance in the show, obviously I will veer from the canon to fit in Parker. Anyway, now that my rant is done, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Please review!
