(A/N: Everyone knows in movies you can kill off a human character and no one even blinks, but a dog so much as limps and everyone is teary eyed. Be warned: Roxy gets hurt and the boys make sure she gets better. P.S. I purposefully wrote a ridiculously dramatic case so that the person who hurts Roxy was kind of blinded by the situation and not just malicious towards her, I didn't even want to write someone that hate animals lol)

Chapter Twenty Nine

A Man's Best Friend

Luke got to his knees with welcoming arms around his favourite pooch, she'd done such a good job helping with a series of witness interviews and inspiring the people to speak more comfortably or lessening their stress at the very least. He gave her a treat and plenty of praise before letting her have some chill time, the diligent dog bringing a happy presence to those in the office before she took her seat by the genius dutifully. Both agents smiled at her unwavering loyalty and Spencer gave her a scratch behind the ears in thanks for her company.

The next couple hours went as normal though they were uncovering some disturbing details about people in their current case, of course that was to be expected but they were only looking for one man, a serial rapist who cut off women's fingers during the assault. However the more people they investigated around the case they couldn't shake the sheer number of betrayals and back stabbings, the rivalries and affairs all coming to light with every interview. With each attack by the unsub people entered desperate moments where they cut the crap and told the truth, this caused tension and complex issues to cover what people were willing to tell the FBI, like one victim who was targeted after leaving a hotel where she had an affair with her husband's own father. This sort of information had been covered until Roxy comforted the woman enough to speak.

One by one all sorts of secrets came out from crying wolf in the past, outrageous or prolific infidelity, incestuous relationships, histories with statutory rape and more, and all of the victims seemed to overlap in increasingly complex ways. Spencer looked at all the statements that had been collected, trying to map out all the connections and find the conflicts and people at the centre of the whole mess, maybe to identify the unsub or at least motive of the man. The amount of information and just the level of toxicity in this group of persons made the team's heads hurt just to look at and it was when Penelope was able to find a mysterious set of transactions that Spencer was able to piece parts of it together.

As Reid explained his findings, that one of the victims had given up a baby for adoption in secret, her own husband stationed overseas and unaware and that the baby would now be a seventeen year old boy who fit the profile perfectly. It was icky - really icky, and lots of people interwoven with taboo secrets with tensions running high. Especially when they had to consider that the teen victimised his own birth mother, and that he must have pieced together his ancestry to realise he was the product of his mother and great uncle's incestuous affair. Penelope did some digging and found he was indeed a perfect fit and in the local area, had a history of sexual assault and also just how he had woven himself into others lives and even intentionally caused friction.

So while part of the team went to make the arrest Spencer, Luke and JJ focused on what would no doubt be one hell of an outrage by the gathered victims and families all part of the gross web of lies. It didn't take much, the moment the suspect was named and even talking to people individually didn't keep them from gossiping, or rather, yelling at each other. Trying their best to keep people calm and separating the most angry it was the betrayed military husband with tears streaming down his cheeks pleading with his wife to tell him it wasn't true, begging that his marriage hadn't been a lie and certainly not because the love of his life had been screwing her own uncle, never mind for her to have given birth without him realising.

The unsub's mother was inconsolable, not only facing her illegal relationship and secret child coming to light, even her broken marriage, but that her own blood born son had grown to be the serial rapist and her own attacker years later, all while she was reeling from the trauma itself. In the TV shows this sort of taboo drama gets ratings, in real life it just felt toxic and drowning. The couple were yelling at each other meanwhile other victims shouted to blame her and overtime the team managed to get the aggression to lull it picked back up again far too quickly. The whole thing a maddening mess and all while the furry friend that was Roxy tried to calm people, placing herself between men threatening each other and offering cuddles to those weeping while her tail wagged and for the most part it helped. Someone might feel ready to throw a punch but with Roxy between them they stalled and fought the urge and so on.

But it was the mother of the unsub and her husband who couldn't stop, screaming in each others faces and when the fighting turned petty and cruel real fury bubbled up to the surface to the point people were being forcibly restrained, the woman kicking out ferociously as JJ tried to pry her away from her husband. But it was when the friendly dog moved to try and calm her that the distressed woman had had enough, blinded by desperation and anger that she struck out at the animal in a brutal kick under her ribs making her yelp and cry out. The whole room instantly horrified by the needless abuse to the kind dog when they couldn't stop the second kick in the same spot, this time in a downward stomping motion as her dagger heel stiletto made contact.

JJ's grasp on the woman turned more forceful after the first kick and thanks to her pulling the woman back the pointed shoe's impact had been greatly lessened from what it could have been but the dog had been stabbed and was bleeding, her instant yelp and whimpers sounding out and the frighted pooch scurried away pained on one side by both her rib and stab wound. Luke had moved into action immediately wading though people on instinct to reach his best furry friend, stopping any further injury by the flailing woman with a strong shove so she was completely apart from the wounded dog.

Most of the crowd had stopped immediately, the universal law that what just happened was not tolerable seeming to shush enough people bar the couple, though the husband was not so physical as he had been. Luke crouched protectively over the shaking, whining dog, bleeding out of her side and her usually wagging tail tucked sadly by her back legs and her whole form so jittery. She flinched as he neared and it was not against him, just her survival instincts on high alert and he approached slowly, he wanted to put pressure on her wound but if it hurt she'd be less likely to comply, so he took a moment to pet her head and down her back making sure she wasn't about to bite out of fear and she let him, before inspecting the wound. That side of her body still rising and falling as it should, to paradoxical breathing or lack of proper movement - for now, but she needed a vet and it hurt to see her in pain, wrongly punished for being a good dog.

She tried to curl up on herself and lick her wound but as she did the pain made her yelp and he worried she might have a cracked rib, but his real worry would be internal bleeding or organ damage so needed to get her to a vet asap. The moment he felt she wouldn't resist him he gathered her carefully into his arms and lifted her against his chest and looked over his shoulder to see his boyfriend also assessing her injuries quickly. In a blur more FBI agents had supported the BAU's efforts and got the group of people into different rooms, separating the worst of the worst and JJ focused particularly on the couple, she'd also at some point told the guys to get Roxy to a vet immediately and she would oversee things herself. So quickly Reid had grabbed Luke's car keys and leading the way to the parking lot, both men just focusing on their dear hurt companion and feeling their hearts race with every whine and cry.

The entire ride there Roxy had been trembling and whimpering, not wanting to unfurl her body afraid of the pain but Luke soothed what he could and watched her chest movements, fully paranoid of any paradoxical rhythms or stillness on her injured side and every now and then he would carefully card his fingers through her fur to try and see if her skin was discoloured any. Luckily he couldn't tell anything from just looking though the hardest part was keeping some pressure on her stab wound when the slightest jostle of the car would inspire pain again and she would try to get away.

Luke felt so guilty watching her in pain, he wished so much right then that dogs could understand human words as he automatically spoke to her, illogically willing her to understand him but at very least the cadence of his voice might bring her comfort. It hurt to be unable to speak to her, it hurt to know she might be feeling like a bad dog when she was the best dog in the whole world, and worst of all it hurt to worry for her. Luke Alvez was a tough guy, he could survive in harsh conditions with just his grit and skills, he'd served in the military, served as a ranger and worked in the FBI catching dangerous people in dangerous places for years and yet he never felt more like a scared little boy than he did knowing his precious puppy was injured.

He felt to blame, however illogical, she was a working dog, she had training for these situations and she was great at defending herself too, but she had been in 'emotional support dog' mode rather than one to guard and she hadn't seen the danger until it was too late. He wanted to cry, he wanted to have done better for her and most of all he didn't want to lose her, to take the pain away and have her back to her wonderful self. Spencer had called ahead and focused on driving them to the nearest animal hospital, though he did occasionally peer in the rearview mirror to check for the same signs Luke was, even if the vet deemed the stab wound to be shallow she could have a broken rib and would need x-rays and a lot of stitches, most worrying was that it had been long enough that the bleeding should have stopped and while it had slowed it continued to soak Luke's jacket that he was using to add pressure.

When they finally arrived to the vet she was seen immediately and checked over, the sweet looking woman was very calm but she struggled to get Roxy to relax whenever she inspected the wound no matter how much Spencer or Luke tried to calm the dog, she just wanted to curl up and lap at the blood. What got scary was when the woman managed to see far enough into the wound that she noticed part of the woman heel must have snapped off and embedded into Roxy's side, any closer inspection and Roxy would yelp and unlike herself started to snap and growl at the stranger causing her pain to flare up. The only way to give her proper care was to put her under anaesthetic and care for her wound and even do the ex rays while she was unconscious, and that made Luke tremble slightly. Roxy had never been put under and while he was usually a glass half full kind of guy he couldn't help but run his mind through just how many accidents happened from the anaesthetic alone, the idea of her never waking up again striking him hard and his lip quivered as tears pricked at his eyes.

Spencer was the one who put his arm around Luke and talk him through it as calmly as possible though he felt his heart aching too, the lovable dog the first animal he'd ever really bonded with in his whole life but what she meant to Luke was something else and he had to respect that. The soothing, supportive words from his boyfriend got Luke clear headed enough to okay the procedure and the vet said they'd be best to wait in the reception area until someone could come speak to them but instead they asked to stay until she was put under. It was a heartbreaking sight to see the whimpering and scared dog's eyes looking around the room as she was encouraged to lie down and all the room got prepped for her, monitors checking her vitals and the uncomfortable looking tubes propping her jaw open and the mask over her snout as she slowly drifted off. All the while Luke was able to pet her, fingers gently combing through her fur affectionately until the most telling part to her unconsciousness being when her trembling stopped, her tail not flicking in the scared way and her body fell limply, no longer tense from discomfort.

He didn't want to leave her there, brown eyes looking to her slowly rising chest and the readings on the monitors but the men had to leave for the procedure as a precaution and again it was Spencer who helped guid his lost feeling boyfriend from the room. Everything went from frantic and intense to suddenly at a complete stop, seated in the reception area with arms feeling empty without the friendly dog to cuddle, Luke's hand holding her leash and gripping it tighter than usual. Taking a shaky breath Luke wiped his eyes with his sleeve and Spencer places a reassuring hand on his knee, his thumb caressing gently to help him relax and just know someone was there with him. Glistening brown eyes glanced up to his boyfriend as he tried to even his breathing but he just wanted to cry some more, and without words Spencer moved to put his arms around him, gathering the ex-ranger to lean on him and Luke melted into it, needing it.

Alvez started to sniffle and again went to wipe his tears away when Spencer handed him a tissue and said a quiet "she's in good hands and we got her here really quickly…she'll pull through this." Luke nodded, realistically he was right, no major warning signs, of internal bleeding or a collapsed lung, she might be totally fine, likely to be totally fine, it was just hard to believe that while preparing your heart for the worst case scenario. The thought of leaving here without her to take home too much to handle. Spencer never made Luke feel silly or like he was overreacting, Roxy depended on him and she meant a lot more to him that just a simple pet, so he only comforted and tried to sooth his nerves, the guilt from Roxy getting hurt on the job alone a hard thing to handle.

Spencer just listened out for his boyfriend's breathing, hearing it catch and come out ragged but eventually slowed to something more calm before he placed a gentle kiss to Luke's forehead and rubbed his arm sweetly. He hand't been expecting Luke's first thing to say to be "thank you for just sitting with me, Spence."

"Of course, no need to thank me…besides…she's a good dog and I'm nervous too" Spencer admitted and both men exchanged sad smiles as Luke nodded, his eyes were slightly puffy from the crying and he kept taking deep steadying breaths. "It's not your fault you know, you and no way of knowing that would happen."

"Today's been nuts from the start" Luke got out, his voice raspier than expected and then he said, his voice cracking a little "I just want her to be okay…she's gotta be okay…"

Nodding Spence just continued to be there for his partner, especially as they shifted positions on the seats and Luke ended up with his head in his hands leaning forward with elbows on his knees, Spencer's hand rubbing the man's back in support. After what felt like forever an assistant walked out into the reception area and greeted "Update on Roxy?" she checked she had the right pet owner, staff often going by pet name rather than owners which he liked, the place was mostly empty but there was an older woman seated with a puppy greyhound and a couple of people with cat carriers by their feet.

Luke nodded and the woman moved closer to say "we were able to remove the embedded materials from her injury and the bleeding's stopped, we've done x-rays and determined there are no other bleeds or causes for concern there. She does have a hairline fracture on one of her ribs but no complex fractures of chipped bones, she should make a full recovery from that in roughly six weeks if she doesn't aggravate the injury. Right now we're cutting out some of the damaged tissue and will be giving her stitches" she informed and while Luke felt some relief the idea that his poor Roxy was still asleep and being under a scalpel really bothered him, but at least the signs were good. "She will be a while yet and the anaesthetic will need to ware off too before she's awake so if I were you I'd go out and grab some coffee or a snack" she advised with an understanding smile that the man might not want to leave the place but there was nothing they could do for her in that moment. She even helped by suggesting "there's a lovely little cafe right across the street, you wont be far, in fact, if theres anything to be updated I will come over and get you personally, is that alright, sir?"

"Yeah….thank you" Luke said sincerely, the place not judgemental and the more he thought about it they'd probably seen all sorts of people balling their eyes out for even the tiniest of animals.

Neither man had much of an appetite but they did get coffees, sugary and indulgent ones at that just for a pick me up, and in the back of their minds both wondered just how much business the cafe made by being next to a vets. Luke sipped his drink, unable to shake the crappy feeling of having a poorly pup and hazel eyes watched him with sympathy. Spencer felt so bad for Luke, and for Roxy, in fact Spencer was pretty sure the whole BAU would be feeling a little accountable and upset on behalf of the much loved doggie and it was so hard not to just feel like the worst bit of dirt on the planet when an animal so loyal and loving was suffering. Looking to his phone Luke started to type and answer back many of the supportive and worried texts coming in from the team, especially from Penelope, to update them on what was happening. It was sweet though, that so many cared so much.

Spencer knew Luke wasn't going to be able to focus on anything but Roxy and so decided to at least divert his attention away from he present moment and started "Roxy's a strong one, she'll get be up and her usual self in no time" he smiled and Luke slowly found himself able to smile too if a little tiredly. "So Mariana got you Roxy?" he asked, opening up discussion in better areas of Luke's time with the furry friend.

"Yeah…" Luke sighed, thinking back to getting the excitable little pup made him smile "she was so little, adopted her and think she was saved from a puppy mill" he explained and Spencer nodded, glad Luke was talking. "I'd spent years learning to just survive and handle being on my own, so when I was readjusting to regular life…I think Mari was just concerned since I could hide away for a long time without thinking about it, just habit, getting me Roxy made me do what was best for her…want to do things for her" Luke explained and Spencer reached across the table and caressed the man's hand soothingly.

"You clearly did an amazing job" Spencer said, bringing some warmth into the conversation.

Luke smiled a little shyly, the comment both about the happy, well trained dog and the man's own achievements, "Mari literally asked me to go to breakfast with her and she was already sat and Roxy was under the table" he remembered fondly "she asked me a bunch about if I'd said hi to any neighbours, if I was treating myself ever, all that…then bam, 'here's a puppy, deal with it'" and both chuckled, it sounded exactly like what the woman would do. "That's also why she visited for a breakfast, so the stores would be open and I was suddenly on sprint to be a decent dog owner."

Brown eyes watched their joined hands over the table and started to sweetly caress Spencer's hand with his thumb, like a silent thank you for being such a great support. "I owe a lot to that, Mari getting me Roxy…" Luke mused "like the crutch at the time I didn't know I needed."

Spencer squeezed the hand in his reassuringly and said "I told you about the 'Reid Effect'" Spencer said and it got Luke to chuckle "I've never had such a good relationship with an animal, I think I understood it in theory and the statistics on how having a pet improved social skills and that sort of thing…but it's more than that" the genius said, trying to put her finger on it "The writer Milan Kundera once said 'dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring-it was peace'" Spencer said summoning the words so easily with his eidetic memory and it seemed to finally make the ex-ranger seem significantly lighter in mood.

"You know she used to chew the walls..?" Luke said almost randomly and Spencer laughed as he pressed for more "she;s a great dog but she used to just…gnaw….not even just on corners or door frames either, like with the side of her mouth she used to be like 'I'm gonna make sure that spot is the reason my owner's not getting his deposit back'" he laughed "oh and she peed on my cousin, just talked right over, totally intentional" he said with enjoyment. "I think I blocked a lot of that out…she's just so well behaved now, she grew out of all of it."

"I think she might also have had a great trainer" Spencer added with a smirk and Luke blushed a little.

With his free hand Luke took a long sip of coffee, the warm beverage more comforting than it had been minutes before, the sweet reminiscing and talking of the pup having helped his nerves a great deal. The energising scent of coffee and even the heat through the mug in his hand adding to the calming nature of the moment as he said aloud "I know dogs don't live long," a thought he'd been dealing with the moment Roxy got hurt. "You kind of set yourself up to say goodbye to them, but…it's worth it," he said, knowing that even if the worst were to happen, of course it would hurt, but his memories and experiences with her are worth having "every moment with her is absolutely loyal, she's just this purely loving ball of fluff and…that's enough." He shrugged the last part, but it meant a lot to him to say it, glad to have gotten the sentimental words out and as his boyfriend listened with an open heart and zero judgement he suddenly felt like a tremendously lucky man to have such great company, both in the human and canine variety in his life.

"Oh Roxy" Penelope greeted when the beloved dog made her safe return to the BAU, from Roxy's demeanour one would never be able to tell she had been attacked only a recently, she was awake and her ears perked, looking for pets and cuddles from anyone who was giving them and the bubbly blonde sure was. "My girl, you are such a boss!" Garcia praised and gave all the affection possible without hurting her. Luke watched on at the cute display leaning against his desk, it turned out the whole team had grown concerned for her safety, feeling so terrible that she got hurt.

He's been concerned she would remain frightened, traumatised by it, but she wasn't, after he'd managed to get her home and in her safe space with familiar smells she had relaxed greatly, and she was just happy to not be in as much pain anymore and to see her owner relaxed again. The only signs of her injury being a shaved spot in her fur where they had needed to cut tissue away and looking closely there were some gnarly stitches but it would heal fine, she didn't have a cone but he did apply a gel regularly to the wounded area so that if she was to try and lick her injury the taste would deter her and she had quickly learned not to bother. She wasn't jumping around and it was likely due to her rib and it was actually a good thing, a lot of dogs not knowing their limits and hurting themselves further.

After getting lots of hugs and kisses from Penelope Roxy padded over to her owner and looked up, her happy expression making the man feel like such a softie inside and didn't give a damn, before he knelt down and gave her a proper cuddle and ruffling her fur by her ears and she looked so contented. The dog had healed more emotionally than any human would have been, just happy to be back and wanting to spread love as the wanted to do. She wasn't working today, just doing her rounds to help ease the guilt of hardened FBI agents made so weak at the knees for the furry friend and one by one everyone checked on her and made sure to let Roxy know just how much of a good dog she was.

Spencer meanwhile had found a few excuses to work at the same desk as Luke, files and information they were going over to wrap up their last case overlapping with their tasks and they helped each other. With a loving smile Luke realised part way through the morning why the genius had chosen to do so, he'd claimed it was for practical reasons but actually it became abundantly clear it was so Roxy wouldn't wander and go to guard Reid at his desk, away from Luke, at least for today. It was such a small thing but it moved him, however silly it might have seemed, the thought for him and the comfort it brought both by Roxy's dutiful presence and a loving boyfriend by his side Luke felt overjoyed by the precious people (and dog) he was fortunate enough to have care about him so much.

Quote: "Such short little lives our pets have to spend with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home each day.
It is amazing how much love and laughter they bring into our lives and even how much closer we become with each other because of them."

― John Grogan, Marley and Me