Hey Everyone!
A short break indeed! I didn't want to leave you all out of the juicy goodness that is coming up VERY soon! I didn't think that this story would get to be this long (believe me), but I'm so happy with how it's turning out, and how the ending has come to be (it's coming!). I hope you all are enjoying the story, with or without a review (shameless I know muahahahaha), and I hope I can keep you all at the edge of your screens, scrolling for more!
To the sweetest people who always take the time to make me smile: LisaPark, OneWhoReadsTooMuch, Rubyia, Momochan77, akina speranza, gossamermouse101, fisktrek, sonnetStar, zikashigaku, and mercigirl01. The way you all make me squeal in delight with each word you share... I'm a sucker for feedback, and I adore when you all share your thoughts. Thank you, thank you, thank you again.
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Enjoy!
P.S. DISCLAIMER!
"The bodyguards were corrupt?"
Lou sat in the centre of the bed, watching as Spencer paced erratically, listening to the not-so pleasant tale of the professor's account of the events. After hearing the replay of the conversation between Spencer and Noah from Spencer himself after the Professor left, Lou was eager to get out the information she knew. She could feel the pieces coming together as she shared her knowledge with her Doctor, knowing that all the pieces he was missing were soon to be filled.
To watch Spencer's face as he told her about Bennett, as he watched the monster himself manipulate her heart threw Lou off-balance. His face was tortured into excruciating pain as he described the last few moments before the explosion. He explained to her that he thought she was seriously hurt, or worse, dead. It was torture to him to not have any evidence otherwise, and he hoped that Lou's Universe somehow brought him to her again. It was hard for him to admit something he had no knowledge of, but he knew Lou, and he knew how often she thanked the Universe for helping her when she asked. Spencer, the man of science, asked the universe to make sure she was safe, and she was.
He could barely get the sentence out without being riddled with emotion.
Lou knew she was playing catch-up. All the emotions she had repressed were making their way to the surface, and she remembered all the old emotions she had, the fear, the anxiety, the doubt she carried when trying to decipher Noah had increased tenfold, and she knew that her old emotions couldn't get the better of her. But it was an old wound that was ripped open, oozing out agony with every detail pouring out. It got to Lou in a new way, an unfamiliar way, but she knew she had to feel the emotions she was feeling, especially with how Spencer was feeling.
He was upset with each tidbit of knowledge Lou shared with him.
It didn't help that Spencer was growing more and more erratic with each piece of information he was given. It hurt Lou to see him in such disarray. This is what she was trying to avoid; she wanted to prevent Spencer from being dragged into the mess that was Noah Bennett, but she couldn't, not with Bennett orchestrating a twisted, horror concerto.
Lou came to terms with her involvement with stopping Bennett, but to be including Spencer in it as well gave Lou a whole new set of anxiety she wasn't prepared for.
She was telling Spencer everything.
Lou already told him of her suspicions with Bennett, from the second she thought about the plan when Noah convinced Henry to go tobogganing and hurt himself, including when she contacted Emily and Zion and had them come up with the plan, to when she hopped on the plane, and the training at the barn, skipping over the events of the Manor and leading up until she had taken a black taxi to the fancy hotel, and barricaded herself in the bathroom before Spencer entered the hotel room.
She double backed to the part before the explosion, purposefully leaving it last.
It was painful for Lou to remember the events and didn't want to be overwhelmed with emotion.
Lou may have skipped over the part about the car accident.
She wasn't ready to tell him about that yet.
"Yes," Lou said, giving Dexter another piece of banana as she ate her breakfast. She was trying to find some normalcy within the conversation. She also reminded herself to grab food for Dexter before they got to their next hotel.
"I hadn't realized the guard's motives, until David and I were already beside the door to the tower."
"When did the guards turn against you?"
Lou could see the hole he was burning in the carpet.
Trading her banana for a cup, she took a long sip of her tea to calm her nerves. It worked wonders for her throat.
"Before we got to the tower. Dave and I were speaking in secrecy before the guards got too close, and I asked the guard to give me space. He didn't. Dave knew that…"
I don't want him to know this.
"Elena?"
No.
Do not keep things from him.
I have to tell him.
Lou sighed heavily.
She noticed she was sighing a lot more that she wanted.
"David knew I was suspicious of Noah doing some erratic before we entered the Manor. He… knew right away that I wanted to speak with him in private. Goddamn profilers."
"…What were you two talking about?"
This time, she watched Spencer stood at the edge of the bed, directly across from her. His concern pouring out of him in encompassing waves.
"I was suspicious that Noah had a back-up plan. His behaviour was not normal. Well, normal for Noah's standards. Dave knew I wanted a safe space to speak. For the past month, ever since I was suspended, I'm reminded of how Noah infiltrated the FBI with his partners. However, I shared with Dave my suspicions of how Noah also paid off my father's people to work for him as well."
"It's safe to assume you went looking for evidence of this?"
She looked at Spencer, who was watching her intensely.
No, not intensely.
He looked at Lou in an interrogative manner.
As if he was...
Oh.
Lou realized Spencer was profiling her.
She believed there was a first time for everything, but Lou never expected Spencer to be the one profiling her. It was odd to be on this end of his analysis. She could see how he was still guarded. Even though they broke through so many barriers, she could see him holding himself back. There was no blame put on Spencer though; Lou understood why he was analyzing her more thoroughly than he used to.
He was now aware Lou could hide secrets from him, secrets he didn't know existed. Secrets he didn't know were capable of existing. Her behaviour when attempting to stop Bennett caused Spencer to be diligent and cautious at all times. It unlocked a truth that both her and Spencer knew but may have been unwilling to admit.
Lou would do anything to make sure everyone she loved was safe.
That included deception.
He was also still angry. Lou knew he forgave her, and she knew he loved her, but goddamn was he angry with her. Lou could see how he struggled to handle his emotions. He was finally allowed to be angry at her, allowed to deal with the emotions he had. Lou knew that it was her actions, and her choice to remove him from a decision they both should have made, is what caused his anger to brew. She knew that she had to earn his trust again, to have him not be so restrained when they were working together.
Lou sighed again.
"Yes. I didn't have evidence. Until Dexter was showing suspicion towards the bodyguards," she pet the dog as the good boy lifted his head for scratches.
"When my father insisted I stick with the guards, I wasn't cautious. But it was until I spoke with them is when I had an odd feeling about their presence. I couldn't tell my father about my suspicions; he was already overbearing towards me, and I knew his focus was on Mother. I couldn't blame him, my mother needed him most… I couldn't worry him further. There was no way I was going to pull his focus from her."
"Why not tell me?" Spencer questioned.
Lou could hear the anger.
"Noah had your attention. Even before he called upon you, I knew you were keeping you eye on the gated ambulance. I knew something was going on, and how he was captured… it was too easy. I was looking for when the other shoe was going to drop, and I knew that if Noah was going to find a way to wreak havoc, he would do so at the expense of both our lives. I needed to get away from both you and Noah, and you were more than eager to make sure I wasn't near him."
"Why Dave?"
"I…I was hoping I was wrong."
She watched Spencer's face crack.
"I knew Dave wouldn't judge me or sound the alarm if I brought my concern to him."
Lou took a deep breath, putting the teacup to her lips.
She noticed the cup shook more than she realized.
Lou also noticed that Spencer saw the same thing. Witnessing his hard shell slowly start to peel away, the Professor watched as her Doctor went back to pacing around the carpet, this time with a softer step.
"Did you tell Rossi about Dexter? He's the evidence you had?"
"Yes. Dexter kept watching the two guards' behaviour, and with Dex lagging behind on purpose, I knew something was wrong when I had to call him to come to me. When he did come, Dex was on red alert, sticking right beside me."
She took a deep breath to steady herself, her emotions becoming overbearing.
Spencer managed to keep his focus on Lou.
"What happened next?"
"Once the guard wouldn't listen to me, David pulled out his gun. I told him about the exit through the tower, and he was watching my back as I went in. I noticed earlier that the door to the tower was open. It's supposed to remain shut, under my orders. For it to be opened was a red flag right away."
"Is it easy to open?" He questioned.
"Not from outside of the tower. The door has three locks. You need three keys exactly turned in the same moment to have the door unlock. Inside though, it's just a single latch that can turn all three mechanisms. When I was in the tower, I could see he tampered with the locking mechanisms. He must have changed them to suit his needs."
Lou watched the look of recognition flutter across Spencer's face.
"If Bennett opened the door, who would have given him a key?"
"Noah most likely took my mother's key. Mom keeps her key with her at all times. Or someone must have climbed through the window. All three locks have the same key. It wouldn't be beneath Noah to replicate two more keys."
Spencer took a deep breath, his hands on his hips. Dexter softly bark from his spot beside Lou. Walking up to Dexter to give the dog a soft pat, Spencer went back to pacing back and forth.
"The tower door was open. What next?"
"I went through the door, locating the secret door that was on the other side of the tower, leading to the lake. With Noah being Noah, there was no doorhandle for me to use."
"No doorhandle?"
"Noah is creative, I'll give him that. I tried pushing the door open. The door managed to open, but not without the help of Zion pulling Noah's knife out from the threshold."
Spencer stopped pacing.
"This is where Zion showed up out of nowhere?"
Lou took another long sip of her tea before speaking again.
"Out of nowhere? No. Possibly placed himself there? Yes."
Her Doctor's eyes widened.
"But we'll get to that after. Zion and I went back for Dave, and that's when we both noticed the entire tower was lined with explosives. It had a timer, and it started counting down. I told Dexter to wait outside of the Manor. When Zion and I got to David, he wasn't in the best of shape. We got him out, and as were leaving… I couldn't find Dex…"
Lou's hands went deeper into Dexter's fur as she attempted to calm herself down.
"Judeau… was there."
Spencer's eyes widened.
"Son of a bitch," Spencer muttered.
His words shocked Lou, to which the Doctor shook his head.
"Bennett taunted me with Judeau's name. It was the last thing he said to me before the explosion. I assumed she was helping him, but I didn't have a visual on her."
Lou bit her lip before she began speaking again.
"I had a visual. She was trying to take Dexter, and I…"
Taking a moment to gather herself, Lou kept speaking.
"I attacked her."
She ignored Spencer's eyebrows raising.
"She was practically suffocating him, Spencer. I wasn't going to let her take him."
"Good," Spencer said, walking up to pet his dog.
"I tackled her by the docks, and we fought for a bit before I managed to get the upper hand. Before I could get to safety… I heard you."
Lou sighed again, this time trying to rid herself of all negative emotion.
"I heard you calling for me, and I knew how far I was from the Manor, and I didn't think my voice was going to carry, but if I could have heard you calling me from the foyer, then I had a chance that you could hear me call back. That, obviously, had consequences."
Lou cleared her throat, taking a long drink from her cup.
"Judeau hit the trigger button early, and I was knocked back into the water from the pressure of the blast."
She let herself breathe for a moment.
Recalling those events took a toll on Lou, especially after it being so fresh in her mind.
She felt Spencer sit at the edge of the bed, bringing her attention to him.
"How did you get out of the water?" He asked.
Lou smiled, looking at Dexter and giving him a scratch behind the ear.
Spencer put the information together.
"Dexter jumped in?" He asked, astonished.
The professor nodded. "I couldn't find the dock. The ice made it difficult to navigate. Dexter jumped in and led me to safety. I fell unconscious after Zion and David pulled us out from the water."
There was a long pause between the two, and Lou could only stare at her beloved as she watched his mind work in overtime.
"Unconscious."
"For four days," Lou said to him. She reached over to put her cup on the nightstand. "That's what I was told when I woke up. You know most of what happened afterwards."
She sat uncomfortably as Spencer took a moment to gather himself.
"You believe that you can't trust your father's people?"
She shook her head. "Yes. Well, no… I don't know who to trust, Spencer."
Lou corrected herself. "No, I do know who to trust."
She reached over and grabbed his hand, to which Spencer smiled.
"Good to know you're finally starting to let me in," Spencer bit back, squeezing her hand softly before letting go.
He stood up and began pacing once again.
Lou was tempted to not say anything. She knew Spencer would still be angry at her keeping so many walls up. He was allowed to feel angry for her disappearing without a second thought.
But she wasn't going to let him do so in an unhealthy way.
"Spencer, I was trying to save your life."
Dexter got off the bed, startled by the firmness in his mother's tone. He found a spot near Spencer's jacket as it laid on the floor.
"You are allowed to be angry, yes, but my mother was taken. I was mortified at the thought of Noah being remotely close to you, and I did everything I could to protect you. I don't regret what I did. But I do regret the way I went about it. I know I should have told you, but I also knew I needed to do everything to protect you. In the moment, it was the right decision."
Lou took Spencer's silence as a sign to continue.
"I'm trying, sweetheart. Yes, you can be angry with me, but you don't take it out bitterly. I think this would have been a lot easier for both of us if I had just told you everything from the beginning…"
It was Spencer's turn to sigh, taking a long pause before walking to the bed, sitting on top of the covers.
He instantly went for Lou's hand.
"I'm sorry," he said, and Lou could tell the sincerity in his voice.
"All the secrets are overwhelming me, and I'm not processing this accordingly. I'm letting my anger get the better of me."
Lou smiled. "I appreciate that. I'm sorry I made you angry in the first place."
"Elena, I know you can protect yourself and everyone else. Rather, you're much better at it that you've let people believe. Maybe next time, you'll let me protect you for once. It's my literal job, and it would make me feel less upset if you didn't go off on your own."
"Old habits…" Lou muttered.
"Let them go, El. This isn't a habit you want. Make a habit of including me in your secrets."
The two laughed softly.
"Tell me more about your suspicions," Spencer prodded.
She could see he was shifting his emotions to the side, leaving the conversation for another time.
"Was it just the guards you we skeptical of?"
Lou shook her head. "No. I think there are people in the Bureau who are working for Noah."
"You said that you believed Judeau was working for Bennett, so we know there may be a few people within the FBI… Could there be more people working alongside him?"
"We have to assume so," Lou nodded. "The only people I trust implicitly is my family."
Spencer smiled, his teeth appearing from his boyish smile.
"The team included?" Spencer prodded.
Lou shook her head.
"The team is a part of my family now, everyone's included in that umbrella. It would be foolish for me to think Derek, Hotch, Dave, Kate, JJ and Penny weren't included. I know my mom and dad would protect me from everyone and everything, but…"
Spencer picked up on Lou's hesitance.
"You're suspicious of your parents? What for?"
"Not necessarily my parents. There's a lot of variables that I don't have, and since I don't have those certainties, I have to take precautions. Especially with Zion and his father."
"Zion, who is conveniently placing himself into positions of helping you."
"Exactly. It was after I woke up, Zion made a beeline for me, and stayed by my side. I thought it was him just being overprotective, but I think he was trying to analyze my every move, trying to see whether or not I was figuring out the whole plan."
"Plan?" Spencer prompted. "You have another plan?"
"No, sweetheart. Let me clarify, it's not my plan. Truly, I don't know if there is a plan… But there is something."
"Did this come from Zion behaving suspiciously?" Spencer questioned.
"Not just Zion. Mother was acting suspicious as well. Zion's father showed up out of the blue, and no one was able to tell me where my father was. David, of all people, knew somehow who Uncle Kai was from his past."
"Rossi knew who Zion's father was?"
Lou ignored Spencer's shocked face.
"Not only that, Mother didn't ask questions about how the two men knew each other, which is odd because Mother is the noisiest person I've met. Caroline's fast too, and she was picking up on the fact that both Uncle Kai, my mom, and Uncle Dave were all aware of something I wasn't."
"Rossi's in on it?" The astonishment bewildered Spencer.
"Maybe. I don't believe Dave was fully in on it, but if Uncle Dave could figure out I wanted to talk to him without me saying anything, then he had to know there was a disconnect of information occuring. There was something going on, and Dave didn't seem too overtly cautious to figure it out."
"Rossi's smart, he would have made sure if he was doing his own investigating, he wouldn't leave any suspicion."
"Yes, but, Spencer, there's something going on with my family, something that doesn't make me feel comfortable. My father has Zion spying on me, which is no surprise: Zion would do anything he asks, as he adores my father, and will listen to Charles' task of watching me over anything Malachi asks. The fact that Zion and his father were in the same room without my father being present spoke volumes. It's very love-hate between them, mostly on the hate side. I'm surprised Zion and Uncle Kai were able to joke with one another."
"Zion and his father previously weren't on speaking terms?" Spencer asked.
Lou nodded. "Not outside of business. Speaking on that, the only time Uncle Malachi is outside of the Middle East is either a super important birthday or holiday, or an unavoidable business concern that required his specific set of skills."
"Am I safe to assume Zion's father has the same set of skills as Zion?"
"Very. Assume that Uncle Kai knows everything Zion knows, only ten times over."
"So why are you suspicious of Zion? Why don't you trust him if his only job is looking out for you?"
"Because Zion doesn't think." Lou repeated. "Zion will do as he's told, won't ask questions that doesn't concern him, and only thinks two steps ahead. He won't see the bigger picture before he even takes one step. He listened to my father to be at the Manor, without knowing why. He blindly went to the tower, not knowing I was on the other side."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning that Zion doesn't have the same knowledge about the situation than I was led to believe. Either Zion is watching over me, and Zion's watching me. I don't think Zion knows exactly what he's doing, but he knows enough to know not to say anything to me."
"Zion has more than one job. Or he's helping you as an excuse to cover his tracks."
"Absolutely. I don't know why, but Zion is a secret keeper, and he has secrets that are extremely important. So important, in fact, that even Noah knows not to kill Zion."
That threw Spencer off.
"Bennett purposefully didn't kill Zion?"
"Absolutely."
"When was this? How did you come to this conclusion?"
"When Emily and I went back into the Manor to get Zion."
Spencer sighed, trying to reign his emotions.
"Before Bennett snatched you with his... machine."
Lou nodded, proceeding with her thoughts.
"We found Zion on the steps. Not at the back of the stairs, but on the landing. It's almost as if Zion was placed there for him to be easily found. Noah could have killed Zion, but he didn't. Not because Noah couldn't, but Noah chose not to."
"You're certain?"
"Noah knows that Zion is important to my father. He could have killed him, but he left Zion on the foyer steps, easily accessible for Emily and me to get him back safely. Zion apparently doesn't see the reason why he's important, but Noah, of all people, sees his importance. Noah let Zion shoot him when we were in the library. Noah chose to make himself present to Emily and me after we had made sure Zion was safe."
The shock on Spencer's face was evident.
"Noah is using Zion."
Lou nodded.
"I think Noah's using Zion like a pawn, almost… taunting someone? Noah has impeccable aim, and he got Zion in the shoulder? Zion is a well-trained assassin himself and he just let Noah stab him? Zion shot him, Noah was enraged at being shot, and still, somehow, Zion was able to walk out of there still breathing?"
"Especially when Bennett is known for making people disappear. Why was it that Zion, and your mother for that fact, was so easily found?"
Lou nodded, knowing Spencer would catch onto her thoughts easily.
"Between Zion and Noah, I'm sure one of them would have gotten the upper hand. But it's like… like…"
"Like they are the only two that have the full copy of a redacted statement of a top-secret mission," Spencer confirmed.
Lou nodded eagerly.
"Exactly! Noah's using Zion as proof, like he's saying, 'I can hurt your people and give them back to you because I have the power to do so'. But who is he telling this to?"
Her comment left Spencer reeling, and for the first time in quite some time, Lou wasn't able to deduce where Spencer's head was at. She had to remind herself that it was normal to not be able to read someone's mind. Even though she often knew what was coursing through his mind.
You've been gone for him for a while. It will take some time to get back into rhythm with Spencer.
"What is it?" She asked.
Spencer prompted the question.
"Do you think your father already figure out what Bennett has planned? That's why he vanished? To stop whatever is being done?"
That was a question that never crossed Lou's mind.
"I don't understand." Lou asked, concerned.
Spencer stood where he was, his hands animated as he spoke.
"Caroline showed up to the Bureau when you went missing before she convinced us to bring her along the plane ride. She helped us locate where you were, but she said something interesting."
"She always does."
"Caroline said both you and your father respond to crisis in the same way, how you'll do something highly irrational and disappear without a second thought."
"Jesus, Linnie…" Lou muttered under her breath. "She's right, but she doesn't have to be that blunt."
"You said that Zion looked up to your father as his own parent, correct?"
"Yes…"
"You also said that Zion will agree to things mindlessly."
"He earned his Scarecrow nickname for a reason," Lou stated, confused.
"El, your father has disappeared, and no one knows where he is. This isn't familiar to you at all?"
Lou had the decency to pause.
"Okay, fair point. But what does this have to do with Zion?"
"You don't think Zion might also behave in a similar way? Elena, he appears out of no where. The first time I met him, he pointed a gun at me in the middle of a dark room. I've never seen him walk into a room; he just shows up and gets the job done."
"You're saying Zion is an opportunist?"
"I'm saying that Zion goes where he's told without batting an eyelash. You've said it yourself; he doesn't think. Maybe he's not thinking of the consequences of his actions, but he's definitely thinking of his benefit."
"Spencer, we know he's lying. As much as it pains me to think, Zion is keeping secrets. He only keeps a secret when he's told to keep a secret."
"But you don't know why."
"And you do?" Lou asked, dumbfounded.
"I believe so," she heard Spencer say softly.
"Okay," Lou entertained his thought process. "What is Zion lying about?"
"About working for your father." He said softly.
Those words floored Lou.
"I beg your pardon?" Lou asked, astonished.
"Zion's been lying to you from the beginning."
It was odd for Spencer make an accusation such as that.
"How? About what?"
"You told me Zion lost his job at Mossad, yes?"
"Yes."
"Did he tell you how? For what reason?"
"No…"
"Did he tell you he was fired at all?"
"No, not throughout the entire time we were together. But… I think his fiancée was cheating on him. Aya wasn't terrible, but I didn't know that she was capable of doing something that would affect Zion that way. That, plus Zee not having his job that he really loved… I don't blame him for being silent about his personal life… maybe he was ashamed? Or he didn't want to pull the focus away from stopping Bennett?"
"Or he didn't want to draw suspicion on him."
Lou's eyebrows furrowed.
"He purposefully kept information from me? For what purpose?"
"Just as you said: Zion does as he's told. He must have been told not to."
"By who?" Lou asked.
As Spencer chose to stare at her, the thought came to her instantly.
"Uncle Malachi?"
"You said he only leaves the Middle East for business purposes. You also said that Zion and his father don't stay in a room together, and yet the evidence proves otherwise."
"There are multiple reasons for that."
"But there's only one reason that your father wouldn't be by your side, only one reason that he wouldn't be protecting you himself... Only one reason for him to irrationally disappear, separating himself from his family."
Lou realized where Spencer was getting at.
Her father and her were so alike.
Her father did the same thing as her.
"My safety," Lou whispered, realizing why her father left. "He was leaving to keep me safe."
Spencer nodded
"How can you be certain?" She prodded. "If Zion and his father were truly dangerous, wouldn't my father want to watch them?"
"You believe that your father doesn't trust your mother enough to protect you while she kept an eye on them?" Spencer questioned.
She took a moment to think.
It absolutely makes sense.
Why Mother was so abrasive towards Malachi.
She was suspicious of him.
But she, too, had no evidence.
Why wouldn't I think Mother would do anything to protect me?
"How did you come to the conclusion that it's Zion and Uncle Malachi?"
"By process of elimination. Did your father tell you that Zion was working for him?" Spencer asked, skeptical.
Lou took a moment to think about it.
"No, I didn't see my father at all."
"Would your father be capable of something like this?" He prodded.
Lou scoffed.
"Honestly? He would."
That was something Lou knew Spencer wasn't expecting.
"You said it earlier. My father and Uncle Kai are best friends because they're so alike. My father is like my uncle, but nicer. Spencer, the man you know now is not the same man from even two years ago. My father was cold, distant, disregarding. It was only recently he got back to being warm and affectionate, and finally breaking down his walls and letting in happiness."
Lou's eyes found the window, looking out as she spoke.
"He's grown into the father I used to know, the one who would take the time to protect his family. Had this been a long time ago, I would have given a different answer. But the circumstances that we're in right now leads me to believe that my father couldn't stomach being in the same room as Noah and not have him killed. Not after he kidnapped my mother and abused her. Not after I told my father everything Noah did to me."
"Are you sure it's not your father?" Spencer asked.
"It's not," Lou said with conviction. "And if I was being blinded by my love for my father, the Universe would show me the truth."
She caught the smirk on Spencer's face.
"What is it?" She asked him.
"You have such conviction with the Universe helping you," he stated.
"Yes. Because the Universe has yet to prove me otherwise."
He bit his lip.
"Spencer, if you have something to share, please do."
He took a breath.
"I… I asked the Universe to find a yellow brick road to you."
His words touched Lou's heart.
"Spencer…"
"I found my way to you. Against all odds… I asked, with everything I had within me… It didn't make sense," Spencer confessed. "I was the one who placed the tracker on Dexter. It was my actions that found you."
"But…" Lou knew his rebuttal was coming.
"I would be remiss if I didn't take into account the carpet leading up to the hotel room." Spencer ran a finger along the stitching of the blanket, distracting himself. "There's no way to quantify this logic, however I do have to take into consideration the coincidence of it all."
Lou smiled brightly. "I'm pretty sure it's karma coming back to you."
"Karma? Why isn't it bad?"
Lou laughed.
"Spencer, karma isn't always bad. Karma's a repercussion of the energy you put out into the world."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning your job is saving lives. Maybe the Universe is going out of its way to save yours."
Lou thought about it for a moment. "Makes sense that the Universe would favour something like you."
He stared at her long and hard, confusion on his face.
"What is it?" Lou asked, not knowing that expression that crossed.
"Caroline… said something on the plane."
"About?"
"About… Fate," he mentioned. "It was off handed, but… I was talking to JJ, and we were trying to find a way to find you, and…"
"And?"
Spencer shook his head. "We'll talk about it later. I don't want to get distracted right now."
"Okay…" Lou was suspicious, as Linnie always had a comment about how Fate was sticking some sort of phallic object into something it shouldn't be. She was afraid that Caroline went on a tangent on what Fate was, but chose not to press the subject.
"If Caroline said anything vulgar…"
"She didn't. Well, not about that. It's just another conversation for another time."
"Alright then, sweetheart."
"By process of elimination…" Spencer said, getting back to the subject at hand.
She nodded.
"By process of elimination, it must be Malachi. I haven't seen or heard from my father since the night of the explosion. Rather, it was Zion recounting what had occurred after I woke up is how I know what happened. But my mother corroborated Zion's story, which does assist with the theory."
"You've told me your mother is aware of something you're not, something she's purposefully hiding from you. Could she be trusted?"
"When you put it in that manner, no."
Lou bit her lip, recalling the events as best as she could.
"But Caroline! Caroline mentioned that my father was there."
"Okay, that's substantial. What else did she say?"
Lou thought back to when Linnie was speaking to her, recalling Charles' summarized words. She froze when she took into consideration the weight of the words Caroline chose to share.
"Linnie said my father was repeating the phrase: 'I put her in danger again'."
Lou watched as Spencer's back stiffened, the knowledge she shared clearly was making sense to him.
"She also said that he was telling everyone he had to see him."
"Him who? Bennett?"
"From what I was told, my father left the hotel and hasn't been seen, most likely making his way to Noah. That is until you told me Hotch met with my father outside of your hospital room. With the timeline given, I think my father was coming to check on you."
Spencer was silent for a moment.
"You trust Caroline?"
"My default is always trusting her. She's my best friend."
Spencer scoffed.
"So is Zion."
"Zion is a well-trained spy who's been a master of deception ever since I met him back when he was ten years old. He may be one of my best friends, but deception is normal behaviour for Zion."
"Alright…"
"Caroline, on the other hand, is a shoe-wielding, sharp-tongued maniac with a penchant for obscene vulgarity, but she's incapable of lying," Lou spoke to comfort Spencer.
She could see he was deducing whether or not Caroline should be considered a threat.
"She's always been like that: abruptly brash and honest. It's gotten her into so much trouble I don't even want to begin to go into it, but the woman can't hold a secret, even if it was superglued to her hand. She physically gets itchy when she has to lie."
Spencer nodded, believing his Elena.
"Zion's infusing his lies with the truth, then. To give them validity."
"Are you sure Zion is lying?" Lou questioned, a bit of hope within her. "He doesn't think; it could be that he doesn't know the position he's in?"
"Possibly. But Elena, you've just said Zion is a trained spy. Even if he wasn't asking questions, he would know the position he was in. Zion allowed you to believe he doesn't think of consequences… But El, his job requires him to constantly be thinking."
"You think I'm clouded by my bias for Zion?" Lou asked, astonished. "You think Zion's manipulating me?"
Spencer shrugged. "Is there a possibility he would?"
When she opened her mouth to protest, Lou realized she couldn't.
Zion is a master manipulator.
That's why I needed him for the plan all those years ago.
That's how he was able to distract my parents when I needed to get Noah in the car.
Zion was the only reason why the car accident happened.
Because he convinced everyone that there was no suspicious activity occurring.
Because no one thought anything was wrong.
Not when Zion was running the show.
"Yes," she whispered, shocked. "There would be a possibility."
Spencer was soft when he spoke next.
"Ellie, you've told me he admitted to lying to you. Not because he wanted to be forthcoming with his actions, but that he was caught in a lie, and had to tell you the truth to salvage whatever trust he built with you."
Lou's tears were involuntary.
Only because Spencer was finally making sense of all the facts she was dealing with.
"He's lying to me." Lou said with conviction. "But there's something inside that tells me something's not right. This isn't Zion; he wouldn't just go off and do something irrational. If he is keeping a secret, if it really is that important, then he must be forced to do it. Especially keeping a secret from me? Spencer… Zion comes to me for everything. I don't talk to him everyday, but when I do talk to him, he shares his entire heart with me. For him to not only tell me about his job, but about Aya… Something is going on with him, and can't be honest with me."
"We also can't trust that Zion is working for your father."
"We can't?"
"No. We have to assume all information coming from Zion is compromised. Was your father there to refute Zion's story? Let's assume that your father didn't ask Zion to watch over you… is it possible someone else asked Zion to watch over you?"
Lou was completely flabbergasted. Was Zion working for her father to spy on her? His story made complete sense, when he was telling her the events of what occurred, everyone in the room was following along, putting their own input with each detail. Everything looked seamless, all the information matched perfectly…
Maybe too perfect? Lou questioned.
"Maybe? The only two people who would want to watch over me are my mother and father."
She remembered the three people who were looking slightly guilty.
"Well, now that I'm thinking… Uncle Malachi would, too. Zion and I used to get into a lot of trouble, and both my father and Zion's father were in constant communication with one another about what we were doing and how we were behaving. Father would share everything with him, which is what I thought was the reason why Uncle Kai was there at the hotel, to help my father."
"Do you know if Malachi was there to help? Or some other reason?"
"Dave, my mother, and Uncle Kai looked like they were all keeping a secret." Lou questioned. "I don't know what it was, but I was thrown off. Uncle Kai keeping secrets? Completely and absurdly normal. My mother keeping secrets? Sounds like a Tuesday to me."
She saw Spencer smile at her small jab at her mother.
"But Dave? He was conscious for those four days I wasn't. He spoke with Zion and Uncle Kai. You and I both trust Dave, and Dave looked like he trust them."
Lou shook her head in confusion. "But… Dave wasn't in the room the entire time Zion was explaining what happened to me. And Dave's story was matching up with Zion's story, but only slightly. His behaviour does fit your theory that Zion is using the truth to hide his lies."
"What about your mother?" Spencer was searching for information.
"My mother was angry with Uncle Kai. She's behaving like she's caught in the middle and she can't decide what is the better decision. It looked like she wanted to tell me something but couldn't. I think she's torn between protecting me and telling me everything, so I don't feel out of the loop. But I—"
"Elena," Spencer soothed, noticing she was getting overwhelmed. "We don't have all the information. Trying to fit your pieces into a theory will drive you up the wall with frustration."
"What do we know, then?" Lou asked, her frustration getting the better of her.
"We know this. We know Bennett is being held by Interpol. We know that he wasn't working alone. We know that there are people who work for Bennett everywhere. We know that we can trust Caroline and Rossi. We know that we can trust Morgan, JJ, Garcia, and Hotch, but we'll put them in danger if we do. We know we have to be cautious about Zion, and Zion's father, and figure out their motives. We know that we have to figure this out before Bennett's people finds us, or our team finds us, and we put them into further jeopardy."
"And we know we can't separate," Lou said with conviction. "Not anymore."
Spencer leaned forward, kissing her softly.
"Not anymore," he echoed, the smile on his face.
Lou took the moment to enjoy Spencer's embrace.
Until she remembered his words prior.
"Wait. You said that we know that Noah wasn't working alone," Lou questioned. "I was speculating this, but how do you know this? Did you know before I told you?"
Spencer nodded. "I did. Bennett taunted me by questioning whether or not you told me about Judeau, just before the explosion went off."
"He…"
Lou was confused.
Bennett taunted Spencer about not working alone.
Why would Noah do such a thing?
This is not his normal behaviour.
He's a lone wolf, he never works with people.
Why is he making such a big deal about finally having a team?
Maybe it's because I have a team now?
Somehow, that theory didn't fit with Lou.
"Spencer, what did he say, word for word?"
Spencer took a breath before speaking, "'Now, as I've just been made aware, Lou is no longer working alone. Not the little girl she once was, conquering her quests, no. Even with the car accident she hadn't been completing it by herself, she always had a backup plan, and always had people assisting her with that back-up plan'."
Spencer continued. "I then said to Noah, 'Working alone will get you nowhere, that you should have learned'. He mocked me back, stating that I was right, and it was a lesson he should have learned earlier. He then asked: 'Did Lou ever mentioned the name Sydney Judeau?', before refusing to speak afterwards."
Lou gasped.
"He stopped speaking? Completely? Absolute silence from Bennett?"
Spencer didn't realize the severity of Noah going silent.
"Not entirely. He kept staring out in the distance, humming."
Lou froze.
No.
Noah…
What sick plan were you trying to execute?
"Spencer," Lou asked, fear coursing through her. "What was he humming?"
"The song from the Wizard of Oz," Spencer told her. "The ringtone that comes up when your dad calls."
"And what was he staring at?" She pleaded, her voice raising.
"Elena," he was thrown off by Lou insisting her question be answered.
"What was he staring at?"
Spencer shook his head, questioning Lou's motives.
"I can't be certain, but he was staring at the window."
"The window?" Lou prodded. "The window to the tower?"
He thought of Bennett's actions that moment when the assassin was strapped to the ambulance.
His eyes didn't deviate from the window.
"He was staring at the window to the tower," Spencer confirmed.
Lou's chest heaved as she tried to take a deep breath.
Holy shit.
"Spencer, I don't think Noah expected me to leave the tower the second I entered."
Lou confessed.
"He knew that I…"
Lou couldn't believe she was admitting this.
It was something deep within her that she feared.
But it also proved another point.
He…
He knew what I was going to do.
He knew what I was going to do…
And the Manor had other plans.
"Noah knew exactly what I was going to do," she cried out. "He knew that I was suspicious, and he knew I would investigate."
"El, take a moment. Don't overwhelm yourself."
"The door… The handle… The tower…"
"Elena, clear your mind." Spencer pressed. "You got this."
Lou shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts.
"The door, leading to outside. Noah took out the handle so I would get stuck in the tower."
"Yes, but the door opened, and you got out," Spencer prompted. "You told me this."
"Right, because of an unforeseeable circumstance that I, nor Noah, planned for."
"Unforeseeable circumstance?"
"Noah knew I was going to be in the tower, and so did I. But neither of us considered who else was there."
"Rossi?"
"The guards, Spencer. Noah accounted for them by placing the guards there to distract David, and pull him away from me."
It was clear to Spencer who Lou was talking about.
"Zion," Lou proclaimed. "Zion wasn't supposed to be there; it wasn't in Noah's plan."
Lou laughed in disbelief.
Zion isn't lying.
He just doesn't know the truth.
"I think I just cleared Zion."
Spencer's head shot back in disbelief.
"What? Elena, you were just speculating his behaviour!"
"I know, but if Zion was working for Noah, he wouldn't have ruined Noah's plan. Noah may know that Zion is important, but Zion doesn't show behaviour that he's fully aware of his importance."
She kept nodding to herself, reaffirming her thought process. "I can confirm Zion's clueless in this. I think Zion's working blindly for someone, or Zion is also trying to figure out the truth. Zion rescuing me is significant, more significant that we both thought, I think even more significant that Zion thought."
"How do you know this?"
"Because there was no other exits near the tower," Lou confessed. "Yes, there are secret passageways, but they just help someone get from one end of the Manor, to the other. The door was the only exit that I could use within the area, and the only other way to enter the Manor without being caught."
Lou shook her head, finding some gratification in clearing Zion's name.
"Zion told me he came back into the Manor because he was suspicious of Bennett's behaviour. Zion knows the exits: I showed him all the alternate entrances to the Manor. Whatever reason Zion was coming back, it wasn't something Bennett planned. It was Bennett's blade that blocked the door. Judeau could have wedged it in the frame to prevent it from opening."
"Could Zion have been the one who planted the blade?" Spencer asked.
Lou shook her head.
"Noah had his blade with him when he caught me. You saw it, he had it in his possession before I tranquilized him. I had a feeling there was someone else in the home when Noah's blade randomly appeared in his hands, especially after I saw him drop the knife at the top of the foyer stairs and run away from it. Someone, I believe it to be Judeau, was in the house, helping Noah get his weapons to him. It couldn't have been Zion, because I noticed the blade move across the Manor happened after Rossi took Zee to the ambulance."
"That would help clear Zion's name. But why would Bennett block the door and take the handle? Why risk blocking the door with something as simple as a knife, instead of something sturdy?"
"Because I would have panicked. And I did."
Lou looked Spencer directly in the face, the seriousness evident all over.
"I don't want to admit it, but I panicked. I saw no doorhandle. I was tired from fighting Noah beforehand, and couldn't push the door open with that much force. I didn't know what to do."
"El—"
"If Zion hadn't opened the door, I would have ran up the stairs."
Spencer began formulating what Elena already figured out.
"I would have gotten to the top of the tower and tried to get everyone's attention."
Lou's eyes flashed with recognition.
"That's why the bomb was set like that."
"Like what?" Spencer asked, trying to gather more information.
"The bomb had a timer on it. It was such a random number…. A hundred eighty seconds. But now, now that I realize what Noah was planning…"
"Yes?"
"It takes two and a half minutes to get to the top of the tower, even if you run. I would have had only thirty seconds, at most, to tell everyone to get to safety."
Lou hoped she felt some sort of relief.
Facts were starting to make sense again.
It only terrified her more.
"That was my plan, that's what my split decision was if I couldn't get out of the tower. Noah figured out what I would do. If Zion wasn't there to open the door, Noah would have been watching me as I was helpless from the top of the tower, calling out for your help."
She looked at him, tears streaming down her face.
She figured out Noah's plan.
Lou was mortified that she didn't realize it sooner.
"That's why Noah didn't care he was caught. That's why he chased me around the house, that's why it was so easy for him to get caught. Anything I had planned… it didn't matter. All that mattered was that he had to make it so I believed that we won, that we'd gotten the better of him, and just when I felt the safest, he would take that safety away from me, in the most gruesome manner—"
"El—"
"Noah was trying to kill me in front of you."
"But he didn't," Spencer soothed her as best as he could. "Elena, he didn't get the chance, because you outsmarted him. You didn't allow his plan to succeed. He only thinks he had."
"I don't understand… why the tower?"
"Wasn't it a special place for you?" Spencer pulled Lou towards him, and she allowed him to move her from her spot on the bed to be closer to him. "You spoke with your father about how you always felt safe there."
Lou nodded, wiping her tears. She swallowed her saliva, the pain in her throat radiating off her in waves.
But Lou kept speaking.
She had to verbalize.
She had to figure out the plan.
"Dad set it up so I could have my own bird's eye of the entire place. He used to put me through rigorous training exercises, constantly being aware of my surroundings. From that training, I developed anxiety from not being able to see where I was at all times. My father had the tower re-structured, so it was safe for me to occupy, and from there most of my anxiety eased when I was able to have a playroom high in the sky."
"But you hate heights," Spencer mentioned.
Lou smiled. "I don't hate them. I'm unsettled by the thought of not having stable ground underneath me. Doesn't matter how high I go, just as long as I have a strong fence, or very secure footing."
Lou's smile was wiped from her face.
"That's why Noah chose the tower," she mumbled. "He wanted my life to end with one my worst fears occurring."
"That makes sense," Spencer confirmed. "You're taking all the facts into consideration and allotting them in a theory that works."
Somehow, the thought didn't settle with Lou. Did Noah want her dead? Possibly. He was making all the indications that eventually she was to be dead, considering that the explosion was supposed to be the grand finale of Noah's plan. Noah, who often was meticulous with every action. Everything he planned was successful, so to have his plans go awry must have left a sour taste in Noah's mouth. Lou could only speculate how angry Noah would get if he knew she was alive.
But… did Noah know she was alive?
That was something she was forgetting.
She was told that it was important she was assumed to be dead.
Important… for who?
It made Lou question what was occurring. If she was outright told her best option was to be dead, that meant there were people looking for her, and looking for her to be alive. Either that, or Noah wanted confirmation of Lou's body.
She couldn't help but smile to herself at the irony of the situation: Noah had a habit of making people disappear, and Lou, the one person he wanted to confirm was dead, was one of those people that was missing. She was entertaining Noah's old behaviour in hopes it would give her the upper hand.
But there were other pieces that weren't making sense. Why did Noah go quiet after speaking with Spencer? Noah, the self-proclaimed king of getting the last word in, chose to not speak to Spencer with what was to be believed as his last hurrah? That wasn't behaviour belonging to Noah Bennett.
Rather, the behaviour he was portraying was anything but Noah Bennett. Noah didn't like working with other people, yet there were a plethora of other people assisting him around every corner. Noah likes to talk; however, he purposefully chose to not say anything when he finally had a one-on-one opportunity to speak with Spencer. The oddest thing Lou noticed was how Noah hated music, but Spencer said to her that Noah was singing to one of her beloved songs?
The one song she used to sing that used to drive Noah mad?
It was clearly evident that Noah Bennett wasn't behaving like himself.
The question was… why was Noah Bennett making it so obvious?
"No, Spencer," Lou said with conviction.
"We're not taking all the facts into consideration because we don't have all the facts."
Spencer's brows furrowed.
"We don't?"
"No. There is a giant hole in this plan, and the only person who knows it's there, is Noah… and the fact that it's Noah that knows everything really does enrage me more than I'd like to admit."
Spencer feared the worse. "You want to try to go and hunt Bennett down? You told me he's locked up at Interpol."
"He is, but that's not what I want to do." Lou said, slowly getting out of bed. "I know better than to go to where Noah is."
"Then what do you plan on doing?"
"I plan on going back to where Noah was. I can't look at his behaviour now. I can't look at the facts that we have now, after everything that's occurred. The behaviour he's showing right now is indicating something important. I can't help but think Noah's being a puppeteer, controlling everyone around him and his surroundings."
She looked out the window, oddly enjoying the light gray sky as it forecasted a white light upon the busy street down below. It made Lou feel as if she was normal again, being in the middle of the hustle of life.
"We have to go back to the Manor."
"What?" Spencer stood. "Now?"
"Yes, now. If I know Noah, and unfortunately, I wish I didn't, he would have left something there, something in the tower for me to see before the bomb went off."
"The tower? The unstable tower that Bennett blew? You want to walk up those steps and risk your life again?"
Spencer watched as Elena scoffed.
"Really? A bomb blowing up my home, destroying it beyond repair… Spencer, you've met my father, you know how stubborn he is."
"I do."
"You really think he isn't going to reinforce the entire Manor?"
Elena went to rub at her throat, looking at her now cold cup of tea.
Spencer went to tell her to stop speaking but she just put up a hand and began talking again.
"He is ex-CIA, Spencer. My father prepares for the worse."
That knowledge threw Spencer through a loop.
"You believe the Manor's structurally intact, to the point it can withstand an explosion?"
"I know it is. Noah didn't choose the Manor just for symbolism. Although, I'm very certain he chose to kill me in the tower for a very poetic reason. I think he left a message in the tower, or an item that I valued."
"You said Noah leaves things, what would he have left you in the tower?" Spencer asked.
"I have no idea. Possibly other things he's taken. My old glove, my locket… no clue."
"Elena, Bennett's people are looking for us, and we don't know who works for Bennet… You don't think they're all stationed there? You're also presumed dead, El. We're under the assumption that Bennett presumes this as well. If you waltz onto the premises, they might seem suspicious. On top of that, you don't think that whatever Bennett's left in the tower is completely incinerated?"
"I don't care."
Lou was enraged.
"That… Fuckface Galore has tried to take everything from me, and for what? Sport? How dare he think he can behave this way and not have any consequences? He thinks he can walk into my house, where I shared my memories and my life, and have him dispose of my precious place for his own gain? Absolutely not."
Lou turned to face Spencer, allowing her emotions to come through.
"Let Noah's people try to stop me. Let them try to follow us. Let them get lost in the Manor. It is their choice to wreak havoc upon our lives. Why should it be unfair to let the Manor wreak the same havoc upon them?"
"Let the Manor wreak havoc?"
She saw Spencer's confusion as she spoke.
"You want to know why Noah chose the Manor? Because it's a citadel, a bastion for anyone to lay their head down safely. Even several bombs can't bring the structure down. My father built it this way."
"Your father, the ex-CIA agent turned Ambassador at Large, who you are a replica of?"
"Don't patronize. You know why I'm an overachiever. Anyways, my father had every piece constructed in a specific way, that if you did not know how the Manor worked, it would work against you. If you tried to take advantage of how the Manor operated, it would purposefully confuse you. Even before my father remodelled the place, the home was grand and big; if you trusted its safety, it would constantly keep you safe."
She walked over to Spencer, placing her hands on his shoulders.
"Noah may have somehow figured out the blueprints of the home, or he may have tortured my mother for information on how to route himself around the house. But no one knows the passageways better than me. No one better knows which floorboard creaks the loudest, nor do they know the traps that are set up. No one, not even my father, knows the place more thoroughly than I do. This is the place I see every day in my mind's eye. Even when Noah had taken control of the Manor, I knew I was going to be safe in there, no matter what. Even right now, as we plan on going there, I know that we're going to be safe."
"How?"
Lou chuckled softly.
"Because the Manor is a sanctity, it… I can't explain it, but the Manor has always found a way to keep me safe. I know this is completely abnormal, but this is why the Manor is my mind palace. Even my father knows that there's something coursing within the Manor, that's why his first instinct is to always send me there when there is danger. There's some energy in the home, protecting all inhabitants. I know it doesn't make sense—"
"It doesn't," Spencer confessed.
"—But just… entertain the thought for a moment."
Spencer sighed. Lou could tell Spencer didn't like talking about evidence that wasn't tangible or rooted in hard science.
"Okay. The Manor has magic."
"No… Okay, maybe it has a little bit magic, but listen to me. I have proof."
She ignored his huff of air.
Lou needed to give him evidence.
"One: Noah takes Mom to the Manor as a hostage. Mom gets out alive. Two: Zion gets rescued, and while I'm suspicious of him, Zion got out of the Manor safely not once but twice. Three: Dave shouldn't have made it out, against all odds, but he did. And he didn't get swept up by the explosion."
"Ellie…"
"Four: You said Emily was conscious and doing well the last time you got an update from the team; therefore, the deadly explosion didn't kill her, miraculously. Five: Derek and I get kidnapped, and Noah dropped a stack of chairs on Derek, and the only injuries that was cause to him was a fractured leg?"
"Elena, your voice, you should start signing—"
"And then, number six, after running away from Noah and stopping him, I managed to escape another bomb that was certainly trapping me and any other occupants in the building, and I only managed to escape my certain death only by sheer dumb luck?"
She didn't let Spencer cut in.
"And the fact that my father and Zion had the intention of killing Noah that night, but Noah still remains alive, because he was in the Manor. Oh! On top of that, the entire home went through two explosions, but the team's report of the building say that it still stands. Point seven and eight! Tell me that's not enough evidence."
"El," Spencer's tone was soothing in his response.
"Not that you don't raise valid points; I did question how it was that everyone managed to get out alive."
"See! Even you've noticed how the Manor works!"
"But there are explanations to all of these questions without it being an unseen entity, or magic. You said it yourself, we need to have all of the facts."
"Yes, I know, you're right. But you believe me?" She asked, hopeful.
"Yes. Always, Elena. I don't understand your logic in this circumstance. I believe in science and what can be quantified. But I understand you, and I understand you'll do something I think is irrational, but it's for a rational reason. You, statistically, have been correct the majority of the time."
He stood up, tucking her hair behind her ear.
"If you believe that your home has magical properties, then I shall believe it too."
Lou smiled up at Spencer.
"Thank you for trusting me. I know it's not understandable, but… there's no place like home."
She wasn't able to articulate it in the way she should have, but Lou could see the twinkle in Spencer's eyes when she said those words. Lou wasn't aware of how meaningful her words were to him.
Pulling her closer to him, his voice was soft.
"There is no place like home," he whispered.
His eyes gleamed, staring at her with affection.
"What is it?" Lou asked, not understanding his expression.
"You are my home," he said to her.
Lou felt her heart bloom.
"I'm constantly travelling for work, and I've always felt odd finding some place where I feel secure," Spencer told her, wiping away a stray tear from his own face. "The team has been my family, and my place of refuge. But El… you came into my space bringing only warmth. Being a part of my life, but the team's life as well…"
He looked deep into her eyes, watching as her own tears filled her eyes.
"You make it feel like home, Ellie."
Lou was overwhelmed by this man's affection. She put this man through literal hell, had brought a bunch of baggage that was more than she could carry, and risked his life, his safety, and his sanity.
And he loved her.
And she made him feel like he was home.
"You make me feel safe, Spencer." Lou whispered back. "In all aspects. Mental, physical, emotional… You have provided comfort for me in ways I didn't know I needed. After what I've done, I don't know how you could still be there for me."
"Because you did everything for me," Spencer said back to her. "All of that pain and heartache… You faced a monster, without fear, because you knew what that monster was capable of. You did that to protect me. Because…"
Spencer took a moment to catch his breath.
"Because you love me," Spencer said, a strong smile on his face. "Probably a little less than I love you."
"False statement," Lou shook her head. "I love you more than you love me."
"Nope." Spencer said with conviction. "I flew across the world to help you."
"I flew across the world to keep you safe," Lou bit back slyly.
"Semantics," the doctor said, a huff of laughter dancing in his voice.
Lou playfully tapped his nose, being encapsulated by Spencer's arms.
"Agree to disagree?"
"Agree to help you pack up the last bit of things and get out of this place," Spencer said, dropping a kiss on Lou's forehead.
"Eager to leave?" Lou asked.
Spencer nodded.
"You've told me that Bennett isn't working alone. We have evidence that shows Judeau is not only missing, but working for Bennett, as well as the bodyguards. The fact that we don't know what are Zion's motives unsettles me, and we don't know for certain if it's Malachi running the show, or something far greater than Zion's father is pulling the strings. And the fact you've used Malachi's credit card makes me want to leave immediately. We have to move before anyone is aware of our motives."
"What about the team?" Lou asked. "Shouldn't we reach out to them?"
"Soon," Spencer let go of her. "I don't like leaving them in the dark. But right now, we have to figure out what's going on before anyone else is in danger."
Lou smiled a bittersweet grin, a thought crossing her mind.
"What is it?" He asked.
"I should have asked you to help me figure out Noah's plan sooner," Lou walked to the window, her back to Spencer.
"We may have uncovered more information sooner. I might have even saved us a bit of heartache."
She felt Spencer's arms weave around her waist, his chest on the back of Lou's head.
"If you asked me to help any other time than now, I don't think I would have been here to help you."
Lou turned her head to face him, watching as Spencer spoke.
"I hate to admit it, but you were right."
Lou's jaw went slack before speaking.
"About?"
"Leaving without telling me, holding secrets, keeping me away from Bennett… Everything."
"You're agreeing with me?"
He nodded.
"I've been thinking about it constantly. The only reason why I'm standing beside you is because Bennett couldn't get his hands on me. When he kidnapped your mother, he was asking for your attention. You told me this, the night that Henry got hurt on the hill; Bennett is acting like a child, who doesn't have the attention he wants."
"Did I say that? Oh, I did say that. Continue."
"When he took your mother, he wasn't expecting you to leave my side. From a profiler's standpoint, Bennett was getting gratification from having all your focus on him. You were always defensive towards him. When he came for me, you distracted him by playing offensive."
"Sweetheart," Lou whispered, the tears escaping.
"Bennett would have killed me if he had the chance," he whispered. "You made sure he didn't get the chance."
"Spencer—"
"You knew, didn't you?" Spencer confronted her. "Long before I knew. You knew Bennett was going to do something drastic."
Lou chose not to say anything.
"You didn't start trying to stop Bennett when Henry got hurt. It was after your karaoke night, after Noah appeared back in your life for the first time. That's when you knew he would kill me on sight. That's why you were so scared, and that's why you were quiet afterwards. You were quiet not only because of your emotions, but you were formulating this entire plan, weren't you?"
She was afraid he would figure it out.
But… he always did.
Spencer continued.
"I was aware of what he would do the night he showed up on your front porch. If you hadn't had the bat in your hand, and defended me, I would certainly be dead. I was prepared to die that night, to make sure that you were safe."
His chuckle hit her ears, comforting her.
"Now that I think about it, I think you knew what I was doing. That's why you didn't listen to me and got out of the car. When you knew for certain that I would risk my life to save yours. That was the moment you decided to stop Bennett once and for all, because of me. Because of my actions."
He kissed her again, resting his head on hers. Lou placed both of her hands onto Spencer's hands as they rested on her upper stomach. She kept staring out the window, the tears slowly rolling down her face.
"You were aware of his behaviour enough to see the signs. You saw his thought pattern before any of us were aware of what Bennett was doing. You took that option away from him before any of us could see the option to begin with. That's why Bennett is doing what he's doing now, to try and find you. To try and find us. Because you're not allowing him to tear us apart."
"How did you know?" Lou whispered, absolutely grateful that Spencer figured out a huge piece of information that she was keeping from him.
"How did you know what I was doing?"
"Because I would have done the same thing."
Lou sighed happily, tightening her hold on Spencer's hands.
"You're doing everything you can to keep us safe," Spencer whispered to her.
"Now let me do everything I can to keep us together."
Lou sighed, leaning back into Spencer's embrace.
With a knowing smile on her face, Lou took her hand that was resting on Spencer's, and slowly moved her pinky. She used her digit to find Spencer's pinky finger, intertwining the two.
It was the sweetest relief to feel him squeeze her pinky back, accepting her sacred promise.
"Together," she whispered, confirming the oath she made.
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xoxo N.
Next Time: "I'm not attempting to climb sixty feet up a tree."