Morgan normally didn't focus this long on the punching bag, but even after twenty minutes of boxing, he was still hitting it with full force. He'd had some extra time this afternoon, deciding his energy was better spent down in the gym than sitting at his desk and trying not to look at... her.
He had thought his plan out so perfectly. After their perfect first date, Morgan realized he wasn't happy with their situation anymore. He'd been in this place before, in the middle of a casual relationship with a girl and turning it into something serious. Morgan had never been the one to suggest making it more complicated, it had always been the girl. He was considering it this time, though, and that said to him that Emily was different. This wouldn't have a messy ending and a severing of the friendship... things didn't have to end at all.
But he didn't know how to bring it up. Envy had always been a great motivator before. Once the girl became jealous and angry, realizing she wasn't the center of his attention. He would only comply so as not to hurt her feelings. Of course, once she saw how much his job occupied his life, they'd be a messy fight and a break up. Emily had the same job, and she understood him better than any woman before. It wouldn't be like that this time... naive of him to get his hopes up.
Emily was too smart to fall for his tricks. She didn't get jealous... she became wise. She realized she was wasting her time with him and wanted a clean break. He was stupid to ever think he was good enough for her.
His fist slammed into the burlap, vibrating up through the bungy cords above. His anger had complete control of his form, wanting to punch this bag to within an inch of it's life. Well, that was fine. If she thought she was too good for him, than so be it. He should have known better than to get involved with some perfect prissy rich girl, anyway. Once he finished here, he was going to shower, get back upstairs, and show her she meant nothing to him. Emily had burned this bridge and he was never going back.
"Are you sure you can handle this, old man?" The familiar voice landed on his ears. What the hell was the matter with him, he should have known. Rossi and Emily worked out together once or twice a week. The unit was so slow right now, he should have known it would be today.
"I'm not denying there's some grey in my hair, Emily." Rossi laughed. "But I can hold my own, which I usually do."
Morgan slowed down, looking around for their voices. There were a lot of other agents in the gym. Running around on the track, lifting weights and riding the machines... fifty feet or so away, Emily and Rossi were heading over to one of the empty mats for some hand to hand combat. They set their supplies aside and started stretching. Morgan grabbed his bottle and took a long swig. He wiped the sweat away with his towel, stepping closer to watch.
He was far enough away where he didn't notice him. The two got into position, ready to start their sparing match. Morgan tried not to focus on Emily, knowing how it was just going to refuel the anger he'd tried to exhaust out of him. But stopping his eyes from watching her was like trying to stop the ocean from running onto the shore. He loved the way she looked in her workout gear, hugging her curves perfectly. Sometimes, after spending the night at one's place, they'd come to the gym early to work out. An excuse to ride to work together. It was always such a competition; to see who could run faster, fight longer, out last the other. Morgan had loved it; no one could challenge him the way she could.
They got into position and started sparing off. Rossi was right, for man his age, he could definitely hold his own. He kept in shape and did well in the field, but he wasn't a match for her. Morgan knew how much she was holding back... or maybe she only fought harder when it was against him.
Besides, it was just a friendly competition. They weren't trying to prove something to the other, just two friends exercising and spending time together... that's what friends did, after all.
They broke for a break, going to opposite sides of the mat. Emily was catching her breath while reaching for her water bottle, not noticing Morgan joining them.
"So this is where you disappeared to." Rossi mentioned, at last spotting him. "You've been down here for almost two hours, we thought you went home."
"No, I had some tension I wanted to work out down here." He said, glancing a Emily. "I wonder why that is."
Emily glanced at him, looking both nervous and regretful at the same time. She knew he was angry with her and when he was upset, it could come out in explosive ways. "Is there something you need, Morgan?"
"Actually, I was watching you guys compete." He said, giving her a half smile. "I never realized how talented you are, Prentiss."
She knew from the glint in his eyes, he wasn't sincere. "Thank you." She muttered. "I'm not as good as some. The academy still says your the best at hand to hand combat."
"Well, that's their opinion." He stated, folding his arms. "If Rossi doesn't mind me cutting in, maybe I could show you myself. Maybe teach you a thing or two."
Rossi shrugged, not minding letting Morgan cut in. Emily swallowed her water while rolling her eyes. "I'm not fighting with you, Morgan." She set her bottle down.
"You're not scared, are you, Prentiss?" He asked, grinning slyly.
"No, Morgan. I just don't want to fight with you." She explained, turning to face him. "I think I'm going to run some laps instead."
"Yeah, that's what I thought." Morgan called after her back, grinning. "No way some spoiled rich girl could hold her own against me. Right, Emily?"
Her jaw dropped at that. Emily hated being thought of as some spoiled rich girl, as most people had thought of her most of her life. Morgan knew the nerve her was touching. Turning she stormed back to him, giving a shove as she joined him again on the mat. "Let's go. Rossi, you referee."
"Oh, this will be interesting." Rossi mumbled, stepping on the side. This was the last thing he thought he'd be doing this afternoon.
Emily and Morgan got on either end of the mat. His sly smirk gone from before, both agents staring daggers at each other. Rossi waited for them to be set, and gave them the all clear to fight. Without a second thought, the two launched at each other.
It was like two forces of pure energy, trying to dominant each other. Morgan was strong, and his anger made him stronger, but Emily was not easily overpowered. She seemed just as furious as him, ready to slam his body into the mat.
Rossi was more audience than ref, watching this combat with fascination. He wasn't the only one. A few agents had noticed the fierce battle taking place, stopping their work outs to move closer, the better to see.
Sweat drenched their clothes and bodies as they continued. They pushed their muscles beyond their wildest dreams of strength, trying to get the upper hand. Emily groaned as Morgan forced her onto the mat, but she wasn't down for long, shoving him off before he could pin her.
"You're a lot tougher than I thought, Prentiss." Morgan panted, trying to pin her again.
"I'm full of surprises, Morgan. You know that." Emily exclaimed, breaking out of his grip and getting back onto her feet. Morgan didn't even give her a moment to regroup before he came forward, pulling her in a headlock.
"Morgan, I think you're being a little rough." Rossi called. Almost the entire gym had gathered to watch now. Emily struggled to get out of his grasp, at last knocking to his feet long enough to get out from under his arms. She got back onto her feet first, but this was far from over.
Morgan jumped up before she had the advantage. She came out him again, fighting and deflecting his arms to keep him off her. "I thought you would have bested me by now." Emily sneered, falling onto her knees, but jumping back up within a second. "Or was that just talk?"
"Prentiss, I haven't even begun to dominate you yet." Morgan yelled. His brow dripped with sweat. She backed away from him a bit, her beautiful eyes lit up with intensity... as they always were when she exhausted herself. The perspiration dripped down her soft skin, invigorating the sweet scent he could never put his finger on. It always reminded him of Jamaica. It his his nose and the memory of all those nights breathing it in made him angrier.
"You just going to stand there, Morgan, or are you going to teach me that lesson." She called in the abnormally quiet gym. His eyes had turned to slits as he glared at her, moving in for the kill.
Emily fought with all she had left, but it wasn't Morgan anymore. It was like a force had possessed his body, filled with strength and power and hatred for her. Her best moves weren't enough to fight him off, let alone overpower him. She had seen this kind of power come out on unsubs, but never thought she'd be on the receiving end of it. She almost feared for her life.
She let out an exhausted cry as at last Morgan pinned her. He straddled her, forcefully holding her hands over her head. His grip was so tight, it hurt to move, letting out a soft groan from the pain. And it was getting tighter, feeling like he wanted to squeeze the light out of her with his entire body.
They'd been in this exact position before, only it was much sweeter... sensual and romantic... Emily welcomed his touch instead of trying to fight him off her, Morgan was holding her hands gently over her head instead of constricting her wrists... it wasn't just another time, it had been yesterday afternoon.
He met her eyes, filled with fury and rage and even a bit of fear. Rossi's voice finally broke in, ordering Morgan off of her. At last, he shoved her away, getting to his feet. Emily took a deep breath as she sat up and rubbed her wrists, which were already starting to bruise.
Morgan was about to storm off the mat when he was intercepted by Rossi. "What's going on with you? Are you alright?" He whispered, fully aware of the other agents focused on them. Most of them were staring at Emily, who was trying to gather what was left of her dignity.
"I'm good," Morgan muttered. He headed straight for the locker room. Morgan never looked back, hoping he could leave everything he was feeling on the mat with her.
The weather reminded her of Seattle. It was often gloomy, cloudy with the threat of rain over her head... but there was something about London. It was such an elegant and romantic city... and she'd barely got to enjoy a moment of it with her new husband. Was it irony or karma?
Riley was sipping a cup of weak tea in the conference room that afternoon. She hated tea, but Inspector Paul had offered to make her a cup. It would seem rude to request coffee. She hadn't had coffee in a few days, actually, and withdrawal was starting to creep up on her, making her a bit edgy.
It was after two when she noticed Inspector Eden walk in, her own cup of tea in hand. She seemed tired after a long day working on such a tough case. She didn't notice Riley sitting there, reading the files for the fifth time.
A moment later, Reid stepped in, spotting her immediately. Riley stood up, wanting to give him a hug, but he didn't hurry into her arms, as she expected. She didn't think of herself as much of a profiler, but she sensed that was a sign that things were not going as well as hoped.
"Hey," she smiled tentively. "Where have... you guys been all day?"
"Suspect questioning," Eden explained, never looking up from the newspaper she had flipped through. Her knuckle tapped at the bottom of one page, finding what she was looking for. "Page 22, buried again. Wouldn't want to bring down tourism, I guess."
Riley was annoyed; she wasn't exactly speaking to Eden. Her eyes landed on Reid. "Did you find anything useful?"
"Not really," Eden spoke up before Reid could reply. "We did learn from Mrs. Little that losing her no good ex-husband is not lost for the world, but other than that, we're don't have much to work with." She glanced up, finding both of them staring at her. Riley seemed ready to scratch her eyes out.
"Oh, I'm sorry," she said, understanding. "You were talking to... I'm sorry, I'll just... I'll give you a moment alone."
Riley had to admit, she was not liking Inspector Eden. Jealousy had always been an unfortunate vice when it came to Spencer. Even though she knew nothing was going on between them, she didn't like this woman spending time with him when he was supposed to be with her. And the way she nudged him on the way out did nothing for the green-eyed monster inside her.
"Hi, Sweetheart," He finally greeted, at last going over to her. Though still not enough for her to touch him. "What have you been up to today?"
"Waiting for you, obviously. There isn't much for me to do here." Riley bitterly stated.
He tilted his head sympathetically. "I told you that you don't have to be here. Go out and have some fun."
"I don't want to have fun. I want to be with you!" She cried. Though it was supposed to be enduring, Riley realized how insulting it sounded. "That came out wrong."
"I know this is taking a lot longer than I anticipated." Reid replied. He reached and took her hand. Such a simple gesture that said so much. "If I had known this case was going to be so intense-"
"-You still would have done everything in your power to help." Riley finished. "You always manage to get involve with things that aren't your business, you just can't help yourself."
His guilt stirred painfully in his stomach at that, but lessened again as she smiled, reaching to wrap her arm around his waist to pull him closer. "Which I'm grateful for, might I add... if you could, we wouldn't be married right now."
Reid grinned, remembering how twisted and tormented he was when they first met, how he knew he shouldn't get so involved with his therapist. No matter what he did, he just couldn't stop himself. Like his emotions had taken complete control of his abnormal mind. Right or wrong, his actions had brought him here... and given him her. This amazing woman who loved him. So much so, she stayed beside him when he completely massacred their honeymoon.
"I'm sorry." He said, leaning on her forehead, looking deep into the brown eyes that had enchanted him from that first day. He pulled her body so close. Never able to resist him, her arms went over his shoulders. "I hate doing this to you... and I feel awful for falling asleep on you last night."
"Hey, you missed a great massage, I think we're even." She giggled.
"True, but when I woke up... you looked so incredible. It will not happen again. Tonight is all about you, no exceptions. I promise you that."
She looked so pleased and excited. "So, you're done with the case then? The inspectors can take it from here?"
He suddenly realized he was only supposed to be assisting. Reid had been thinking about the outcome of all this, just assuming he was going to stick around and see it through. It was heart breaking, knowing he was about to diminish the shining hope in her sparkling eyes.
"I realize I am the worst husband in the world..." He began. "But..."
"What more do you have to do?" She wondered, pulling away a bit. "I don't understand. You've helped them look over the crime scene, you've done some interviews, you studied the bodies. You should have more than enough for a partial profile, if not a full on. What else is there?"
There was certainly not enough for a profile. Reid had never worked a case alone before, he had no one to bounce ideas off of and that made the whole process even more complicated.
He stepped closer to her, "I just... I feel like there's more I can do-"
"No," she moaned softly. "Spencer, this case is not your responsibility. This is not your job. You've spent two days on this and I know you want to do more, but there's only so much. You're not even supposed to be here. And what about us? I've known from the very beginning our life will be unexpected. We'll have to deal with cases and unsubs ruining our plans for the rest of our lives, I understand that. I accept that. But this is our vacation, this is supposed to be just you and me... Why can't we just have a few days that are just about us?"
She was calm. She wasn't on the verge of releasing her hot temper or spilling the tears burning in her eyes... she was just unhappy. Her arms were folded in front of her, a way to guard and protect herself. She waited for him to answer, to decide whether this case or his wife was more important to him. It wasn't even worthy of consideration. Reid stepped closer, ready to accept defeat and announce he'd stop. He'd tell Bradbury he couldn't do this anymore, wish the inspectors the best of luck and move on.
He opened his mouth to answer, but before he could make a sound, he was interrupted. Bradbury hurried in with the inspectors in pursuit, just like yesterday. "We have more victims." He informed at once.
Riley stood in amazement for a moment at the news. As Reid turned around. There wouldn't be any stopping him this time. "I'm very sorry about that, Inspectors but..." he glanced back at Riley, anticipating her joy when she heard him say this, "... my wife and I... we... we can't-"
"Reid," Eden interrupted. "It's Marcy Lemon and her assistant."
Shocked, "What?"
"Two of the hospital maids found her assitant with his throat slit, laying on the couch in his waiting room, like he was taking a nap. Marcy Lemon was bludgeoned on the floor after returning from a meeting that afternoon." She explained.
"That's..." Reid could never have expected this. "That's against the unsub's MO, why would he strike like that? Two people who live in the city, who work in the hotel instead of staying there... why would he go after them?"
"They weren't even a couple." Paul announced. "Doesn't he only strike couples?"
"No, actually, they were a couple." Reid corrected. "They were keeping a relationship a secret from the staff, but they seemed to know it anyway. We..." he glanced back at Riley again. She avoided his eyes, seeming very pensive at the moment. "...we overheard them our first night at the hotel."
"It's still not the same as the others." Eden replied. "Why would he do this? And how did he get access to kill two people in broad daylight inside the office of the most powerful person in the hotel?"
This was definitely out of their element, Reid knew. Were they in the States, they would be contacting JJ right now to ask for the BAU's assistance. But even in America, there was a lot of protocol to justify the unit's help. It would be almost impossible to receive anything like that over here without dozens of departments giving permission.
Her mind on the same track as his, Riley let out a heavy sigh. Reid glanced at her, meeting her eyes with a shimmer of disappointment. "Inspector... would you be interested in having more of Dr. Reid's team for support? We wouldn't want to invade your territory, but they could give you a lot more help than this establishment is trained for."
"I'd be thrilled to have the team's help." He answered, not even looking at the others for agreement. Though neither of them seemed in protest. "I've heard a lot of good things about the BAU, their help would greatly accepted. But how could we justify that?"
"Yeah," Reid said, looking at her in surprise. "It'll take too much time, assuming we can get the permission in the first place."
Riley reached into the pocket of her jeans, extracted the folded paper she'd hoped she'd never have to use. "I have a connection in the US State Department; Ambassador Elizabeth Prentiss. Her daughter works with Spencer and she's well acquainted with the BAU. I think she can help in getting all the requirements the team needs. If we work quickly, they could be here tomorrow."
"Where did you get that?" Reid asked, taking the paper to read it.
"Emily gave it to me at the wedding." She stated, snatching it back. She was not in the mood to discuss this. Riley looked to Bradbury. "I'll contact the ambassador, you'll just need to contact the unit directly."
"I'll ring Hotch right now." He said, delighted. He hurried to his office to make the call. The other inspectors looked at the couple. Not wanting to be caught in the middle of a possible fight, they slipped out without a word. Reid and Riley were alone.
His hand went nervously through his long hair. "Well..." He muttered, meeting her eyes apologetically. "You have to admit... it's a pretty interesting honeymoon."
She met his eyes again, "Yeah, and to think, we could have just spent these whole two weeks having sex."
A thought that was sure to depress him. Gripping his shirt, she pulled him closer to give him the peck of a kiss. Riley clutched the paper as she grabbed her cell, stepping out of the conference room. Reid had to admit, besides their fight two nights ago, she was being a great sport about this. He had to do something to make this up to her. Though looking at the big picture, it was beyond any premonition either of them had have. He was in a foreign country working on a murder case while he was supposed to be celebrating with his wife. And now he got to share the whole experience with his team. For the first time in his life, Reid was certain things couldn't get any worse.
Of course, as it had to every person who carelessly considered that phrase, things were going to get very much worse, indeed.
Emily didn't want to go home. She wasn't sure why, it felt like she was avoiding something. After returning from the gym, she settled at her desk and finished her paperwork. As the last signature was signed, she looked up around the bull pen. It was almost seven, with most of the unit gone. The other team members weren't in sight, though she was sure were still around. At least Garcia or Rossi wouldn't leave without saying goodbye. Emily hoped she could slip out within the next few minutes without getting roped into anything.
She took her coffee mug back to the empty break room. She cleaned it in the sink, grabbing a paper towel to dry it and leave it ready for the morning. To her dismay, someone joined her in the kitchenette, and she didn't even have to turn to see who.
"I thought you would have left by now." Morgan said, tentatively stepping in.
"Yeah, well, I had some paperwork to finish." She explained. "We'll probably have a new case soon, I didn't want to leave it for when I got back."
"Too bad we can't just do the usual and dump it on Reid's desk." Morgan muttered, trying to seem playful and friendly, despite the frigid tension she was sending off.
He took a step closer to her, but Emily edged away. Ever since he walked into the locker room, he hated himself for being so hard on her. He may have been angry, but he should have handled it like a man. Not like some monster.
"I'm sorry about today." He said. "I didn't mean to be so rough on you, I don't know what came over me."
"Morgan, I've competed with you." She mumbled, keeping her back to him. "You've been that rough on me before... but this time, it really felt like you meant it. Like you wanted to hurt me."
"I'm sorry, my anger took control. I know that's not an excuse, but I was upset. And I made me want to hurt because you hurt me first." He explained.
She looked at him, furious. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I ended this because I knew it was best, that's the only reason. You were the one who blew it out of proportion, like I was just trying to be petty or vindictive or something."
"Emily," He said, walking over. With so few people around, he wasn't concerned about anyone catching them here. "I don't want to fight. Let's meet at my place tonight and we'll talk about this."
"No," She answered, almost instantly. "After that scene in the gym, you think I want to be anywhere alone with you?"
"Em," He lowered his voice a bit. "I would never hurt you... I'm sorry about today, but that wasn't me. I care too much about you to hurt you."
His two fingers brushed gently down her arm. Emily inched away from his touch. Already, she missed it. She had to get away from him. "No... we're over. This is so... over."
"So you're just... breaking up with me?" He asked. "I don't get any kind of say, you just want to break up?"
She flashed a pair of angry eyes at him. "No, Morgan, for me to break up with you, there would have to be something between us to break." Emily said coldly. For an instant, she took pleasure in the appalled, hurt expression on his face before the remorse began to sink in. But she wouldn't give an apology. Leaving her mug, she headed out to the bull pen.
Just as she reached her desk, Hotch stepped out. He looked over the railing, spotting Morgan and Emily. "Good, you're still here." He said. "Morgan, find Garcia. I need to speak to all of you immediately."
He headed over to Rossi's door, not seeming to suspect what had just taken place. Emily glanced at him, who met her eyes for a moment, and then disappeared into the hall. Confused, she slowly continued to gather her things, hoping this would only be a few minutes out of her day.
Ten minutes later, Garcia had returned with Morgan and JJ had come out of her own office. None of them had any idea what this was about. At last, Rossi stepped out with Hotch behind him. They knew those expressions; they had come to an agreement on something. And that more than likely meant a new, special case.
"Alright guys," Hotch said. "I just got a call from a friend of mind. Inspector Leonard Bradbury, he works homicide in Scotland Yard."
"Oh my God," Garcia exclaimed, as startled as the others. "Did something happen to Reid and Riley?"
"No, no, they're fine. In fact... it turns out, they've spent the last few days assisting them on a serial murder case." He explained.
That didn't sit right with any of them. "But... they're supposed to be on their honeymoon." JJ said, as if Hotch had gotten the names wrong.
"I don't know the details of how they got involved, but it appears even with Reid's help, the case is a bit out of their league." He explained. "This is more our area of expertise."
"We can't exactly just... go over there to help." Emily argued. "There's protocol that has to be followed, we need official permission. We could lose our jobs, otherwise."
"That's already been taken care of. Not long after Leo and I spoke, I got a call from your mother, Emily, saying she's gotten us pending permission to go over and assist. We'll have official allowance in a few days, but there's no reason we can't fly over immediately to help."
"What I want to know is how your mother knew about this before we did." Rossi stated.
Emily let out a sigh. "I gave Riley some contact information in case she and Reid had some trouble with their visas... this was the last thing I expected them to use it for."
"Well, regardless, we've been asked to go to London and help with this case." Hotch explained. "Now, I have to warn all of you. It's on a voluntary basis. It's a long way to travel from your homes and families, and if you choose not to go, I won't force you. You won't need to take leave of absence or anything, either." He looked at each face of the group, looking for a response. "Does anyone wish to stay?"
"I should talk to Will about it first," JJ said, "But if he's okay with it, I'll be there."
"Very well, anyone else?" Hotch asked.
With no obligations of their own, the others kept silent. Hotch remained neutral, but was indeed pleased with their decisions. "Alright, everyone go home, pack and be back here in about an hour. If we leave as soon as possible, we can sleep on the plane and be there by 9 AM. Have your passports, your badges, and enough clothes to last at least a week."
Despite the situation, Garcia gave a slight giggle, always able to see the bright side of things. "Looks like we're off to merry old London."