read through the case, it's important for moreid haha. it's a bit long but it does matter. there's gonna be two parts, one in Spencer's point of view and the other in Derek's.
Spencer Reid
"What's going on detective?" Hotch asked as we stepped foot in the Florida police station. Rossi, Emily, and Morgan were at the newest crime scene.
"We don't know, after his last kill, he's been silent," the detective shook his head.
"He didn't leave another note?" JJ asked, brows furrowed in confusion.
"Nope, nothing. The body was the same, limbs removed and set in an 'x' pattern next to her but no note," he sighed, hands on his hips.
"That's strange. He's a seasoned killer, why would he deviate from his mo now?" I frowned in thought.
"What exactly did he say in his last note, Reid?" Hotch looked over at me. "Verbatim."
"Look here you have a new body, why can't you stop me? Why are you so slow? Can't you catch up? Am I that hard to track? Should've listened to me when I first started and you could have avoided the inevitable," I repeated, seeing the words in my head.
"What the-" the detective stared at me in wonder.
"Eidetic memory," JJ announced.
"He said to avoid the inevitable," Hotch murmured. I looked down in thought.
"That wouldn't make sense. If it's inevitable then you can't avoid it no matter what. It's either-or," I licked my lips, swallowing.
"He's planning something big. He has to be. Inevitable? Why would he use that word specifically?" Hotch pointed out.
"He would only if there was a plan," JJ nodded. "But what?"
"Reid, how are you on the geographical profile?" Hotch gave me a stoic look.
"I've boxed his comfort zone, here, here, and here," I drew the lines across the large map placed on the board. "I'm thinking he's here," I pointed at a specific spot.
"Daytona beach?" JJ frowned.
"Yes, it-" I trailed off as my brain instantly captured the moment. "The 'x' pattern, he's recreating it with the location of his victims," I mumbled to myself as I continued drawing the lines, finally connecting the dots.
"What?"
"This is it, look," I pointed at the map, "he's been making the same pattern with limbs, the 'x', it also matches with the locations in where the victims were abducted from," I informed them. Both JJ's and Hotch's eyes widened.
"What's there?" Hotch looked at the detective.
"That's the park. It's important in Daytona, everyone goes there when they're not at the beach," he stated.
"Morgan, come back. We've figured out where he's abducting next," Hotch said into the phone.
"We need to be there. So far his kills have been three days apart, he should strike again, he's clearly devolving and he's going to do it today," I warned them.
"I'll get that setup," the detective walked away quickly, calling his deputies.
"Any sight of him?" Hotch's voice was heard on Morgan's phone. We stood together waiting behind a few trees, the unsub liked to abduct as publicly as possible, it gave him the rush he craved.
"Not yet," he replied, scanning the area. I squinted as the sun shined brightly, looking around inch by inch as fast as I could, not wanting to miss him.
"I've got sight, next to the statue, blue jacket," JJ spoke from the phone.
"Move in slowly," Hotch ordered. Everyone began to move but the James- the unsub- noticed. A panic look surfaced on his face. He turned quickly, grabbing the first child insight and taking off.
"GO, GO, GO!" the detective yelled.
"NO!" both Hotch and Morgan yelled, the profile read that if he was chased, the possibilities of what the unsub would do in panic were terrible. They didn't listen.
Four officers down and James escaped, managing to jump into his car and swerve into traffic, disappearing instantly.
"Damn it!" Derek shouted, turning around and kicking the tree I was crouching behind. Startled, I flinched away and fell back. If Derek noticed he didn't show, instead he stocked off towards the detective. Blinking away the hurt knowing it was irrational and he probably didn't mean it, I stood up and walked towards Emily who sighed.
"Do they ever listen to the damn profile?" she grumbled.
"Apparently not," I shook my head as I watched Morgan yell at the detective. James had taken a little girl no older than maybe 8. The mother was a crying mess and JJ was trying to comfort her.
"He's never taken a child before," Rossi shook his head. "He didn't have a specified age preference but he's never gone so low."
"He panicked, we profiled he'd lose all sense. She was a victim of opportunity," I reasoned.
"Can you not talk about her like she's dead?" Morgan snapped as he stomped towards us.
"I didn't say she was," I frowned. "Are you-" I didn't get to finish when he grabbed his phone and dialed.
"Garcia-" and he walked off. Again, I tried to push away the feeling of hurt, swallowing.
"He's just upset," Emily tried and I nodded. "Morgan's bolts are wound too tight during these cases."
"Everyone's is," Rossi shrugged as we watched him talk to Garcia.
"Let's get going, we need to figure out where he would take the child. We don't know much time we have," Hotch came over as he finished talking to the detective who looked guilty.
"Alright, let's go through the profile again," Hotch started. Morgan stalked back, waiting impatiently as we talked.
"He's a psychopath with an abusive background. His father would beat him and his mother would cut him. He was only 12 when he ran away and he's severely anxious," Rossi began.
"He normally spends two days with the victims, torturing before the killing," Emily continued.
"Yes but those victims were all adults, it's different than hurting children," Morgan pointed out.
"Seeing as he's severely anxious and he's never abducted a child before, he's panicking. There's a lot of pressure, he saw the amount of police here and he's devolving-"
"What are you trying to say?" Derek grumbled.
"I'm saying that it's likely he'll just kill her to-"
"Damn it, Reid! Is your brain so big your body couldn't come with a heart? Can't you ever be fucking hopeful and not just assume she's dead when she's been gone no more than twenty minutes?" Morgan shouted and I recoiled back, feeling as if he had just kicked me. This time I couldn't blink away the pain. I cringed at his words and everyone's eyes widened.
"You saw what he did with the other victims! How could you possibly put out the idea he's going to do the same thing? She's 8 for god's sake and you're trying to tell us he's going to chop her limbs off too? Why can't you just think like a good fucking person for once! Why the hell are you like this?" he dripped anger. My eyes watered but I willed myself not to cry. Never in all the time that we had worked and known each other, had he yelled at me like that.
"Morgan, enough!" Hotch's voice was steely. I clenched my jaw to keep from crying. Any other person and I would've yelled back, not in pain, but out of defensiveness. Derek? It just felt like he was punching me in the gut repeatedly. Did he really think of me like that? That I wasn't a good person? My heart felt heavy and my face stung like he had slapped me. I swallowed the lump in my throat, not wanting anyone else to see.
Morgan's chest heaved up and down rapidly, the anger still evident, his face set in a permanent scowl. Everyone looked so startled at his outburst, Emily's face gaping as she knew about our situation. I stared at him, not knowing what to say, everyone else quiet.
"Whatever," Morgan growled, ripping away the Kevlar vest and stalking off towards the SUVs.
"You alright, kid? He had no right to talk to you like that, you're right as bad as it sounds, it's accurate but it isn't your fault. You're not the unsub, you're not the one pulling the strings," Rossi broke the silence.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine," I blinked away the tears. Emily gave me an empathetic look and Hotch stood with an analytical look on his face.
"Let's go find this little girl," he said. We nodded and followed him back towards the SUVs where Morgan was leaning against one with scowl still drawn and an impatient foot dropping.
"Wait," I stopped, my brain beginning to function again and dots connecting in my head.
"What is it?" Emily frowned.
"I think I know where the unsub's going. Something he said in his very first letter," I retraced through the first letter in my head. "Stop me before I can hurt anymore. I don't want to hurt people but it's buried deeper than the surface, like the roots of a tree tangled in the soil and the wood in the ground," I recounted.
"Trees, soil, wood, and ground?" Hotch listed.
"Trees? That could be anywhere. I mean, we're surrounded by them right now," Emily pondered.
"It could be a forest and wood could mean a cabin," I thought out loud.
"Would explain why Garcia never found a local address in town, he doesn't live in it," Rossi nodded, waving his finger in thought. Hotch called Garcia as we all put together clues until she was able to pinpoint an exact location.
"Let's go," Hotch nodded, informing the detective and his deputies. We all jogged off towards the SUVs and Morgan looked up from the ground.
"What happened?"
"Reid figured out where James took the girl," Hotch informed him. "Go back to the station with JJ and the mother. You're not thinking clearly and I do not need you getting personal on the field. It's an order," he gave him a hard looked when Morgan was going to protest.
"Fine," he clenched his jaw. I avoided looking at him as I got into the SUV with Emily.
We had managed to reach the unsub before he had been able to hurt the young girl. James committed suicide by cop just as we had predicted he would and we returned back to the station. As we entered the building, Derek was sitting in one of the conference chairs, his head in his hands. He looked up at the sound and his face flashed with an emotion I hadn't looked long enough to decipher.
'Thank you, guys," the detective shook hands with Hotch.
"We're here to help," Hotch assured him.
"Sorry about earlier, I freaked out when I saw him grab her," he rubbed his neck in embarrassment.
"Don't worry, some actions can be justified," he gave Derek a pointed look and I watched as his face fell. I gulped and Emily touched my shoulder for a second, I flinched at the contact. Everyone said there goodbyes before packing and getting onto the jet. Derek hadn't said a word to me the entire flight back and while I was okay with that, it also upset me. What had I done wrong?
We arrived back at headquarters and before anyone could notice, I left the building as soon as I had finished my report. I rushed down the sidewalk before calling a cab. There was no way I was going to be staying at his place whether or not he had offered.
I knew he lashed out because he was angry that James had slipped from our fingers. I knew he was upset that the little girl had been taken but it wasn't my fault. But the things he said? I couldn't forget them and they just played in my head on a loop.
Is your brain so big your body couldn't come with a heart?
Can't you ever be fucking hopeful?
Why can't you think like a good fucking person?
Why the hell are you like this?
The minute I stepped into my apartment, it's like the dam holding back my tears broke and they ran down my cheeks. If he thought so bad of me, why was he with me? Why even bother? Does he really feel that way about me? Does he really think of me as heartless?
A multitude of questions clouded my head as tears slipped down one right after the other. I sniffled as I kicked off my shoes, not bothering to take a shower or even remove my clothes, I just laid in my bed.
Why was I in so much pain? Why does my heart feel so heavy and like it's going to crumble? Why was he hurting me? What did I do wrong?
My phone went off and I knew it was Derek. He called four more times before the text messages began to come in. I just listened to my ring tone, every single one adding more tears to the mix. Then it went silent for thirty minutes before I decided to just look at them.
Derek: I'm so sorry, baby boy.
Derek: I don't know why I said those things. I didn't mean any of them.
Derek: I really didn't, I swear. It was just bullshit because I was upset and angry.
Derek: It wasn't your fault and I'm so sorry baby.
Derek: It wasn't fair to you, I wasn't fair to you.
Derek: Pretty Boy, please reply. I know I don't deserve it but I just want to know you're home safe.
Derek: Please, just please answer that.
Me: I'm home.
I sighed, crying a few more tears before shutting off my phone. I had forgotten how easy it was to sleep when you were crying.
The following morning, I managed to take a shower and get ready. I checked my phone to see multiple missed calls and text messages from Derek. Instantly his words flooded my head the minute I looked at them. I let a couple of tears slip, it was better to cry on my own then in front of everyone else so might as well get them out now.
I sniffled quietly as to not disturb the cab driver. Sooner than I had wished, I stepped into the elevator, Emily coming in at the same time.
"Hey, you okay? Your eyes are bloodshot," Emily noticed as the doors closed.
"Yeah, I just had a late-night I wanted to finish my reports," I lied, nodding my head.
"You don't have to lie to me, Reid. What Morgan said yesterday was out of line and stupid. That wasn't fair to you, he was being an idiot," she said sincerely.
"It's just, the things he said-" I didn't get to finish because the elevator doors opened. I shut my mouth.
"We'll talk later, okay?" she gave me a smile before we walked over to our desks, sitting down and getting situated for the day. I pulled out my files and immediately got to work, zoning everything and everyone out. A few times, I had noticed Derek passing by, looking right at me through my peripherals.
"Hey, we're gonna go grab some lunch, boy wonder. You coming?" Garcia stopped by my desk "Where's our chocolate man?" she looked around.
"I'm not really hungry, Garcia, but thank you," I gave her a tight-lipped smile as it was all I could muster before continuing to bury myself deeper into paperwork and filing.
I registered the look of confusion on her face and I registered a conversation but what they were saying. All I know was that Garcia left in a huff, stomping away and I returned fully back to filing.