Perfection Chapter 6: Meet the Locals, a criminal minds fanfic

Perfection

Chapter Six: Meet the Locals

By Ann Parker (TV)

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"Revenge is always the weak pleasure of a little and narrow mind." – Decimus Junius Juvenal

"There's something I don't get," stated Morgan. They were on the plane heading to Augusta. They needed to be ready to hit the ground running, the flight would only take about twenty-five minutes.

"What's that?" asked Gideon, glancing over at Sarah. He wasn't sure if she could tolerate more questions, but she seemed to be keeping her emotions in check. Reid was applying pressure to the portable heating pad on her side.

"Why escape and come after Sarah now after all this time?" Morgan continued. "More to the point, why spend time killing other women instead of just trying to find her?"

"I can answer the first one," replied Sarah. "His lawyers have been trying to get an appeal in for years on the grounds that I didn't testify. They convicted on my statement shortly after my surgery. He just got a court to agree to conduct a hearing on the accuracy of my statement. If I don't show, the sentence could potentially be overturned."

"That's what triggered your flashbacks," blurted out Reid. Now it all made sense. It hadn't been the case, but the letter from his lawyers. Sarah simply nodded.

"Why didn't you testify, if you don't mind me asking," questioned JJ.

"Because I overdosed on Dilaudid the day I was supposed to," she stated with no emotion. Reid pulled her close for her comfort as much as his own.

"The judge decided she wasn't strong enough mentally to testify, but her sworn affidavit was enough," continued Gideon for her. "As to your other question, Morgan, I think Levine noticed my concern for her at the trial and decided to taunt me while threatening her." The others nodded. "He knew I would notify her if the local authorities didn't."

"That or he just wants to put more blood on my hands," Sarah mumbled.

"Hey, don't make me give you your lecture back at you," retorted Reid. He didn't like how her emotions were driving her thoughts. They needed her to focus if they were to catch him. She sighed, removing the heating pad in the process. "What he does is not your fault."

"As always, you are right Dr. Reid," she half smiled at him. "How'd you get so smart?"

"A beautiful, wise woman once told me to not internalize what evil does in order to break our spirits," he replied with a smile. He leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. A smile graced her sweet features when he pulled away.

"I didn't quite use those words, but close enough," she teased, tapping his nose. "I liked the beautiful and wise part." He took hold of her left hand, kissing it by her engagement ring.

"I speak only of the truth," he stated.

"We're here," announced Hotch. Sarah was the first to her feet, the pain in her side now tolerable. As they exited the plane, she put on her shades and adjusted her badge and holster. By the time her feet hit Virginia soil again, she had morphed back into the agent they had all gotten to know the last few months.

"Alright," she started, "if it's Sarah Levine he wants then it's Sarah Levine he gets. Only this time she's not a scared teenager, but a federal agent with a gun and team that will hunt him down."

The local sheriff, who didn't really appreciate the FBI's help for the second time in his career, greeted them. It had been the DA that had called them. Sarah moved to the back of the group when she spotted him.

"Thanks for coming, but I think we can handle this ourselves," he greeted. "Sheriff Davids, and this here is Deputy Roberts." A younger man behind him tipped his hat.

"No offense, but if you could handle this then you would have captured Levine before he killed two women," retorted Reid, angry. Sarah put a hand on his shoulder, signaling for him to back down.

"Levine? He's locked up, boy. Has been for six years," replied Roberts. Sarah took this moment to move in front of the rest and removed her sunglasses, locking eye contact with the sheriff.

"Nice to see that the information highway is as screwed up as it was six years ago. Sam escaped four days ago an he won't stop killing until he finds me," she stated. If the DA hadn't had a good head on his shoulders, she'd be died right now. Majority of the locals still believed that her stepfather was a good man. The team could see the lights turn on in the two men's heads as the sound of her voice.

"Sarah?" asked Davids.

"In the flesh. Now you see why DA Peterson called us in?" she asked. The men simply nodded.

"Alright, let's get moving. Roberts, can you take Agent Jareau back to your office? We need to alert the public about an escaped convict," ordered Gideon. "Emily and Morgan, visit the first crime scene and her family. See if you can get any new information. Reid, go with Hotch to the second scene." The team nodded, beginning to separate. "Davids, would you like to join Sarah and I in our visit with the warden?"

"Absolutely. I'd love to know why I wasn't notified," Davids replied. They started to head to their separate vehicles when Reid ran over to the sheriff's car.

"What's wrong Spencer?" Sarah asked. He took hold of her and placed a gentle kiss on her lips, rules be damned.

"Please be safe," he whispered against her check. "I love you."

"I promise. I love you too," she replied, tapping his nose.

"Don't make a promise you can't keep," he said sadly, running his fingers through her hair.

"I haven't yet. Now go before Hotch yells at you," she teased, gently pushing him. He grinned and ran back to the SUV the two had.

"Well, that was mighty friendly," commented Davids as they climbed into his car.

"Just drive," growled Sarah and the Sheriff obliged. Gideon noticed her playing with her engagement ring and was thankful that Reid had proposed when he did. It was probably the main thing keeping her from breaking down right now.

"Stop profiling me Jason," she commented after a few minutes, noticing that he had been staring.

"Sorry, old habits die hard," he replied and she just shook her head. A few minutes later and they had arrived at the prison, the one place in the world Sarah never thought she'd have to see again.