(Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Criminal minds or the show itself)
So this chapter is a bit longer than the last two, I don't think I can upload tomorrow as I have my final exam, so hopefully this will tide you over until then. Also I like all your suggestions, but I have planned this story out already so I don't think I'll be changing the storyline, but they are really good ideas, I just hope what I've come up with is good enough ;)
Enjoy!
"...and Henry keeps asking where he is." JJ and Emily sat in the bullpen chatting about their weekend.
"What have you told him?" Emily lent back stretching her arms out behind her.
"I..I couldn't tell him that.. you know...I just said, "Uncle Spence has gone on a long tip"" JJ mimicked Emily's outstrecteched arms. "I wish I hadn't because the questions just kept coming." She sighed sadly. "I can't believe how long it's been already" JJ muttered glancing at Reid's empty desk.
Emily placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, offering her a half smile.
"We'll get him, Jay." She whispered.
"Morning, my lovelies!" Garcia chirped. "I have a case for you all, so get off your butts." She skipped up the steps and into the conference room.
The team gathered in the conference room, sipping their coffees.
They'd barely sat down when Garcia stated jumping through the case.
"This ones down in Georgia. Our Unsub killed 2 victims last night in Albany." Garcia clicked the remote and the remains of a young man filled the screen. "First victim is Duncan Scott, age 26, worked at a local coffee establishment. Second is Martha Dunson, age 49, she worked as a lawyer."
"How d'you know this is one Unsub?" Alex asked reviewing the file.
"Both victims were stabbed to death, within an hour of each other. It looks like the Victims crossed the unsubs path." Garcia stated.
"So they're victims of opportunity. Our unsub didn't care for victimology, he just took out whoever he saw." Rossi scratched his head, thinking.
"How can we be sure this is a serial killer we're dealing with?" Alex intercepted.
"Well 8 days ago a Steven Morten was stabbed to death outside his apartment. Forensics matched all 3 victims with the same knife."
"Where was Morten killed?" Morgan inquired, squinting at the images of the victims.
"Leesburg, which is the town over from Albany." Garcia replied.
"Our Unsub is travelling south. All police departments in that region should be warned." Rossi added.
Hotch shut his file and stood. "Grab your go bags, wheels up in 20." The team all nodded, leaving to assemble on the jet.
Miami
"Cooper, you're with me. I want to swing by the crime scene again. Maybe you can put those statistics to use." A tall, muscular, middle age man, who Reid has come to know as Liuetenant Michael Harper, tapped his ringed finger on Reid's monitor. His brown hair stuck to his face from sweat and his blue shirt was already omitting signs of perspiration.
"Uh, sure, but what about this paper work?" He asked, motioning to the small file on his desk.
"You're, what, 20 files ahead of us all. I don't think you need to worry about that, somehow." Harper chuckled striding towards the door.
Reid quickly gathered his things. Harper paused, his hand on the door.
"You coming, Coop? You only need your phone." Reid fondelled for his cell beneath the paperwork. "Now get over here, kid." Reid dashed over, hoping no-one noticed his subtle eye roll. Something's never changed. He was still a 'kid' here.
"Oh, Sir, when you say 'swing', you do realise that the crime scene is an hour away? In the context you used it in implied tha'..."
"Yea, whatever you say smart ass" laughed Harper.
Albany
When they landed the team headed straight to the police department, where a temporary office had already been set up.
Hotch stretched out his hand to the Sheriff, who shook it eagerly.
"I'm glad you could make it. We don't have too many homicides here so it's got us all a bit shook." Announced the Sheriff who scratched his head nervously.
Morgan waited for Reid to give them a statistic on the number of murders there were in Albany in recent years. But no such comment came, and Morgan looked down, crestfallen at the moth bitten carpet.
Hotch introduced them all, before moving over to see the board the police department had prepared.
"How far away is the crime scene?" Hotch asked turning back towards the sheriff.
"About 4 miles out, I can drive you there. The second victim isn't too far from the first."
"Any witnesses?"
A small blonde haired deputy piped up. "Just one; Janice Knight, she was walking home, said the perp didn't notice her."
"Okay, JJ, Rossi, go with the Sheriff to the crime sights. Alex and Emily talk to Mrs Knight, see if she can identify the Unsub. Morgan and I will start working on a profile with what we've got so far."
Sheriff Doughty, Rossi and JJ pulled up to the crime scene.
The body had been removed, but the blood still remained.
"That's a lot of blood. You think he drained the body on purpose?" JJ peered up at Rossi from her crouching position near the blood splatter.
"He could take pleasure in watching his victims suffer. Could be a sexual sadist." Rossi puzzled, taking in the whole scene. JJ stood back up next to Rossi, scanning the streets.
A light hit Rossi's glasses causing him to squint.
JJ kissed her teeth, her brain whirling around. "Why do this in such a public area?".
"It's possible he wants public or media attention. He's making a scene to attract."
Rossi felt the glint on the frame of his sunglasses once more, looking up to find the source, which he'd assumed was the sun. His eyes caught the barrel of a sniper, glaring down at them from the 12 story building opposite. He didn't hesitate.
"GET DOWN!" Rossi shouted. He grabbed JJ and pulled her down, just as the 'zip' of a bullet leaving a gun dove towards them. They hit the ground together, Rossi manoeuvred himself so he sheltered JJ from anymore incoming fire.
Shots could be heard all around them. He swivelled round, his gun aimed back at the window which now stood empty.
"R..Rossi? Who...?" JJ spluttered from the concrete.
Rossi turned back towards her.
"You hit?" He asked worriedly, scanning her body. His eyes went wide when they found the hole in her shoulder.
"Uh... I guess... it's okay though.." she was panting heavily.
"You're not okay, JJ". Rossi stripped himself of his jacket and pressed it firmly against JJ's gunshot wound, which was steadily forming a bloody puddle around her.
"Get an ambulance! Now! Agent down!" He yelled at the panicked officers who were gaggling around like headless chickens.
"Rossi..." JJ coughed, her face seizing with pain.
"Shhh, save your energy, the medics will be here soon." Rossi soothed, keeping his grip tight on her seeping shoulder. Blood bubbled through his dirty fingers and over the stump where his pinky finger had once been, before Callen had taken it away from him.
"Rossi... y..y'know wha' this is.." she breathed, wincing in agony.
"JJ, don't talk. MEDIC!" Rossi yelled his voice breaking. JJ continued anyway.
"Callen." She hissed, before passing out in a pool of her own blood and David Rossi's desperate pleas berating her ears.
Callen
Two agents. He could take them both out. Be greedy. Didn't he deserve it? No, He thought. He must control himself; pace himself.
He aimed the gun at the pretty blonde. Steadying it over her heart. His fingers caressed the trigger tenderly. He took pleasure in the power he possessed at that moment.
He took a deep breath his finger slowly pulling back the trigger. He was so wrapped up in his pleasure that he barely noticed the Italian agent's eyes slamming down on him.
Callen didn't hesitate either, he punched his finger against the trigger, as the older agent pulled the blonde away from the bullets trajectory.
Callen's bullet buried into Jenifer Jareau's shoulder. He bit back his curse, backing away from the window as gun fire ensued.
He clambered up the stairs to the roof, disappearing once more into the shadows.
Police station
Morgan and Hotch had been adding information to the board, racking their brains for possible personality traits the Unsub may accuire.
"Uh.. agent Hotchner?" A squeaky and abnormally small cop came around the corner, her eyebrows pinched nervously.
"Yes."
"Um.. well, this seems kinda strange, but someone's asking to speak with you, a...uh William Reid?" Her shoulders pulled up into her neck, like a puppet, her face screwed up in confusion.
Morgan frowned at Hotch. "That's Reid's dad." He stated.
Hotch nodded his thanks at the young officer, who's shoulders slacked up and she went back to her desk.
Hotch and Morgan glanced suspiciously at each other and walked out the room, only to be confronted by a weary looking William Reid.
"You know how hard it is to find you. I've travelled from LA to Quantico, only to find you missing!"
"Why would you need to find us sir?" Hotch asked calmly, his arms crossed.
William strode up to Hotch, his face extremely close to the agents. "Why!? I'm told my son- my only son- is dead! That's why! Because No-one had the decency to tell me in person, a phone call was all I received!" He spat.
Morgan felt anger take control of him and he pushed Reid's father back.
"I didn't even know you still cared! You left him when he was 10! You never made any effort to contact him, so excuse us for treating you no differently to how you treated him!" Morgan seethed, his firsts curled as he turned to control his outburst.
William Reid stumbled back from Morgan's push, but rather that pusuing the agents he fell against the wall, sobbing pathetically. He pinched the bridge of his nose hoping to stem his tears.
"I know! God... what have I done?"
Hotch frowned sympathetically at the man.
"I just... I want to know what really happened.
I was working that day, you know. I..I was doing paper work when Spencer needed help. I was lay in bed thinking about my case when he being murdered. I.. I need to know.." his breath caught suddenly and he moaned in pain at the thought of his dead son.
"Mr Reid, I'm sorry for your loss, we all lost someone that day. You cannot blame yourself for not helping him. You couldn't of known." Hotch extended an arm to help the weeping man up.
"I..I wish I had seen him... just one more time." William sighed hiding his face shamefully in his hands.
Morgan kept his back turned on William, he couldn't look at the man who'd abandoned his best friend.
Hotch's phone shrilled from his pocket, as he was sitting William down.
"Hotchner." He said as he flicked it open.
Hotch's brow furrowed deeply and he gaped over at Morgan.
"What's up, Hotch." Morgan asked.
"Uh.. where are they taki'... okay, we will leave now. And Rossi? Dave...Dave you need to calm down. We will be there as soon as we can."
"Hotch?" Morgan pushed with urgency and a hint of panic in his voice.
"Get Emily and Alex. We need to get to the hospital."
"Oh god,what's happened?" Garcia gasped fully entering the room.
Hotch looked at her, pathos crawling over his features "It's JJ. She's been shot."
Waiting room
"..so he wants us dead now?" Alex ranted, Hotch threw her a warning look, she threw her hands over her head and retook her seat.
"We don't know anything for sure..." Rossi chipped in. Silence fell once more.
The team sat nervously in the waiting room. Alex and Garcia beaan talking again in tight whispers. The others sat stock still, except Emily who's leg jigged rapidly. Morgan was sickeningly reminded of the last time they were sat like this, but this time JJ and Reid were missing from the team. William Reid was asleep opposite Morgan, who watched him angrily. The man had insisted on staying until he found out what happened to Reid; no one had been in the mood to retell the story in that moment.
Garcia's kept nervously glancing at Hotch then back at the door.
It had been 4 hours since they'd arrived when a doctor finally walked in.
"I take it you're all here for Jennifer Jareau?" He gave a friendly smile at them. Hotch stood up, rubbing his palms against each other anxiously.
"Don't worry agents. It was a through and through shot. She was lucky it didn't hit anything vital, although just a few millimetres to the right and it would've hit an artery. She's out of surgery now and in recovery. Is her family here yet?"
The team sighed in relief, all but Hotch, slumped back into the uncomfortable blue seats.
"They should be on their way now, I called them when we first got here." Garcia whispered with increasing fatigue.
The Doctor gave them all a half sly smile.
"Well in that case, you best go see her. I wouldn't want her to wake up alone." He winked at them, Emily beamed at him. "Room 136 down the hall on the left." With that he practically skipped away.
Garcia scrambled out of her chair and to the door. Hotch sat back down fingers pressed to his forehead, relief radiating off him. Morgan placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Coming?" Morgan asked quietly.
"You go ahead. I'll catch up in a minute." Morgan nodded, following his team from the room.
William Reid was staring at Hotch sadly.
"You want to know what happened?" Hotch lamented, landing his focus on the man opposite him. His depressed eyes answered.
Room 136
JJ lay limply in the crisp white hospital bed. Her shoulder bandaged heavily and her face drained of colour. An IV hung nearby, along side a blood bag, both connected to her arm.
Garcia burst in and whimpered at how weak she looked. "Oh JJ!" She cried.
JJ cracked her eyes open slightly and Garcia squealed, wrapping her arms gently around JJ.
"I'm alright, Penelope. Is eveyone else okay?" JJ croaked, opening her eyes a little more.
"Of course they are, silly. You were the one who got shot! Everyone's here for you, I calle'.." Garcia's smile faultered suddenly.
"What? What is it Pene?" JJ bleated.
"I think I've made a terrible mistake. Oh I..." she was interrupted by the door opening quietly behind her.
"You're awake! Thank god you're okay, you had us worried." Emily hugged the Blonde, holding onto her with relief.
Garcia retreated into the corner gnawing her nails. JJ was too tired to question her actions or her previous outburst.
Soon enough the whole team was in the room, minus Hotch and Reid.
JJ looked over at Rossi.
"I owe you big time." She affirmed, offering him a toothy grin. Rossi waved up a modest hand.
"You really think this is Callen?" Alex began, no longer able to hold back the questions that had bedraggled her mind for hours.
"I can't be sure, but that sniper was defiantly aimed to fatally wound JJ. Why else would he lure us there? My gut is telling me it's Callen." Rossi grimaced at the name.
"You've already explained that." Alex muttered impatiently. "Did you see anything JJ?"
"I...uh.. no Rossi pulled me down. All I remember was being on the ground and then I must of passed out." JJ rubbed her head as a headache formed inside it."
"If Rossi's right, and when is he wrong, then we've got the profile already. And he's in the area. We could catch him!" Morgan coaxed excitedly.
"Don't get your hopes up, we can't be sure of anything just yet." Rossi considered, sending Morgan a firm stare.
Emily turned back to JJ. "Well, what I can be sure of is that you will get better before you even consider coming back to work." JJ laughed.
"JJ?"
Waiting room
"I'm sorry, sir. There wasn't anything we could do." Hotch disclosed, sympathy laced in his expression.
William Reid was trying to hold it together, closing his eyes to try and fight off the grief fighting inside him.
"I just need to check on my Agent, but if you stay here I will be back shortly to answer any questions you may have." He nodded curtly at Reid's father.
"Thank you." William sniffed, and fell back into his seat.
Hotch started to leave, a blonde man scuttledpast him. He looked back at William Reid, who was eyeballing the ceiling.
Hotch left with a sigh heading towards JJ's room. The man who'd darted in front of him paused at several rooms. His shirt hung partly out of his jeans and his messy batch of curls stuck out, un-brushed. Hotch tried to push past the man to get to JJ, when a soft hand held him back.
Hotch turned to see the young blonde man fixated on him a excited smile spreading eagerly over his face.
"Excuse m..." Hotch looked at the man and stopped abruptly; he knew that face. The eyes and the hair was no longer brown, he wore glasses, jeans and a short sleeve shirt, but it was still Dr Spencer Reid, no matter how much he changed.
"You cannot be here." Hissed Hotch, although he too felt joy blossoming throughout his body. As if Reid suddenly realised this, his face became neutral and he extended a hand out to his former boss.
"Uh... CSI Detective James Cooper. I've been called to discuss a case with you." Reid's eyes darted to the room ahead to them.
"Follow me." Hotch said, playing along.
Hotch stopped at JJ's room. "Hopefully there's no cameras." He murmured under his breath to 'James', who didn't flinch.
Reid took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
"JJ?" He cooed shyly.
Hotch pulled the door closed and clicked the lock, checking for cameras.
JJ thought she recognised that voice. She turned her face painfully to the young man who'd entered, expecting to see a doctor.
The deep green eyes framed with glasses seemed oddly familiar to her, as did his blond wavy hair.
Garcia sprang up from the corner and attacked Reid with a bear hug, which he reciprocated with less violence.
"You shouldn't be here." Garcia's muffled voice mumbled on Reid's shoulder.
"Sorry" he gasped upon release.
Now they definitely recognised that voice. Alex's eyes became huge with disbelief as she grasped Reid's face in her hands.
"Hey Alex" he smiled. She planted a hard kiss on his cheeks making him blush.
"Oh I've missed you." Blake cried, holding his gaze. Her fingers brushed over the deep scar over his right temple, she smiled sympathetically.
"God, me too. It's so good to see you all."
The others were still flabbergasted, there mouths agahast in shock.
"Reid?" Morgan whispered.
"Well not exactly. I n..." Reid was almost knocked off his feet as Morgan launched over to him, gripping the boy in his arms, never wanting to let go.
Rossi cleared his throat, still gaping at how much their Spencer Reid had changed.
"Ya know when I said I didn't want to see you at work for at least another week? Well, you milked it a bit, didn't you." The team laughed, tears of happiness falling down Garcia's cheeks.
"JJ, are you alright? I was so scared when I left." JJ nodded and held her arms out for a hug, like a child would. Fearful of hurting her Reid gingerly embraced her, smiling madly.
"I'm fine. You shouldn't have come down here. But, I can't say that I don't want you here. I've missed you." She bit back the threatening tears.
"I'm sorry. I would've said goodbye, but I didn't have time it wa'.."
"You don't need to explain, Spencer. We get it." Emily held him close to her, remembering his smell and all the things she loved about him.
"Why are you here?" Hotch grunted.
"I... uh... well I had to see if JJ was alright. A...and Callen is back on the move, so I needed to make sure you were all safe." Reid stammered, fiddling with a loose button on his shirt.
"And how did you find out all this? Who told you?" Hotch continued his arms resting across his chest and his eyebrows raising.
Garcia interjected anxiously. "Uh... I did, Sir? I know it was stupid of me, b..but he needed to know. In my defence, I didn't think he'd come."
Hotch glared at Garcia. "Stupid? This was downright idiotic! This could blow the whole cover. Reid, you should've known better that to come down here in your position."
"I know, Hotch. But you'd do the same wouldn't you?" Silence echoed through the room.
Hotch shook his head. "That doesn't matter. The fact is you might've been seen tonight, Callen has eyes everywhere."
"I hope he does see me, then hopefully he will come after me instead of all of you." Said Reid bravely.
"Reid, don't say that." Emily whined.
"You're not thinking of blowing your cover, are you?" Hotch scolded.
"No, of course not, but you have to understand why I came. It's done now anyway." Hotch sighed angrily, accepting what his Agents had done.
"So where exactly did you leave from?" Asked JJ, who was looking at her fingers curiously.
Reid chuckled. "Sorry, I haven't properly introduced myself. I'm Detective James Cooper. I would tell you where I work, but that is classified." Then a little quieter he mumbled "and it's got nothing on the BAU, that's for sure." He winked.
"Well, Detective Cooper, I must admit Blonde suits you. Though, I think perhaps you'd be better suited to brown." Emily joked, mocking a thinking pose.
"That's one gnarly scar!" JJ giggled pointing to the scar on Reid's head, which he'd tried to keep hidden behind his hair, proving that she was still high on drugs.
They talked about everything Reid missed, because he couldn't risk enclosing details of his location. After around 20 minutes , Reid looked at his watch.
"Henry and Will should be getting here soon, I estimate around 12 minutes." He bit his lip and stood up from where he'd been leaning on the wall.
"I should go before... you know" a melancholy sigh escaping his lips.
"It's alright, we get it." JJ's small hand held his tightly.
"Be safe, will ya." Morgan said approaching him for another hug.
"You too. Avoid any and all open areas. Oh and do me a favour." Reid paused.
"And what's that, Kiddo?" Rossi asked after planting a kiss on each of Reid's cheeks, knocking his glasses askew.
"Catch that sonovabitch!"
Reid waved goodbye, not wanting to look away from his family. He managed to tear his eyes away and flee the scene, before he could argue with himself.
Waiting room
William Reid had begun to pace the room. Agent Hotchner was taking his time. After around 20 minutes he'd had enough and went to grab himself a coffee.
He inserted his change, which filled his thick wallet. He knew Spencer had like coffee. Diana had complained to William about the habit when he'd gone to see her. She had a meltdown not long after that and William never revisited his ex-wife again.
As the coffee drissled miserably into the disposable polystyrene cup, William wished he could've take his son out for coffee. He wished he'd made the effort to get to know his son; be there for him, help him, love him.
William knew he loved his son, very much, but he realised he had never done enough, he was a pitiful excuse for a father and he knew it.
He lent against the wall holding back tears. The corridors were almost empty. William sipped his coffee shakily, watching the few strangers walking past.
A blonde haired young man walked by him, his eye danced over William as if he didn't exist. The boy wore thick glasses. Spencer used to wear ones like those, William thought.
Hotch slipped into the hallway, his eyes finding William.
"Maybe it'd be best if you went home. None of this is doing you any favours. When we get back to Quantico after our case, I will contact you." The agent extended his hand to the older man, who looked at it hopelessly.
His eyes fidgeted around. A small blonde boy had just entered with a youngish man holding him tightly to his chest.
Hotch made to greet them, but first took Williams hand, and pulling out a card with his number on it.
"If you need to talk, my numbers on there." With that Hotch jogged over to the father and son, guiding them back through the corridors.
William gazed down at the card, memorising the numbers.
He trudged out of the building. But he wasn't going home.