It's your time Reid Part 2
They decided to stop for sandwiches and fixings on the way home and just spend the evening there together. Reid was setting the table when he heard a very hurting and fearful cry from Storm "Reid". That was all she needed to say and he was running to the kitchen even though it was only about 3 steps away. When he got there he saw Storm bending over a faucet of running water and the water running out from under her hand was very red. She had cut her left hand pretty good while chopping the tomatoes. She said she had been thinking of him and not paying attention to what she should have been. Reid, with one glance at her hand, knew she would probably need stitches. So he wrapped a towel around her hand as tight as he could and started helping her to the car. When she started to weave a little, Reid just picked her up and carried her. A fast trip to Las Vegas Medical center and soon Storm was indeed getting stitches. She wouldn't allow them to give her any pain killers (why Reid didn't know) and on the way home she told Reid it hurt more for the guy to take her blood than get the stitches. He must have just started she said, cause he had to poke me a couple of times. Neither one of them wondered why they were taking blood for stitches on her hand.
When they got home, Storm was in way too much pain to settle down in bed so they sat down on the couch. Reid asked her why she didn't take the pain killers and she said it was because she couldn't afford to be out of head anymore that she was. Then he asked her if since she couldn't do anything else (wink, wink) maybe she would allow him to look at those case files she kept looking out. She stared at him for a couple of minutes and then she said, "Just remember you asked." And she went and got them and handed them to Reid.
She handed him two files, with women's names on them. Star told Reid that two months ago she had been on duty when she got a call to go check out Lisa Grover's apartment on Filler St. She hadn't shown up for work that Monday and people were getting worried. She went to the Lisa's house and knocked. When she didn't get any response she looked in a window. She didn't see anything out of the ordinary, in fact there was a huge bouquet of sterling silver roses on a coffee table. Seeing those roses made Storm think maybe Lisa had gone away with her boyfriend for the weekend. She told herself she would go knock one more time, and then leave Lisa her card with a message to call her, when she returned. When Storm turned to leave, she looked down just in time to stop herself from stepping in what Storm thought was dried blood. She called her captain, he called the Detectives. When they got there they told Storm to leave, they could handle it from there. The night Storm called a friend of hers who was also a detective and asked him if he could find anything about the case for her. While she was waiting for a return call she typed up everything that had gone down, so she Storm would have a written record of what had happened to help her memory. When her friend called her back he told her that they had not been able to find any sign of Lisa anywhere. The only signs that something might be wrong was the spot Storm found which did to turn out to be O negative, which was Lisa's type.
It was like she vanished in thin air. Nobody saw a thing. No clues except the spot of blood, that didn't tell them. The flowers held a card that had the date (4 days before Lisa was taken) and it signed in very beautiful handwriting, SEE YOU SOON. After three or four days the case got set aside. No clues, no body. so nothing to work with. She talked her friend into making her a copy of the file, it was wrong but he did owe her one. No matter how many times Strom studied it nothing new popped up. Storm kept looking at the case when she could. She also was the lookout for any other cases like Lisa's. A month later she got it.
This one was in a different area of town. The detective who got this case was also a friend of Storm's . Same case, a single woman who had disappeared. Gloria Loveland was last seen leaving work Friday afternoon. Not reported missing until Monday morning. No clues at this scene either, except for the same roses sitting on the table With the same note. See you soon. No record of anyone every delivering the flowers. No record of anyone buying that color of roses in Vegas. All they got were dead ends no matter where they turned.
Storm said "I tried to tell them that the two cases were related but they didn't listen to me. And besides they kept telling me that without a body, they didn't have anything to go on. So I got a copy of the second file and I study them all I can. I can't believe someone can get away with this. And he is going to strike again, real soon. Some lady will be getting flowers soon and then she too will disappear."
Reid sat there for a minute and then got a pad and pen out of his bag. He wrote single women, then below that he wrote dozen roses, and then card with, see you soon. He looked at Strom and said, "This really isn't much to go on." Storm said, "But do you think its a serial killer and that he is going to kill again?" Reid said, 'If I was a betting man, and I'm not, I would say yes to both. But unless you get more clues it's going to be darn near impossible to catch him. Did anyone run a check to see if any murders like this might have happened somewhere else? " Storm said, "I am sure nobody did that. No one thinks this is a case, let alone a serial case." Then Reid sat there a few minutes. Then he said "In the morning I will call Garcia. She's a computer whiz that works with me. She can run a check and see if murders like this show up anywhere else. And both vanishings happened on a Friday as close as you can tell? Storm said, " They both disappeared between Friday around 5 pm and 11 am Monday."
Storm couldn't sit still. She got up and paced. Then she would look at Reid, Then she paced. Then she looked at Reid. Then she paced. Then she looked at Reid and he motioned for her to sit down. When she did he said, "No blood found at the second scene? So no one knows what the second victims blood type is?" Star just shook her head no. "Another thing to ask Garcia." He wrote that on the pad. Then he yawned. "Do you think you can go to bed or is your hand really bothering you?" And Storm smiled and looked at him. "How about we go into the bedroom and you see what you can do to take my mind off my hand." Reid didn't have to be asked twice, the files slided to the ground as they embraced and soon they took themselves off to the bedroom where they spent the night.
Reid thought the next morning as he woke up, I am one more day closer to leaving Storm. I'm not sure I can. I'm not sure I want to, he thought. But he said nothing to her. And he forgot to call Garcia.
A couple hours after getting to the sanitarium, he noticed Storm talking on the phone She hung up and came over to him, real excited! "Reid, I have to go see a friend. I think I may have a break in the case. You stay here with your mom, you only have a couple of days left now. I'll go visit my friend and then come back and get you. If by chance I'm not here when you are ready to go home, just call a cab. I'll know where to find you." Then she looked at him and said, "Stay safe kid." She raised up, kissed him, very throughly. Then she waved at his mom and then she was gone.
After lunch, while his mom was sleeping, Reid reached in his bag and pulled out his tablet. And on the top page was the little clues and notes he had made on the case. He couldn't believe he forgot to call Garcia. He never forgot. But then he chuckled to himself, I have never done a lot of things, until now.
He called Garcia and told her he was just looking into a case for a friend. He asked her if she had time to look up something for him. Garcia said, "It's been dead around here kid. I am sitting here now doing some maintenance on some of the computers. Give me an hour or two to finish it and then I will gladly run that information for you. By the way, how is your mom?" He told her his mom was fine and then told her what he wanted her to check into. And call me right away if you find anything." Then Garcia said, "Hey Reid I heard something about you and a girl." And Reid cut in with "I'll tell you all about it when I get home." And he hung up.
When five pm came along, he was a little surprised Storm had not made an appearance. He tried calling her, but her phone went right to voice mail. He went and had dinner with his mom, and afterwards he tried calling Storm again. Voice mail. He tired again and then again. Finally at nine pm, when they put his mom to bed, he called a cab to take him to Storm's place. On the ride to the house, he tried her a couple more times, still nothing. He was a lot worried and very frustrated by the time he got to the house. He paid the cab and walked up the sidewalk with his head down. When he went to put his foot on the step, he noticed what was sitting there. And his heart fell to the ground.
Reid did the only thing he could think to do. Derek answered the phone with a "Hey kid, I was just going to call," all Reid could do was start blurting things out. "She left over twelve hours ago Derek and I can't contact her on her cell phone, it just goes to voice mail and just now when I got home she has roses on her step. Derek, I'm scared and I don't know what to do," and stopped talking. Derek said, "Listen kid, we will be there in under 2 hours. Hang in there and we will sort this out, OK?" Reid said "why are you guys coming here?" Derek told him that Garcia's searches had found three other cities and in each city women had disappeared just like the two in Vegas. Nobody knew why or how, but the MO was the same. So Hotchner called Las Vegas, told him about the findings and asked if he wanted our help. The guy said hell yes. "So we jumped on the plane and we are almost there. We wanted to surprise you, that's why we didn't call ahead." Derek said. Reid replied with, "See you soon then," and hung up.
Nobody was surprised when Reed showed up at the airport to met them. But they were a little shocked over how bad he looked. Yes, it was in the middle of the night, but that wasn't all it was. Derek thought he looked haunted. Hotchner said he looked desperate, Regardless what he looked like, he was glad they were there.
"Any word for you gal," Derek asked? Reid shook his head no. Derek says, "Garcia called me just before we landed. She found out a couple of more things. Every woman that disappeared, had been treated in some kind of medical center 48 to 72 hours before they disappeared. And every woman that has disappeared, had O negative." Reid stops dead in his tracks. Derek takes a couple more steps before he realizes Reid isn't behind him. He stops and turns back to Reid. Reid just looks at Derek but didn't or couldn't say a word. When everyone else came back Derek asks, "You OK kid? What's going on?" It took Reid a couple of minutes before he said, "Storm was treated at the local medical center 36 hours ago. And she's 0 negative." Then he said, "we wondered why they took blood for a cut? What is in using them for.?
"I think I now know what he is using them for," a voice said in front of them. They all turned to look at this beautiful lady standing in front of them. "Hopefully the ME will confirm my hunch real soon." She goes on, "You must be Hotchner" she said as she was shaking his hand. "And Rossi, JJ, Prentiss, Derek." "Reid has told me about you. I am really glad you are here." She then walked up to Reid, hugged him and to him, "I'm sorry for worrying you. My cell phone was dead, and it took a longer than I thought." Reid just pulled her close and kissed the top of her head and said, "It doesn't matter now. You are here and you are safe. I just panicked when I seen the flowers, " Storm hearing the word flowers pushed away from Reid, "What flowers?" Reid told her about the roses that had been lying on the step when he got home last night. Then he said " It didn't dawn on me until just a few minutes ago they he wouldn't have left the flowers if he already had you. But I was so scared" he told her again pulling her close. After a couple of seconds she looked up at him and said, "I love you too kid. Now lets get moving, got a lot of things to do." She looks at him with so much love and caring the whole team could see it. Reid was in love. The team all smiled at each other and at Reid.
Storm told Reid, "I'm reinstated now. When I got home and didn't see you I called my captain and he told me about the Bau coming in and that as soon as I can get to the station I could have my badge and gun back. And I knew you were probably here when you weren't at home. "Where's the flowers" She asked? Reid said "In the car with the same note as before."
They all started walking towards the exits when Storm said, "Do you guys want to go to the hotel first or to the station? " Hotchner told her the station. She asked Reid "where's the car?" And Reid pointed out front, "I tried your trick." She laughed and gave Hotchner a couple of sets of keys. "Those two black SUV'x out there are for your use. You can follow us or take your own way. See you at the station." Reid and her got into a Red Mercury Sable and to everyone's surprise Reid was driving. The team got into the SUV's and followed.
"Who's that lady?" Rossi said to Hotchner. Him, Hotchner and Prentiss were in one rig, Derek and JJ in the second. Hotchner said, "I don't know. But it looks like her and Reid know each other well."
In the other rig Derek said, "I think the kid has grown up." JJ laughed. Derek had not told the the team about his earlier phone call with Reid. That was for Reid to tell he thought.
It wasn't too long before they got to the station. The team got out of there cars and started in. Derek looked back at Reid who was still sitting in the car. "We'll be in in a moment." he told Derek. Derek waved and followed the others upstairs.
The captain, a Don Smith, came out and introduced himself. He shook hands and said, "We have a room set up right over here. On of our officers suggested how we set it up. Hope it works for you." The team walked in and found a very workable room. It had a round table with several chairs, two boards on each end of the room to write things on, a third board with notes and a few pictures on it about the case, several phones, fax machine, hook ups for computer, a refrig stocked with drinks and snacks, and a huge coffee pot with cups and all the throw-in's. Prentiss said, "Wow" and went to get a cop of coffee.
Hotchner turned to the captain and said, "What more can you tell us about the case." The captain said "the main officer working the case did it on her own. She has more insight than the detectives that have the cases. They all should be in soon. Now if you are set, I'll go back to my office, which is just down the hall. Holler if you need me."
Meanwhile back in the car, Reid turned to Storm and said, "Are you planning on being bait to bring this unsub out?" Storm looked at Reid and said, "The thought did enter my mind. It would look really good on my jacket if I could catch this guy. But things have changed recently. I no longer have just me to think about." She grabbed his hands. And she said, "You are the beat of my heart, you are the light in my soul. I get up every morning smiling, knowing you are in my life. I will not do anything that you don't feel I should. If you are uncomfortable with me doing this or anything else, I will not do it. I love you Spencer Reid, and I hope to spend the rest of life with you. Getting an atta girl in my jacket means nothing compared to you."
Reid didn't know how to respond to that but Reid was a very smart guy. He drew Storm close and said, "I love you too." Then he kissed her very throughly so she wouldn't have any doubts.
Her phone rang and broke them apart. Reid heard her tell someone, "Yea I'm here. Downstairs yet. I'm coming right up." Storm looked at Reid and said, "Duty calls." They laughed and headed in.
When they got to the floor, everyone clapped to see Storm back. One of the guys brought her gun and badge to her. He said, "I won the honor of giving these back to you. You never should have lost them in the first place." Then he looked at Reid. "Who's this?" he said in a threatening manner. Storm took her badge and gun and said "thanks Tommy, and thanks all of you. Knowing you guys were behind me made this all bearable." And then she grabbed Reid's hand, and said, "This is Dr. Spencer Reid of the BAU and my future husband. So take it easy on him OK." It was a toss up on who was more shocked over that announcement, the BAU team who had overheard it or the cops in the room. Storm just pulled Reid along until they got to the room. Her phone rang and she motioned for Reid to go on in the room. "Join you in a few." And Reid went in. He looked around at the faces of his friends and there various expressions and went to one of the boards and started writing. He wrote, "Her name is Storm and I love her." Then he put down his pen and sat down. In a couple of minutes Storm came in and looked at Reid and said, "The ME confirmed what I thought. You remember that place in the desert we went to a couple of times." He nodded. "Well those times I disappeared I was talking to my friend George who lives out there. He use to be in the hospital with your mom and my grandfather. A year or so they let him out. I helped him get settle out there and check on him every now and then. I had asked him to watch for any thing out of the ordinary. Well he called me yesterday. He noticed a bunch of buzzards circling around. When he went to check it out, he saw what he thought was a body at the bottom of the ravine. He called me and I went out with my climbing gear. I was able to repel down and sure enough there was a body. With the state of decomposition, I couldn't tell who it was. And it hit me what this might be all about." She turned to Hotchner " You should be getting the the ME's report anytime." About that time the fax machine started spitting something out. Rossi was standing right by it so he grabbed it.
Rossi said, "The ME says the condition of the body leads him to believe that it is Gloria Loveland. It also says that her heart, lungs, kidneys, eyes, and liver have been taken. Very skillful done. Derek, call Garcia and have her look at the employees of the local Medical Center. Run that list against the centers in Portland and Seattle that the other missing women went to before they disappeared. Maybe we will get a huge break and identify the UNSUB.
Reid looked at Strom then at Hotchner, "knowing who he is isn't catching him. Are you planning on using Storm as bait." Everyone stopped what they were doing and waited to see what Hotchner would say.
Hotchner came over and sat across from them. "Reid, if we catch the guy before 5 pm today we won't need Storm. But if we don't have him in custody or some very strong leads that led me to believe we are closing in on him, then yes I am going to ask Storm and her captain if she will be bait. She will be watched and covered by all of us here, and I sure the police dept will assist us in anyway we need them too. We will protect her as best as we can."
So they got back to work. Garcia called with the name of a hospital technician that had been at all 3 cities. Morgan and Rossi went to the hospital, he had not show up for work that evening. They went to his apartment, he was not there. No one had remembered seeing him for a couple of days. He had no vehicle registered to him, and all anyone could remember seeing him drive was a white SUV. Garcia continued to search but it wasn't looking good.
About 9 a m they decided to send Derek over to Storm's. They wanted him in the house early, in case the unsub was watching. Storm said she would take him over so she could change clothes. And she thought she better take the flowers in, just because they had been inside during the other kidnappings. Before they left Reid took Derek aside and said, "Please keep her safe. She's my life." Derek grabbed Reid's shoulder and said, "I swear I'll protect her like one of my own." She returned a short time later.
About 11 am Hotchner told them all to go to the motel and grab a couple of hours sleep. He said if anything big happened he'd call them. Reid knew better than to go to Storm's they just walked across the street to the motel and got a room.
When they got into the room Storm turned to Reid, "I know you are going home soon but I can't keep my eyes open." Reid led her to the bed told her to get in. He went back out and found a drugstore near by and got some medicine and a new wrap for her hand. When he got back to the room, he very gently cleaned it and put on medicine and a new wrap. Strom didn't even stir. Reid then laid down beside her and even though he was worried sick he soon fell asleep.
Hotchner called at 3 pm. He said, "You guys need to come back here so we can make a plan." They washed there faces and left after giving each other a long hug and kiss.
Hotchner looked up when they came in. After they sat down he said, 'I'm sorry Reid but we are going to have to use Storm, if she will do it. How about it Storm? Are you willing to be bait to catch a killer." Storm looked at Reid and then at Hotchner. "It's Reid's call." Hotchner looked at Reid not surprised at all. Reid said, "Tell me the plans you have to protect her."
Hotchner said, "Derek's in the house. He has his com link so we will be able to hear everything. We will be parked at the first house. The owners already said we could park there. They think we are local policeman watching for speeders on the road. We will be one SUV with me, you and Rossi. Storm your house is in a bad spot for something like this. We'll have other cops, in regular cars deployed a mile or so up and down the roads. And on intersections meeting the road for up to 5 miles. Everyone will be patched into Derek's and Storm's com's....."and Storm said, "I won't be wearing one." Reid not understanding but knowing her well enough to figure she had a reason said, "why not?" And Storm said, "In case something goes wrong. If somehow he gets me away from the house and all of you, I don't want him to know I am a cop. I don't plan on having my badge or gun at the house or on me. He would probably kill me right away if he knows I am a cop. This way I can think my way out if possible." Reid thought this over and nodded his head in agreement.
JJ said, "what about a tracking device on her?" They tossed that around a bit but it too was discarded also for the same reason.
Finally Hotchner said, "We have no idea when this guy will strike. Everyone needs to be in position as soon as they can be. Everyone stay safe." He looked at Reid and Storm and said, "You need to leave here soon to get home around 5:30 or so." Reid and Storm stood up and Reid took Storm out of the room. He asked Storm if there was somewhere they could be alone for a few minutes. She opened the door to a small room they sometimes used to talk to people privately. Reid shut the door and drew her close. She smelled wonderful and she felt even better. He couldn't loose her, he just couldn't!! After a couple of minutes he moved back from her. And he said, " My job requires me to be gone a lot. And it's dangerous and scary. And I love it. But I love you more. I will give up my job if you say the word. I will move back to Vegas if that is what you want. Storm I just want to be with you. I don't have a ring yet, but Storm will you please marry me?" Storm launched herself into his arms. She kept saying yes between the kisses she gave him. Then she stepped back, "I love you more than anything Spencer Reid. And if you would like I will follow you to to Virginia. I know how much your job means to you. I don't want you to give it. But I would like to be there at our home, waiting, every time you come back." And Reid drew her close and said, "Sounds like a plan, future Mrs. Reid." And they kissed to seal the deal.
A couple of minutes later they went out of the room and downstairs. On the sidewalk they gave each other a look of love, squeezed hands and then Storm got into her car to go home. Reid got into the van and waited for Hotchner and Rossi.
When Storm got home she carried the flowers inside. Damn they smell good, she thought. She knew Derek was in the house, but she still jumped when he suddenly appeared out of the bedroom. They weren't suppose to talk if they could help, just in the case the unsub was around. So they didn't. Derek stayed out of sight and she paced. And then sat down and tried to read. That didn't work. She finally went and and got a notebook. She sat down at the table and started to right a letter to Reid, just in case everything went wrong.
When her hand wouldn't write anymore she decided to go take a shower. She hadn't had a chance to take one since before the hike and climb in the desert. Then she remembered Derek was in the house somewhere. On second thought she decided against a shower. Maybe I'll just lie back on the couch for a minute or two....
Storm didn't know what time it was when she woke up. She didn't know where Derek was. She sat up and thought to herself, I'll just go get a drink of water and then head to bed. While she was getting a drink she felt someone behind her. She started to turn when the guy threw his arm around her neck and started to pull her back. She was struggling but it wasn't helping. Then in front of her she saw Derek step out and said, "Let her go man. It's over." The man stopped and looked at Derek. Then he started pulling her back again. This time Derek said "I'll shoot you man." And this time the guy replied, "I'll kill her first." Storm went still and became dead weight. Then Derek shot the man in the head and she was free.
Derek had to hand it too her. She didn't scream. But he could tell she was probably going into shock. After he checked the unsub, (he was dead) and he took away the gun, he holstered his and walked Storm over to the couch. He got her sat down and a blanket over her shoulders just before everyone arrived.
It was Reid kneeling down in front of her that got Strom out of whatever nightmare she was in. She touched him ever so gently and told him, "All I could think about was that I wouldn't get to touch you one more." And Reid said, "It's OK honey, I'm here. And you can touch me all you want." She collapsed in his arms.
Derek came up a few minutes later and said, "You know I never would have taken that shot if you hadn't told me to. I'm glad you did, and I am glad I did, but I would have let him walk out with her rather than make a mistake and shoot her myself." And Reid told him, "I know. That's why I told you to take the shot." And they shook hands and then everyone left.
Storm finally got her shower, with Reid. She finally got some sleep with Reid. And that is the way it will be for the rest of there lives.