The Oaks Victorian Inn
Allie forced herself to smile as she was shown to her room. The landlady pointed out the amenities quickly out of habit, though she knew she could be speaking in tongues for all the girl was listening. Alone for the first time all day, Allie set her small bag down on the bed. Emily hadn't know what to pack so she was left with the first mismatched clothes her sister had come across. Her room was simple, blue and filled with antiques. The bathroom door was almost hidden behind an old fashioned partition and Allie headed straight for the shower. Climbing in before the water had time to heat, she let the frigid cascade fall over her. Lining the shelf next to her head, were a wide selection of shampoos and body washes. Reaching out for the nearest one, she emptied the entire bottle onto her skin, rubbing her body raw, unwilling to stop until she felt clean. Somewhere in her subconscious she knew that feeling wasn't going to come. The desperate need to shower, to wash the day's events off had been in the back of her mind all day; ever since she walked into the café with Reid and realised she was walking around town in her pyjamas with unbrushed hair and teeth. The stares had made her uncomfortable, but the blatant way both the BAU team and the uniformed officers ignored her appearance was worse. It didn't help to know that they were so unaffected by the sight of someone unable to dress or groom themselves, someone who was too scared to go back into their own home to take care of their basic needs. The fact that the officers didn't bat an eyelid made her feel dirty and tainted, like she was simply another statistic. Another person who had been affected by violent crime, but miraculously lived to tell the tale. It sure didn't feel miraculous. She'd lost count of the amount of times she'd been forced back into that house over the course of the day. Not physically, she doubted even Morgan was strong enough to force her over that threshold, but mentally and emotionally, she'd been trapped at that address all day. Going over and over the same events until they seemed like some far off dream. As she'd sat in the tiny room, at the basic wooden table, she began to feel as if she was describing the plot of a movie she'd seen rather than actual events. She'd relived that night from every angle, seen it through five other sets of eyes, heard a thousand different theories on who and what the guy could be. And yet, still she understood nothing.
With a sigh, she turned the dial cutting the water flow. Reaching for a towel, she patted her hair half heartedly, leaving it to dry on its own. With the towel wrapped around her body, she went back to the main room, eyeing her pyjamas with contempt. She wasn't thrilled at the prospect of putting them back on so soon after finally getting dressed. Her bag was heavy as she pushed it off the bed. It landed awkwardly wrong way up on the floor but Allie didn't bother to move it, no one else would see. She climbed onto the tall bed, burying her face in the pillows without climbing under the plush duvet. She was exhausted, physically, mentally, emotionally, every part of her being was drained but sleep refused to come. Frustrated, Allie rolled onto her back, staring at the bleak ceiling with a scowl. Her desensitisation in the safety of the police station was one thing, but alone in her quiet room the images returned with a vengeance. Unable to close her eyes, she lay motionless, counting the ceiling tiles, then when she'd done that countless times she began to multiply them. As the numbers got bigger and the maths harder she felt her anger grow. Sleep wasn't coming. Repositioning onto her side, the towel that had seemed so soft and new earlier now scratched and twisted in all the wrong places. This small annoyance suddenly seemed magnified and she felt tears begin to form in the corners of her eyes. Angrily Allie threw herself off the bed, landing unsteadily on her feet. She was done crying.
Emily's room was directly across the hall, they had the only two rooms on this floor. Allie didn't bother knocking. Emily was sitting at the small desk, awkwardly placed in the corner of the room. She looked up when Allie stormed in.
"What's happened?" She was on her feet and instantly at her sister's side.
"Nothing." Allie shook her head, blinking back the tears, suddenly embarrassed by her dramatic entrance, "I just can't sleep."
Emily nodded in understanding, "I thought you might have trouble."
"Coulda warned me." Allie muttered, watching as Emily searched through the side pockets of her bag.
"I hoped I wouldn't have to." Emily smiled dimly, finding what she was looking for and crossing the room to pull Allie into a tight hug. "I got you these."
Allie took the small bottle, looking to Emily for explanation when the contents rattled.
"Sleeping pills. I don't exactly sleep well myself these days."
"Thanks." Allie unscrewed the lid, struggling a moment with the child proof lock. Once the bottle was open, she shook the pills onto her palm.
"There's water on the table." Emily motioned to a large carafe on the low table next to the fireplace.
Back in her own room, Allie resumed her inspection of the ceiling. This time however, she wasn't counting anything in particular, just running through the numbers. The light on the bedside table was annoying her to no end but she couldn't bring herself to turn it off. The prospect of being alone in the dark filled her with a terror that 24 hours ago she would have dismissed as irrational. Now she wasn't so sure.
She was well into the thousands when she realised the sleeping pills weren't going to work. She was too keyed up for sleep to even be a distant possibility. Climbing out of bed, she wandered into the hallway. The inn was unnaturally warm so she was comfortable in Emily's borrowed pyjama shorts and old tshirt. The hall lights were on but it was quiet as she headed downstairs to the lounge. Bookshelves lined the walls and an old record player stood proudly in the corner near the window. Running her fingertips lightly over the polished wooden shelves, Allie scanned the selection. Everything from the classics to a small section of trashy romances were represented. With a wry smile, Allie selected a thin paperback, turning it over to examine the seductively posing couple on the cover. Broad shouldered and masculine, with golden hair falling into his eyes, the man stared into the distance while the scantily dressed woman at his feet gazed up at him, adoration written clearly across her face. Allie moved across the room towards the huge wing-backed chair that sat next to a tall lamp. Placing the book on the seat, she turned her attention to the record player. Growing up, her grandparents had owned one similar and on the rare occasions they'd been allowed to visit, Allie had been fascinated with the old machine. After a quick inspection it seemed to be in working order and she looked around the room for something to play. A small cabinet behind the hall door caught her attention and she walked closer. Opening the intricately designed wooden doors she felt her hope rise for the first time all day. Lining the shelves inside were bottles of every shape and type she could wish for. Vodka, Barcadi, Midori, Gin, Scotch, just to name a few. Reaching inside, she pulled out the closest bottle of gin and turned back towards her seat. Maybe she would sleep tonight after all.
Straight gin was never going to taste good but Allie forced the first few gulps down. It would only get better.
There was a small stack of records on a shelf under the player and she selected one at random, settling back into the chair as the unfamiliar music played quietly in the background. Without the sharp edge of silence, she felt calmer. Opening the book, she began to read the simple text. Her mind wasn't on the story and despite its simplicity, she quickly lost track of the characters and plotline. Reaching for the bottle, she took another long swig. The liquid burned as it went down, warming her from the pit of her stomach. Another mouthful and she knew the alcohol had met the drugs in her bloodstream. The words on the pages before her started to swim, the book moving in and out of focus. Gratefully she let the heaviness take her over, her eyelids drooped and eventually closed. She felt herself slipping lower in the chair, losing her grip on the book and the bottle but she was only dimly aware of them hitting the floor. She was moments away from finally losing her last shreds of consciousness when a voice demanded her attention. It broke through the haze, but only barely. She felt something touching her. Hands on her face, turning her head to look up. With great difficulty she forced her eyes open. Blurry light nearly blinded her and it took her a moment to make out the person looking down at her.
"Hey." She slurred, her tongue heavy and uncooperative.
With a sigh, Reid crouched down in front of the chair. Allie fought to sit up straighter to meet his gaze. He was studying her carefully, concern plainly written across his face. Her body seemed determined to act of its own accord; her mind was still too sluggish to stop her hand from reaching out and brushing a stray lock of hair from his face,
"You've pretty eyes."
"Thank you." He smiled reluctantly, subtly picking up the half empty gin bottle and moving it out of her reach. "Do you always drink alone?"
"You're welcome t'join me."
"Looks like you're about finished." He straightened up, holding out a hand for her to grasp. "C'mon, I think it's time you went to bed."
"Ok." Allie agreed easily. She wasn't sure why she was still in the lounge anyway. Nothing here was holding her interest. Reid pulled her to her feet and quickly grabbed her waist when her knees gave way. Leaning heavily against him Allie concentrated on forcing one foot in front of the other. Her feet felt like they were made of concrete and she was exhausted before they'd even reached the stairs.
"I'll sleep here." She decided, letting go of his hand and allowing her knees to collapse. She didn't hit the floor like she was expecting and looked up in confusion. Reid was patiently waiting for her attention, his arms stretched as he supported her full weight.
"You're not sleeping here."
"No?"
"No." He shook his head firmly and Allie nodded, allowing him to continue leading her towards the stairs. They paused for a moment at the foot of the staircase and Allie looked up it mournfully, it seemed to stretch forever. Shaking her head and trying to force the haze from her mind she returned her attention to lifting her feet onto each step. Reid still carried most of her weight or she would have had to crawl.
"Rest." She blurted seconds before her knees gave way again. This time he let her down, gently helping her to sit on the step. He sat next to her and she was acutely aware of his eyes on her. Shame welled up inside her, no one should have to see her like this, especially not an FBI agent she barely knew. She was tempted to ask him to go wake her sister but stopped herself. Emily didn't need the extra worry.
Allie had hoped that sitting down would clear her head but the lack of movement simply allowed the cloud to descend on her again. Her limbs were frustratingly heavy, the effort it took to keep her head up was exhausting. After a moment she gave up, allowing herself to rest against Reid's legs. He made no move to stop her and as her mind slid back towards the relief of unconsciousness she was dimly aware of his hand moving in gentle circles on her back. Sleep took over as for the first time since she'd awoken nearly 24 hours earlier, she felt warm and safe. The reality she'd have to face in the morning seemed nothing but a distant inconvenience.
Reid looked back over his shoulder as footsteps padded lightly along the hall. After a moment JJ appeared at the top of the stairs. She paused, surprised to see her path blocked. Taking in Reid and the sleeping Allie; she moved closer, whispering as she crouched next to him, "You alright?"
"Yeah." Reid nodded, "She found the liquor cabinet."
"Oh." JJ nodded understanding, "Do you want me to get Prentiss?"
Reid shook his head, "We probably shouldn't worry her, she's stressed enough as it is."
"Yeah." JJ agreed, raising an eyebrow as she saw how deeply asleep Allie actually was, "So what's your plan? Just going to sit here till she wakes up?"
"No." Reid shifted slowly, lifting Allie's head gently so he could slip out from under her. She stirred but didn't wake as he lifted her into his arms, "She's light." He said, surprised at how easily he was able to carry her.
"I'll get the door." JJ walked up the stairs ahead of him and opened Allie's bedroom door. Reid placed her gently on the bed and pulled the duvet over her sleeping form. Half waking, Allie murmured her thanks before rolling over and back into oblivion.
The first light was barely visible as the team gathered in the small kitchen. Clouds hid the rising sun, swirling thick and angry low in the sky. The trees outside the window collected the misty rain, holding it in their leaves before finally releasing it in sporadic, fat drops. Emily leaned against the old fashioned bench, steaming mug of coffee in hand, watching as Morgan rummaged through the cupboards. With a defeated sigh he grabbed a box of pop-tarts, opening it as he crossed the room to join Hotch and Reid at the flimsy wooden table, "I still don't see why it was necessary to send the chef away."
"Privacy." Reid shrugged, reaching for the box. Morgan snatched it away before he could help himself to the remaining tarts.
"Your idea I do believe." Emily added as JJ came down the stairs. "Good morning."
"Not so good." JJ shook her head grimly, holding up her phone, "Sheriff just called, he wants us to meet him at the house."
"Allie's house?" Reid raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah. Neighbours reported some kind of disturbance there last night."
"They think it was our unsub?" Morgan asked.
"They're not sure. They want us to take a look before they jump to any conclusions."
"It doesn't fit the profile." Emily thought aloud, placing her cup in the sink and turning towards the others in the dining area. "He only goes back to the houses to dump the bodies. Why go back empty handed?"
"And it hasn't been a week." Hotch mused, standing and pulling his suit jacket from the back of his chair.
"He could have been looking for Allie." Reid suggested, "We thought he would come back for her."
"No." Hotch shook his head slowly, "He'll be watching her, he'll know she's with us and not at the house."
"So he'd know the house was empty, what could be there that he'd want?" JJ frowned. Her phone began to buzz as she spoke and she looked down at it with a grimace, "It's Strauss. I'll meet you guys outside."
Morgan swallowed his last mouthful and stood, throwing the empty box across the room and into the open rubbish bin. He allowed himself a small moment of celebration before falling into step behind Hotch towards the foyer.
"I'll stay with Allie." Emily said, reaching up into the high cupboard for a new coffee mug. She knew better than to wake her sister empty handed.
"No." Hotch paused, "I need you at the house. You're the only one who will know if something has been disturbed."
"We can't just leave her here alone." Emily paused, her hand clenching the cupboard handle tightly, "Not if he's watching her."
"JJ can stay." Hotch's tone left no room for argument and Emily followed him out of the inn, throwing a worried look up the stairs as she passed by them.