Chapter 11

Hi, I would like to firstly apologize for the extremely late update, truthfully I stopped feeling the story and even though it was all written up I lost faith in it. But after some new editing and hours of pulling my hair out I have some newly restored faith in it. Thank you all for being patient in the updating and I hope you enjoy the next chapter.

"BANG!"

Meghan felt her jaw drop and herself jump at the sound of the gunshot. She watched with wide eyes as he fell to the ground. It was like an out of body experience. Meghan almost saw herself sloppily jumping out of the car. Towards Scott, her Scott standing over a body… the body of some one he had murdered.

"You killed him!" Meghan shouted in disbelief.

"Meg! I need you to calm down." Scott instructed taking hold of her shoulders.

Meghan tried to pull herself away from him. "Get off me," She demanded.

"Meghan, please." Scott pleaded, looking around with desperate eyes.

"No, Scott let me go!" Meghan shouted. Her eyes darted to the body. She could feel herself shaking from shock and terror.

"Meghan, we need to get out of here." Scott told her urgently.
Meghan shook her head. "No,"

"Meghan, we need to go." He repeated, he took his hands away from her shoulders and took her hand. "I'll explain everything I swear."

Meghan noticed that she could feel tears pouring down her face. "No, you killed him." She whispered.

Scott frantically looked around. He pulled her back towards the car, Meghan scratched his wrist, trying to loosen his grip. He forced her into the car and then ran around to the other side. Before Meghan could register what was happening they were driving along the freeway.

"Scott, please take me home." Meghan pleaded.

"I can't Meghan." Scott said in a sympathetic tone.
Meghan sniffled and took a breath. "Where are we going?"
"Back to my house." Scott told her.

Meghan bit her lip. "Please Scott, I want to go home."

"I can't take you home Meghan." Scott repeated

"Emily and my dad will wander where I am." Meghan said to him, knowing it would do little to change his mind.

"I'll drop you back in the morning." Scott promised. "After I've explained to you."

Meghan shook her head. "I don't want to know."

"I need to tell you Meghan." Scott said forcefully.

Meghan could see a dangerous look in his eyes. She decided to keep quiet. Her mind kept replaying over the event in her head, like someone had put it on loop. "I'm gonna be sick." Meghan declared.

Scott pulled over, just in time for Meghan to empty her stomach on the roadside. Scott held back Meghan's hair as she wretched. Finally, she stopped vomiting. She tried to move away from Scott.

"Don't run away from me Meghan." Scott instructed.

Meghan's terrified eyes met Scott's terrorizing eyes. She slowly moved back into the car.

XXX

The pair walked quietly into Scott's house. Scott led the familiar route to his room. Once inside he quickly locked the door and sat down beside Meghan on his bed.

Meghan turned to look at him. "You killed all those people didn't you?"

Scott's eyes looked deep into Meghan's, like he was trying to gauge how much she would believe. Slowly he shook his head, "No."

"I don't know whether to believe you."

Scott's eyes looked desperately into Meghan's. "You have to believe me Meghan. I never hurt any of the others!"

"Then why did you…" Meghan couldn't finish the sentence, her mind replaying the whole thing.

"It was an accident."

Meghan shot up from the bed. "How can you accidentally do something like that?"

"I was trying to sell him the gun, he shot it by mistake… I didn't know it was loaded."

Meghan looked at Scott she wanted to believe him so badly it hurt, but that look in his eyes… the darkness… she didn't know what to think. "What do you mean you were selling him the gun?"

"One of my clients… I can't tell you much about it, I love you Meghan… I don't want you to get hurt."

Meghan sat down on the bed. "We have to tell someone… my dad he'll know how to fix this."

Scott's head shot up, "You can't tell anyone Meghan."

"But…"

"No! Meg you tell someone about this, it'll destroy your life. You'll go to jail, your parents will hate you."

"I didn't do anything though." Meghan's eyes were full of tears.

"They won't look at it like that. It will destroy you Meghan, you'll never get into college, into work. Everything you have the potential to do." Scott pleaded with her.

Meghan looked back at Scott. "We have to do something."

"We can't Meghan, I am so sorry for getting you into this. But for both our sakes you can't say anything."

Meghan slowly nodded.

Scott leaned over and gave her a side hug, "I love you Meghan."

"I love you too." Meghan pressed a sound kiss onto his lips. The darkness falling away at the touch of his lips.

XXX

The night passed on and Meghan and Scott spent it making love and promising each other the world, ignoring the fact that both were now wrapped up in a dark world that could potentially rip their lives to shreds.

Meghan looked over at a peacefully sleeping Scott. When she thought about killers she thought of strange, cold and detached people. People with a calculating look in their eyes. Scott had none of this; Scott was the warmest and loving person she had ever met. Meghan knew that she would keep Scott's secret, the police had enough to worry about with another gunman. Her parents would never find out and her and Scott could get on with their lives.

Meghan ran a hand through her hair, she tried to think back to the party and the actual murder. When she thought about it most of the whole night she couldn't even remember. She could remember, talking to Scott about it but not in great detail and she could remember the sound of the gun and the cold look in the bodies eyes… the body that looked strangely familiar to her. Meghan closed her eyes for a minute trying to remember where she had seen the boy from before. It took her a minute and then it hit her, Eddie Lewis. She could feel tears sting her eyes, keeping Scott's secret seemed a lot easier when the body didn't have a name. Eddie was in the same year as Meghan in school, she had known his since the first grade. They used to study together in the library in middle school and he was the jock that always gave her a wave in the corridor… Meghan tried to shake away the memories she had shared with Eddie.

She jumped when she felt Scott's hand on her leg. "What's wrong?" He asked, sitting up.

"I need to go home." Meghan replied.

"Sure, I'll drop you off as soon as I'm dressed." Scott replied, starting to get off the bed.

"No, I'll get a bus or something." Meghan replied.

"Don't be silly. I'll drop you off; you don't want to ruin your cover." Scott smiled.

Meghan nodded, "Don't be long then." She instructed.

XXX

"She's still not back yet?" Emily asked as Spencer walked back in to the living room.

"I should never have let her go." Spencer reprimanded himself. "What?" He asked when he saw all the colour drain from Emily's face. He turned around to see what she was looking at.

The TV was on mute but the news was on with a caption reading 'Teens body found in park." Spencer found the remote and turned the volume up.

"I can confirm that there has been a teenagers body found in Memorial Park. The death comes only days after the curfew being lifted…" The reporter stopped what she was saying while someone spoke to her through the earpiece. "I can now confirm that the body belongs to a young teenage male, believed to be Edward Lewis."

Both Emily and Spencer breathed a sigh of relief, that wasn't their baby. Just before either of them had chance to speak they could hear the door close lightly. The couple ran to the hallway to find a dazed looking Meghan, completely unharmed. Spencer took Meghan into his arms and gave her a tight hug. Kissing the top of her hair, thankful that his baby was still alive.

"Where have you been? We've been worried sick." Emily asked.

Spencer let Meghan out of his hug to look her in the eyes. "I got really sick last night and Scott took me back to his place to make sure I was alright." Meghan effortlessly lied.

Spencer sized up her story, "Why didn't he want to drop you off here?" He asked.

"I didn't want him to." Meghan explained. Meghan looked over at Emily. "What's going on?"

"Um, the police… they found another body last night." Emily answered sympathetically.

Somehow hearing it from someone else made everything fall into place; the seriousness of Scott's act. The reality of what he had done. "They did?" Meghan asked, her voice catching slightly.

"Yeah, but we're back on the case Meghan. We're going to do everything possible to catch him." Spencer assured his daughter.

Meghan licked her lips. "Do they… um do they know who it is?"

"No," Spencer lied. "They don't."

Meghan nodded. "Okay," She whispered. "I'm really tired; I'm going to go to sleep." She told them, walking past in a state of shock.

Emily and Spencer watched as Meghan walked away from them. Emily looked at Spencer. "Why did you lie to her about who it was?"

"Eddie used to be in school with Meghan. I'll talk to her later but she was upset enough." Spencer told Emily.

Emily walked over to Spencer. "He was in school with her?"

Spencer nodded. "Garcia was fairly sure he had a soft spot for Meghan."

Emily smiled sadly. "I don't even know how we tell her."

"Nor do I." Spencer agreed.

"I'm sorry, for pushing to let Meghan go to the party." Emily apologised.

Spencer shook his head. "She's safe, that's all I care about.

Emily nodded in agreement. She rested her head against Spencer's chest and he held her close to him. "When will you have to go in?" Emily asked.

"Now," Spencer sighed. "Will you look after her?"

Emily nodded. "I love you."

"I love you too." He replied, turning Emily so he could kiss her. A soft and gentle kiss, but enough to be sure that Emily knew that he didn't want to leave her.

Emily reluctantly pulled away. "Go and catch this bastard."

"I will." Spencer promised, he grabbed his messenger bag from next to the door and left.

Emily stared at the door for a moment and then padded over to Meghan's room, she opened the door a crack and found Meghan asleep on her bed she hadn't even changed clothes.

Emily closed the door and made her way to the living room; she turned off the TV and then went in search of the case files that she had kept determined to find something that connected the victims.

XXX

Spencer walked slowly into the bull pen, he was met by JJ.
"Have you heard who it was?" JJ asked.

Spencer nodded. "Yeah, it was on the news. Have you told Henry?" He asked.
JJ nodded. "He saw it on the news. He was pretty cut up about it. What about Meghan?"

Spencer shook his head. "I didn't tell her who it was; she was upset enough after finding out that someone else had been killed."

"Most of DC's high school kids were at that party last night." JJ started.

"I know," Spencer agreed. "I suppose we're lucky that we aren't waking up to some kind of massacre."

The pair walked up towards the conference room, knowing how lucky they really were.

Hotch looked at each of his team. "We were expecting a massacre."

"I think we should be counting our blessings we were wrong," Rossi interjected.

"I know." Hotch agreed. "I'm just worried that we're wrong about other things as well."

"What are we going to do next?" Garcia asked.

"Local police are waiting for our arrival. So Rossi and Morgan I want you to go to the scene." Hotch instructed.

"Reid, I want you and JJ to go and speak to the family."

Reid nodded and JJ both nodded.

"I'm going to stay here with Garcia and see if we can use Lewis to connect the victims." Hotch replied.

The team all nodded and went off their separate ways.

XXX

Reid looked around the Lewis family living room. The light colours gave the illusion it was bigger. The furniture was facing the TV but was angled so it also faced the other pieces of furniture. On the wall, there were pictures of Eddie; playing football, graduating to high school, with his family. He was a happy teenager, smiling in all the pictures.

"Ms Lewis, I'm so sorry for your loss." JJ said sympathetically to Ms Lewis.

Ms Lewis looked up from the floor. "I told him to stay away from the parks." She said through tears.

"Was Eddie the kind of person who would disobey you?" Reid asked.

Mrs Lewis shook her head. "No, he was a good boy. He wouldn't of gone willingly."

JJ and Reid looked at each other. "Mrs Lewis, Eddie played football right?" JJ asked.

The woman nodded. "Coach Talbot was convinced he would get a scholarship to college through football."

"So Eddie was in good shape?" Reid asked.
"He had to be."

Reid nodded, he knew the size of football players and knew that there was no way that they were easily dragged somewhere without causing a scene. "Do you know if anyone had a grudge against Eddie?" Reid asked.
"Eddie, was a popular boy. He was nice to everyone; I taught him that everyone was as important as him." Ms Lewis replied.

JJ nodded as she wrote in her notebook. "Ms Lewis, was Eddie involved in anything that would have him in the park?" She asked tentatively.
"Like drugs?" Ms Lewis asked.

JJ nodded.

"No, Eddie had tests to make sure he wasn't using any performance enhancers during games. He wouldn't risk it." Ms Lewis replied surely.

"Thank you." JJ thanked, as she got up to leave. "If there's anything else you can think of, please give us a call."

JJ and Reid were nearly at the door when Ms Lewis called to Reid. "You're Meghan's father aren't you?"

Reid turned. "Yes,"

"Eddie talked about her. He liked her very much." She smiled.

Reid nodded. "I promise we'll catch whoever has done this."

Ms Lewis nodded approvingly. "I know."

The two sat in the SUV. "What are you thinking?" JJ asked Reid.

"Do you know everything Henry does?" Reid asked.
JJ smiled. "I wish I did, but I know most of what he does."

"I hardly know what Meghan does these days. I don't think that Ms Lewis knows everything that Eddie was doing either." Reid replied.

"Why do you think that?" JJ asked.

"Footballers don't get forced places, he went there of his own accord. For what I don't know yet, I think we should probably talk to the school as well." Reid answered.
JJ nodded. "I'm sure Henry said something about some of the younger people in the squad being caught with weed." She started up the ignition and drove away from the house.

XXX

Meghan sat up in her bed. She felt incredibly nauseas, she waited a minute to see if the feeling would pass. She rested a hand on her stomach. The feeling seemed to be going nowhere, she got out of bed and ran to the bathroom.

Meghan leant back against the bath after she flushed the toilet. She was slowly remembering why she didn't drink that much anymore. She wiped her face, wandering how drunk she must have gotten as she could hardly remember anything from the night before. Everything seemed to be blurred into one confused image; she closed her eyes trying to sort out in her head what had happened. She remembered talking to Scott, but she couldn't remember what about. She could recall bits of the party, she was fairly sure she talked to Stacey. She thought for another minute. She was in the park… so was Scott… The eyes… The gun… Meghan shook her head, Scott didn't kill anyone. After a certain point in the night, she started seeing all kinds of things. That must have been a confused image… it had to be.

So what are your thoughts. What would you have done in Meghan's scenario? Has she been completely manipulated by Scott? What about the team will they find the link between victims? Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Rhian