(Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or it's characters.)
Well, I have returned after leaving you with a wonderful cliffhanger. All shall be revealed.
So this story will shortly be coming to a close and that will be the end of the 'Caged' series, which is actually super sad, because that was my first fanfiction ever!
Thank you Tannerrose5 for your continued support. You're the only person reviewing and your loyalty is wonderful, so thank you so much!
But never fear, I already have a new story brewing and I'm so excited to start writing it. I hope it goes down well. Check it out when I finish this story. First chapter should be up in a week.
Okay, I will stop promoting a non-relating story of my own and actually let you read what you can here for.
Enjoy!
"I need to get out of here". JJ turned on her heel and slunk from the room, closing her eyes against the permanent images of Alex's dead body.
"JJ wait", Emily called, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. She tried to turn JJ around as slowly as she could, but JJ jerked around, her eyes ablaze.
"Get off me, Prentiss." She hissed, in a cold and deadly manner, that made Emily gulp nervously. She let the blonde leave, feeling sure she heard retching before the door slammed.
Micheal turned away from the body and focused on Hotch.
"Is he gonna be okay?" He asked a passing EMT. Hotch answered before the EMT could.
"I'm fine. You all need to find Reid. I sent him after Jason", the others all glanced around worriedly, but nodded all the same.
"We saw him get into an SUV. He was going pretty fast", JJ frowned.
"I'll call Garcia, she can track his phone", Morgan pulled out his phone and hit speed dial.
"Babygirl, can you give me Reid's location... I don't know, just track his cell. Yea, he went after Wolf... I doubt he's even caught up yet, you know how that kid is in the car...You found it?...Cool, send it to me mama", Morgan hung up and exhaled deeply. He had tried to act normal so as not to upset Garcia, he would tell her about Alex in person, no one should have to find out over the phone that their friend is dead.
"I have a location".
"I'll head to the hospital with Hotch", Rossi announced. Hotch began to argue, but Rossi sent him a glower which shut him up.
Morgan high tailed it out, Micheal held onto the safety handles as he directed the agent. They got to the bridge to find police cars littering the area. Morgan caught sight of the broken barrier and broke hard. He slid from the car and rushed over to the scene.
"Agent Morgan, FBI", he said, revealing his badge and gaining access beyond the yellow tape. He checked the location Garcia had sent him and glanced around for Reid.
Emily slammed her boot on the breaks before she collided with Morgan's SUV, which he'd parked in the middle of the road. She followed his example and left her car behind his. The bridge ahead of them was chaotic. Micheal was stood a little away from the scene waiting for them.
She saw Morgan talking to an officer when suddenly he shouted and sunk to his knees.
"No. No, no, no, no, NO! REID!" Morgan almost found himself climbing over the barrier to get to his friend.
"Sir, you need to stay back. We're sending divers in to retrieve the body", Derek's heart froze in his chest, and he felt his blood run cold. Body, no. Oh god no. He could feel himself fall to his knees. A slow collapse, as his legs could no longer carry his grief.
"No!" He sobbed, lowering his face into his hands. The strong, tough and funny Derek Morgan was replaced by a crying wreck. I couldn't of been that long. He, no, he can't be. "He could still be...he...he's not..." stuttered Derek, his eyes pleading with the officer, who looked down sympathetically, licking his lips nervously.
"It's been long enough, sir. I'm sorry", Derek's mind took pity on his body and allowed himself to sink further into the ground, dissolving into himself as the insurmountable grief crushed him.
"Morgan? Derek, are you alright?" Emily's voice.
"What's happened?" JJ. Morgan closed his eyes, becoming blind to the equally dark world.
"You're agent went over. There...uh really was nothing we could do. I'm sorry", it all proved too much for JJ, who fell into Stanley's arms, unable to even cry due to the gut wrenching pain squirming inside her. Stanley tried to lift her up onto her feet, but they had become completely immobile. Emily was having a silent word with the sheriff; her mask was up, but she was struggling, tears were threatening to spill over and her chest was extremely tight. She nodded and turned to her friends. Morgan was on his knees, panting breathlessly, his eyes watching the ripples, trying to find life beneath them.
"We should head back to the station", she suggested to the incapacitated agents. Neither of them replied. Emily sighed; they had lost more than 2 agents.
"Oh thank god you're back! You guys are always worrying me. Where's everyone else?" Garcia gazed at Morgan, Emily and JJ. "Where are my other babies!?" Her voice caught slightly and she rasped in fear.
"Baby girl, calm down. You need to take a seat." Morgan whispered, his voice sounded dead and emotionless. Conner stood up, his eyes wide and anxious.
"What..." he started, but Emily shook her head suddenly and he retook his seat. Garcia fell back into a seat, her eyes full of fear.
"D..Derek?" Penelope glanced at the 3 agents and 2 detectives who just walked in.
"Please, Pen. Let m...me explain", Morgan stammered. Amelia and Matthew shuffled out of the conference room to see what the commotion was about. Amelia gazed around. Where's Spencer? Her mind questioned. She could feel herself begin to panic. Garcia bit her lip and the tears fell thick and fast.
"Oh not all of them, please no", she sobbed.
"We...we got there and R...Reid...Reid and I took the back room, Hotch and A...Alex (he almost couldn't say their names, a wave of pain washing over him each time) took the workshop. We heard shots and Reid was there before me and Hotch told him to go after Jason. Hotch and Alex both got shot", he was cut off by and loud whimper. He looked up to see Garcia covering her face.
"W..what about Rossi?"
"Penelope, Rossi's fine, okay. He accompanied Hotch to the hospital", Garcia let out a sigh of relief. "He got shot in the leg, but he should be alright. B..Blake, she...she was shot...I..in the neck. Pen, I'm sorry, she didn't make it...there was...so...so much blood...too much. I tried", Morgan paused and took a deep shuddering breath. Garcia was trembling badly, a waterfall of tears leaking from her eyes. "I tried...I..I really did." Morgan couldn't hold back, and a throaty sob escaped his throat. He glanced at Penelope, who was silent and stoic, the news clearly devastating her; he knew what he was about to say would destroy her.
Morgan tried to take a breath but felt himself unable to, instead he choked on sob after sob. Emily put a kind hand on his shoulder and guided him into a chair. She would do this.
"Garcia, look at me", Garcia remained staring bleary eyed at her knees. "Please", Penelope reluctantly gave in and looked up at Prentiss. She took Garcia's hand in hers and stroked her finger over it. "Reid's gone too."
Garcia yanked her hand away from Emily and stood up. "No!" She growled, backing away.
"Baby girl, please", Morgan sobbed.
"No! I don't...no! You're lying! They can't both be gone", she shrieked, retreating further. She thought that maybe she could retreat back in time, to when her babies were alive and everything way alright. In reality she was just backing into her mind, to a place that was safe and warm and full of memories of her dead friends.
JJ jumped forward to stop Garcia, wrapping her arms forcefully around the tech queen before she fell into oblivion. To Garcia this was a confirmation.
"JJ, He's too young!" Howled Garcia, she sounded much like an injured animal seeking help.
"Shhh...I..I..know Pen. I know", JJ whimpered, holding onto Garcia tightly as her tears dampened the polka dot carry Garcia wore, likewise to JJ's jacket, which Garcia snuggled her face into.
Amelia shook her head vigorously. No. She told herself. No, not him too, I can't lose him too. She wanted to break something, throw something, hit someone, kill someone. Her mind floated to Lance; the Wolf that killed her sister. She marched down the stairs, holding back her tears bravely. Micheal caught her trying to leave and grabbed hold of her waist.
"Get off!" She snapped, kicking her legs out.
"No, I know what you're planning", Amelia screamed in his arms, flailing about. The commotion was barely noticed by the others, JJ and Garcia still bound in an embrace. Amelia went still in his arms and she began to cry. She didn't sob loudly, instead pitiful mews escaped her shivering body and out of sympathy, Harper released her.
"I blamed him", she yelped. "That was the last thing I said to him. That it was his fault," she slapped her cheek in disgust. The room fell silent, except for the quiet communal crying that almost everyone was participating in.
"We need to make sure Hotch is alright", with trembling fingers she found Rossi's number.
"Prentiss, what took so long?" A lump formed in Emily's throats and she swallowed it down in order to answer.
"Uh...we were just calling to check on Hotch. How is he?"she stammered, praying Rossi wouldn't notice.
"He's alright. The bullet went straight through, so he doesn't need surgery, just some physical therapy and crutches. Now can we address why you answered a question with a question?" So the Italian had noticed, nothing slips past him. The lump found its way back into Emily's throat.
"I...uh can we talk about this when we see you?" She asked, the mask she'd been holding up so well began to slip and she could feel the tears welling.
"Emily. If something's happened I want to know now", he demanded. Gone was the calm and fun Rossi, his tone suggested anything but this. Emily could feel her mask crumble away. She couldn't do it again.
Morgan could see Emily's face contorted in emotional pain, and so taking a deep breath, he started talking.
Rossi hung up the phone and pressed his lips to the back of it as he struggled against the grief. First Alex, now Spencer. He took a sharp intake of breath, his eyes burning, but he refused to blink and release the building water.
It felt as if he was losing a second son, because that was what Spencer had become to him; a son.
Alex was a good friend, no, she was family. Rossi related to her over any other member of the team. But Alex was dead. Spencer was dead. And Rossi could feel his world falling apart.
"Are you here for Agent Hocthner?" A gentle voice knocked him from his thoughts.
"U..uh..yes. How is he?" Rossi struggled to his feet, thankful for the distraction.
"He's doing really well. We want to keep him for overnight observation, but he can be discharged in the morning. You can see him now", Rossi nodded, heading to the room the nurse had motioned to. In the seconds of silence grief berated him again, making his knees tremble. Aaron was sat up in bed, serious as normal, but his fingers were embracing each other nervously.
"Dave, have you had an update?" Rossi looked the man over. He seemed pale and tired, but other than that (and the bullet hole) he seemed okay. Dave avoided his eyes for fear of falling apart.
"I do", he said simply, taking a seat before his legs buckled.
Hotch bit down on his gum. "What's happened?"
"What do we do now?" Matthew whimpered, looking up sadly.
"We work the case", Harper deadpanned. Conner snorted, shaking his head and grabbing everyone's attention.
"One of our team and two of theirs is dead. Y..you actually expect us all to keep working", he laughed.
"Conner..."
"No! I'm fed up of this! Hand the case to someone else. This has gone too far. We should be in witness protection, not fucking working!" He spat. Emily closed her eyes, hoping to block out the arguing.
"This gives us more reason to catch this bastard. If we stop now, we may never be safe", Morgan intervened, Conner glared at the agent.
"Fine, you all fulfill your suicide pact. I won't be a part of it", for the second time in 48 hours Conner got up to leave. Matthew stood up and weakly attempted to stop him.
"Don't..." he muttered, but Conner was already packing his stuff away.
"Where you gonna go!" Yelled Micheal. "It's not safe out there on your own." Conner scowled at him, and shook his phone.
"I can get protection."
Morgan felt he phone buzz and he answered it quickly to avoid the situation in the bullpen.
"Agent Morgan."
"Agent, you gave us your number to call and update you on the body. Your agent that went over the bridge", Morgan swallowed thickly before answering.
"Yes. Did you...uh...", he paused, his voice shuddering, not knowing what to say. He had a rough idea of what they were about to say; they found the body, pulled it out, zipped it into a cold body bag and it was waiting in the morgue for him.
"That's the thing agent. The divers have been under several times now and they say there's no sign of a body", Morgan frowned at the phone.
"What?"
"I know, we're just as confused as you sir. We are checking the area now to see if he was flung from the car. The only other explanation is that the rapids took him down river." Morgan clamped his eyes shut, images of Dr Spencer Reid's dead body being carried away or impaled by a tree arose in his head.
"I..if you find anything, please call me", he hung up the phone and looked up to see most of the team watching him.
"Who was...?" JJ started, but Morgan stopped her.
"The body. They can't find his body". Everyone's faces changed in a instant. JJ's crumpled when she finally realised Spencer wasn't coming back. Emily's mask was in repair, so her emotions were on full display. Garcia burst into a fresh wave of sobs.
"What body?" Everyone's heads whipped to the door.
Dr Spencer Reid stood in the doorway, damp through to his toes. A trail of wet footprints followed him. A dark trickle of crimson dripped from the side of his head, and he shivered visibly.
Dr Spencer Reid was alive.
Was that misleading? I'd never kill Reid, I love him too much. Sorry that was a little emotional. Next chapter will be another action packed one, I promise.
Only a few to go. I'm going to go ahead and guess 3 to go, but don't hold be to that.
Please review. Tell me what you thought of this chapter, or any other chapter.
See ya later alligator!