Next update! Had to pay a little tribute to Leonard Nimoy in this one :).
A soft breath whispers near her ear, "Riley. Riley, wake up."
Riley shifts on the couch, turning away from the noise. The person repeats her name and shakes her shoulder, rousing her from a peaceful sleep. Sitting up, Riley rubs her eyes and yawns as she takes in her surroundings.
"What is it, Reid?" Riley asks as she lets out another yawn.
"There's an urgent case in Baltimore," Reid answers as he rushes around the house gathering everything he needs.
Riley looks up at the clock hanging on the wall to her right. 7:30. She leans back on the couch and does the best to wake herself up.
"Baltimore eh? That's only like an hour drive. Why is it so urgent that we're leaving at 7:30 in the morning?" Riley digs deeper into the case. She knows Reid probably won't let her come but she has to try.
"A mother and father killed in their sleep and their daughter kidnapped. Happened 5 hours ago so time is precious," Reid hurriedly replies as he races around the house.
The double murder kindles a fire in Riley's mind. The single daughter added to the mix fuels the flames. "How-how were the parents killed?"
"Throats slit cleanly." Reid stops dead in his tracks and looks at Riley. "No, no, no. You're not coming along."
"Oh come on! Seems pretty familiar to me, I could really help on this one! What if...What if it's Him?" Riley's voice fades to a murmur as she finishes her last sentence.
"All the more reason to stay here," Reid counters. "What if He takes you again? And what if you don't get as lucky as you did last time? No way am I risking that."
Lucky isn't exactly the word I would use, Riley thinks, keeping the sharp retort to herself. She shakes her head, he's just looking out for me. He cares. I shouldn't be mad at him for caring… But I want to go. I need to go.
"Bring me along. Please! I'm begging you, man. I swear I'm perfectly fine to be out there."
"I said no, Riley."
"Please. He's trying to get my attention. If He doesn't get the attention He wants He will keep killing until He does! If you bring me now we can save a few innocent families," Riley argues.
Reid looks over at her with sadness in his eyes. "But at what cost? How do we know this isn't just a trap to get you again?"
Riley gives him a serious, thoughtful look before responding, "Remember that line in that Star Trek episode we watched a few months ago? 'The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one', right? Well if I don't go, the many will be at risk. But if I do go, the many will be safe, and the one might be too."
Reid contemplates the situation. She should come; the logical side of him knows it. If it is Him than her knowledge could be instrumental. But the protective side says she shouldn't; she should stay here where she's safer. Which should he choose? Why not be protective and yet bring her? Reid clenches his fists. I won't let Him take her again.
"Fine you can come. But, I'm keeping my eye on you; don't do anything without my knowing. Got it?" Reid speaks his decision aloud.
A child-like smile spreads across Riley's face. "Got it!" She grabs her bag and runs up the stairs; her backpack bouncing off the stairs behind her. Reid watches her go with mixed feelings. Am I right to bring her?
Riley walks into the conference room behind Reid. Rossi, Morgan, Prentiss, J.J, and Garcia are all sitting around the table waiting for the rest of the team to arrive. Morgan taps a pen between his index and middle fingers impatiently as he leans back in his chair. J.J taps the edges of the confidential folders in front of her while Prentiss watches from beside her. Rossi sits calmly in his chair with his arms crossed over his stomach. Garcia, typing away on her laptop, is the first to notice their old acquaintance.
"Riley! You're back!" she exclaims when Reid moves aside.
Riley smiles, proud but uneasy. She feels like the others will be more careful about what they say around her. The feeling of separation creates a void inside her. But the reassuring smiles from around the table give her the oomph to keep walking toward them, closing both the physical gap and the gorge of emotions inside her.
J.J pulls the chair out between her and Morgan for Riley to sit in. Life seems to fall back into a still balance. Like she was never kidnapped and tortured. Like her life was never at risk. Like she never confessed her deepest, darkest secret to her colleagues. Everything Riley has been worrying about over the past four months seems to evaporate into thin air.
She sits down in the chair while Reid takes a seat on the other side of Morgan. She pulls her chair up closer to the table and rests her scarred hands on the table, waiting for the briefing to begin. J.J reaches over and lays her hand on top of Riley's. Riley, not expecting the gesture, flinches a little. Exactly what her body would have done if it had been touched unexpectedly months ago.
"It's good to have you back," the female agent says after a moment, not noticing Riley's involuntary movement.
Riley looks over at her, smiles, and returns sincerely, "It's even better to be back."
J.J releases and draws her arm back. She returns to tapping the edges of the folders in front of her, waiting for the last member of the team to arrive. The seconds of anticipation are short lived for Hotch walks in soon after.
Agent Hotchner enters, takes a seat between Rossi and Garcia, and greets the team. "Sorry for the early waking, especially after a late night. But this is an urgent one." He pauses to think and continues on a different subject. "Riley, it's good to see you back. Are you fit for the field?" J.J begins to pass out a folder to each agent as Hotch speaks.
"Yes, sir. I'd like to help in any way I can." Riley answers without delay.
"Very good. We might need you on this one." Riley nods and he returns to the case by opening his folder and reading the details. "Alright, a Baltimore family, the Franklins, were attacked last night in their home. It happened approximately five and half hours ago. Both of the parents' throats were slit while they slept. The daughter, six year old Lila, has disappeared."
Hotch nods toward Garcia and an image of the crime scene comes up on the T.V in front of them. A striking, olive green canopy bed is the border of the photo. Two bodies, their throats sliced like French bread, are at the center. Dried blood encrusts the wounds and stains the silk linens.
Closing her eyes makes the scene more bearable, but Garcia is still forced to look away. The thought of the grotesque murder does not sit well with her. The rest of the team is slightly moved by it, as they always are with extreme cases. Riley doesn't blink, doesn't flinch, doesn't even look away. Her gaze is fixed on the picture. This is my fault. He's doing this to get my attention. Well He has it, now what does He want with it?
She brings her attention back to the conversation in front of her. "How do we not know the girl just ran away? She could have seen her parents murdered and ran," Prentiss remarks.
"She should have shown up by now. It's been almost six hours, she would have turned up at a neighbor's house or something by now," Morgan replies.
Everyone nods in agreement and Rossi continues for him. "So either Lila doesn't know her parents are dead or he did something to keep her quiet because there's no way she would have gone quietly if she knew."
"So where would this person have taken her?" J.J asks.
"I guess it would depend on what he wants from her," Reid interjects. "Why not kill her? Why take her with? There has to be some purpose behind taking the daughter and killing the parents."
"There will be time to think when we arrive. We need to get there now. Seeing that it's only an hour's drive away we are leaving the jet behind. Garcia you stay here as well. Reid, J.J, and Riley you go to the police station and do geographical profiling, get ideas of where he might have taken her. Morgan and Prentiss go around to the neighbors and see if they heard anything or saw something out of the ordinary. Rossi and I will take the crime scene," Hotch directs the team.
Everyone gets up to leave but Riley stays in her seat and stares at the picture that's still displayed on the screen. Without looking away she asks, "Can I go to the crime scene? I feel like there's something there to figure out."
The agents turn their attention to Hotch who gives Riley a hard look. She keeps her gaze on the display, completely ignoring him.
"Fine, you can come to the home," Hotch decides after a moment. There's just something in the way she stared at the photo that convinced him to bring her. He needed her on this one, especially if it has to do with Him, and he knew it.
Riley nods and follows the agents out of the conference room. She turns in the doorway to take a last glance at the photo. I don't understand. Why does it feel like I need to go there? There must be something about the house; there has to be.
As the team files into the SUVs, Riley checks her emails. Exactly what she expected, He replied.
The world is ours. If we want it, we can take it, if you just take my hand. There's no turning back now. Baby, try to understand. "Give your heart a break", Demi Lovato.
Riley strokes her ponytail and lets out a sigh. How should she reply to this? It's like she should just give in and follow Him. Her life would be so much easier if she did. But, then she would betray the team. So many people are getting hurt because of her. I need to end this. I don't want Him to be a part of my life anymore. I just want to be my own person, to not have to worry about any of this, to not have to deal with Him anymore.
"I've become so numb I can't feel you there. I've become so tired, so much more aware. I'm becoming this all I want to do is be more like me and less like you. "Numb/ Encore", Linkin Park.
The leather seat behind her has never felt so comfortable. Riley leans back against it and tries to relax. She anxiously awaits the arrival; dying to know more about why this crime scene is appealing to her.
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