Saturday, November 17th, 2012, 11:27 PM
Hotch's Home, Quantico, VA
Hotch woke slowly to the sound of pounding on the front door. He sat up, rubbing his eyes as he struggled to make out where he was. Squinting, he realized he'd fallen asleep on the couch in the living room while watching TV earlier that evening. He sighed, stretching as the pounding grew more frantic. Punching the power button on the remote, Hotch stood and walked over to the door, unlocking the deadbolt before opening the door to see a panicked Eloïse.
Hotch was shocked to see Reid's wife - they'd been married in June - at his door, especially in the grey designer pantsuit she wore with grey ribbon heels and her usual black leather chealsey handbag. Her usually tame ringlet curls were a slight mess, as if she'd been pulling at them in anxiety. Her mascara and eyeliner was smeared by... Hotch knew something was wrong as soon as he realized she'd been crying.
"Eloïse? What's the matter? Is something wrong?" Hotch asked, gesturing for her to come inside, flipping on the light as she entered.
"Aaron," she started, her bottom lip quivering. "I don't know what happened, but Spencer's missing."
Hotch's eyes flew open wide. He was fully awake now. "Spencer's what?!"
Eloïse nodded tearfully, sitting on the couch as directed by Hotch. "My flight home from my Seattle branch was delayed, and I'd called Spencer to let him know, but he didn't answer. I figured he must not have had his phone with him or it was on silent while you were working on a case or something, so I left a message letting him know I would be late coming home and asking him to call me as soon as he could. I even called the apartment phone to see if he was home, and even then no answer. I called Domonick and Amy's apartment, but not even they answered, and Amy's almost always home. I called Domonick, but he didn't answer. I got pretty nervous - Dom's paranoid about answering his phone - so I called Danielle to see if they were together. She answered, thank God, but she didn't know where Domonick was, and they were supposed to be having dinner that night with us while Aryanna took Amy for the night so she could be with Savannah again. I called Aryanna next, and we got sidetracked but I knew she didn't know where her brother was nor where Amy and Domonick were. I had to hang up because my flight was finally coming in, and I texted Spencer to let him know I was finally boarding and that I should be home by tonight. My flight got in around ten, and I called Spencer to see if he could come pick me up, but not only had he not responded to my text, but he still wasn't answering, nor was Domonick when I tried him. I finally got a hold of Danielle, who was panicking because she hadn't heard from Domonick nor Amy all day nor were they home when she went to check up on them using her key. I had her come with me to Spencer's and my apartment, but he wasn't even home. I looked around for a note of some sort, and I finally found a note on the coffee table saying he would be back around four or five this afternoon because he was going out for coffee with Dom and Amy. That didn't add up whatsoever, so I looked around for another note or something, and then I see it."
"What?" Hotch asked, worried with her.
Eloïse broke into tears. "The bedroom safe had been blast open and his badge and gun were gone, but that was it. No blood, no money missing, none of my jewelry was taking, nothing but his badge and gun were gone. I knew something was really wrong with this picture, so I called the police and they told me to find somewhere to stay for the night, but by then it was eleven and I knew no one would be up...but then I remembered that you needed to know..."
Hotch nodded. "I understand. Thank you for coming here. I'll call JJ, and we'll try to get the team together, then head over to the apartments. We're going to find them, and we're going to find out who did this."
Eloïse smiled sadly and wrapped her arms around him, shaking as she cried. "Thank you, Aaron."
Hotch nodded, holding her until she herself finally let go, joining her sad smile before getting up and reaching for the house phone and dialing for JJ.
RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!
JJ nearly leapt out of bed as she scrambled to answer the phone. No one called this late at night unless it was really important. Will looked at her in exhausted confusion as he sat up, turning on the beside table lamp.
"Hello?" JJ said into the receiver.
"JJ, it's me Hotch. Sorry if I woke you," Hotch said on the other end.
"No, it's okay. Something wrong?" JJ asked, slipping on a pair of slippers before taking the phone out into the living room so Will could sleep some more.
Hotch sighed. JJ could hear someone crying in the background. "Reid's missing."
"What?!" JJ exclaimed. "Again?!"
"I know. This doesn't make any sense. But...I need you to meet me at the scene - er, their apartments. We need to check on Domonick and Amy's as well."
JJ nodded, pushing back a yawn. "Alright. I'll be there as soon as I can. Should I call the rest of the team?"
There was a pause. "At least Morgan and Rossi."
"Then I'm calling everyone. I'll see you soon," JJ said, and the two hung up.
JJ sighed, collapsing on the couch, her head falling in her hands.
Will walked out of their bedroom sleepily. "What's wrong?"
"Spencer's gone missing again," JJ replied, shaking her head. "I just can't think of anyone else who would want to hurt him, nor Domonick and Amy, since we need to check on them, too, to see if they're home or at least safe somewhere."
Will walked over to JJ and sat next to her. "And you're sure Stan's dead?"
JJ looked up at him, eyes widening in realization. "He was pronounced dead, but then we found the ME who did so dead in his home, his coffee containing kalium and potassium. At the time it was declared suicide - the empty bottles we found had his fingerprints on them - but now...it could have been murder."
Will nodded. "That easily could have been someone trying to cover themselves."
JJ closed her eyes and, as she rushed into their bedroom to get dressed and call the team, said, "And I'm pretty sure that person was trying to cover themselves so the world would believe he was really dead."
Sunday, November 18th, 2012, 12:02 AM
Reid and Eloise's Apartment, Quantico, VA
Hotch shook his head as he walked over to the police officer standing by the safe. "Sir, Agent Aaron Hotchner, I'm here to take over."
The officer took his extended hand and said, "Lieutenant Marc Dwinnells, you're replacing me?"
Hotch nodded. "This case is possibly connected to one we're in the process of wrapping up."
Dwinnells raised his eyebrows. "The Nickhoales-Fields one?"
Hotch nodded as JJ walked over quickly.
"Hotch," she said, catching his attention. "I think I've figured out who did this."
Hotch nodded. "I know. There's something I need to tell you all. But first, Lieutenant Dwinnells, this is Agent Jennifer Jareau."
"Lieutenant Marc Dwinnells," Dwinnells said, offering his hand to JJ.
JJ accepted his hand. "Nice to meet you. Hotch, what is this that you need to tell us?"
Hotch sighed. "Where's everyone else?"
"In Domonick's and Amy's. They may have found something."
Hotch nodded. "Then that's where we're going."
The two walked across the hall into the usually-tidy apartment and were shocked by the disarray. "It looks like a struggle broke out here."
Morgan walked over, shaking his head. "They were never here. This was set up beforehand."
Hotch closed his eyes before saying, "There's something no one told any of you."
Rossi walked over, his eyes narrowing. Prentiss followed.
"Stan's body disappeared from the crime scene while we were with Amy in the hospital. I didn't tell anyone because I feared how Amy would react if she were to find out. And the ME who pronounced him dead and was found dead himself by supposed suicide? He was in cahoots with Stan and Stan killed him to silence him. Reid, Domonick, and Amy are gone, and he's the reason." Hotch sighed before adding, "And Stan's not going to stop with this mess until caught or killed."
"Or we are," JJ added sullenly.