Thanks for the reviews!
Iamsiameseifyouplease: I am fairly new to Criminal Minds. I started watching it only about six months back, given the fact that the Seasons telecast with a massive delay in my country. And even worse, my first season was Season 7! I instantly fell in love with this character, Dr. Spencer Reid. And in Season 8 came Zugzwang! I was heartbroken when the writers killed Maeve only to realise that it was a CM tradition. I managed to catch up pretty soon and BAM! I am here writing this fanfic because just like you and many others out there, I feel Reid deserves to find happiness. Sorry for the rant! But, thanks a lot for the review! I hope my OC wouldn't disappoint you.
PartTimeMuggle: Don't worry. I am a good girl and I have lots in store for all my readers! ;) Thanks for the review!
ripon: Believe me, a Reid clone is the last thing Vivan is. (even though they'd have one or two common hobbies) And about the Strauss thing, you're right. I'll make sure I get it right the next time. Thanks for the review!
Here's the next chapter! A big thanks to all my silent readers too!
Read on..
"Annie Saunders?" Morgan knocked at the door of a suburban house with a small porch and very well maintained patch of a garden. Emily and Vivian went for the back door while Morgan tried one final time, "Annie Saunders, Federal Agents! Open the door!"
There was no response. He signaled the back up to stay alert and used his sleight of hand to get into the house.
The living room looked like it had been hit by a storm. Annie's office files were scattered, bed sheets lay sprawled on the carpeted floor. The ambient temperature was very low, almost freezing. They moved cautiously, towards the kitchen Morgan announcing, "Clear." Another "clear" echoed from the kitchen. Emily walked out of the kitchen, her gun still poised and ready. Her eyes wandered around and when she spotted the staircase she headed upstairs, followed by two other officers.
At the far end of the living room was a door that led to a staircase which further led to a relatively dark basement.
Vivian stiffened when she heard the creaking of an opening door. She relaxed right away as it dawned upon her that it could only be her colleagues. She stepped forward, her gun pointed at the silhouette near the door, not wanting to take a chance. In the process she tripped over something soft yet solid, knocked something down, setting off a series of clanking sounds.
"FBI! Drop your weapon," Morgan warned, unaware that it was in fact Vivian. "Morgan don't shoot, it's me, Viv.. Whao!" Another series of clanking sounds, followed by a painful "ouch", confirmed that Vivian had hurt herself.
"Hey! Are you alright?" Morgan asked, as he searched for the switches.
"Yeah, looks like I stepped on something.. soft.." she said, "With holes.." Morgan flicked the lights on and scanned the room for suspicious action. "Clear," he said before approaching her. A laugh escaped his lips when he saw Vivian sitting amidst scattered silverware and a pile of old newspapers. "You're quite a clumsy one," Morgan said, a grin plastered on his face. She looked at him miffed, "This never happened."
"We'll see about that," he knelt down on one knee to examine the cushions she was holding, "What did you find?"
"She's been practicing," Vivian said, pointing at the bullet holes in them, "Did you find her? Or Amanda?"
"Not yet," Morgan said and helped Vivian up, "So is she on a spree?"
"We can't say yet," Vivian said, "Not until we find Amanda."
"Guys you've gotta take a look at this." Emily led them upstairs and what they saw confirmed their suspicions about Annie.
Several pictures of Alan and Annie together, some with Amanda's family and few baby posters were on every wall of the room. The room was also filled toys which should've belonged to a child, that is, if Alan and Annie ever had one.
"She was obsessed with her loss and she never stopped mourning. She acted normal, went to work, yet lived in isolation," Vivian continued, "I am sure the signs of depression started even before Alan's death."
Morgan plucked a photograph from the ones nearest to him, "They look like a happy couple. All these photographs.. It looks like the guy really loved his wife." "Then how come Annie never got any help? Alan should've at least tried," Emily wondered.
"He tried. He definitely did. They had everything ready for the baby. The room, the toys, everything was prepared. But something's missing, what is it?" Vivian asked and moved towards the bed.
"The crib," Emily was quick to notice, "He must have tried to clear this room so that she wouldn't be reminded of the baby she had lost."
Vivian nodded in agreement, "But by doing that, her condition only aggravated and her depression had an effect on him. He took to drinking, which made it a whole lot worse."
When this information was corresponded to Hotch, he instructed Garcia too look for an alternate hiding place for Annie and Amanda.
Meanwhile, the detectives who had gone to interrogate Rick reported him missing.
"Rick's mobile is switched off. But I managed to triangulate its last location. It was last found near a cabin that Alan Saunders owned. I've sent the address," Garcia's response was quick and the team headed towards the cabin.
They were sure that Amanda was absolutely fine but arresting Annie as soon as possible was necessary. Rick's life was at stake!
Alan Saunders' cabin
"Why are we here?" Amanda asked for umpteenth time when Annie finally snapped, "Will you shut the hell up!? Do you even have the slightest idea of what I am going through right now? You don't! All I am asking you to do is let me think."
"I understand," Amanda moved closer to her aunt, "But you're scaring me."
Annie looked at her shaken niece and realised that the girl was freaking out.
"I am sorry dear.." she lowered her voice and took Amanda's hand into hers, "You know your baby is going to be so lucky to have an angel like you for a mother."
A weak smile appeared on Amanda's lips, "Thank you," she whispered as her eyes moistened with tears, "You were right. I don't have the right to take a life. Not my baby's life. It was a good thing you heard me talking over the phone. Otherwise I would've made the biggest mistake of my life."
Annie wrapped her hands around the girl and caressed her back.
The sound of a muffled groan distracted Amanda and she pulled away from her aunt, "What was that?"
"What?" Annie asked nervously, blocking Amanda's line of sight. The sound was louder, now followed by a loud thud. "What is that?" Amanda demanded walked past Annie towards a door from behind which the sound emanated.
"Amanda! It must be a cat or something. There's no need for you to go there," Annie pleaded, fervently trying to stop her for her own good. She grabbed Amanda by her hand and forced her away from the door.
"Aunt Annie, who is in there?" Amanda asked glancing back and forth amidst the smothered pleas for help coming from the other side of the door.
"None of your concern. I am trying to protect you dear," Annie pushed Amanda into a nearby chair and her gentle demeanour transformed into that of anger, "So just sit here and let me do something I should've done already!" She turned around, furious. She then yanked her bag off the table and to Amanda's horror, fished out her husband's revolver.
"Oh my god!" Amanda gasped, but dared not to speak.
Annie gripped her right hand with her left to stop its incessant shiver. The first time she had killed, it was rage. The second time it was pure thrill and exaltation. But the third kill seemed impossible to her. The tremble in her hands made it impossible for her to aim. The repercussions were setting in, exhaustion was taking over her, remorse began to pile up.
Her soul split into two, one part wanted her to refrain from committing another heinous crime, while the other drove her to open the door, revealing a gagged and bound Rick staring aghast at the two people in front of him.
"Rick!" Amanda cried out and rushed to his rescue. She removed the gag and proceeded to cut the ropes loose when she heard Rick mumble something, "Go..go.."
Amanda stared at her aunt in pure horror. "Why are you doing this?" she begged Annie.
"He tried to hurt you!" Annie said, her anger rising, "He wanted you to kill the baby!"
"That doesn't mean you kill him! All I asked you was to help me convince my parents!"
Annie paid no heed to the girl's words and dragged Amanda out of the room, "Don't make me hurt you!"
Amanda cried out in pain, trying to pry herself away from her aunt.
"You move an inch. I'll kill him," Annie warned her, pointing the gun at Rick.
Outside the cabin, the federal agents and the police surrounded the cabin, knowing well that Annie might give them a hard time. Their plan was not to surprise Annie. But Amanda's scream told them otherwise and the cabin's door was knocked down.
Reacting quickly Annie tightened her arm around Amanda's neck, holding her at gun point.
[Vivian's POV]
Shit! The last thing we wanted was a hostage. And here there were two! Annie wouldn't hurt Amanda, would she? If not Amanda, her baby was important to Annie. Or has she given into her urge to kill? If it is so why is Rick still alive? Several questions raced through my mind while Emily tried to negotiate.
"You wouldn't do that Annie. You don't want to hurt Amanda," Emily said, her gun pointed at Annie. I was the closest to Rick and considered freeing Rick while Emily kept Annie occupied. She had her back towards him, so I had a good chance. I took a step sideways when Reid, who probably figured out what I was planning, muttered, "Don't." Something in his voice made me retreat. Perhaps, it's for the best.
I reverted my attention to our Unsub and her hostage.
Annie was really on the edge. The murders had hit her hard and she was breaking down. However, her pain and anger went up a notch, "What do you know about losing a child? It was going to be a boy, I knew it. We had everything ready. We were going to be a happy family. But.. I lost my baby, I lost Alan.. I lost everything..." Annie's grip on Amanda loosened as tears rolled down her cheeks, " And those women.. They threw away a blessing. They are murderers! They didn't deserve to live. Not after what they did."
"You took lives too Annie," I prayed that the few words I was going to say didn't make the situation any worse, "How do you justify that? Annie you have suffered, you've lost loved ones. We understand. But this is not how you deal with it. Not by killing innocent women."
"THEY ARE NOT INNOCENT," she yelled and Amanda winced, "You know nothing about losing loved ones. If you did you wouldn't be pointing your gun at me."
Amanda tried to free herself from Annie's hold only to have the muzzle of the gun pressed harder to her temple. Even though she vehemently denied that she had killed innocent people, I knew that the guilt was already weighing her down. Annie's life showed no signs of her being a classic psychopath. It was just a temporary loss of sanity due to depression that drove her to commit those crimes. Another push and she would give in.
"I understand." I felt a lump rise in my throat, "I understand how it feels to lose your loved ones, how it feels to lose someone who meant everything to you. I can feel your pain." I could feel the eyes of my team on me. I didn't expect this to get personal. I had no choice but to tap into her pain and my own to make her understand that what she was doing was not right. And that seemed to be working. "What I also know is that sometimes people don't have a choice. You must understand that too. But you do have choice now. You need help and we'll make sure you get some. You don't have to do this. Let Amanda go.."
"I don't.. have to do this.. I don't want to do this.." she broke down completely, letting Amanda go, "I don't..." Her legs gave away and all the pent up grief burst out.
JJ took a visibly shaken Amanda out of the cabin while Reid and Emily helped Rick. According to his statement she'd approached him that morning wanting to talk to him about Amanda, privately. He got into her car and the rest of it was a blur.
I handcuffed Annie while assuring her that the nightmare was over.
[Spencer's POV]
Rose Kennedy once said, "It has been said, 'time heals all wounds.' I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone."
If there's something that cannot be hidden forever, it is one's pain. It shows one way or the other and today it was Vivian's turn. If that isn't the case, then that girl deserves an Oscar. My attention kept reverting to her despite my efforts to return to The Republic I had started reading the previous night.
Vivian rested in her cushioned seat, her hair scooped up into a messy bun. She sat there, busy with her phone, occasionally massaging her forehead. She could definitely use some coffee. The same thing was on JJ's mind, since she walked up to her with a coffee mug in her hand.
"You did good today," she said, placing the cup on the table top in front of Vivian. Vivian looked up at JJ and then at the mug. "Coffee?"
JJ nodded and seated herself opposite to her. "Thanks." Vivian took a sip and sighed. She was exhausted.
"So Morgan tells me you and Reid are neighbours," JJ said, looking at me for a moment. Great! Now they are gonna drag me in to this.
"Neighbours?" Emily chimed in. Who's next?
"Yeah, just moved in last night." Of course, Morgan!
"That's really nice," Emily said, "Are you done with your unpacking?"
"Oh no..there's still lots to do! I flew all the way from New York yesterday in such a hurry and it was hell! I wasn't supposed to report to duty until next week." Vivian said with a frown, "Agent Strauss can be tiring sometimes."
"Tell me about it," Emily rolled her eyes, "At least that explains why you look so tired."
"Agent Strauss said she had a good feeling about you," I couldn't help asking, "Have you worked with her before?"
"Yes, I did." She took another sip of her coffee before she continued, "Ever since I graduated from the academy. That would be four years."
"Wow... You must have a lot of patience." JJ sounded impressed and so were the rest. It was evident that she had a lot of patience, given her nonchalant demeanour. Her voice had no highs and lows. It was rather monotonous, almost like Hotch's; except, she smiled every now and then and engaged in conversations.
"You need help unpacking? Maybe our genius here could lend you hand," Morgan said out of blue.
"What!?" I blurted out and immediately realised that I might have sounded rude.
"It's okay. I'll be fine," Vivian tried to make the situation less awkward and I felt ashamed.
"Come on Reid! Be a good neighbour. She is your teammate too you know." Morgan was not going to let it go until he'd extracted his revenge for the joke war he never won.
"Morgan it's okay," Vivian came to my rescue again. Note to self: she really has a heart of gold.
"I don't mean to intrude but I can help you out..that is if you're fine with it. I mean it," I offered, trying to be polite.
"I don't know.. You can help me with the books I guess. I have two big shelves to fill." She was a bit hesitant but clearly needed some help. Moreover it was the perfect job for me and she knew I'd be more than glad to help with that. "Sure. It is too late anyway. You should get some sleep tonight. We can deal with the books tomorrow."
"Yeah.. Thanks." A faint smile appeared on her lips and its warmth could be felt. Her eyes spoke a million words, which couldn't be deciphered. The one thing I was certain of was a strange fear concealed in her beautiful brown eyes that sent chills down my spine, when her eyes met mine.
[Third Person POV]
"You should give her some files. That is a part of her job description. However it sounds weird: Agent trained in combat being asked to help with paperwork." Rossi sat facing Hotch, Vivian's file in his hand. "It is only her first day." Hotch was reluctant.
"Don't let the question 'why' bug you." It was easy for Rossi to figure out the reason for the reluctance of the man he knew inside out.
"Why? It is important Dave. First I thought it might be Reid. But I think it is.. Emily," Hotch had to talk to somebody about it. The thought had been bugging him the whole day. Only David could help him sort it out, like he always did.
"They do have an eye on her," Rossi said, "You think Vivian's appointment is planned move."
"You make it sound like a conspiracy," Hotch frowned at Rossi.
"That's how it's painted in your mind. Frankly speaking, I was surprised too. When Erin said a new agent would join us, I expected a Media Liaison. She knows that the paper work is an extra burden and I am pretty sure she was worried that you were turning the Quantico office into your house, which you already have," Rossi smiled, "I never thought it would be a field Agent."
"Did you read the file I gave you?" Hotch's eyes fell upon the file in Rossi's hands.
"Yes. About this.. Don't you think it's unfair?" Rossi made it clear that he wasn't pleased with what Hotch had done, though he was pretty sure that it wasn't his work.
"Strauss gave it to me this morning. She wanted me to know," Hotch said, "I wanted to know your opinion."
"Why should someone's forgotten past decide how their present should be?" Rossi paused and lowered his voice, "She was only a kid back then."
"Not quite," Hotch pursed his lips. He leaned on the arm of his chair to check on the rest of the team. When he found them asleep he continued, "Dave, you know what kind of an effect someone's forgotten past can have on their present."
What happened with Emily was fresh in their minds, like it had happened yesterday.
"True. But it is a risk we must take. Like I said, it would be unfair. Emily's past never stopped us from fighting for her, then why not give Vivian a chance? Moreover these are different circumstances. I say you're viewing things with a magnifying lens."
Hotch remained silent. He sighed and decided to put his incertitude to rest, "You're right. Anyways it is her first day and she looks very tired. She might as well get some rest while she has a chance."
I'll be updating once or twice a week from now on. With my studies and writing, I should be able to manage the both of them right! :)
Once again thanks a lot for the reviews!
Do leave me more! ;)