Okay, I don't own anything to do with the perfection that is CM or any of its affiliations. I do, however, have the pleasure of owning my OC, Charlotte. Hope you enjoy the story - and have a great day!
Charlotte POV
Once the plane landed, Derek collected my bags for me, and I couldn't help but smile at his actions. I followed behind the group, quiet as usual, keeping to myself, more than anything else, wondering if I had done something wrong and accidentally offended someone on the team, because the atmosphere felt especially frosty, and not due the practically arctic temperatures of the city we were in right now.
I didn't know whether or not I was making something out of nothing, but the entire team, Hotch included, seemed to be walking on egg shells around me, and it made my stomach churn, violently.
Derek called from the back the SUV specially designed to withstand harsh snow conditions, "Hey, Lewis! Your bags are in the back of the car, okay?"
I stated, cheerily, although my teeth were chattering violently in my mouth, "Sure, thanks Derek."
He joined me, and we piled into the cars awaiting us, quietly. I was sandwiched between JJ and Morgan, which I was fine with because, thank God, they were both very warm and toasty, and Derek kept me comfortable with polite, and quite humorous conversation. JJ fell asleep, after calling her husband and child, assuring them that she had landed, and was perfectly fine. I could help but notice the sad, conflicted smile that graced her face as she spoke to her son, Henry, if I wasn't mistaken, and I could tell that she missed him terribly.
It almost made me wonder whether I would ever have a proper family of my own, and it made my heart lurch uncomfortably in my chest, and I had to force myself to shake away the negativity that had nestled deep inside of my mind. Instead of focusing on the bad, I decided to pay full attention to Morgan, laughing along with his cheap, crappy jokes, and forgetting about the looming depression that threatened to overtake me.
Derek was in the middle of some pointless anecdote when we pulled up to the cabin in which we were supposed to spend the next few days, and all of my attentions were drawn to the lodge; it was large, in width and in height, with large, oak wood door, with the 'Hotel' written in large letters above it. Derek helped me out of the car, and I smiled in thanks, only to catch the eye of Spencer, who's gaze was almost intrusive in its intensity.
I blinked, and looked away immediately, my cheeks reddening, and my attention falling to Derek, who simply smiled, knowingly.
"You've got the hots for our little genius, don't you," he said, phrasing it as a statement rather than a question, and I stammered, nervously, practically tripping over my own tongue, before forcing out, "No-No I don't."
He laughed, loudly, and I winced, immediately. The lie was practically swimming in the air, and I felt so much more embarrassed than I probably should have.
He lilted, sarcastically, "So you havent been giving him the goo-goo eyes the whole time you've been here?"
I groaned, pouting slightly, and growled, under my breath, "Shut up, Derek!"
He laughed, and I followed behind him into the cabin, which was stunning, in a rustic sort of way.
There was a wide, rectangular fireplace, already on and warming up the air inside the vicinity, and a thick, shag carpet beneath a wooden oak wood table in the centre of the designated living room space.
On the far side of the room, there was a staircase, leading up the higher floors, and beside the base of the staircase, there was a glass, sliding door, all along that wall, which lead to the snowy, pretty fucking freezing temperature of outside.
Acknowledging the snow covering my shoes, I kicked the sole and the toe of my boots on the 'Welcome' mat inside of the cabin, before stepping fully inside, and walking over to the bar, which had a door in between the racks of cheap booze leading towards the staff area. I could hear someone rummaging around inside of it, so I called, "Hello?," and I heard an answering "Just a minute!," in response.
I turned to a grinning Morgan, and I pushed him in his shoulder, playfully, as he wiggled his eyebrows, suggestively. I whispered, hoping nobody else could hear me, "Hey! Stop it!," to which he simply chuckled at, and held his hands up, apologetically.
He said, carelessly, "It's nothing on you, baby girl, I'm just bored, and you're new. Sorry about it."
Growling, playfully at him, I sashayed over to the bar, where Hotch was standing, waiting for our hostess to come out of the employees room, and I asked, quietly, "Hey, Hotch? Have I done something wrong?"
He glanced down at me, and raised an eyebrow, before enquiring, "What are you talking about, Charlotte?"
"I mean, I feel like I've done something.. It's like, I don't know. Maybe I'm being stupid.. It doesn't matter," and I turned away, ready to just burn alive from the inside out, due to embarrassment, however Hotch simply stated, "It's not you, Lewis, believe me. We're just.. Adapting to having you around, some more than others, that's all."
Nodding, understandingly, I turned back to walk over to Morgan, who was seated in the one-seat plush, dull cerise lounge sofa, and he pulled me onto the arm of the chair itself. His hand was still draped over my waist, and I glanced down at him, my hair creating a curtain against the rest of the team, and gave him a very confused expression, to which he simply shrugged at, and murmured in my ear, cheekily, "Just wanna see Spencer squirm, that's all."
Flushing madly, I went to turn my head to look over at Reid, however Derek grasped my hand, tightly in his own, and instructed, "Don't. Keep looking at me, I'll tell you what he's doing."
I nodded, minutely, and he grinned, to which I responded with my own. I knew I had inadvertently admitted to my feelings for the young genius, however I couldn't find it in me to care. Derek stated, astounded, "Oh shit, he's pissed."
I whispered, enthralled, "How do you know that?," to which he smirked, and answered, "He's biting his nails, he's always telling us about how gross a habit it is, and he's doing it. He keeps looking over at you, and, you know that kind of scrunched face he does? Yeah, he keeps doing it.. Shit, this is fun."
"Why are you doing this anyway?"
He shrugged, flippantly, "I like making Reid uncomfortable. I have yet to get him back for a fucking prank war almost a year ago, and I think of this as payback."
Hotch interrupted our conversation and I jumped out of my skin, only to turn around and face our team leader, as he stated, "Okay, guys.. It's half 11 in the evening, we're no good to anyone right now, so, get some sleep. The rooms are normal, Lewis, you drew the lucky straw, you've got your own room. We'll met here tomorrow morning at half past 7, for breakfast, then we start. I'll see you guys tomorrow. Goodnight."
I grinned at him, widely, and he nodded back at me, respectfully. Derek drew my attention away from Hotch, and he asked, "You want me to help you with your bags, Lottie?"
Lottie?
That was a nickname I hadn't heard in a while, and I found it to be a pretty nice.. Reminder of my old life. Before all of the drama. It was nice. I have to be honest. I nodded, thankful that someone was going to help me out, considering this was the first out of the state case I had been on.
He pulled my suitcases up the staircase, and we laughed and joked all of the way to my accommodation, which, honestly, was pretty fucking awesome.
The bed was a thin, rectangular shape, and looked comfortable as fuck to my tired, dreary eyes, a thick fawn carpet beneath my feet and a oak closet in the far corner of the room; it looked like it was standing on its last legs, so I thought against using it for my clothes.
"This is you, then?," Morgan asked, intuitively, and I smiled a little. I replied, "Yeah, I guess I'm gonna get to bed.. Goodnight, Derek."
He nodded, then tipped his nonexistent hat at me, and I chuckled into my palm, content with the way things were going right about now. Instead of sleeping, like I had told Derek I would be, I scoured the rest of the room, just to check it out, and found there was an en suite bathroom, a similar colour scheme as the rest of the building.
After a calming, quick shower, I pulled my hair up in a messy bun, and threw on a pair of sweats and an oversized t-shirt, that I think might have been Jacob's.. Well, I don't know, and I don't really care, I was too tired to even think, let alone actually process anything else past the feeling of fresh sheets pressed against my skin.
Saturdays, instead of Sunday uploads, lovelies! I might just have gotten myself a job! I love you!
ALSO, this is not a DerekXOC, it's SpencerXOC - Derek's a big flirt, we all know this, but he's respectable, and she's new. It's kind of like.. Welcoming hazing.. Just with the flirty-flirtiness, rather than pranks?
Looking back on my chapters, I realise I've made unbelievably rookie mistakes - the astoundingly impressive, yet unattainable and unlikely, number of pHd's, the 'not-Spanish-but-Latina' thing, the cliche timing of the abduction by Edward, but I'm writing this, because I enjoy making up my own stories. If that means my imagination is routine, and kind of over-played, then so be it, because I like it. And apparently, so do you guys!
I wanted to create a character who was better than me. Smarter, funnier, stronger, both physically and mentally. Someone who had experienced hardships, and come out the other end a better person. Witty, sarcastic, yet self-conscious, because, who isn't? And also, someone who's loved.
I would have never imagined that over two hundred people would be avidly waiting for an update from me and I want to thank each and every one of you for the words, even when they weren't exactly kind, or productive! Each of you have made this a growing, and interesting experience, and I just want to say that I love you. I love you all, and I've never met single one of you. You've made me into a better writer (hopefully) and given me an incentive to continue on, even when I felt lower than I could ever imagine.
Knowing that there are people out there who need me - even if it's just for an update on a story - keeps me going, even in my hardest times, and I'm so very thankful for each of you.
You are all wonderful people, and I'm blessed to have you guys as readers!
*Virtual hugs and cookies for all!*