spitfire

𝐜 𝐡 𝐚 𝐩 𝐭 𝐞 𝐫 𝟏𝟏

As much as Nova hated serial killers, she really hated this case. Why? Because it was in Richmond. An unsub was breaking into people's homes and shooting couples until they were dead.

Nova thought it was just someone who was lonely and petty about it, but the team disagreed.

"All right, let's go over victimology. Each of the victims is a professional." Hotch said as they reviewed the case on the plane. Nova was sitting at the back of the jet in the corner, biting her nails anxiously. She felt a presence come sit next to her and smiled when she saw Spencer next to her.

His hair slightly flopped over his forehead and Nova resisted the urge to reach out and pull it out of his face. His eyes were slightly tired and his smile was lazy but reassuring. "Are you alright?" he asked her quietly.

Nova was going to say she was alright. She was going to say she was fine, and internalize everything she'd been thinking since Penelope announced the case. And then she looked to Spencer and he looked so sincere that she couldn't help but be vulnerable towards him.

"I- I'm worried. I mean, my whole life I've tried to protect that place from evil and as soon as I leave- I just feel like I've failed," she said quietly, wringing her hands and playing with her fingers.

Spencer took one of her hands and held it, making her face him. "You can't protect a whole city by yourself. That's impossible, and it's not your job. Nova, you're the most thoughtful and protective person I've ever met, and I've known Penelope and Derek for years. It's not your fault that this happened, you couldn't have stopped it. But now, we're going to stop it. This team together, because we're a family. You won't have to do it alone this time." he said quietly.

Nova almost cried. Thankfully, she didn't. She gave a slightly watery smile to Spencer and squeezed his hand in thanks as the Jet landed and Hotch assigned everyone into groups.

Spencer, Derek, and Nova walked into the crime scene with the policeman and started observing the house. "There's no sign of a break-in," Nova said to them as she inspected the doorway. "But all the windows were unlocked, so who knows?" the policeman replied. Spencer looked down to where they were shot. "They still had their keys out," he remarked and Derek nodded along with them.

"They were caught off guard." He added as he kneeled down to observe the splatter marks on the walls. Nova paused as she looked around and said "The house is childproofed." There was a bad feeling in her gut. She hated cases that involved children. Well, not as much as JJ, but she hated them.

"Must have been a neighbor or relative's kids. They didn't have any children." the policeman replied. Nova hummed and started looking into the rooms of the house. She watched Spencer and Derek walk into the living room. Meanwhile, she was observing the oddities of the whole scene. The victims were killed dispassionately, they weren't molested or used in a sexual way, they were picked at random but with things in common, it seemed like this case was more sacrificial than anything. "Hey, guys?" Nova said as she looked around the living room. She saw Derek and Spencer come out of the living room, following her voice.

She turned around to face them and said "I don't think this unsub is male."

Hotch had asked Reid, Rossi, and Nova to head over to the town's church. Nova was excited to go there, she used to attend the church, and she organized charity for it all the time. As soon as they walked through the doors, they were greeted by Pastor Allan, who immediately gave Nova a wide grin. "Nova! It's amazing to see you, what're you doing here? Sammie said you moved away a couple of weeks ago, got a fancy new job."

Rossi and Spencer watched with small smiles as Nova interacted with people from the church, people greeting her with wide smiles and excited hugs. They hadn't seen much of what Nova was like in Richmond, but it really looked like this was her home. "Pastor Allan, I'd like to introduce you to SSA David Rossi and Dr. Spencer Reid, we're from the BAU. We'd just like to ask you some questions about the recent murders in town."