To Protect and Serve *Criminal Minds*

VI

"Greg, we're with the Federal Bureau of investigation. It's over, Swanson. Let Gina go and we can work this out. This little girl needs immediate medical attention-"

"It doesn't need medical attention." He spat." It doesn't deserve to be worked on by good people after what she did to Marcus!"

"Greg, this isn't eighteen fifty! Marcus died almost a hundred and fifty years ago! Are you really going to make a ten year old little girl pay for a mistake her ancestor made?"

"Someone has to! Do you know how his murder affected my great, great, great, great, great grandmother? She committed suicide after Matthew Potter killed her husband! Only one of her children survived!" he spat.

"Gina is innocent, Greg! She's ten!"

"She's Satan!" he spat. "And besides, every little flower has it's time to wither..." he turned back around to her.

"Don't do it!" Hotch said. "Just think about it for a second!"

"...And die." he raised the riding crop, and nearly struck the horse. There was a huge bang.

Spencer put down his gun as it smoked slightly. JJ and forward with a blanket to cover the little girl up as he took a deep breath. The SWAT team leader, who had been checking vitals on Swanson, looked up.

"DOC." he said. Spencer looked on sadly, but underneath that was a sense of pride. At the very least, He had saved the life of someone who would have a lot to offer the world in years ahead. Morgan clapped him on the shoulder, showing him a sad smile.

"Nice shot."

.-.-.

Reid!" Morgan said, waking spencer out of his mid-flight nap. he opened his left eye lazily.

"Hm?"

"Your phone is going off again, man." he grinned. "There something you want to tell me?" Spencer blushed vividly.

"No." He stood up, and answered his phone.

"Hello."

"Evening, Doctor." That familiar Seattle accent said. Spencer moved to the very back of the plane to keep his conversation quiet.

"Hey. Why are you calling?"

"Can't I just call to say hi?"

"You're in hiding, Pre."

"Exactly. do you know how boring it is to be cooped up in my apartment all day?" His eyes lit up.

"You have an apartment?"

"Hold your horses. It isn't in my name, sugar." She said sweetly. "But nice try." Reid glanced around. Blake was looking at his suspiciously, but no one else was.

"How are you?" she chuckled a little.

"I'm okay, considering that I'm cooped up in  sunless apartment day in and day out. As soon as you figure me out, I can get out of here."

"I'm allowed to tell my team, right?"

"Only if they swear to secrecy. If anyone finds out where I really am besides your team, I'm as good as lying in a pool of my own blood." He winced.

"That bad, huh?"

"Oh yeah." There was movement in the background. "I have to go. Bye, Spence." he shook off the shock of being called Spence, but he ignored it.

"Bye, stay safe."

"Always." she whispered, and then the line went dead. he slid his phone back in his pocket, and then sat back down. Morgan grinned.

"Something you want to tell me about?" Spencer grabbed his torn up copy of A Study in Scarlet and looked down at the page, sucking up every word again.

"Nothing at all."

"You sure? You've been acting a little weird lately. Are you sure there isn't a new woman in your life?"

"No one." He said, his face heating up, although he desperately tried to hide it. he chuckled.

"So, do you have a date for the SSA dinner?" Spencer reacted split second.

"Yeah. That was her." he said. Morgan grinned evilly.

"So, what does she look like? 

Lets just say, it was a long, long flight for Reid.

Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strength. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.

-Arnold Schwarzenegger