𝓶𝓪𝓻𝓪 𝓳𝓪𝓷𝓮 ➢ 𝓼. 𝓻𝓮𝓲𝓭

𝓈𝒾𝓍𝓉𝑒𝑒𝓃

The generator kicked on and Mara pulled her hand from Reid's, stepping away. She looked around to make sure no one had saw but Morgan was smirking to himself.

Garcia continued talking but it wasn't like either Reid or Mara were listening. Reid has broken one of his most important rules: no touching. Especially Mara. As much as Reid wanted to deny, he was attracted to Mara.

When Reid saw her with that Shawn person, he was undeniably jealous. Not because he had feelings for her but because he had been with her. And he knows that makes him a horrible
person for wanting to sleep with his co-worker but every time he looked at her, he has this overwhelming need to just touch her. Just to be near her was enough.

And Doctor Reid doesn't touch.

Mara was still bent on her rule of letting no one in, especially another member of the team. This was her safe haven, her way to put everything's she's learned to use and that can't be obscured by sharing feelings.

His hands were so cool to the touch, shivers broke out across her arms at the feelings of his fingers intertwining with hers. She couldn't help but wonder what they would feel like touching-

She quickly shook the thought from her head and turned her attention back to Garcia. Their UnSub has lost everything in a tornado and was now trying to bring someone back.

"If this is the final piece of his puzzle, he's going to do it in the spot with the most activity." Mara spoke, her voice strained.

"That's just southeast of you." Garcia said.

"It's Frankenstein." Reid said from the window, turning around to face the group, purposely not looking at Mara. "The UnSub isn't just trying to put his brother back together, he's trying to bring him back from the dead."

The team all nodded, eyes widening in realization. "He believes that tornadoes have the power to take life so, conversely, they should have the power to restore it."

The team dropped everything and headed out to the trucks, Reid following Mara. They headed into the city, the central points where the storm was striking.

"Sir, I found your trigger," Garcia said through the speakers in the car. "A year ago, a tornado ripped through a cemetery near Tulsa. One of the fifty-three graves disturbed was that of Tucker James."

"His brother was killed by a storm, then his memorial was destroyed by one," Rossi said into the mic. "Now he's using both to build a memorial of his own."

"Now that he has that boy's head, the delusion will completely take over." Mara said, becoming uneasy at the storm lighting up the sky around them.

"Garcia, those storm chasers at the university we talked to, they should be out in full force. I'm sending you their number now," Emily said. "Tell them to be on the lookout for the UnSub's RV."

"And Garcia," Hotch said. "Patch into their radio chatter. They'll know where the storms are."

"We need to head into those areas with the most precipitation." Reid said from the backseat, noticing Mara's uneasiness.

"So, make a right at the next intersection; it should be Pawnee Road," Emily said, looking at the radar. "Uh-oh. It's frozen."

"Hey, Hotch," Morgan said into the mic. "We just lost the Internet."

"I've frozen up, too," Rossi spoke. "The weather must be affecting the upload."

"Patching Garcia in," Hotch resolved. "Garcia, we just lost our Internet, and we need you to guide us into the storm."

"Consider me your eyes and ears, sir," she said. "Guys, a twister has been spotted near Rose Hill just south of your position. The storm chaser dudes are calling it a landspout."

"We don't want that one," Reid interjected. "Landspout tornadoes are relatively insignificant. Garcia, look for hook echoes on your monitor."

"Okay, hook echoes, yeah. Okay, I'm gonna do that," she said, confused. "Just, uh, tell me what they are."

"Uh, they're swirling, hook-like radar signatures that look surprisingly like what you'd expect them to," Reid answered, eyes not leaving Mara. "They'll likely form in those red and violet areas on the map."

"Well, I don't see anything that looks even remotely like that." Garcia said, getting frustrated as the storm around them continued to get more violent.

Garcia found them, not one but two and split up the team to get to both locations, Morgan, Reid, and Mara being the closes to the UnSub's last seen location.

Reid turned to Mara, leaning close to her. "Are you okay?"

She turned to him and nodded. "Yeah, I'm good, just not the biggest fan of storms."

They turned down a path and went all the way to the end, Morgan struggling to keep control of the truck with how hard the wind was blowing. They turned into an old house's driveway.

Mara spotted the RV, jumping out the truck and running into the storm. "Travis James, FBI, drop your weapon!"

The officers from the station followed suit, aiming their weapons at the man holding the young boy hostage. They were yelling over the storm, trying to get the boy before the storm came any closer.

Suddenly, lightening lit up the sky and a twister was right in front of them. Then, Travis dropped the axe and let the boy go. Mara started to go after their UnSub as Reid helped the boy up and towards a cellar.

Mara watched the twister come closer, sending debris into her face, scratching it. She watched the twister pick Travis and his "brother" up and into the storm.

"Mara, come on!" Reid yelled, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her into the storm cellar.

They lost their UnSub but they saved a boy. Mara collapsed against the wall, sucking air into her lungs as Reid stood in front of her, examining the cuts on her face.

"Are you okay?"

Mara huffed, pulling leaves and small branches from her hair. "I told you I hated storms."