Falling in Reverse (A Criminal Minds Story)

VII

THEN

        "Have you read this?" Spencer asked, thumbing through a novel at a bookstore we were at. It had become one of our favorite past times, checking out the many little book shops in D.C. and reading together. I looked up from a Charlotte Bronte novel I had my eyes on, a first edition that I surprisingly didn't own.
    "No, but I'm guessing you just read it now." He nodded happily, proud of himself despite the fact he did this constantly. I gave a small smile and looked back down at my book, debating whether or not I should buy it despite the fact I was completely ready to spend almost thirty dollars on it.
    "It's really interesting." Spencer started, clearly determined to get me to read the book like always, even though he knew I didn't really have an interest. I rolled my eyes, sighed, and looked up again.
    "Spencer interesting or normal people interesting?" I teased. He gave a tight lipped smile.
    "It's about the Caesar Shift, otherwise known as the Caesar Cipher," He said, ready to launch into a twenty minute recount of what he just read in five. "It's this code that Julius Caesar invented...It was a way of protecting important military messages. It's sometimes used by shifting the alphabet to the right three letters, but you can really use any number. Isn't that interesting?"
    "Spencer interesting," I decided, grabbing another book off the shelf.
    "I'm going to buy it," He declared. I frowned.
    "Why?" He blinked.
    "So that way in case we ever need it, we can keep it in the office. Isn't that handy?"
    "Why would we need the book? We have you, a walking encyclopedia." I said with a laugh, using my free hand to grab his as I pulled him along to the cash register where I watched happily as Spencer paid for my books.
    I grabbed our bag of books - heavy as ever - and swung it along as we walked outside, my other hand still wrapped around his. He pushed the door open and the warm summer day met us with a smile and sunlight.
    "What if something happens to me, huh?" He asked, and though there was an air of joking to the conversation, it suddenly got serious.
    "Nothing is going to happen to you, Spence." I said.
    "But what if it does?" He sounded sad all of a sudden and his voice got quiet. He stopped walking and his face was down, and I stopped walking, too. I used my finger to lift his face up so he could look me in the eyes.
    "Hey," I said, my voice quiet and reassuring. "Nothing is going to happen to you, okay? We're leaving the bad stuff behind us. We're in this together now." He nodded and tilted his head down. "Come on," I said, inserting a chipper tone back into my voice. "Let's go to the park." He nodded again as we started to walk. "So tell me more about this Caesar Cipher, Spence."
    "I've read about it before, but this book really focused on every aspect. People don't really use it today, but sometimes it can be used in those little decoder rings." I nodded, playing along.
    "Very interesting." I said. "So what other codes do you know about?"
    "All of them. I have a mind like a sponge." I laughed.
    "What about the Zodiac killer cipher? Did sponge boy ever figure that one out?" I teased, and he laughed.
    "The Zodiac killer used an incredibly complicated code, Andy."
    "Was it?"
    "You never studied it?" I blinked.
    "I'm normal, Spence."
    "Right. I forgot."
    "Tell me again, you graduated at high school at what age?"
    "Twelve." I laughed. "What? How old were you when you graduated?"
    "Seventeen." I responded, and he laughed, too, linking his arm in mine as we turned into the park.

    Later that night, I turned down the street from the chinese restaurant, a bag of General Tso's Chicken for one swinging in my hand. I hummed quietly to myself, looking at the now gray sky slowly fade back into dark blue.
    I slowed as I reached a dingy street - my least favorite on my walk home, yet unavoidable unless I wanted to add ten more minutes to my walk - and walked quickly, looking around as my breath moved faster and faster.
    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him. His large jeans, his ratty plaid shirt, his disgusting teeth that smiled at me as if he knew he was playing with me. I dropped the bag of food in horror and suddenly, he was gone and it was just a man who stared at me, confused.
    I shook off the feeling and grabbed the bag, quickly running down the street, looking behind me as I went. I could have sworn he was right there. I could have sworn I saw a little drop of JJ's blood on his cheek.
    He was taunting me, playing me. He was dead. I knew that. I had seen his lifeless body before I blacked out. Before Spencer came to see me. I hadn't thought about him in a month.
    So why was he here now? I sighed as I got into my apartment building, but the uneasiness followed me as I remembered he got me in my own bathroom. I wanted to call Spencer, Garcia, anyone, but they'd worry. I'd never be able to go back to work.
    I dropped my bag on the table and ran into my bedroom, flopping down face first as I stuffed my face in a pillow and willed myself to go to sleep despite the fact I could see him behind my eyes.