"Realize that if a door is closed, it's because what was behind it wasn't meant for you." ~ Mandy Hale
The Daughter
"Mel?" Aaron's voice called out as soon as I was through the front door, Spencer sneaking in behind me.
"Yeah it's only me." I called out just before the TV muted and he hurried out of the living room, stopping as he laid eyes on Spencer before laughing at our current appearance.
"So how did the decorating go?" He asked with a smirk and Spencer and I looked at each other. We looked ridiculous. We felt it too; the pain in my body was completely shocking.
"It was uh... interesting." I decided on eventually, giving a short nod of my head.
"It looks like I missed out on a lot of... fun." He said, folding his arms and leaning against the doorframe.
"Yeah... Well... I said Spencer could stay the night, is that okay?" I asked, feeling a little out of line after everything I'd admitted to before leaving for Morgan's.
"Sure. Of course. I was just heading to bed." He explained, jerking his thumb towards the stairs while crossing the hall. "Would either of you like anything before I head up?" He asked.
"That's okay, I'm just looking forward to a hot bath and my bed." I admitted and Spencer nodded in agreement as we headed for the stairs.
He was being unusually quiet; but that was probably because he was already aware of our previous status and had no doubt that Aaron would've also picked up on this.
"Alright, well I'll see you both in the morning."
"Good night."
"You can shower first," I told Spencer as I threw myself down on my desk chair. "I insist. It'll give me time to pick the paint from my tattoos and make sure they're still there." Spencer frowned in confusion.
"Why, will washing the paint off chip them?" He asked in such an innocent tone. I chuckled and shook my head.
"Oh Spence I was only kidding," I admitted and he blushed bashfully, one of his dimples showing. "I'll find you some clothes to wear while you shower." I explained and he smiled, ducking back out of my room.
In the drawer I found his hoodie and a t-shirt he'd left behind a few months ago. Unfortunately there wasn't any spare sets of trousers - pyjama or otherwise - or underwear, so he'd just have to make do other than that.
I didn't want a repeat of the awkwardness and embarrassment of last time Spence showered here, so instead I left the pile of clothes outside the bathroom door, chewing on my lip the whole time.
I felt myself dozing off when Spence re-entered my room with dripping hair dressed in the t-shirt I'd left on the floor outside the bathroom as well as his underwear. Obviously.
"Bathroom's free." He smiled and I grinned sleepily as I got up off the chair. "Although taking a bath in your current state might not be the best idea..." He mused.
"Current state?" I echoed.
"Mhmm..." He nodded, chewing on his lip and following me out of my bedroom. "I mean, you could fall asleep in the bath and drown." I turned to him, shaking my head in awe and chuckling as I pushed inside the bathroom saying,
"Spence I'll be fine I'm not that-" My sentence trailed off as I entered the bathroom to find the bathtub completely filled with bubbles, steam rising from the water and my scented candles lit at the end of the bath.
"Aw Spence," I cooed. "Aw," I turned to him and reached a paint-spotted hand out, touching his face lightly. "If I wasn't covered in paint I'd most likely hug you to death right now." I told him matter-of-factly.
"Well, in that case I'm glad you're still paint-covered," He joked with a dimpled smile. "Enjoy your bath." He said, taking a step out of the bathroom and pulling the door closed behind him.
The Doctor
It felt like we hadn't been asleep long when Hotch propelled Mel's bedroom door open whisper-shouting about a case.
I almost fell completely out of bed in surprise and Mel groaned, throwing her pillow at the door as she rolled out of bed.
It would appear she was getting better at the whole waking-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-for-work thing.
As I watched her climb out of bed I sighed irritatedly. I still felt sleepy and warm and all I wanted to do was cuddle down with Mel and appreciate the first time we'd shared a bed since New Year.
But of course, Unsubs didn't take our lives into consideration. Of course they didn't. And so instead I was made to pull on paint-covered pants and sit in Mel's freezing car in the dark as she drove to my apartment so I could pick up clean clothes and my go-bag.
"I love this job," Mel said matter-of-factly as if she were trying to convince herself. "But sometimes it really bloody sucks." I smirked and nodded my head, pulling her against my side in a sleepy hug before taking her hand as the elevator arrived on our floor.
Surprisingly enough we weren't the last ones in the BAU and so had time to make some coffee before Prentiss completed the team.
"What do we got Garcia?" She asked as she hurried inside the room and threw herself into her chair on my other side.
"Denver, Colorado. Five men, all white, all middle-forties, all middle class American citizens found shot-dead execution style stripped of all clothing bearing nothing but a bullet-wound through the head, the streaks of their own blood and the marking of some so-far undecipherable image on their chests.
"They were found approximately three hours ago shortly after midnight on Interstate 70 smack-bang half-way between Utah and Maryland.
"Denver, Colorado. Five women, all white, all middle-forties, all middle class American citizens found stabbed to death stripped of all clothing. Each woman was stabbed up to fifty times with another undecipherable image on their chests. They were found approximately one hour ago on Interstate 25 just outside of Denver.
"Nothing like this has ever happened before in Colorado, let alone Denver. Local PD have no idea what they're doing and they're in desperate need of our help. This is a bad one."
We didn't waste any time at all before Hotch got to his feet while frantically gathering his papers and saying,
"Wheels up in twenty."
The Daughter
"Greetings crime fighters," Garcia's voice called to us through the laptop as we discussed the killings on the jet on route to Denver.
"The undecipherable image found on the victims' chests has just been made decipherable," She explained before an image of an upside down cross in the hollow of a half-moon appeared on the screen.
It was made graphical for our benefit, but then another picture of the same image appeared next to the graphical one.
"Local PD have no idea what this could mean and they've never seen anything like this before." She explained.
"Gang related?" Morgan suggested.
"It sounds like it could be a satanist." Prentiss pointed out.
"But wouldn't a typical satanist just use a pentagram?" I asked, peering at the image of the carving on my tablet.
"Alright," Aaron said, setting his tablet down on the table.
"Mel and Reid I want you to go see the bodies. Morgan and Rossi, you take the first crime scene. JJ and I will take the second crime scene and Prentiss I'd like you to start with the male families.
"Mel and Reid when you're finished at the morgue I want you to start with the female families. Meet at the station in two hours."
We all nodded as Aaron gave out instructions and we all turned back to our notes.
"Psst," I looked up at Spencer sat next to me to find him grinning down at me excitedly.
"This is the first time we've been paired together." He whispered in an excited tone. It was then that it hit me that Aaron had actually paired us together.
He hadn't done that since he found out Spencer and I were dating. Somehow that made me extremely happy.
I peered over my shoulder to see Aaron taking to his seat, glancing out of his window with his usual trademark frown.
"I know," I grinned, turning back to Spencer. "I can't believe he'd pair us together again." I whispered.
"Me neither." He agreed.
"It's exciting." I admitted. Spencer smiled broadly at me but we were interrupted with the laptop bleeping as Garcia's face appeared frantically.
"Uh guys, we may have a problem." She announced and Aaron got to his feet, hurrying over to the table again where the laptop was situated between JJ and I on the table.
"What's the matter Garcia?" Aaron asked in his authoritative voice.
"Local PD have withdrawn their invitation." She stated and I frowned in confusion, glancing up at Aaron so he could translate what this meant exactly.
"They've done what?" He asked in a shocked and enraged tone.
"They've retracted their invitation," She said simply. "They've literally just sent me an email saying they made a mistake by inviting us in and they don't need our help after all."
"Have they made an arrest?" Aaron demanded.
"They didn't say." She shook her head and an email appeared on our tablets from the Denver PD.
"What do we do now?" Morgan asked in an enraged voice.
"We don't change anything," Aaron said matter-of-factly. "They initially invited us for a reason and they've withdrawn that invitation for a reason too. Our job now is to find out why they felt so intimated to do so."
*
Instead of doing everything Aaron had suggested we do; there was mutual agreement across the team for us all to head straight to the police station to find out exactly what was going on.
As soon as we entered the station heads turned to us, all eyes in the station settling on our presence.
"If looks could kill I'm pretty sure we'd be dead and buried." I mumbled to Spencer as we followed behind Aaron as he led the way inside the station.
"I'm looking for Detective Morris." He announced in a clear and authoritative voice.
"I'm Detective Morris." A man in his late fifties with white hair and a long white moustache approached in a brown suit, his wrinkled face frowning as he joined us in the middle of the station.
"I'm SSA Aaron Hotchner with the FBI Behavioural Analysis Unit. I believe you sent an invitation requiring our help."
"That invitation was a mistake," Detective Morris said in a displeased tone. "We do not need your help."
"It seems like it to me." Morgan said, pointing to the crime board behind the Detective. The only things on the board were crime scene photos. There were no leads whatsoever. It was the barest crime board I'd seen of a crime of this scale.
"We're taking our time." The Detective answered in a monotone.
"You can't afford to take your time with a crime like this." I said in a shocked tone.
"There will be more bodies if you do that." Prentiss agreed behind me.
"Detective may I ask who invited us in for our help?" Aaron said in a questioning tone.
"You can ask but that doesn't mean I'll-" Morris was cut off by a short young lady stepping out of the office behind him.
"I did." She said in a shaky voice. Her eyes were red and puffy and a tissue was stuffed in her hand.
"Sophia I told you to wait in my office." Morris said, turning to the lady angrily.
"No dad," She said, shoving his arm away from her as he tried to guide her back inside the office.
"Please," She said, hurrying over to us in an emotional voice. "You have to stay and help us," She choked. "I was..." She hiccuped. "I was the one who found him," Tears poured from Sophia's eyes. "One of the victims he... he... He was my fiancé." She cried and covered her mouth with her tissue, squeezing her eyes closed before taking a deep breath and looking up at Aaron again.
"I invited you because I know something's happening in this town, something that needs to be stopped as quickly as possible... My dad..." She turned to look at Morris who had hung his head in anger.
"He thinks we can stop this ourselves but I know we need help."
"Unless the heading officer on this case condones our presence, we cannot work this case." Aaron said matter-of-factly.
Sophia turned to Morris and hurriedly took his hands in hers.
"Please daddy," She begged. "We can't do this alone. They can help us. Please." Morris sighed and looked at the crime board before turning to Aaron.
"You've worked on cases like this one before?" He asked in a shaky voice.
"We have." Aaron said simply.
"And you think you can solve this one just as quickly?"
"With cooperation, we will try our best."
Morris sighed emphatically, taking one last nervous look at his daughter before nodding his head.
"Alright, you can stay."
Aaron turned to us, nodding his head and saying,
"Right lets go."
The Doctor
"I can't believe Aaron would put us together again." Mel admitted as we climbed into the SUV.
"I guess he's just willing to trust that we won't get distracted." I shrugged and saw Mel smirk out of the corner of my eye. I cleared my throat a little awkwardly, my cheeks heating up.
"So how's your mum doing?" She asked in that amazing British accent of hers.
"Better," I admitted. "She spoke of you in her letters last week and she said Lynette told her she doesn't think too highly of you but I don't think that's entirely true." She sniggered and shook her head.
"Oh no I can believe that. She has a serious bad patch for me."
"Regardless, mom's doing well thank you for asking. How're Beth and Jack?"
"Jack's doing good. He's missing you though," She admitted in a quiet voice. "He'll be disappointed that he missed you last night." She added.
"Well we'll have to change that then won't we?" I said in a quiet voice and she glanced over, nodding her head.
"You're right," She said with a smile. "We will."
*
"Hello, I'm Agent Hotchner and this is Doctor Reid, we're here with the FBI's Behavioural Analysis Unit." Melanie introduced as I flashed my badge.
We were lead along a cold white corridor and into the morgue.
"So these are the female victims we found," The pathologist said, pulling back the covers on the five bodies just enough so we could see their faces. "Cause of death was the bullet in the forehead, as you'd expect. But it was clear they had all undergone some serious torture before their deaths. I would estimate they were held captive somewhere damp and compact."
"Like a cave?" Melanie asked as I carefully examined the bullet-wound in the first victim's forehead.
"Yeah..." The pathologist said a little reluctantly. "Or like an old basement or something, one that was in disrepair to say the least," He nodded. "Wherever they were held there were low ceilings. Curvature of the spine indicates this, and due to the condition of the bones and the texture of the skin I can tell they weren't in the driest of conditions either."
"What signs of torture were visible?" I asked as I straightened up.
"Well..." He sighed emphatically and crossed to the brunette I was standing beside. "This is Hellen Daniels, forty three. Her genitals were severely punctured and torn antemortem, and I'd say on more than one occasion as there are old wounds and more recent ones too.
"Her back shows signs of slashes, like from a belt or a whip of some sort. Her wrists bare severe lacerations as though they were bound or even cut at some point. The same markings were found on her ankles." I turned to look at Mel to see her gaze focused and trained on the pathologist.
The man then moved to the blonde woman on the next table.
"This is Lucida White, forty four. As you can see her neck has severe bruising, new bruises overlapping old ones ringing all the way around her neck. The rest of her body is completely covered in bruises.
"Defensive wounds on her forearms and a couple of broken ribs. There's a slight fracture in her right wrist too as though it'd been broken at some point during her captivity. There was sign of sexual assault on Lucida too."
I swallowed and sighed emphatically. Whoever had done this wasn't just torturing his victims; he was trying out every form of torture he could think of.
"You get the point," The man sighed, covering Lucida back up again. "Wilma Tracey was sexually assaulted and burned. She has cigarette and other forms of burning covering her arms and her stomach.
"Becky Haulder was sexually assaulted and slashed. She has deep lacerations all over her body. Her stomach, her thighs, her forearms and a ghastly one on her face. That one's fresh.
"And finally Katie Carter was sexually assaulted and pregnant. It was early days in the pregnancy so I'd guess she was the first one to be held. Her physical torture apart from rape was pretty tame in comparison to the other women. She had defensive wounds on her arms and sign of repeated sexual assault. It was clear what your guy wanted from Katie."
"Is it possible to determine who the father was?" I asked hopefully.
"Unfortunately not I'm afraid," The man led us out of the morgue slowly. "But we have discovered something interesting..." The three of us came to half at the end of the corridor, Melanie and I waiting with baited breath.
"We were able to recover a semen sample from Katie... The DNA sample matched that of one of our male victims... Jason Hadley."
The Daughter
It was easier having Spencer to work alongside me as we examined the bodies of the ten victims and collected the similarities and patterns. Every single one of the victims had been sexually assaulted.
"You're certain?" Aaron asked as I debriefed the team and Spencer wrote the information we'd collected up on the crime board.
We'd just shared the news that one of our male victims had potentially raped and subsequently impregnated one of our female victims.
"Which victim was Sophia engaged to?" Aaron mumbled in a small voice, casting his eyes to Morris and Sophia in the office next to us.
"Ben Charleton." Prentiss said, approaching the table with her notepad.
"Okay," I turned to the board and pointed to Ben. "Victim number three." I said and Spencer started reading,
"COD bullet to the forehead, signs of sexual assault, genitalia removed antemortem, body covered in slashes and stab wounds."
"Hang on," JJ said, approaching the board and pointing to Becky Haulder. "Doesn't anything strike you as familiar?"
"Oh my God!" I gasped.
"You don't think..." Spencer asked with wide eyes, turning to look from me to JJ and then back to the rest of the team.
"With Katie's baby being Jason's, you don't seriously think these victims were doing this to each other do you?" Morgan proposed.
"Hello crime fighters I come bearing news, that news may not be music to you ears but it certainly is something," She said and we all turned to the laptop on the table.
"It would appear that something strange has certainly been happening to these poor people as the semen found in each female belongs to each of the male victims." We all straightened up from the table; our theory had just been proven.
*
After establishing that the Unsub had paired these victims together; evidently making them do unspeakable things to each other; we worked on our profile and delivered it to the officers.
Morris and his daughter did not attend the briefing as we knew it was probably best if she didn't find out her fiancé had been forced to rape and possibly even kill Lucida White.
But, even with a working profile and ten bodies, we were still left empty-handed the following evening. I was yawning like an idiot, completely sleepless since the four-hour nap Spence and I had had after Morgan's apartment thirty six hours previously.
"We'll catch him soon Melly." Spencer's voice soothed me as he wrapped an arm around my waist while I waited on the coffee heating up.
"I know." I said around my yawn, leaning my head on his shoulder.
"Watch out you two," Rossi said, coming up behind us. "You wouldn't want one of the officers to get spooked and report you for fraternisation."
Immediately we stepped away from each other with heated cheeks and Rossi walked away, laughing to himself like he was some sort of comedy genius.
"Oh ignore him," Prentiss scoffed as she joined us by the coffee pot. "He's just jealous." She said matter-of-factly, pouring herself a coffee before turning to follow Rossi.
The Doctor
When Mel and I finally joined the rest of the team; Hotch and Morris were nowhere to be found.
"Where's Aaron?" Mel asked as she sipped her coffee.
"He and Morris went to go check on a lead." JJ explained from the board.
"We got a tip-off and Morris was insisting we check it out." Prentiss shrugged.
"We got a tip-off and only Morris and Aaron went?" Melanie asked in an increasing volume. I was also rather appalled.
"He told us to wait and let he and Morris take lead." Rossi explained clamly.
"And you all thought that was okay?" She almost-shouted.
"Hey, Mel, it's fine. It's only a tip-off. It's not a big thing." Prentiss said calmly.
"Not a big thing?" She repeated angrily. "Emily, this maniac turned men and women against each other and made them rape and torture one another before killing and dumping them and you think Morris and Aaron will be able to singlehandedly stop him?"
We were silenced not only by her tone and the truth of her words, but the expression on her face that told us she wasn't backing down.
"Where'd they go?" She demanded, turning to JJ by the board. JJ cast her eyes to Rossi and Prentiss before stepping forward to the table and glancing down at the laptop, repeating the address there.
"Okay." Mel nodded before turning and marching for the door.
"Mel, what the Hell?!" I gasped, hurrying after her. "Wait, where d'you think you're going?" I demanded. "If you think this tip is our guy you should wait till we're all going!" I exclaimed, hurrying after her.
"Aaron and Morris will be there by now, and if this is our guy I'm not sticking around to see how he turns them against each other."
I watched as she climbed into the SUV before groaning and jumping in beside her.
The Daughter
"You don't have to come." I claimed as I started the engine.
"You're not going there alone." He snapped and I glanced over.
"If this was your dad, you'd do the same." I knew Spencer and his father didn't have the rosiest of relationships but that didn't change the fact that Spencer had a heart of Gold and wouldn't see his family suffer.
He was silent in response to my statement and I didn't really have anything else to say, so the rest of the car journey was silent as I followed the GPS navigation directions.
I cut the head-lights as we turned off the road onto the dirt path leading up to the grounds of the massive building Aaron and Morris had gone to investigate. There were no signs of any other cars or any lights on at all in the building as we approached.
Spencer reached into the back of the car and retrieved two vests as I cut the engine and let the car roll to a stop several yards from the other SUV and blacked out blue van.
"Do you think something's up now?" I whispered to Spencer as we donned the vests and stared through the windshield at the darkened house.
"You're right," Spencer said in a breathless voice. "They should never have let Aaron and Morris come here alone." I sighed emphatically and called the rest of the team.
"Mel is everything okay?" JJ asked.
"How quickly can you get here?" I asked, peering up at the house. We were interrupted by a gunshot coming from the house and I jumped, propelling myself out of the SUV in a heartbeat, my gun raised before I could even blink as my feet carried me as fast as possible up the path across the porch and straight for the front door.
Spencer was immediately behind me but the front door wouldn't open. Within a few heartbeats I'd kicked the door down and scoured the entryway, following the sound of whimpers and heavy breathing into the front room. Everywhere was bare of furniture but the torch I held shone onto two people.
"DAD!" I screamed, every instinct in my body telling me to run right for him.
"Melanie get out of here!" His voice said calmly and orderly, his back still to me.
"I'm not leaving you. Not with that bastard." The man holding the gun to my father's head smiled a dirty, bloody toothed smile. I shivered as my eyes lay on him.
How did we not notice this before?
"Where are the others?" Aaron asked calmly, his hands raised in the air at both sides of his head. It was so dark and dingy in the rabid building that my torch only covered so much.
"On their way," I claimed confidently, slowly edging forwards towards my father and the evil man holding him hostage.
"FBI!" I called to the man, focusing my aim on his forehead. "It's over Morris. We both know it. You're over. If you come in now, willingly, I'll tell the DA you cooperated, maybe then they won't fry you."
The man scoffed.
"I don't think so cupcake."
My heart pounded in my chest as he cocked his gun, but I was quicker.
I was always quicker.
The Doctor
As soon as Frank Morris fell in a heap on the floor his gun fell and slid across the floor and I hurried to it, kicking it out of the way and leaning down to feel his pulse.
"Dad, no, no, no, please!" I looked up to see Melanie on the floor with Hotch in her arms, blood covering the both of them.
A shiver ran over my spine at the familiarity of the scene and I ran over to her, calling a medic as Hotch groaned in Mel's arms.
"I'm okay." He gasped despite the blood covering the both of them.
"You're going to be fine, dad." Melanie said calmly. "Okay? You're gonna be just fine. Look at me," She said, tapping the side of his face lightly, making him focus on her. "That's it, look at me, c'mon dad it's okay." She smiled as her tears slid down her cheeks and I ran for the front door as headlights flashed into the front room.
"HELP QUICK!" I hollered and Morgan jumped out of the SUV as the engine still ran. "Hotch has been shot!" I yelled as I turned back inside the house.
"Spence help me." Melanie sobbed and I dropped to her side, ripping my vest off and hurrying to remove my cardigan.
"We need to keep pressure on the wound." I said, my thoughts racing as I tried to remember how to treat a gunshot wound.
I wrapped my cardigan under Hotch's arm and tied it on his shoulder, his face a ghastly pale as he groaned and winced, writhing in Melanie's arms.
"Ssh," She cried as the team piled inside the front room, shocked expressions covering their faces as they took in the scene before them.
"Ssh it's okay, you're okay dad, you're going to be just fine, stay with me, c'mon stay with me now, stay with me." She cried, wiping the tears that had fallen onto Hotch's face from her eyes.
"Where are the medics?" I gushed and JJ hurried out of the room in search of them.
"Please stay with me, c'mon you can do this, c'mon dad stay with me now." Melanie cried, sniffing and holding him tighter in her arms, her hands and vest covered in blood.
I looked at her broken expression, at her eyes as she watched Hotch writhe in her arms, covered in his blood. She couldn't lose him. Not after everything she'd done to find him.
The medics rushed inside the room with their bags and I watched as they lifted Hotch off Melanie's lap and she sat there with a pale and desperate expression, tears rolling down her cheeks, covered in her father's blood.
"Please..." She whispered, kneeling beside him and taking his hand into her own as the medics checked him over and placed him on a board.
I was totally absorbed in Mel, totally oblivious to what the medics were doing; where the team were; what was happening until I was sat beside Mel in the back of the ambulance.
"I'm not leaving her." I said adamantly through my teeth at the medic as he repeated himself for the third time; asking me to leave the ambulance.
One of Mel's hands was laced in mine, the other was laced with Hotch's.
"Please dad please don't leave me." She cried under her breath as we pulled up outside of the ER and piled out so they could take Hotch inside.
"Mel," I wrapped my arms around her waist as we approached the zone we couldn't enter.
"No," She cried, trying to continue down the corridor, her hand slipping out of Hotch's. "No, dad! No!" She cried out desperately, and I wrapped my arms around her waist; the team running inside the ER behind us as Mel turned in my arms, punching into my chest angrily sobbing,
"Let me go with him, let me go, Spencer, let me go with him!"
"I can't let you do that Melly, I can't," Tears slid down my cheeks as I took each hit, hearing the horror and heartbreak crack her voice. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry,"
She sobbed and fell against me, sobbing into my chest.
"I'm sorry Melly baby I'm sorry." I apologised over and over, wrapping my arms around her and squeezing my eyes closed, burying my face in her hair so the team wouldn't see me cry as she sobbed.
The Hero
We ran into the ER as Hotch was being rushed to surgery, Mel freaking out in the doorway as Reid held her back.
I watched with a lump in my throat as she punched into Reid's chest. I knew that couldn't be easy to take; Mel wasn't exactly the lightest of fighters; in fact quite the opposite; she was a little firecracker.
But Reid stood there with tears running down his cheeks, taking each hit with his arms firmly wrapped around her, pulling her to him with his own tears, apologising over and over.
Since meeting Melanie; this was not the first heartbreaking scene I'd had to witness, and I had a feeling it wouldn't be the last.
"What do we do?" JJ whispered in a thick voice, and when I looked down at her beside me, she was sniffing and wiping a tear from her cheek roughly.
"Anything we can to help." Rossi said simply.
"I'll call Garcia." Prentiss said stiffly and turned to leave the ER.
By this point Mel had silenced and was standing in Spencer's arms, holding onto him as if her life depended on it.
In order to get to the waiting room we had to pass the pair so entirely wrapped up in each other it had me completely silent.
Spencer opened his eyes and nodded at us as we passed and I swallowed the lump in my throat as my eyes met his. It was so clear by his expression that Melanie's pain was his, and he was suffering just as much as she was in that moment.
The Daughter
"Beth," I choked down the phone, Spencer's arms wrapped around me.
"Mel?" She asked in confusion. "Melanie sweetheart is that you? Can you hear me okay?" She asked and I squeezed my eyes closed, biting my lip emotionally before taking a deep breath.
"Beth my dad's been shot," I choked, Spencer's arms tightening around me. "Can you get to Denver?"
"What? Melanie? What're you talking about?"
"My dad," I cried. "He... He's been shot... He's in surgery."
"Oh my god," She gasped. "Oh my..." I heard a sob and squeezed my eyes tight closed, resting my forehead against Spencer's chest.
"I'll be there as quick as I can. Text me the address." She hung up after that and I threw my arms around Spencer's neck in desperation.
What was going to happen to Jack? How would he know?
"Jessica's on her way..." JJ said, approaching Spencer and I in the middle of the corridor. "She's bringing Jack with her too," She explained. "And Garcia's coming with them." She added. I turned to her to see her puffy eyes.
"Aaron's strong," Spencer said in a soft voice and I looked up at him with glassy eyes. "He's been through worse, Melly," He explained, sweeping loose hairs from my face.
I was vaguely away of JJ retreating back down the corridor to the waiting room.
"He's been on death's door countless times and pulled through fighting," A smile broke across Spencer's face and his large hand cupped my cheek. "You're so much like him Melly." He whispered and I smiled too.
"D'you think he's going to be okay?" I whispered emotionally.
"I-I can't say." He stuttered.
"You're a doctor." I said simply.
"Not that kind of doctor, Melly, you know that."
"Please Spence... Please just tell me he's going to be okay." My eyes fluttered closed in defeat.
A few heartbeats later Spencer's lips gently brushed against mine and I immediately reacted, kissing him back in return.
His large hand slid from my face into my hair at the back of my head, his other hand sliding from my arm down to my waist, holding me tightly before pulling me against him tighter as the kiss deepened, a moan escaping my lips.
My head spun and my temperature soared abruptly, my balance shifting suddenly. I gripped onto Spencer's forearms subsequently pulling out of the kiss and catching my breath.
Immediately he righted my balance and looked at me with sleepy eyes as I smiled up at him for what felt like the first time in too long.
"Your dad is going to be just fine." He told me as his eyes bore down into mine.
I smiled thankfully up at him before stretching on my tip-toes, throwing my arms around his neck and hugging him as though my entire existence depended on it.
The Doctor
I'd never felt so needed. The way Melanie held onto me was as though that was the only thing keeping her grounded, keeping her alive and in the moment.
There was nothing else I could do except hold her in return and pray that my words came true and that everything was going to be alright.
But in truth nobody had that ability or power.
"We should head into the waiting room," I suggested after a long while of simply holding each other in the middle of the hallway. She nodded her head but didn't move.
"Melly are you okay?" I asked a little worriedly.
"I-I'm fine," She stuttered, telling me that those words were a lie. "I just need to be held for a little while longer." She whispered and I smiled into her hair, moving my head to the crook of her neck and holding her tightly.
She moaned into my shoulder and squeezed me tighter, subsequently making me wrap my arms around her tighter still, burying my head deeper into her neck. In that moment there was no way we could've gotten any closer.
"Thank you." She mumbled against my shirt collar.
"What're you thanking me for?" I asked in confusion, pulling back out of the hug and allowing her to straighten my collar with an absentminded smile.
"For being here with me," She shrugged. "And for going there with me." She shrugged and I smiled, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.
"I'll always be right there with you Melly, no matter where you go." I said matter-of-factly and she smiled at me tearfully before reaching for my hand and sighing.
We headed across the hall to the waiting room and pushed inside where Prentiss, Rossi and Morgan were sat with their vests bundled on the table in the centre of the room.
"Any word?" Rossi asked and I shook my head, leading Mel to a seat and pulling her down beside me, wrapping an arm around her waist as she snuggled down against me, resting her head on my shoulder.
"Where's JJ?" I whispered after a long silence, frightened in case Mel had maybe fallen asleep in my arms, she was so still and silent, so peaceful as she laid against me.
"She's gone to call the station. She's trying to figure out what the hell happened." Rossi explained.
"Jessica, Jack and Penelope should be here in a couple hours now," Morgan explained quietly. "Beth's due to arrive in three. I'll go pick them up when they get here."
"Thank you," Melanie's voice whispered and I looked down at her in my arms, surprised to hear her still awake.
"All of you," She mumbled, straightening up. "I mean, I get that this kind of thing has happened before, to most of us, and each time you've all been there, supporting each other," She said slowly.
"But I mean... thank you for accepting me so quickly," I frowned at her, squeezing my arm around her waist subconsciously in confusion.
"It couldn't have been easy finding out I was your boss' daughter and that I'd be working with you all. It also couldn't have been easy to know I was the daughter of a woman you all hated," She smirked and shrugged.
"But thank you for accepting me as one of you so quickly," She reiterated. "You didn't have to do that, not so easily. And I just wanted you to know that I haven't taken any of it for granted. At all."
Prentiss sniffed emotionally and got up from her seat, crossing the room quickly and leaning down to hug Melanie tightly.
"You don't have to thank us, Mel," She sniffed into her shoulder, her eyes closed. "You were destined to be one of us and we love you like you've always been one of us," She laughed as she pulled back and looked Mel in the eye. "You'll always be one of us, and not just because you're the boss' daughter."
Melanie smirked and nodded her head, smiling up at Emily.
"Thank you for that." She said simply.
"Emily's right, kid," Morgan said in agreement, nodding his head.
"You've always been and always will be one of us. Where you come from and who you come from doesn't matter to us. You're just Melanie and you're one of us, and that's really all we care about."
Morgan shrugged matter-of-factly and smiled at Melanie warmly. Hearing the loving words from our team made me feel emotional let alone Melanie. I was just pleased that she was finally able to hear the loving words from the rest of the team and realise that it wasn't just me who loved her.
The Daughter
I guess at some point I must've fallen asleep in Spencer's arms. Because the next thing I knew JJ's voice was waking me from a light sleep. She was obviously explaining what had happened to the others, and I awoke with her explaining that Detective Frank Morris had fooled every one of his team members; including his own daughter.
"Hey, how're you feeling?" Spencer asked, tucking my hair behind my ear as I straightened up, blinking and rubbing at my eyes.
"Shit." I admitted truthfully.
"Morgan should be back anytime now with Jack, Jessica and Penelope. They were all getting a commercial flight from Quantico." JJ explained from across the room and I nodded, smiling at her.
"Any news back about my dad?" I asked as I leaned back against Spencer, his arms re-wrapping around me making me feel as though nobody on this Earth could harm me.
"Not yet, no," Emily explained. "He's still in surgery by all accounts."
"Is it really a good idea to bring Jack?" I realised, thinking of how the little boy would react to know his daddy had been shot and severely injured - again.
"One of Aaron's main wishes is that whatever happens, no matter what happens, Jack be informed of it." Rossi explained.
"He didn't want there to be any lies or exaggerations. Especially after Hayley." JJ said. I nodded my head in understanding, realising that Jack's mum's death couldn't have been an easy thing. For anyone. I shuddered at the thought and Spencer's arms tightened around me instinctively.
"You all must be so tired," I realised, turning my head up to see Spencer's face and frowning at the dark circles under his eyes. I reached a hand up to his face, brushing his hair off his forehead.
"There's no need for you guys to be hanging around here." I reasoned, looking at everyone after I'd said this.
"Melanie," Emily chuckled. "Give up." She smiled.
"We're staying right where we are kiddo." Rossi said simply and I smiled emotionally at them; they really were my adopted family.
Just then the door creaked open and Morgan entered wearing a grave expression.
"Oh Melanie!" Penelope came rushing through the door to me, tears streaking her cheeks and her arms outstretched to me.
"I'm so sorry!" She gushed, squeezing me half to death. "I- we got here as soon as we could." She explained, letting me go and plopping down onto the chair beside me.
"It's okay, I understand," I smiled calmly. "Where's Jack?" I asked desperately, frantically peering at the door and at Morgan as he sat down at the end of the row.
"He fell asleep on the way from the airport," Morgan explained. "Jessica's sat with him in the car outside." He said.
"Would..." I sighed. "Would you mind if I went to see him?" I asked sheepishly. "It's just... I just, really want to give him a cuddle."
"Mel," Morgan shook his head. "You don't have to explain to me, Princess," He said sweetly. "I totally understand. You go see him. We'll come get you if there's any news." I smiled thankfully and got to my feet, slowly walking for the door a little dazed.
"Melly!" Spencer's voice sounded down the corridor and I turned to find him pulling the door closed behind him, jogging down the hallway from the waiting room.
"You didn't really think I'd let you come all the way out here on your own did you?" He smirked, taking my hand in his and kissing my knuckles.
I smiled up at him and leaned closer against him in a sort of side-hug. He let go of my hand and wrapped his arm around my waist, guiding me out into the darkened car-park outside.
The SUV was parked in one of the front bays and Jessica could be seen from shotgun. She waved when she saw us and immediately climbed out of the car, jogging to us and throwing her arms around me.
"Are you okay?" She gushed, pulling back and looking me over. "Derek told me all about what happened, you brave soul!" She exclaimed and I frowned.
Why was I the brave one? My dad was the one who went into that building alone with Morris and looked him in the eye as he'd been shot.
"I'm fine, Jess, really," I smiled and she sighed, stroking my cheek and tucking my hair behind my ear. "And I heard you were there too?" She said, looking up at Spencer. "Oh you poor angels! You're so brave!" She bundled Spencer into her arms next and I smiled up at his alarmed expression, turning to the car where Jack was asleep in the back.
"I know he's asleep but d'you mind if I just get a quick cuddle? It's just with everything I-"
"Melanie!" Morgan's voice had me spinning back around the hospital entrance and I saw him waving and grinning. "He's out of surgery!" He called and I gasped, quickly skewering the road before running across the car park and inside the hospital, Spencer following me in hot pursuit.
"He's awake and asking after you. Surgery was a success, they removed the bullet, he's okay." Morgan explained rapidly as I hurried along the corridor to where he was leading me.
"Oh my goodness." I gushed in disbelief, following to where he pointed. At the end of the hall there were three rooms, and Aaron was in the middle one.
I hurried to the door and gently knocked, sticking my head around the door to see a nondescript nurse taking obs while my dad lay on the bed in a gown hooked up to countless machines.
"Dad!" I gushed as I saw him smiling towards me. I ran to his side and - as gently as I could - threw my arms around him. "I was so worried!" I cried into his shoulder.
"Ssh," He chuckled, weakly patting my back. "I'm alright Mel, don't get upset. I'm stronger than that you know," He chuckled and I pulled back, seeing him smile before hugging him again, laughing and crying in glee.
"I hear a thanks are in order?" He said as I pulled back and took his hand in mine while the nurse left the room.
"What?" I asked in a confused tone.
"Well the nurse explained to me how my daughter shot my shooter dead from across the room in the same instance that he shot my neck at point-blank range." I smirked and rolled my eyes.
"It totally wasn't that dramatic." I scoffed.
"Oh no, I believe it was more dramatic than even that," He chuckled and squeezed my hand. "You saved my life, Mel, thank you so much darling." I smiled down at him emotionally.
"I just found you," I whispered with tears rolling down my cheeks. "There's no way I was going to lose you."
*
We sat for a while talking before he fell asleep and I slid out silently.
"Morgan's gone to collect Beth from the airport." Spencer explained as I met him outside the door.
"Have you been there the whole time?" I whispered as I silently closed the door behind me.
"Maybe." He shrugged and I cooed, smiling up at him before stretching onto my tip-toes and kissing his cheek.
"Thank you." I smiled sweetly and his brow furrowed.
"What for?"
"For making everything okay again." I said simply.
"What? Mel I didn't do that." He chuckled and I shook my head.
"You said everything was going to be fine, and it is. You were right. And because you said it, it happened." I reasoned matter-of-factly.
"I can't say I entirely agree with what you're saying." He cracked a beautiful smile, and for a moment I was entirely distracted by his beauty.
"Melanie!" Beth's voice gushed and I jumped back from Spencer to see her hurrying along the corridor to me - minus her fancy clothing and makeup - with outstretched arms.
"Oh darling thank god you're alright!" She gushed into my hair as she threw her arms around me, holding me to her protectively.
"I've been so worried this whole time, you sounded so distraught on the phone." She explained and I had to bite my tongue to prevent the tears from falling again.
"I'm sorry, I should've gotten someone else to call you." I apologised, pulling out of the hug. She examined my face carefully, tutting and shaking her head.
"Nonsense I'm pleased you were the one who called, I wouldn't have believed anybody else," She explained. "I can't believe you're really okay after what you did," She sighed and smiled broadly. "I'm so proud of you. And your dad will be too. How is he?" She asked, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and turning me to his room as we both peered through the window.
"He's been asleep for a few moments now," I explained. "But he's doing well. They have him on morphine now though so we should be thankful he's asleep otherwise he won't have a clue who we are." I smirked at the thought of my dad being high on morphine before completely banishing the thought in the seriousness of the situation.
"I think I'll go sit with him for a while until he wakes up." She nodded, looking over my shoulder through the window.
I saw the expression on her face and I knew how much she loved my dad in that moment. I watched her as she entered the room and moved to the window to watch her take a seat next to him, taking his hand in hers and kissing his hand emotionally, saying words I couldn't hear on the other side of the window.
I was aware of Spencer moving beside me, and a moment later his hand slid into mine, squeezing my fingers soothingly.
*
I looked down at Jack's peacefully sleeping face curled on the back seat of the car. I reached through the gap in the front seats and gently stroked his face, running my fingers through his hair before jumping in surprise as Spencer climbed into the passenger's seat beside me.
I'd been taking a few quiet moments to revel in the peace surrounding my little brother. Jess was inside the hospital with the rest of the team.
I turned to face him with wide eyes and a parted mouth in surprise before he jolted forward and took my face into his hands, cramming our mouths together.
I was completely taken by surprise by this gesture and moaned into the kiss as his hands moved down onto my shoulders, running down my arms and lacing our hands together. He pulled back and mumbled,
"I love you,"
I looked at him questioningly, my brow furrowing slightly.
"Your strength and courage and beauty is just..."He shook his head with a low chuckle and pressed our foreheads together, his hands still clutching mine.
"I have no idea why or how you could be with me, but I want you to know that I love you Melly. I meant it at New Year, and I mean it now." His words brought goosebumps over my whole body and I shivered, smiling against his lips before throwing my arms around his neck and crushing our bodies together as I held him tightly.
"I love you too Spencer." I smiled, shivering fine goosebumps away.
I pulled back slightly and smashed our mouths together, happiness completely overwhelming me.
My dad was okay.
Spencer loved me.
Beth and Jack were here.
The Unsub was never coming back.
Everything felt so perfect and beautiful.
The Doctor
The kiss deepened and Mel pushed me back against the seat in the front of the car, clambering over the centre console and folding herself on my lap, my hands holding her hips as I moaned into her mouth; completely taken by surprise.
"Auntie Jess...?" A small and sleepy voice sounded from the back of the car and I jumped in surprise. I'd completely forgotten about Jack.
Mel pulled back sighing and leaned her forehead against my lips, whimpering as she tugged on my shirt collar.
"It's me, Captain," She mumbled, groaning as she straightened up and pecked my lips one last time. "How you doing little guy?" She asked, climbing off my lap and through the seats into the back of the car.
I felt completely frozen in the front of the car; completely oblivious to what was happening in the back of the car as Jack exploded in squeals and leapt on Mel in surprise and happiness.
Realising that I was loved and loved that person entirely in return was completely overwhelming; and in that moment I had no idea what or how to react.
The Daughter
After Jack and I caught up in the back of the car, the awkward question came.
"What happened to dad? Auntie Jess didn't say much." He sighed, his small brow furrowing. I took a deep breath and sighed, glancing to Spencer in the front of the car as he turned to look over his shoulder at the both of us; shifting in his seat to do so for the first time since Jack had awoken.
"Well," I began, taking Jack's hand in one of mine, running my other hand through his hair, pushing it back from his face with a small smile.
"I don't want you to get upset, okay? Because dad is fine now, alright? The doctors had to operate and it was a success, he's just sleeping right now," I explained slowly and Jack nodded with a smile.
"But one of the bad guys shot dad," I said. "He shot dad in the shoulder. But the bad guy's gone now, I took care of him, and dad's safe now."
"What happened to the bad guy?" Jack asked and I looked at Spencer and gulped.
"Well," I sighed. "I had to shoot him." I said simply.
"Is that because he shot dad?"
"Yes," I nodded. "But dad is okay now." I reiterated again.
"Thank you Mel!" Jack exclaimed, throwing his arms around me. "You saved dad." He said excitedly, squeezing me tightly. I looked at Spencer in shock; totally not expecting this reaction.
"Can I go see him now?" He asked excitedly, pulling back with a hopeful expression.
"Well he's sleeping right now buddy," I admitted, running my fingers through his longish hair. "But I s'pose you could go see him for a few minutes, why not?"
He grinned and threw his arms around me again, the three of us laughing as Spencer removed the keys from the ignition and climbed out of the car.
Jack took one of our hands each and dragged us across the car park excitedly; desperate to see our dad.
"Hey kiddo, guess who's awake and asking after you?" Rossi grinned as soon as he saw the three of us entering the hospital.
"My dad?!" Jack gushed hopefully and Rossi laughed, nodding his head.
"That's right. Go get 'em kid." He laughed, ruffling Jack's hair as he whooped in glee and pulled us forwards.
"Dad!" Jack squealed as he pushed open the door to find our dad sitting up in bed talking with Beth, Jessica, Emily and JJ. Morgan and Penelope were in the doorway out in the corridor as we arrived.
"Now that you're all here..." My dad's voice rung a little clearer and we silenced; recognising that tone of authority and realising my dad was about to say something he needed to be heard.
"Why don't you all come in?" He suggested, sliding Jack to the mattress beside him while the five of us crammed inside the hospital room; gathering at the end of his bed.
"What's up dad?" I asked with a furrowed brow, not liking his tone at all.
"Well, there's something I have to ask..." He said a little uncertainly, looking down at his hands on his lap.
"Getting shot has made me realise something..." He explained, casting his eyes up to us again. "It's made me realise how much I appreciate all of you. Not as my team, and separately as my family, but as each individual.
"I appreciate and love you all, even though I might not show it all of the time, and even though I may never admit that again that doesn't mean it's not true," His smile lit up his whole face and we all shared a chuckle.
"It's also made me realise how much I love my family," He said, looking specifically at me and smiling. Spencer's arm around my waist tightened and I smiled emotionally.
"I'm so grateful that you found me, Mel, and for the life of me I can't imagine another day without you in our lives... without you in my life,"
He said this matter-of-factly and I cast my eyes down to my feet as I swallowed the lump out of my throat and blinked the tears out of my eyes.
"And Beth..." He turned his eyes onto Beth immediately by his side, his hand reaching for hers. I narrowed my eyes as I watched them and I inherently gasped as I realised what he was about to do before anybody else in the room.
"I'd been hoping for different circumstances when this moment finally came, but as the wonderful Penelope Garcia always says, everything happens for a reason,"
He turned his eyes fleetingly onto Penelope who was stood on my right side. She blushed and scoffed, smirking back at my dad as he turned back to Beth.
"Which is why, Beth, I'm now asking you if you'll do me the greatest honour in becoming my wife?"
"I wonder how many people don't get the one they want, but end up with the one they're supposed to be with." ~ Fannie Flagg