"I know what I have given you...
I do not know what you have received." ~ Antonio Porchia
The Daughter
"Hey, so how was it seeing Caitlyn the other day?" Emily asked as we all gathered in the conference room as usual.
"Aw it was great," I grinned, nodding my head and thanking Spencer as he passed me a fresh cup of coffee. "I haven't seen her in so long, it was so good to just catch up," I admitted with a smile and Emily grinned, a sparkle in her eye. "She knew all about you," I said with a smirk and Emily gasped guiltily.
"Why didn't you tell me you worked with her?" JJ and Morgan exchanged surprised glances and Spencer nodded sassily, looking at Emily pointedly.
"That wasn't really my place," She said apologetically. "And besides, I wasn't even certain that it was the same Caitlyn. And we didn't really work together, more like in the same branch." I arched a brow and she smiled apologetically.
"Anyway, she's pregnant now," I said with a grin and both JJ, Penelope and Emily all cooed. "I know," I grinned. "It's so brilliant," I admitted.
"Totally unexpected because I never had her down as the settling type of girl you know? She always said that about me and that she was more of the player but wow," I grinned excitedly. "A baby? It's so brilliant." I repeated.
"Oh that's excellent," Emily grinned. "Will you tell her congratulations from me?" I nodded my head as my dad and Rossi entered the room.
"Of course."
Just as yesterday and the day before, Spencer sat in thoughtful silence when I mentioned Caitlyn and I couldn't help but think he didn't like her.
Which was bound to be awkward so no wonder he wasn't saying anything.
But that was okay, because we couldn't like everyone we knew right?
"Okay Garcia, what do we have?" My dad asked and Penelope got to her feet in front of the screen, still smiling at my news.
"Look's like we're going back to LA folks," She said, clicking up images onto the screen and deliberately averting her eyes from them.
"Journalist Clive Peterson was sent a series of photographs every Friday for the third consecutive week. Friday of last had a note adjoined to the package warning him that if he didn't contact local police, he'd sell the story to another journalist."
"So the Unsub contacted Peterson himself?" Morgan asked and Penelope nodded her head.
"You are correct, my love," She agreed. "Peterson, pretty freaked out at this point began to realise that it wasn't just a prank and contacted Detective Owen Kim whom he knows dearly from his school days."
"Kim's still around?" Morgan asked and Penelope nodded her head again.
"Uh-huh and he's needing your help again my loves," She explained.
"Because as of three hours ago, Peterson was sent a DVD containing an hour long footage of the murder of the last girl he received photographs for. In the video it looks like she's being raped and then finally the Unsub slashes her throat and... well... you can see for yourselves.
"I've already started searching for crimes of a similar nature on ViCap so while you watch the footage, I am going to return to my bubble and work on narrowing that down."
She clicked up the footage and handed JJ the controller before gathering her iPad and notebook and leaving with a small smile.
I didn't blame her for leaving; the footage was terrible, but something we had to see nevertheless.
"Okay, it would appear Detective Kim was right to call us in again. It would seem LA is quite the city for the stars... Grab your go-bags and meet on the jet. Wheels up in twenty."
My dad then gathered his things and left the room too, each of us sighing and gathering up our stomachs after the previous footage.
"Hey Reid, hoping to introduce Mel to your ex, Lila?" Morgan waggled his signature brows at Spencer and my own brow furrowed. Lila? She lived in LA?
"Actually Morgan I think that's kind of inappropriate considering what we're going there to do." Spencer snapped defensively.
"I'm just saying, maybe there's the chance your paths will cross again."
"It's LA I doubt that very much."
"I heard she's back in town this weather..." JJ smirked and Spencer cleared his throat angrily.
"I don't think that'll be happening guys." He snapped before marching from the room without me.
"Oh-kay," Emily said in a droned voice. "Someone wanna tell us what that was about?" I looked over at her with an apologetic smile.
"I guess Reid's still defensive after all these years." Morgan shrugged thoughtfully.
"I'll catch you guys on the jet..." I said absentmindedly, slinging my satchel over my shoulder as I began googling the glamour model Spencer had protected all of those years ago.
*
"She's pretty gorgeous." I said matter-of-factly, dropping my phone down onto the table in front of Spencer. He was sulking into his notes, alone on the jet, just as I thought.
"And you're pretty perfect." He said without missing a beat as I slid into the seat opposite him, kicking him bluntly on his shin, making him drop his folder onto the table in shock.
"Ow." He hissed, leaning down to rub it.
"Oops," I said. "That's for being a jerk." I said simply and he frowned at me.
"What?!" He blurted. "How am I being a jerk? I just called you perfect!" He said in a higher pitch.
"You're denying the obvious and completely missing the point." I stated and he frowned, straightening back up.
"What point is there to miss? What obvious is there to deny?"
"How beautiful she is." I said matter-of-factly.
"I'm not denying that," He shook his head. "She is beautiful," He then shrugged. "It's just that you're more beautiful." I looked at him pointedly and he merely mirrored my expression.
"Okay, and, for another fact, you're missing the point that she's beautiful and a glamour-actress and you don't have to feel like you're not good enough because you bagged her too." I said sternly and he blinked deeply at me.
"H-how do you know about that?" He stuttered.
"And you think I'm the only one who talks in my sleep," I rolled my eyes and scoffed, reaching across the table to take both of his hands in mine.
"Spencer you are incredible, amazing, perfect in fact," He scoffed and tried to pull his hands out of mine but not before I tugged on them, hard, and nearly flattened him against the table.
"You are," I said through my teeth. "You are the most wonderful person I have ever met and you have to start believing that, and believing in yourself," I said matter-of-factly, looking deep into those hazel eyes.
"Lila Archer thought that," I told him sternly. "No doubt Austin thought that too," I said and he frowned while I winked at him mischievously. "I don't even need to tell you that Maeve knew that," I said in a gentle voice and he cast his eyes down to the table between us.
"Because it's clear to me that she saw and knew everything about you that I do," I said in a soft tone. "I know how wonderful and perfect you are Spence, so please start believing that." He met my eyes with the most innocent of expressions and I leaned forward, pushing our lips together as a sign of proof to my words.
I pulled back with a sincere smile and reached up to press my palm to his cheek briefly. I pulled back with a sigh and a smile and removed my phone from the table, just as my dad and Rossi boarded the jet.
*
"Detective Kim, great to see you again," My dad said as we all entered the station. He shook Kim's hand firmly with a broad smile and Kim grinned friendlily.
"I'm back in charge now." My dad explained and I frowned. What? When was my dad not Unit Chief of the BAU?
"I'm glad to hear it," He said as the rest of the team approached. "Welcome back to LA, thanks for coming out here again," He said. "And we have another new face." He smiled, glancing at me with a smile.
"Detective Kim this is my daughter, SSA Melanie Hotchner." My dad said, turning and smiling at me, bringing me forward a little. Kim immediately spotted Spencer and I linking hands and quickly averted his eyes back to my face as I blushed and shook his hand.
"Wow, daughter? That's really something, huh? It's a pleasure to meet you, Agent." He said as we shook hands.
"It's great to be here." I said, stepping back to Spencer's side behind my dad. Kim looked at him with questioning eyes and he smiled, shaking his head.
"Another long story. Where can we set up?"
Which story my dad was referring to exactly; I wasn't entirely sure.
The Doctor
I didn't really have much to say on the jet because there wasn't really a lot to say. I was too thoughtful and too overwhelmed by Melanie's words to think of or say anything else.
"Alright, Melanie and JJ you go speak to Clive Peterson. Get a proper statement from him." Aaron ordered and I looked up from the notes in front of me.
What? He was sending Mel away?
I looked a bit like a rabbit caught in the headlights as I looked around at the rest of the team to see if this was really happening. JJ and Mel nodded at each other and Mel turned to me with a smile.
"A tout a l'heure." She said quietly, stretching up to kiss my cheek before tugging my hand and leaving the conference room with JJ.
I watched her go a little blankly; unsure of what had happened in the last five minutes.
"Wow I didn't know brain cells could deteriorate so rapidly," Kim chuckled and I looked up at him next to Aaron as the pair watched me intently.
"I guess that's what happens when you love someone." Morgan joked, clamping a hand down on my shoulder. I frowned at him in confusion before Aaron piped up to say,
"Morgan, you and Reid go see the coroner and find the physical connections between these victims." He said, turning to see the crime board.
"C'mon lover-boy, let's go."
The Daughter
"Well that was intense." JJ laughed as she climbed into the driver's seat of one of the SUV's.
"I don't know what's wrong with him," I admitted, strapping myself in. "He's acting... strange."
"That's Spence I s'pose." JJ sighed, starting the engine.
"D'you think it's to do with Lila?" I asked as she peeled out of the car park.
"I doubt it, Mel," JJ shook her long blonde hair. "Lila isn't as big a deal as we make her out to be," She explained with a sheepish smile. "She's just someone we've always teased Spencer about, nothing more. They weren't serious, they weren't even in a relationship so I doubt Spencer's mood has anything to do with her." She reasoned. I nodded and sighed, shrugging.
"Well I don't really know what else it could be..."
"Don't read too much into it. Spence is Spence you know?" I nodded my head. I did know. And that's why I was so confused about his behaviour.
But it would seem that I didn't need to be confused about it for much longer, as when we returned back at the station he was talking rapidly to the rest of the team, drawing on the map and then drawing frantically on the crime board.
He done a double take as JJ and I returned to the conference room and I grinned, nodding enthusiastically at him, making him blush and smile before returning to his previous spiel.
When he was like this I couldn't help but stand still and watch in complete awe.
Spencer Reid was a fascinating human being. I could watch him talk all day about theories and facts and statistics and never ever get bored.
The Doctor
"I'll go." Mel insisted.
"I don't think I can handle another cup of this ultra-bad coffee." Morgan winced, grimacing at the station coffee in his hand.
"I don't mind." She said with a sleepy smile, getting up out of her chair. We'd arrived in LA a whole twenty-four hours ago and we hadn't slept since the short nap we got on the jet here.
"I'll come with you." I nodded when Aaron looked at me pointedly.
Since we'd arrived I'd insisted on staying in the station the whole time just incase. But I was being preposterous. LA was a massive place; the chances of me bumping into Lila was extremely slim.
"So stranger, d'you know where the local coffee shop is?" Mel asked, wrapping an arm around my waist as we broke outside into the morning sunshine, sliding her sunglasses over her face making me want to do nothing else than kiss her.
Before I knew it I was pulling back from her breathlessly and her giggle was filling my ears.
"Perhaps not the best thing to do outside of a police station, doctor." She smirked, squinting up at me over her sunglasses.
"Sorry," I blushed, pulling my sunglasses on too and squinting along the road. "I couldn't help it," I shrugged in a quiet voice and Mel laughed, lacing her hand with mine, tugging me in the direction of the parking lot where the SUVs were parked.
"No," I said, tugging her in the opposite direction. "Let's go for a walk," I insisted. "If the team get anything we can come right back." I said with a smile, pointing along the road to the row of shops lining the high street.
"Okay," Mel grinned up at me. "Sounds good." She said with a happy smile, sighing and tilting her face up towards the not-so-hot-yet morning sun.
"I'm sorry if I've been... distant lately." I said after a silent time of just walking hand-in-hand.
"Hmm?" Mel hummed, turning to look at me.
I couldn't see her eyes, but I could picture them in my mind, smiling softly at me with that familiar sparkle to the colour that she normally held when smiling.
"Since we came here I've been acting strange," I admitted. "I'm sorry. It's not you or anything it's just..." I sighed and shook my head, wetting my lips and casting my eyes ahead of us towards the high street, spying a coffee shop on the other side of the road.
"I guess I'm just too much in my head." I shrugged and Mel smiled. I looked down at her with questioning eyes and she stretched up, kissing my cheek with a gentle hand on the other side of my face.
"Spencer you do not have to explain to me," She said sternly. "It's okay," She shrugged.
I opened my mouth to protest but not before she pressed a finger against my lips with a knowing smile, allowing her Ray Bans to slip to the tip of her nose so she could cast her eyes over them at me.
"I completely understand without you having to apologise or explain, silly," She said, reaching up to kiss me lightly. "It's okay." She shrugged again before leading me to the crossing.
*
That night we all agreed it was best to head back to the hotel and get some rest to attack the case with the freshest of eyes tomorrow.
"Mel...?" Mel was in the bathroom with the door opened as she changed into her pyjamas.
"Yeah love?" She called back and I bit my lip.
"I have something to ask you." I admitted and she emerged from the bathroom in just her baggy pyjama t-shirt, her hair dangling down past her shoulders as she held her pyjama pants in her hand; a questioning look in her eyes.
"What's wrong?" She asked and I smirked, sitting up properly in the middle of the bed.
"Nothing's wrong," I shook my head and she gave me a questioning look, tossing her pants onto the armchair and crossing to the bed, crawling onto the mattress in front of me, kneeling up on her knees and reaching for my head.
She was a little shaky so I held her waist in front of me as she gathered my hair into her hands and tied it back with her hair-tie. She sat back directly in front of me, her lip between her teeth.
"You need to wear your hair like that more often." She said matter-of-factly in a thick voice.
"I will if you will." I said, bringing her hair around one shoulder. She smiled and extended her hand.
"Deal." She said and I looked slowly from her hand all the way up to her lips, licking mine nervously as I said,
"The number of pathogens passed during a handshake is staggering... It's actually safer to..." Mel was leaning into me and I was leaning into her, my eyes refusing to look anywhere other than her lips.
"Kiss." I mumbled against her mouth and she smirked right before we both caved and pressed our lips tighter against each other.
She brought her hand up to slide into my hair tightly as she swallowed my moan. My hands reached for her waist, sliding down her thighs to her knees, pulling her to me, making her laugh in surprise as I wrapped her legs around my waist, our chest crammed against each other, her fingers knotted in my hair.
Slowly I lay back and she settled herself on my hips, her long hair falling down onto my face and shoulders like a glorious curtain. She pulled her tongue from my mouth and breathlessly hovered over my lips, giving me the time I needed to, to blurt,
"Move in with me."
She pulled back more to see my face properly, her hair falling over both of her shoulders now. She flipped it expertly with a quick snap of her head and a surprised laugh escaped her lips.
"What?" She smiled, running her left hand down the side of my face, resting it on my chest. I reached for it and laced our fingers together, bringing it up to my lips and kissing her knuckles.
"Move in with me, Melly baby." I said and her expression fluttered, her brow furrowing in confusion.
"You're serious?" She asked, reaching for my face with her right hand. I nodded my head and sighed contentedly as she pressed her palm against the left side of my face, my eyes fluttering closed.
Two heartbeats later her feather-soft lips pressed against mine again and my eyes fluttered open to see her glassy brown eyes smiling down at me.
"Is that a polite decline or...?" She laughed and crammed her mouth against mine, squealing before rolling onto the mattress beside me, throwing her arms across her face.
"Okay, is that a desperate decline?" I joked, rolling onto my side to see that her t-shirt had fell over her bra, showing her incredibly toned stomach, her tanned muscles and pierced belly-button driving me familiarly insane since the last time I'd seen them, since the last time I'd felt them brushing against my skin, sweat-on-sweat, skin-on-skin...
"Spencer I love you," She laughed excitedly, pulling me by the front of my t-shirt down onto her, cramming our lips together.
"Of course I'll move in with you you beautiful soul."
The Daughter
When we got home we both ended up in Spencer's apartment, the pair of us like excited school-kids, giggling and whispering behind everyone's backs, knowing we had a secret that we had between us, for us, nobody else, just us.
Everyone knew something was going on, but that didn't matter. We had something that was ours and that was special.
"I've been thinking," Spence said, approaching the sofa with two cups of tea. "We could get an apartment together if you'd like... Somewhere that's ours. Not mine or yours but somewhere that is ours."
"Aw Spence," I cooed, reaching for his face and leaning forward to peck his lips lightly, his bottom lip subconsciously jutting out slightly as I pulled back sooner than he wanted to.
"I'm happy with whatever you're happy with," I admitted, bringing the mug of tea to my lips.
I winced and squealed, forcing the tea down my throat as Spencer frantically asked me what was wrong.
"Apart from your tea," I shook my head. "No, no, no, no, Spencer," I said sternly, getting up off the sofa.
"That is not tea." I told him matter-of-factly.
"Oh no," He laughed. "Are you wanting to retract your answer to my proposition now?" He joked, allowing me to lace our fingers together and drag him off the sofa.
"No, no, no, you're going to learn how to make a proper cup of tea before either of us move anywhere."
"The British way?" He guessed as I poured both cups of tea down the drain and boiled the kettle.
"Exactly love."