#IF ANYONE IS CONFUSED I LOVE GARCIA SO MUCH she gets a moment in 13!!!!

[lanzzo]

Is your Garcia the same Garcia from ochomonos's Semper Fi Garcia?

SURE IS!!!!!! Garcia can have a little cameo as a treat (all with permission!!) because I love semper fi so much and I love her so much!!! Did you see semper fi updated yesterday jellyscreamer??? Did you see it??? 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹

[hotchnerxo]

Our Past Life: Chapter 12

Pairing: Aaron hotchner x fem!reader

Story Summary: You and Hotchner go way back, but haven’t seen each other in years. Until he finds you inside of his office one day, out of the blue.

Chapter Summary: You and Penelope reach out for the team, trying to find out if anyone knows more than you do.

Words: 1.5k (this one is a bit shorter than usual)

A/N: Angst starts here! This story will be about 20-21 chapters long, so we have quite a ride ahead of us! Feedback is always more than welcome. Chapter 13 will be here on Monday!

Every nerve in your body feels like they’re bursting into flames. And it burns out all the oxygen in the room. All you hear is buzzing in your ears as your anxiety takes over. It takes over your body, making it feel distant and heavy.

“(Y/N)? Are you still there?” Penelope’s voice echoes from your phone, but doesn’t fully register with you. All you can think about is that you should have trusted your gut feeling, you should have checked on him sooner. What if something had happened? “Breathe, please. I will get the team on the phone and we’ll make sure if anyone’s heard from him since. I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation for this. Stay on the phone with me” she explains and you’re grateful for her calm, soft tone.

The phone rings and the two of you wait. “Hey, baby girl!” Derek answers. He sounds out of breath.

“Hey you! I have (Y/N) on the line with me” Garcia explains quickly. Confusion is audible as Derek greets you. “Derek, have you heard from our liege?”

“Hotch? No, not since Sunday. Isn’t he in California with you?” he asks, his voice now a lot deeper than what it was before. He’s starting to realize that this isn't a light hearted, just-to-chat kind of a call. You hear a man’s voice calling for Morgan behind him and Derek is quick to respond, telling him that he needs a moment. “Sorry, I’m at the gym. When’s the last time you heard from him?”

You try to clear your throat, the lump in it growing painful “On Sunday” you admit in defeat “he dropped me off at the airport and it’s been hectic in here so I didn’t even pay attention to not getting a response from him until today”.

“Have you checked the others?”

“You’re the first, I’ll call everyone through” Penelope explains and dials the next number. Derek asks to stay on the line. You hear thumping from his line. The sound reminds you of a punching bag getting hit.

“Hello!” Reid is the next one. Penelope is quick to ask the same question from him. He is just as confused by the questions asked. “I thought he was taking some time off”.

“We all did,” Derek sighs.

You feel your eyes starting to water, just thinking of this whole situation. Something must have happened. This is so not like the man you know. “What time did you get his message?” your voice comes out more like a whisper than anything, but you’re glad Spencer is quick to answer.

“It was on Sunday at 5:12PM”

You love how the answer comes from him like it’s the most obvious thing, like the specific time is totally common knowledge. You go to think back, trying to remember the time frame. As you try to gather your thoughts, the phone rings again, new person being dialed into the conversation.

“I went through security right before five, I remember sitting at a cafe soon after” you tell them and in a moment hear another one join in.

“Penelope, as much as I do enjoy your calls” David starts but she is quick to cut him off, panic starting to raise in her tone as well.

“Please tell me you’ve heard from Hotch”.

There was some faint music being played in the background. “No, haven’t heard from him. Glad he’s taking some time off. What’s this about?”

“We can’t reach him” she sighs, trying to keep her cool.

Rossi tries to brush it off by saying that Aaron’s most likely enjoying his time off with you, but as you tell him that he’s not with you, the line goes silent on his end. The only sound is coming from Derek’s background.

“He dropped me off at the airport right before 5pm on Sunday, and you’ve gotten a text from him soon after. That’s the last we’ve heard from him” your explanation is quick to turn into desperation and tears. Your nerves leave you overwhelmed and it’s all crumbling down as no one seems to know anything.

The tears are fully blurring your vision now, so you take a seat on the couch. You try to stay quiet, but it’s certainly not the easiest thing to do. You try to cover your sobs with your hand and just listen as Emily is being added to the call.

“Hey Penny!” she greets her.

“Hey Em. I have Derek, Reid, Rossi and (Y/N) on the line with me” Garcia speaks and fills her in quickly. “Please, have you heard from him since Sunday?”. None of you were surprised as she says she hasn’t, that seems to be a repeating theme so far. No one knows anything about nothing.

“Something’s off” Dave says it outloud that all of you have been thinking, but too afraid to say.

“He would have had plenty of time to catch the same flight with me if he’d wanted to come, why did he wait almost half an hour before letting you know? And not let me know?” you try to think, but you’re not sure if your thoughts are making sense at this point.

“If he was the one to send the message” Spence adds and immediately regrets opening his mouth.

You hadn’t even thought of that. Did Aaron send the message? Did someone send it for him? Or did he send it, but just to cover up something else? The options start to circle in your head again and the panic in your chest grows again.

“I’m sure there’s an explanation for this. We’ll figure it out” Derek reassures everyone, but you’re not sure if he fully believes in his own words either. No one can deny that something’s off with this, something doesn’t seem right.

“Hey Penelope” JJ is being added to the conversation and you’re hopeful she knows something. She’s the last one, she has to know.

You go to explain the situation to her, trying to make it make sense in your own head at the same time “Please tell me you’ve heard from Aaron since then” you plead to her, as if it would make a difference to her answer.

But just like before, she hasn’t. Your heart sinks by her words. “It’s been over two days now” her voice is almost a whisper as well and the team is out of words. They all know the odds. if something has happened… But they are trying to stay calm and collected, trying to think of their next move. “The text” Jennifer gasps suddenly.

“What text?” Emily is the first to ask, others staying silent, waiting for her explanation.

A small whimper is heard from Garcia’s end. “The number he asked me to look up” she remembers the post it note she got from him weeks ago. She’s pushed it aside, but she’s sure she will find it within seconds on her computer.

“What are you talking about?” It's Derek’s turn to ask. You hear a ‘beep’ coming from around him and what sounds to be a car door opening.

“On Sunday” JJ starts to explain “at the brunch. He got an odd text, he showed it to me as I went to check on him, I thought we’d gotten a new case or something. It was strange”.

“What did it say?” you ask between your cries. Being so far away is what made the situation even worse for you.

The blonde takes a moment to think, trying to remember the way it was phrased “I think it said something along the lines of ‘If you could, what would you do to make sure your past doesn’t repeat itself?’ I asked him what it meant but he didn’t know. He said he'll look into it first thing on Monday and report it. He told me not to worry about it, that he’d handle it”.

“I think he’s gotten something like that before. I don’t know what the text said, but he asked me to trace a number that wasn’t case related. It ended up being a dead end” Penelope adds and you hear her typing faster than you’ve ever pictured possible.

“Alright. I’m on my way to the office. I’ll meet you there as soon as possible” Rossi states firmly, no longer questioning the situation. He didn’t need to ask if the other members were available, everyone’s ready to drop everything and head to work immediately; their friend could be in trouble.

You admire their dedication and the way they have each other’s back. And you know that Aaron trusts his team, his team is the best. They’ll figure this out, they’ll find him, wherever he is.

The team says their goodbyes and see you soons. You’re left on the line alone with Garcia and you can’t muffle your desperation any longer. “It’s all going to be alright” she tries to encourage you. Her voice feels like a big hug. “I’m booking you a flight in D.C. Are you able to come here?”

“I’ll take the first possible flight, I’ll make it work” you almost demand, your voice coming out harsher than you mean it to. “Thank you”.

“We’re a family here. We’ll find him”.

Taglist: @ssahotchsbitch @mayasreadingnook @rousethemouse @averyhotchner @ssamorganhotchner @kajjaka @reidsbookmark @thenewnormalforensicator @wheelsupkels @thedancingnerdmermaid @agirlinherhead @tonystarkscumslutz @haley-h0tchner @ashhotchner @itsmytimetoodream @marvel-mars @witchybitch2 @evie-119 (let me know if you want to be included)

[jediken0bi]

The Lucky One

Spencer Reid x Reader

Summary:

Spencer has always been good at keeping secrets. This secret just so happens to walk into the BAU to bring him his lunch. The team, supportive as ever, decides to tease him a little and Derek learns a little lesson about making assumptions.

word count: 2763

-

You and Spencer have only been officially dating for about 3 Months.

3 Months, 4 days and 13 hours you hear a voice inside your head. One that sounds suspiciously like Spencers.

You let out a small giggle before shaking your head slightly.

Things couldn't be better between the two of you. You guys had spare keys to the other persons apartment and while that might seem like a rush move for a lot of people you two have agreed that this is the easiest way to maximize your time together. So more often than not, you were staying over at each other's apartment.

You were currently on your way to bring him his lunch since he was in a rush this morning and forgot to take it.

Nothing new to either of you. He often tends to leave his lunch at home only to realize it when he's already on his break resulting in him usually buying himself a cheap sandwich or skipping lunch all together. You decided that, for once, he deserved to have a proper meal. He's been working a lot of overtime lately and it's starting to take a toll on him. On both of you really. He was constantly exhausted and you had to watch him work himself into over drive. Ever since the Hankle case, he's been scared to let even the smallest details go unnoticed which meant that he often spend much longer than the rest of the team on studying the files and trying to solve cases at the speed of light. It's something the team has noticed too over the last couple of weeks. They've been trying to get him to go out with them more often to take his mind off things but he usually rejects them by coming up with some fake excuse.

The reality was that he usually wanted to come straight home to you. He told you the reason he hasn't told the team about you two yet is their constant meddling and involvement in his life. He loves them all dearly and he wouldn't change a thing about either of them, but this was his and his only. He wasn't quite ready to give up the only thing he didn't have to share with anyone. He wanted you all to himself for as long as possible and while you can admit that you were skeptical at first, it's fair to say that you've come to understand Spencers point of view a lot better since then.

So, while you knew all about his team, they knew nothing about you. It didn't offend you though. You are confident that you and Spencer are in this for the long run.

Of course you were slightly worried about running into one of them while bringing him his lunch but that's a risk you were willing to take if it meant that Spencer didn't have to spend another day hungry and exhausted. It's not likely for him to get mad at you if it were to happen anyway. He keeps making small remarks to test the waters.

At this point, he might be scared you don't want to meet his team by the way he's tip toeing around the subject.

Finally arriving at the big scary FBI building you walk inside with caution.

Logically speaking the FBI is the last place you should feel scared to be at, but you can't help but think that this is probably the most intimidating place in the U.S. All those important people in their suits and pencil skirts and their stone cold expressions made you question how Spencer could be so different.

Before you could finish that thought you pass the security check and run straight into someone else on your way to the elevator.

You couldn't get a word out before said person started talking.

"Oh my god i am so sorry, gorgeous! I'm usually more coordinated than this i swear. It's just been a very stressful morning and now i've made yours worse by bumping into you-"

You smile widely as you realize who you must be talking to.

Tech Genius Penelope Garcia

"It's completely fine honestly! It was totally my fault anyway. It's my first time here and i'm a bit nervous"

You felt a bit rude interrupting her but based on the things Spencer told you about her this apology would've went on for at least another two minutes and you would much rather spend that elevator ride having a conversation with her.

After all, she was the BAU sunshine.

And bright she is with her colorful clothes and awesome glasses you think to yourself in that very moment.

It was a nice change of scenery after hushing around serious looking people before.

"Well, looks like we were both a bit dazzled just then! First time huh? Yeah there's definitely something scary about this place. What's a pretty gal like you doing here on a saturday morning? Oh! Are you visiting someone special?", Garcia says in a excited tone before quickly pressing the button taking you two up to the BAU floor.

You were grateful for that because it meant you didn't have to explain why you had to go to that floor too. Of course Penelope was way too hyper to realize i hadn't pressed another button in that moment so i quickly answered her to draw her attention to something else.

"Yeah, i am. I'm bringing my boyfriend his lunch. He hasn't been taking care of himself recently and i want him to at least have a proper meal in his stomach"

Garcia smiled at you with a small nod.

"That's so cute! He is lucky to have you, sweetie. I'm Penelope Garcia by the way!"

She extends her hand and you immediately shake it with a small smile playing on your lips

"I'm Y/N. Very nice to meet you, Penelope"

Not 3 seconds later the elevator doors open and you follow Garcia out of it and straight into the bullpen.

You didn't make it very far before a guy you strongly assume to be the infamous Derek Morgan approached Garcia and, by proximity, you.

"Now that's what you wanna see first thing in the morning! How is my Babygirl?"

Yep, definitely Morgan

"Infinitely better now that i've seen you, hot stuff" says Penelope without even having to think about it.

You can't help but snort at how adorable their friendship is. They're so comfortable with each other.

Derek looks past Garcia and straight at you with curious eyes.

"Well hello mamas. Who do we have here?"

Garcia turns around and has a surprised look on her face when she finally notices you behind her.

"Y/N! I thought you were on your way to meet your boyfriend for lunch?"

I opened my mouth to explain why exactly i was there but Derek beat me to it.

"Now why don't we just forget about that boyfriend and you let me take you out for lunch instead?"

Penelope hits him in the shoulder and i just laugh. Derek looks at me smugly and raises his eyebrows as a way of asking 'What do you say?'

You're tempted to just straight up tell him who you're here for to save everyone from a potentially awkward situation but just as you start talking you see Spencer sitting at his desk focused on his paperwork.

You make the quick decision to simply show Derek instead.

Without saying another word you simply walk past him with a big smile and head towards your destination.

"Hey handsome"

Spencers head shoots up as soon as he hears the familiar sound of your voice. He stares at you with wide eyes. He's clearly shocked to see you and you don't blame him. You just hope he's happy to see you.

"Y/N! What are you doing here?"

Now, if it had been anyone else you're sure this would've sounded rude, but you know Spencer so you know he doesn't mean for it to sound accusing. He's genuinely wondering.

You put on a playful pout.

"Is that a way to talk to the wonderful person who came all the way to the fbi to bring you lunch?"

Spencer finally stands up and looks down on the bag in your hand. He smiles and suddenly it's like he's at home with you. No one else around.

He walks up to you and wraps his arms around your waist.

"No, of course not. Thank you, beautiful"

He presses a small but firm kiss to your waiting lips and you smile up at him.

"You're welcome. I know work has been rough and i thought maybe a proper lunch could make up for some of it. I know it's not a lot and it doesn't cure the bad thoughts but you should know that i made today's lunch with an extra amount of love"

You joke.

You push one of his curls out of his eyes so you can properly look at him. He was already gone by the time you woke up so this is the first you're seeing of him today. He looks tired. Exhausted. And it's breaking your heart.

He gives you a smile that reaches his eyes. The first one in days. There's a feeling of pride blooming inside of you.

"How could i say no to some extra lovin'?"

Your eyes immediately widen and a blush creeps up your face.

"Spence!" You hit his shoulder and he tumbles back a tiny bit, laughing.

"I'm sorry, love. I really am grateful for this. You didn't have to do this"

It's only then that you realize you're not in the confide space of your apartments. You're in the bullpen of the BAU surrounded by Spencers friends and second family.

Spencer seems to realize that too because he suddenly let's go of you and clears his throat.

Confused about what just happened you turn around to spot Derek, Penelope and two women who you assume must be JJ and Emily staring at you with wide unbelieving eyes.

"There ain't no way. Pretty boy!! My man!"

Derek breaks out of his shock first and proudly points between the two of you.

Garcia doesn't waste a second following his example

"Reid is the boyfriend who hasn't been taking care of himself?!"

"What?" JJ, Emily and Spencer all ask at the time.

You can't help but laugh out loud at the absurd situation you got yourself in.

You turn around to look at Spencer. One hand grabbing his chin so he looks at you.

"Yeah, that would be him"

Spencer goes beet red immediately and the team goes wild.

You only smile wider at him and he pulls you back against his chest, wrapping one of his arms back around your waist. He goes to hide his embarrassment by burying his face in your shoulder.

He hates being the center of attention especially when it comes to his team.

"Spence, i didn't know you were seeing someone! How come you hid her from us?"

JJ asks him all excited. She was clearly happy her best friend has finally found someone he loves and trusts.

Spencer grumbles and lifts his head to look at his team.

"I wasn't hiding her! I just wanted something for myself for a little while. We're all up in each others business all the time and i love you guys but it was nice not having to share this part of my life with everyone for a bit. JJ, you did the same when you started dating Will!"

The team looks at each other for a moment and suddenly they all nod understandingly

"Fair enough" they all say.

Spencer hums approvingly and you just smile at the scene before you.

That wasn't that bad! I don't even know what i was afraid of

You were about to bid your goodbyes to the team and Spence so they could get back to work when Dereks next comment urges you to stay for a little while longer.

"Now Reid don't get me wrong but how the hell did you land a smoke show like this? No disrespect kid but i admittedly tried to flirt with her before i knew who she was"

Spencer smiles uncomfortably and shifts from one foot to the other.

"I don't know i guess i was just being myself? I saw her in my favorite book store one day and i just asked her out. Unusual for me, sure, but it's like i didn't have to be afraid with her. I don't know that probably sounds weird"

Your eyes soften and you lay your hand on top of Spencers on your waist. You turn your head a little to press a small kiss to his cheek.

"It doesn't sound weird, Spence. I'm glad you asked me out. I wanted to ask you but i couldn't bring myself to build up the courage. I think you're brave for taking a risk but trust me there was no way i was going to say no to you"

Emily, JJ and Penelope all seemed to melt over the cute interaction between you two but Dereks focus was somewhere else.

He didn't mean any harm you're absolutely sure about that. Maybe it's your instinct to protect Spencer or maybe it's your way of showing him exactly what he's worth but you can't find yourself feeling sorry for what happens next.

"Hold on, you were scared to ask him out? Pretty Ricky over here intimidated you? That's got to be a first"

He laughs with no real malice behind his voice. He's just joking around after all.

Spencer looks down in slight embarrassment at his friends teasing and you decide that now is the time to show them exactly what kind of girlfriend you are.

"I'm not sure we're looking at the same person here Derek because when i was at that bookstore creepily drooling over this hot as hell 6'3 doctor with great taste in literature i knew i had to ask him out. He's the kind of man you want to spend your life with. Not some cheap fling or meaningless 2 week dating experiment. I knew that, once i had him, i was going to hold on to him. So yeah, i was intimidated. It was like staring into your future and i was scared of messing it up. I've never been happier than i am now with Spencer"

Spencer stayed silent the entire time only pressing you closer to him. Once you're finished talking he presses a long firm kiss to your head.

"It's okay. I know, love. Me too"

He whispers loud enough so you could hear it but not loud enough for the rest of the team to hear.

"Woah little mama i meant no offense! I don't call him pretty boy for nothing. I'm just playing with y'all. I love the kid and i'm happy you two have found each other"

He smiles warmly at you and you give him a smile in return.

"I know you didn't. Spence told me all about you guys. I just don't like it when people make assumptions about my relationship with him. Because if anything, i'm the lucky one.

Spencer snorts and you lightly elbow him in the stomach with a grin on your face. You both look at each other with a glint in your eyes

"Agree to disagree" you both say at the same time. It's kind of become your thing. This isn't the first time that debate has been discussed between you two.

"Oh my god they're total nerds in love. Love Nerds!"

Penelope says in a squeaky voice.

You all laugh at her enthusiasm and you turn around to look at your boyfriend once more.

"I better get going. I didn't mean to stay this long anyway. I'll see you tonight? Your place? I'll order us some chinese"

Spencer takes your hand in his and nods with a smile.

"Yeah i'll be there"

You grin and lean up to kiss him goodbye. Seconds before your lips meet you whisper

"You better be. I'm planning on cashing in that promise for some extra lovin' tonight"

You finally press a kiss to lips and turn around as he turns bright red.

"Y/N!!"

You laugh loudly.

"Two can play this game baby!"

You're practically running out of there to avoid any further questioning from his team. All you hear is a chorus of laughter and Spencers embarrassed voice as he tells them to shut up

[katytheinspiredworkaholic]

Correspondence, Chapter 03

Pairing: HotchReid

Summary:  An AU where Reid never joined the FBI, but got roped into consulting for the LA field office while working and teaching at Caltech. Hotch gets his email referred from a fellow agent, and they start to work on cases together -- until they start talking on a regular basis. Regular becomes frequent, frequent becomes constant. They know nothing about each other, but they don't really mind.

Rating: Mature/Explicit (eventually)

Chapter CW/notes: Mentions of alcohol, a very long conversation happens where Hotch is a little buzzed. Big, BIG focus on their age difference, and unintentional misinformation. Spencer has no idea Hotch thinks he’s older, or at least not OLD older, and gets a little panicky/clams up -- and yes I realize Hotch could just background check him and find it out but he respects the man enough to not do that. The chapter is linear, it just encompasses a lot of time passing so hopefully that’s not too confusing. Set in season 6, self beta’d.

Word Count: 5025

Masterpost Link

Ao3 Link

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Chapter 03

--

Early September 2010

--

And so, it begins.

The dynamic shift, the vast change in how Hotch and Dr. Reid had been corresponding for the past few months. Evolving from something so professional and academic to something… looser. More freeing. More room for error, of course, but the risk turns out to be more than worth it for what they gain.

The texts are sporadic, at first. Short interactions, here and there, all stemming from that first, longer conversation about Jack. Hotch follows up the very next day, after he gets to talk to his son in the morning over pancakes. Jessica hovering nearby the whole time. She had apologized for her harsh words, and commended him after the fact how he’d approached Jack on the subject and led the little boy into a conversation rather than a lecture like his teachers had done. Because, as Spencer had mentioned -- there was no need for one. Jack already had the situation handled.

[]6/4, 12:39[] You were right. 

[]6/4, 12:39[] He invited the kid that was bullying him over for a playdate. Trying to win him over by killing him with kindness.

[]6/4, 12:43[] My kind of kid. 

[]6/4, 12:44[] You’ve taught him well, Hotch.

And that was it. That was all it took to kick off what turns into a frequent occurrence. Slowly, as time passes, their quick texts turn to conversations that naturally revert to work. It’s where they spend most of their time, after all, and what they had bonded over in the first place. But unlike in their emails, it isn’t just about the cases or profiles or statistics required to crack them. It’s much more opinionated than that, erratic in it’s content and frequency. Commentary on Hotch’s team, ideas on the cases they work, case studies and research projects and sometimes even just office gossip that somehow always makes its way to Hotch’s attention despite everyone trying to keep it from doing so.

Or just Dr. Reid observing their antics. This is the beginning of the tonal shift, and Hotch can’t help but think… it just might be a welcome one.

[]6/12, 10:03[] Your tech analyst always sends me rainbow font emails.

[]6/12, 10:07[] Yes, she’s doing that with everyone on the team. It’s Pride month and she’s being supportive.

[]6/12, 10:11[] She considers me a part of the team? How sweet of her.

[]6/12, 10:12[] You are, and as far as the bureau goes you might as well be.

[]6/12, 10:13[] I doubt I could sneak you into payroll, though.

[]6/12, 10:21[] I bet Ms. Garcia could.

[]6/12, 10:28[] Don’t. Say. Anything.

[]6/12, 10:29[] But yes, she could. 

It turns into a small reprieve, for Hotch, in the constant deluge of bureaucracy and violence that fills his work day. The single moment he allows a sliver of himself to appear through the cracks of his armor he has to wear to guard himself from it all. To be the stoic leader the team needs, the unmovable tree in the storm.

Only in his quick, typed under the table conversations he has with Spencer does he allow himself the slips of humor. Barely there traces of a smile. Finding the smallest spots of light in his dark days, in his work that can surround and consume to the point of suffocation. Hotch thrives in it, he always has -- while others have drowned. But he doesn’t mind finding this small self-indulgence. Making the decision for himself that he can joke and poke fun at his work and not feel guilty about it. That, for once, he can allow himself this.

Until one day, Spencer returns the favor -- and starts talking about his own work.

[]7/21, 16:17[] If I leave all of my Ph.D. applicants in a ditch in the desert, is that still murder?

[]7/21, 16:30[] Technically or hypothetically?

[]7/21, 16:34[] Different question, would you be my legal council if I snap and it happens anyway?

[]7/21, 16:37[] Of course.

[]7/21, 16:38[] But as your attorney, I have to advise you that we never had this conversation, and murder is wrong.

[]7/21, 16:40[] Hypothetically. 

Spencer takes a little longer to open up, but when he does it is through this window into an academic world Hotch had never planned or thought he would ever be privy to. He begins to reveal pieces of it, bit by bit, until Hotch starts to form a picture in his mind of what shape this professor’s life really takes. Making deductions based on his speech patterns, what goes on throughout his day, his word choices, and profiling the man through text message without even meaning to. 

He tries to put a stop to it as soon as he realizes this. Dr. Reid isn’t just a consultant anymore, he is his friend -- and Hotch will always do his utmost to not profile his friends. But it’s a little too late for some aspects that can’t help but stand out as time goes on. Such as the inkling that the other man probably isn’t senile with a cane and a stooped back, like Hotch had first thought. Certain parts of his day allude to someone who is a bit fresher to the academic scene -- instead of spending decades on a college campus. 

But Hotch sets that aside, to be scrutinized at a later date, and instead turns his focus into enjoying what Spencer has to offer him. As his friend. The stories he shares freely, now that they’ve spent all this time breaking down the barriers. He regales Hotch with his own daily problems, grievances, as well as the little bright spots that he just wants to share with Hotch so that it can lighten up his own days. Which were much more bleak, and crowded with danger and horrid things. 

Hotch lives for those messages.

[]7/28, 20:42[] So I have a godson.

[]7/28, 20:44[] He’s four, and he just came to visit last week with his mother. Have you and Jack ever done science experiments at home? 

[]7/28, 20:46[] Because I have some that are definite crowd pleasers. Do them right, you can call them ‘physics magic’. I can send you the instructions, it’s well worth it.

[]7/28, 20:47[] I’m not sure how helpful I would be in a scientific area, but I’m always willing to try.

[]7/28, 20:49[] I’d require video evidence of it, then. 

[]7/28, 20:50[] But they are so fun, I’d forgotten how much.

[]7/28, 20:51[] No children of your own?

[]7/28, 20:54[] Never found the right person, but I always spent so much time on my degrees that I hadn’t really thought about being a parent. 

[]7/28, 20:55[] My Godson really brought it to light, though. I love having him here.

[]7/28, 20:56[] I bet he loves when you come around, or when they get to visit you, too.

[]7/28, 20:59[] I work in a science lab, with lasers and telescopes bigger than my first apartment. My approval rating is pretty high when it comes to my godson. 

Although Hotch finds that he doesn’t always start these interactions, the ones that lead to topics outside of work, he also isn’t against them in the slightest. They begin to start messaging at all hours, because of this; first thing in the morning, during their lunch break, whenever something pops up -- what used to be jokes that would just be kept to themselves, turn to conversation starters. And that development shifts the dynamic even more.

[]8/11, 10:31[] Coffee shops always make me feel old, and like I’m a grad student all over again.

[]8/11, 10:38[] You don’t have a T.A. to run and get you coffee?

[]8/11, 10:41[] Of course you would send out for coffee.

[]8/11, 10:42[] Well my order is two steps, not sixteen.

[]8/11, 10:43[] Tyrant.

[]8/11, 10:43[] Pretentious.

They start to tease, banter, and poke fun at each other. Comradery, friendship, and the more it goes on the more it seems to spiral towards something else. Something new.

But it’s these small moments, messages, conversations that can last a minute or an hour, that make Hotch’s chest feel so much lighter as the weeks go by. Hints of a smile easing onto his face, smoothing out and softening the edges in a way they haven’t in a long time. Garnering some attention from the rest of the team, or whoever is in the vicinity that felt brave enough to mention it.

“Who are you talking to?”

“Who’s the lucky lady?”

“No one,” Hotch would answer, schooling himself and pocketing his phone. “Just a consultant on a case.”

-

This is how it goes… for months. 

They never speak on the phone. Never even hint at video calls. Never send pictures. (Although Spencer does make a mention once or twice about that promised video when Hotch finally gets around to attempting the ‘physics magic’ experiment he’d emailed him. Hotch secretly hopes that maybe, one day, Spencer will just get to show them in person. Instead of Hotch having to record it for anyone to witness.)

But they talk like clockwork. Play chess on the regular, allowing them to talk more fluently with a laptop to aid the flow of conversation. It starts with once a week, then twice a week, standing dates after hours that meld so seamlessly with their messages every workday. They keep it to the weekdays, at first, since Hotch is busy with Jack on the weekends. But that doesn’t last long. Suddenly, without warning -- it becomes every night as well. That shift is such an organic, natural progression, that it slips in without either of them making comment on it. A silent agreement, because mentioning it would mean admitting why they were pushing this in such a new direction. 

They just… missed talking to each other. Two days was too long. 

Now, it’s every day.

They text for hours; check in on each other at random throughout the day even when Hotch is on cases or Spencer is busy with his duties as the leading doctoral expert of Caltech. Times when they should be swamped, unavailable to anything other than their primary focus and work load, still littered with short messages. Before and after each flight, when Hotch gets back to his hotel at night, when Spencer has to lecture out of town and they just so happen to be passing each other during travel -- mere states away. So close, yet so far. It’s all the time, it’s constant, and it’s wonderful.

Spencer still helps with cases. Often, even more often than he ever helped the L.A. field office. But it’s not always through email, anymore. Sometimes it’s just easier for Hotch to shoot him a quick text. A detailed message in the middle of their everyday banter and dribble but no less out of place, knowing the good Doctor will answer him quickly. Time is of the essence when they are on a case, but they are always on retainer for each other. Waiting in the wings, ready to jump in with quick, snappy wit and bitten-back smiles, and Hotch feels so good. So light. Better than he has in years. 

Happy. 

Hotch is happy, finding a friend in Dr. Spencer Reid, even if sometimes that friendship seems to transcend layers he didn’t know were there. Developing into something else, something he hadn’t touched in a long, long time. 

Months pass. Months. Like a blur. Like they’ve only just started this thing that’s anticipatory and comfortable and flexible in its medium and that is so easy -- everything Hotch needs in his life -- that he can barely imagine what his days and nights were like before this. Before Spencer. 

But it’s months into this correspondence, this charged and bright thing, that he’s home late one night with a Scotch in one hand and a losing game of online chess long forgotten on his laptop screen. Lost in messaging Spencer, back to his phone instead of the chat feature of the chess game. Because texting is their comfort zone, now. He never thought it would be, had seen teenagers and adults attached to their phones like a lifeline and used to scoff about it, but he finally has begun to understand. 

Because here he is -- not even looking up when he takes a drink -- lost in his conversation with Spencer. Making each other laugh, in a way he hasn’t in so long. Loud and high and afraid he might wake Jack down the hall so he stifles it with another sip of his Scotch.

[]9/8, 21:12[] If Jack wakes up, you know that’s it for us. He’ll never go back to sleep.

[]9/8, 21:13[] Then stop laughing so loud. I honestly can’t imagine you laughing enough to wake him.

[]9/8, 21:14[] Usually I don’t. I never laugh like this, but I used to.

[]9/8, 21:16[] Mr. FBI isn’t allowed to laugh, I thought. Didn’t they beat that out of you at the academy?

[]9/8, 21:19[] I was able to retain a smidgen of humor, it’s well hidden. You just seem to bring it out more than others.

[]9/8, 21:20[] I’m flattered. 

[]9/8, 21:20[] You should be. 

[]9/8, 21:21[] If my team saw me crack a smile I’d probably be forced to get a CAT scan.

[]9/8, 21:23[] Do you need one? I have an M.A. in Cognitive Sciences, I’ll be your second opinion.

[]9/8, 21:24[] Probably, but I’ll live.

[]9/8, 21:25[] Very stiff upper lip of you. They teach you that at the academy, too?

[]9/8, 21:26[] No, that would be Scotland Yard. I liaised there for a while.

[]9/8, 21:28[] Wow, you get around. Have you been anywhere else on your global exploration?

[]9/8, 21:31[] Hardly that, I just go where the bureau tells me. I’ve already been bounced all over the country before landing at the BAU. All you can do is keep the ‘stiff upper lip’ and adapt.

[]9/8, 21:31[] “Keep Calm & Carry On”?

[]9/8, 21:33[] Garcia gave me that on a mug last Christmas. I still don’t know what it’s from.

[]9/8, 21:34[] Your age is showing. Get with the times, old man.

[]9/8, 21:35[] You’re one to talk.

[]9/8, 21:35[] What?

Hotch bites back a smile, thinking about how for months he had been so sure Spencer was this elderly professor in his 60’s or 70’s that just happened to find their conversations interesting. That was… very apparently wrong, Hotch can see that now, but he hadn’t had any evidence to the contrary for the entire time they corresponded those first few months. 

He could have done a background check on the professor at any time, is sure Garcia already has one saved in a file ready to send him at his first request, but it’s more fun this way. The not knowing, the learning about each other piece by careful piece. Even the smallest bits of information, such as age. 

He bet Spencer would get a kick out of his first impression of the man, though.

[]9/8, 21:37[] Oh come on, you know.

[]9/8, 21:39[] No, I actually don’t. Congratulations, you’ve stumped the super genius.

[]9/8, 21:39[] But really, what do you mean?

[]9/8, 21:42[] I always just assumed you are at least ten years my senior, maybe even fifteen. How are you more with the times than I am?

[]9/8, 21:43[] I work at a University. I am surrounded by hormones and the dribble of youth.

There’s a slightly lengthy pause after that exchange, enough Hotch starts to pay closer attention through the buzz of liquor settled over his skin pleasantly.

[]9/8, 21:49[] How old do you think I am?

[]9/8, 21:50[] I don’t know, is it rude if I answer?

Hotch is not laughing to himself, he promises. 

[]9/8, 21:52[] Why do you think I’m older?

[]9/8, 21:53[] This feels like a trap.

[]9/8, 21:53[] It’s not.

[]9/8, 21:56[] Well, honestly just from your academic achievements. Not everyone has that kind of time. And all your departments you run, you have to have a pretty level head and knack for maturity to keep that all in order. Especially doctorate students. 

[]9/8, 21:58[] Thank you, I think.

[]9/8, 22:00[] I bet you’re the coolest old man on campus, though, don’t get me wrong.

Hotch does outright laugh after he sends that, manages to keep it a little bit quieter, and commends himself on having the upperhand in the conversation for once as he stares at his phone for a few minutes, awaiting an answer. 

If he had to guess, Hotch supposes he’s held on to that stubborn image of Spencer being a stooped old professor out of habit. But the more the two have talked, after he'd gotten to know the man and his written verbal expressions and just the way his life runs day to day, it’s pretty easy to see that that is not correct. Spencer could be someone around Dave or Jason’s age, but more likely even younger than that -- closer to his own. 

And that… is an intriguing thought that sparks something in his chest. He smothers it with another sip of Scotch and realizes that it has been a solid five minutes of silence. With Spencer not even typing out a response.

[]9/8, 22:06[] Was it something I said?

[]9/8, 22:07[] No, I’m just… contemplating my answer.

[]9/8, 22:07[] Answer to what?

Hotch hasn’t drank that much, but he doesn’t believe he asked a question at all. He scrolls back through their conversation and doesn’t see one. Spencer has asked a good handful, though, all about Hotch’s perception of his age. 

Interesting.

[]9/8, 22:09[] Respond, not answer.

[]9/8, 22:10[] I’m all turned around now.

[]9/8, 22:12[] Flustered in your old age? Now I’m flattered. 

This is almost like flirting. Skirts the edges of it, and Hotch feels more emboldened to try the more Spencer tap-dances around what is obviously Hotch’s incorrect assumption of his age. He had had no idea Hotch thought he was older, that is apparent, and it’s throwing the other man for a loop for some reason Hotch can’t ascertain. 

[]9/8, 22:15[] I’m not old.

[]9/8, 22:15[] I’m not even older than you.

[]9/8, 22:16[] And how do you know that?

[]9/8, 22:17[] Just trust me on this.

[]9/8, 22:17[] Well, how old are you?

Another long, lengthy pause that Hotch waits for with baited breath. He knows that Spencer is there, that he’s staring at his phone and trying to decide the best way to answer without really answering anything. It’s only a matter of minutes, but that is a long time for them. When they are deep in a conversation like this.

Hotch isn’t laughing to himself anymore, but he’s more pleasantly confused than worried. He really has no idea what is making Spencer so hesitant.

[]9/8, 22:22[] Spencer?

[]9/8, 22:25[] I’m not going to tell you.

[]9/8, 22:26[] What, you want me to guess?

[]9/8, 22:28[] You’ll never guess.

[]9/8, 22:29[] That sounds like a challenge. How many guesses do I have?

[]9/8, 22:31[] None. Listen, I don’t want you to know. I shouldn’t have said anything.

[]9/8, 22:33[] I’m afraid it’s going to change your perception of me, and we’ll stop talking like this.

[]9/8, 22:34[] Just keep imagining me with wrinkles and a cane, I’m okay with that.

That drops the small smile right off his face.

Hotch is… surprised by this turn of events. What could be so shocking about this that Spencer thinks they would stop talking to each other? They’re corresponding every night. How could he possibly stop on a dime like that?

It doesn’t make any sense. And that’s not the alcohol talking.

[]9/8, 22:37[] I honestly don’t see how that would be possible.

[]9/8, 22:39[] I’m not going to stop talking to you just because you aren’t the senior professor I imagined running Caltech with an Iron Fist.

[]9/8, 22:40[] Now you’re projecting. 

[]9/8, 22:40[] You saying I’m too strict?

[]9/8, 22:41[] Tyrant, I think was the term I chose. 

[]9/8, 22:42[] Pretentious.

[]9/8, 22:44[] But Spencer, unless you are somehow underage with five Ph.D.’s, there’s no reason for us to stop talking. 

[]9/8, 22:47[] You would not believe how many people treat me like I'm underage, to this day. So that doesn’t inspire confidence.

Hotch pauses with his glass halfway back to his lips, only a few sips left in the glass. Staring at his phone and struggling to make sense of what Spencer is saying. Hotch had been trying to joke and tease with him, but now the word ‘underage’ feels like a glaring beacon of a word on his screen. 

He’s very suddenly more than a little nervous, even through the haze of alcohol. He is 45 years old, no matter what he keeps telling Spencer -- there is a limit to this being appropriate or not. What that limit is, he’d have to consider when he’s more sober, and it makes him feel like he should be reigning in the flirtatious notes that keep worming their way into the conversation. 

But it’s not actually possible for him to be that young, and everything he’s learned about the man indicates he’s closer to his own age. Was he in his 30’s? Even that felt too young for what Hotch had (subconsciously) profiled -- no, it has to be something else. 

No matter what, he didn’t want to keep getting Spencer worked up like this about it. His age hadn’t bothered Hotch before that night, so maybe if he drops it they can revert back to how they’d been spending their late evening hours before this turn in the conversation. 

[]9/8, 22:50[] But I’m NOT underage.

[]9/8, 22:51[] If that needed to be said.

[]9/8, 22:53[] Can you buy alcohol by yourself?

[]9/8, 22:54[] Yes.

[]9/8, 22:54[] See this is what I was afraid of.

[]9/8, 22:55[] Relax, I was trying to tease you. 

[]9/8, 22:57[] You don’t have to tell me, Spencer. I’ll just keep picturing Sean Connery, or John Steinbeck in the later years.

[]9/8, 22:59[] I see you have a type. 

[]9/8, 23:00[] Well, who do you picture when you think of me?

[]9/8, 23:01[] Hugo Weaving, Matrix era. Or Richard Feynman.

[]9/8, 23:02[] Well now I feel typecasted. Who’s Feynman?

[]9/8, 23:02[] An American Theoretical Physicist from the 40’s-60’s.

[]9/8, 23:03[] Ouch. How old do you think *I* am?

[]9/8, 23:04[] I’m afraid to answer that.

[]9/8, 23:04[] O.u.c.h.

[]9/8, 23:06[] You’ve been borderline flirting with me, and you just said you thought I was in my 60’s! What was I supposed to think?

[]9/8, 23:07[] If you’re looking in that age bracket, I’m sure I can get you the Biology Department Head’s number.

[]9/8, 23:07[] He’s 72 with rheumatoid arthritis. 

[]9/8, 23:08[] You are hysterical. So funny.

Hotch is smiling wide down at his phone again, feeling lighter and glad he got them back on track. 

But… 

He can’t help but think back to what he just tried to drop entirely. Blame the Scotch, or whatever drive to know that makes him dig down and root out information in cold cases in his spare time, Hotch doesn’t think he can let it go. Not when it was something Spencer hadn’t meant to be a secret in the first place. Not when, knowing that it has created misinformation between them unintentionally, results in Spencer shying away and hesitant to tell Hotch anything more about himself. 

Not when he’d said ‘flirting’, because that had been what Hotch was doing, and he can’t even describe how disappointing it would be to quit while he was ahead. When the build up has been so gradual and easy and everything he’d been looking for and could never seem to find.

Now, this slight disruption is sticking in his mind, sharp like a thorn in his side. Always there, making itself known, and he wonders if he is lucid enough to try and draw the information out of Spencer via interview tactics -- or if the brilliant man would see right through any of his attempts.

Probably. Who was he kidding? Spencer had more degrees and college hours under his belt than Hotch could manage in a lifetime. Best to do this the old fashioned way, then.

[]9/8, 23:10[] 38.

[]9/8, 23:11[] Oh. Really? That’s kind of young to be Unit Chief, congratulations.

[]9/8, 23:11[] No, not me. You. I’m guessing 38.

[]9/8, 23:12[] Oh.

[]9/8, 23:12[] Incorrect.

[]9/8, 23:13[] I don’t even get a hint?

[]9/8, 23:13[] Nope.

[]9/8, 23:15[] We’re not playing a game. I’m not telling you.

[]9/8, 23:15[] So you won’t guess my age, either?

[]9/18, 23:17[] Chicken.

[]9/8, 23:17[] 45.

Hotch near throws his phone across the room. Almost makes a quip about how reading his file is cheating -- but he knows Spencer just made a stupidly accurate ‘educated guess’ because he knows fucking everything. 

They really should just put him on the payroll. Hotch is being selfish keeping the man all to himself.

But God, is he enjoying it, too.

[]9/8, 23:19[] There’s no way you profiled that with that kind of accuracy. 

[]9/8, 23:20[] How do you do that?

[]9/8, 23:21[] Black magic.

[]9/8, 23:22[] I’ll get it out of you one day, I swear.

[]9/8, 23:23[] And as a man of your word, I believe that you truly believe that.

[]9/8, 23:23[] Full of jokes tonight, aren’t you?

[]9/8, 23:25[] I live to amuse. 

[]9/8, 23:25[] And make you smile.

[]9/8, 23:27[] You are one of the few that do.

With a careful pause, nothing left in his glass, a thought perched on the edges of his mind that is already watery with cognitive dissonance, Hotch starts typing before he’s even fully made the decision.

[]9/8, 23:30[] You really think my flirting is borderline? I was going for subtlety, but I must be rusty.

[]9/8, 23:32[] Actually, I just thought I was projecting.

[]9/8, 23:23[] You were married, I didn’t want to presume.

Oh. 

The consideration is touching, and sobering even in the dimness of his home office, but it draws the softest of smiles back to Hotch’s face when he begins to type out his answer.

[]9/8, 23:35[] Thank you, for thinking of me first.

[]9/8, 23:37[] But Haley and I separated a long time before she died. We were actually divorced before she went into WICSEC. I miss her every day. But I did try to date for a while, before that. 

[]9/8, 23:39[] No luck? I would have thought the FBI badge would at least garner some interest.

[]9/8, 23:40[] I’ve been told I’m intimidating.

[]9/8, 23:41[] I don’t think you are.

[]9/8, 23:42[] You will if you ever meet me. I’ve made underlings cry before without speaking a word.

[]9/8, 23:44[] The Hotchner stare. Have you coined that?

[]9/8, 23:45[] I should. It’s got a ring to it.

They banter and causally slip a few more… flirtatious comments in, and Hotch realizes it really isn’t that much different than before. That he had indeed been flirting with the man long before he knew his age. Which was odd, he didn’t typically go for older men and women. But now that he’s aware Spencer is younger than he thought, possibly even his own age (he swears he is, would put money on it if he could), somehow there’s more of a charge in their correspondence, a warmth and buzzing elation that has nothing to do with his Scotch. Especially now that it’s long gone.

It’s all Spencer, and how they compliment each other, and Hotch finds himself near giddy with that information.

He tries, towards the end of the night where it tips over into the early hours of the morning, to imagine an image of Spencer again -- and finds that he doesn’t even care to. He’s enamored with the man and his wit and the way he makes Hotch laugh without trying. How he looks, his age, it doesn’t matter. Not really. Not to Hotch.

But he is still curious why Spencer won’t reveal it. He can’t be that young.

[]9/9, 00:43[] You really won’t tell me?

[]9/9, 00:45[] Maybe one day. When I’m feeling brave.

[]9/9, 00:46[] Well, I’ll be there. Waiting. 

[]9/9, 00:46[] 32.

[]9/9, 00:47[] You’ll never guess.

[]9/9, 00:48[] There’s only so many numbers.

[]9/9, 00:50[] Goodnight, Hotch.

[9/9, 00:51] Goodnight, Spencer.

-

(tbc...)

-

Tagged List:  @spencehotchner @ssa-sarahsunshine @gothamapologist @reidology @marsjareau @dragon-snaps-fandom​ @emmyraebird @just-an-emo-rat​​​ @aaron-hotchner187 @dk18077 @more-heid-pls @fakin-it-til-i-make-it @merpancake

[boredandelusive]

13.

TW: Religious manipulation, angst

♞

"...cer? Spence?" JJ could tell something was wrong with her friend, and considering he'd been dazed, she would've thought it was something with Kiara. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I might've just messed up," he muttered, which the blonde moved to be in front of him. If this was something serious, she would easily step in to help. That's the main thing about having a brotherly bond with someone. Either of you would be prepared to fall on the blade for one another.

"Why? What happened?" JJ could hear his fear, and though she was just a media liaison, she could tell when her friend had something on his mind. Hopefully, it wouldn't be so bad, he would just have to talk to her once she got home.

"I almost told Kiara I love her, but I don't know if she loves me back." Hearing his doubt put a smile on JJ's face, but not for the reasons he thought of. "What? What's so funny?"

"Me and some of the girls had a lunch date with her." She started, but when she didn't continue talking, Spencer grew worried.

"And what? Did she say something?"

"Spence, you're probably looking into this too much. She basically said she feels the same way, but she's denying those feelings. Her words exactly? 'If I love him, and I admit it to myself, that makes it true.' Go ahead and tell her when you get home that you love her." She encouraged before walking past him.

Patting his shoulder as she moved away, she noticed Alex looking at them both. Moving to greet the older woman, both women glanced to Reid, who still looked at his phone in worry. "He's really head over heels for her, isn't she? Even if he doesn't want to show it at work," Blake started.

"Oh, yeah, it's bad. I don't think I've ever seen him blush more than when he looks at his phone. Ironically enough, they're not even dating." JJ whispered before seeing Hotch stand at the bottom of the ramp. "Guess we got another case," she muttered for them both before moving to the conference room.

Seeing as Spencer was the last one to come, he sat down in his seat before Garcia clicked a few buttons on the remote. "Okay, this case is especially strange. So, a couple of weeks ago, a high-security prison went into lockdown because someone broke in. One person escaped, a woman who called herself the "Angel of Death." Since then, they haven't been able to find her."

"But I'm assuming she's resurfaced?" Derek asked as he looked to the screen then back to Penelope.

"Right here in Quantico. She's killed four people in the span of five days, so there's probably not much time before she kills again." Once Penelope vaguely filled the group in, she sat down.

"How do we know it's not a copycat?" Luke asked as he fidgeted with a pen in hand. It was something to help him think, besides if the Angel of Death was back, this case could've taken days.

"Because the modus operandi is the same. Molten wax found in their lungs suggests they were held under the wax long enough to kill them. The ME can't get a full read on if the woman drugged them or not. Each of the victims also had some sort of runic symbol on their foreheads. There hasn't been anyone to translate them." Garcia answered.

"I could try," Reid spoke up, which the others glanced at him in confusion. "I studied runes in college, I'm a little rusty, but I can get the general message." Seeing as the tech analyst moved the runes in order on the scene, Spencer danced his eyes over the screen.

Each of the runes started translating themselves into his brain. "It's a bible verse. Philippians 1 verse 6. "Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." That's what the runes say." He admitted after staying silent for a few seconds. This would've been something to help further the investigation.

"Nice job, alright, the officers are waiting for us to get there."

♞

Seeing as both women planned on meeting again, the brunette was the first to arrive, and she stood outside and leaned against her car. Watching as the second car pulled up with a passenger, she got off the hood of her car and moved to greet them both. "Hello, ladies."

"I want to thank you, ma'am. if you hadn't broken me out of prison, I would've been put to death." The Angel of Death rushed over to her and hugged the brunette. Seeing as she hugged back, the two broke away after a moment. "I'll always be in debt to you."

"Don't thank me, thank the lord. He was the one who told me what to do and to get you out." She answered with an assuring tone. "But I do need you to do something for me," she stated after a tone of silence.

"Anything you want," she said in a dream-like state. Honestly, the infatuation the Angel of Death had with God would've been enough to get her to do anything.

"There's someone I need you to go after," she admitted as she took out a photo of a man. "His name is Spencer Reid, and he's dating someone that's done things she needs to repent for." Her tone sounded like a mother talking to their kid. "Can you do it?"

"I can do anything you ask of me! Who's the woman he's dating that hurt you? I can go after her, too," the Angel stated as she took the photo of the FBI agent.

"Oh, don't worry about her, I have plans for her, anyway. You can't kill him because I need him alive, but I need you to roughen him up a bit. Can you think of anything that would cause someone to split up under pressure?" Utilizing the resources from the killer was the best thing she could do.

This was the beginning of her elaborate plan, and considering she had two other women to help her out, nothing could go wrong. "I can think of a few things, but it'll take me some time to get everything ready. A few days, maybe." The Angel thought about the numerous things she could do to Spencer to make him cry, and not in a good way.

"Good, take all the time you need. I will warn you, though. The FBI is on your case, so you have to be careful." Seeing as the murderer almost walked back to the car, there was one other thing the brunette had to tell her. "And I'll have this lady give you some things you need to spook him into breaking the relationship up."

"Okay, thank you!" Seeing as the Angel got into the car, the brunette looked at the second woman.

"What? It's obvious you have something on your mind," the brunette said as she walked toward her car and leaned against it.

"I'm just wondering something: what did Kiara do to make you want to get revenge on her? Did she hurt someone?" The second woman asked, which the brunette looked at her and harshly exhaled.

"Do you see my locket?" The woman started, which the second one nodded before she opened it up. "That's my younger sister, well, was my younger sister. A couple of years ago, mostly when Kiara was in college, there was a dorm fire. My younger sister, Abbi, stayed in that dorm. When the news report said Kiara was one of the ones who got out and my sister didn't, I blamed her for everything."

"What makes you sure Kiara was the one who left her there?" The second woman asked with caution, causing her to look at the brunette with sympathy.

"Kiara was the one who started the fire. Everyone in there who died was her fault. She doesn't even mention it, and when my mother wept and asked her, Kiara pretended to feel bad about it all. That's why I want to get back at her." She stated with a fit of boiling anger inside her chest. "And now?"

As the woman talked, she pulled out her phone with a live recording inside Kiara's house. "I have everything into motion for what I have planned to get back at her." She admitted as she held up the footage to the other woman. "I can't have you fail me now, got it? Not when we're so close to finishing it all and getting back at her for it."

"I understand, and I won't give out, I promise. I'm gonna go drive the Angel back to the stayhouse, text me if you need anything," She answered before she walked to her car.

"Thanks, G," she waved before getting inside her car.

♞

"Okay, we've gotten a lot done within one night, we should go home and get some rest," Hotch announced to the others, which they nodded before moving out of the room.

"Hey, Spence, wait up!" JJ called as she rushed up to her brunette friend. "Alex and I talked earlier, and you should tell Kiara how you feel," she started, which he opened his mouth to interject. "Without getting choked up in your words."

"I'll try," he chuckled, which he then left. Seeing as Emily and Derek looked at her.

"What was that about?" Derek asked as he moved to the blonde to see what went on.

"Spencer's in l-o-v-e," she teased before glancing toward the door again. Once she looked back to the others, she continued. "He almost admitted it to Kiara earlier, but instead he ended the call before he could say it fully." JJ clarified, which both of them made silent 'oh's.

"Do you think she heard it?" Emily asked as she glanced at the door knowing he wasn't there anymore.

"I'm not sure, but hopefully we'll find out tomorrow," she shrugged before moving to leave. "I gotta get home, we can talk tomorrow, right?"

♞

As Kiara got comfortable at home, she heard a knock on the door. Getting up, she turned to look at it before thinking for a moment. "Kiara? It's Spencer," he called out, which she moved to open the door and saw him. "Hi," he greeted awkwardly.

"Hi, Spencer. What's going on?" She asked as she moved out the way to let him in. As he came in, she closed the door behind him and looked at him with confusion. "Speaking of, you said something on the phone a little while ago, what was it?"

"I just stuttered, don't worry. What's the box for?" That was the first thing he noticed, specifically the packing nuts.

"Oh, right, I didn't tell you on the phone yet. Come with me," she moved to the bedroom, which he followed. Following her up the steps, Spencer could tell she grew antsy, so it was probably something important. Opening the door, she revealed a fucking machine.

"It's a-a sex machine?" he almost didn't recognize it, but considering she made him read a book of kinks and objects, he realized the object in front of him.

"Yep, it is. And I was wondering if you wanted to try it tonight," She sounded genuinely happy, which made him smile at her. "I even put on a dildo. I know we've been doing a lot of ass stuff, and don't worry, we'll go to explore more of your kinks, but is this something you would like to try?"

"I would love to try it," it seemed like she didn't hear what he'd said on the call earlier, which though while that was great, it meant he would have to say it later. Something about everything she did, about the way she was happy to try new things with him.

Maybe JJ was right, she had to be. After all, both of them had grown so much together, both in intimacy and in sex. She helped him discover his kinks, which there was still much to explore with her. "Good, then strip."

[swiss-cheeze]

We All Sin Agent Hotchner || Aaron Hotchner

Request: YES/NO

Gender: none, they/them

Warnings: oh jesus, murders (duh), talk of sins, mentions of abortion, talk of sexual and physical abuse, child molestation, mention of a drug addiction.

Description: you’ve killed 12 by murder and another 13 by proxy, as you get interviewed by Hotch and Reid they finally find out why you killed up to 12 and another 13 but when you start mentioning the teams owns sins you get rather bored.

Disclaimer: OKAY BASICALLY, background before you read? Your parents went through a divorce when you were 12 and then your mother sexally and physically abused you at age 13; this is why you killed 12 people, however the other 13 you killed by proxy because they were all sinners. You got someone else to kill them for you (mentioned in the fic), the background to this is because your mother was catholic, so you grew up catholic; you couldn't kill those 13 other sinners because it's a sin but the 12 you could because it was the year for the divorce but the 13 you couldn't because that was from the sexual and physical abuse.

Disclaimer: I AM NOT RELIGIOUS, this is all based off of research from my own questions over the years as well as the quick engine search for this fic. The ‘sins’ the team has commited are ones I’ve found on their profiles on the Criminal Minds Wiki and twisted it a little to the use of the plot; GIDEON AND ELLE ARE MENTIONED IN THIS FIC AS MERE MENTIONS, THEY ARE NOT IN THE TEAM (this team consists of the OG; Prentiss, Hotch, Reid, Morgan, Garcia, Rossi and J.J.)

-------

“Jesus Christ what should we do?” Emily questioned as the team stood around the round table. They caught the unsub of course, however they needed a confession, and you were not budging.

“Thirteen murders and twelve by proxy,” J.J. muttered and looked to the victim board, “that's a lot before we got brought in, is there any significance that we can use against them?” the team looked to Spencer who simply shrugged.

“The number 13 is considered an unlucky number in some countries,” Spencer started, “the end of the Mayan calendar's 13th Baktun was superstitiously feared as a harbinger of the apocalyptic 2012 phenomenon. Fear of the number 13 has a specifically recognized phobia called triskaidekaphobia which was coined in 1911” Spencer ended his little ramble but it still did little for the team, you hadn't done anything towards those facts or any others that Spencer could recall, same with your twelve additional murders.

“Well we have to find a reason otherwise (Y/n) could have bail and hit again in a few years,” Aaron said as he leant against the chairs, “there has to be something”

“When (Y/n) was twelve their parents split?” Garcia questioned, “and then thirteen was when they oh no-”

“What, what you got baby girl?” Derek questioned as he moved to lean over Garcia's computer.

“Umm, okay these are direct quotes from a medical? Thing?” Garcia questioned again.

“That sounded like a question Garcia, what is it?” J.J. said fiercely.

“Okay okay umm,” Garcia did a little more typing, “at age thirteen (Y/n) was brought into their nearby medical centre from their house, because they lived with their mum, and they always came in with multiple bruises ‘in the shape of hands, occasionally cuts and multiple sexual assaults’ oh poor baby,” Garcia mumbled her last few words, “sexual assault from their mum at age thirteen? That would suck”

“If that's all we have to work with then that's what we’ll use,” Hotch said as he gathered a few files randomly, “Reid i want you to go into the room with (Y/n), set up a conversation regarding their childhood, specifically ages twelve and thirteen; (Y/n) is used to alpha males and females, they won't be expecting someone like you,” Emily snorted softly as Hotch handed Spencer the random files.

“And what do i do with these?” Spencer questioned, they literally were all random files and were not in order, that bugged the poor Doctor a little but he knew better than to fix it.

“Look through them alot,” Hotch responded, “pretend to fall back on things you already know from the profile and the murders, try and look through multiple files at once; (Y/n) is a curious killer but knows what they’ve done and the reason, they like to play with their food and in this case food is-”

“People got it,” Spencer said quickly before ducking out of the door, down the catwalk and towards the room you were being held.

“Hotch,” Derek said suddenly, “you do know this is about you right?” the man said, everyone looked up confused as their unit chief nodded.

“That’s why i sent in Reid, when (Y/n) gets fed up and calls for me i'll go in and i'll get the final details we need” and with that Hotch walked out of the door and in the same direction as Spencer as Derek showed the rest of the team how it was about Hotch.

-------

“(Y/n), you were sexually assaulted multiple times at the age of thirteen, tell me more about that?” Spencer questioned, you didn't budge in your seat nor did you show any signs of knowing what he was talking about besides the slight flinch he noticed when he mentioned the age.

“Why,” you said softly, your voice came out gravelly, “what is it you want to know?”

“Well, it was from your…” Spencer flipped through multiple files, making sure to keep them out of your line of sight before landing on a random one, “mother” you scoffed.

“Bitch, slag, whore, slut,” was all you said in response.

“How?” Spencer questioned.

“SHE MOLESTED ME,” you blew up, slamming the table, “BEAT ME AND MOLESTED ME, SENT ME TO SCHOOL IN THE MORNING, THE ONLY SAFE PLACE I KNEW BEFORE I HAD TO GO HOME AT THE SAME TIME EVERY DAY TO HER HANDS, HER EYES, HER MOUTH AND SOMETIMES HER FUCKING FRIENDS,” you struggled to breath as your body vibrated from the added adrenalyne.

“(Y/n), i need you to calm down,” Spencer said, he didn't even flinch at your explosion but he knew the signs of an early panic attack, “what's special about you is that you have so much anxiety, self doubt and self loathing and yet you still lured in twenty five people to kill,” Spencer mentioned.

“Twelve,” you said in a low voice, “I only killed twelve i had nothing to do with the others,” your eyes flickered to Spencer who started packing the files; he had gotten half the confession.

“Thank you for your time-”

“I want Hotchner,” you said with a grin, knowing exactly what that meant as Spencer paused for a moment, “even you noticed it Doctor, you saw all those victims that look like him, high class, business, lawyers, close to the justice system…” you started pointing out the similarities.

“I'll see what I can do,” Spencer said before leaving the room. The click of the lock made you giggle, then laugh, then cackle. The team watched from the two way mirror as you had a slight psychotic break in the chair you were chained to.

“GIVE ME AARON FUCKING HOTCHNER,” you screamed, “otherwise ill have to kill his little boy~” you sang with an evil grin. The team stiffened as your words floated through the room.

“They wouldn't,” J.J. said, “we didn't profile accomplices,”

“No but (Y/n) did kill by proxy,” Hotch said, “anyone could have anything trained on my little boy,” the unit chief said before he opened the interrogation room and your loud gasp came through the monitors.

“Hotchie!” you exclaimed happily, your grin was sick as your posture changed and you sat upright.

“Don't call me that,” Hotch said calmly, “you just confessed to twelve murders, now we need you to confess to the other thirteen-”

“I didn't do it,” you said immediately, “I simply helped victims with their own troubles,” you said with another sick grin as you leant forward, “you've got your own troubles too don't you Hotchie?” you questioned.

“I told you not to call me that,” Hotch responded as he stared you dead in the eye.

“A dead wife,” you grinned, “murdered wife I should say, son who almost, kind of, slightly doesn't trust you. Why?” you looked to Hotch with a grin, “you’re never there for him the poor thing” you said with a fake pout, “i should know what that's like, divorced at age twelve, molested at age thirteen, wow what a rocky fucking year those two where huh?” you questioned with a grin as the room door opened and out stepped a delicious looking man who handed Hotch a file. You whistled low, “Sexy little things aren't you here at the BAU huh?” you questioned with a grin as he left, it wasn’t the doctor from before but that didn't matter, you had the man you wanted right in front of you as he looked over a file, “what's that?” you questioned with a jut of your chin to the files.

“Damian Field,” Hotch started, you barely remembered the name let alone the face, “shot execution style, was a pedophile on three accounts,” you grinned, so that techy finally figured it out, “Emily Guard, shot execution style, multiple accounts of stealing and piracy, Dellie Parafield, shot execution style, stealing, looting, poisoning her mother and-”

“Did you finally figure it out?” you asked, cutting off the man you loved.

“You wrote ‘sinner’, at each crime scene, that's why there's thirteen and when we didn't find you quick enough you came to us,” Hotch said, you grinned.

“Thirteen dead, not because of me, but thirteen dead,” you shrugged, “know why?”

“Your mother grew up catholic,” you grinned.

“We got every single one of those people to confess agent,” you said with a sick grin as the team watched on, “they confessed for every sin they committed and died respectively because of it,”

“You're a sinner,” Hotch said as if it were a fact, you scoffed.

“I aint,” was your response.

“You killed twelve and another thirteen by proxy,” Hotch reminded you, tears filled your eyes as you sniffled.

“That's not good,” Derek muttered as he watched through the glass.

“They deserved it,” you said softly.

“And you don't?” Hotch questioned.

“AT LEAST I SEE MY SINS!” you exclaimed loudly, causing a few of the team to jump, “if you realise your sins and apologise to the lord he will forgive, and he forgives me,” you nodded with a sniffle as tears trekked down your face, “he sees what i've done and he praises me!” you said with a laugh.

“Have you ever met god (Y/n)?” Hotch questioned, you rolled your eyes.

“What, you sayin’ i'm a liar too?” you asked with a grin, “that's a sin too Aaron,” you said with a grin.

“You're not a liar but you are a bad killer, you left everything out in the open and you led us right to you and when we hit a dead end you came to us,” Hotch reminded you again, “do you confess to twelve murders and thirteen murders by proxy?” he questioned again.

“No.” you grinned, “i ain't the one who killed ‘em!” you exclaimed again as Hotch stood up and walked out of the room. This only fueled your rage as you started thrashing your wrists in the cuffs they were being held by, “WE’RE ALL SINNERS AARON HOTCHNER” you screamed, you grinned as you felt the teams eyes all watching you from behind the mirror.

“Who's the accomplice?” Emily questioned.

“We’ll find out in a second,” Hotch said calmly.

“You think you’re safe!? From who but the lord!?” you shook your head, “Elle Greenaway,” you started, the team became rigid, “shot an...what do you guys call us? Unsub?” you laughed, “shot an unsub and you rid it off as self defense,” you held up a finger, “that's one sin agent Hotchner. Jason Gideon, stole hotel toiletries,” you grinned as another finger went up, “thats called stealing Hotchner, Derek Morgan, considered suicide after molestation,” you put up another finger, “thats three now Hotchner, Emily Prentiss, abortian at age fifteen,” another finger went up, “Hotchner im all for abortians and i dont personally find them a sin, however unfortunately thats not what catholics and christians see,” you grinned, “four. Jennifer Jareau, I unfortunately only recently found out about you even though you've been with the team for a few years. Fortunately for Hotchner it stays at four,” you waved your fingers in the air, “David Rossi,” you scoffed, “married and divorced three times,” you added three fingers and whistled, “that's added a lot to the load already Hotchner, up to seven now,” you sighed as you had to use your other hand, “Doctor Spencer Reid, wow” you laughed, “what? Drug addict, liar, that Lila woman who i'm going to add simply because i feel like it,” you waved both hands as much as you could and laughed softly, “damn, that Doctor is racking it up a lot Hotchner!” you exclaimed.

“Hotch we’re not getting anywhere with this,” Rossi said with a sigh as he looked to the saddened faces of his team mates.

“Just another second Dave, it'll work.” Hotch said, his eyes still glued to your frame, “when i was in their (Y/n) said ‘we’, there is an accomplice we just have to wait for their slip up” and that's when you did, it wasn't a slip but technically but you were bored.

“UGGGHHH,” you groaned, “Lily!” you exclaimed, “Lily Raymond, she's in our safehouse,” the team was about to walk away to find this ‘lily’ before you gave them a deal, “Aaron Hotchner i will give you the address if only you let us stay in the same cell, AND,” you grinned and bit your lip, “let me give you a big smooch,” the team sighed.

“Hotch you can't,” Emily said.

“If we want that address he’ll have to,” Rossi said softly as Hotch walked into the room and did just as you asked.

He kissed you.

[crackedoutgiraffe]

To the Moon and Back

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

A/N: Chapter 6

You had left your phone on the conference room table while you looked through the files. It started ringing unexpectedly. It was Garcia. 

“Hey Garcia,” you eagerly greeted her, you hadn’t spoken to any of the team for about 6 hours. They were all out doing FBI things.

“How much do you love me?” she asked

Confused, you answered the peculiar question, “I love you very much, Garcia.” “What would you say if I told you I had the name of the unsub?”

“Wait, you figured it out?” you jumped out of your chair with excitement.

“Sure did,” she giggled, “I believe your unsub is one Robert Adams.”

“Do you have a location, Garcia?”

“His credit card just made a purchase at the Seven Stars Restaurant,”

“Thank you, Garcia,” you said as you ran out the door. “Wait, why did you call me?”

“No one else was picking up,” she replied. “Good luck, be safe,” she hung up after that. The team left one SUV for you just in case you needed to go anywhere. You hopped in and started for the restaurant. You tried to call Hotch, but he wouldn’t respond. 

Then you tried Rossi, and thankfully he responded, “Rossi, where are you right now?” you asked frantically

“We’re at the school. Why? What’s wrong?” he could hear how scared you were on the other end of the line.

“Garcia called me and told me that she has the unsub’s identity,” you breathed out, trying to drive at the same time.

“Y/N, I’m going to put you on speaker,” he added. “Alright, you have me, Hotch, Morgan, and Reid.”

“Garcia, she called me and said that the name of the unsub was Robert Adams and that he was at the Seven Stars restaurant, I’m pulling into the restaurant now,” you got out of the car and headed toward the entrance.

“Alright, Y/N, do not engage wait outside we’ll be there in five minutes,” Hotch sounded scared

“Alright. Is there anyt-,” you started but you were knocked out by an explosion from the restaurant.

“Y/N, hold we’ll be there soon,” Hotch calmly said, but you couldn’t respond.

You were knocked unconscious by the blast, you finally awoke to sirens and people surrounding you. You could see all the team members around you.

Everyone stayed by your side for a few moments until Morgan received some news, “Hotch he’s still in there.”

“Ok. Prentiss, come with Morgan and me to catch the unsub,” Hotch started. “Rossi, take Y/N to the ambulance.” 

Rossi helped you to stand up while you were holding your head. He led you over to an ambulance, “Rossi, I’m fine, really.”

“I’m sure you are,” he said, “but you may have a concussion.” The paramedic checked your vitals and performed a concussion test. You passed, so a hospital visit wasn’t necessary. 

While the paramedic was checking your health he was also checking you out, “Alright Ms. Y/L/N, your vitals are good and you don’t seem to have a concussion,” the paramedic briefed. “Make sure that you visit your primary care physician. Also, do you think I would be able to get your number?”

He wasn’t bad looking, he seemed nice, “Sure,” you smiled. You looked past some of the cops at the restaurant and saw Reid looking your way. It seemed like he was giving the paramedic a death stare. You got up off the ambulance and hobbled over to the rest of your team. Prentiss and Hotch had apprehended the unsub, and they loaded him into a police car.

“What did the paramedic say?” Hotch asked. 

“He said I’m good to go,” you responded happily. 

Reid looked upset from where you were standing, “seemed like he said more than that,” Reid mumbled. 

“Alright, go pack up your guys’ stuff and meet me at the airfield in 30,” Hotch continued. You all went to the SUVs. You decided to ride in the back with Rossi driving and Prentiss in the passenger seat. The three of you promptly arrived at the hotel just behind JJ, Morgan, and Reid. Rossi came to help you out of the car, which was quite sweet, but you didn’t need it.

You got to your room and started to pack. Starting with the bathroom then going to the main room, double-checking that you had everything. As you were cleaning up, you made the bed and straightened out the pillows.

Just then your phone rang, “Hello?” you answered.

“Hi, this is Jeremy. I was the paramedic that treated you tonight,” he said gingerly.

“Oh hey, how’s it going?” you giggled while grabbing your bags and heading toward the door.

“We had to take a few people to the hospital, but other than that pretty good,” he commented.

You left your room and started to close the door, “So, a pretty slow night?” you joked. In the hallway, you saw Morgan and Reid waiting and staring at you. “Hey, Jeremy. I’m going to have to call you later, ok?”

“That’s cool,” he sighed. “It was nice to meet you, Y/N. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” you finished and hung up the phone.

“Who’s Jeremy?” Morgan asked, poking you in the side.

“That’s classified, Agent Morgan,” you replied with a smile. “Who’s driving?” you asked, trying to change the subject.

“I’ll drive,” Morgan replied as the three of you got in the elevator.

The drive to the airfield was quiet. You were sitting in the back seat staring out the window, when you did look through the windshield, you could see Reid look at you occasionally. Finally, you got to the plane. You chose a seat at the back, put your headphones in, and pulled out a book. The volume of your music was low just in case anyone needed you. You looked up to see Morgan with a confused look on his face, then he took off his headphones and you could hear screaming coming through them. “Very funny, kid,” he quipped at who you could only suspect was Reid. His phone started to ring and he picked it up, “Hey baby gir-,” he quickly pulled the phone away from his face, more screaming.

You gave up trying to figure out what that was about and went to sleep. When you woke up, you were starting to land. Hotch stood up once the plane landed and told all of you to be in the office at 9 tomorrow. You grabbed your bag and got off the plane, rushing to get to your car and get home and see your cat. The second you got to your car, an immense wave of relief came over you, your first case with the team was done. You had done pretty well. One thing you were less than pleased about was the way you felt toward Spencer. Could you really not fraternize with your co-workers? It’s not that hard, Y/N. Get it together. You got to your house and plopped down on your bed. Checking the time, you groaned. It was 3am. You dragged yourself out of bed to take a shower, you ended up falling asleep wearing only your towel.

You woke up to your alarm at 8 and sighed. Realizing you slept, in a towel, you went to your closet to grab some semi-professional clothes. You put on as much makeup as you could stand, which wasn’t much, and headed to the kitchen for coffee. Checking the clock on your oven, it was 8:30, so you didn’t get to eat breakfast and settled for stopping at Starbucks for another coffee. You were able to arrive at Quantico at exactly 8:50 leaving you just enough time to get up to your desk at 9.

Walking into the office was a nightmare, everyone at their desks seemed so tired. Walking past Reid’s desk, you noticed that he was working away, he didn’t seem tired at all, “How are you so chipper right now?” you asked, sitting down at your desk.

“This is my fifth cup of coffee,” he smiled at you with that lovely smile of his.

Garcia was walking past his desk right as he answered you, “Alright, Dr. Reid, I’m cutting you off for now,” Garcia insisted grabbing the coffee cup from his hand. He looked up at her and frowned.

“Thank you, Garcia,” Morgan added from his desk. “If he would have finished that, I don’t think he would shut up for hours.”

You giggled from your desk, trying not to pass out. 

“We have a new case,” Hotch walked out of his office toward the round table room. Everyone groaned as they pulled themselves up from their seats. You all hobbled over to the roundtable room, Reid was practically skipping in front of all of you. “Go ahead Garcia,” Hotch instructed while sitting down.

“Alright, friends, this week you are traveling to the lovely Los Angeles. Four women have all been found in the woods. They were all sexually assaulted, stabbed 13 times, and their hair was burned off. Next to their dumpsite, CSI found the bodies of four men, they were all shot in the heart,” Garcia explained while flipping through the slides on the TV.

“They were all y/h/c-haired and y/e/c eyed in their early to mid-twenties,” Reid added. “Was there any relationship found between the women and the men, Garcia?

“Good eye, Dr. Reid, and yes. The women were all dating one of the men,” Garcia smiled. “Your first victims are 21-year-old Alisha Davis, liberal arts major at UCLA; she was dating 23-year-old Joseph Marin. Next was, 22-year-old Brittany French, chef at a local restaurant and her boyfriend Michael White, 24. Then was 23-year-old Paulette Queen, a nanny for an established family, she was involved with 23-year-old Daniel Roberts. Finally, Jemma Boone, 24, was working at a jewelry store, dating 25-year-old Nicholas Phillips.”

“How far apart were the killed?” you asked.

“The coroner estimates two weeks apart,” Garcia sighed. “Jemma was killed approximately 10 days ago. There also is evidence that he was keeping his victims for about 2 days before killing them.”

JJ spoke up from her side of the table, “The killings seem very ritualistic. They were each stabbed 13 times, they were all y/h/c.”

“The number 13 is considered an unlucky number in some countries. The end of the Mayan calendar's 13th Baktun was superstitiously feared as a harbinger of the apocalyptic 2012 phenomenon. Fear of the number 13 has a specifically recognized phobia, triskaidekaphobia, a word coined in 1911. The superstitious sufferers of triskaidekaphobia try to avoid bad luck by keeping away from anything numbered or labeled thirteen. As a result, companies and manufacturers use another way of numbering or labeling to avoid the number, with hotels and tall buildings being conspicuous examples (thirteenth floor).It is also considered unlucky to have thirteen guests at a table. Friday the 13th has been considered an unlucky day.  There are a number of theories as to why the number thirteen became associated with bad luck, but none of them have been accepted as likely,” Reid started to ramble.

“Colgate University also considers 13 a lucky number. They were founded in 1819 by 13 men with 13 dollars, 13 prayers, and 13 articles. To this day, members of the Colgate community consider the number 13 a good omen. In fact, the campus address is 13 Oak Drive in Hamilton, New York, and the male a cappella group is called the Colgate 13. In the Mayan Tzolk'in calendar, trecenas mark cycles of 13-day periods. The pyramids are also set up in 9 steps divided into 7 days and 6 nights, 13 days total. In the standard 52-card deck of playing cards, there are four suits, each of 13 ranks. In a tarot card deck, XIII is the card of Death, usually picturing the Pale horse with its rider. A baker's dozen, devil's dozen, long dozen, or long measure is 13, one more than a standard dozen,” you started rambling too, everyone just stared at you. 

“He is focusing more on the women,” Prentiss noticed.

“What makes you say that?” Morgan questioned.

“There is no evidence that the men were held in captivity,” Prentiss continued. “Also, more things were done to the women than the men, their hair was burned and they were sexually assaulted.”

“So it’s more about the women than the men,” Rossi chimed in, “What does that tell us about the unsub?”

You had an answer to the question, “He may have had his heart broken by a y/e/c-eyed, y/h/c-haired girl.”

“I know we just got back but there is going to be another murder in 4 days. Wheels up in 30,” Hotch sighed.

Everyone got up to leave, including you. You headed for the elevator to head home and grab your go-bag. On your drive home, there was one thing on your mind, a serial killer who only killed y/e/c-eyed, y/h/c-haired, and was going to kill someone who was 25, how could this go wrong?

[metalforhands]

OC Interview!

1. Choose an OC.

2. Answer them as that OC.

3. Tag 5 people to do the same.

i was tagged by the super awesome @andremarshallwhite!! thank you so much! i know i said this before, but andre’s replies were so good.. i really enjoyed reading them!

i’ll be tagging @mars-colony, @marvilus73, @wastelandwandererstuff, @fanthings, and @memepipboy! no pressure whatsoever guys!

1. What is your name?

“Lucille Garcia. You… uh,” she trails off. “You can just call me General. Make it a bit easier on yourself.”

2. Do you know why are you named that?

Lucille leans back, thinking on this. “You know, I’m not really sure. Pretty sure my mom just liked the name.”

3. Are you single or taken?

“… Taken. Why do you ask?”

4. Have any abilities or powers?

Lucille snorts. “I wish. You know how much easier my life would be if I had like, Grognak’s strength?”

5. Stop being a Mary Sue.

Lucille raises an eyebrow, obviously confused. She doesn’t reply, and assumes the interviewer misspoke.

6. What’s your eye color?

“Brown.”

7. How about your hair color?

She glances back and forth. “Uh… also brown.”

8. Have any family members?

Lucille’s expression grows bittersweet. “I did.” A pause. “But, uh… things changed. I found a new family out here. Danse. Shaun. I’m happy.”

9. Oh? How about pets?

“Well, there’s Dogmeat. Though, I guess he chose me instead of the other way around…”

10. That’s cool, I guess. Now tell me something you don’t like?

Lucille holds back the urge to say, ‘your attitude’. She thinks on the question for a moment. “I hate bloodbugs. Raiders. Super mutants. You know, same old.”

11. Do you have any activities/hobbies that you like to do?

“I don’t really have much free time, but uh… when I do, I like music. Repairing things. Watching the ocean.”

12. Have you ever hurt anyone in any way before?

“Vague question. Who hasn’t?”

13. Ever… killed anyone before?

Lucille raises a condescending eyebrow. “What do you think?”

14. What kind of animal are you?

She almost laughs at this question. “What?”

15. Name your worst habits?

“I… uh, I don’t know. Maybe I should cut down on drinking.”

16. Do you look up to anyone at all?

“A few people,” she vaguely says.

17. Are you gay, straight or bisexual?

“Good question.”

18. Do you go to school?

“I did for a little bit, back before the war. For music. Got drafted before I could finish my degree, though.”

19. Ever want to marry and have kids one day?

Lucille frowns, an uncharacteristic display of emotion. “I was married once. To a guy I met back in the army. Nate.” She sighed. “He… he got killed. Uh, it’s a long story. The answer to this question, that is. Sorry.”

20. Do you have any fangirls/fanboys?

“Not that I know of,” she says light heartedly.

21. What are you most afraid of?

She doesn’t answer.

22. What do you usually wear?

“Well, that depends. Usually just wear a tank and some jeans… my jacket,” she gestures to the bomber jacket she’s wearing. “But if I’m out on business with the Minutemen, then I wear my uniform. It’s well armored and has some ballistic lining. It’s… uh, better than it sounds,” she explains with a slight laugh.

23. What’s one food that tempts you?

“Can never say no to some Diamond City noodles,” she muses.

24. Am I annoying to you?

She snorts to herself.

25. Well, it’s still not over!

Lucille merely gestures for the interviewer to continue.

26. What class are you (low/middle/high)?

“Class? Haven’t heard that in a while,” she replies, a little surprised. “Doesn’t really exist anymore, but back in the day I had to work. All the time. Still do, in a way.”

27. How many friends do you have?

“A few.”

28. What are your thoughts on pie?

"There’s this pie stuck in one of the machines at the Dugout Inn,” she explains. “It would be so easy just to break the glass and grab it, but… ugh.”

29. Favorite drink?

“Love a rum and Nuka Cola. Doesn’t taste as nice without ice, but I’ll take what I can get.”

30. What’s your favorite place?

“The Castle. The view is so nice… especially when it rains.”

31. Are you interested in anyone?

“… My boyfriend,” she says, the answer plain as day.

32. That was a stupid question…

She just shrugs, mostly in agreement.

33. Would you rather swim in a lake or the ocean?

“With radiation? Pass on both.”

34. What’s your type?

“Uh, I’ve never actually thought about that before. I... guess I like someone who isn’t afraid to speak their mind. Oh, but also not afraid to understand and listen.”

A pause. “Okay. You know, I never liked smooth talkers. They only say what you want to hear. I like someone who… who gives a shit, and says what they mean.” Her cheeks flush slightly. “Guess I’m just describing Danse, huh?”

35. Any fetishes?

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

36. Camping or outdoors?

“Believe it or not, I actually value my life. Camping’s safer.”

[dontshootmespence]

Misunderstanding

A/N: An anon request for a fic where Spencer has a new girlfriend that the team hasn’t met yet, but Garcia, being just a bit overprotective and nosey *cough* (i love her to death but you know it’s true) looks into internet search history and finds that she’s been looking at violent and disturbing images online. The whole team starts to worry until they tell Reid and get an answer to her spotty internet history. I placed this in a theoretical Season 13 where Reid meets someone in his court-mandated therapy.

                                                             ----

Spencer never really made a habit out of letting people in on his personal life, no matter how close they were with him, so the entire team was left stunned when he mentioned in passing that he had met a woman at his court-mandated group therapy sessions and once she’d left group (after completing her necessary session) they’d started seeing each other. 

Without missing a beat, or the wide-open, gaping mouths of his teammates, he left the room to go grab his customary cup of coffee, leaving them wondering about the new woman in his life. He hadn’t let anyone in since Maeve; this was a huge step for him. “Woah,” Tara said, her smile soft as she followed Spencer’s steps out of the office. “That’s great.”

“It’s about time he had some happiness in his life,” Luke added.

JJ, Emily and Rossi chuckled under their breaths. “You have no idea,” JJ replied. “I just hope she's good to him. He can’t handle anymore heartbreak.”

Just at that moment, Garcia walked into the office. “Who can’t handle heartbreak? What’s happening?”

“Reid has a girlfriend. They met in therapy,” Emily clarified. After being reinstated with stipulations, she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t at least a little bit worried about him, but knowing he had someone in his life to talk to, if it wasn’t any of them, was comforting.

Garcia’s mouth hung open, her head rapidly glancing between everyone at the table and Spencer who was on his way back to the room with coffee in hand. Before she even had the chance to ask him all the questions she wanted answered, Emily mentioned they had a case, so for now, she had to let it go.

...Reid had a girlfriend.

                                                            ----

“What are you doing?” Emily asked, her voice tinged with reproach. 

Garcia knew she shouldn’t be doing this, but Reid had been through so much and the last thing she wanted to do was see him get hurt by this new woman...so she’d done a little background on her. “Just...you know...searching Y/N’s internet history to see if there was anything that put up a red flag.” She grimaced as Emily cut her eyes at her friend.

“Garcia!” She hissed. “You can’t do that! This is not what FBI resources are allocated for!”

Yes...yes...she knew that, but her love for her small boy who deserved nothing but love overrode her desire to stick to agency protocol. “I just want to make sure he doesn’t get hurt,” she replied softly. “He can’t take much more. He deserves to be happy. I just want to make sure he’s in good hands.”

Emily sighed, wavering between scolding her some more and admitting that she wanted to make sure Spencer was cared for as well. “Finish up what you’re doing now and then do this at home.”

“Okay,” she replied. Turning around, she continued to clap away at the keyboard, when all of a sudden, a wave of images popped up on the screen. An array of pictures entirely to similar to some of their cases popped up.

“Is this from the case?” Emily asked, not really recognizing the pictures but too worried to think they might be anything else.

There were pictures of skulls, some devoid of skin, some in varying stages of decay. Others were pictures of dead animals. Knives again skin. Bleeding wounds. “No...” Garcia whispered. “These are in her search history. Spencer’s new girlfriend.”

Spencer didn’t deserve this. What could these possibly be doing on her computer? Why would she look up such violent and disturbing images?

                                                           ----

“What should we do?” Tara asked, flipping through the images on her phone. After seeing such troubling images scattered throughout Y/N’s search history, Garcia and Emily mentioned it to the rest of the team. All of them were just as put off, wondering why someone would look at such things willingly if they weren’t troubled themselves. “Should we tell him?”

There were a number of benign reasons someone could be looking at these types of things. It could be part of therapy. Maybe she wrote in her spare time and wanted to be as detailed as possible. But what if it wasn’t benign? What if Spencer had gotten himself into a relationship with a woman that was too much like the people they caught? 

“We’re probably overreacting,” Rossi said matter-of-factly. “There’s probably an explanation. But considering everything the kid has been through, I’d rather be safe than sorry and bring it up with him.” Looking across the room, he caught Garcia’s eyes. “Garcia, I’ve known you for a long time now...you really can’t help yourself, can you?”

“No! I’m sorry!” She exclaimed as she hung her head in her hands. “I can’t. I want to protect him so I push the boundaries a bit, but-”

“Pushing the boundaries would be asking invasive questions,” Rossi laughed. “You break the circle and walk right in...but your heart is in the right place and I don’t want him getting hurt either.”

Luke glanced around at his teammates. “So...who gets the task of bringing it up to Spencer. Not it!”

“Not it!” 

“Not it!” 

It was like a schoolyard. “Not it!”

“Dammit,” Emily sighed. “Really?” Looking around, she realized, that in fact, really. She had to bring this up with him. “You guys suck.”

                                                          ----

Later that night, Emily and Spencer were the only ones left in the office burning the midnight oil. As Unit Chief, Emily had inherited the paperwork that went with it, hence her staying late all the time, but since Spencer had been reinstated with the stipulation that after every 100 days he had to take 30 off, she assumed that he’d been staying late every night to get as much work done as he could - seemingly make up for the time he’d been out. She’d set up seminars for him to teach while he was off duty from work, but she knew it was going to take some adjustment. 

This was as good a time as any to bring it up. Taking a deep breath, she stood up from her desk and wandered out toward his. Apparently, she’d been stalling because Spencer spoke before she even approached. “What’s up, Emily?”

Her mouth dropped open, but she stumbled to find her words. “Okay, I’m going to be really straight with you-” “Is about me coming back to work?” Although he was going to need a lot of help getting through his recent stay in prison, it was going to be ten times worse if his team didn’t even believe in him.

Immediately, Emily shook her head. “No, it’s about Y/N.”

His face scrunched up in confusion. “Y/N? What about her? You guys haven’t even met her yet?” After a few moments, he jumped to the right conclusion before Emily said anything. “Let me guess. Did Garcia look into her?”

Emily snickered. “Yea, she did, and umm...she found some images on her search history that put up a few red flags for us. There could be an explanation, but we wanted to err on the side of caution.”

As he scrolled through the pictures, he started to smile. “Okay, this could look bad, but it’s not what you think. She’s not disturbed or anything; she’s had a difficult past and she expresses herself through art, very macabre art. The pictures are inspiration and guidance when she’s drawing skulls and things.”

She breathed an enormous sigh of relief and laughed. “Oh thank god. I know looking into her was crossing a line and I did talk to Garcia about it, but-”

Spencer waved his hand dismissively. “Normally, I would be annoyed, but after everything that’s happened...I’m just glad to be home. I’ll talk to everyone tomorrow.”

“Okay,” Emily said, yawning as she stood up to go grab her coat. The rest of the paperwork would have to wait until morning. “And Spence?”

“Yea?”

“I’m glad you’re home too.”

@coveofmemories @sexualemobitch @jamiemelyn @unstoppableangel8 @iammostdefinitelyonfire26 @rmmalta @lukeassmanalvez @yoinkpeter @the-slytherin-ice-queen

[giftofshewbread]

The Sinner in the Saint

By Pete Garcia

One of the greatest paradoxical mysteries in all of the known universe, is that of the mystery of Christ in the believer. How can an all holy, all righteous, divine Being who is Creator and will not tolerate even the tiniest infraction of His divine law…dwell, inside His fallen, sinful, creation? Certainly, the Apostle Paul wrestled with the significance of this concept and was given the understanding to explain for our benefit. He says;

“I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, 26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” – Colossians 1:24-28

According to Scripture, the age we live in now, has been on the mind of God since eternity past. Being omnipotent, and knowing the end from the beginning, God knew that there could only be one way. When a person becomes spiritually born again by God’s grace through our faith, they must take on the righteousness of God, through the Son’s sacrificial atoning work on the Cross. (John 3:3, Eph. 2:8-9, 2 Cor. 5:21) At the moment of conversion, a believer does not go from being evil to being righteous per say, but goes from being spiritually dead, to being spiritually alive. Although we are spiritually regenerated from within, we still must dwell in the shell of the fallen, fleshly, man which causes the believer to have two natures, the divine, and the sin nature.

Think about it this way, before a person becomes born-again, what God sees in that particular individual, is only them in their sinful, fallen, spiritually dead, state…of which He will not and could not share His glory in and with. For starters, we couldn’t physically exist with Him in a fallen state. Moses had to hide himself in the cleft of a rock and could only cast his gaze at the shadow of God walking past, and he still glowed for days. John on Patmos, witnessed the resurrected and glorified Christ (or Christ in His natural state), and he fell over as dead. Physically, we couldn’t survive the experience of witnessing God in our flesh, without God dimming down (if that is a way to put it), His own Being. We must be born again, in order to receive the glorification (think upgrade) to our mortal status.

When a person becomes a believer in the finished work of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, (1 Cor. 15:1-5), they realize that there is nothing they can do to earn what God the Son has already accomplished on Calvary’s cross, (John 19:30). Then by placing their faith in that finished, perfect work, instead of relying on their own feeble efforts, they have in affect, allowed God the ability to quicken their dead, spiritual nature, in which He substitutes His own righteousness, in place of theirs.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” – 2 Cor. 5:17-21

At that point, the believer is no longer seen by God as fallen man, but redeemed man. God see’s the Son’s blood if you will, painted over the believer, much as it was painted over the door at the first Passover. That God would choose to inject if you will, Himself through the Holy Spirit into and sealing the believer, is beyond our comprehension. If anything, it shows us that God is infinitely loving, and infinitely good, and infinitely merciful while still remaining infinitely holy and infinitely righteous. So He is able to both keep the divine order in tact by not violating His own laws, or violate the principle of free will, which is necessary for man to willingly come to their God of their own volition.

In terms of the grander scheme, God chose to redeem fallen man, by becoming a Man, while remaining fully God, which would also allow Himself the ability to both serve man as our brother, and kinsman redeemer. At some point yet future to us now, Christ will first redeem His bride at the Rapture of the Church (the catching up), and then redeem Israel and Creation through the seven year Tribulation. We see this played out in type in the book of Ruth, (the Gentile-bride), and what we will see played out in reality, in Revelation 5-6, where Christ takes the title deed to the earth (which was lost from Adam), from the hand of the Father and begins opening the seal judgments, because only He is worthy to redeem man, as He is both God and Man.

Assessment

Where many Christian denominations, teachers, and individuals get things wrong concerning the doctrine of Salvation (Soteriology) is, that they confuse the ‘tenses of salvation’. When you are born-again, you become as Paul writes, a new creation. You are that proverbial caterpillar who is transformed into the butterfly. Once that happens, you can never go back to being a caterpillar. Once you are truly born-again, you can’t be un-born, spiritually speaking. In other words, since you can’t earn your salvation by your works, neither can you ‘un-earn’ or lose your salvation by your works. If salvation is a gift of God (it is), then it’s not based on our own efforts, by solely God’s mercy and grace. (Romans 4) The tenses of salvation are;

1. Justification – are saved from the penalty of sin. It is a one-time event for the believer (happens at the moment of salvation)

2. Sanctification – being saved from the ravages of sin. It is a lifelong event for the believer (happens throughout the life of a believer)

3. Glorification – will be saved from the presence of sin. It is a one-time event for the believer (happens at the Rapture of the Church)

Salvation happens when we come to the end of ourselves, and trust wholly in the finished work of Christ at the Cross. We come to Calvary as sinners, unable to save ourselves. Sanctification happens over the life of a believer, and it is Christ who promises to ‘finish the good work He began’ in us. (Philippians 1:6) Sanctification is that maturing process every believer goes through from the point of their rebirth, until the time when either Christ call’s us home through death, or we see Him in the air at the Rapture which is the Glorification.

Christian’s still sin, (1 John 1:8-10) because it is in our fleshly (human) nature to sin. If Christian’s were physically separated from our human bodies at the moment of conversion, then we would no longer desire to sin. But since we aren’t, and we must wait for that future day when Christ changes us from mortal and corruptible, to immortal and incorruptible, our sin nature is something that we must contend and hopefully overcome in the meantime. Again, Paul speaks to this;

“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.” – Romans 7:18-20

Sin is what interrupts our relational process with God once we are already believers just as disobedience interrupts our relationships with our own parents as we were growing up. Sin, and moreover, unconfessed sin doesn’t make us unsaved, it simply makes the believer miserable, because now he is both redeemed by God, yet out of fellowship with God…while being reviled by the world and accused by the Accuser. In other words, it is a bad place to be.

But, the believer has at his or her disposal, a reconciliation for sin. (2 Cor. 5:18) We have a Mediator for our sin. (1 Tim. 2:5) We have access to the very throne room of God. (Heb. 4:16) We have the ability and the liberty to confess our sins, and have them wiped away as if they never happened, since they were already paid in full at the Cross. (Col. 2:13-15) But this liberty isn’t free per say, because it will impact how we live in the here and now.

And one day, we will have to give account for what we did with our salvation at the Bema Judgment. (1 Cor. 3:9-16) We are not judged for salvation, because that is already settled. What we are judged for, is what we did with our salvation. And if a believer is constantly living in unconfessed sin, he or she is hard pressed to still be doing God’s will, thereby frustrating God’s plan for your life and now missing out on reward that God had intended to bestow upon you.

“Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 11 Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.” – 2 Cor. 5:9-11

But if the Bema Judgment sounds frightening, it is not meant as punishment, even though there will be reward and loss. For many have sacrificed much, and some all, to try to be the men and women God has called us to be. And God wants very much to bestow His riches on His own, so that we may share in His merciful bounty.

“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” – Ephesians 2:4-6

“So it is now after salvation, begins the lifelong process of sanctification for the believer….till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head-Christ” – Eph. 4:13-15

Conclusion

For too little is made of the Rapture of the Church in regards to the actual purpose of it. The Rapture is that future tense of salvation, known as glorification. It isn’t just to escape the wrath that is scheduled to visit the earth, but also serves specific purposes in regards to our physical nature. Just as it will be at the Sheep and Goat Judgment, (Matt. 25) where Christ separates and judges the nations between those who can and cannot enter into the physical, millennial Messianic Kingdom, the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church also separates the worthy from the unworthy.

The Rapture of the Church separates His redeemed Bride (the Church), from this sinful world, and to an even further and more personal degree, separates the individual believer, from the sinful bodies in which they’ve had to dwell in while living in this fallen world. (1 John 3:1-3) The Rapture is the process that transports us from our current abode, to the heavenly. The Rapture changes us from our mortal estate, to an immortal one so that we may straight away, stand at the judgment seat of Christ, as we must be judged first, in order for Christ to then exact His perfect wrath on a Christ-rejecting world. (1 Peter 4:17)

“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed-in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” – 1 Cor. 15:50-54

Even So, Maranatha!