#depths of dreams

[idyllicb]

depths of dreams - two

summary: Parker and Emily take on their first case with the team, anthrax is involved and Hotch breaks protocol!

warnings: regular criminal minds talk, nothing crazy lol

words: 5.7k

an: chapter two yippe !

“A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.” - Bruce Lee

PARKER NEARLY GOT A SPEEDING TICKET when she got a phone call to come in early. It was her first official day and getting called in early made her anxiety spike. Having only gotten a few hours of sleep the night before she rushed to get there. She assumed this would happen sometimes, criminals don’t usually care about the time of day when committing nefarious things. Parker pushed through the glass doors and saw Emily climbing the stairs to the conference room behind two blonde women. The young agent ignored the glances she got from the other two women as she placed her purse and go bag down at her desk and rushed after her friend.

“Hey, Parker! Long time no see,” Emily held the door open fully so more members of the BAU could file in. Parker smiled at the taller agent and let a laugh escape her lips. She was glad that Emily was there, having that one familiar face calming the storm of anxiety beginning to brew inside her.

“Seems like just yesterday we were staking out Hotch’s office.” The raven-haired nodded towards her and they turned to see the only other two blonde women watching them. “I am so sorry! We met briefly yesterday, right?” Parker’s hand flailed around her as she rushed out more apologies to the other Agents. Emily followed behind the younger girl, and they both extended their hands. “Parker Moore and this is-”

“Emily Prentiss, it’s nice to meet you both.” Emily flashed a smile and the other Agents shook hands before switching to the other. 

“You’re fine! We should’ve introduced ourselves first, this is Jennifer Jareau, our media liaison but everyone calls her JJ. I’m Penelope Garcia, a full-time tech analyst and part-time superhero. Call me if you need anything, seriously!” The taller blonde pointed between the two and JJ laughed and smiled at her enthusiasm. “It feels so good to finally have more girls on the team!”

“Agreed, it never hurts to have more female representation, especially in the bureau.” JJ wrapped an arm around Penelope in a familiar hug and the four women all agreed and laughed together. They walked over and sat at the round table together, waiting for more people. 

“Hey, I heard some laughing in here, you having fun without me?” A voice broke through the silence, two male agents filing in together. 

“Oh don’t worry handsome, just some girl talk.” Penelope smiled toward one of the agents and he chuckled at her response. He walked near the table and Parker stood alongside Emily,

“Emily Prentiss.” The two agents smiled at each other and shook hands. 

“Parker Moore,” Parker’s hand felt small against his and she glanced behind the one agent to lock eyes with the taller one. 

“Derek Morgan and this is Dr. Spencer Reid behind me.” Derek motioned behind him and Spencer waved at the two agents. “He’s not a fan of handshakes, sorry ladies.” Emily chuckled and waved her hand in front of her to say it was alright. Parker smiled in Spencer’s direction and he gave her one back, he gripped his bag closer to his chest. They continued to stare at each other before someone cleared their throat, like clockwork they sat at the round table. The five engaged in brief conversations about anything, but the room grew quiet as Hotch and Gideon entered.

“I’m assuming we all introduced ourselves to Agents Moore and Prentiss?” Hotch placed some files on the table for JJ to sort and everyone nodded in agreement. “We’re acquainted, good. We can all formally chat later. What’ve we got?”

“The DEA raided what they thought was a hardened meth lab right here in northern Virginia but that wasn’t exactly what they found.” JJ stood as she presented the case to the team, she pressed a button on the remote and a picture appeared on the screen. 

“That could be a dispersal device for a chemical weapon,” Derek paused as they all observed the device shown to them. “That’s sophisticated.” Spencer and JJ both nodded their heads in agreement. 

“As of right now, Homeland Security is thinking of Al Qaeda. They have developed similar devices in these terms of sophistication.” JJ sighed through her nose, Parker watched Spencer look away from the TV and turn to look at herself and Emily.

“They’ve developed some as simple as soda bottles and paint cans too.” Spencer used his hands when he spoke, and Emily crossed her hands over her lap and spoke to the team. “They’re called Al Ikhteraa, the literal translation being ‘the invention’.” The young doctor smiled and nodded his head in agreement with her. Parker’s hands felt clammy as she cleared her throat. 

“Do we know what the chemical or biological agent is yet?” Hotch seemed to be writing some notes down and Parker wondered if she should be doing the same. JJ shook her head to answer and continued the presentation after moving to the other side of the screen.

“The cell members bailed out through a tunnel. The DEA recovered a nextel two-way and managed to intercept a message.” JJ placed a piece of paper in front of the team, it was quickly snatched from the middle of the table as Emily read it over. “That’s not the transcript it-”

“No this is in Arabic,” Emily paused for a second before continuing with a translation. “Our friends surprised us and eloped. We can no longer wait for the wedding as planned. We can deliver our gift at the next crescent.” Everyone stared in awe at the female agent and a small blush broke out on her face. Parker and Penelope both smiled at her and she tapped the pen she was holding against the table twice before speaking again. “I lived in several Middle Eastern countries growing up.” The silence was loud and Gideon seemed to tear his eyes away to glance back at the paper. 

“Next crescent?”

“Muslims sometimes use a lunar calendar, I’d have to look it up-” Emily seemed deep in thought and Penelope was fast away at typing.

“Next crescent moon is in two days,” Penelope chimed in only looking up briefly from her laptop. Emily nodded her thanks to the other woman, shaking her head slightly to move the hair out of her face.

“That means whatever they’re attacking is happening in less than forty-eight hours.” Gideon grabbed the paper from Emily’s hand. 

“Everything we found is linked to this man, Jind Allah,” JJ pressed a button on the remote and a headshot photo appeared on the screen. 

“His name means soldier of God, literally.” Silence fell over the group.

Derek cleared his throat, “That’s pretty poor operational security for a sophisticated plot,” as he said it he leaned back in his chair. Parker could hear someone’s foot bouncing against the floor.

“Two months ago, Jind Allah was captured fleeing the country using a forged Pakistani passport via Richmond International Airport. He’s been held as a ghost detainee in Guantanamo Bay ever since.” JJ stated at her team as she finished her presentation.

“So he doesn’t exist, technically.” Penelope was still typing away as she spoke, Gideon shook his head in response. 

“Soldier of God isn’t a name.” Gideon’s tone was monotone and he played with the pen in his own hand. 

“No, it’s most likely a name taken on for the Jihad, meaning struggle.” Emily’s hands moved with her as she spoke about the man being detained. “Extremists claim it’s a Holy War.”

“But the words ‘holy’ and ‘war’ never appear together in the Qu’ran.” Spencer fidgeted with his hands in his seat. Parker felt inadequate, feeling out of place amongst all the people talking about the case. Despite the fact that everyone else was also just being introduced to the case. She felt so behind. Parker almost didn’t catch the rest of the conversation because she was so wrapped up in her own thoughts. 

“Do we know his real name?” Hotch spoke up finally and JJ was quick to answer. 

“CIA interrogators have got nothing out of the guy,” she paused as she placed the remote on the table.

“So they need us to break him,” Gideon stated out loud. Understanding finally dawned on the group.

“We do know from past intercepts that he’s a recruiter. He came to this country to assemble the omega cell. A sleeper cell with an unknown mission.” Parker pressed her hands together and she tilted her head as she thought of something,

“So we have exactly forty-eight hours to do what the CIA hasn’t been able to accomplish in two months?” Parker finally spoke up, fighting the flush trying to work itself onto her features as the teams’ eyes settled on her.

“We could be looking at the first attack on our own soil since 9/11.” Gideon sighed through his nose and everyone closed their files. 

“Right, so we have no time to lose,” Hotch stood and everyone followed right behind him. Parker walked towards her desk and watched Emily grab her go bag and place it on her desk. Gideon approached the two and made eye contact with Emily before speaking,

“Car leaves in four minutes.” He walked away and Parker watched as the older man gave her and Emily another one of the professional polite smiles that seemed to plague this team. Parker’s chest felt tight.

“I think he hates me. Did you see his body language, this was very obviously not his idea.” Emily’s shoulders dropped and she eyed Parker sitting at her desk across from her. 

“Oh come on, he just met you. I’m sure it was Hotch’s idea to throw you in, you know? You know Arabic, that’ll definitely be helpful.” Parker watched Emily’s reaction and the taller agent let her eyes shut but still nodded her head. She didn’t want to say that she was feeling the same way. They both couldn’t be feeling that way though, one of them had to remain positive.

“I guess, but still! He doesn’t like me, that much you can’t prove.” Parker grabbed her phone and moved to leave and follow Derek as he got up from his own desk. 

“So make him, you’re a good profiler, show him he’s wrong to doubt you.” Derek shot them a friendly grin as he held the door. Emily smiled in appreciation at the younger agent now walking away from her. Parker grabbed her bag and walked in the same direction as Gideon did to leave for Guantanamo. Parker rushed to catch up with Derek but caught him as he reached the elevator, Hotch not far behind. 

“The three of us are headed to the house while Prentiss, Reid, and Gideon will be flying to Guantanamo Bay.” Hotch pressed the ground floor button and the second the doors opened they hopped in the car to head straight to the raided house. 

“BOBBIE RYAN, DEA TEAM, WE RAN THIS RAID.” 

“Aaron Hotchner.” The unit chief shook hands with the woman, and Derek right after.

“Derek Morgan and this is Parker Moore.” Parker was still placing her second glove on but reached with her other to greet the DEA team person. Derek pointed towards the covered windows before speaking again, “these must have slowed you down some.” 

“Enough for them to get out through the tunnel.” Bobbie motioned for the three agents to follow her as she moved through the house. 

“They must have done escape drills,” Hotch said aloud. Parker could practically feel Hotch make his mental notes as he prepared himself to be first to enter the room that held the dispersal device. She took a deep breath and stepped right behind him. 

“Hey, Morgan!” A DEA officer placed a hand on Derek’s back and he smiled at the other man.

“Hey Kenny, it’s been a hot minute man.” Parker moved around Hotch, Derek immediately going back to work mode after saying hello. “Are we good in here?” 

Kenny answered quickly, “Yeah all good, everything has been rendered safe.” Parker crouched in front of the device and fixed her glasses before trying to look at the smaller details on the device. 

“They guys sure weren’t messing around.” Derek agreed with Parker’s statement and leaned over her to inspect some of the things lying on the table before looking over at Hotch. 

“Hotch, these tubes surround what would’ve been the explosive charge. Plus, this cylinder right here would be what holds whatever bio or chem agent they plan on dispersing.” Parker stood up at his words and glanced over at the two members of the DEA. 

“That’s a pleasant thought.” Parker could tell through his words and body language that Kenny was nervous. She could relate.

“Yeah, tell me about it.” Derek placed his hands on the table, trying to examine everything on the table before Bobbie motioned for them all to leave the room. Derek led them to some of the rooms in the house, Hotch eyed the contents of the room silently. “These look like a four-man cell.” Parker walked to what she assumed was a closet and sifted through some of the clothing.

“They assimilated themselves into the community.” Hotch stood behind her as she spoke, looking for anything to give them some clues. 

“Just like any other suburban gangster wannabes rolling up at a mall.” Derek shuffled through the clutter on the floor and Bobbie eyed the three agents before clearing her throat,

“Who do you guys think we’re dealing with?” Parker wandered to another corner of the room before she heard Hotch speak.

“Most likely Middle Eastern males in their early twenties.”

“And judging by that device in the other room, they’re looking at specific targets. Anything from military installations, government buildings, etcetera.” Parker let a sigh escape her at her own words, Derek started leaving the room and the Unit Chief motioned for the female agent to follow. 

“You’d think if these guys were fundamentalists there would be Qu’ran or some prayer mats in the house.” Derek talked with his hands as he went through more of the belongings lying around the house. 

“No, we didn’t find any of that here,” Bobbie responded before placing her hands on her hips as she watched the team look for anything and everything. 

“There must be one other location that we’re missing.” Hotch moved some bedding to look under the cot in one corner of the room, Parker did the same and found an opened box. 

“Guys,” Derek was quick to stand behind Parker as she looked over the printed words on the sheets. “This looks like a list of chemicals.” Derek sighed and the younger agent placed the papers in her teammate's hand as he whipped his phone out. 

“I’m gonna check with Garcia.” Derek dialed the tech’s number and not three seconds later she picked up, he was quick to greet her. “I’m going to read off a list of chemicals to you, are you ready?” Hotch and Parker stood quietly while they waited patiently, Derek listed off the names of each chemical and Parker racked her brain trying to think of what they could be trying to make. “You’re sure? Okay all right thank you, sweetness.” Parker smiled at the pet name, their friendship becoming completely evident to her. 

“What’d she say?” Hotch moved closer to Derek as he awaited a response. 

“Garcia said this looked like the perfect list to weaponize anthrax.” Parker’s eyes widened at his words and Hotch let out a frustrated sigh. The female agent wrapped her arms around herself at the thought. Weaponizing a chemical or biological agent was a big enough threat, and now with anthrax being thrown into the mix, it made Parker want to find the men willing to go to these extremes even faster. They couldn’t wait another forty-five hours. 

After what seemed like hours the three members of the BAU left after coming up empty-handed, Hotch drove in silence back to the academy building before his phone started ringing, he pulled it from his pocket and placed it on speaker. 

“Yeah, JJ?” 

“Hey, we think we may have just found the cell’s secondary location. It looks like a construction site in Annandale, Virginia. Looks to me like they may have another device ready to arm.” Parker looked out the window from the backseat at JJ’s words, maybe finding the location now was a good thing and they could disarm the device before anything happened. 

“I’ll get Agent Ryan to organize another raid, and please notify the others.” JJ agreed and was quick to hang up leaving the three agents to sit the rest of the ride in silence. 

Arriving in just under twenty minutes, the three agents quickly put on their vests and left their car behind as they met up with the DEA Agents. Parker fidgeted with her vest, trying not to feel too out of place but reveling in the comfort that the vest provided.

“You nervous?” Derek was adjusting his last strap and Parker laughed in his direction.

“You kiddin’? This is the best part of the job, plus this isn’t too different from what I did in CID.” She joked and was rewarded with a quick laugh from him. Together the two walked to where Hotch was talking to Agent Ryan. 

“You were raiding locations looking for devices to spread anthrax?” Derek’s tone was light and he smirked at the younger agent.

“Okay… Maybe not exactly but I’ve done my fair share of raiding locations with other narcotics involved. Does that count?” Parker felt some of the anxiety leave her chest about joining the team when Derek threw his head back with laughter. She now felt somewhat accepted. 

“I’ll count it just this once, Moore.” Derek lifted his elbow into her side and she smiled back at him. Before she could correct him, they approached their Unit Chief and the two agents stopped messing with one another. 

“Hey, guys, we want silence. No comms at all.” Kenny, Derek’s friend from before, had his own tactical gear on matching with Agent Ryan. 

“Let’s be careful. We don’t know what to expect walking in here alright? You three ready?” Agent Ryan was quick to say as she handed the BAU team gas masks given the severity of the situation.  

“Let’s do it.” Derek placed the mask over his head and soon followed the DEA team along with his own team up the stairs and over the gate that led to the secondary location. Parker’s glasses felt tight against her face but she continued walking behind the DEA agents and ignored her comfort. They entered the building with flashlights and cleared the room as fast as they could. Parker gripped her gun tighter as she followed a DEA agent, her flashlight flickering to each corner. One last clear was sounded off and she saw Hotch take off his mask.

“This place is clean. We missed them again.” Parker readjusted her glasses, scratching at her cheek just slightly, the defeat written all over her face. Hotch pulled his phone out and dialed a number. 

“Hey, you’ve got Gideon, Prentiss, and me.” Spencer’s voice broke through the small device in Hotch’s hand.

“It’s Hotch, we’re at the second cell location. I’ve got no cell members, no lab, and no dispersal devices. We’re looking now for escape tunnels, but I’m not hopeful.”

“Call us if you do, thanks for the update,” Gideon spoke and then there was silence again. Spencer hung up right after. Parker walked to a corner of the room inspecting some paperwork that littered the floor when a phone started ringing. Hotch picked up but didn’t put it on speaker,

“What’s wrong?” Hotch couldn’t ask anything more before he went into a panic. “Everybody out now! It’s a trap, out now!” Parker was quick to jump to her feet and felt a hand grasp her arm as she rushed to leave through the one doorway with everyone else. She could see Derek’s profile to her right and Hotch behind her as they ran farther away from the small building. Her heart was racing in her chest and before she could turn around and ask Hotch anything, the building exploded.

It was deafening. It was bright.

 Parker clutched her ears at the sound and she could feel the heat on her back as they continued running away, Derek’s hand not letting go the entire time. When the team finally got far enough away they turned to look at the damage and all that could be seen was the wild flames. The building was no longer recognizable and Parker could only assume the fire burned everything inside the building to ashes the second it detonated. Someone was quick to call firefighters and they arrived within minutes. The ringing had subsided but a headache was starting to form behind Parker’s eyes, she rubbed at her temples with her eyes shut. She could hear someone saying something about a loss. It was minutes before she realized that they were talking about a person.

“You alright Parker?” She heard him before she saw him, Derek coming to rest a hand on her shoulder. 

“Yep, have never had to run away from an imploding building so that’s a first.” She forced a laugh, the sound catching in her throat. He just squeezed her shoulder in response. Parker’s pant pocket started vibrating and she groaned as she pulled it out. A random number flashed across the screen and she pushed her free hand into her pocket before answering. 

“Parker speaking,” the brunette shut her eyes again to try and stop the throbbing in her head but opened them as soon as she heard the voice speaking. 

“It’s Penelope Garcia! Sorry, we saw the explosion on the TV, I needed to check in with one of you. Are you all okay?” Parker let a smile take over her features as she heard the genuine concern in the tech’s voice, and she nodded in response forgetting she was on the phone. 

“Yes sorry, the team is okay. How’d you get my number, Garcia?” Derek’s head lifted in interest as he heard his friend's name, he gave a look of confusion to the younger agent, and she waved him off. 

“I may have gone snooping around before you came in today, nothing gets past me Parker, nothing! I’ve got Emily’s number too don’t worry.” Parker sighed and stood up, needing to stretch her legs after sitting. “Is everything alright?”

Parker tensed up but answered the blonde as neutrality as possible, “I think we lost a SWAT agent and I just got a very poorly timed headache, but we’re okay..” She heard a sharp inhale on the other side of the phone and a small sniffle. “I’ll let Morgan know you called, thanks for checking in Garcia.” Parker started walking over to where her team was, Penelope’s smile could be heard through the phone. 

“Good, and thank you for answering pretty girl, travel safe!” Parker let the other agent hang up and she slid her phone back into a pocket, picking up her pace before stopping in front of her team and a few DEA members. 

“Sorry about that,” Hotch’s arms were crossed over his chest and he looked back over towards the burned building. Derek rubbed at the back of his neck and Parker bounced on her feet. 

“Yeah, me too.” Agent Ryan glanced over to the covered body being hauled into the back of an ambulance. 

“The chatter was a set-up, they knew we’d be listening.” Hotch watched the DEA member's face for a reaction.

“They led us straight here,” Parker responded to Hotch’s statement. 

“Just tell me where to look next.” Agent Ryan’s voice was hard and cold, but her eyes held tears that threatened to fall. 

Hotch placed a comforting hand over her shoulder, “Nothing for now, not yet.” Agent Ryan nodded and swiped at a few tears that had escaped. 

THE THREE BAU AGENTS STAYED ON THE SCENE as long as they could, offering their assistance and anything that was needed. At first light, they seemed to have caught a break. Derek thanked whoever was on the other end of the phone and wrote something down on what looked like a receipt, he shut his phone and placed it back in his pocket.

“We got a lead.” Hotch turned his head before looking back at the road with two hands on the wheel. 

“Did you get a name?” the Unit Chief questioned, Derek handed him the old receipt with a nod.

“Plus an address.” Parker thanked Penelope for working her magic in her head, and Hotch was quick to drive to the address they had been given. The female agent wished she brought sunglasses with her or something to keep the brightness of the sun at bay - she held her hand up to shield her eyes as they stepped out of the car. She rolled her eyes walking behind both Derek and Hotch who had sunglasses on. 

“How does a terrorist cell exist right here in Mayberry?” The trio walked up to a smaller squad of FBI agents who seemed to be chatting quietly. 

“The infrared scan showed no one inside. We’re doing a soft entry in case it’s a trap.” Hotch nodded toward the team leader and let them work while they waited outside. After breaking the door in, it took the agents all of three minutes to clear the house, their team leader approached Hotch and tore off his mask. “We have five deceased males, and what looks to be a makeshift lab. All five were shot in the head execution style.”

“Any anthrax on the scene?” Parker questioned, still squinting at the sky. 

“Just residue. We did however find tags from four new backpacks.” He excused himself to talk to his own team and Hotch led both Derek and Parker away from the house. 

“Backpacks? That means they’re already on the move.” Derek walked a bit faster as they needed to figure out where they were attacking, now. Hotch nodded but added,

“We’re too late.” Hotch started the car and Parker quickly buckled. They made their way back to the academy to regroup. They needed a plan to get ahead of this to try and prevent catastrophic damage. 

“THERE’S A GRAND OPENING AT THE USA MALL TODAY.” JJ came from down the hall and Hotch and Agent Ryan pushed the glass doors open, Derek and Parker not far behind. Penelope had set up some fake video for the other members in Guantanamo and tricked the unsub to get an idea about the location, it seemed to have worked. “It’s the third largest in the country, and it’s in McLean, Virginia.” Hotch was quick to thank JJ, before rushing to get in the elevator. 

“Let’s move.” Hotch and the others were quick to get in their cars and get to the mall as quickly as possible. They pulled their vests on before entering the car, Parker watched the trees rush past them in the SUV. She glanced over at her boss and then looked at Derek, something was off. Before she could ask, Derek beat her to it. 

“Hotch, what’s wrong, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Parker watched Hotch’s knuckles tighten on the steering wheel.

“It’s nothing…” The team leader tailed off, pausing for just a moment. “It’s just that Haley’s supposed to take Jack to the new mall to have some pictures taken…” Hotch kept his eyes on the road but both agents felt their boss accelerate in speed. The words unsaid seemed to hang in the air.

“Hotch that’s your wife and son. Call them.” Derek’s voice was stern and he stared down the driver, Hotch answered with distaste in tone. 

“It’s a breach of security, I can’t.” Parker felt her stomach drop at his words, sometimes rules were meant to be broken. She had just become part of the team but she could tell how much family meant to Hotch. 

“With all due respect Sir, I think that it’d be okay to just call her. That’s your family,” her voice shook slightly as she spoke. “You should call them.” Derek looked back at the younger agent with a small grateful smile, Hotch’s grip hadn’t faltered from the wheel. She just wanted him to know that it would be okay, but didn’t know how to say what she wanted.

“See Parker gets it. That’s Haley and Jack we’re talking about. You lose them, you lose everything. Call her.” Hotch didn’t need to be told for a third time he glanced at Derek before he reached into his pocket and pulled his phone out, tearing his earpiece out he placed the phone against his ear. After a few beats of silence, he tore the phone away from his ear.

“She’s not answering.” Hotch dropped his phone into his lap and was quick to place his second hand back on the wheel, not tearing his gaze away from the road. Parker felt her stomach flip. The car was barely parked when they got to the mall before the trio was rushing out of the vehicle. Derek ran towards a van parked here when they pulled up. “Moore with me. Morgan we’re going to go find the security office.” Derek nodded in his direction before raising his gun to check out the inside of the van. Parker pulled her gun out along with the flashlight and followed behind Hotch, the two quietly making their way through one of the mall's hallways. 

“Hello, we’re FBI and need security access,” Parker and Hotch flashed their badges in the security officer's face. Hotch used his other hand to motion towards the screens in front of them. 

“Are these all the security cameras in the building?” Hotch asked trying to look at all of them, Parker walked closer to them as she heard the security officer say yes, she eyed the ones with the most people in the frame first, trying to take in the vast amount of information that was being presented to her. Her eyes caught a glimpse of a few people walking and holding backpacks in a more quiet part of the mall.

“Hotch, that one,” she pointed at one screen on the right. “Looks like our guys, they’ve got backpacks.” Hotch grabbed his mic connected to his sleeve and spoke out to Derek. 

“Morgan, we’ve got at least four guys on the east end of the roof, they’re carrying backpacks.” The urgency was not lost in the other agent’s voice.

“Is there anything on that side of the roof? Like a way to get in the mall or anything?” Parker felt hot with the vest on and the LED lights above her. 

“No, nothing like that, there’s just air vents.” 

Parker felt her stomach drop for the second time, she raised her own sleeve to her mouth to convey the new information as she was getting it. “Morgan they’re using the air vents.” 

Hotch sighed and the two watched through the screens as Morgan and SWAT got onto the roof, after they went out of sight all they could do was hope. After what seemed like forever, they got the all-clear. All four men were shot and killed, one of them falling through a window and landing in the mall. Considering their day it was a big win in her book. 

        Parker smiled as she caught a glimpse of Derek waving at them through the cameras. They left the building and let DEA deal with the backpacks filled with anthrax on the roof, after finishing up at the scene the trio headed back to Quantico. Parker could see the nerves leave Hotch as they pulled up next to another black SUV. Derek shut his door and walked over to Spencer, messing with him the second he got out of the car. Parker slipped into step with Emily and the two were quietly conversing about their respective days when Hotch called both their names stopping everyone in their tracks. 

“Good work today, both of you.” Gideon pulled his go back from the trunk and offered a smile towards the female field agents. The two older agents were quick to engage in private conversation, and Parker felt relieved that the case had come to a close. Derek and Spencer were farther ahead of them but the two women watched, silently laughing at the pair as Derek gave his friend a hard time. 

“So how was it, did you show Gideon that he was wrong to ever doubt you?” Parker asked with a smile on her face and Emily could only snicker at her friend as they walked closer to the building. 

“I think so? I mean I feel like I was a big help. But I also don’t want to sit here and just inflate my ego either. Gideon asked to play chess on the plane so there’s that.” Parker breathed in through her nose and eyed Emily carefully, they stepped inside the building and waited a few seconds for the elevator to take them where they wanted to go. 

“That’s something I’ll tell you that. I couldn’t tell you the last time I played chess… I wanna say it was high school, I’d be a lost cause.” Emily laughed in her direction when they stepped out of the elevator. Morgan was holding the glass doors open for everyone that led to the bullpen. Emily made her way over to the coffee machine,

“Anyone want any? Should I put on a new pot?” The agent heard a chorus of yes’s so she placed the glass pot back under the brew, with new grounds in place to steep. Parker and the rest of the BAU set their minds to finishing up the paperwork before heading home–the young agent stole glances at her new coworkers, hoping to make some new friends as this new journey begins for her. 

 “Some lessons can’t be taught. They simply have to be learned.” - Jodi Picoult

series masterlist | next chapter

[kitamars]

im not immune to mermay it seems

[miyoriia]

@cyberpunkcatgirl ♡

[fluffylord]

TWELFTH DOCTOR | HELL BENT

[pharawee]

JJ Rathasat Butwong as JULADIS & Fong Bovorn Kongnawdee as CHAN

—SUNSET X VIBES · Episode 12 (fin)

[pandolfo-malatesta]

[gingermintpepper]

Tbh, I'm kind of obsessed with the almost tragedy of Eiland and Caldarus in Fields of Mistria. Eiland's dedicated his life to uncovering the secrets and stories hidden in Mistria's archeology - he's single-mindedly devoted to it, so much so that even his side hobbies are influenced by his love of history and desire to know more about Mistria's but it's that devotion that makes him so blind to the magic right in front of him.

It's Eiland's sharp eye that sees Caldarus' statue behind that tree on the farm. It's Eiland who whacks away at the bark with the axe fruitlessly until he's assisted. It's Eiland who coaxes the player to help repair Caldarus' statue and subtly ropes them into joining his History Society. It's Eiland who is devoted to the steles, who gets so excited at the prospect at uncovering a new piece of old Mistria's puzzle that he cuts his outing short to rush to the museum. It's Eiland who realises that all of the different eras of artefacts dug up in Mistria's soil must mean that Mistria itself was once the cradle of civilisation for Aldaria.

And yet, with all of that knowledge, he's still so, so blind to what's right in front of him. He doesn't realise that Juniper is a witch, he merely knows that she is familiar with all manner of the arcane and assumes it's a scholarly pursuit like his instead of what it actually is - Juniper's lifestyle, Juniper's culture. And ultimately, I think that's why he's blind to Caldarus and the magic right in front of him.

Eiland isn't taking the time to stop and really think about what all these artefacts and armaments mean. He isn't considering that remnants of old Mistria still live, he isn't even able to grapple with the question of whether or not it's right for him to dig up the armour at the stele when it's clearly hidden there for a reason. Eiland is completely detached from the history he's searching for and that's why, even with magic and the truth about Mistria right in front of him, he'll remain blind to it.

[somegrumpynerd]

Nightmare in Dream's body: OH GOD IM GONNA BE SICK

Dream in Nightmare's body: *Visible confusion*

They're both having a very interesting time getting used to their new situations

[sunnydazeee]

Jack manifold tries so hard to get someone to notice him, whether that be in a negative light or a positive one, he doesn't care. during Tommy's exile, he steals "hotter girl" (a fake girlfriend that Tommy built out of a jack o lantern and logs) from him, and rubs it in his face, desperately wanting a reaction from him.

he gets no reaction, Tommy simply does not care. Tommy is apathetic towards Jack before saying he can pretend to care, that he can lie and say that he does care. Jack says this will only make him sad.

Tommy and Jack are so tragically similar in the way that they just want to be recognized. they want to be seen, and they don't care if it's in a bad way.

they both try to get revenge on people for wronging them, but when Jack does it, no one seems to care.

if Jack manifold were the one to burn George's house down, he would not have gotten exiled. dream didn't exile Tommy because he cares about George - dream exiled Tommy because it was Tommy.

jack repeatedly tries to get revenge on people by putting clay in their houses and saying it's from dream, but no one ever cares about it. it's just a minor inconvenience for them.

Tommy is the scapegoat of the SMP - and Jack is the one that is always ignored.

they both try to get any type of attention, they're so desperate for someone to care. Tommy gets that attention, and he only realizes he doesn't like it after the fact.

jack never gets that attention.

jack sees Tommy getting all this attention, he sees him doing the exact same things as him but getting the result he never gets, and he gets upset.

during the season one finale, he specifically aims the nukes to Tommy's house. it's a desperate last attempt, maybe if he gets rid of the person getting more attention, he'll get the recognition he so very craves.

tl;dr: jack manifold and tommyinnit are so similar in a very tragic way and i have brain rot over it

[idyllicb]

depths of dreams - masterlist

A new addition to the BAU team, Parker Moore must navigate what it means to be a profiler while also balancing all the other things life has to offer. Dream analysis, romance, and other nefarious things ensue.

chapter one

chapter two

chapter three

chapter four

chapter five

chapter six

chapter seven

chapter eight

chapter nine

chapter ten

cross-posted on ao3 here !

playlist can be found here !

* this is an au that’s based on criminal minds s2-15, however i am not writing every single episode! i will be focusing more on spencer’s episodes and/or entirely new ones that i’ve written for parker.

DISCLAIMER, i do not own Criminal Minds or any of the characters/plot created by jeff davis. however, everything else was created by me, including parker moore.

[little-pup-pip]

I know you have a lot of requests rn but do you think you’d be able to do a fem? vampire squid moodboard?? (With or without paci, eithers fine!! They’re my favorite animal but there’s not much media of them so if it’s too hard I totally understand!! I hope you have a good day!!

Sure!!

[dollypopup]

I think it's interesting to look at the 'Mr. Bridgerton' scene as a backdrop for the eventual mirror scene. Firstly, in the fact that I think we've kind of misinterpreted it.

So many people are of the mind that scene's purpose to 'drag' Colin, but really, that scene has 3 primary functions. The first is to inform Colin that Penelope is aware of what he said of her, thus opening the door to clearing the air between them and providing an avenue for which Colin can apologize. The second is to establish the ground that they are currently on: Penelope has given up on the dream of Colin Bridgerton, in particular the perfect prince that can do no wrong, and has made it clear to him. It also creates distance between them that they will bridge.

But the third, and to me the most wrapped up in the mirror and the inner workings of their relationship is that it reveals how Penelope feels about *herself*. It's not necessarily an echo of what the ton considers her as, after all, we have a lot of evidence indicating that, for all intents and purpose, people aren't *unkind* about her, but rather that they ignore her. Audience members recognize this as Penelope's own shyness being the cause, she is often sitting off on the sidelines or not really talking to much of anyone, in the books she's referred to as the 'one who doesn't speak', and her LW business takes her away from being a character in the action of the ton to a bystander, kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts that perpetuates itself. Pen felt unseen so she became LW to have some power, but then LW herself must remain unseen and Penelope continues to be by design of her own making.

No, I think what it really reveals is that Penelope has incredibly low personal self esteem. We as a fandom has lauded that scene as her dragging Colin, saying that he's cruel and calling him Mr. Bridgerton is absolutely meant to create distance between them, but I don't think she's dragging him.

Because the person she is *actually* dragging here. . .is herself. And it is a general theme in her life. In Whistledown. Aloud. Even with Marina, when she complimented her, she assumes that she's lying. When Edwina says she's wearing a pretty dress, Penelope puts herself down and doesn't believe her, even when the compliment is genuine. In truth, Portia is not seen as being particularly unkind to Penelope. At least, speaking as someone who's mum was *awful* about my size and weight and outfits, Portia is. . .overall rather mild. She's not KIND and loving, not by a long shot, but she's also not targeting Penelope only. She's plenty mean and critical to Prudence, too, even to the point where she foists her off to her own cousin as a pawn piece. Penelope has low self esteem because of a lot of reasons, she's bullied by Cressida (I think a lot of girls are, she was pretty mean even to Daphne in S1) and her family isn't very tender to her, and she's not being pursued at every turn, but part of it is also her own perpetuation.

Listen to what she says "Of course you would never court me" "I embarrass you" "I am the laughingstock of the the ton". She sees *herself* as an embarrassment. She puts *herself* down. Arguably, more so than the ton does. She's meaner to herself than anyone else is, aside from Cressida. And honestly? Looking at Colin's face there. . .he is HURT that she considers herself this way. That she's projecting that onto him. Yes, he's hurt that he hurt her, of course he is, he never wants to hurt her. And yes, he's ashamed that he said he wouldn't court her the way he did and that in doing so, he validated her fears that she is unloved and unwanted, but also because. . .she already feels that way about herself. She's felt that way for years. And it's painful to care about someone, to see them as wonderful, and realize. . .they don't feel the same about themselves at all. I don't think Colin is out here feeling so wounded over the fact that she called him cruel and won't refer to him by first name anymore, but that he's most hurt by what she says about herself.

Because he *doesn't* see her the way she accuses. She says she never expected him of all people to be so cruel, but he feels the same way. He never expected her to be so cruel to *herself*. He wants to go somewhere private, not because she is an embarrassment, but because he wants to have a private conversation with her. Maybe assure her. Maybe explain himself. Maybe hash it out. But god Luke Newton's acting. . .he is *aching* for her. And it feels like he's going to do those lessons not in atonement for what he said (thank god) but to genuinely help his friend who thinks badly of herself. To lift her up. It's not about him at all, not about earning forgiveness, but about elevating Penelope. And that's. . .fuck, I just find that's just so heart stoppingly beautiful.

You can see, in that scene, how much he cares about her. How deeply and genuinely he adores her as a person. And just how painful it is for him to know he has validated, whether on purpose or otherwise, how poorly she feels about herself. How low her self-confidence really is. She is giving him a glimpse into the cracks of her heart, and when he sees them, he wants to reach out with both hands and make it feel better. Make her feel better.

After she says 'even when I change my entire wardrobe', he looks so fucking crushed. So 'don't say that'. So 'you really believe that?'. So 'God, I hate that you think that way'.

Because regardless of it all, he does love her. It's not romantic yet. It's not sexual yet. But he genuinely, truly, from the bottom of his heart, thinks she's wonderful. That was evident even in the 'purpose' scene. Every time Penelope opens up and reveals a facet of herself, he likes it. He likes her barbs and her dreams, he likes talking to her. He likes her. And he feels awful that he hurt her. And he feels awful that she's hurting herself. He loves her. He wants her to love herself.

And that's where the mirror scene comes in. Because the mirror scene isn't about sex, not really. Not entirely, at least. The mirror scene is about *intimacy*. The mirror scene is about being seen. Not just her seeing him, or him seeing her, but for Penelope to see *herself*. In a way, through his eyes. Because hers are biased rather negatively toward herself, which is evidenced in the 'Goodnight Mr. Bridgerton' scene, and in so many little moments we've already gotten where she's literally looking down on herself, feeling down. She doesn't necessarily *like* what's in the mirror, but he does. Because he likes *her*. And he wants to show her that he does. Show her that he finds her beautiful and have her recognize that in herself.

The 'Goodnight Mr. Bridgerton' scene is about Penelope revealing how she sees herself. The mirror scene is about Colin showing her how *he* sees her. The Goodnight scene is about Penelope thinking she means nothing to him, that he thinks of her the way she thinks of herself, that this is how everyone thinks of her, and the mirror scene is a direct response to that: No, he doesn't. No, he doesn't think she's embarrassing. No, he doesn't think she's a laughingstock. No, he doesn't think she's unappealing. And he doesn't think she should, either.

And he's going to show her that. Not just tell her, but show her. The mirror scene is so often a focus on Penelope, so much of Polin is in Penelope's focus, but approaching it from Colin's perspective and his motivations is so fulfilling, too. It's a glimpse into them in conversation, and a demonstrate of how Colin loves her. How Colin loves in general, openly and earnestly and altruistically. How he encourages her to be braver and more confident in herself, bolstering her because he just likes her *that much*. How he finds the most fulfillment and satisfaction in caring aloud. The mirror scene is a demonstration of his heart in reflection.

When Luke Newton said the first word that came to mind with the word 'Mirror' was 'Exposed', he doesn't just mean physically. He means emotionally, too.

God this couple is so fucking good.

[chernabogs]

Malleus' immediate response to learning of Lilia giving a portion of his life for Malleus'—arguably one of the most sincere acts of love someone can do for another—being that of violence and a blind want to enforce into reality his own perception of what he believes Lilia's happiness to be is one of the most tragic things yet

[peepee-magee]

Master post for all @naffeclipse book cover designs (except song fish amid the stars) since I decided after finishing the third one I was just going to do one for all of them n didn’t wanna spam post back to back.

My brain just keeps gridlocking whenever I try to think of one for song fish. Something with Circus I just know it, but what without it being cluttered idk. Will put a lil vid below the collapse of me trying n failing to come up with one, just so it’s not left out

I love all these stories! It was fun to honor all of them with this project since I know I’ve been a little artistically biased towards certain ones, but now I scurry on to other projects. Maybe take a break, drink some hot cocoa maybe. The smell of fall is in the air so who knows where I’ll wander off to.

Human design for second sleuth Jesters title: @sunnys-aesthetic

[ruinme-please]

𝑰𝑰𝑰 & 𝑰𝑽

x

[yashley]

robbie saying something really emotional and poignant about death and grief and loss, and then immediately going "but did fcg have a wet dream" he's a king