Only a Human (spencer reid x oc) ✅

zugzwang

Spencer's POV

Hotch closed his office door and gestured for me to sit down. "Tell me everything, what's going on?"

I placed Delilah next to me on the couch, making sure she was occupied before speaking. "Ariel has been on edge ever since she found out her mother and step-father were moving to Virginia. She had a horrible falling out with them and hasn't spoken to them since she was eighteen. Ever since they decided to get back in contact, she's been on edge. She had a rough meeting with her mom and we all saw Cole the other day in the office."

"And you think this is connected?"

I rubbed my sweaty hands on my pants, trying to be calm enough to collect my thoughts and speak. It felt like my throat was going to close up and I would start to break down. But the best way for me to help Ariel is to tell Hotch everything.

"Possibly. She had gone out this morning and was gone for quite a while. I got a call that came up as her number, but it was an automated message on the other end. The voice said it was from Adam Worth. The only Adam Worth I know of is from a book, specifically one of Ariel's favorites."

"And what did the message say?"

"Zugzwang. It's a chess term. It's the point in the game when the player knows they will inevitably be checkmated and they have to decide whether to give up or fight to the end."

I felt Delilah start to squirm next to me, so I pulled her into my lap to try and calm her, as well as myself, down. The look on Hotch's face was sympathetic. He had been through something like this too and I know he was hoping for a better outcome this time around. I could feel a few stray tears drip down my face. I quickly wiped them, not wanting to cry in front of my boss.

"I'll call in the team and we're going to figure this out. We'll find her."

I nodded, shifting my gaze back to my daughter. I knew what it was like to grow up without a parent and I hope that she never has to go through that as well. I watched the team slowly filter in through the window in Hotch's office. They all had looks of concern and confusion on their faces. Hotch walked in, asking if I was ready to talk to them. They all gathered around my desk and their expressions grew even more concerned when they noticed I had Delilah in my arms and no Ariel in sight.

"Ariel is missing," I squeaked out. "If it is who I think it is, I'm extremely worried about what can happen to her. I know that I should have a lot of this figured out, all these statistics in my head. But I can't focus on anything knowing that she is out there, possibly with her abuser. So that makes me the dumbest person in the room. Please help me find her."

I tried to hold it in, but I could feel the sobs coming through. I held onto Delilah a little tighter, causing her to bury her head into the crook of my neck. The team were all worried, I could tell. Ariel was apart of our team, apart of our family. I just hoped that we could all work hard enough to bring her back.

Before we broke off to get to work, JJ and Penelope approached me. JJ placed her hand on my shoulder. "Do you want us to call her dad and Cheryl? They could help us find her and keep an eye on Delilah."

"Thank you," I spoke softly. She sent me a smile and went to her desk to make that call. Delilah reached out to Penelope, so I set her in her aunt's arms. "Don't you worry, little miss. Your aunts and uncles at the BAU are going to find your mom soon." She smiled and rested her head on Penelope's shoulder.

After Brent and Cheryl came to take Delilah off my hands, they waited in a spare office while we started working on the case. I wasn't too happy about us digging through Ariel's life, considering there were things that would show up that only her and I have talked about. Everyone had copies of the emails and texts that Ariel's mom had been sending her, trying to see if the messages could help.