Criminal Minds: The Replacement

Chapter 9

--- Laura Evans's Point of View ---

Present Day

Derek's cell phone rang. "Ah shit you guys, I have to take this," He said rolling her eyes, "Family, I'll met you up there.

"Okay," Spencer said.

Spencer, Derek and I had just picked up Chinese food and coffee and the rest if the team. They were meeting us upstairs at Derek's apartment. I had been playing it cool all evening, trying to act like I didn't feel anything towards Spencer. I wasn't sure how he felt yet.

We got in the elevator to go up to the eleventh floor, where Derek's apartment was. In my hands I had seven cups of coffee, and Spencer had a cup of coffee and enough Chinese food to feed eight hungry people.

As the elevator doors shut, I caught a glimpse Derek pacing back and forth on the phone. I hope everything is alright.

All of a sudden my feet were an inch off the floor. The whole elevator lurch downwards at free fall half a story.

"Whoa, did you feel that?" I asked.

"Uh-huh. This doesn't seem too good." Spencer replied.

But then everything was fine and the elevator moved upwards. Once we reached the eleventh floor the doors wouldn't open.

"Press the open button," I directed Spencer.

"I am, nothing is happening."

"Try the alarm."

"Okay." I heard the alarm but then it went silent. "Ummm, the alarm stopped working. I'll call Derek and see what we should do. This is his apartment building after all."

"Yeah do that."

I tapped my finger nails on the wall. Dammit, I hate elevators, why did we have to get stuck in one, especially with two bags of smelly chinese food.

Spencer looked up at me, "The line is busy. I'll call Hotch."

"Okay." The rest of the team were already at Derek's apartment, but the three of us had gone across the street to get take out."

"Hi Hotch ... yeah ... we have a problem... we are stuck in the elevator... Laura and I.... Derek is on the phone in the lobby... okay... see you ... thanks." Spencer hung up.

"So?"

"Hotch is going downstairs to find Derek, then the building manager. I wish we took the stairs."

"Yeah me too. I usually take the stairs at my apartment- I only live on the third floor. I had elevators, I got stuck in one for five hours once."

"That's a long time."

"Yup"

Spencer sighed, and sat down. "Derek and I got stuck in an elevator once while working a case. He completely freaked out."

I laughed, "Really?"

"Yeah, did you know that every year there are --"

"No offense Spencer but now is not the time for statistics on elevator related deaths I said."

"Sorry."

"Haha, no problem." I took the lid off my coffee. "I wish I got a venti."

I was eyeing the in tough coffees I had carried in. I was also aware of Spencer watching me. Again.

"The other coffees became luke warm temperature approximately two and a half minuets ago," Spencer said, reading my mind. "When you look at the temperature that they are made at, then the outdoor and room temperature versus the time."

"So then in that case it wouldn't be a crime if I drank one, considering it would be cold when it got the owner?"

"Well you wouldn't be arrested for it, its not a real crime, you did pay for it." Spencer answered looking at me funny.

"It's a joke Spencer."

"Right, I'm not very good with jokes. Or sarcasm." Spencer blushed.

"That's alright, but you probably won't understand half the things I say."

"I've undersood everything you've said to, expect for that."

"Sarcasm, Reid, sarcasm." Wow this guy was funny. "So, tell me about your self, other than time spent in high school. What's you family like?"

Maybe I shouldn't have asked this question, I just hope that it won't get turned back to me. I hate answering it.

"Complicated," He replied. "My mother has schizophrenia, and my dad left when I was I kid."

"Wow, must have been rough," I didn't press the subject anyfurther, I could tell it made him unconfortable.

"What about you?" Here we go.

"I never met my mother, and my father worked a lot never really knew him either. I guess because of that I developed a sense of independance. I had an older brother- he did all of the taking care of me."

"Must of been rough for you too." He said.

We were silent for a minuet. My legs were starting to hurt, we had been standing for a while, I leaned against the elevator wall and slid down. I felt buzzed from the coffee but my body still ached from the day. I decided to pick up another coffee and was greeted by sugar.

"Wow, thats sweet."

"That must be Garcia's half-caff extra shot venti two pump non-fat hold the carmel macchiato." Spencer said.

How the hell does this guy memorize that??

"She made me learn it years ago to memorize for coffee runs." Spencer explained.

"Oh, that makes sense. It must be great to remember everything you see or read."

"It has its advantages, I guess," Reid played with his empty coffee cup. "Sometimes there are things that you just want to forget. Especially with this job, you know? Sometimes I just wish I could... Wipe my brain. It's like never getting a break from work. It becomes everywhere."

His voice began to crack. Spencer shuddered and spoke with his eyes closed.

"Dead bodies, stabbed, strangled mutalated. After I while I just want to close my eyes with out seeing those images in my mind in full detail."

Oh crap. Was he going to cry. I happen to be not too good with this sort of thing. People crying.

I put my hand on his knee and squeezed it.

"I-I don't know what to say. I never thought about it that way. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." He said reusing my line.

I smiled, "I know."

Spencer took my hand off his knee and held it. Time seemed to almost stop, for some reason or an other there was no place I'd rather be than here.

No place I would rather be in the world than locked in a broken elevator with Doctor Spencer Reid.