endearing ❣ spencer reid

fifteen

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!"

Beth's arms tightened around me as she buried her face in my shoulder. Ethan embraced our legs. I was crying again. I couldn't believe I still had tears left. Today had been so emotionally draining. I just wanted to go home and sleep, but Mom was still in the hospital. Oh, and I was a potential murder victim. My world had very quickly devolved into an episode of CSI: Miami. I mean, I'd never watched the show, but it sounded right.

"It's fine, Beth," I assured her. "I mean, I'm going to hold it against you forever, but we're good." She pulled away and punched my shoulder lightly. Tear tracks stained her cheeks. I'd never seen her so...broken. Not even when she'd visited me in the hospital. My sister had always had an impeccable ability to remain strong in the face of hardship. 

Of course, it ended up being my fault she cracked.

I turned to see Spencer watching us from his position at the map. He was supposed to be creating a geological profile. It seemed he was distracted. By me. I nearly swooned when I remembered that the geological profile would help keep me alive. I sent a stern look his way. He blushed and returned his attention to the map.

Beth nudged me with her hip, simultaneously pulling Ethan up into her arms. "Is that him? The guy?"

"Yeah," I giggled. "That's Spencer. He and his team are gonna find the guy who hurt Ben and Mom." And who wants to hurt me. It was so weird to think that someone I might've interacted with wanted me dead. It was even weirder to think that that person wanted to kill me so badly, that they had gone after my mother. My innocent mother.

JJ approached us, smiling kindly. "Hello. I'm so sorry to interrupt. I'm SSA Jennifer Jarreau. I heard Ethan was the one who discovered your mom?"

"Wait, he was?" My eyes widened in horror. Oh my fucking god. He was so young. Too young. The grand total now stood at: got my mom nearly killed, brother-in-law horribly injured, sister fell apart, and I'd managed to scar my nephew for life on top of that. Fucking fantastic.

Ethan looked at JJ curiously. "You mean when Gran'ma was covered in the red paint?" She nodded. It was then I remembered she had a son, Spencer's godson. I wondered if he was as cute as Ethan. Nah, that was impossible.

"I was hoping I could do a cognitive interview with your son," she said to Beth. "He might have seen something that he didn't realize was important. It's completely non-invasive, and if it gets to be too much for him, we'll stop."

"If it helps, then of course," Beth replied, setting Ethan down. She ruffled his hair. "Hey, why don't you take a trip with Jennifer?" His face lit up. Ethan loved adventures. The last time I'd seen him, he'd regaled me with tales of dragons and aliens that he had battled. Apparently, their backyard was a hotspot for supernatural and paranormal activity. He never ran out of stories.

I was so proud.

Beth and I sat down in a little waiting area. We watched the police station's hustle and bustle. Spencer was laser-focused, making little marks and mumbling things to himself every now and then. He was so cute when he was focused. A few members of the team were out. JJ sat in a dark, empty room with Ethan. Blake and Rossi were huddled together, reviewing all of their information. Rossi got a call. He answered and his face scrunched up. I scratched the back of my neck nervously and tried counting the ceiling tiles.

"Emma."

I jumped and whipped around to face Beth. Her eyes were glassy, her lips pulled into a thin line. She whispered her words like if they were any louder they were guaranteed to come true. "I don't think Mom is going to make it." I bit my lip. She was right. Mom was already weakened enough as it is. Her frail state combined with blood loss and God knows what else was a recipe for disaster.

"At least she wouldn't be suffering anymore," I sighed. "She has these episodes, where she forgets stuff. The look on her face when she realized she'd forgotten who I was..." Beth pulled me into another hug. We'd never been a very touchy-feely family, not even when Dad died. It was kind of weird, but I liked it.

Morgan and Hotch walked back into the precinct, looking determined. They approached Spencer and the others. After a few minutes of deliberation, Hotch looked around the room and announced, "We're ready to deliver the profile."

"What does that mean?" Beth asked, her frantic eyes watching as every police officer gathered with a notepad.

"It means that they have a solid idea of the kind of person the killer is," I tried to explain, "like, they have all of the pieces, they just need to put the puzzle together. You know?" She nodded hurriedly. We listened as the team delivered their profile, but none of it clicked. I couldn't think of anyone who really, truly matched their description.

According to the profile, the serial killer was a white male in his late twenties to early thirties. His behavior was indicative of someone who felt underappreciated and disrespected in the workplace. He was trying to prove his power and regain control by manipulating his victims' lives. His use of a knife suggested a sexual component, leading them to conclude he chose his victims based on his attraction to them as they seemed to have nothing else in common save their gender. The overkill indicated anger towards his victims. Perhaps they rejected him, causing him to lash out.

Suddenly a door swung open and JJ rushed out. She looked frazzled, but also triumphant. It was an odd combination I could relate to. She cleared her throat, a half-smile forming on her lips. "Ethan saw the killer."

*

a/n: WE'RE BACK BITCHES