Dr. Spencer Reid Reader Inserts

The Ninth

You ran out of the building, down a flight of long stone steps, and down the street to hid among some large plants. Tears threatened to fall but you kept them at bay by breathing deeply, looking up and blinking.  It was only slightly raining, but enough to make you take shelter under an awning. The hotel the BAU team was staying at wasn't too far away but you didn't trust yourself to remember where it was exactly as you struggled to keep your deep sobs internal.

He was back. The Carpender, as they call him.

It was nearly two years ago when he had taken you captive and subjected you to all the horrors that were his signatures to his killings. But just before he was about to truly end your suffering, the BAU found you and you were given several months to recover.It took you nearly four months to finally open up to your therapist about what happened exactly. But never in a million years were you going to tell your team what happened.

Sure, the forensic team could tell what he did to those who had already died. But there are things even a forensic team could never discover. Phycological things. Mind tricks and manipulations that left you guessing if your own hand was really your hand or a maggoty flesh wound that needed to be chopped off. Your life was a game to him and now you feared he was back for a second round.

You were told they caught him shortly after they rescued you. Spencer, your closest friend, even said he got a few blows in before Luke had to restrain him. But it seemed the Carpender was able to carve his way out of his sentence on death row. Now he was back to his routine and you were having a hard time keeping things together.

You heard footsteps behind you. Fear burst through you and you screamed as you turned around, holding up your arms around your head as you coward against a row of bushes. You started to shake as your breathing became rapid. You closed your eyes and willed the person to leave. But you heard a soft voice instead.

"(Y/n)?"

You opened your eyes but didn't move, not trusting your ears. A pair of shoes appeared in front of you and instantly you knew who it was. Slowly your breathing went back to normal as you watch them crouch down then felt gentle hands on your shoulders. You internally winced as your body's immediate response was to flinch at the touch. 

"(Y/n), it's just me, Spencer."

You took a deep breath and nodded, your face still in your hands. "I know. Sorry."

Spencer didn't force you to move or to look at him as he just crouched there, holding your shoulders. "Don't apologize. It's me who should apologize."

You shivered as you faced Spencer, looking around him at the drizzling rain but not at him. "Why are you sorry? It's not your fault with what happened. I'm just..." you let out a breath and shook your head slightly before meeting his worried gaze, "I'm not sure what to think at the moment."

Spener took a tentative step forward, his hands still on your shoulders. "But there is something on your mind."

You looked up at him and gave him a weak smile. "You know me too well," you looked down, leaning into his touch as you closed your eyes and quietly replied. "He can't still be alive, right? It's not really him is it?"

Spencer enveloped you in his arms and you leaned into his chest, wrapping your arms around his middle. You felt his hand hold your head gently as he spoke. "Luke and Emily made sure he sentenced to death row. He's long gone and buried."

You nodded against his chest, your hands taking fist fulls of his sweater. "It doesn't take a genius to figure it out then," you mumbled into his chest.

Spencer held you tighter as he spoke, his voice rumbling in your ears. "No, it doesn't. But it's going to take one to find his accomplice."

You smiled into his sweater as your fists relaxed. "Good thing I got you, huh?"