Chasing Happiness (Criminal Minds: Spencer Reid Fanfic)

Part 21

Back at the station, the profile has been given to the officers. The team and I are in a conference room trying to piece together what has happened. Alan is at a desk with a few other officers, his eyes glued to me trough the window as I work. "So what have we found out?" Hotch questions.

"That this son of a bitch has a problem with families." Morgan tries to joke, but no one has the mind set to laugh right now.

"The copy is too similar. It may as well be Harper himself doing the killings." Rossi injects his view into the conversation.

"But he's dead. Trust me I killed him myself." I object as I remember finding my ties were loose while he was stabbing my aunt and uncle, waiting for a chance to run. I found it when he dropped his knife. "I stabbed him in the back, he died from blood loss, the M.E. said even if he survived the blood loss he would have been in a wheelchair." I inform the team.

"Did he have a partner?"

Spencer's question sparks conversation with the team. "We ran that possibility. At one crime scenes; there were two sets of bloody shoe prints, but nothing ever came from it." Hotch recites the case details.

"Alannah, do you remember someone else at the house?" JJ asks.

I try to think. Do I remember someone? I vaguely remember Harper talking to someone in the living room or was it on the phone, it's hard to remember after all this time. "What is it Alannah?" Hotch's voice catches my attention.

"I kinda remember Harper talking to someone. But I thought it was just him talking on the phone."

"Did you hear someone else?" Spencer's voice is low as he digs deeper into my story.

"I think so, I thought he had it on speaker phone." I admit.

"Alannah, I hate to ask you this, but could we carry out a cognitive interview with you?" Hoch's words don't surprise me but they do scare me. I've blocked those memories away for so many years, how could I go over them again.

"It could be the way to help catch this guy." Morgan says softly.

Why do I feel backed into a corner? Like that corner Harper shoved me in for 3 days. But I couldn't let this guy get away with it, I had to do this. "Fine." The word is just loud enough to be heard, my voice shaky as I fight back more tears at the thought of reliving it all.

"Thank you." Hotch says sweetly, or as sweetly as he could muster. I knew he hated asking me but this was greater than me. This guy had to be stopped. "Reid can you carry the interview out?"

"Of course I can." Spencer gives me a weak but slightly reassuring smile.

I feel a little more at ease knowing Spencer was doing the interview with me, he knew not to push me too far but there was just one issue. "Do you mind if we don't do it here?" I ask, looking out to where Alan was talking to another officer.

"Of course, we can go somewhere quiet." Spencer agrees, giving me a reassuring smile.

"You two do that, we'll see what else we can find from the crime scenes." Hotch orders.

Spencer and I leave the team but as we're waiting on the elevator to arrive, Alan walks over to us. "Where are you two off to?" Alan asks possessively as he looks at Spencer angrily.

"Oh, err Hotch asked us to go back to the office to look over Harper's files." I stumble over my words as I make up the lie.

"Is that the killer that this guy is copying?" Alan asks.

"That's what we said in our profile." Spencer sounds sarcastic, making Alan shoot him an angry look of disapproval.

"Do you have to go with this guy?" Alan doesn't take his eyes away from Spencer, but Spencer doesn't look away from Alan either. Their eyes looked in a battle of wills, neither of them daring to blink, fearing it would be a sign of weakness.

"It's Hotch's orders." I admit, trying to think of what I could say to calm the situation.

"Since when do you listen to orders?" Alan breaks his eyes away from Spencer to look at me. I knew he was mad, I was dreading going home tonight knowing what he could do to me.

"Is everything alright?" A voice comes from behind Alan. I look to see Morgan walking towards us.

"What's it to you?" Alan defends.

"Nothing, just making conversation." Morgan says, his expression blunt as he looks Alan up and down.

"Alan, over here!" An officer shouts from across the room but Alan doesn't move, he just holds Morgan's stares, what was it about him that made him like to stare people down like that? "Alan we need you over here, now!"

"Off you go." Morgan says sarcastically. I know the team were trying to help, even though I've never asked for their help but they had no idea what Alan would do to me. I get goose bumps as Alan looks at me, sending a cold shiver down my spine as he walks away.

"You ok?" Spencer asks me.

"Yeah I'm fine." I reply as the lift doors finally open.

The three of us pile into the lift. "So where are you going?" Spencer asks Morgan.

"Coffee run." Morgan replies. "Where are you both going to carry out the cognitive interview?" Morgan inquires.

"I actually don't know." I answer as I realise Hotch didn't say where to carry it out.

"Well where do you feel most relaxed?"

Spencer's question makes me think, where do I feel most relaxed? Away from Alan was the main issue. But an actual location, I wasn't sure. "Err, I'm not sure."

"How about we drive around for a bit until you feel at ease?" Spencer suggests.

"Yeah sounds good." I smile at the idea of being alone with Spencer for a while. Even if it was to have my mind poked at so much until I remembered details of one of the worst events of my life.

The doors of the elevator open, "Well I'll see you guys later on." Morgan says as we leave the elevator.

"You sure you want to do this?" Spencer asks, his voice soft. I could tell he didn't want to put me through this.

"No, but I have to." My eyes sting as I try to fight back the tears that are threatening to overflow from my eyes.

"Hey, you can change your mind if you want."

"No, I have to do this." I say, somehow holding onto the tears.

"Ok, if you're sure then let's go do this." Spencer says as he leads me to the car.