Beautiful Things

I hadn't even stepped foot inside my house and it was already two AM. I held a coffee, loaded with sugar, tightly in my hands. That, plus the thick gloves I had on, made sure my hands stayed warm. Hotch had arrived the earliest, since I had called him first, and he offered to pick up coffee on the way. I was thankful.

"These streetlights aren't very bright," he noticed aloud.

"Let me introduce you to small town life," I laughed.

"I should've known," he laughed, too.

"Hotch," I began seriously, changing the subject, "Do you think it's weird he left the body in the alley beside my place?"

"Unusual, definitely, but weird, not in the least. He wants your attention."

I didn't continue the conversation, because that scared me. I suddenly felt vulnerable and I didn't want to have to go home after this. Hotch came up with a compliment for my force, saying how well they worked. I could tell he noticed how his answer made me uneasy, and he dropped the topic.

A few minutes later, the rest of the team arrived at the scene. I had called in two of my officers, Mason and his partner, Olivia. She worked extremely hard, feeling the same pressure I did.

Olivia took out the tape and surrounded the crime scene with it. I praised her job well done. I instructed Mason and Olivia to take notes of whatever they could see it the flickering streetlights and to take pictures.

The BAU was crowded around Hotch, who was explaining to them why they were being deprived of their well-deserved sleep.

"He sent the tape and the body within the same day," I reminded the team as I approached.

"Another body?" Prentiss sighed. "Doesn't this guy take a break?"

"Apparently not," Morgan mumbled.

"I had my officers close off the area and they're taking notes on anything they can see," I informed Hotch, "But I think it's too dark and too late for much else."

"I guess we're leaving the body until the morning," Rossi said, it wasn't as much of a suggestion as it was an order.

"Unfortunately," I sighed. I really didn't want to leave the crime scene. I wanted to examine the body now. I wanted to solve this case now. I knew if I left, I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway. I'm better use here. "Actually, I think I'll stick around."

"Alone? Are you sure that's a good idea?" Hotch questioned me.

"I'll stay," Reid interjected, almost anxiously.

I looked at him, unsure of what game he was trying to play here. He was probably going to use this as an opportunity to confront me about my staring habit. Nonetheless, his offer was slightly flattering.

"Alright," Hotch mumbled in a way that made it clear he thought we were out of our minds.

"You two have fun," Morgan teased with a smile. He knew full well what I thought of Mr. Genius over here, and he was just loving this. I smirked in response.

The rest of the team headed back to their warm, comfy hotel rooms. I sent Mason and Olivia home, because they really had no use being here. I took out a flashlight from my belt and used it to look for things around the scene. Reid looked over my shoulder.

"Do you--um," he swallowed hard as I looked up at him.

"Well, spit it out," I snapped, stepping away from him and to the other side of the body.

"Do you really have a problem with me?" he asked. His tone was shy and quiet, and I actually began to feel bad about what I had thought earlier.

"Who said I did?" I asked back, pretending to be mainly occupied with the body. I didn't make eye-contact with him, but my thoughts were all jumbled, I couldn't concentrate on the body at all.

"Morgan might've mentioned something," Reid replied. "So what is it?"

"What is what?"

"Your problem with me," he laughed sheepishly, attempting to make light of the situation, "What did I do?"

I adjusted the flashlight so it shined brightly on his face. He squinted as he stared at me, awaiting an answer I didn't know how to give. His hands were shoved into his front pockets and he stood firmly. A small smile tugged on the corners of his lips. I found my breath disappearing on me.

"I--uh," I muttered under my breath, "I--I don't--I don't have a problem with you."

"You know part of my job is to tell when people are lying, right?" he reminded me, unconvinced.

"Okay, maybe just a small problem," I admitted, sort of ashamed, sort of humorously, "You kind of know everything, and you make me feel really, really dumb, which totally sucks because I'm supposed to be the sophisticated head of this department."

"I don't mean to sound obnoxious," he assured me, "I just speak what I know."

"I've noticed," I teased lightly, "You're quite the rambler."

"I'm working on that," he laughed, "It's not like anyone listens to me, anyway."

"I listen," I replied seriously. It wasn't a lie, either. I noticed how some members of his team and my department rolled their eyes and brushed him off when he took it too far, but I listened. I thought he was rather interesting, a little too smart, but interesting.

I looked up from the body for a second, because he didn't reply for awhile. Reid was watching me, something I was sure he had been doing throughout the conversation. He was smiling, so I had to smile too.

"Want to get a coffee?" he offered, "While we call and wait for the morticians?"

"Sounds great," I agreed. I had finished my other one long ago and was needing a caffeine boost just to keep my eyes open.

Reid and I casually left the body in the alleyway and walked down the street to a 24-hour coffee shop.



We arrived at the morgue right after we had our coffee. We didn't talk about much in the coffee shop, just mindless conversation. He told me about his PhDs, and I told him about my soccer trophies from grade school.

The mortician who owned the morgue was decent about picking up the body at such an inconvenient time. He had to call in two of his workers as well. I apologized to them all.

"Here's the body," he said, showing us the room. We entered. The body lay on the table with a white cloth over it. "It's disgusting how someone could do this to another person," he commented.

"Specific injuries?" I asked.

"Right, right," he mumbled, taking the clipboard off the edge of the table. He read it over quickly. "They're exactly the same as the first two bodies."

Reid looked at me uneasily. He knew for sure we had a very dangerous serial killer on our hands, and he was already a step ahead. The mortician noticed and glanced back and forth at us.

"You think it's a serial killer?"

"We're positive," Reid answered troubled.

"I know it's not my job and I should let you guys do your thing," he began uneasily, the panic slowly creeping into his voice, "But shouldn't you be warning people? I have a wife and a daughter at home."

"We don't know how he picks his victims," I replied unhappily, "There is no way we can determine who's next."

"Actually, that could be a good idea," Reid interjected, contradicting me, something I was getting used to. "What if he's been leaving these bodies in the alleys in the middle of town because he wants the attention?"

"So what you're saying is put him on the six o'clock news and he'll stop?" I questioned.

"Maybe not stop, but at least slow down," he retorted. "It wasn't a coincidence he left the last victim in the alley by your place."

And there was that thought again. The thought that made me feel completely sick to my stomach was here again. I tried to push it out of my head, but it was almost impossible. It won't be okay until we catch this guy.