Make It out Alive

"Garcia, are you really going to make me just sit here and pretend to pay attention to your computer stuff?" I complained, wheeling around Garcia's tech closet.

"Welcome to the confines of Quantico, sweetie," she said, tapping away on her keyboard.

I flipped through the case file, seeing the usual gore. "Don't these guys have individuality anymore?"

"What'd ya mean?"

"You walk into a school's chem lab and they have weapons that are entirely different from the usual knife, crowbar, whatever, and twice as deadly. If I was going to kill someone, I would want my weapon to be the most interesting, the one that stands out the most. I would make it interesting. I'd study every single killer, and make everything different. I'd be the one people studied for years and years and years," I said, shrugging.

"Maybe it's just what we do, but you are one creepy chica," Garcia told me.

"Profilers make the best serial killers and serial killers make the best profilers," I chirped.

"Wanna go somewhere for lunch?" She asked, clearly trying to get away from the horror on her screens.

"Sure. There's a deli Spence and I usually go to," I suggested.

"Speaking of you and the Boy Wonder," she started. "You two are getting pretty serious, huh?"

"What would give that away?" I chuckled, wheeling into the elevator.

"The fact that before he left three days ago, he was kneeling down to be on your level for long enough to whisper a bunch of things in your ear and kiss the bejesus out of you," Garcia pointed out, pressing the button.

The elevator shuddered and moved down. I smirked. "I don't know what you mean," I said innocently.

"Have you two said the L word?" she gasped.

I grinned. "First time was when I was in the hospital. I mean, we are living together now," I reminded her.

She squeaked. "You two are so cute."

I chuckled. "His birthday is coming up soon."

"Oh, girl, you are in no shape to have birthday sex, missy," she teased.

I rolled my eyes. "That won't happen for awhile," I answered.

"I see you two all the time, undressing each other with your eyes. The sexual tension is too hot to handle, girlie. I see it in your eyes, all the awful things you want to do to him. Baby, you need to jump his skinny bone-" She stopped as the team walked in.

"Sweet cheeks, don't encourage her to do crazy things to the poor boy while she's in a wheelchair," Derek said, putting an arm around her.

I rolled my eyes and looked up at Spence. "Hey, doll."

"Hi. Missed you," he replied, leaning down to give me a soft but lingering kiss.

"Missed you too. Especially when Garcia's driving me home," I joked. I wheezed gently, and everyone crowded around me nervously.

"Bryson, my office," Hotch said firmly after I had drank some water.

I wheeled myself in, and Hotch was leaning against the front of his desk. "You're taking a month. If you argue or show up, I'll have your badge."

My mouth gaped open like a fish, but he continued on. "You're cleared for travel in a month and a half. Besides, I'm sure Reid will keep you informed. I'm serious, Polly. I need you at a hundred percent as soon as possible, not a steady seventy percent. That's how you could get hurt."

I grumbled but nodded. "Don't worry, I'll take up cliff-diving and shark-training during my month off," I said wryly.
Hotch rolled his eyes. "Reid's taking you home. He has instructions to not leave you alone tonight. Your lung is pretty weak."

"Since when has my lung talked to you?" I grumbled.

Hotch rested a hand on my shoulder. "I know for a fact you still haven't completely unpacked your house."

I rolled my eyes. "Alright, alright. Just don't take my badge."