Not Your Typical Event

I climbed into the back of the vehicle once again, seated next to Reid again as well. I folded my legs onto the seat, bringing my knees to my chest and resting my chin on them. I glanced in the rearview mirror at the stitches on my head, because they were beginning to burn. My hip had been throbbing non-stop as well, the huge welt there the size of a baseball and as dark as a plum. I gazed out the window at the bright city lights, so much different from the secluded houses in the neighborhood I had grown up in. I thought of everything I was leaving behind as the car continued on the road, the house disappearing from view. But then I realized; I had nothing to lose.

Spencer’s POV

I was doing paperwork at my desk when my phone rang. Who could it be ? The team was all in the bull pen with me, with the exception of Garcia….. I answered it, surprised to hear Luka’s voice on the other end. She explained to me that she didn’t know who else to call, that she was struggling. I remembered saying those exact words to Gideon once, when I had been suffering from my Dilaudid addiction. But I would have helped her anyway, even if those words hadn’t triggered my memory with a flashback.

I explained to her gently that this residence might only be temporary, even though I wasn’t sure on that fact. But I knew I had to calm her down before she did something she would regret, and that seemed like the best way to me. We finally ended the phone call at least an hour later. I had gone into the break room for some privacy, but obviously I had had to emerge again sometime. My paperwork was finished, and I had given out some excellent advice. I was feeling pretty good as I procured another cup of coffee, especially when Hotch said we deserved to go home a little early. Morgan, naturally, invited us all out for drinks, and for once, I didn’t have to be pressured into coming along. I wanted to.
The case had been a hard one, but we had done it. We just had to wait for someone to recognize the unsub out on the streets, but Hotch thought we were out of the woods. Surely this type of organized unsub would be gratified by the fame, and his success rate, and he would make a mistake in the near future. I drank only one glass of wine before deciding to head out. I wanted to get home and write a letter to my mother, and my apartment could use some cleaning. I walked through the door of my apartment, setting my messenger bag, keys, gun, and badge on the table near the door. I surveyed my living room and kitchen, deciding to start with the kitchen. I washed the coffee cups piled in the sink, drying them and putting them away, then wiping down the counters and table. I rearranged the scarce food occupying the fridge, before sitting down and writing an exceptionally long letter to my mother. I vacuumed the living room and dusted all of the books on my book shelf. I ordered some take out and sat, eating it, on my couch while watching a discovery channel special. I had had an excellent day, all in all, and I went to bed feeling great.

A phone call in the early AM woke me from my peaceful sleep. It was Hotch; the unsub had contacted the BAU swearing up and down that he would come for Luka and kill her once and for all. I was out the door in ten minutes flat.

I arrived at the BAU to see Morgan looked especially pissed off. I myself, was not happy, not only that Luka was in danger once again but that I had been woken from the only peaceful sleep I had had in weeks. That was the price of a job like this one, I suppose.
Morgan and I drove in silence to the Mason house. He kept glancing sideways at me, finally asking me what was wrong. I told him that I was just tired, because I was. He didn’t seem to buy it, but he let it go. I dreaded having to accompany Morgan inside as he informed the family of the issue at hand. Mrs. Mason looked absolutely crushed, but Mr. Mason’s expression was unreadable. I saw a slight movement at the top of the stairs, a door opening. It closed so quickly that I wasn’t sure if I had indeed seen it at all.

Eventually I followed Morgan up the stairs, staying behind him as he opened her door and flicked on the light. She was not sleeping as we had expected; instead, she was standing in the center of the room, crying harshly. Morgan approached her and tilted her chin up with one finger, wiping away her tears with his thumbs. “Grab a bag and some bare essentials, a couple of outfits, we need to take you where you can be safe, okay ?” She nodded wordlessly. I stood with Morgan, talking softly while she haphazardly stuffed some clothing into a bag. Morgan slung her duffel bag onto his strong shoulder, and lead the way downstairs. She stood outside of the car as Morgan situated things in the back hatch. I approached her awkwardly, touching her shoulder lightly to signal that we would be departing shortly. She looked so grief-stricken, standing there alone in a town where she knew next to no one, in clothes that weren’t hers. She reluctantly followed me into the backseat, and I could see the fear registering in her eyes. I felt horrible that she had to be put through this, riding for hours in a vehicle so soon after an intense car accident that had almost claimed her life. She curled up on the seat, and I couldn’t take my eyes away from her bony hip, where a huge, painful looking bruise was visible. It was obviously from the accident, just another painful reminder.