To the Bone

The room filled with a deafening silence at Adeline’s words, causing Spencer to let out a shaky breath. Adeline was frozen, looking into the skull’s eye sockets before sighing softly. She set the skull down to one side, pulling over an empty gurney. She picked up the skull again, setting it at one end of the gurney before pulling out what Spencer assumed to be a femur. She looked up at him, passion shining in her dark eyes.

“Let’s get to work, Deshi.”

As Spencer and Adeline spent the next seven hours assembling the first victim, Morgan stood on one side of the window. He couldn’t help but notice the smooth rhythm Adeline and Spencer had when they were working together, going back and forth about things like bone density and discoloration.

“It’s like watching two Spencers.” J.J. chuckled as she walked over to him. “Seriously, it’s kind of weird.”

“If they finish each other’s sentences one more time I’m going to puke.” Morgan chuckled. J.J. looked in, watching as they both reached for a tibia at the same time, Spencer’s gloved hand covering Adeline's and making both of them blush.

“Not exactly a romantic place for a date.” J.J. laughed.

“Well, you and Will met at his dad’s murder case and it seemed to work out.” Morgan noted. “Besides, I think lady doc might just have our boy genius beat in terms of statistics, which makes her marriage material to Reid.” J.J.’s eyes were wide as she looked back at Adeline.

“You’re kidding.” She said. Morgan shook his head.

“Just threw out the percentage of Native American women who are murdered or kidnapped that have their cases go cold.” Morgan’s small smile fell. “It was way higher than I thought.”

“Well, I can’t think of a single time that we’ve been invited by the tribal police.” J.J. admitted. “I’ve reached out about a few cases, but I never hear anything back.”

“Can’t exactly blame them for not trusting the FBI.” Morgan muttered. J.J. shrugged.

“Adeline seems to.” She whispered. Morgan looked back, smirking.

“Uh, no. She trusts our boy.” He looked back, smiling as Adeline held a vertebrae up to the lights, pointing something out to Spencer. He leaned in close, almost cheek to cheek to her. He then turned to say something, their masks brushing together before Spencer froze. “Oh, come on kid.” Morgan whispered, like he was watching a sporting event and not his friend.

“There’s no way, there’s too many cameras in there and they’re surrounded by dead people.” J.J. whispered.

“You never know, they might be into that.” Morgan noted. They watched as Spencer stayed where he was, Adeline’s eyes wide.

“Next coffee run says he chickens out.” J.J. said. Morgan reached over, shaking her hand while they both kept their eyes on the lab.

“You’re on.” Morgan said. “I believe in the kid.” Spencer reached out towards Adeline’s face, he then froze. He shook his head before dropping his hand and taking a step back. Quickly dipping his head and obviously apologizing. Morgan groaned loudly and J.J. smiled. Adeline and Spencer both looked up, their faces red, as J.J. waved.

“Give me one second.” Spencer sighed, holding up a finger to Adeline before stepping out the door. He pulled his mask down, his face feeling so hot that he was sure he’d have burns as he glared at Morgan and J.J. “What’s up guys?”

“You just made me take the next coffee run.” Morgan laughed, smiling brightly. “Thanks kid.” Spencer narrowed his eyes. “Hey, I had your back. J.J. was the one who bet against you.” J.J. shrugged.

“I guess I just know Spence better.” She turned to Morgan, nodding. “I’ll take a triple shot americano with cream. Thanks Morgan.” She smiled at Spencer before walking back down the hall.

“What did you guys bet on?” Both men jumped as Adeline poked her head out, watching Morgan closely. Morgan cleared his throat, looking slightly uncomfortable under Adeline’s steady stare.

“Nothing important.” He tried. Adeline sighed.

“Look, Dr. Reid and I are professionals. I would hope to get the same treatment from you all, agent Morgan.” She paused before nodding “And I'll take a doppio with a splash of almond milk. Thanks.” Adeline looked back at Spencer, smiling before stepping back into the lab and closing the door. Morgan chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck before turning to Spencer. Spencer was sure Adeline could feel how fast his heart was beating in the other room as he sighed.

“You’re such a creep.” He chuckled finally, smiling up at Morgan. Morgan shrugged. “What were you betting on?”

“When you bumped into each other, I thought you’d kiss her, kid.” Spencer flushed.

“Of course not. I was just surprised at what she’d told me and…” He stopped as he saw Morgan’s knowing smirk. “I wasn’t like that.”

“You just heard statistics and you were in love.” Morgan teased. He then peeked into the lab, making sure Adeline wasn’t listening before he spoke again. “She did seem like she wanted you to make a move, just saying.”

“She said she needs to be professional.” Spencer reminded him. Morgan simply shrugged.

“Maybe she just feels like, because you took such a risk getting her on the case, she has to be.” Morgan theorized. Spencer shook his head.

“Why would she do that?” Morgan laughed.

“Man, you don’t know the first thing about women.” He teased. “I have to grab coffees I guess. Good luck man.” Before Spencer could clarify Morgan’s words further, his friend was already halfway down the hall. He sighed, turning back to see Adeline was already back in work mode. He walked back inside, watching as she ran her fingers over a still mostly intact pelvis. She set it down against their mostly assembled victim before sighing and pulling it away. She looked up as the door closed behind him, waving him over.

“Spence, come look at this.” Spencer walked over as her gloved hand moved to one side, the other pointing. “See this here?”

There was a long, thin break in the bone, running through one side and out the other. Adeline rotated the pelvis and Spencer could see dozens of cuts and slices moving up on the inside column. He narrowed his eyes. “What do you think it is?” He looked up to see Adeline was struggling to keep a calm face.

“Those are knife marks.” She whispered. “About twenty or so.” Spencer was still confused, and his face must have betrayed it as she sighed. She set the pelvis down on the table so it lined up with the rest of the body. She pressed her hand to one side of the gurney, leaning over the victim.

“This is the knife.” She said softly, grabbing a pen and clicking it closed. She then mimed jamming the pen into the pelvis from below and Spencer finally understood. Even with all the awful things he’d seen, for some reason the thought of being assaulted with a knife resonated with him more than usual. Adeline pulled away, dropping the pen and folding her arms tightly.

“Judging from how high the marks are, it would have to be pretty long. Maybe a hunting or fishing knife.” He looked up to see her pressing her lips together tightly, obviously struggling not to cry.

“That means it’s a sexual thing for this bastard, doesn’t it? Stabbing them like that?” She asked, looking up at him.

“Stabbing in general is a sexual release for a sadist like this.” Spencer admitted. “But I’ve never... I’ve never seen it quite like that before.” He sighed. “I imagine it wouldn’t take too long to bleed out from that.”

“I can’t believe this. He gets off on hearing these poor women-” She couldn’t finish her thought before she pulled her mask off, walking quickly outside the room. Spencer followed, pulling his mask off as she leaned against a wall, slowly sliding down. He sat beside her and Adeline leaned her head on his shoulder.

“Maybe we should call it a day.” He suggested. “We’ve been in there for hours, and I’m sure you’re still tired from your flight.” Her stomach growled loudly and he chuckled. “Not to mention we both skipped lunch.”

“If I stop that means he wins.” She whispered. She kept her head on his shoulder, and Spencer hesitantly reached up. He set his hand on her cheek, wiping away a tear that had fallen.

“If you collapse and can’t keep working, that’s when he wins.” Spencer said softly. “We’ll grab something to eat and head back to the hotel. Then we can start in the morning with fresh eyes.” She sighed, moving her head and kissing his shoulder softly before pulling away. Spencer flushed at the contact, clearing his throat as she spoke.

“Sorry I’m such a baby.” She whispered.

“No, you’re not. But it is good to have someone like you here.” He said simply. “I can get kind of numb to everything after a while, you help me remember how awful this is so I can be just as passionate about catching this guy.” He turned to her, his heart hammering painfully into his ribs as he smelled the coffee on her breath. “You keep me human.”

“Spence…” She whispered, the name rolling over his face. He remembered what Morgan had said, but he was terrified at the thought of her rejecting him. So he sighed, standing quickly and offering his hand.

“Let’s get out of here.” He said. “We’ll leave Jane Doe until the morning.” She smiled, taking his hand and letting him help her to her feet.

As they stood in the hotel elevator about forty-five minutes later, gripping take out bags, Spencer couldn’t stop thinking of kissing Adeline. He could still remember turning to her in the lab, how their masks had kept his lips from finally meeting hers. He had to admit that the thought had been more on his mind in the past six years than it should have as he looked over at her.

She had been quiet since leaving the lab, picking at her short nails. She still had clay caked under them from her dig, and it obviously bothered her. He cleared his throat, causing her to look away as he smiled softly.

“You okay?” He asked. She nodded.

“Still thinking about Jane Doe.” She whispered. “I just… How could you do that to another living being?” The doors opened and they both got out, Spencer deciding to walk Adeline to her room. If she noticed, she didn’t say anything. She slid her room key into the lock, opening the door and nodding her head. “Do you want to come in?”

“Sure.” Spencer said, smiling softly. Adeline’s face was still sullen as he stepped inside, listening to her close the door. He sighed, realizing that for the first time, he and Adeline were alone in a room together, specifically a bedroom. But one look at his friend’s face and any fantasies he had evaporated. She looked completely broken, her eyes a million miles away as her lower lip trembled.

She plopped down in one of the small chairs by the corner table. She reached out for her food and Spencer obliged, sitting across from her. She opened the paper box before chuckling.

“I almost forgot, hang on.” She stood, walking over to her suitcase and rummaging around before pulling out a small paper bag. She walked back over, setting it on the table beside Spencer and taking her seat. He took the small package in his hands, turning it over and chuckling.

“What’s this?”

“I got you something in Santorini.” She said, smiling. “I send you something from all my digs.”

“I know, I’ve just never gotten something in person before.” She rolled her eyes before taking a bite of her vegetable yakisoba.

“Open it.” She said, pointing to him with her chopsticks. Spencer obeyed, pulling the sticker off and sliding his hand into the bag. He narrowed his eyes, pulling out a small clay bust. As he saw the Greek lettering on the base he smiled.

“All I know is that I know nothing.” Spencer read. “This is a really nice likeness of Socrates.”

“Oh, you’ll love what the artists was telling me when I was looking at it.” Adeline chuckled. “So, Plato wrote about Socrates saying that, right? The whole Socratic paradox and whatnot, but!” She pointed dramatically with her chopsticks, tapping the bust’s head. “There is no record of Socrates ever having said that.” Spencer smiled.

“That’s fascinating.” He said.

“I figured what better to get you than something you can correct people about all the time.” Spencer laughed at that, looking over to her and beaming.

“I have the perfect spot on my desk.” He promised. “Thank you Adie, that was really thoughtful of you.”

“Well, honestly I was stumped. Edgar was the one who saw the guy and thought you might like it.” Spencer felt his heart drop into his chest as Adeline ate her food nonchalantly.

“Edgar?” He asked, unable to mask the hurt in his voice. Adeline looked up, chuckling.

“My student intern.” She promised. “Hopefully he’s in Mykonos dancing with a cute girl or two right now, kid deserves it.” Spencer exhaled, chuckling.

“Oh.” He laughed. Adeline narrowed her eyes at him, smiling widely.

“Are you jealous, Spence?” She asked. He laughed, opening his food and trying to shovel enough pork fried rice in his mouth that he wouldn’t have to answer. She laughed at him, both deciding to finish their dinner in a comfortable silence. As they grabbed their fortune cookies, Adeline cracked hers open first. She laughed before showing Spencer the fortune.

“You will reconnect with an old friend.” Spencer read the small print with a smile. “I think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen one be right.”

“What does yours say?” Adeline asked. Spencer cracked open the cookie and chuckled to himself, blushing as he read the fortune. “What?” She tried to grab the fortune from him, but Spencer easily kept it away from her.

“Did you know that fortune cookies actually originated in California?” He tried, but Adeline was determined. She stood, walking behind him and pulling the fortune from his fingers. As she read it, she flushed, looking up at him.

“The love of your life is right in front of your eyes.” She whispered. Spencer stood, walking over to her and pulling the fortune back. Adeline cleared her throat, turning away. “You know they randomly give those things out, right?” She said softly. “I mean, what are the chances of getting that exact fortune?”

“You know, I actually don’t know. I’d have to do some research and get back to you.” He admitted. She chuckled.

“Did I just stump the boy wonder?” She asked. He beamed at her, wondering if maybe the fortune was right.

“I think you did.” He whispered.