XXXII

After some well deserved jokes at my expense during dinner, the team got back to work. At this point it was close to midnight and while the energy in the room was quite low, we still found ourselves working to stay awake. Like usual, Hotch took the lead, giving us tasks to focus on, while he excused himself to speak with Garrelson.


"Can someone bring me up to speed?" I asked.


Rossi, who sat to my right, inched his chair closer to mine and slid the tablet in front of him my way. "Sam was in direct contact with Regan," he began, "the two of them met through an online letter writing service which pairs inmates and regular civilians." He ran his finger along the screen, swiping through a series of copied letters the two of them had exchanged. When he got to the first one he nodded his head and pointed. "After he saw one of her interviews he became curious about Regan's religion and contacted her in hopes of getting some answers."


I grabbed the tablet from off the table, leaning it against the edge as I gave it a quick read. According to Sam, he needed help. After hearing about the relationship between his sister and Leeman he was devastated and wasn't sure what to do.


"I know we don't know a lot about Sam, but you'd think given the relationship between him and his sister that maybe he'd at least try talking to her first," I stated with a sigh.


Rossi nodded his head and scrolled to the second letter. At that point Reid chimed in, pointing to the paper file in his hand as he glanced our way. "If you look at Regan's first response letter you'll see all kinds of signs of manipulative language."


"Like?" I raised my brow.


Reid licked his lips, preparing himself for the information dump he was about to throw our way. "She uses all the core examples. Fact vs. Opinion, omission of necessary information, words with connotations and bias. They're all there." He pointed to each of the examples, running his finger along each sentence before glancing up to meet my gaze.


"So we think she told him to do it," I concluded. It was definitely an interesting take, but not an uncommon one. Most copy cat killings were committed by people in direct contact with the original killer, but for some reason this felt more sinister. Regan was still a teenager and while she definitely had the means of becoming a full blown psychopath it seemed odd that she would orchestrate this.


"Perhaps," Rossi sighed.


"I mean," I bit my lip, narrowing my eyes as I took the time to read through the rest of the letters. "Based on the way she carries herself, even through her writing, it's obvious she's really good at the whole gaslighting thing." I pointed to a couple of different paragraphs as examples, watching as Reid and Rossi read them over and nodded in agreeance.


"By the end he's questioning his judgment," Rossi responded.


I nodded. "And in the beginning you can see the innocence in his words. Sam wasn't contacting Regan to kill, he was contacting her to learn about Wicca and how to cope with the feelings he was having."


"But why out of everyone would he contact Regan?" Rossi asked.


"Did either of you end up watching the interview that First Coast News did with her?" Reid retorted.


Rossi and I both shook our heads.


"While they did ask her about the murders themselves, the majority of the interview was based around the topic of Wicca and its rise in popularity." Reid reached over the table to grab the tablet from my hands, giving it a quick scan before opening up YouTube to search up the interview. When he found it, he handed it back, motioning me to play it.


We watched the fifteen minute video in silence, listening to Regan's strangely calm voice as she explained her opinion on the matter. According to her, Wicca was more of a lifestyle; a practice in which she could use the various tools involved to deal with the trauma she'd experienced. I had to force myself not to roll my eyes while watching. It was obvious she was using her sudden new found fame as a platform to manipulate interested parties, which given the circumstances definitely worked.


"She's smarter than we thought," I sighed and locked the tablet, gently tossing it onto the table in annoyance. "What'd she say when you guys went to see her?"


"Not a whole lot. She seemed on edge when we arrived, which at the time wasn't much of a red flag considering the last time she and I spoke." Rossi tapped the top of the table with his fingers as he stared forward. "Part of me wonders if this was part of her plan all along."


"I mean, psychopaths do have a knack for faking their emotional range." I retorted.


"Yeah, but she's just a kid," Rossi shook his head. I could tell he was frustrated. At this point Regan was one in a million when it came to criminal statistics and while her psyche was definitely interesting we all knew it was also dangerous.


"We need to find Sam." I rubbed my eyes with the base of my palms, letting out a loud yawn as Reid instinctively reached over to rub my head. As he did I let out a pleasant sigh, flashing him a tired smile as he looked over the file in front of him.


Rossi stood from his seat, letting out a low groan as he leaned his hands against the table to steady himself. "I'm gonna talk to Hotch."


"Careful of Garrelson," I joked, holding back a smirk.


"Take your own advice," Rossi shot back. He rolled his eyes as he left, making sure to shove me lightly on his way out.


I laughed quietly, shaking my head at him. As old as Rossi was he still had the spunk of a teenage boy.


Reid reached out to me again, placing his hand on my inner thigh with a small smile. "You feeling better?" He asked curiously.


I nodded in response and placed my hand on top of his. Like usual, his hand was warm as ever, the heat from his palm radiating through the fabric of my slacks like fire. He gave my leg a light squeeze and moved his gaze downwards. Despite the long nap he still looked pretty tired. "You should sleep," I stated.


He shook his head, his eyes still fixated on my thigh. With a heavy breath he thumbed the seam of my pants, playing with a loose thread as a small smile formed across his lips. "Have you ever thought about coming back?"


I raised my brow, watching as his gaze move back to my face. "What do you mean?"


"Have you ever thought about coming back?" He repeated with a shrug.


"Like to the BAU?" I questioned.


He nodded.


I opened my mouth to say something, but stopped not long after. While deep down I knew there was no chance of me coming back, I still found myself wishing otherwise. From the moment I joined this team I knew profiling had become my dream job. Working for the BAU was one of the most rewarding things I'd ever had the chance to be apart of. What we did was life changing and while sometimes things didn't necessarily go the way we wanted them to, we were still making a difference. Being apart of that, was something I was proud of, and often times still dreamt about.


"I have, yeah," I replied with a nod.


Reid pressed his lips together, giving me a curious look as he glanced back down at my lap and let out a heavy sigh. At that point I could tell something was on his mind, which caused me to bite my lip anxiously.


"Why?" I asked.


"I think Strauss made a mistake firing you," Reid responded simply. He quickly glanced at my face, giving me a tight lipped smile before looking back down again. "And I'm not just saying that because I love you. I know the situation between us was against regulation, but you're good at what you do. I don't understand why they couldn't just look past it."


I moved my hand from his, placing it at the base of his neck so I could tangle my fingers in his roots. Whenever he was stressed I found that playing with his hair often calmed him down, which became even more apparent when he closed his eyes. As I thumbed through his curls, I massaged his scalp, watching as his lips parted slightly at the gently contact.


"You're literally a puppy," I joked, watching as his lips grew into a wide grin.


"You have magic hands," he responded, "I can't help it."


I scoffed, digging my digits into the top of his head. At that point he let out a satisfied moan, giving my inner thigh a tight squeeze, which caused my heart to flutter.


"Shouldn't you guys be working?" Morgan raised his brow in our direction, flashing me a devilish grin as he glanced between Reid and I.


At that point Reid opened his eyes, giving him a grumpy look as he retracted his hand from my thigh and moved it to the edge of his file.


"You're just jealous because you don't get head rubs," I retorted sassily.


JJ and Alex chuckled, peeling their eyes away from the tablets in their hands to look over at Morgan who rolled his eyes. "If only Garcia were here," JJ said.


Just the mention of Garcia made me realize she definitely hadn't heard the news yet. Guilty, I glanced over at Morgan who almost immediately knew what was going on. Out of panic, both of us pulled out of our phones in unison, staring at each other until eventually Morgan shook his head and got out of his seat. "I'll tell her. If you do it and she finds out she was the last to know she's gonna flip." He gave my head a light pat as he passed by my chair on his way out the door.


I let out a sigh and gave him a thankful look. As thoughtful and caring as Garcia was, she had quite the temper, especially when it came to secret keeping.


Not long after Morgan left, Hotch and Rossi returned. When they stepped inside all of us glanced in their direction, giving them curious looks as the two exchanged a series of hushed words before Rossi sat back down and Hotch cleared his throat. "We got a APB on Sam's vehicle. Garrelson's men are on their way to check it out. In the meantime, I want all of you to get some rest. Rossi and I will stay here and call if anything happens."


Nobody questioned his commands and instead packed everything up and headed out. On the way, I saw Morgan talking loudly into his phone, his hands moving wildly as he tried to calm Garcia down. I held back a laugh as I watched him look over. Almost immediately he rolled his eyes, flapping his hand in a mocking gesture as he walked over to me.


I motioned him to cover the mouthpiece and when he did I gave him an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry," I whispered.


"She'll be fine," he responded.


"Hotch told us to go back to the hotel. Want me to drive?" I offered my hand out to him, watching as he merely nodded his head and fished out a set of keys from his back pocket. He handed them over to me and began to follow once I started walking again.


Everyone else was already outside, the three of them talking casually as they leaned against the vehicles parked beside each other. As Morgan and I arrived, they looked over, giving Morgan uncomfortable looks once they heard Garcia's loud voice through the receiver.


"She's a little grumpy, I think," I responded.


The rest of them knew not to ask, holding back a series of smiles as they hopped inside their vehicles. Alex and JJ took the one on the right, while Reid hopped in the passenger side of the left, staring in confusion as I hopped behind the wheel. Not long after Morgan tossed himself into the back, letting out a heavy sigh as he pulled on his seatbelt. "Baby girl, you of all people should know that Reid and Isla are private people."


I shook my head as Reid rubbed his eyes in both exhaustion and frustration. Despite thinking about the reactions of everyone on the team for some odd reason Garcia's sudden explosive response was something I somehow failed to expect. It wasn't like she hid her emotions. Out of everyone, Garcia was obviously the most sensitive, which made sense considering her personality.


I glanced at Morgan's face through the rearview mirror, watching his already visible frustration become more intense. Even though I definitely felt bad for him I couldn't help, but feel thankful it wasn't me getting yelled at.


"Hotch is sending us home for the night so I'm gonna need you take a chill pill and relax, okay? Get some sleep to clear your head and call me in the morning." Morgan rolled his eyes again. After that the two exchanged a quick goodbye and then Morgan hung up.


"So?" I turned around in my seat, clutching the edge of it to steady my position.


He shook his head, holding back a small chuckle. "She'll be fine. She's just mad she wasn't the first to know."


I scoffed and turned back around. I loved Garcia to death, but she could definitely be a bit much sometimes.


"You sure you're good to drive this thing?" Morgan joked.


I ignored his comment and threw on my seatbelt, watching as Reid glanced around his seat. "She's a safer driver than you," he responded.


"I'm a safe driver!" Morgan defended.


At that point I laughed. "I wouldn't say you're a safe driver. You just know how to correct your mistakes." I glanced into the rearview mirror again as I started the car and pulled out of the lot.


"Isn't that the definition of safe?"


"No. The definition of safe is to protect from or not to expose to danger or risk," Reid smirked.


"Which you definitely don't do," I added, nodding my head at Reid who reached over to grab my hand. I laced my fingers in his and scanned the road in front of me before pulling onto it.


"You know what? I hate you guys. Ever since you two got together you've been nothing, but rude to me."


Reid and I both laughed.


"Now you know what it feels like," Reid said.


When we arrived at the hotel, Morgan got out first, giving us a dirty look as he grabbed his stuff from the trunk of the vehicle. The whole way home we joked about his sudden role as team punching bag, something he definitely didn't appreciate.


"Awe, Morgan, don't worry. You'll find someone to make beautiful babies with too some day." I gave his back a rough pat as he closed the trunk of the vehicle and shrugged me away, narrowing his eyes.


"Shut up." He laughed and swung his bag over his shoulder before brushing past Reid and I who just smirked at each other and followed slowly behind.


"What a grumpy man," I teased.


Reid chuckled and grabbed my hand, pulling me towards the front of the building. He pushed the edge of the door, holding it open for me before returning to my side once I stepped inside. Together we walked to the room in silence, playing with each other's hands as we took the stairs up to the second floor and down the hall. When we made it to the door of our room I pulled out the key, sliding it through the lock before pushing it open with a yawn.


"Why is growing a baby so exhausting?" I pulled my hand away from Reid's to rub my eyes, letting out another yawn as I walked over to my bag and pulled out my toiletries.


"The increased hormones in your body act as a sedative." He followed my lead, moving to my side to grab some stuff of his own.


As we walked over to the bathroom to brush our teeth, Reid began listing off the changes I'd see in the next coming weeks as my body developed. While he spoke, I threw some toothpaste onto my brush and nodded my head, leaning against the counter as I listened to him talk about all the symptoms I'd go through; all of which sounding less than exciting.


By the time he'd moved onto the second trimester I was done brushing. Holding back a smile I spat in the sink and rinsed off my brush, hearing him rattle on as he waved his unused brush around wildly. At that point, as much as I loved to hear him talk, I knew he needed to stop, so instead of letting him continue I grabbed the base of his tie and pulled him into a long, much needed kiss.


At first he was surprised, his body tensing up at the sudden lips against his own. Not long after though, he settled down, wrapping one of his arms around the base of my back as he deepened the kiss with his tongue.


When I pulled away he frowned, furrowing his brow as he leaned in for another.


"Get ready for bed first." I pressed my fingertips against his mouth, holding back a smile when his frown increased.


"Fine."


I chuckled at his sudden disappointment, leaving him to brush his teeth as I wandered back to my bag and grabbed some clean clothes. Swiftly, I slipped off my old ones, giving my back a light rub as I stretched my arms upward and tore off my dirty shirt. As I threw on a fresh one, Reid came out of the bathroom, eyeing my bare chest as he wiggled his brows suggestively.


"Pervert." I smirked.


"I'm pretty sure my sexual behaviour towards you is both normal and acceptable," he replied while tearing off his tie. Once off, he threw it into his bag and grabbed an old tee and some sweats, throwing both over his shoulder as he worked on unbuttoning his shirt.


"Sometimes I hate the fact that you're a walking dictionary." I sighed and tore off my underwear, replacing it with a clean pair before grabbing all my dirty laundry and throwing it into the side of my bag. After that I zipped it up and made my way to the bed, immediately flopping onto it with another yawn as I glanced over at Reid who was now standing in just his boxer briefs.


The sight alone my heartbeat quicken. I bit my lip, holding back a seductive smile as he moved his shirt to the base of his arms, getting ready to throw it on. "You could just not put on the rest of your clothes." I suggested jokingly.


He looked over, rolling his eyes. "Who's the pervert now?"


"Is my sexual behaviour unwanted?" I questioned. I propped myself up on my elbows, scanning the length of his body longingly.


Reid's face began to turn red, which made my already wide smile grow even more. Something about getting him all flustered was a major turn on, especially since the more we spent time together the more his confidence seemed to grow.


"I think it's pretty nice of the team to let us share a hotel room," I responded slyly, "it's almost like they're just giving us permission to canoodle during work hours."


Reid chuckled and tossed his extra clothes aside, making a b-line for the bed. Without another word he pushed himself on top of me, cupping my face with his hand, while he used the other to steady himself. As we kissed, I smiled, wrapping my arms around his neck as I closed the space between us.

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