пять. life saver
" sad smile of happiness "

SEEING SPENCER THAT MORNING made Valentizina sigh. The regular chiming of the bells that sounded out from her pushing open the door turned the head of Spencer Reid and Daniel towards her. Yet her eyes were plastered onto her co-worker, giving him a certain look like a quirked left brow and lips tightly pressed in a line. A grin immediately spread upon his face, her head shaking at whatever comment he was going to make. Fortunately, on this Friday morning, the weather was rather warmer than it had been for several weeks which was strange, considering it was about to be the beginning of the winter season. Yet warm coffee could never be turned down when working in the BAU.

Spencer picked his coffee up, raising his brows at the redhead who made her way towards him step by step.

"Came for your favourite?" Daniel called out, Spencer looking between Valentizina and the worker.

"By favourite do we mean you or the coffee?" Spencer asked, tilting his head in an amused manner with a cheeky smile. The strawberry blonde rolled her eyes, hugging the case file closer to her chest.

"Ignore him. He's got jokes now, I don't know since when. Can I have the usual?"

"Anything for you."

Before Spencer could say anything, Valentizina shook her head and instead held out the file to him. The genius held back his comment and instead, carefully took the file, flicking it open to look through. It was the case from a few days ago that made Elle leave. Valentizina had, after the help of JJ with legal work, finally finished writing everything up for the case file.

"It's finished. Elle's left," Valentine sighed, leaning against the counter.

"You know," Spencer began, "I spoke to her that night. She was off. And I knew that but I didn't do anything. I knew something was wrong but I didn't do anything."

"Hey, pretty-boy," Valentine slightly kicking him in the ankle, making his scrunch his eyebrows together and look up at the redhead, "Don't blame yourself over it. It wasn't your fault that she left. It was for the better."

"But if I had told Gideon and Hotch then maybe the case would end differently. Maybe-"

"Spencer, stop."

Her abrupt words made him grow quiet, the redhead straightening herself up and taking the file from him, closing it before looking back up at him. He was obviously affected by Elle leaving. Because he couldn't help but blame himself. Because maybe Elle would still be here if he'd had just told Hotch to look after Elle. But Valentizina didn't see it that way.

"She left because she wasn't in the right state of mind to work anymore and that has nothing to do with you not telling Hotch. You can't blame yourself over things that were out of your control. I know that you want to help everyone, but not everyone can be helped. Sometimes they need to help themselves, figure everything out for themselves. And that's what Elle did."

The two grew quiet. Spencer nodded slightly, looking back down at his shoes. And Valentizina knew the look in his eye. A look so familiar to her that it affected her as much as him. The look of guilt and sadness, mixed with a little bit of anger as he tried to stop blaming himself.

"You can't let your thoughts control you. Because what you think and what you feel are two different things that people will always get confused with. Because me and you both know that deep down, you feel like it's not your fault she left. And that's okay to feel."

The quiet click of the take out cup hitting the counter made Valentizina not even spare a glance at Dan as she threw the ten dollar bill at him. Her eyes remained on Spencer who looked up with a small, sad smile as he nodded at the strawberry blonde who wrapped her fingers around the cup and kicked him in the ankles again. As a wince left Spencer, she raised her brows.

"Now come on, handsome. Because we'll be late. Our 9am slot is approaching fast and I don't like staying still in one spot for too long."

•••

I'm sorry, Did you say a bomb, sir?
On a bus in the city where it all began. Get my message out.
Message? What message?
That this is only the beginning. Until it is brought back under control, people will die.

"In the last 20 minutes, virtually identical threats have been made to most of the coast-to-coast news networks in the country," JJ informed them, taking a seat on the table so everyone could see her, "It's the same information just slightly different words."

Sat around in the briefing room was the BAU team, including Penelope who managed to make it to the meeting. Making it just on time for 9 was Spencer and Valentizina who didn't sit beside each other - which was Valentine's decisions. After the little pep talk she had given Spencer, she was afraid of being a little too close to Spencer, so she decided to sit beside Penelope and Hotch.

Because she just felt like if she did get close to Spencer, something bad would happen to rip that away.

Because something bad always happens. And the last thing she wants to do is have something that brings her comfort ripped away from her hands.

"So it's not a recorded message or script. Displays a measure of confidence," Morgan noted.

"He could have easily just called one network. This guy obviously wants attention."

Replying to Reid's statement was Gideon, who held a cup of coffee in his hand, preparing himself for the day ahead, "It's typical behavior for a personal cause bomber. One bomb has a finite impact. It's just a little package. Make bunch of phone calls, that magnifies my explosion 100 times."

"We have the additional recorded calls being gathered for assessment," informed JJ.

Penelope straightened herself up, making everyone look at her. The blonde shared a look with everyone as she spoke, "Networks say the calls came from a restricted number. Two have given limited permission to trap and trace the lines if we should need to."

"You got a news organization to agree to a trap and trace?" Hotch questioned.

"Who could say "no" to me?"

Hotch slightly smirked at Penelope, knowing that she was smart. She had her ins and outs and without her, the BAU just wouldn't be the same. Oh how he appreciated Garcia, ignoring her endless comments that he thought were only slightly weird.

"This is not likely Al-Qaeda," Derek narrowed his eyes, "They don't call unless they bomb something."

"At Homeland security's request, the networks are going to keep this quiet - until we've assessed the situation."

"It doesn't feel like a hoax. His voice is calm, resigned. He's made his decision. He's committed to it."

"Plus he said: "This is only the beginning" The beginning of what ? And he also said: "until it is brought back under control". What's it? He has to call back and if this threat isn't followed by an event, no one will take any future calls seriously."

"So, we're going to tell the media to go ahead with the story?"

"Absolutely not. Threats like this, with an unspecified location will just cause tremendous panic."

"Then, what are we gonna do?"

"Unfortunately, all we can do is wait."

•••

See, when Valentizina thought of travelling to Seattle, she certainly wasn't thinking of working a case about bombing yet here she was, standing in the streets of Seattle, working on a case about bombing. She opened up the car door, gracefully stepping out with Spencer following her.

"So Seattle's where it all began. We just need to figure out what it is," Spencer thought aloud, making Derek nod.

"And off the top of my head, I can think of grunge music and overpriced coffee."

"Hipsters and lots of drugs," Valentine added on, earning a nod of approval from Derek.

"That doesn't seem significant enough for terrorism," Spencer commented on their sarcastic answer yet Valentizina appeared beside both of them, tilting her head ever so slightly as she took Derek's side, even if their answers were wrong-timing jokes.

"It's a personal cause bomber. It only needs to be of significance to him."

Before their short, little debate stretched on any further, they were greeted by an asian man dressed in a formal suit who seemed to be working the case. His hair was slick backed and a serious facial expression mirrored Valentizina's.

"Agent Nick Casey, Seattle field office. S.S."

"Hotchner, how do you do? This is Dr. A. Spencer Reid. S.S.A. Morgan, S.S.A Alianovna, Agent Jareau, and S.S.A.Gideon. Have you identified the device?" Hotch introduced everyone to the agent, making him nod and looked over the bright team standing in front of him.

They were stood in the midst of a street in Seattle that was blocked off by police cars from anyone entering the scene. The bright yellow bus was, somehow, in a somewhat stable condition with the actual appearance of the outside of the bus not looking terrible (asides from the cracked and blown out windows). The shards of glass surrounded the bus, seeming to have erupted all over the place and Valentizina had only grown notice of it as she heard the crunch of glass beneath her heel. Her brows furrowed, head shooting down to look at the glass she was stood in.

Taking his question in account, Agent Casey nodded, explaining what he had found. As he began to speak, Valentizina shook off the thought of glass and looked back up, focusing on what he was saying.

"Looks like a small pipe bomb attached to an umbrella."

"Me and Alianovna would like to take a look at those bomb fragments as soon as possible - we've got bomb squad experience," Derek nodded, Casey instantly agreeing.

"As soon as they're catalogued."

"Do you two just never split apart?" JJ commented, making Valentizina joke.

"He's kind of obessessed with me. Who isn't? I'm amazing."

"Valentine," Derek warned, raising his brows up.

"How many people were on the bus when the explosion went off?" Hotch asked, returning to the subject that they were here for.

"Explosion killed two. The driver and a young male. Injured seven. Sylvia Cohen, an elderly passenger, found the umbrella on the floor at her feet."

"A pipe bomb on a crowded city bus and only two people are killed?"

"Had a relatively small charge. The two dead were found closest to the bomb at the time of detonation. She said the young man volunteered to take it to the driver for her. She's pretty broken up about it."

"Have you vetted and debriefed the rest of the passengers?"

"I have their info if you want to talk to them."

"Did you get their positions?" Hotch's questions caught him out by surprise, making them stop beside the bus.

"Sorry?"

"Where they were on the bus?"

"No."

"JJ, maybe you can recontact the passengers and map their locations," Hotch spoke to the blonde who nodded, making a note of it in her notebook immediately.

"You got it."

Valentizina furrowed her brows, looking at Casey, "Nobody saw anyone leave the umbrella?"

"No. But, you know, from the style it looks like a remote detonator on the corner over there."

" You say remote?"

"Limited frequency remote."

"Like a garage door opener?"

"Something like that."

"That's awfully risky. Anyone on this bus could have accidentally detonated the bomb - just by pulling out of their garage."

Valentizina immediately zoned out the conversation as she looked inside the bus. Her heels began to quietly click the closer she stepped towards it until carefully, her hand that she had slipped a glove on brushed upon the door of the bus. As Valentine stepped onto the bus, her eyes scanned her surroundings within the vehicle. The front window was cracked, blood splattered right in the centre of the crack and around the whole drivers seat. The little yellow number box's were placed around the bus, making her step in, inhaling the stench of blood, sweat and nothing nice.

Her eyes flew to the back of bus.

It's where he would have been sat, with his umbrella, with his bomb, with an innocent look on his face. Or, judging by what they have so far, a not-so innocent look. And boom went the bus, injuring people and taking two lives away. Innocent lives.

She could only imagine the bus minutes before the explosion. People travelling to get to work to provide a life for others. For themselves. They were just innocent men and women trying to get through their day, believing that it was a day like no other. Look how that turned out.

"He used a remote from the corner," Hotch's voice made her snap back to reality, looking to the side at the group of agents looking up at her, "Did he want to be close enough to see what happened or did he need to be mechanically?"

The redhead's eyes flickered from the blood her heel was standing on, back to Hotch, making her breathe in and step out from the bus, giving her view on his question.

"Those remotes are pretty limited. He probably needed to be. He might have even been nervous. Maybe that made him stand out."

They nodded, once more standing in a circle.

"I could set up a public service announcement encouraging anyone who was in the area of the time of the bombing to contact us," JJ suggested. Gideon had appeared behind them, nodding slowly in thought.

"Well, we do need a press conference. But it'll be about getting this unsub to call us."

•••

Derek slightly huffed, a smirk of amusement and interest playing up on his lips. It made both Spencer and Valentine look over at him, watching the way he observed over the small, garage-door like remote control.

"You know, the bomber could have bought this detonator at any old toy store. You take a remote control car, plane, boat, attach a detonator like this to the motor, touch the remote, boom! Instant fourth of July."

But Valentizina decided to look at Spencer.

"So Spencer, tell me. Wanna play a game?" Valentizina spoke in a low voice, making Derek raise his brows, looking between the two. She leaned back in the chair, taking a small break from their job. They found themselves sitting in the room at the department, looking over and awaiting for the bomb-reconstruction model to be given to them. And frankly, Valentizina was getting a little bored.

"Sure?" Spencer replied, yet it came back more as a question, as he furrowed his brows.

"What was the name of Jack the Ripper's first victim?" she asked, making him immediately speak up.

"Mary Ann Nichols."

"Now you ask me a question."

"What's the scientific name for a chicken?"

"Gallus gallus domesticus. What's the statistic for people who are left handed."

"11%. And you're one of them. What-"

"Hold on, hold on, hold on... This is a game to you guys? Really? Aren't games meant to be fun? This is what you choose to do for fun?" Derek asked, raising his brows in almost a scoffing manner. He leaned back in his seat, shaking his head in disbelief. Valentizina tilted her head.

"You're welcome to join, Mr Cool."

"Fine. Spencer. Did you know your crush on Valentizina is extremely obvious?"

Before any of them had the chance to reply, in front of them was placed a reconstruction of the bomb. They all looked back and fourth between the woman and reconstruction that seemed almost perfect, causing the redhead to delicately pick it up and look over it. It seemed to be a perfect shape to fit almost anywhere. It was skinny, small and if powered correctly, certainly powerful.

"How you doing? I'm Derek Morgan," Derek introduced himself to the woman, shaking her hand politely, "This is Dr. Spencer Reid."

"I'm Valentizina Alianovna, we're with the BAU, pleasure to meet you," Valentizina spoke in a montone voice, not taking her eyes off the bomb reconstruction.

"Cassandra Atkins, Cass or Cassy works too. Bomb tech," the woman replied with a genuine smile.

"This is a very nice reconstruction," Morgan complimented, Valentine shaking her head in agreement as she looked up at her, finally putting the figure down. She listened to Cassy, making sure to make a note of it in her head.

"Oh it wasn't that hard. Explosive was limited and the fragments were comparatively easy to locate."

"Okay so tell me what else you got here?"

"Well besides the light explosive load, he used dry peas."

"Dry Pea's?"

"Dry pea's would minimize the damage done outside of a limited range," Valentizina explained, Cassy nodding in agreement.

"She's correct."

"So what's he doing, trying to minimize his kills?" he questioned, looking between Spencer and Valentizina.

Yet Spencer moved closer towards the reconstruction, tilting his head as he noticed a specific detail on it. There was a picture engraved on it. Something in the shape of a robot, not a perfect drawing, but it was clear enough for them to guess what is was. The robot had an arrow going through it, confusing Reid as to why?

And oh god it was familiar to Valentizina, making her immediately look down.

"It also has a picture engraved on it. It's a robot with an arrow through it."

"Anti-robotics?" Derek questioned.

"Doesn't the city center bus stop use smart buses? Like, high tech buses that use time senors on the buses and he bus stops to give out arrival and departure times?"

"Yeah, went automated last year," Cassy confirmed.

"So he's anti-technology."

"Maybe."

Derek nodded and stood up, reaching for the phone in his pocket. It gave time for Valentine to finally take notes on the situation, writing down what they have so far. It's a habit that she had gotten into doing now, and it sure as hell made paperwork easier. Yet her eyes kept flickering from the reconstruction to Reid, who seemed to be looking at it just as confused.

"The shape is perfect to be slid under something," she finally spoke out, not wanting to interrupt Derek's conversation with Garcia.

"What are you suggesting?" Cassy asked, making the redhead look at her.

"Maybe the bombs were made to be hard to find but easy to uninstall. You said they were simple right? He's simply looking to destroy things quickly, carelessly and he doesn't care too much about the damage."

"You saying he's impatient?" Derek puzzled, hanging up on Garcia.

"That and that we need to be careful. All of us. These bombs are just warnings before he creates something bigger and we won't know when. He's going to mess with us."

•••

"What else do you have Garcia?" Hotch asked, looking at the woman through the webcam.

"I also found an article in the St Dennis university college newspaper," she spoke, sharing her screen so they saw the article, reading while listening to her, "Last spring, close to school, an internet cafe was attacked. Someone created floppy disk bombs that went off in 4 computers. No one was injured."

The team were all standing over the computer in the police department, listening to what Penelope had found out.

"Who uses floppy disks anymore?" Spencer retorted, Penelope firing back

"Right, agent brain, that was the point of the attack. They left a note, ultimately you'll be as obsolete as your graveyard technology."

"Is the note signed?" asked Gideon.

"F.F.T Brigade. I'm finding references to a freedom from technology brigade, a fringe group that's showing up lately."

"Anything else in the note?"

"Yeah. There's a not so artistic drawing of what kind of looks like a robot with an arrow through it. I'm uploading it to you now."

As the picture sent, it immediately opened up. It was the same robot as before, causing the redhead to look closer at the symbol, trying to remember where had seen it before. Furrowing her brows, she asked Penelope something that confused them all.

"Is it possible for you to find out whether there are any images of this symbol being found anywhere in Russia?"

"Hold on for five seconds, pretty girl. I can find you any articles with the image or simply all images that relate to the picture from Russia."

After a couple of seconds of silence, Penelope read out a list of information.

"Symbol was indeed found in Russia. It was incarnated into-"

"A ballet academy before an explosion had taken place. There was a book left over, wasn't there."

"Girly, I think you didn't need me to research anything. You got that spot on."

Valentizina stayed silent, looking at the image of the robot incarnated into the walls of the ballet academy. Of the academy of the assassins. Of her past. She knew she had saw it before. It seemed far too familiar to her.

Because she was the one to kill the man who planted the bomb.

She remembered that day very well.

"Doll, I don't mean to burst your bubble, but if you think that the man who drew the symbol on that building is the same person as now you're wrong. The man was found dead a few days later, book was missing from the police department. Stolen, they say."

She knew that.

"I think it's time to profile," Valentizina quietly announced, walking away from the group.

Before anything slipped.

•••

"We believe the unsub resides in Seattle," Hotch announced to everyone, "All of the attacks, most of which have just involved property damage, have taken place here, and the timing and location indicate knowledge of the area. Even though he escalated to a lethal bombing today, we don't believe that that was necessarily his intention."

"In fact, anyone not directly next to the device received minor injuries. So, we think fear may have been the larger motive."

"So he's a terrorist then?" someone asked Derek who shook his head, looking at Valentizina who stood up and began talking.

"He is, but that's too vague of a description for our purposes. Douglas and Olshaker categorize bombers as criminal, group cause, psychologically disorganised and personal cause bombers. And we believe this guy to be a personal cause bomber."

"And personal cause bombers are motivated by an underlying emotional conflict. In an interview from prison, the unabomber, Ted Kaczynski, admitted that while he was a graduate student at the university of Michigan, he started having fantasies of becoming a woman. Even got on a list to get a sex-change operation but, during a mandatory psychological exam prior to the procedure, he changed his mind. He told the psychologist that he made a mistake," Reid explained.

Gideon took over, "From that moment through the next three decades of his life, Ted Zaczynski carried out a campaign of isolation and murder."

Derek finally took a stance beside Valentizina who crossed her arms just like him.

Okay, not to be that author, but Derek and Valentizina are such a powerful duo that everytime they stand together, the world quakes. This is their world, we're just living in it.

"The unsub is male. He lives alone. He's possibly self-employed. He's highly organised. He's very smart and he seems odd to those who know him. Angry, distance, prone to sudden violent rage."

He looked down at Valentine who carried on for him.

"This is not the kind of guy whose neighbours will be surprised to find out what he's arrested for. The guy's neighbours will have no trouble believing it. Targets appear to be technology, but not high-tech variety. The kind of technology we're surrounded by. And remember, this guy is organised. He's planning ahead. Anything he is doing could lead to something bigger so always keep your eyes open."

"Agent Gideon, you got a call on the tipline!" an officer walked in, looking at the agent.

Oh this could only be bad news.

•••

"You okay?" Spencer asked Valentizina. It had became a habit of him asking her if she was okay, and he had always received the same answer that he ever believed yet forever let slide, knowing she wouldn't ever tell him if she wasn't either.

"Always," she breathed out, shuddering as she stepped out of the car at the scene. Bomb techs were surrounding the place, checking almost every square inch to see if they could find anything new, old or anything that would simply help. She had noticed that the smell of the area smelt just like the last scene of the bombing. It was the same bomb, this time, a bigger dosage of it.

"At the station, when you asked Penelope about seeing the-"

"It doesn't matter. I was... Curious," she lied, putting her hands in the pockets of her FBI coat that she had put on.

Spencer looked down at the petite girl, nodding.

"You wouldn't tell me either way," he chuckled, making her look up.

Her facial expression was mixed with guilt and sadness, yet she didn't answer his comment. It was true, she wouldn't tell him. Yet letting out a breath, she looked back up at him.

"Maybe one day, Einstein."

And she left him at that, walking away towards Gideon who was speaking to someone. She certainly left him curiously smiling, looking down at his feet. She was full of surprises. Never smiled. Never laughed. Yet somehow always made him do all those things. He didn't know how, but perhaps she just had some sort of special charm within her.

Screw that, he knew she had.

Spencer finally looked up, catching up to his team that was heading to the building opposite the gas station. Valentizina was curious as to why Gideon was in such a rush of getting to it. But she already knew he had an idea in his mind already, he always did. Walking through the door, they were greeted with Cassy, someone who appealed to Valentizina's liking.

Not that she would admit that though.

Spencer joined the side of Derek and Valentizina, looking curiously down at the case that was placed beneath Cassy's feet.

"All clear!" she called out, notifying everyone that the case was bomb free.

Yet inside the case was a stack of stapled papers, making her bend down and pick it up, confused.

"It says Manifesto," she told them.

"Bag it," ordered Valentizina, narrowing her eyes before walking back towards the car.

Allegro. The book. The manifesto.

Maybe it was worth being involved with the academy those years ago...

•••

"In Russia, when that bomber bombed the academy, he left a book. It was called empty planet. I read it when I was six. The main character is called Allegro and, call me crazy, but the book has everything that this case involves."

Valentizina explained everything slowly, as she sat down on the chair, Spencer immediately lighting up.

"She's right! I read it too! It was a one hit wonder by the author David Hansberry. It's got it all: technoids, minutians... All that stuff's in there. It's robots that take over the world once they figure out how to reproduce with humans. Essentially, humanity's lost to technology and the hero of the book is a 12-year-old boy named Allegro who builds an army and fights for the humans."

Spencer looked at Valentizina who nodded at him, earning a smile from the man.

They all thought about it for a second. It was a crazy idea. A bomber taking footsteps from a fictional piece of work. Yet they've had crazier cases and crazier people. For the FBI who worked with weirder cases, there was a good amount of logic in there that made Gideon nod, pointing at Morgan.

"Morgan, have Garcia get as much information as possible on the author or 'Empty Planet' David Hansberry?"

"Hansberry, yeah," Spencer nodded.

"On it," Derek nodded, walking away to retrieve his phone from the desk.

"There was a passenger on the bus yesterday, a Dr Emory Cooke. He's supposed to be some kind of computer genius - pioneer in artificial life," JJ pointed out. Spencer nodded frantically, knowing exactly who she was on about.

"Yeah, Cooke! He developed software that mirrors the human reproductive system. Computers that can replicate themselves."

"So maybe Cooke was the target and not the smart bus?"

"If so, that would definitely be imitating events from the book. Allegro and his army not only destroyed robots, but they assassinate the scientists that are responsible for creating them."

"Dr. Cooke was sitting right in front of Sylvia Cohen," pondered JJ.

And it clicked for them.

"And the umbrella was initially found underneath Dr. Cooke's seat," concluded Valentizina.

•••

Valentizina had found Derek smiling while on the phone, leaning against a doorway. Of course. Always the light of someone's life, she thought. The redhead made her way over, a copy of the book in her hand. She wouldn't ever tell the truth about why she got it - not half of it at least. But she made an oath to always promise to herself that she would bring it with herself.

It was a part of her first kill.

And sometimes, when she found herself in thought, she would read the book, in hopes that one day reading it won't affect her anymore. Derek closed his flip phone, looking directly at the book.

"Was that Garcia?" Valentizina asked, knowing the platonic relationship between the two.

"She drives me crazy."

"You love it though," the redhead nodded, passing him the book, "But pretty boy, we got a copy of the book from me. Which means that we can approximately guess what he'll do next."

"You are a gem. Penelope found out that the floppy disk bombs were set at St Dennis University. The literature professor's name is Ursula Kent. He could have been her student."

"Gideon's other there," she sighed, nodding towards a room with an open door.

They both began to walk towards the room, noticing that Gideon was sat inside it with Spencer and elder man. Dr Emory Cooke. They waltzed into the room, both standing with their arms crossed, awaiting for the conversation to either finish or catch up to them so they could join in.

Yet the first option seemed better to Emory Cooke.

He stood up, shaking his head at Gideon, "Do I seem like the sort who would want to be followed around all day by a government goon squad? I don't think so."

And he walked right out the room, making Derek furrow his brows in offence.

"Goon squad?"

"Ever talk to someone who wants to continually show you he's smarter than you?" Gideon asked.

Immediately, Derek and Valentizina pointed right at Spencer.

"Everyday," they spoke in unison.

"I really hate that."

"Garcia found the author of the book. David Hansberry's just a pen name. The real name is-"

"Ursula Kent. The professor of post-modern literature at St Dennis university where the floppy disc bombs were sent."

Valentizina groaned as Spencer cut Derek off, making them all look at her.

"This is exactly why you're all idiots. Because you waste time while Smartie McGee over here already knew the answer which really could have cut us an hour short."

Derek smiled in amusement, pointing at the girl beside him, "On second thought, maybe it's Valentizina who annoys us. Anyways JJ's contacting her, we can go see her any time."

"Let's go," Gideon called out, Spencer standing up.

They all walked out the room, yet it was Spencer that spoke up once more.

"We need to stop by a bookstore and get a copy of empty planet. I want to re-read before we talk to the author. I haven't read it since I was six."

"Six? Why have both of you read it at six?" Derek scoffed, looking between Valentizina and Spencer, "I was still ridin by big wheel at 6 years old."

"Don't waste time, Spencer, catch," Valentizina called out, snatching the book from Derek's back pocket and throwing it at Spencer who attempted to catch it smoothly but failed, making him juggle it for a few seconds before getting a solid grip at it.

Suddenly, Gideon turned around, putting his hand out in front of Morgan and Alianovna.

"You two, have Agent Casey set up protection for Dr. Cooke. Like him or not, he's in danger."

•••

They were too late to save him.

But now, they were just on time to save eve.

Surrounding Dr Brasier's car, who was another victim, were the FBI, who made sure she stayed as still as possible. Valentizina watched the way the dark-skinned woman's chest rose up and down unevenly, the woman furrowing her brows as she lost a little grip on the phone that she had pressed up against her ear. Brasier watched the way Derek slowly opened the car door, flashing his FBI badge at her.

"You Dr Brasier?" he asked, making her slowly nodding, immediately ending the call, "I need you to stay as still as you can, please."

He looked suspicious, lowering him under her seat, looking for something in particular. And when he found it, he looked at Hotch and Valentizina who got the memo.

"You must sit as still as you possibly can, you understand?" Derek looked back at Dr Brasier.

"Why?" she asked, her voice quiet and unsure of him.

"There is a bomb under your seat."

•••

The woman began shaking, causing Spencer who had joined along to the scene to immediately grab her hand, never losing eye contact.

Yet Cassy looked at Valentizina and Hotch, speaking quietly with a metal latch in her hand.

Valentizina wasn't really paying attention, her full attention pointed towards Spencer.

He was the bravest out of everyone here. Braver than Valentizina and she knew that. She was nothing more than a coward. She watched the way Spencer wouldn't leave the woman's side. They had tried to pry him off her, yet he didn't give in. He wouldn't leave her. Reid knew Dr Brasier was terrified, hell he felt the fear that she had within her and he wasn't going to let go until she was safe.

He was risking his life for a stranger.

That's what made him brave.

Because Valentizina wouldn't even risk her life for Spencer, the man who would die for anyone in a heartbeat.

She was snapped out of her thoughts by Cassy and Hotch making their way.

Yet she was frozen, as if she couldn't do anything.

She envied Spencer Reid in every way possible.

She watched the way, Cassy slid the latch underneath the seat, feeling the bomb.

And out the bomb came, causing Dr Brasier to immediately get out the car, attacking Spencer Reid in a tight hug. She watched the way Reid returned the grip, rubbing her back up and down in a comforting manner.

Yet the redhead looked down, breathing in before she looked back up.

Yet all of the sudden, the sound of something falling around her made her furrow her brows, looking around. But it was Spencer Reid whose eyes squinted at the tiny, tiny ball that had slipped beneath Valentizina's heel. His eyes immediately widened, his body sprinting towards the redhead who was confused.

"Valentine!" he yelled, his arms immediately wrapping around the much smaller girl. Her breath hitched at the sudden contact as they both fell onto the floor, rolling away slightly.

But suddenly, a loud explosion immediately erupted in the midst of the car park. Right where Valentizina had once stood. The strawberry-blonde agent's mouth fell wide open in shock, struggling to breathe in disturbance. It was a bolt of the blue moment, one that put her into a great amount of shock. Her hand immediately gripped Spencer shirt as the two bolted upright, sitting up. His arm had wrapped around her shoulder, his other hand holding hers that gripped his shirt. And her other hand had found itself to be wrapped around his waist.

And he sweared he had never seen Valentizina in that much shock. Her chest was heaving up and down in shock, mouth wide open from the rude-awakening.

His eyes dropped down from the explosion that the firefighters immediately sprinted over to, down to Valentizina whose eyes finally jumped to look up at him.

But she didn't know what to say.

But he knew the look in her eye said everything that needed to be spoken.

It was an unspoken look that spoke a thousand words.

•••

Sitting down in a chair, she listened up to everything her team was saying, trying to keep the events of today out of her mind. She's had enough of bombs. She pinched the bridge of her nose, scribbling down more things on the piece of paper in front of her, feeling exhausted. Her heart was still racing, mind playing back to that very moment. Valentizina had never felt more embarrassed in her life than in that moment.

Because she felt stupid for not seeing the bomb. And felt stupid for not reacting. And felt stupid for, for once, not being the one to save others. Because she was the one being saved.

"We got 5 crime scenes' worth of new information to go through and the targets that the unsub chose for the decoy bombs, do they force a change in the profile?" Hotch asked, Derek shaking his head.

"I don't think so, I think they are what they are. Decoys to throw us off the trail of Dr Brasier."

"Reid what's that?" Gideon asked.

Spencer looked away from the whiteboard at his team, noticing that Valentizina wasn't paying attention.

"Valentizina?"

"We need to go back to Ursula Kent. Now."

She stood up, everyone alarmed at her sudden participation.

"He's going to kill her. It's how the book ends," Valentizina's words rushed out as she came to a realization, "Allegro finds his biological mother. He thanks her for having the strength to give him a better life, but ironically, he realises that she herself has become a robot, so he kills her. He sacrificed the one person in the world he had a biological connection with for the greater good. The book is told from her point of view. As if it really was her story, not his. It was the only story she needed to tell."

"So in order to fulfill the story..." Derek stood up, "He's gotta kill his mother."

•••

Derek kicked open the door, Valentizina by his side as she yelled.

"Allegro!"

"I have a bomb!"

The FBI agents were slowly making their way down the steps, down to the stage where lectures took place. On the stage was Ursula Kent, gripped tightly in the arms of Allegro. In his hand was a bomb that he pointed at them all, making the woman cry out to the agents surrounding the room.

"Wait! Wait! Please wait!"

"Don't want to hurt anyone," Gideon shook his head, "You've gone to great lengths not to hurt anyone unintentionally!"

"Leave us alone!" Allegro screamed, looking at the agents surrounding them.

"We can't do that, Allegro. We cannot leave you alone," Valentizina spoke out, edging closer to them, "It doesn't have to end this way!"

"This is how it ends-"

"You can the ending-"

"This is how it ends! You don't know the story!"

"I wanna know who you are," Gideon called out, "Are you in the story Allegro? Start the story!"

"Leave us alone!"

Bang.

All of the sudden a bullet flew into Ursula's shoulder, making the redhead sprint towards Allegro, kicking the bomb up, catching it in her hand, throwing his body towards the officers who immediately grabbed him, taking him out.

Mission successful.

It was over.

The story was over.

•••

Valentine sat opposite of Spencer Reid, making Spencer immediately drop his book, with a shy smile. He hands trembled as he picked the book back up from the floor of the plane, yet the redhead raised her left brow, tilting her head in questioning. It was the end of the day, and the moonlight poured in through the one open window of the plane. And it seemed like everyone was asleep apart from them.

For the first time, it was Valentine joining someone else's side. Not them joining Valentine's.

"Thank you."

Her hushed and quiet voice made him look down at his hands and back up with a small smile.

"You don't need to. Anyone would do that."

Valentine stayed quiet, nodding. The silence was comforting though. It was enough to allow them both to think. It was enough to allow a certain amount of time to pass before Valentine looked back up at him.

"If it was down to me to save your life, would you trust me to do it?"

"I would."

Her brows furrowed, head tilting as she shook it. She was confused. Beyond confused at TI why he could. Why would Spencer Reid trust someone as cold, someone as mean, someone who treated Spencer like dirt to save his life.

"Why?" she whispered, "Spencer, why is it that I can treat you like you're nothing, and you'll still trust me to do something like that?"

"Because it's like I said, Valentizina. I know you're not an awful person. I know you're not who you think you are, Valentizina. Because it's just like you said. You can't let your thoughts control you. Because whilst you think you're the worst person in the world, I know that deep down, you feel like you're a good person. Your thoughts just won't let you admit that."

And just like that, Spencer had scored another point.

And a bonus one.

Because the corners of Valentine's lips twitched into a smile, her brows slightly furrowed in a state of sadness. It was a, sad smile of happiness. It was one that still made Spencer swoon over. Because it lit up her face differently. It gave her a whole different vibe. It brought colour back into her skin, it lit up her eyes that held some sort of spark within. And her deep dimples had appeared alongside, matching his as he smiled back at her.

•••

Not edited again oops

do you guys smell the fucking development

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

Spencer and Valentine summed up in a video