Title: This Feeling Won’t Go 8/?

Rating: FRM-P/GV (this chapter, series in all rated up to FRAO-P/SC/GV)

Pairing: Pre-Slash Morgan/Reid, current Reid/OC with het mentions of Hotch/JJ

Summary: It’s the final showdown between the team and the unsubs. *CHARACTER DEATH*

Comments: Better than watching Reid suck on a lollipop (and that was pretty darned good)

SPOILERS: Mostly I take what happens on the show and twist it into how I WISH it would happen, much like Reid’s knee injury. So, spoilers I guess from all seasons, up to the most currently aired episode at the time of posting.

Included are links to 3 ‘drawings’ that layout the cabin, center and the area where these buildings are. I draw these out when I’m planning the cases for the stories I write to help me keep things straight, and I thought since there is a lot of confusion coming up with all the action that I would include them, so you get an idea of the area in which the action is taking place.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y218/fivecentschange/deeplakerangerarea.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y218/fivecentschange/rangerscabinrough.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y218/fivecentschange/visitorscabin.jpg

~~~

Disclaimer: I don’t own any rights or trademarks to Criminal Minds, the FBI, CBS or any of the characters within. No infringements of these copyrights are intended. Any similarities between original characters therein are a coincidence. I make no profit from the following fictional story. (Fictional, maybe, but I swear this happened all in my head).

~~~

Ranger’s Cabin

Agent Derek Morgan

Hotch aims towards the Visitor’s Center, where the shots are coming from. Both he and JJ are firing their guns as Toby runs to the shed. The moon bounces off the snow and illuminates the area.

“REID, RUN TO THE SHED!” I shout, hearing gunshots and shouting from the front of the cabin.

He looks around with the most fearful expression as Toby grabs his arm and drags him through the snow. I turn around to cover them when I see JJ fall down in the snow, Hotch running to grab her. I can’t tell if she’s shot or not, but I do fire a few rounds at the unsub dressed in solid black hiding behind a tree aiming at them. Doing the math in my head, I realize that I only have five bullets left, and of course in the rush I forgot to grab my extra magazine from my bag. I’m sure we are all out of backup ammunition.

With Hotch grabbing onto JJ, they catch up to me and we run towards the shed, Toby keeping the door open for us. As we stumble inside, I see Reid huddled amongst rakes and shovels, knees to his chest and he’s rocking himself. “REID!” I yell. “Are you okay?”

“We’re gonna die…” he keeps muttering.

“Jennifer, come on stay with me.”

I turn around to see Hotch holding JJ in his arms. That’s when I notice the blood coming from her right shoulder. I rush to their side. “JJ, come on…”

“Aaron it’s mino…minor,” JJ says, obviously distressed.

“REID we need your fucking help!” I turn around, shouting. I see Toby grab a shovel and push the handle through the inner doors to keep it closed. “REID!”

He gets up and crawls over to us, instantly putting his hand over the wound. “Pressure, Hotch keep her elevated.” He pulls off his sweater vest to apply to the wound. “JJ’s right, if it hit any major arteries or veins she’d be out by now. The cold helps, the cold helps, it helps…” I watch Reid stutter and shiver. “Keep her awake.”

I hear footsteps outside the shed so I put my hand over Reid’s rambling mouth to silence him. I look over to Toby, who is loading his pockets with shells and reloading his gun. He nods and goes towards the door, ready in case whoever it is manages to break in. Reid’s now grabbing onto my hand over his mouth, but instead of pulling it off, he’s holding it tightly in place. Two more gunshots ring in the distance and I shudder to think they’ve hit Bell, Hamell, Rossi or Prentiss.

It seems like forever, but we hear nothing more. It seems like forever, but it can only be a few minutes. My arm is throbbing in sharp pain. Reid won’t let go of my hand. JJ is still awake, clutching onto Hotch as he keeps pressure on her wound. Toby slumps to the floor against the thin aluminum wall of the shed. “We’re gonna freeze to death, they are gonna freeze us out…” he whispers.

I shake my head. “No, they want up close and personal.”

Hotch shakes his head too. “No Morgan, we are authority. The game has changed, now it doesn’t matter.”

Now Reid pulls my hand off his mouth. “Hotch is right, these guys profile like psychopaths. Pack mentality and now they feel metaphorically backed into a corner. They won’t go out without a fight.” Reid’s panting and still shivering.

I get up and find some canvas tarps, handing one to Hotch and the other to Reid, pulling him close with my good arm and wrapping the tarp around us. “It’s okay, we aren’t going down without a fight either.”

~

It’s cold, there isn’t a sound, but none of us dare leave the shed. I look over to Toby. “How long?”

“Maybe half and hour now,” he says, giving me an odd look. “Is Reid okay?”

I look down, Reid’s passed out and slumped against me. I feel him breathing slow and steady. How the hell can he pass out at a time like this? Something is not right with him. I shrug. “He’ll be fine. I’m sure he’d say something about the body conserving energy to stay warm or something like that.”

“Cold…” JJ shivers, amazingly still awake. “Smells like a campfire.”

I smell the air, thick with the smoke of the burning cabin. Hotch turns to me. We’re starting to lose her. He turns back, hand on her face and gives her a warm, albeit forced, smile. “Yeah, it’s a campfire.”

“Is Reid going make s’mores?” she whispers, closing her eyes. “I want one.”

“Yeah,” Hotch swallows. “But you have to stay awake, please Jen? Don’t go to sleep. Whatever you do, don’t go to sleep.”

I hear footsteps outside again, Toby goes on alert. Then there’s loud pounding on one of the walls, followed by laughter. Male. One of the unsubs. Angrily, I shake Reid awake and then stand up. “We have to go out there, we can’t stay in here.”

“We go out there we freeze to death,” Toby says.

“We freeze to death in here,” I look over to Hotch. “We have to create a diversion. Our only way to survive is to take them out and we can’t do it from in here. You should stay here with her, you’re healthy enough to help and defend her, okay?”

Hotch nods, looking to JJ. “I’m not leaving you Jen, I promise.”

I look to Toby and Reid. “How many rounds?”

Reid stands up shakily, examining his revolver. “I have six.”

“I’ve got a few dozen on me,” Toby says.

“I’ve got five. We’ll run for the tree line, spread out. Keep your eye on the shed and make sure none of them come after JJ. Got it? Take them out. This isn’t the best option, but at this point it’s our only one. These guys aren’t going down without a fight, and neither are we.” I look to Reid, who seems very out of it. “Can you manage that pretty boy?”

He nods. “Derek, I can do this.”

On the count of three, Toby opens the door.

Not seeing anyone, we run to the trees, each separate and stumbling through the now much deeper snow. I see someone on the other side of the path, dressed head to toe in black. He’s aiming a hunting rifle towards me so I take aim and…

Before I get a round off, he falls to the ground. A spray of blood hits the snow around him—I can tell by the moon bouncing off the snow. I look around to see both Toby and Reid still running to the trees.

“RUN!” I hear Rossi’s voice even though I can’t see him. “RUN!”

Silently thanking God that Rossi is an experienced game hunter, I do what he says. There’s at least one more unsub out there, otherwise Rossi wouldn’t have told us to run. I have to suspect two. Once I hit the tree line and take cover behind a large oak, I look around for Toby and Reid but I can’t see them. For a moment I panic, but then I realize that’s probably a good thing. Catching my breath, I realize that I’m only wearing boots, pants and a sweater. We didn’t have time to grab our jackets before leaving the burning Cabin. Reid’s out here with a lot less…

I hear footsteps crunching in the snow near me. Readying my weapon, I press myself against the tree hoping no one can see me from behind. Although my tracks are a dead give away. Shit, I didn’t even think of that. Hiding out here isn’t going to help us a damn bit unless the moon goes away. I listen closely as the footsteps veer away from my direction and off to my right. I hear another gunshot, this one coming from a ways a way. Perhaps around front of the Visitor’s Center, I can’t see it anymore from here. I can see the large billows of smoke from the Cabin as they travel over the tree line and into the sky, mingling with the falling snow. Someone is bound to see that and report it, right?

They might not make it out here in time anyway.

The footsteps come back towards me, mere yards away. I should stand up now, take my shot. I get read to spring out from behind the tree when I hear yet another gunshot from back by the Visitor’s Center. Two. Three. Then the sound of a snowmobile. Must be one of the unsubs.

Then silence.

After several minutes of nothing at all, I decide to venture from my current spot. If the unsubs are down, then the team would be calling out for each other. If not, that explains the silence. If I’m the only one left alive, that explains the silence too.

I make it back to the edge of the tree line, where I see the door to the shed is wide open. I quickly sprint inside, on the way noticing a large trail of blood leading into the Visitor’s Center, coming from near the truck. I can tell because someone must have put the keys in the ignition and started it, because the engine is running and the lights are on. What happened? Whose blood is that? I make it inside the shed only to see Hotch and JJ are gone. Only Reid’s now-bloody sweater vest, the one he gave to her to stop the bleeding, remains. Did they take her? No, he went to the Visitor’s Center. It’s not on fire, he must have gotten her safely inside there, to the infirmary.

Poking my head out of the shed and seeing no one, I decide to make a run for it. That’s when I hear a loud CRACK and feel like I got punched in the arm. I go down, landing on my broken arm. Blood oozes out of the bullet wound in my arm and pain blinds me. I look up to see Ranger Hamell is not to far away from me in the red snow around him. I can tell from here that his throat was slashed. He’s gone.

If I get up and run again, whoever shot me is going to shoot me again. I swallow hard, hiding my gun underneath myself. The unsub wants an up close and personal experience, he’s going to come over here and at least I can have a chance to take him out. I try to fight the wooziness and manage to get my hand on my gut to put pressure on the bleeding. I think it’s just a grazing wound, nothing I couldn’t handle as long as I stop the bleeding soon.

I don’t know if I can do this, but I’m not going down without a fight.

Eyes closed, I wait. I hear a snowmobile start up from somewhere near the truck and come racing towards me, stopping nearly on a dime when it’s only feet away. I hear the sound of someone walking through the snow towards me. The person drops their weight on my waist and straddles me and I know what’s coming next—a knife.

I open my eyes in time to grab the unsub’s wrist and keep the large hunting knife away from my throat. Knowing I only have one arm to use, and that one is bleeding profusely, I use the element of surprise and every bit of strength I have left to roll him off me and to the side. He drops the knife and I pick it up, plunging it into his chest. He gasps, and I throw the knife. Grabbing my weapon, I fire two rounds into his chest and point blank range, splattering myself with his hot blood.

Rolling onto my back, I try to catch my breath. The pain shoots through my whole body and tears sting my eyes. I took him out, but I don’t know if I’m going to make it.

Then everything starts to go dark.

~

I wake up on a wool blanket on the floor, in front of a fire. I shake my head and sit up, feeling a little out of it. I notice my arm has been crudely bandaged up. I’m in the Visitor’s Cabin. Rossi is sitting on a loveseat next to me. “Dave?”

“Hey there Morgan,” he approaches me. “You took him out.”

“Where is everyone? Is there still an unsub out there?” I stand up, feeling like I’ll fall down again.

Rossi nods. “We only have two confirmed kills, the one I shot and the one you did.” He swallows. “JJ’s doing okay, Hotch found some more morphine and gave her a little.”

“She and Hotch made it in here okay,” I take a breath. “What about Bell or Toby or Reid…or Prentiss?”

Dave’s eyes well up. “Bell and Hotch are in the infirmary. Prentiss…”

“No, don’t tell me she’s dead Dave, don’t say that…” I start shaking.

“She’s alive, but barely. They got her first, blitzed her from behind with an oar—from the stolen canoe is my guess, then one of them stabbed her several times. I saw it happen but I was out of bullets,” he gestures to the gun on the table, “I got hers when I ran up to her. Bell and Hotch managed to stop the bleeding, for the most part, but we have to get her out of here.”

“What about Reid?”

Rossi shakes his head. “Haven’t seen or heard.”

“Our plan was to make it to the tree line, take the fuckers out. He’s still out there! I have to get him!”

“Morgan, don’t go out there. Unless by some miracle Reid or Toby took the third guy out he’s just waiting…”

“I don’t care.”

Grabbing my gun, I run outside and back to the snowmobile next to the unsub’s body. Turning the key, I see according the gage that I have a full tank of gas. I see Rossi come out. “Don’t stop me!” I yell over the engine.

“How you gonna drive that thing with only half an arm?” He comments. “Come on, I’ll drive, you sit on the back.”

Letting him take the driver’s seat, we peel towards the supply shed. “Follow the tracks,” I yell to him.

Taking a turn into the trees, Rossi slows down the snowmobile a bit and uses the headlight to help search for Reid. I want to start yelling out for him, but I realize it’s a death warrant if the third unsub is still out here. I notice the dawn just starting to break in the sky, figuring I must have been out for a few hours after I got shot. He could have succumbed to hypothermia by now.

We continue on, much farther than I went into the woods, following a trail of footsteps. Then they branch off. “We’ll go east first, then double back if we have to,” Rossi says, steering the snowmobile east.

After what seems like forever, we get to the edge of a large cliff face. I see dark shapes in the distance, shapes that look human. “THERE!”

Rossi speeds up and there’s three people. There’s a man dressed in black laying face-down in the snow, covered in blood. I see Toby, face up, an obvious gun shot wound to the gut. But he is breathing. Rossi jumps off and goes to him. “He’s alive!”

Then I see Reid.

“SPENCER!” I jump off the snowmobile and run to him. “No Spencer, no please baby boy…” I pull him into my arms. He’s covered in blood but I can’t find any wounds. “Spencer…”

“Derek?” His voice is small. His lips are blue and he starts shivering.

I pull him as close as I can, considering my injuries. “We’re taking out of here, they’re all dead.”

“Toby…I shot the unsub but it was too late, I couldn’t sssstop the bleeddding…”

“ROSSI help me load him up!”

I have no idea how we managed to get the four of us on that snowmobile, but once we’re set Rossi guns it like a bat out of hell back to the Center. When we arrive, there are several snowmobiles with sleds parked around the Center. I see men in military green carrying Prentiss and JJ out of the Center on back boards. Hotch and Bell follow them, turning to see us pull up.

“MEDIC!” I shout, and two military personnel come running up to me. “This is Dr. Spencer Reid and he’s hypothermic,” I say as they take him.

“This man’s been shot,” Rossi says, handing Toby to the other medic.

“Your girl pulled through,” Bell says. “These guys are with the fucking National Guard.”

Hotch approaches me. “She told them the code word to identify us was ‘baby girl.’”

I look to the sky. “Thank God for Penelope Garcia.”

Bell looks at us before running after the medics carrying his brother. “TOBE!”

Hotch turns. “They are having a helicopter meet us at the highway to med-evac us out. They are staying to work the scene, get evidence and take the bodies into Glenwood Springs.”

“Sir?” A medic approaches me. “Sir they told us you’ve been shot.”

“My arm. Broke my other arm earlier.”

“Come with me, we’ll get you out to the highway to catch a med-evac.”

He guides me to a sled behind a snowmobile and he barely gets me strapped in before the world goes black again.

Title: This Feeling Won’t Go 7/?

Rating: FRAO-P/SC/V (this chapter, series in all rated up to FRAO-P/SC/GV)

Pairing: Slash mostly Morgan/Reid, Reid/OC

Summary: Spencer gives in to more than one temptation, while the unsubs have a plan for their next victims.

Comments: Better than watching Reid suck on a lollipop (and that was pretty darned good)

SPOILERS: Mostly I take what happens on the show and twist it into how I WISH it would happen, much like Reid’s knee injury. So, spoilers I guess from all seasons, up to the most currently aired episode at the time of posting. *This story takes the general profile of the unsubs from 504 ‘Hopeless’ and puts them in a different setting. No specific spoilers for the episode though.*

~~~

Disclaimer: I don’t own any rights or trademarks to Criminal Minds, the FBI, CBS or any of the characters within. No infringements of these copyrights are intended. Any similarities between original characters therein are a coincidence. I make no profit from the following fictional story. (Fictional, maybe, but I swear this happened all in my head).

~~~

5:13pm, Ranger’s Cabin

Dr. Spencer Reid

I take off my glasses and rub my eyes, trying to keep tears from flowing. He almost died out there and the last interaction we had was negative. I’m still mad at him for what he’s done during the course of our friendship, but I feel compelled to make sure he’s okay. Besides, the team expects me to take care of him since he took care of me when I was injured and if I deviate from that expectation they are going to notice. The burden is too much to bear.

He’s sleeping soundly on the bunk next to me, obviously responding to the morphine. I sit on the edge of the bunk, holding the small vial of morphine in my palm. It’s warm from having been in my pocket for the last hour. Getting up, I slip the bottle into my toiletry bag amongst a handful of sterile-packed syringes I grabbed for Morgan before setting back into the bunk. I pull my Incredible Hulk sleeping bag under my chin and let myself drift off to sleep.

~

“Oh, I know, I could get a pair of kittens because I’m too afraid to actually go for anyone and that way whenever you aren’t around I don’t have to go to sleep alone! No no no, that way I don’t have to actually interact with another human being and whenever I need something I can call Morgan because he’ll take care of me. Oh no wait, that’s your thing.”

“Or what, you gonna push me into the wall? Maybe this time you’ll punch me or hit me or…how about branding me? There can be a big seal on my chest PROPERTY OF DEREK MORGAN. Would that make you happy?”

I push him against the wall, his head crashing through. He pushes me onto the bed and takes my mouth with his in a kiss. An orchestra plays in the background and candles suddenly light themselves on every surface of the room. I close my eyes and let Morgan kiss me, but his body is getting heavier and heavier. His grip on me gets tighter and tighter. I open my eyes and he’s green, just like the Incredible Hulk.

And he’s angry!

I close my eyes and I’m back in that terrible shed in Davenport. My knee is in so much pain I can barely see straight. I feel someone next to me but my vision is very dizzy.

“Shut up fag.” It’s Richard Felix.

“The team is coming, they are coming…they are coming…NO NO NO!”

“Spencer?” Derek Morgan’s voice cuts through my dream, causing me to open my eyes.

I blink several times, but I notice I am in the dark. “What…where am I?”

“You’re in JJ’s bunk at the Ranger’s Cabin,” Morgan whispers. “You were starting to call out in your sleep and Prentiss and JJ are trying to get some sleep.” He puts a hand to my chest.

I nod. “What time is it?” I manage to stand on my own.

“Almost eleven,” he mutters, grabbing onto me.

“I can make it to the living room on my own,” I defend, perhaps too loudly.

“Fine, I’m going back to bed, deal with your own damn self,” Morgan grumpily crawls into bed. I can hear him breathe in sharply in pain from jostling his arm.

Without him noticing, I grab the toiletry case from my go-bag and leave the room. When I get to the living room area I see Hotch and Rossi talking in the kitchen. Toby is in the living room and Bell is at the table, staring at the CB radio.

I smile shyly at Toby when he sees me, opting to go to the ‘bathroom.’ After using the bed pan and poking out the rear door to empty it, I go back and stare at myself in the mirror, courtesy of the battery-powered lantern.

I take the syringe out of the case, still in its paper wrapping. We grabbed a whole box of them from the infirmary, so I’m not worried that we will run out to give Morgan another dose. I quietly rip open the sterile paper packaging, the sound amplified in the quiet room by my guilt, and put the tip between my teeth, the cap staying put while I pull the needle out. I load the syringe with a dose that I know will help take the edge off.

I debate where to inject. I don’t want to take off my socks and inject between the toes, and I didn’t tie off my arm. I think for a minute before putting the vial in my pocket, the syringe at my side and pulling off my grey sweater, argyle sweater vest, apple red button down shirt and reach my left arm up, giving me access to a vein near my armpit. I used to inject dilaudid there, a few times. I preferred to vary my injection sites in order to keep my drug use a secret.

Knowing exactly where to insert the needle is like recalling a passage of a book I read only once when I was a child. It’s so familiar, even though it was so long ago. I depress the plunger and quickly pull the needle out once the morphine is inside my body. I take my used syringe and hide it back in my toiletry case. I sneak back into the bedroom using the soft glow from the fire to stash the case deep in my go-bag. I pause to look at Morgan, sleeping soundly in his bunk. I see a bottle of aspirin on the night stand next to him.

Or what, you gonna push me into the wall? Maybe this time you’ll punch me or hit me or…how about branding me? There can be a big seal on my chest PROPERTY OF DEREK MORGAN. Would that make you happy?

I know how my body reacts to morphine. I feel happy, I feel like I’m escaping and I don’t feel any pain. Physical or psychological.

It doesn’t take long before things get a little foggy. I didn’t take much, but I took enough. I know how stupid this is, but I don’t care. I shouldn’t have done this, I shouldn’t have done this but it’s too late. Not on the job, not again. Not when our lives depend on lucidity. Derek Morgan is one of the most capable agents I have ever seen and if he can be bested, then what? I close my eyes, the haze starting to descend. I’m no longer dwelling on the fight back at Glenwood Springs, or the possibility that we are all going to die. It doesn’t matter. I feel the warmth of the fire spread over my skin as the morphine spreads underneath it. I could die, right, and maybe that would be for the best.

After a good fifteen minutes that swirling fog things begin to align. Suddenly that burst of energy is coursing through my veins. I stand up and see Taffy and Sally run out of the room, right through the door. I give chase, going out into the main room.

Toby is sitting near the fireplace, staring into the flame, while Bell is still at the table staring at the CB radio. Toby sees me and smiles. “Hey there Spencer, you feeling okay?”

I nod, taking off my holstered gun and sitting down next to him. I swear I can hear a meow coming from the kitchen area. “Where are the cats?”

“What?” Toby asks me.

I search around the very dimly lit room for the source of the meowing. There is no meowing Spencer, you’re hearing things. In a number of patients, auditory and visual hallucinations are a side effect of morphine. You know this, you’ve read about it.

Toby pulls a blanket over my lap. “Spencer, are you okay?”

I nod, trying very hard to ignore the meowing in my head. “I’m just, still waking up from a dream about my cats. I remember something about the gas tank…”

“Hamell said the valve was broken, the tank in the shed is empty,” Bell says from his chair. “The only thing we are plugging into the genny is the CB.”

“In the morning I could take the battery from one of the ATV’s and wire it up to power that, conserve our gas,” I say. “I could do it right now, see the process is really simple…” I stand up and start putting on my boots.

“You can?” Bell asks me.

“I have PhD’s in chemistry, math and engineering—all of which give me the knowledge I need to do wire up a battery to the radio.”

“IN THE MORNING, nobody goes outside tonight with those whack jobs still out there,” Bell looks at me.

“Oh yeah, sure, yeah, wouldn’t want to let the cats out,” I sit back down next to Toby. “Good idea.”

Bell shrugs. “I’m going to try to sleep, can you watch the radio?”

Toby nods, “sure thing Josh.” Once Josh is in the other room, door closed, Toby turns and offers me an apple. “I found it in the box, still good. It’s the last one.”

I stare at the apple, it’s practically glowing red from the light cast by the fire roaring in the fireplace. I’m struck by the biblical reference when I take the apple from his hand. I take a bite from the apple, the sweet taste suddenly driving my hunger. “This is good.”

“I could make you something.”

“No, this is fine,” I say, savoring another bite.

I watch Toby get up and put another log onto the fire, poking all the burning logs into place with a metal poker. “This place is amazing, it’s like camping but not.” I finish the apple and lean forward to toss the core into the fire. “Gives us a good shelter. You know, we should probably fortify this place, they could come here…” my heart starts to race. “I have to call my mother!”

Toby grabs my shoulders and keeps me still. “Josh said they knew they were Rangers, so they probably will come around here. Part of me wonders if they didn’t screw with the gas tank in the shed.”

“You think?”

He nods. I watch the very dim light from the fire dance across his face. He’s very attractive, with a few days of growth on his face that I find arousing. Perhaps it’s the dose of morphine or adrenaline from the events of the day playing itself out through my body, but I find myself very turned on, looking at Toby. I lean in close to him, putting a hand on his knee.

“I thought you said you weren’t available,” he whispers.

“I changed my mind.”

We both lean into the kiss, our mouths instantly opening and our tongues practically fighting each other. He tastes like canned chicken broth and a trace of whiskey that he probably stole during a private moment while I was asleep. His hand instantly finds its way through my hair to hold my head close to his, a throaty grunt reverberating through his mouth to mine. He’s a really good kisser.

After what seems like forever, Toby gently pushes me into the loveseat on my back, pressing his body against mine. My hands begin to travel over his body, feeling his hardness through layers of clothing. I nimbly unbutton his jeans and reach my hand inside to rub against his erection with my bare hand.

“Cold hand,” he hisses, undoing my pants and returning the favor.

I push up against his hand and whimper into our kiss. The crackling fire next to us briefly reminds me of Richard Felix, but I force those memories out of my head and focus solely on the hand that’s now wrapping its fingers around my cock. Returning the favor, my lips leave his to kiss his jaw, his chin, his neck.

I hear a door open and footsteps.

The two of us snap into a sitting position, pulling away from each other. I glance up to see Hotch and Prentiss stepping out of the bedroom. Prentiss is smirking, which means she saw. Shit. “You guys hear that?” She asks me.

“What?” I stand up. “Hear what? Did you find Taffy and Sally?”

“We heard someone stepping around outside the cabin,” Morgan says, stepping into the living room. He looks at me, taking note of my disheveled appearance. “Taffy and Sally?”

Rangers Bell and Hamell come barreling out of their room, rifles in hand. “We have to fortify this door and the door around back.”

Zipping up my fly and putting my holster back on my hip, I help Hotch and Rossi move the kitchen table in front of it. Toby, Hamell and Prentiss go to the other door off the bathroom, I assume to fortify that door, when there is a loud knock at the front door.

We all stop, hands on our weapons, staring at the door. Another loud knock. My heart is leaping in my chest and I search my brain to make sense of all this. We don’t have a clear profile, other than they are escalating quickly, not afraid of law enforcement, and there is no apparent sexual component to their crimes. The victims are random, seemingly the only things they have in common is accessibility to the unsubs. We are at the mercy of three armed men with a violent streak and nothing to lose.

It all feels so hopeless.

Hotch looks to Ranger Bell and Prentiss, mouthing the word ‘windows.’ We all get to a place where we are not near windows, Toby noticeably near me. I share a nervous look with him and glance back to Hotch for instruction.

After what seems like several minutes and no more knocking, Hotch finally speaks. “Bell, are you a good shot?”

“Grew up hunting, Toby and I did,” he whispers back.

“Everyone at a window,” he says. “Keep low, hopefully we can see what they are up to.”

Ranger Hamell takes the window near the front door on the south side, Hotch taking the other. Rossi and Prentiss go to the respective bedrooms. Bell takes a window on the east side in the dining room area while Toby and I take up shop at the two windows in the kitchen. Morgan joins Ranger Hamell while JJ takes a spot next to Hotch, breaking a rule by putting her hand on his back reassuringly.

Toby reaches up to peak through thru the drawn curtain, shaking his head. I watch the rest look through the windows, each confirming they have no visual by a shake of the head. Rossi and Prentiss confirm no visual with loud whispers. After several minutes of silence, we all take Hotch’s lead and slump to the floor underneath our respective windows. The whole world is moving really slowly, all of us thinking the same thing while we wait for dawn.

~

I see Toby move to check his watch. “What time is it?” I whisper.

“Two-forty-six,” he replies. “It’s been two hours since they knocked.”

“I haven’t heard any snowmobiles,” I add. I haven’t heard any cats either. That’s because they aren’t here. Man, psychopathic serial killers really take the fun out of recreational drug use.

“They may have parked farther away and walked to sneak up on us.” He shifts in place, his body still close enough that our elbows touch. “Do you think you’re going to get fired?”

I smirk, lowering my whisper even further. “I don’t think he saw, or noticed. Prentiss did, but she’s okay with that sort of thing.”

He looks over at them and smiles. “Still, perhaps our session on the couch wasn’t the most professional.”

“I suppose not,” I turn to face him, smiling back.

“If I get out of here,”

“Not if, when,” I correct, attempting to instill Toby with the confidence that I’m lacking.

He smiles. “When I get out of here, I’m taking a vacation in the smack-dab middle of the city.”

“Washington DC is nice in the fall, since you’re already used to the cold,” I add. “I could show you around.”

He bites his lip in a flirty, contemplative mood. “Could you show me your apartment?”

“Only if you buy dinner,” I smile warmly back, glancing up at Morgan. He’s looking at me with a non-descript look on his face. I look down at my lap to break our eye contact.

I turn around and sure enough, Hotch and JJ are holding each other, sharing a very sweet kiss together. When they part she leans against him and closes her eyes. That could be Morgan and I, but it won’t be. It’ll never be that way between us, so I have to stop thinking about it. Even trying to make it work will ruin our friendship forever and I can’t live without that friendship. I’d rather be heartsick for now than unable to function later.

I don’t even have our friendship anymore, do I? I pushed him so far away that I might never get him back.

Just then there is a loud noise—the shattering of glass—coming from the Ranger’s bedroom. Prentiss comes out, holding her head. “A rock…”

There’s the sound of something else being thrown in through the window, then the shattering of glass and the smell of gasoline. Then smoke. Prentiss turns around, her eyes wide open. “A Molotov cocktail…”

“They are trying to burn down the place!” Rossi says, running into the room.

Hotch, Ranger Hamell and Rossi rush to the kitchen, grabbing bottles of water and other liquids to extinguish the flame. Another window breaks, the one above Toby and I, and another bottle of flame comes flying into the room. I turn around and fire two rounds out of the window. “Shit, my shells are in the bedroom,” I say, slumping back to the floor.

When a third bottle, then a forth, window is broken and more bottles are thrown in, I see Hotch look to Bell. “We have to run, you know that.”

“THEY’LL SNIPE US!” Bell shouts over the chaos and the sound of flame engulfing the floor, the couch. I put my sleeve up to my nose and mouth, gesturing to Toby to do the same. The smoke is getting thick and it’s hard to see.

“WE DON’T HAVE A CHOICE!” Hotch yells back. “HALF OF US OUT THE FRONT, THE OTHER HALF OUT THE BACK.”

Hotch, JJ and Morgan come towards the back door. I grab Toby and stand him up. The smoke burns my eyes and I know if we don’t get out in the next few seconds we are all going to succumb to smoke inhalation and pass out.

“Are you coming back to the BAU?”

“Honestly, the idea of leaving the BAU for good is terrifying, but I can’t work there right now.” I look him square in the eye. “Morgan, I need this. Hotch agreed with me, I need some more time.”

“What if you don’t come back?” I see his eyes gloss over. “I can’t be on that team without you kid.”

“Dependency issues?” I smile. “Come on, I could use something to eat and chances are you aren’t getting a flight out until morning.”

“Only if you promise you’ll write me letters everyday too.”

I shrug, knowing I won’t be writing to my mother, rather, going to see her several times a week. “Fine, I’ll write to you.”

“My next question is, should we invite this Alan to dinner? Maybe I could take off early?”

I shake my head. “Why would I need any other man than you?”

I turn to feel Morgan’s hand touch the small of my back, his gun clenched in his fist. I have so many things I want to say, but instead I bite my lip as we follow Hotch, JJ and Toby out the back door of the cabin.

Almost instantly there is the cracking sound of gunfire.

Title: This Feeling Won’t Go 6/?

Rating: FRM-P/GV (this chapter, series in all rated up to FRAO-P/SC/GV)

Pairing: Slash mostly Morgan/Reid, but mentions of Hotch/JJ, Garcia/Kevin

Summary: Morgan comes face to face with the unsubs. *CHARACTER DEATH*

Comments: Better than watching Reid suck on a lollipop (and that was pretty darned good)

SPOILERS: Mostly I take what happens on the show and twist it into how I WISH it would happen, much like Reid’s knee injury. So, spoilers I guess from all seasons, up to the most currently aired episode at the time of posting.

~~~

Disclaimer: I don’t own any rights or trademarks to Criminal Minds, the FBI, CBS or any of the characters within. No infringements of these copyrights are intended. Any similarities between original characters therein are a coincidence. I make no profit from the following fictional story. (Fictional, maybe, but I swear this happened all in my head).

~~~

Just north of the Deep Lake Ranger’s Visitor Center in the White River National Forest in Colorado

Agent Derek Morgan

Pain shoots through my left arm and my whole body is shaking. I look up from the bush I landed into to see the snowmobile it totaled. I hit something, a rock or log, under the snow in my rush to get to Morder and Wilkinson and lost control, slamming into a tree. I roll over to my left side and examine my arm. I’m not bleeding, but when I take off my glove and reach up my sleeve, I feel a bump under the skin and realize I’ve broken my arm. Although it’s not bent at a weird angle, so it can’t be too bad.

“Bell?” I call out. “Bell?”

“I’m here,” he walks up to me. “Shit Morgan, what happened?”

“There was something under the snow, I lost control…” I sit up. “I broke my arm.”

“Here,” he pulls off his belt, stuffing his cuffs, bear mace, keys and flashlight into his pockets and using his belt to fashion a sling around my neck.

“Thanks.” I hold out my right hand and he pulls me into a standing position. “How far are we from them?”

“Ah, shit,” Bell starts walking around. “I think I dropped the GPS when we made impact. There’s almost six inches down by now, I might not be able to find…”

A loud gunshot rings in the air. “That sounded close,” I say, grabbing my Glock from its holster.

“That was the sound of a rifle,” Bell goes to the totaled snowmobile and grabs his hunting rifle that he bungeed to the side. “That was west, the echo meant it was coming off the face of the cliff on the west ridge.”

I walk over, holster my gun and grab the handheld radio with my good hand, finding it was broken on impact. I didn’t even bother to bring my cell phone up here, knowing full well it wouldn’t work. It’s back at the Glenwood Mills police department, where we all left them to be safe while we were up here at Deep Lake. Dropping it into the snow, I take my Glock back out and turn the safety off.

“Follow me, we’ll stick off the main trail and use the trees and bushes as cover,” he says.

Thank God this is the first snowfall; most of the leaves are still on the trees. Stepping in his tracks to keep from falling and breaking my other arm, we walk for what seems like ages. No more gunshots go off to help us locate them. No radio to call back to the team or to them. Completely cut off and hopeless.

I don’t even know if Reid and Toby made it back to the Cabin.

“Down,” Bell hisses in a whisper.

I hit the ground, bumping my left arm on the way down. I bite my lip, trying very hard to overcome the pain in silence. I can feel it later, once we’re safe again. Bell points and ahead, through the trees, I see Wilkinson and Morder’s snowmobile in the middle of a small clearing up ahead. I see Morder lying spread-eagle and face down in the snow, not moving. Bright red sprays in the snow around him.

There are two men wearing brown jackets and ski masks. One has a rifle in his hand and the other is holding a knife. He’s holding the knife in a bare hand, white and stained with blood. I line up to take a shot at the unsub with the gun when I hear a yelp.

I turn to my right to see Wilkinson on the ground with a third unsub straddling her, knife in his hand. She’s crying and holding up her hands, but she’s obviously too weak to fight him off. He’s wearing a hunter green coat and a black ski mask, no gloves. He’s Caucasian too. I line up my shot. “Cover me, the guy with the gun is gonna start shooting,” I whisper to Bell.

“Why?” he asks.

I line up my shot and fire at the unsub on top of Wilkinson, getting him in the right arm. Fuck, the recoil and trying to steady my Glock with one hand and I didn’t get my target.

“SHIT SHIT SHIT!” he says, grabbing his arm. “FUCKING RANGERS!”

The guy with the gun turns and fires in our general direction, but his shot is too high. He’s assuming that we are standing. I line up another shot and pull the trigger, missing the unsub with the gun. Bell fires his rifle and misses. “I gotta stand up if I’m gonna make this shot,” he says, getting on his knees.

“NO,” I grab him. “See? They are leaving.”

I watch the three unsubs walk to a pair of snowmobiles on the edge of the clearing I didn’t even see before, carrying Morder’s gun and Wilkinson’s rifle with them. Fuck fuck fuck. Once we hear them leaving, I whisper. “Go Wilkinson and the snowmobile and come back here,” I say. “I’ll cover you in case this is a trap.”

“What about Morder?”

I look at him and then back at Bell. “If he’s alive, grab him.” I hand him my Glock. “Give me the rifle, it’ll be easier for you to handle a handgun out there if you need too.”

“You can’t shoot the rifle with one arm,” he says, exchanging weapons. “But you’re right.”

With the rifle propped up on a rock in front of me and my eyes peeled, I watch Bell run into the field, first checking to see if Morder’s alive. He shakes his head and runs to Wilkinson, where she grabs his collar. He lets her go and runs twenty feet to the snowmobile. He curses but it starts. He pulls right up to Wilkinson and slumps her over the back before racing to my location.

“She’s still alive,” he pants. “Morder’s gone. Shot and slashed all to hell. Their radio is gone, I couldn’t find it.”

“Here,” I give him the rifle and manage to get on the sled with Wilkinson mostly in my lap. I see a gunshot wound to her right shoulder that’s bleeding and a few stab wounds to her torso. Pulling her as close to my chest as I can with one arm, I steady ourselves on the snowmobile. “Go, but slow. I’m gonna fall off.” I turn to Wilkinson, limp in my arms. “Stay with me girl, stay with me.”

After several minutes Bell stops. “SHIT SHIT!”

“GO!” I yell.

“We ran out of gas,” he curses, getting off. “I see a sign up ahead which means the Center is close, it’s only maybe a hundred yards.” He takes Wilkinson and carries her over his shoulder—the most affective way to balance her weight while trying to walk in this deep snow. With my Glock out, I follow behind in his footprints, miraculously not tripping in the ever-deepening snow beneath my feet.

The snow is falling thicker and thicker and I can barely see the Cabin and Visitor’s Center until we are almost on the front steps. Reid is the first one out, limping down the steps without his coat to us. “DEREK!”

“Get her,” I yell as he approaches. “We need to get her in the infirmary NOW.”

Hotch and Ranger Hamell are only milliseconds behind Reid, grabbing Ranger Wilkinson and carrying her into the Center. Prentiss and JJ are standing on the porch under the small awning, guns in their hands. “Where’s Sheriff Morder?” JJ asks.

Ranger Bell shakes his head, “they got him. There’s three of those mother-fuckers,” he curses.

I take Reid’s arm to steady myself, starting to feel the pain. Once we get inside I slump onto the nearest chair, wincing. The door to the infirmary is open, Wilkinson is on the cot, her jacket and shirt removed. She’s no longer conscious, but she must still be alive because Ranger Bell, Toby and Prentiss are in there trying to stop the bleeding. I watch Toby grab a jar and a vial off a nearby shelf, filling the syringe with clear liquid and plunging the needle into her arm.

“What happened?” Hotch asks me, still staring into the infirmary.

“We were on our way to help them when I hit something under the snow,” I start to shiver, since I’m soaking wet. “I crashed into a tree and totaled the snowmobile, that’s how I broke my arm.”

“We’ve been trying to get someone on the CB, but we aren’t getting anything,” JJ curses. “As if that’s bad enough, my laptop isn’t working so I can’t contact Garcia.” She goes over to the table. “I can’t get the fucker to turn on!”

“Derek, I’m going to take this off and get your jacket off so we can take a look,” Reid says, swallowing and looking at me. “We need to assess the break.”

I nod, continuing while Reid disrobes my torso painfully. I give them the details of the scene the best I can recall, right down to what the unsubs where wearing. “Now the rifle they had could have had a scope, but I couldn’t really tell,” I cry out when Reid pokes my arm with his cold fingers. “I shot one of them in the arm, but it could have just been a grazing wound. We left Morder behind, it was hard enough getting Wilkinson on the snowmobile.”

Toby, Bell and Prentiss come out of the infirmary, covered in blood and shaking their heads. “She’s gone Hotch,” Prentiss says.

“FUCK!” Bell kicks over a box of pamphlets about bear safety, scattering them on the floor. “They got the fucking jump on us!”

JJ updates Bell on the lack of outside communication. “But I know my baby girl,” I say, feeling the cold air lick my naked chest and back. “If she doesn’t hear from us she’ll send the God Damned cavalry out here.”

“You better fucking hope so,” Bell says, shaking his head. I can tell he’s been crying.

“Toby, what do you have for pain?” Reid asks. “From what I can tell, Derek’s got a fracture of the left ulna. It’s not compound, but it’s going to have to be set better than it is now.”

“I can set a broken arm,” Bell says. “Done it before, used to date a fucking EMT who taught me how once.”

Toby returns from the infirmary with a bottle, a syringe in its wrapping. “This is morphine. Another gift from Josh’s ex.”

I watch Reid’s lips move as he uses his PhD in chemistry to correctly calculate how much to give me. “I’ll give you enough to take the edge off, but not enough to knock you out or make you loopy.”

“Good, I need to be able to shoot a gun if I have to,” I smirk.

Reid loads the syringe and without warning plunges the needle into my left bicep. At least I’m not needle-phobic. “Here, it’s going to take a few minutes before you can set it,” he stands up and turns to Toby. “Do you have any ace bandages or a sling?”

“We have a sling and a few splints for broken arms actually, the kind of thing you’d need at a Ranger’s station in the mountains,” he says, going back into the infirmary.

I look to Hotch. “What’s the plan?”

“No snowmobiles, those ATV’s can’t make it in the snow which is still falling,” he looks to Bell and Hamell for some sort of help.

“Like Agent Morgan said, your tech analyst hopefully will send for an airlift but even then they aren’t going to come until it stops snowing. And up here, it could be a day or maybe two.”

Bell wipes his face with his hands. “We should clean October up, put her in the truck with the others.”

“I hate to bring this up, but we should take pictures,” Hotch says, pointing to the camera on the desk.

Prentiss picks it up. “I’ll do it, you can wait out here.”

“I guess we should grab all the gear that we need and take it over to the Cabin, hunker down there,” Hotch says. “There’s food and more resources over there. We should also grab medical supplies and take them over there with us.”

A few silent and strained minutes later, Prentiss comes out with the camera. She nods to Bell, who starts barking orders. “Hamell, you and Toby clean her up and take her to the truck. Agents, grab the gear you need and the CB and get to the Cabin. Dr. Reid and I will set Morgan’s arm then we’ll grab some med supplies and meet you over there.”

As everyone starts moving around me, the cloud of morphine starting to float over me. I can definitely feel the drug, but I know that in an emergency I could even drive a car if I had to. “Guys, it’s hitting,” I say lazily.

“Okay, Dr. Reid I need for you to hold onto his shoulder. I’m going to pull on his arm and line it up,” Bell grabs my wrist. “Ready?”

Reid does as he’s told. “Go.”

In a ninja-fast move, Bell pulls my arm straight away from me. I feel a pull and hear a loud pop and cry out in pain. Once Bell’s satisfied he’s set the bone, he takes an ace bandage and metal splint and wraps my arm up quickly, Reid securing the sling around my neck and tucking my arm inside.

“Derek, you okay?”

I nod, tears stinging my eyes as Reid puts my coat over me. “I’m glad I had that morphine,” I snicker. “Fuck…”

“Okay, are you going to be okay for a few minutes while I help Bell grab some supplies?” Reid puts his hands on my cheeks. “Derek?”

I nod. “Yeppers.” Oh shit, I’m totally feeling the morphine.

“I think I gave him too much,” Reid mutters, disappearing into the infirmary with Bell.

After what seems like forever, Bell grabs my good arm and helps me up. “Hold onto me man,” he says.

We go outside and I have ton concentrate on each step to make it to the Cabin. Once inside, Bell takes me straight to the ‘bathroom.’ “Dr. Reid, go get him some dry clothes.” He sits me down on a folding chair.

Reid returns. “I can help him, thanks Ranger Bell.”

Bell leaves silently, closing the door behind him. “This room is COLD,” I mutter, shivering.

“You’re in wet pants and no shirt,” Reid says, taking off my coat. He takes my sling off and quickly manages to get my busted arm through the sleeve of both a long-sleeve shirt and sweater, getting them the rest of the way on and sliding my arm back into the sling. “Hey, now I’m taking care of you.”

“You’re still mad at me,” I say.

“No, right now all that matters is that you’re okay and we make it out of here,” he says.

“No, I’m a jerk-off.”

“A jerk-off that needs to stand up so I can get him into some clean pants,” he says.

I stand up and it isn’t until my new pants are back on that I register that he also changed my boxers. Which means… “You saw me naked!” I giggle, just lucid enough to realize that I’m giggling, but not enough to stop it.

“Don’t flatter yourself, its cold in here. Besides I didn’t look.” He gives me a stern look. “We need to get you back in front of that fire and full of tea.”

“How is your knee?” I ask as I manage to walk unassisted back to the loveseat in front of the fire, settling down in the warmth. Prentiss immediately covers me with somebody’s sleeping bag.

“It’s fine, I’ll be just fine,” Reid says, sitting next to me.

JJ comes up and puts a cup of tea in my hand. “Here Morgan, drink up.”

I take a sip and hand it back to her, closing my eyes and settling even further into the loveseat.

“Prentiss, are you okay?” I hear JJ whisper.

“I’m fine,” she says in that reassured tone.

“We should eat something, I’ll make something.” Toby says. I hear footsteps going in the direction of the kitchen.

“Fucking shit, what if they are on their way here?” Bell says. “Agent Morgan, they started yelling ‘rangers’ right?”

I open my eyes. “Yeah, they knew.”

“So they might be on their way,” Hotch says.

“Okay, Hamell—take Agent Rossi with you to the shed to get gas for the generator. Agent Hotchner, would you help me bring in as much firewood as we can? Agents Jareau and Prentiss, we should…”

The warm fire begins to warm me and the morphine takes over and soon I find myself slipping into sleep.

Title: This Feeling Won’t Go 5/?

Rating: FRT-P/V (this chapter, series in all rated up to FRAO-P/SC/GV)

Pairing: Slash mostly Morgan/Reid, but mentions of Hotch/JJ, Garcia/Kevin

Summary: The team arrives back at the Ranger’s station to examine the latest crime scene, but something goes terribly wrong.

Comments: Better than watching Reid suck on a lollipop (and that was pretty darned good)

SPOILERS: Mostly I take what happens on the show and twist it into how I WISH it would happen, much like Reid’s knee injury. So, spoilers I guess from all seasons, up to the most currently aired episode at the time of posting.

The cops, they'll steal your dreams and they'll kill your prayers

~This Is Your Life by The Killers

~~~

Disclaimer: I don’t own any rights or trademarks to Criminal Minds, the FBI, CBS or any of the characters within. No infringements of these copyrights are intended. Any similarities between original characters therein are a coincidence. I make no profit from the following fictional story. (Fictional, maybe, but I swear this happened all in my head).

~~~

9:03am, Ranger’s Cabin & Visitor’s Center at Deep Lake

Dr. Spencer Reid

After a very bumpy ride in the back of Morder’s pickup truck—and hitting my head on the roof of the topper over one bump—we arrive at the Ranger’s cabin. With Rossi offering a hand to help me out of the truck bed, I join the rest of the team in front of the Visitor’s Center, where Toby and Ranger Hamell are waiting for us.

“We’ve got two bodies, a pair of hikers,” Ranger Hamell says. “According to their wallets, they look like husband and wife.”

“Where did you find them?” Hotch asks.

“At the end of Elk River, southwest of this Center,” Toby says. “Wilkinson and Josh are already out there, waiting for us.”

“What about crime scene techs? An ME?” Rossi asks.

Morder seems agitated. “Fucking ME van broke down. I get the luxury of hauling the bodies back in the truck. As for CSI?” He goes around and pulls out a large fishing tackle box from his truck. “We’re it.”

“JJ—get the laptop set up in the Center and tell Garcia we’re going to rush evidence to Quantico.” Hotch turns to Morder. “We’ll collect evidence and send it with you into town for you to ship to the FBI.”

“Got it,” Morder says.

“Prentiss, can you stay here with JJ? We’ll be radioing information to you to give her before we even get back,” Hotch turns to me. “Reid, bundle up you’re coming with us.”

I see Prentiss smile at the thought of staying inside a warm building while we are out working in now three inches of snow. Grabbing my gloves and scarf, I secure my messenger bag around me and walk over to the ATV’s. I see Morgan taking the driver’s seat on one and Hotch take a spot behind Morder.

“What are Bell and Wilkinson driving?” I ask, hoping on behind Toby and shooting a glance at Morgan.

“They took the two snowmobiles with the sleds on the back, to bring back the bodies,” Toby says. “Hamell, you staying?”

He nods. “Bell’s orders.”

Rossi jumps on the back of Morgan’s ATV and we take off—Toby and I in the lead. I notice that we’re going pretty slow. “What’s wrong?”

“These things aren’t meant to take snow, but we didn’t have enough snowmobiles,” Toby yells over the engine. “He didn’t want us to take too many trips back and forth.”

We go over a bump on the trail and I instinctively grab onto Toby’s waist to avoid flying off. I notice the landscape as we go by—the trail is about six feet wide and the trees are pretty thick. That would make visibility fairly difficult on this trail, especially since there isn’t a ridge nearby to watch them from. Assuming they took this trail.

“Hey Toby, were there tracks?” I yell.

“NO—we got a dusting of snow after you left but most of this happened over the night,” he says.

Which means that the murderers took place last night before most of the snow fell.

Ten minutes later we arrive at the end of the Elk River. Bell and Wilkinson are there—bundled up but instead of wearing winter gloves they’ve donned purple latex ones. There are aluminum fire blankets covering two bodies. Bell is taking pictures with a camera while Wilkinson is using orange flags to mark what could be evidence. We park the ATV’s a significant distance away from the clearing and follow Hotch towards the scene.

“What do we have?” he asks.

“No tracks,” Bell says. “Must have happened before three AM. This place is off the trail so it didn’t get patrolled last night,” he looks to Wilkinson, inferring that she was the one on this trail. “I officially am closing the Deer Lake campsite, by the way. I don’t care if it’s a bad idea, I can’t live with any more bodies on my watch.”

I go over to one of the bodies and take off the blanket. “Both victims have had their throats slashed, stabbed multiple times…”

“The male has a gunshot wound to the back,” Wilkinson says. “The woman has one in the chest, but neither look fatal to me.”

I look over the male body. About six feet, 170, dark brown hair that looks matted. “I think maybe the unsubs took his hat.” I pull up his shirt with a gloved hand to look at the wounds more closely. That’s when I notice the blood on the ground. “They were killed here, see where the snow landed on the blood?”

“There’s an indent, the first layers melted until the blood froze,” Rossi says, kneeling on the other side of the body.

“I’m willing to bet they stopped here at the edge of the river and got sniped from the ridge,” Bell points down the river.

“Wait, the last victims had a canoe that wasn’t recovered,” I stand up. “Could the perpetrators perhaps have come down the river?”

Bell nods. “Possible. Well, if anyone wants to come up to the ridge with me, we can check it out.”

“I’ll go, Rossi you come with. Reid take a look at these knife wounds and see if you recognize anything from the photos of the other victims. Morgan?” Hotch looks to him.

“I get to play CSI? Sweet, I think I can handle that,” he says with a smirk, taking off his gloves and grabbing the forensics tool box from Morder.

Once they take off on the two snowmobiles, leaving the sleds behind, I turn to Wilkinson. “They been searched for ID?”

“No wallets, but it looks like they had at least one pack that was taken,” she says.

“How can you tell?” Sheriff Morder asks.

“There’s a rip on the man’s jacket, around the shoulder and under the arm. Perhaps it was torn off of him,” she says, pointing.

I nod. “That could very well be true, good eye October.”

Toby comes up to us, holding Bell’s camera. “What would you like me to do? Josh already took enough pictures to fill the memory card on this thing.”

“We should load up the bodies on the sleds so when they get back we can go,” Morgan says, holding his palm out. “The snow is starting to come down harder.”

“Sure thing boss,” I say under my breath, instantly wanting to take it back. I can’t be angry and caddy at Morgan in front of the locals.

“Here, Morder you want to get the left?” Morgan says as he, Toby and Morder lift the woman into one of the sleds.

I look to Wilkinson. “A nerd and a girl, this should be fun,” I laugh.

She snickers. “Speak for yourself, girl.”

We roll the body onto the aluminum blanket and begin to lift when I almost drop my side. Morgan rushes to help me. As always, Morgan steps in to help poor little broken Spencer Reid. When he has a grip, I let go and step back, letting them lift the body into the sled. As I step out of their way, I trip over something with my right foot and go crashing to the ground, landing on my right kneecap. I grab onto my throbbing knee and tears instantly sting my eyes.

“Spencer!” Toby comes running to my side. “Are you okay?”

I wince. “I tripped and landed on my knee.”

“Here, I’ll take you back,” Toby helps me up and together I stumble my way to one of the ATV’s with him.

“I can take him,” Morgan offers, giving me a concerned look laced with his own guilt.

“Toby should take me, he knows the way,” I say in between gritted teeth. It doesn’t hurt nearly as bad as it did when it was injured before, but I know I’ll be limping and if anything develop a nasty bruise.

Toby gets on the ATV and just as I wrap my arms around his waist to keep from falling off we hear gunshots come from the ridge. “HOTCH,” Morgan yells over the radio.

“We’re okay,” Hotch’s voice crackles in. “Bell saw a bear and he let off a few shots into the sky to scare it off. We’re coming back down.”

“Reid tripped and got hurt, Toby’s taking him back. We’ll wait for you so we can hook the sleds up to the snowmobiles, over and out.” Morgan looks to us. “Reid, keep your gun out, just in case.”

I roll my eyes most unprofessionally as Toby takes off back to the Visitor’s Center. The engine is too loud to allow for small talk, so instead I think about my childish behavior at the scene. I have to learn how to not act out while on a case, remain professional. Just because Hotch wasn’t there to witness it doesn’t make it okay.

“Reid,” Prentiss pats my back as I settle further into her hug. “He’s just looking out for you.”

“He’s a jerk,” JJ spits. “I mean, I love him like a brother but sometimes he’s all about the gold instead of the silver.”

“What do you mean?” Prentiss asks.

“The Golden Rule, treat others as you would want to be treated,” I say, sitting up. “The Silver Rule is to treat others as they would want to be treated.” I turn to JJ. “That’s what you meant, right?”

She nods. “There’s a very good reason he’s single. He just doesn’t get it.”

“Reid, you do use him though.” Prentiss’s voice becomes stern. “If you need help, you call him first. Since Davenport you’ve favored him over the rest of us. I know he offered to come to Vegas, but any of us would have gone to help you out. I think that only fed his ‘golden’ delusion.”

I sigh, realizing she’s right. I am guilty. For a moment, that hurts much worse than my bruised knee.

~

We pull up to the Visitor’s Center where Ranger Hamell and Prentiss were standing outside the shed. Toby hops off and helps me down.

“What happened?” Prentiss asks with concern as she runs through the ever-deeper snow towards us, her arm full of wood.

“I tripped and fell. They are coming back with the bodies,” I say.

“This is getting worse,” Hamell pants, catching up to us. “Morder’s not going to be able to get the truck to town tonight.”

Once we are all inside, Hamell throws his armful of wood down near the fire and begins to replenish it. I turn to Prentiss, who is also unloading her arms. “Will you help me into the infirmary? I have to take my pants off to look at my knee but I don’t know if I can make it in there.”

“I’m going to take wood into the Cabin, bring us something to eat and some coffee,” Toby says awkwardly. I wonder if he was hoping I’d ask for his help? I’m sure he’s still feeling off about hitting on me the other night.

Silently Prentiss nods and helps me hobble into the closet of an infirmary. With her standing right next to me to catch me if I fall, I manage to slip my pants off and check my knee. “It’s bruising.”

“Are you going to be okay?” Prentiss asks, seemingly un-phased by my Halloween-themed boxer shorts.

I nod. “It just hurts, I’m sure I’ll be limping.” I pull up my pants and lose my balance just bit.

Prentiss grabs my shoulders and steadies me while I get dressed. “How was the scene?”

“The bodies were repeatedly stabbed, they were also shot. We think from the ridge overlooking where they were found.” I lower my voice even further. “How are we going to get out of here?”

“Ranger Hamell said that he could request an air lift, but they won’t come in the snow. The best he can do it let Rescue in New Castle know and once the snow lifts they’ll be able to plow and send a vehicle that can take us back.” Prentiss scratches her ear, something she does when she’s upset. “We should have just scooped the bodies and left.”

“We did.”

“You’ve been gone for nearly three hours,” she reminds me.

“It took almost an hour to get back in the snow,” I defend lightly, finding a bottle of generic ibuprofen on the shelf behind me and grabbing the bottle. “The ATV’s really can’t handle it.”

We leave the infirmary room and walk into the main part of the Center, where JJ and Hamell are crowed around the CB radio. “Just hurry back, over and out,” Ranger Hamell says.

“What happened?” I ask, sitting down.

“Your boss found an empty backpack on the way back, in the middle of the trail.” Hamell gets up, seeing Toby needing help with the door.

I turn to Prentiss and JJ and lower my voice. “We didn’t see anything, which means…”

“Hey guys, I brought a box of granola bars and the last of the apples,” Toby sets the box down and pulls out a coffee pitcher, a few mugs and a small box of sugar packets. “Sorry, we ran out of milk.”

“Toby, do you remember seeing a backpack on the trail on the way back?” I ask him, taking the cup he offers me.

“No, I don’t.” He sits down next to me. “How’s the knee?”

I open the bottle of ibuprofen and pop two of them, swallowing with the somewhat lukewarm coffee. “I’ll be okay, thanks for your help.”

Just then we hear engines and I look out the window to see two snowmobiles pull up. Prentiss, Toby and Hamell all go outside, I assume to load the bodies into the truck. After a few minutes Rossi and Hotch follow everyone inside.

“Hey, we’re the rest of them?” JJ asks.

“Josh decided to use the snowmobiles to take a run on the main trails,” Toby says, looking winded. “He and Agent Morgan took one, October and Sheriff Morder took the other.”

“We should get changed,” Hotch looks to Rossi. “We’re both wet to the bone.”

“What, from kneeling in the snow or pissing your pants when we saw that bear?” Rossi smirks.

“You saw a bear?” Prentiss’s eyes get wide.

“That’s not right,” Hamell says. “Sure, we get September snow up here before the bears hibernate, but usually bears around here steer clear of humans…”

“…unless they are scared,” Rossi says. “That’s what Ranger Bell says. Reid, how’s the knee?”

“Bruised,” I stand up. “My pants are all wet too, I should change as well.”

“I unloaded your bags into the Cabin while you were gone,” Hamell says, “in anticipation of the truck needing to haul the bodies. Although we should think about putting them in the shed since we’re not getting out of here tonight.”

I follow Rossi and Hotch to the Cabin, which is nice and warm thanks to Toby starting all the fires. We beeline to the same room we slept in the other night, finding our things and quickly changing. We stumble back to the Visitor’s Center and walk in as Prentiss is frantically talking on the radio.

“SHERIFF MORDER?” MORDER!” She sets the handset down.

I tap JJ on the shoulder and use my eyes to silently ask what’s happening. She looks up with a worried, yet professional face, whispering. “Morder and Ranger Wilkinson called in, saying they were shot at. We heard them return fire, then Bell and Morgan said they’d go cover them and then the radios went dead.”

The CB crackles and soon Wilkinson’s scared whisper comes over the radio. “We are at…the west pass around the camp grounds…”

Ranger Bell’s voice fills in. “Stay tight, take cover, we are almost…MORGAN!”

There’s a loud crashing sound and suddenly the radio goes dead.

THE LEAST EXPECTED (PART 1) (Ghost Hunters/CM Crossover)

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6

ONE (PART 2)

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6

UNFOLD (PART 3)
*THIS IS NOW FULLY UP TO DATE THROUGH CHAPTER 15!!!

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
UPDATE:  Part 4 of the series
THIS FEELING WON'T GO

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
...still being posted. I will update when I can!!!!

Title:  This Feeling Won’t Go 4/?

Rating: FRT-P (this chapter, series in all rated up to FRAO-P/SC/GV)

Pairing: Slash mostly Morgan/Reid, but mentions of Hotch/JJ, Garcia/Kevin

Summary:  Morgan finds it’s nearly impossible to resist Reid, and begins lashing out to push the object of his desire away so he can focus on the case.

Comments:  Better than watching Reid suck on a lollipop (and that was pretty darned good)

SPOILERS:  Mostly I take what happens on the show and twist it into how I WISH it would happen, much like Reid’s knee injury.  So, spoilers I guess from all seasons, up to the most currently aired episode at the time of posting.

Take a number where the blood just barely dried

~This is Your Life, The Killers

~~~

Disclaimer:  I don’t own any rights or trademarks to Criminal Minds, the FBI, CBS or any of the characters within.  No infringements of these copyrights are intended.  Any similarities between original characters therein are a coincidence.  I make no profit from the following fictional story.  (Fictional, maybe, but I swear this happened all in my head).

~~~

7:02am at the Ranger’s Cabin

Agent Derek Morgan

I wake up to the sound of everyone else milling around the room—grabbing clothes, organizing ‘bathroom’ time and getting dressed to go to the outhouse.  Rubbing my eyes, I put my stocking feet on the cold floor and get out of my bunk—seeing Hotch and Rossi finishing getting dressed.

“Morning,” Rossi says. “If you want the bathroom, you’ll have to wait because Prentiss and JJ are changing in there.”

“And if you want the outhouse, put on your boots and coat, there’s about an inch of snow on the ground,” Hotch says.

“Shit,” I mutter, quickly changing into a pair of black slacks, a black long-sleeve shirt, my sweater and the wool socks Reid lent me last night before lacing up my boots that I thought to keep near the wood stove and going into the main room.

Reid’s already dressed, blanket around his shoulders and a chipped coffee mug in his hand.  He’s decided to leave his glasses on and his hair is disheveled.  He looks up from the notebook he’s scribbling in and smiles.  “Good morning—there’s coffee.”

I point.  “Outhouse first.”

I bundle up and trek out to one of two outhouses.  On my way back to the Cabin, I meet Prentiss.  “Hey there.”

“Can you believe this shit?” She says.  “Hotch said we should go back to Glenwood Springs today and work from there.  Thank God!”

I point to the ATV tracks.  “They all went?”

She nods.  “Reid said Morder demanded to go on the run too.  Bell decided to take Toby with and split the runs up to get them done sooner, considering.  Bell said that he doesn’t think there are any campers, but there’s always a chance some day hikers may have got caught in the snow.  That’s what Reid said.”

I nod and pat her on the shoulder, heading back inside.  Pouring myself a cup of coffee, I take a spot near the fire in the ‘living room’ area next to Rossi.  “What’s the plan Hotch?”

“Once the Ranger’s are back, Sheriff Morder is going to take us back to Glenwood Springs so we can get some rooms and work from the station.”

“Prentiss is practically jumping to get back to the real world,” I say with a smirk. “I think when we catch these guys she’ll be first in line to shoot them.”

After scrounging up some apples, instant oatmeal and some fruit bars, we manage to make ourselves a half-way decent breakfast and even clean up after ourselves before we hear the sound of the ATV’s pulling up to the cabin.  Moments later, Rangers Bell, Wilkinson, Hamell, Toby and Sheriff Morder come inside.

“Glad you guys helped yourselves,” Bell says. “I suppose you’re going to pack up?”

Hotch nods, “yes.  Thanks again for your hospitality.”

“No problem.  Toby is going to take a few of you back in the Jeep, the rest can ride with Morder.”

~~~

Ninety minutes later at the police station in Glenwood Springs, CO

After a 45-minute drive back to Glenwood Springs and some time to set-up in the conference room of the post office/police station/morgue/barber (the small shop on the very end of the strip mall), finally my baby girl’s face fills the computer monitor in front of us.

“Alright my intrepid Rocky Mountain G-Men and Women, I may have something,” Garcia’s blonde hair is down, this time she has green highlights cascading around her face.  “While you were enjoying the woods, Michael Dawson’s family picked up Sally and Michael’s remains to be shipped back home to Boulder when Michael’s father noticed that Sally’s wedding ring, which was his mother’s, was missing and not part of her personal effects.”

“We were at the scene yesterday and didn’t find anything,” Rossi says.

“I called the department while you guys were at the Ranger’s Cabin and they haven’t found it either,” Garcia states.

“Possible trophy?” Hotch asks.

“Guys, that wasn’t all,” Garcia clears her throat.  “When I called Glenwood Springs PD yesterday evening they said that Corbin and Colby Hall’s parents called looking for the boys necklaces.  Each of the boys wore a silver pendant—a feather--around their necks—the Halls thought maybe the necklaces were kept as evidence.”

“They are taking trophies,” Reid says.  “Other than the gear they steal to survive, they keep something for themselves.”

“Thanks Garcia, keep us informed,” JJ says, cutting the feed.  “I’m going to call Laurie Trent and see if there was anything Kristen kept on her person that they haven’t received.”

“All the murder sites were open enough that someone from a distance could see them, except for Kristen Trent,” Rossi says.  “Do you think perhaps she was an impulse kill?”

“She had a grazing gunshot wound,” I add.  “What if they meant to shoot her, they missed but the impact sent her over the edge of that outcropping? They went down to rob her and she was still alive, so they strangled her?”

“She was the turning point from shooting to hand-to-hand violence,” Hotch says.

“Is it possible that Kristen Trent could bare some resemblance to someone the unsubs knew? It seems like she could have acted as a secondary stressor,” Reid adds.

Prentiss shakes her head.  “I think she’s part of the pattern, but she was only killed by one of the unsubs.”

“Why would you say that?” I ask.

“He shot her from a distance, then went to rob her with her sister close enough to hear the shot.  In the past, all the parties were murdered.  I think maybe Kristen Trent was one of the unsubs going rouge.  Or perhaps an impulse kill, but not part of the plan.” Prentiss sits down next to JJ.  “Not an intended target.”

“So you’re saying all these victims were targeted ahead of time?” Hotch says.  “JJ, Reid, I need you to find any patterns you can between these victims.  Call Garcia to help.  Similar interests, anything that would potentially make them a target.  Morgan—you look over the photos from the most recent murder again, try to decipher differences in cuts, blows…”

“By identifying traits in the wounds we can possibly come up with a number of unsubs,” I finish his sentence.  “On it.”

“I’m going to talk to Sheriff Morder and then I think Rossi and I should head up to Boulder to talk to the Dawson’s.  This was the most brutal of the murderers and I think it has the potential for the most clues.” Hotch grabs his bag.  “Rossi, can you gas up the SUV and JJ—will you secure us some rooms at the motel here in town?  We should be back tonight, it’s a three-and-a-half hour drive and its still early morning.”

“Got it,” she says, grabbing the phone on the table next to her.

~~~

9:13pm at the Bluebird Motel in Glenwood Springs, CO

After a long day at the Sheriff’s station, we go out to dinner and finally make our way to the small motel.  JJ had only been able to secure us three rooms—since there was a fall football conference in nearby Carbondale and all the rooms in both towns had been taken up.  With Hotch pairing up with Rossi, that left me with the Incredible Hulk.

Of course I’ve been too busy staring and photos of victims and reading over case files to pay much attention, but the days that he chooses to wear his glasses makes him look…good.  He spent most of the day alternating between scribbling on the map he tacked to the wall, grabbing more coffee, nervously scribbling on his notebook and scrounging the table for a particular file or piece of paper.  Watching him work…oh who am I kidding?  I had one eye on the work and the other on him.

I throw my go-bag on the bed, having left my sleeping bag in our rented SUV.  That’s when I notice…one bed.  I instantly grab my cell and call JJ.  “JJ, how come…”

“One bed? Yeah, Prentiss and I got that too.  These were the only rooms left and Hotch being boss, he picked the two-bed room for him and Rossi.”

“Is it because he’s the boss or because he’s your boyfriend?” I quip before I even realize that I’ve gone too far.

“That was low, Morgan.  Fuck off.” She slams the phone, actually sounding angry for the first time in her life.  Crap, I didn’t mean to hurt her.  I’m going to be kissing her ass for a month now.

I turn to Reid.  “You want the shower first?”

“No, you go ahead,” Reid says, kicking off his shoes and flopping onto the bed.

I grab my toiletry kit and head to the bathroom, eager to wash the woods off of me.  In a few short minutes the hot water is pounding around my body but it doesn’t manage to wash away my thoughts of the day.  The way Reid would offer to top off my coffee every time he went to get his, or how he split his last rice krispie bar with me.  The way he moves his hands and fingers when he’s talking to us, or how at one point today he started to spin around in his chair. 

He’s my best friend.  I have to stop thinking like this.

With a towel around my waist I reach for my bag when I realize I’ve left my clothes in the main room.  I exit the bathroom to see Reid sitting atop his Hulk sleeping bag, legs crossed, reading a book at his usual feverish pace.  “Oh, Morgan, I was hoping to finish this book before you were done,” he says, tucking a bookmark in one of the final pages.

“What is it?” I grab my bag, fishing for last night’s sleeping clothes, sliding my boxers on under the towel before removing it and putting on the rest of my clothes.

“The Bone Vault by Linda Fairstein, I picked it up in the airport in Denver while JJ was renting the vehicle.”  He stands up.  “I don’t mind the floor…I have a sleeping bag,” he says, pointing to the Hulk scowling up at us from the bed.

“Not if I take it,” I jest, pulling on it.  “Floor is mine, boy genius.”

Reid grabs the other side and starts pulling on it too, creating a nice little tug-of-war.  When he loses his footing and stumbles into the bed he practically squeaks in between giggles.  I can’t help but laugh when his glasses go flying onto the bed—but at the same time I take enough of a time-out to safely set them on the night stand before resuming our game.  With one big final tug from Reid, I decide to let go—which sends him slamming into the wall behind him.

“Spencer, you okay?” I go over to him as he slides to the floor, holding the back of his head.

“Yea,” he winces.

“Are you bleeding?” I ask, reaching my fingers underneath his to check.  “Nope thank God.”

He meets my eye with the most telling look on his face.  I’m hovering again.  I move my hand away and I’m about to stand up when he grabs my arm.  “Help me up?” He pleads.

I do, setting him back on the bed.  “I am so so so sorry man, so sorry.”

He rubs his head and gets up.  “I’m okay, I need a shower.  Not your fault,” he says, reaching for his glasses and go-bag, disappearing into the bathroom.

I take the Hulk sleeping bag and a pillow and make myself a bed on the floor.  I take Reid’s book and start reading his book, only getting twenty pages in by the time he emerges from the bathroom, wearing drawstring pants and the t-shirt I bought him several months ago.

“Nice shirt,” I snicker, putting his book back.

“Thanks, some guy bought it for me,” he says, climbing into the bed and turning on the TV.

Two hours later he finally sets his glasses on the nightstand and turns off the lamp.

“You can leave it on if you want Reid,” I yawn, getting comfortable.

 He turns it back on, shifting back into a comfortable position.  “Toby tried to make a move on me last night.”

“He’s cute, I guess. But I didn’t think he was gay.”

“He was flirting with me all day, even at dinner last night.  Don’t pretend you didn’t notice,” he says with a hint of anger in his voice.

“I thought your disco ball comment was funny.”

“You fucking asshole,” he spits.  “You scooted closer to me on that loveseat, you embarrassed me in front of Toby with your ‘Incredible Hulk’ comment…”

“You bought the fucking thing,” I defend.

“No Derek, you paid for it.  Remember?  I tried to pay for it but you pulled it out of my hands and told the clerk that all my credit cards were stolen so they had to take yours.”

“It doesn’t matter, I just submit the receipt to Garcia and I get reimbursed for work-related expenses,” I roll over onto my side.

“No, it does matter because you swooped in to take care of me again.”  He sighs.  “You should get a cat.”

“Why do I need a cat?”

“So you can parent something else.”

“Oh, I know,” I get up and start pacing the room.  “I could get a pair of kittens because I’m too afraid to actually go for anyone and that way whenever you aren’t around I don’t have to go to sleep alone!”

“Morgan…”

“No no no, that way I don’t have to actually interact with another human being and whenever I need something I can call Morgan because he’ll take care of me,” I look at Reid.  “Oh no wait, that’s your thing.”

Reid flies out of bed and pushes me against the wall.  “FUCK YOU MORGAN!  I don’t need a father or a big brother I just need a friend and a co-worker.  No, scratch that.  A co-worker.”

“Earlier, when you hit your head on this wall you asked me take care of you…”

“It was your fault Morgan!” He pushes me again, putting all his strength behind it and actually pushing me hard.

“I take care of you because you are my best friend, my team mate, and because I owe you.  And yeah, I hover, and yes I know I push my nose into places it doesn’t belong but someone has to take care of you.”

“The same could be said for you,” Reid backs off.  “Agent Morgan, you can have the bed.  I’m going to sleep on the floor of Prentiss and JJ’s room.  Or the car.”

“No you aren’t.”

“Or what, you gonna push me into the wall?  Maybe this time you’ll punch me or hit me or…how about branding me?  There can be a big seal on my chest PROPERTY OF DEREK MORGAN.  Would that make you happy?”

“Reid, I don’t want that…”

“You know, I want to trust you, and for a while I convinced myself that I could, but I was wrong.”

With that, Reid leaves.  Slamming the door behind him.

~

7:23am

I wake up to the sun streaming through the small window of our room and someone pounding on our door.  I manage to get up and answer the door.  “Yes?”

“Morgan,” its JJ, already dressed.  “There’s been another murder up at Deep Lake.  Morder just got the call and he’s going to come pick us up and take us up there.”

“All of us?”

“He said he put the topper on his pickup so we can all pile in,” she says matter-o-factly.

“JJ?  I’m sorry for what I said last night.  It was completely uncalled for and I didn’t intend to imply…”

She softens.  “It’s okay.  I accept your apology.  However, you’re going to have to do a lot more than flash that smile at Reid.”

“Is he mad?”

“He came to our room in tears because he doesn’t know how to deal with you,” she says.  “He knows you are trying to be a good friend but…he thinks you’ve crossed a line.”

I sigh.  “I know.  I promise we’ll work it out after the case.”

“Good, because last night he fell asleep in the bed with Prentiss and I ended up on the floor with the Incredible Hulk sleeping bag,” she snickers.  “Get dressed.”

Title:  This Feeling Won’t Go 3/?

Rating: FRT-P  (this chapter, series in all rated up to FRAO-P/SC/GV)

Pairing: Slash mostly Morgan/Reid, but mentions of Hotch/JJ, Garcia/Kevin

Summary:  The team arrives at the Ranger’s Station. 

Comments:  Better than watching Reid suck on a lollipop (and that was pretty darned good)

SPOILERS:  Mostly I take what happens on the show and twist it into how I WISH it would happen, much like Reid’s knee injury.  So, spoilers I guess from all seasons, up to the most currently aired episode at the time of posting.

WARNING most of this chapter has to do with the specs of the Ranger’s Cabin and Visitor’s Center…because I’m setting it up for what happens next mwahaha!

~~~

Disclaimer:  I don’t own any rights or trademarks to Criminal Minds, the FBI, CBS or any of the characters within.  No infringements of these copyrights are intended.  Any similarities between original characters therein are a coincidence.  I make no profit from the following fictional story.  (Fictional, maybe, but I swear this happened all in my head).

~~~

Meanwhile at the Visitor’s Cabin

Dr. Spencer Reid

“Now, your phones won’t work out here,” Toby says.  “We have radios with a decent range and the main CB unit is in the Visitors Center,” he points to the smaller cabin.  “That’s where you should set up your gear, that building has the better set-up for electronics.  Also, the outhouses are just back there, we don’t have indoor plumbing here, sadly.  I mean, well, we have plumbing in the cabin during the summer for showers but Josh had us close the pump and blow out the pipes last week when it got cold.”

I grab my messenger bag and a box of files, trying to balance another box on top when Toby comes to take it from me.  “Thanks Toby.”

He nods and smiles. “Sure, of course.  What was your name again?”

A smile creeps across my face before I realize it’s there.  “Uhm, I’m Dr. Reid, or you can call me Spencer.  If you want.”  JJ coughs as she grabs an armload of files and lets out a loud, obvious cough which I pretend to ignore.  “Either one, is…fine.”

“Okay, Spencer.” Toby nods and heads towards the cabin.

After two trips back to the truck to haul in our gear and boxes of files I finally get a chance to look around.  The main room is about the size of the briefing room back at the BAU but with taller ceilings.  There’s a small First Aid room with room enough for shelving and a cot, and another door labeled RANGER OFFICE.  The main room has a desk, several chairs and old, threadbare loveseats and enough posters, brochures, books and maps around to satisfy the information need of those who would come here.

Toby finishes setting up a card table next to the desk, as per JJ’s request, and I take a map of the park and tape it up on the wall.  JJ plugs the laptop and the charger for the satellite phone into a strip on the top of the desk, connected to a cord that runs under the desk.  “Is the generator for this building going to be able to handle a laptop?” she asks Toby.

“Actually, that generator should, its 2000 watts,” I say, continuing to set up our workstation. “The laptop uses 750 watts, plus the 750 in surge wattage.  The battery charger is unplugged, which means the batteries for the walkies must be charged…and there are only two compact fluorescent light bulbs in this room at 30 watts apiece.  Oh, and that CB radio takes about 300 watts.  So, the answer is yes.  Oh, provided the gas tank is full.”

“The tank is full—I topped it off shortly before you arrived.”  Toby stops.  “How did you know?”

“Oh, I saw the generator outside on the way in,” I say.  “How many gallons?”

“One and half,” he says.

“That’s, what, about eight hours of continuous use? And I assume you have…”

“We have a ten-gallon tank in the shed, Josh makes us bring back a few gallons every time someone goes into town,” Toby catches himself from continuing on.  “Let me start the fire, so we stay warm.”

“That would be good, thanks,” I say to Toby as he walks out the door, presumably to get firewood.  I reach into my bag for a Rice Crispy bar, offering one to JJ who takes one.

After a brief snack and a small but promising fire in the fireplace, Garcia’s face fills the screen.  “Hello hello hello!  How are the mountains?”

“Cold,” I say, suddenly reaching for the knit mittens Garcia made for me last Christmas.  “Fire’s still kicking in.”

“Okay my frost-icicles, I’ve been running anything I can on all the vics, nothing in common.  I did attempt to trace any of the usage from the satellite phone the campers had, but it hadn’t been used since they rented it.”

“Hotch suggested that we contact any outfitting stores near here to see if someone is trying to sell them the stolen goods,” JJ says.  “All we have is our sat phone…”

“I’m on top of it sweetie,” Garcia smiles.  “I’ll call any stores around and ask them to keep an eye out for the stolen items.”

“I can go through the reports and compile a list,” I offer.

“Nah, already have that boy wonder.  It’s been nearly seven hours since we last talked and in between thank-you emails for wedding gifts I managed to squeeze some work in.”

“Thanks Garcia.  We are going to leave this computer on for a while, just ping in.”  JJ closes the webcam video feed and sits down.  “You know, without media to tame, tip lines to man or press conferences to organize I feel a bit out of my element,” she laughs.

“I’m going to map out the crime scenes, can you read off the coordinates?”

After we get the scenes mapped out and read over Morder’s files…which are surprisingly sparse, I see JJ glancing over at Toby repeatedly.  I’ve also noticed that he’s looking at me a lot too.  Sensing something’s wrong, I clear my throat.  “Excuse me, Toby?  Is there something warm to drink?”

“We have a coffee pot in the Cabin, I can get it started,” he stands up eagerly.  “I should start some fires in the wood stoves too.  I mean, so it’s not frozen over there.  I’ll put water on boil for tea too.”

“Thank you so much,” I nod, waiting until the door is closed behind him before I speak up.  “You okay?”

JJ smirks, “question is, are you?”

“Huh?”

“I’ve seen the way Toby looks at you, and that whole ‘Spencer’ thing?” She leans back in her chair.  “He’s cute too.”

I stretch, taking my mittens off now that the fire has kicked in.  “How long do you think they are going to be gone?”

“I don’t know, but according to Toby it’s going to get dark soon and the Rangers still want to do their nightly checks,” she taps her pen along the desk.  “You’re changing the subject.”

“You’re perceptive.”

JJ throws her pen at me.  “You should totally flirt with him before the rest get back.  Go on, see if he needs help making coffee or with the fires.”

On cue I hear the sound of ATV’s pulling up, the engines cutting off sharply.  I stand up and go outside, both because I’m eager to find out what the team found and also because I need to move around and stretch.  I go onto the porch to see Morgan, Prentiss, Hotch and Rossi jump off two ATV’s and come towards the Visitor’s Center.  Prentiss’s usually pale cheeks are bright red—and no wonder—the temp gage on the porch reads a bitter 45 degrees.  In fact, there are some snow flakes starting to flitter down from the sky.

“Where are the Rangers?” I ask, letting the team inside the warm Vistor’s Center.

“They told us to head back here, that it’s getting dark soon and they wanted to get their run done.  Morder went with them,” Morgan walks over to the fire and puts his bare hands in front of the flames.

“Toby went to start the wood stoves at the Cabin,” I say, letting a yawn slip.

“It’s too damned cold,” Prentiss says.  “Ranger Hamell said it’s probably going to snow a good inch tonight.  Then when I asked if it was too late to go into town…”

“I don’t want to risk us traveling in the dark out here,” Hotch says.  “These unsubs obviously aren’t afraid of groups, and even with weapons it’s a big risk that I’m not willing to take in the dark. Let’s warm up and then we’ll talk about the case.”

When Toby returns, Rossi and Morgan put the ATV’s in the shed while the rest of us take our gear and hoof it to the Ranger’s Cabin, only a couple hundred feet from the Visitor’s Center.  Setting everything down in the ‘living room’ area, Toby runs to the kitchen.  “I started dinner earlier this afternoon—vegetarian stew in the crock pot.  It’s ready now if you want, or we can wait.”

“Let’s take a slight break, and by then the rest of the Rangers will be back,” Hotch says, taking off his heavy coat and hanging it up by the door.  Three months and it’s still strange to see him without a sports coat.  “Where should we take our bags?”

“Josh thought we’d split up—you agents in one room, us Rangers in the other.  I suggested men and women, but then there wouldn’t be enough beds in the men’s room.  See, we have to wake up early for our patrols and all so it makes more sense for us to split that way and…” he walks to the door closest to the bathroom.  “There are six bunks in here, fresh sheets and blankets—but those sleeping bags will come in handy.  I started the stove in here and there’s plenty of wood,” he gestures.  “The door right out there is the closest to the outhouses.  There are showers in this ‘bathroom’ here, but the pump from the lake was turned off already for the winter.  Pretty much it’s just a changing room with mirrors.  There’s bottled water and if you use some, take the pails outside to dump.  The metal kettles on the stoves are for heating water—and there is a lot of bottled water in the kitchen.”

“Thank you Toby,” Hotch says, immediately throwing his go-bag on the bottom bunk closest to the door.

Once Toby has left the room Morgan beelines to the bunk in the corner, claiming the bottom.  JJ takes the top bunk above Prentiss, Rossi above Hotch, and that leaves me the top bunk above Morgan.  Throwing my Incredible Hulk sleeping bag up, I open my bag and start searching for a sweater to layer over my purple long-sleeve dress shirt and black pin-stripe button vest, knowing I’ll be more comfortable in this than wearing my washed wool double-breasted jacket.

“Staying warm, Hulk?” Morgan says, pulling off his shoes and wet socks, digging in his own bag for dry ones.

I pull on my grey knit cardigan, smoothing my hair from the static cling.  “Better than you.”

“I still can’t believe you have an Incredible Hulk sleeping bag,” Prentiss says, getting up to grab it from my bunk.

“I’m not the only one,” I snark, grabbing it back, “they made it in the adult size for a reason.  Besides, you wouldn’t have paid for it if you didn’t think I should have it.”  I dig through my things and find one of many pairs of wool socks I threw into my bag when we stopped at my apartment, tossing them to Morgan.  “Here, these will keep your feet warm.”

“Thanks Hulk,” he says, putting them on.  “I stepped in a massive puddle out there, wasn’t paying attention.  Oh, would it be easier for you to be on the bottom bunk? I mean, if your knee gets sore in the cold.”

I shrug.  “I’m fine, thanks Morgan.”

After a few minutes, the team walks back to the kitchen where Rangers Wilkinson, Hamell, Bell and Sheriff Morder have returned.  They are already sitting around the table, eating stew and drinking hot tea.  “Help yourselves, we don’t stand on ceremony in these parts,” Bell says.

Letting everyone else go ahead of me, I file at the end of the line, grabbing an enameled metal bowl and partially bent spoon.  “This looks good, thanks Toby.”

 “Tobe, this is just how Mom used to make.” Bell says, scooping food into his mouth at an alarming rate.

Toby smiles yet again.  He reminds me a lot of Dave Tango—that constant need for approval and to prove himself in the presence of others in his field.  He was flirting with me, and I didn’t exactly help.  Not like I’m about to ask him out.  Where would we go on a date out here?  I smile to myself, filling my bowl when it’s my turn at the crock pot.  Grabbing a packet of crackers and an old, chipped coffee mug—which JJ fills with hot water and a tea bag for me—I take my spot over on one of the worn love seats next to Morgan.

“Spencer, you’d be interested to know that the generator for this cabin has a 5500 running wattage load,” Toby says from his spot not too far away.

I see JJ and Prentiss exchange looks before I respond.  “What is plugged in?”

“Right now we’re running Agent Jareau’s computer, a battery charger, the crock pot, three light bulbs—but there are three others not on—and the battery charger for the walkies,” he finishes ticking off the appliances on his fingers.

I nod.  “That leaves us a couple thousand watts to run a CD player and a disco ball if we want to have a dance party.” I quickly fill my mouth with a spoonful of Toby’s stew, feeling like an idiot—and yet feeling empowered.

Morgan nearly chokes on his food.  “What are you talking about?”

“Just trying to make conversation,” I defend.  “Didn’t you want to go clubbing while we were in Colorado anyway?”

I sense Morgan shift and I swear he moves closer to me on this loveseat.  “The Incredible Hulk wants to have a dance party?”

I shoot him a look, shaking my head and shoveling more food in my mouth.  He’s always pulling his little ‘pranks’ and sometimes they are downright cruel.  It’s like he doesn’t know when to stop.  Of course, neither of us having brothers, we never learned those types of boundaries.  That, plus the fact that I let him get away with all of this because I can’t rid myself of my feelings towards him.

After Rossi mercifully changes the topic, the group continues to chat through our meal—my voice absent from the conversation.  I notice Morgan’s thigh against mine in the love seat and after I’m done I get up and take my plate to the kitchen, where Ranger Wilkinson is already washing dishes with hot water from the kettle on the wood stove, soap, and two pails on the counter.  When my offer to help her is rejected, I go back to the living room with a fresh cup of tea in my hands.

After discussing our lack of additional information and the need to meet in the morning to hash out a profile, we take a look at the time and decide to turn in.  While Toby and Bell gather more wood from outside, we go to our room to get ready for bed.  After a trip to the outhouse through the half inch of snow on the ground, I take a turn in the ‘bathroom’ to give myself a rudimentary sponge bath with too-hot water from the woodstove and a washcloth from the pile provided before brushing my teeth, taking out my contacts, and changing into matching blue-striped pajamas, my other pair of wool socks and a navy sweatshirt that I bought once when I thought joining a gym would be a good idea.

When I go back to the bedroom JJ is already sleeping, just the top of her blonde head poking out from under the sleeping bag and green wool army blanket provided.  Hotch is changed into a miss-matched sweat suit and is sitting on the edge of his bunk, glasses on, reading a file with a book light.  Rossi moves past me to the bathroom, while Prentiss stocks the stove—letting the glow of the fire cast a shadow on a tucked-in Morgan on his bed, snoring under a pile of blanket.

“I would give my right leg for a hotel room right now,” Prentiss whispers to me as I walk by her.  “Nice jammies, by the way.”

“Thanks,” I say, climbing up to my bunk and slinking into my Incredible Hulk sleeping bag.  “You too,” I comment on her purple drawstring pants and candy-cane stripped hooded sweatshirt.

~

An hour later I wake up with the need to use the restroom.  It isn’t until I nearly fall off the bunk that I remember where I am.  When I climb down and go into the main room to get my boots, I see Toby sitting in front of the fire place in the living room, a blanket wrapped around him.

“Oh, hi Spencer,” he stands up.  “Is everything okay?”

“I just, uhm, do you have a flashlight?”

“Right next to the door,” he points.  “Here, put on my boots, there’s a bit of snow on the ground—you want to take my gun?”  He gets up and brings me a pair of winter boots, which I manage to slip on. 

I nod.  “Yeah, mine’s still in the hostler near my bed.  Probably a good idea, considering,” I say, taking the rifle he offers me.  “A rifle?”

“Yeah, a Ranger’s standard weapon.  Can’t take down a bear charging after you with a Glock,” he smirks.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” I respond.  Throwing on my coat, which is still hanging on a nail by the door, I venture outside.  Once finished, I come back through the five inches of snow to see Toby still up, still staring at the fire, with a flask in his hand.  I shed the jacket and boots and sit on the couch next to him.  “Are you on night watch?”

He shakes his head.  “No, can’t sleep. Josh and I are third generation Rangers, well, I’ll be a Ranger next summer.  Nothing like this has ever happened to the Bells.”  He takes a drink and hands me the flask.

“Statistically, I’m not surprised.  See, the cost-benefit analysis model would negate a state camp ground as a primary hunting ground for a serial killer, or pair of serial killers.  The terrain is difficult, the victim pool limited and the degree of escalation…” I turn to see Toby has a tired look in his eyes.  Taking a drink of what turns out to be whiskey, I change the subject.  “I mean, uhm, I can understand what its like to be out of your element.”

He laughs quietly, nearly choking on the whiskey in his mouth before swallowing. “Do you always ramble on like that?”

It’s my turn to laugh. “I’m getting better at not doing it.”

“Well, I find you fascinating.”  He turns his torso to better face me, passing me the flask.  “Josh says that you’re a genius.”

He is flirting with me.  I think about what JJ said and decide to go for it.  “Really? I usually sit around, draw on maps and occasionally get to bust an unsub.  You get to trek around in the woods, wear plaid and pee in an outhouse.”

“Bust an unsub? Like, with bullet-proof vests and guns drawn?” His eyes start to twinkle and he’s definitely showing interest in me.

I shrug, taking my second and final drink from the flask.  “Yeah, fancy navy-blue Kevlar with the letters ‘FBI’ in white.  Fashionable stuff.”

“I’m sure you look good in it,” he says, leaning in a little bit closer to me.

I bite my lip, torn between wanting to lean in for a kiss and wanting to go back to bed.  The professional thing would be to go back to bed—if anyone saw Toby could get chewed out by Bell and Hotch and our team looks bad.  If I did, then I could…get some?  Some isn’t what I want and I know that.  It would be a good idea, get my mind off of Morgan.  Same reason I should have hooked up with my TA Alan back in Las Vegas.  Or actually responded when some guy bought me a drink at a bar.  Because I need to move on from this fantasy of me and Morgan together. 

Isn’t going to happen.

And neither is me and Toby.

I clear my throat and stand up.  “I should get some sleep.”

His eyes get wide.  “Oh, I thought maybe you were…oh shit I’m sorry don’t tell Josh he’s always saying I hit on the straight guys and…”

I shake my head.  “I’m not straight, but I’m not available.  I’m sorry if I led you on.”

“Oh.  Good night.”

My heart sinks as his does while I pad back to my bunk.

Title:  This Feeling Won’t Go 2/?

Rating: FRM-P/V (this chapter, series in all rated up to FRAO-P/SC/GV)

Pairing: Slash mostly Morgan/Reid, but mentions of Hotch/JJ, Garcia/Kevin

Summary:  The team arrives at Deep Lake, only to see that something else is on the way.  Morgan tries to keep his feelings in control to focus on the case, but is having a hard time.

Comments:  Better than watching Reid suck on a lollipop (and that was pretty darned good)

SPOILERS:  Mostly I take what happens on the show and twist it into how I WISH it would happen, much like Reid’s knee injury.  So, spoilers I guess from all seasons, up to the most currently aired episode at the time of posting.

~~~

Disclaimer:  I don’t own any rights or trademarks to Criminal Minds, the FBI, CBS or any of the characters within.  No infringements of these copyrights are intended.  Any similarities between original characters therein are a coincidence.  I make no profit from the following fictional story.  (Fictional, maybe, but I swear this happened all in my head).

~~~

An hour later on the tarmac

Agent Derek Morgan

“What happened to you guys?” Prentiss asks us as we find ourselves the last ones to board the jet…five minutes late.

“We didn’t own sleeping bags, so we went to buy them,” I say, “then we had to stop at Reid’s place so he could pack more warm clothes and then my place for a winter jacket in case it got cold at night.”

“Excuse me, I have issues naturally maintaining my body temperature and September in the Rocky Mountains can be cool at night…” he finds his seat, buckling his seatbelt and clutching his sleeping bag to his chest.  “Then we got stuck in traffic behind an accident.”

Hotch snickers and calls up to the pilot that we are ready for take-off.

“Here Reid, let me take that,” I reach for his sleeping bag and move to tuck it into the closet with our go-bags.

“You should have bought a Spider-Man one,” JJ says, sitting down next to me and buckling her seatbelt.

“As if I need a reason for further ridicule, besides, we tried them out and I’m too tall,” he smiles at her.  I watch him tense a little and grip the arm rests as the wheels leave the runaway and we go airborne.  As much as we fly, it seems like the take-off still unsettles him.  What unsettles me is that I notice all these little things.  So much so that I can’t not see them.

“I think it would have been cute,” she says back, a twinkle in her eye.

Hotch and JJ told us about their relationship when we got home from Escanaba.  Other than that stolen kiss on the jet back, they have remained nothing but professional—even when the team goes out to dinner or for drinks off the clock.  None of us are adverse to it.  They are good for each other and as long as they make it work and keep Strauss in the dark then I don’t see it as a bad thing.  Then again, there is a no fraternization policy for a reason.  However…I’d say it’s a bad idea to keep them apart at this point.

“Too bad we aren’t going to be staying in Denver, you could check out those bars.”

I watch Reid roll his eyes at JJ.  “Does anyone on this team keep their mouths shut?  Besides, we are on a case and you and Hotch have rules, right?  What’s so weird about me having rules?”

“You hooked up with Tango during cases,” Prentiss says, now taking advantage of the no seatbelt sign.

“Yes, I suppose,” he takes a deep breath—and I notice he doesn’t twinge.  That’s good.  I shake my head, telling myself to stop hovering.

“And it’s different because Hotch and I work together while you can hook up with a non-team member and it’s not breaking a rule,” JJ says with that motherly tone she’s so good at.

“How long has it been?” I lean in from my spot across the aisle.  “Seriously?”

“Are we even having this conversation?  None of your business, not since Tango…so we sure there are at least two unsubs?” He starts to unload his messenger bag on the table in front of him, papers filled with his chicken-scratch handwriting…stop noticing so much!

“With this last kill, one man couldn’t do the work his own without a gun,” Rossi states from his spot next to me.

Hotch speaks up, a small smile still on his face from overhearing the earlier embarrassing conversation.  “Assuming that all our stabbing deaths are connected and the victims were robbed of not only valuable, but food and gear…”

“…all that suggests they are living in the park,” Prentiss says.  “And the park is set to close to campers in a week .  This is our only shot to catch these guys.”

“Ranger Bell said that they have been patrolling all the major trails and roads in the Deep Lake area.  And no other murders have taken place in the rest of the park,” JJ says, readying our satellite uplink to Quantico.

“Hey there my little campers,” Garcia says from the laptop.  “My first case as Mrs. Penelope Garcia-Lynch, at your service, but you may continue to just call me Goddess Garcia.”

“What do you have for us so far Goddess?” I ask with a smile in my voice.

“Nothing other than the park as a connection.  But from what I can tell, Tavie Harper had attempted suicide in the past and was put on a ten-day hold.”

“When was that?” I ask.

“Three months ago,” she replies.  “So sad.”

“That rules out a reaction to new psychiatric medications, but if she went off the meds, it could have triggers a depressive episode,” Reid spews, scribbling in areas of the map in front of him.  “Until we talk to Sheriff Morder and Ranger Bell we can’t honestly say the Cooper and Harper murders are related to the others.”

“I’ll keep digging—and Morgan—take a picture of Reid in his Incredible Hulk sleeping bag for me?”

I smirk.  “Will do baby girl.”

JJ cuts the video feed before Garcia can see the finger Reid flashes at the laptop.  He turns to me.  “YOU TOLD HER?”

“What? I can’t keep those things from my baby girl, besides when she sees the receipt she’ll know,” I laugh.  “Too bad the one with kittens on it was too small.”

“Now I don’t feel so bad about my Justice League boxers,” Rossi says.

“You have Justice League boxers?” Reid’s eyes light up—one of his hero’s has something else in common with him and he couldn’t be more excited.

Rossi turns to Hotch and laughs, getting a smile from our newly laid-back boss man.

~~~~~

Seven hours later, Glenwood Springs, CO

After a four-hour flight and a three-and-a-half hour drive from the Denver International Airport, we arrive at the Glenwood Springs Police Department, a very small department in a very small town that only had one deputy to spare to help Ranger Bell with the case.

We don’t even get a chance to walk inside before we are met by two men.  The first is wearing jeans, hiking boots and a green turtle-neck sweater underneath a red jacket.  Around his neck hangs a Sheriff’s department badge and his waist boasts a fully-stocked gun belt.  He has short dark hair and a mustache befitting a State Trooper.  The other man is dressed in the official Ranger’s uniform, complete with the broad-rimmed hat.  He’s blonde, tan, muscular, and he has a very serious look on his face.  Garcia would probably call him ‘baby cakes.’ He reaches out a hand to Hotch first.

“I’m Ranger Josh Bell,” he says, “and this is Deputy Daren Morder.”

Hotch introduces us.  “We understand we’ll be staying tonight at the Ranger’s cabin at Deep Lake?”

Ranger Bell nods.  “Yes sir, we’ve done the best we can to make the accommodations comfortable.  My rangers are up at the cabin right now, I suggested we split into teams to take you to the sites, since its getting dark soon.”

“Weather radio says there’s a small storm moving in,” Morder says.  “Means it will get dark sooner.  I’ve brought all the information I have, the files are in my truck.  I thought we could take a look at them after we visit the sites.  We both appreciate you coming, not only are we short-staffed due to budget cuts, but the Ranger’s are running a skeleton crew as it is due to the same reason.  The Denver field office suggested we contact the BAU directly.”

“We want to catch this guy before the park closes to campers and he leaves,” Bell adds.

“We do too.  I guess we’ll be following you?” Hotch says, gesturing to our rental SUV.

“That thing doesn’t have the tires to handle the trek up to Deep Lake—not after the rain we had last night,” Ranger Bell says.  “I think between my Jeep and Morder’s truck we can manage to get us all up there.”

We manage to pack most of the gear into Morder’s truck, leaving JJ, Rossi and Hotch to squeeze into the 2-row cab while Prentiss, Reid and I take our chances in Bell’s Jeep.

“No seatbelts?” Reid asks, sitting in the back seat next to me.

“Sorry guys, not in the back,” Bell says, starting the Jeep.  “Just hold on tight to the straps in front of you, don’t worry, it’s a quick ride but with the mud puddles and potholes created by the rain it’ll just be bumpy.”

“No seatbelts, no doors…” I whisper in Reid’s ear.  “We are going to die, aren’t we?”

“No, Morgan, we’ll be fine.”

We drive five miles to New Castle before heading off the highway and onto a county road, which in another two miles turns into a dirt trail.  A few minutes later it’s nothing more than a narrow path with mud-filled holes and trees so close that I get whacked in the face not once, but three times by a low branch.  Every bump splashes muddy water up onto our pants, causing me to grip the straps in front of me even more.  We’re only going thirty at the most, but we might as well be going a hundred.  We’d talk, but the engines are too loud.  I try to think about what kind of crazy people would want to voluntarily go into the middle of nowhere, eat crappy food and not shower for three days.  Yeah, sounds like a vacation me.

I glance over at Reid, who seems to be having a good time.  He’s looking out all around him, no doubt mentally identifying the flora and fauna.  Suddenly my mind flashes to last weekend, at Garcia and Kevin’s wedding in New Hampshire.

“Come on Derek,” Reid slurs, grabbing my hand.  “I have the Princess Room!”

“A Princess Room for a Princess,” I say, feeling my own intoxication.  Not nearly as drunk as Reid, but the room is still spinning just a little.

“But Derek, don’t youwantmetoooo?” he laughs, looking earnestly into my eyes.  “Puleaze?”

“Dr. Spencer Reid, you know that alcohol turns you into a slut?” I say, trying to pull my hand away.  My brain says pull but my arm won’t cooperate.  Dammit!

“Puleaze SSA Derek Morgan?  Take me to my Princess Room and make a man outta me!”

“Okay, that’s enough,” Prentiss steps in, holding her heels in one hand and her drink in another.  “Do you realize that Kevin’s parents just overheard you?”

Reid starts to giggle uncontrollably.  “I’m taking him to his room, then I’ll be back down,” I say, grabbing him by the shoulder.  “It’s time for the good Doctor to sleep it off.”

Opting for the elevator, I half-carry, half-drag Reid to his room, which sure enough boasts the sign ‘The Princess Room.’  “Why is this the Princess Room?” I ask, grabbing his room key to let us in.

He does a spin in the center of the room with his arms out like a ballet dancer, head tilted back so he can look at the ceiling fan, which is also turning.  “This was Princess Caroline’s room.”  When he knocks a fist against the bedpost, he stops and kisses his knuckles.  “When Caroline would come out to this hotel, she would bring her bed on the train with her.  She would always travel with her bed and never sleep a night in another one—this is her actual bed you know.  The TAPS guys did an episode here and they got EVPs.”

“Oh?” I ask.

“I want to go back dancing!” he pouts, cheeks still flush.  He sticks out his lower lip and I suddenly find myself wanting to suck on it.  “Dance with me Derek.”

I know I shouldn’t but when he pulls me close and buries his face in my neck, I wrap my arms around him and smell his hair.  We sway together, both drunk.  I start to feel all those strange feelings again, the ones I had done such a good job at suppressing, as his arms tighten around my waist.  It isn’t until he rests his head on my shoulder that I realize he’s passed out. 

He snores the whole time I change him and tuck him into bed.  Instead of crawling in with him, I go back downstairs and join the party.

Even though I’m glad he claims not to remember that night, I almost wish he did.  It would make me feel like less of an asshole and a little more validated.  I know that if I wanted to sleep with him, I could.  That doesn’t mean I should.  And what about the fact that I’m not gay?  What if I’d get all hot and bothered and then I just couldn’t do those things?  No, it’s better this way.

I look over and he smiles, letting go of the strap in front of him to tuck his hair behind his ears.

“Don’t let go,” I say, instinctively grabbing onto him.

“Derek, I’m good,” he smiles at me, leaning in to yell over the engine.  “ISN’T THIS FRESH AIR JUST REJUVINATING?”

I don’t let him go until he’s holding onto the straps again.  “I’LL FEEL BETTER WHEN WE STOP.”

Ten minutes later we come upon a pair of log-cabin type of buildings, one significantly smaller than the other, and a smaller white metal shed with three other Rangers standing outside around a group of ATV’s.  We pull right up to them and climb out, Morder’s truck not too far behind.

“These are my Rangers.  Usually during the summer there are more of us, but with budget cut-backs,” Bell shrugs, “I get this mess.  This is Ranger Adam Hamell, October Wilkinson and my younger brother Toby.  He’s not a Ranger yet, but I’ve been teaching him the ropes.”

Bell introduces all of us to his Rangers.  Hamell is short and a bit stocky, with reddish-brown hair clipped into a buzz cut.  His Ranger shirt is un-tucked on the left side and he’s got some dirt on his pants.  Toby looks just like his older brother but younger by about five to seven years—and he’s not in a uniform, dressed more like Morder but with a green plaid jacket—and I can’t help but notice that he smiled extra big at Reid.  October is about five eight, slender but toned, her uniform immaculate and her long brown hair pulled into a ponytail at the base of her neck.

“October and I will take a pair of you to the latest site.  Hamell can take some of you to the Trent and Borger scenes since they are so close together.  That’s all we’ll get to before we have to run our nightly rounds before dark.”  Bell says.  “We can look at the rest in the morning.”

“Boss, the radio said that the temp is gonna drop tonight,” October says.  “While you were gone we brought plenty of wood inside for the fireplaces and I’ve gathered our winter gear to air out in case it freezes.”

“Freezes?” Prentiss asks.

“This time of year it’s not uncommon for a few cold nights here or there, it might even sprinkle some snow by morning,” October clarifies.

Bell turns to us.  “We run our sleeping cabin on both wood stoves and electricity from generators.  We keep gas on hand so we should be good just in case, see, before budget cuts we would have more Rangers living here in the summer, but during the winter they only kept two people up here at a time.  I’ll let you guys unload the gear and get bundled up, we’ll leave in ten.”

Hotch turns to us.  “JJ, can you and Reid work with getting the satellite uplink to Garcia ready?  Rossi and I will go with Rangers Bell and Wilkinson.  Morgan, you and Prentiss go with Ranger Hamell.”

I watch Reid follow JJ and Toby into the Visitor’s Center, feeling that twinge of missing him, while I zip up my jacket and climb onto an ATV, Prentiss climbing on behind me and wrapping her arms around my waist so she doesn’t fall off.

Title:  This Feeling Won’t Go 1/?

Rating: FRM borderline FRAO-P/SC/V (this chapter, series in all rated up to FRAO-P/SC/GV)

Pairing: Slash mostly Morgan/Reid, but mentions of Hotch/JJ, Garcia/Kevin

Summary:  Four months after the case in Escanaba, the team gets a call to catch a group of brutal killers in the Colorado Rockies.  All chapters from Reid or Morgan’s perspectives.

Comments:  Better than watching Reid suck on a lollipop (and that was pretty darned good)

SPOILERS:  Mostly I take what happens on the show and twist it into how I WISH it would happen, much like Reid’s knee injury.  So, spoilers I guess from all seasons, up to the most currently aired episode at the time of posting.

Wait for something better
No one behind you
Watching your shadows
You gotta be stronger than the story
Don't let it blind you
Rivers of shadow
This feeling wont go

~This is Your Life, The Killers

~~~

*I know my timeline seems a bit off, ah well.  Unfold takes place from January-ish to late April, early May.  This installment starts in September of that calendar year, which I know may be pushing it for believability of my story…but once we get into it the whole thing will make much more sense.  **Also, this one will all be from Reid or Morgan’s perspectives…with the exception of the intro**

**The location is real, but I’ve chosen to make Deep Lake the only campsite/Ranger’s Station in the park.

~~~

Disclaimer:  I don’t own any rights or trademarks to Criminal Minds, the FBI, CBS or any of the characters within.  No infringements of these copyrights are intended.  Any similarities between original characters therein are a coincidence.  I make no profit from the following fictional story.  (Fictional, maybe, but I swear this happened all in my head).

~~~

 Fifteen miles Southeast of Buford CO, on the banks of the South Fork of the White River White River National Forest in Colorado

She waits until its quiet, until she can no longer hear the vehicle driving away, before she attempts to roll over.  She’s weak and the adrenaline that comes with being attacked is starting to wane to the pain of her five stab wounds.  When she grabs at her chest, she feels her own, hot blood steadily pouring out of her. 

Reaching her cut hands in front of her, she grabs onto a hunk of moss on the ground and pulls herself forward until she manages to get on her hands and knees.  They brought a satellite phone, she remembers.  She was with Mike when he bought it, they fought about the extra expense at the cell phone store before they left.  Masi was the one who talked them into it.

Seems so silly now.

The tent was far away, but she made it.  It’s cut on the side, she sees a smear of blood.  It’s silent, and she knows who is in there.  Mike, her husband.  He’s dead, she watched as his throat was slit.  The blood on the tent is his.  She tries not to look at his body while she crawls in, digging through his things before she falls down in pain and exhaustion.  She reaches for her husband’s dead hand and holds it to her chest.

She doesn’t know how much time passes.  But the sun is setting and she needs to find that phone.  Everything hurts, she’s still bleeding, but she needs to find that phone.

This time she can’t get on her hands and knees, so she pulls herself out of the tent by her arms.  She drags herself along the ground, going towards the second tent.  It’s empty, because Kelly and Masi’s dead bodies are in the river.

She can’t make it.

~~~~~

That same evening at a bar in Washington DC

Dr. Spencer Reid

“What on God’s green earth are you drinking Reid?” Morgan slaps my back and pulls up a chair next to me.  “And pun intended, man that thing’s the color of nuclear waste.”

“It’s a Grasshopper,” I defend.  “And actually, nuclear waste…” I stop myself before Morgan can even raise an eyebrow.  I’m getting better at this.  “You seem to be doing well out there on the dance floor.”

Wiping his forehead with a bar napkin, he snickers.  “I suppose.  Where’s Prentiss?”

“She left, wanted to get some laundry done tonight.  Muttered something about an empty go-bag.  It’s a good thing we didn’t have to fly out today, for her I guess.”  It was a fairly rough day at work—we had a case we got back from last night where the locals shot the wrong guy and we had to talk with a lawyer for their department over the phone and fill out extra paperwork and that sort of thing is always just a pain in the neck.  Our first case since Garcia's wedding, our first case without her.  Good thing she missed it.

“JJ and Hotch leave too?”

I nod.  “Yeah, together of course.”

“I should call it a night too,” Morgan says, throwing a twenty on the table.  “You ready?”

I stand up and hand his money back to him, used to his need to take care of me and therefore not as offended as perhaps I should be.  “I already paid for my drink.”

“Oh,” he takes it back and puts it in his pocket.

When we arrive at my apartment building, instead of pulling up front to drop me off, he parks.  “Can I visit Taffy and Sally?  Please?” He puts on a cute puppy-dog face.

I shrug, not exactly in a rush to go to bed.  “Sure.”

We go upstairs and the moment my key hits the lock the meowing begins.  I thought cats were, for the most part, silent pets—but Taffy and Sally usually meow when I come home and when I leave.  Sometimes it’s annoying, but mostly it makes me feel happy that at least someone misses me and is happy to see me when I get back.

“It’s Uncle Morgan!” he exclaims, picking up Taffy and snuggling her close to his face.  “Hello baby girl.”

“Garcia’s gonna get jealous if you call other women ‘baby girl’,” I comment, picking up Sally for a quick pet before moving to the kitchen to top off their food bowls.

When I return to the living room, Morgan is on the couch with both cats in his lap purring feverishly.  I like this scene—Derek being here at my place, making himself comfortable.  He’s kicked off his shoes and put his feet on the coffee table, something I would normally discourage.  I can see myself sitting down next to him, resting my head on his shoulder and turning on BBC America and watching ‘Dr. Who’ re-runs before we finally got so tired we’d go off to bed.  We would change into sleeping clothes, and I would read while he used the bathroom.  I’d listen to him brush his teeth before he comes to bed.  I’d go do the same, but when I crawl back into bed I’d cuddle up right next to him.  We’d share a sweet kiss before setting our alarm and falling asleep with the cats curled up at our feet.  I shake my head, cursing myself for the thoughts.  I’ve been doing so good at not thinking about Morgan like that—in fact I’ve shut those thoughts out of my head since we got home from Escanaba a couple of months ago.  Although maybe it would help if I went out on a date, but the idea of being with another person is just too much.

“I’m going to take a shower, if you want to stay and hang out with them that’s cool,” I say.

“I might just do that,” he coos, snuggling Sally up to his chest.

I smile and go to my bathroom, starting the shower.  After I pick out something to wear to bed, I undress and step into the hot steaming shower.  I instantly put my head under the water, letting the water run over my face.  Doesn’t work—I’m still thinking about Derek Morgan, the man in my living room cuddling my cats.  Quickly shampooing my hair, I rinse and put in the conditioner to soak in my hair until the end of the shower.  I take my washcloth and apply a liberal amount of generic, mildly scented body wash and start at my neck, trying to wash the traces of Strauss’ breath off since she was breathing down it all day.  I turn around and let the hot water pound at the base of my neck, bowing my head and closing my eyes.

Maybe Derek and I wouldn’t go straight to sleep.  Maybe that good-night kiss would linger.  Our mouths would open and his tongue would travel into my mouth and probe every surface.  I’d let out a moan that vibrates our lips together. 

My washcloth travels lower, lingering in circles on my chest.  I move to let the water trickle over my shoulder.

Morgan would reach his hands up my shirt and touch my chest.  Flicking thumbs over my nipples until the peak.  He’d kiss my neck, suck on my Adam’s Apple, taking breaks to tell me how gorgeous he thinks I am.  Another hand would move lower, breaching the waistband of my pajama pants…

My washcloth travels to my now hard and throbbing erection, moving quickly over it.

He keeps muttering how beautiful I am to him, he can’t stop.  His hand moves over my cock quickly, like he can’t wait for me to cry out his name…

I bite down on my free fist when I come, my eyes rolling back in my head and my chest tightening just enough to prolong taking in a breath.  Usually when I think about Morgan while I masturbate, I tend to go on for a long time, enjoying the fantasy.  But the tension of the day and the strange mix of fear and excitement from the fact that he’s in my apartment while I do this turns me into what Garcia would call a ‘one minute’ man.  Confident that I didn’t make any noise, I wash myself off, rinse my hair and climb out. 

Standing in front of the mirror, brushing my teeth, my eyes travel down to the branded ‘1’ on my stomach.  I don’t get that instant nausea like I used to, and it doesn’t even really hurt, but I don’t like it.  I keep putting off getting it removed for stupid reasons.  Actually, after the Escanaba case I forgot all about it for two months.  Then I watched a documentary about women who have their breasts removed when they find they have breast cancer and they get these amazing, intricate tattoos over their chests in order to reclaim their bodies.  I’ve thought about tattooing it, but I can’t even begin to decide what to get permanently inked into my flesh.

That, and my longer masturbation fantasies involve Morgan gently kissing the scar.

Once dressed into pajamas, I pad back out into the living room to see Morgan now watching TV with sleeping cats in his lap.  “They love you,” I say quietly, as if I could wake them.  They’d only wake up if I were to leave at this point.  I sit down next to Morgan, cross-legged on the couch.  “Thanks for the ride.”

“You shouldn’t ride the metro so much, you have a car,” he says.  I know what he wanted to say was I don’t like you riding the metro after dark but he wouldn’t say that out loud.

Morgan gently pushes the cats off his lap and reaches to put his shoes back on.  “I better get going, see you at the office.”

“You know you’re always welcome to stay here,” I say, even before I can stop myself.

“You afraid of the monster under the bed?” He smirks.  “Taffy and Sally will protect you.”

I snicker.  “Just go home, see you tomorrow.”

As he leaves, I turn to the groggy cats trying to fall back asleep, this time on my lap.  “I’m a fucking moron.”

~~~~~

Two days later, BAU at Quantico

“You guys look like you had the best time,” I say, looking at Garcia’s honeymoon slideshow in the briefing room.  “I cannot believe my cheeks get that dark purple when I’m heavily intoxicated.”

“One week in upstate New Hampshire wasn’t enough,” she says merrily, closing her laptop and turning off the Smart Board.  “Kevin’s mother still wants to know why our ‘minister’ decided to deliver a drunk sermon whilst standing on our head table.  Then Kevin wanted to know why you were hitting on him at his own wedding…and that doesn’t even begin to touch how you begged Morgan to ‘make you a man.’”

“Reid should never be allowed near an open bar,” Prentiss chuckles. 

“How did I get back to my room?” I ask, stretching my arms above my head.  “All I remember is being on the dance floor and the next day I woke up in my pajamas all tucked in bed.”

“Morgan took you upstairs, you practically had to be carried by that time,” Prentiss stands up.  “I need more coffee.”

There’s a tap at the door and a young man in a black suit pokes his head in.  “Agent Jareau?”

“Yes Agent Leonard?” She addresses one of the administration support staff for the department.

“There’s a call for you, apparently he keeps getting your voicemail but he demands to speak to you immediately.  It’s a Ranger Josh Bell from Colorado?”

“Thanks,” She turns to us.  “I better take this.”

“Should we prepare go-bags?” Prentiss asks.

“If this is about the fax I got this morning, then yeah.  I was planning on presenting this case anyway.  Ranger Bell sure is persistent.”

Following Prentiss down to the bullpen, I slink into my chair, grab a sucker from my bag and do a quick scan of my email.

“Hey pretty boy, how was the slide-show?” Morgan sits at his desk, looking a bit haggard.

I get up and walk over to him, wiping my finger over his cheek to rid it of a smudge of grease.  I hold up my now-soiled finger as evidence.  “What happened?”

“My car crapped out on me.  I limped it into the parking garage but that’s just about it.  And next time, you can just hand me a tissue,” he smirks, handing me one.

I take it and wipe my finger clean.  “Right, so, it looks like we are headed to Colorado.  JJ’s going to brief us soon.”

“Oh, Aspen?” He raises his eyebrows.  “Snow Bunnies?”

“Our contact is a Ranger Josh Bell, so I’m not sure,” I go back to my desk.

“When’s the last time you got any?” He asks me, getting an eyebrow from Prentiss as she walks by us back to her desk.

“Why?”

“We need to get you out man!  Look, if we go to Aspen I’ll find a gay bar and I’ll go with you,” he logs onto his computer.  “I’m Googling clubs right now.”

“Derek Morgan is suggesting gay clubs?” Prentiss asks.  “It is cold in here.”

“Cold?  I have a sweater,” I turn around to hand her a spare sweater from the back of my chair.

“I meant its cold because hell froze over,” she snickers.  “A turn of phrase?”

 “Morgan’s not gay,” I attempt to clarify.  It’s times like these when the resolution I made on the way home from Escanaba starts to crumble.

“I just wanted to hang out with Reid on his turf,” he defends.  “Besides, I like to dance and there’s gotta be dancing, right?”

“While I appreciate the gesture, Morgan, I’ve never hung out at gay clubs.  Why should I start now?”  I go through my bag, tossing Rice Crispy Bar wrappers and pulling some more bars from my bottom drawer to put in my bag.  “Anyway, we’re working.  I’m not looking for a long-distance relationship, let alone a relationship at all.  I better call my neighbor to check on my cats.  Even if we come back tonight, it’ll be late and they will be hungry.”

~~~~~

Fifteen minutes later

“White River National Forest in northwest Colorado, specifically the Deep Lake camping area…” JJ says, turning on the Smart Board and starting her presentation.  “Sally and Michael Dawson, 26 and 28, were on a camping trip with their friends Kelly Lanz, 26, and Masi Hakuro, 27.  They were supposed to come back home last night.  They didn’t show, so their house-sitter called the Rangers, who found this.”  JJ presses the remote and on the screen looks like a camping scene from a horror film.

“All dead?” Hotch asks.

“Yes, Sally, Kelly and Masi were all stabbed multiple times, while Michael just had his throat slit.  From what the Rangers and the ME said, Sally survived for around five hours after the attack.  They found evidence that she had crawled from tent to tent…”

“Looking for a weapon or perhaps trying to determine if anyone else was alive,” Morgan says grimly.  “Anything missing?”

JJ nods.  “The Rangers said their stuff looked ransacked—some clothes, camping supplies, and the satellite phone the rented was destroyed.”

“An isolated incident,” Rossi says.  “Any evidence of enemies…?”

“That’s just it, Ranger Josh Bell doesn’t believe this is isolated,” JJ brings up another slide.  “May 14, fraternal 30-year-old twins Corbin and Colby Hall were on their yearly hike when they were found both shot to death, items on their person taken.  Bell recognized them, said they had been up nearly every weekend last season and would often visit the Ranger’s station.  June 12, 54-year-old Mary Cooper and her life partner Tavie Harper were both found shot, but after police interviewed family back in Pasadena it was ruled a murder-suicide.  Tavie was clinically depressed and taking Zoloft at the time.”

“Did Forensics do a positive match on the bullets?” I ask.

JJ nods.  “Different guns for each victim.  But statistically, Ranger Bell says this is unheard of.  Two weeks later a camper, Kristen Trent, was found two miles away from her campsite.  Rangers thought she fell off the cliff and died from her injuries, but the ME discovered bruising around her neck and a grazing gunshot wound.  Then three days later 18-year-old Heath Borger was found bludgeoned to death about a half-mile from Trent’s ‘accident.’  He was a day-hiker, his pack was ransacked.”

“All our victims were robbed, my guess is post-mortem,” Hotch says.

“What about Trent?” Prentiss asks.

“She had only gone on a quick morning hike from her campsite.  Her sister, Laurie, said she never went more than a few minutes away.”  JJ sighs, turning off the Smart Board.

“She was either lured or got lost,” I add.  “He’s escalated…more violent and larger groups…”

“…which indicates multiple unsubs.” Morgan finishes.

“Here’s the deal, the state isn’t giving us much.  There are four Rangers living at the post at Deep Lake, the camping season is almost over and they believe that this guy, or these guys, are going to leave when the park closes for winter and they’ll never catch them.”  JJ picks up her files.

“They’re right,” Hotch adds.  “First we will all go to the park, check out the crime scenes, then send pairs to interview family and friends.”

“That would take us to Denver, Pasadena, Boulder and Wisconsin,” JJ adds.

“Then we better get started.  Wheels up in thirty?”

“Make than an hour,” JJ shifts the files on her hip, the way a mother holds a baby.  “We’re going to be staying at the Ranger’s cabin for at least tonight, from what it sounds like.  There’s enough bunks since budget cuts have severely cut down the number of Rangers at each station of the park.  We are meeting with State Trooper Daren Morder, who has been working with Ranger Bell.  Oh—and we’ll have to bring radios and a satellite phone and I’ll talk to Garcia about a satellite-equipped laptop.  Go home and grab a sleeping bag, we’re pretty much going camping.”

Hotch snickers.  “You heard her.  An hour.”

As we all file out of the room, I whisper to Morgan, “I don’t own a sleeping bag.”

“Neither do I, there’s an outlet about fifteen minutes from here,” he whispers back.

Title:  Unfold 15/15

Author:  _nextboldmove_

Rating: FRT (story) P/SC/SV (case)

Fandom:  Criminal Minds (with mentions of Ghost Hunters)

Pairing: Het & Slash Hotchner/JJ, Reid/?, Garcia/Kevin

Summary:  Three weeks after 1, Reid goes back to work in an attempt to keep himself productive.  Between a busted knee and a broken heart, Morgan is afraid that he’s loosing his best friend.  Meanwhile, a case finally forces JJ and Hotchner to make a decision that changes the BAU forever.  From multiple character perspectives.

Comments:  Better than watching Reid suck on a lollipop (and that was pretty darned good)

SPOILERS:  Although in this AU there is no Foyet (yet?  mwahaha…) there is some canon from season 5.  Mostly I take what happens on the show and twist it into how I WISH it would happen, much like Reid’s knee injury.  So, spoilers I guess from all seasons, including ep 505

*Hey, if you read please comment and let me know so I don’t spend all this time writing a sequel nobody’s gonna read.  Please?

~~~

Disclaimer:  I don’t own any rights or trademarks to Criminal Minds, the FBI, TAPS, Ghost Hunters, Sy-Fy, CBS or any of the characters within.  No infringements of these copyrights are intended.  Any similarities between original characters therein are a coincidence.  I make no profit from the following fictional story.  (Fictional, maybe, but I swear this happened all in my head).

~~~

Detective Halloway’s House, Escanaba Michigan

Dr. Spencer Reid

Courtesy of a uniformed police officer, I arrive at Halloway’s house in record time.  On my way inside of the house I shove my hands in my pockets so that nobody will notice how much they are shaking. 

I jump out of the SUV and run down the block.  I try to dial for back-up but I’m running too hard, too fast.  He’s dumped Dave and I have to get to him before it’s too late…

I have to be strong, this is a job and lives are at stake.  There isn’t time for me to have myself a private ‘pity party.’

I walk in, seeing that the crime scene techs haven’t yet arrived.  Rossi and Hotch are in the front room, Hotch looking upset as he searches through piles of mail, books, anything with a clue.  Rossi is tapping on Halloway’s laptop, even he has enough tech savvy to find the IP address and send it to Garcia so she can hack her way in from Quantico.

Rossi sees me and nods.  “Morgan needs your help in the back bedroom.”  His voice is low, somber, with a timbre of sadness that has my hands shaking so badly in my pockets he notices.  “Reid?”

“I’m fine,” I mutter, walking back through the hall and towards the open door at the end of the hall.  When I get to the room I stand in the doorway for a moment, soaking it all in.  Photographs all over the far wall.  They are organized in vertical columns with Polaroid’s at the top.  When I move into the room I see the Polaroid’s are of the women after they are kidnapped.

“Morgan, what do we have here?”

He turns around, a little shocked.  “He brutalized these women, I keep scanning these pictures to see what I can see in the background but I’m not coming up with much.”

I walk right up behind him and get a better look.  Poor women, naked, bound, some crying and looking into the camera with fear.  Others after their throats are slit, red blood pooling…

“See this?” I grab several of the pictures off the wall. 

“They are all on shower curtains, but these are new—the ring holes aren’t punctured.”

Hotch comes barreling into the room.  “I got a call, nobody on the other line—Garcia traced it to Ledger’s sister’s townhouse not ten minutes from here.”

~

In the SUV, Morgan reaches over to make sure the straps on my Kevlar vest are nice and tight.  I don’t say anything, I’m just thankful for the touch.  If I had any balls I’d give him a kiss on the cheek.  Instead I just take advantage of the fact that it’s just us in the backseat, so I quickly squeeze his hand and look in his eyes to tell him I’m going to be okay.  JJ’s going to be fine.

We stop in front of the town house.  When we hop out I notice a car with a broken tail light—Halloway’s car.  “Guys, he’s here,” I say.

Some police officers have already pulled up, but were given instructions not to go in until we got there.  I see Hotch talk to another detective.  Somewhere along the line Prentiss got here, she’s adjusting her ear piece and putting on a vest of her own.  Everyone looks tense, scared, ready to go and yet there’s that pit weighing everyone down.  The thought that Ledger and JJ are already dead.

I know what I have to do.

Grabbing my gun, I walk straight into that town home, alone.  Ignoring Morgan yelling behind me.  The front door is open, I let myself in.  Walking with my gun out, I make my way through the place, hearing a loud noise and a stifled female scream from a bedroom towards the back.

When I get to the open door I hold my gun out.  “Halloway, don’t do it!”

There’s a shower curtain spread out on the floor.  Ledger is naked, tied up on the curtain—she’s been beating pretty severely, but she’s still alive.  JJ it tied up to the wrought-iron head and foot board on the bed.  Her shirt’s been ripped open and she’s got a black eye and some bruising on her torso.  Halloway is straddling her, his pants unbuttoned and the zipper down.  He takes the gun off her temple and points it at me.  “ONE MORE MOVE I SHOOT HER!”

My head starts to spin, suddenly the brand on my stomach lights on fire and my whole self wants to explode in a tiny million pieces.  But I can’t do that.  I focus on the fact that JJ is tied up underneath this monster and the fear and spinning turns to a strange cocktail of anger and clarity.

“Listen, look, I understand how you feel.  Your father needed to be taken care of and your mother couldn’t be bothered.  She was so self-absorbed, so sick with herself that you had to do her job.  The job she couldn’t be bothered to do.”  I lower my gun, trying not to make eye contact with JJ or Ledge.  “Halloway, how many people do you think Ledger and JJ have saved?  How many people they have helped?”

“They are a part of what is wrong with women—they are wrong!” He’s starting to get nervous, which at this point could go either way.

I feel the brand on my stomach getting hot.  “Halloway, all these women are completely innocent.”

“No, no they aren’t.”

“Your mother couldn’t afford to take care of him so she worked.  What if they didn’t have any money?  What would she have done?”  I swallow, my whole body pulsing with fear and pain.  I hear a very soft footstep behind me in the hall and I just know its Morgan.

“No, its some cunt who took his job in the first place,” he says quietly, his body starting to loosen up just a little.

I take a deep breath, hoping to distract him long enough to get a shot in.  “Maybe she did something to get that job over him, your father got a rough deal and he made a bad choice.  Don’t make anymore bad choices Halloway.  Do you really think that he’d be proud of you for this?  Making him proud by being a good man, that’s how you honor…”

Halloway gets off JJ and comes towards me, I try to lift my gun to fire when a loud bang rings through the room.  Halloway drops to the floor as a red spot begins to pool on his chest.

“CALL A BUS,” Morgan says, charging into the room.  He holsters his weapon and runs to Ledger, finding a robe on the back of the door to cover her with.

I go over to JJ and start to untie her wrists and ankles.  “It’s okay, I’m right here…”

“Spencer,” once free she grabs onto me in a vice-like hug and starts crying.  “Spencer…”

~

Hotch rides with JJ to the hospital and another detective rides with Ledger.  Besides some cuts and bruises, the physical injuries are minimal.  I sit down on the curb, crossing my legs in front of me.  My knee aches, my whole body pulses and it’s all I can do from wanting to scream out loud.  Not only am I haunted, but now JJ has her own ghosts to deal with.

“Hey Spencer.”

I look up to see Morgan standing in front of me.  “Hey Derek.”

“You did great Doc.” He reaches out his hand.  “Come on, Hotch told us to go back to the hotel.  We’ll leave when JJ’s checked out.”

“What about paper-work?”

“We got stuff to fill out before we leave, but the rest can wait until we get back to Quantico.”

I take his hand and let him help me up.  “Thanks.”

“You just saved the day and you’re worried about paperwork?” Morgan laughs.

~

Four hours later on the jet back to Quantico

I long ago finished my paperwork on the case and tucked it into my messenger bag.  I also finished my daily letter to my mother and have it ready to mail when we land.  I’ve kicked my shoes off, as Prentiss has, and pulled my knees up to my chest and started staring out the window.  JJ is wrapped up in a blanket on the green couch, with Hotch sitting next to her.  She rotates between talking to him in hushed tones, leaning on his shoulder to nap, and going to the jet bathroom alone for fifteen minutes at a time.

The fourth time she comes back into the main cabin, she doesn’t go back to the couch.  She sits right across from me.

“Spencer, I’m sorry.”

“For what?” I ask, quietly.

“Not being able to handle this.”

“Jennifer, this just happened to you today.  Look, the sun isn’t even down yet,” I gesture out the window.  “Now trust me, when the scariest moment of your life happens, you don’t have to apologize to anyone.  They won’t accept it anyway, that I know,” I snicker.

“It’s just that what Halloway did to me is nothing compared to what Richard Felix did to you, or Tobias Hankel…”

“Doesn’t matter.  This isn’t some sort of hierarchy Jennifer.”

“You’re calling me Jennifer,” she smiles.

“Yeah, I am.  Hotch did too, when he discovered you were missing.”

She sits up a little, seems nervous.  She picks at the edge of the blanket she has around her shoulders and that’s when it all makes sense to me:  she has feelings for him.  “He did?”

I nod.  “He couldn’t even process the crime scene at Halloway’s house, and you know how he goes into ultra-work mode when he’s experiencing any kind of interpersonal turmoil.”

“He hit me a few times, Halloway.  Tied me up, made me watch him rape and beat Ledger,” she coughs.  “I can’t believe he survived that gunshot.”

“Derek wanted him to pay for what he did.”

“You and those first-names today Spencer.”

“What can I say?” I smile, rubbing my knee.  “Don’t let Hotch in that I may have over-worked this knee, I can’t stand anymore desk duty.”

“We’re sleeping together,” she says almost too quietly for me to hear.  “Hotch and I.”

I smile.  “You suck at keeping secrets.”

That gets a slight laugh and smile.  “I love you, you know that right?”

“I love you too JJ.”

She gets up to go back to Hotch, pausing to kiss me on the top of the head on her way back.  I barely have time to soak in the vocal expression of our plutonic relationship when Morgan plops down in front of me.  “Hey kid.”

“I thought I told you not to call me that,” I say in a mocking tone.

“You did good today.  You scared the crap out of me, but you did good.”

“It wouldn’t be a normal day at the office if I didn’t scare you,” I smile, my whole body still burning to kiss him.  “Thanks.”

“You’re…” he looks over my shoulder.  “JJ and Hotch are kissing.”

I turn around and sure enough, they are holding each other, sharing a very sweet kiss together.  When they part she leans against him and closes her eyes.  That could be Morgan and I, but it won’t be.  It’ll never be that way between us, so I have to stop thinking about it.  Even trying to make it work will ruin our friendship forever and I can’t live without that friendship.  I’d rather be heartsick for now than unable to function later.  “They are cute together, aren’t they?”

Morgan scoffs.  “Superior and subordinate.”

“This team has crossed more than its share of lines,” I say.  “If this makes them happy…”

“It could cloud his judgment.”

“Even if they weren’t together, you think he wouldn’t have had a hard time today?  Face it, Derek, we all love each other in our own way and when one of us is in trouble, we all respond.”  I yawn big and shift a bit to get comfortable.  “I’m sorry for punching you in the face.  I don’t think I’ve ever punched anybody ever before.”

“I’m sorry for pushing you up against the wall and completely freaking you out,” he says quietly.

“Truce?”

“Reid, man…” he leans over and extends a hand.  “Truce, always.”

I shake it.  “Truce.”

He smiles and puts his headphones on, closing his eyes to nap after a long day.  I unwrap my arms from my legs and let them go to down, my stocking-clad feet touching the floor.  I lean my head back, unfold my whole body and for the first time since that case in Davenport I feel open.