A Very Spencer Halloween

Chapter Six: History Repeats Itself

SPENCER'S POV
"Spencer! Spencer wake up!"
I hadn't been jarred like this in a long time. One second I was out and the next Morgan was above me, shaking me. "What... what is it?" I noticed it was still dark.
"It's Cass... she's gone."
I paused. I didn't say anything.
Morgan seemed to read my mind. "Reid, you're not dreaming. Get dressed and meet me downstairs."
Morgan left and I was alone. Hotch and Rossi were already gone: both had slept in their day clothes.
My heart began to beat faster and faster.
Not again.
Not Cass.
I threw on pants and grabbed my jacket, not bothering to change out of my white t-shirt before flying down the stairs. What I saw shocked me even more:
Rose Langley.
She was talking to JJ. I started towards her but felt a hand grab my shoulder.
I turned and saw it was Hotch. "We need to talk," he said, guiding me to the empty room where our table was. Hotch shut and locked the door behind us.
"Reid, I'm going to ask you a series of questions and I need you to answer them honestly if we have any hope of finding Williams in time."
I nodded, still shell-shocked.
"Did you know she was planning on leaving?"
I shook my head.
"While you two were working on the geographical profile did she say anything that struck you as odd?"
I swallowed. "Yes... but it's complicated."
Hotch's look grew sterner than it already was. "What do you mean?"
"It... it doesn't have anything to do with the case."
"Reid... we profile behavior. Anything she said or did before she left will give us a clue as to what happened."
"I... wait... she... she left?" I asked
Hotch finally tore his eyes off of mine and sat down, putting his head in his hands.
"Reid... Agent Williams traded places... with Rose Langley."
My heart felt like it stopped. "No..." I whispered. "She... she wouldn't."
"She did, and we don't have much.." Hotch stopped when he finally looked back up at me. Call me crazy, but I could feel how pale my face was. I sat down, too numb to cry, but inwardly an absolute train wreck.
Hotch's face changed from concerned to sad. "It's true, isn't it?"
My throat was dry, but I choked out, "What?"
"You and Agent Williams are dating... aren't you?"
I remembered our conversation from last night. Had that all been a ruse to cover why she was really nervous? So I wouldn't know what she was up to? I couldn't doubt her now. No matter what she loved me and I loved her.
"Yes." I whispered. I wanted to say more... to argue for us... but I couldn't.
Hotch sighed. "I'll see what I can do when it comes to the bureau rules... Garcia and Lynch made the cut... but they're not both in the same job... I can't make promises."
I just nodded. That wasn't my main concern at the moment... At this point I didn't care if I never stepped foot in the BAU offices again... so long as Cass came back safe and sound.
Hotch stood up. "Reid... in order for me to be able to do that, I need to be able to honestly say you operated as you would if any other team member were in this situation. Can you do that?"
I looked up at him. I had to pull it together. She loved this job, I love this job, and we loved each other.
"Yes," I managed.
Hotch nodded. "Good. I'm going to go get Rose and bring her in here to try to get her to tell us as much as she can."
I nodded and Hotch left the room. I took one deep breath before preparing a blank board for whatever we learned from Rose.
I had only had a glimpse of her before Hotch brought me in here and as soon as she came in I realized why.
Rose came in with blood on her dirty, ratted Halloween costume... but there wasn't a scratch on her.
Hotch carried the little girl in with JJ following, who shut the door behind her.
Hotch put the little girl on his lap. She leaned into him and JJ knelt in front and put her hand on the girl's knee.
JJ spoke. "Rosie... this is Dr. Reid," she said, pointing at me. I smiled as best I could and waved. "Do you remember the woman who found you in the street before you ran here?"
Rose nodded.
"Okay good," JJ said. "We need for you to tell us what happened."
She nodded. "I... I was trick or treating when my mom disappeared. I went to look for her and someone put a bag over my head. They never took it off until I was outside... until I met Cassie. Someone took her though, but she told me to run..."
A dog barked in the distance and she startled violently.
"What's the matter?" JJ asked.
"I... I thought it was another loud bang."
My throat went dry. "Loud bang?" Hotch asked
Rose nodded. "I heard it after I got away."
"Rosie... was Cassie screaming for help?"
Rosie nodded. "She stopped after the bang."
I'd tried to keep my composure. But that one detail sucked all the breath out of me, and before I even realized I was panicking, the room had begun to spin and I blacked out.