Bitter

Chapter One

"When passion meets inspiration, obsession is born."

-Anonymous

"Another case?" Spencer sighed, leaning back in his chair, his hands fiddling in his lap.

"Alas, my crime-fighting superheroes. This is Alexander Antonov. He suffered a heart attack in his hotel late Monday night." said the woman shying away from the screen displaying the man's strewn body.

"Heart attack, why are we investigating this?" asked a man with dark furrowed brows seated on the right side of the table, looking down at the tablet in his hands.

Spencer stared across the table, hoping JJ would look back at him. She hadn't made eye contact since they were sitting on the ground in the jewelry store. Since she told him, she'd always loved him. Since then, Spencer had been uninterested in cases, with only the thought of what could've been on his mind.

Who knows, maybe he would have finally been a father. Have a big house, with a white picket fence, lots of windows, and filled with books. Perhaps he would have a son like Henry, or a daughter that was the spitting image of him. But he can't have that now. JJ is married to Will, and she would never leave Henry and Micheal behind. His best friend, his first love, couldn't even tell him something in the years before Will.

Spencer was snapped back to reality as he realized Penelope was telling them about Alexander's profession.

"He's a Russian Oil Exec. Lots of enemies, it's believed he was here to try to make a deal with the government. The case is local. They just want us to consult; I already sent the address to your phones." she finished.

"Reid, I want you and Lewis to go to the ME." The emotionless man commanded as he stood up.

Lewis and Reid nodded to Hotch. As everyone left the room, Spencer watched as JJ prepared to go to the scene. He stopped her at the door, grabbing her arm gently so she would look at him.

"Are we not going to talk about this?" He asked, confused about whether he should be angry or hurt.

"There's nothing to talk about, Spence. It's over now; I do love you, but as a friend." She finished as she yanked her arm back, walking out the door. Spencer grabbed his bag and fled the B.A.U. to the parking lot.

*

"Want me to drive?" Tara said, approaching the black SUV. He silently tossed the keys into his pocket and looked out the window, trying to distract himself from his conversation with JJ. He wracked his brain for anything that could cause an undetectable heart attack.

After around twenty minutes of driving, they arrived at the ME's office.

"I don't get why they have you guys investigating this. It's just a heart attack. You should be out there catching the real monsters." said the ME.

He was a relatively short man, about 5'6, with a large bald spot forming on the crown of his head. His pants were much too long, yet too small around the waist, the band sliding below his slight beer belly. He motioned for them to follow him to the morgue, sliding out the cold body of one Alexander Antonov. His dark hair was still styled except for a patch of blood where he must have hit his head in the fall.

"Did you find any blood toxins?" questioned Tara looking as the short man shook his head no. Her eyebrows dropped as she looked over him, trying to see any signs of struggle.

"Any risk factors? Or maybe a needle puncture that caused an air embolism?" asked Reid looking at the man's pale lips.

"Nope. Nothing pointing to that. Sorry about the pun, couldn't help myself!" laughed the examiner.