misery//sequel to gut feeling

six: run

Two FBI agents, a police officer, and Arthur's replacement Witness Protection marshal led the team into their new home. It was dark, almost completely unfurnished, and in the middle of nowhere.

"I get that remote locations like this can be harder to find at first, but I still think that hiding in the city would be easier. Closer to civilization, so people would know if... something was happening here?" Garcia whispered to JJ as they inspected the small safehouse.

Hotch joined them in their room. "I already spoke to Morgan and Reid, but I wanted you all to be prepared, too. Where's Prentiss?"

Emily joined them in the room at the mention of her name. "Sorry, I was talking to Spencer. What's going on?"

"If the unsubs could find us that quickly when we had everything planned out so thoroughly, they can easily find us when we're just running away with no real plan. I don't know how soon it'll be before they find us, but we have to be ready. They're only going to continue to get more angry."

"Alright, Hotch. We'll be ready. What do you need us to do?" JJ asked. "We don't really have anything much to help us."

"We aren't allowed to have our guns back so we'll have to figure something else out. At least be mentally prepared if you can't find anything else." Hotch turned to leave. As he walked away, he thought over how much had happened in the past week-- first they worked a case for a month without going home, then they were held hostage for almost a week, and then in witness protection for a week. It had been almost two weeks since he had seen Jack. "Maybe this will end tonight." He thought to himself. 

Spencer sat in a room in the back with Emily. 

"I guess this is the end game, huh?" She realized too late that mentioning their impending (possible) doom wouldn't lighten the mood.

"Yeah, I guess so." Spencer said, staring avidly out the window.

"Listen, Spencer." Emily began. "I... really don't remember who I am, and I have no idea who you really are. But throughout all of this, we've been the closest. Maybe in real life, we didn't even like each other, and maybe we were the closest out of everyone in the team. The thing is..." Spencer looked away from the window and met her eyes. 

Emily cleared her throat. "The thing is, I-- we may never find out. We could die tonight. Just, Spencer, if you make it out of here and I don't, and you get all of your memories back and it turns out you hated me before and you remember why then, please try to remember me like we've been the last week."

"Married?" Spencer chuckled. 

"No. Best friends." 

Spencer reflected her sad smile. "Emily, I wouldn't be worried about dying. If anyone was gonna die here, it would be--"

"Don't say yourself, Spencer." Emily shook her head, looking away.

He smiled softly, shifting to sit next to her. "Emily, you aren't going to die. But..." He sighed. "If it really does comfort you to know, then I promise you I will remember you as if I've known you only for this week."

"Unless you figure out that I wasn't mean to you before this."

"Right, but if you were mean before any of this, and you're completely fine with me now, then I know you had a different reason to hate me besides just disliking my personality." He smirked slyly.

"What?"

"Jealousy." He grinned. She opened her mouth to counter but he jumped in before she could start. "No, no, I can't blame you. I mean, just look at me."

Emily playfully hit his shoulder and shook her head. "I am not  jealous."

"Alright..." He trailed off doubtfully. "Thanks for everything, Emily."

 "Yeah. I have your back. If you can't remember anything else, at least remember that."

 "I will. I'll have yours, too." He paused. "...So now we're going to fight over who gets to take a bullet for each other?"

"Oh, I'm gonna win."

"Wait, no--"

"EMILY! SPENCER?" 

The two jumped to their feet. They looked to each other, silently asking if it was really happening, and paling in worry at the silent answer. They ran from room to room, searching for their suddenly silent team. The two knew yelling for their team would only make it worse.

Spencer ran past a single window and heard a sudden call. 

"Out here, Doctor!"

Spencer froze. He didn't know that voice. 

"Emily!" He whispered. 

She crouched and hurried over.

"I think they're outside." He said.

"Alright. I found the agents and the cop. They're both dead. I...uh, I got their guns." She said remorsefully handing him a handgun. "How did we not hear all of them just disappear? If they got taken, then how was it so quiet?"

"We must be outnumbered. Everyone must have been at different places and they were able to sneak up behind them--"

"Why is it always a blitz attack?"

"Because they're efficient. We must be outnumbered by at least... five?" Spencer slid against the wall.

"How did Queenie and Harvey get anyone to work with them?" Emily joined him at his side.

Spencer shook his head. "The same way murderers get people to help them kill. They look for people like themselves."

"How do we do this? They have our whole team. Why didn't they just go ahead and walk in and kill everyone? Why leave us?" Emily whispered.

"They have something planned. Something big." Spencer shook his head. "We can't stall forever, our team is out there."

Emily nodded. "So what, we go out guns blazing?" Emily whispered.

"No, I'll go out first--"

"No, bad idea, we go out together."

"Okay."