A Father's Daughter

Chapter Five

TW: This chapter contains descriptions of violent crimes against women, sexual assault, and murder

Walking into the bullpen feels different today. After my date with Spencer yesterday, I'm a bit nervous how he's going to act at work. Are we going to be how we usually are, only really talking when necessary? Or will it be different?

I shake my head and place my go bag under my desk before walking over to the kitchen area to make myself a black tea. I grab my mug from the shelf, it's white with 1-800-serial killer written on it over and over in red font. I think it's funny, some people in the office aren't really a fan of it, aka Hotch. I turn on the electric kettle and grab a bag of English Breakfast from the pantry.

I stir my tea as I walk over to my desk. Today is a consultation day aka the cases we can't fly out and be on the ground for. We review the evidence and victimology to then create a base profile for local law enforcement to use. I take a seat at my desk and sip my tea, this is going to be a long day.

Everyone starts filing into the bullpen, Spencer coming in last. I expect him to go straight to his desk, but he stops at mine.

"Hey Cara," his smile is warm and his hands are fumbling the cardboard coffee cup, "how are you?"

He sits on the edge of my desk like I've seen him do countless times with Emily and JJ. He's getting more comfortable and confident around me, this is a very good sign.

"I'm doing good," I place my mug down on my desk and look up at him, "I found the perfect spot on my bookshelf for 'A Study in Scarlet'." I inconspicously place my hand on his and give it a light squeeze before pulling away, "thank you again for pointing it out to me."

I don't know if he'll ever know how much it genuinely meant to me. Even though it's been seven years, I miss my mom every day and having that book feels like I have a little piece of her with me. I'm still waiting to tell him about my mom's substance abuse problems and her dying from an overdose when I was eighteen, but I'm not sure I'll ever be willing to share that with him. That would require me to be vulnerable, which I don't know if I can be if I want to avenge my father.

"I'm glad I did too," his voice draws my focus back to him. I didn't even realize that I had zoned out. He opens his mouth to say something else but he's interrupted by Hotch emerging from his office with a pile of case files for each of us.

"I'm going to have you pair up on these," he tells us as he hands out the files, "JJ, you're with Rossi, Emily with Morgan, and Reid you're with Ash. Garcia is working with cyber crimes to help them with a profile for a hacker but if you need her, please ask. I'll be in my office if you need anything."

We all nod and I see JJ and Emily both raise their eyebrows at me. I roll my eyes, I guess Emily told JJ about the conversation we had on the jet the other day. I quickly redirect my attention to Spencer, "do you want to work on these in the round table room?"

He nods and picks up both of our piles before I follow him into the separate room. I can feel everyone's eyes on us as we separate ourselves, but I don't really care. I prefer working in the round table room, it gives us more space and it also suits my plan to have the boy wonder fall I love with me.

Spencer places the case files on the table and takes a seat. I sit down next to him, purposefully grazing his hand with mine as I grab the first file. I see him gulp out of the corner of my eye and I resist the urge to smirk.

"Okay," I say, opening up the first file and reading it over, "the locals in Grand Rapids, Michigan have a potential serial killer on their hands. There have been a total of three women who have been killed under the same mysterious circumstances over the last year and a half. They're all between 5'3 and 5'6, dark hair, light eyes, and in their early to mid twenties. All lived relatively low risk lifestyles and were reported missing within the first 24 hours of them being gone. All of the bodies have been discovered exactly four months after they were reported missing in dumpsters across the city."