FRATERNIZATION | DEREK MORGAN (ON HOLD)

SEVENTEEN

"Okay, got it. Her apartments off campus." Derek announced as they walked down the stairs. He turned to face Theresa before announcing, "You were right, Darling, you were right, Clara Hayes, Chem student."

Theresa couldn't help but feel a small swell of pride at the fact that she was right. She allowed a smile to form on her face as Derek looked towards her. He shouldn't have doubted her, she was always right.

"But how is he sure it's this girl?" Elle questioned, still not completely trusting it.

"Because he trusted Tessa." Derek responded, placing the hand on the small of Theresa's back as the trio and a security guard rushed towards Clara's apartment.

The security guard kicked down the door and Derek stood ready with his gun. He protectively stood in front of Theresa, despite her being able to protect herself, he wanted to keep her safe at all costs.

Theresa held the gun tightly in her hand, even though she never would use it unless it was absolutely necessary.

She looked around the room and once the security guards declared it empty, she placed her gun back in its holster. She noticed the different writing on the walls as well as the labelled pictures. There was an abundance of candles dotted around the room, all of them lit.

"Oh you gotta me kidding me, OCD? I'm thinking more like OMG." Derek muttered once he saw the room, his hand resting in the small of Theresa's back.

"OMG?" Elle questioned with furrowed brows, not understanding the terminology.

Both Derek and Theresa shared a look, wondering how the girl didn't catch on the the obvious joke. Derek wet his lips before announcing,

"Oh, my God."

"A fire is kindled in my anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell." Elle read from the wall. "Deuteronomy."

"And again the fire of heaven came down and killed them all." Derek chose another quote to read form the wall.

Theresa broke away from the pair, looking at all the different photos and writing on the wall. With each candle she passed, she made sure to blow it out, to make sure that it didn't start another accidental fire.

"I do this for Charon." Elle pointed to the photo of the boat. "That's Charon. That's the Greek mythological ferryman of the dead."

"It's also the name of Pluto's only moon." Derek pointed out, smiling once he saw Theresa blow out another candle. "Paradise lost."

Derek couldn't help but walk over to the brunette. He was drawn to her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and read over her shoulders.

"Moloch, horrid King, besmeared with blood of human sacrifice and parents tears." His fingers began to trace patterns on the girls skin, making her close her eyes in absolute bliss.

Theresa rested her head back against his shoulder, a smile made its way to her face. He knew exactly what to do to make her smile like that.

She was like putty in his hands and he loved that.

"Moloch was the demon sun God of the Canaanites." Reid explained, making Theresa jump since she didn't know that Elle had called him. "In order to keep from incurring his wrath, the people would sacrifice their children to them by burning them alive."

The brunette gulped down, she couldn't imagine her parents sacrificing her or any of her siblings. Derek placed a soft kiss on the girls temple, making a smile etch its way onto her face once again.

"Sixteen year old survives inferno. The mother, Ellen Hayes, called it a miracle." Hotch read. "My daughter was tested by God. He tested my child and she came through blessed. Look at the house number."

"Three, three, three." Gideon read, probably looking a picture.

Theresa's brows knitted together, trying to piece together every part of the unsub's room and life. She hadn't worked on a case where someone was OCD yet, but it certainly was interesting to her.

"Hey Morgan, Cohen?"

"Yeah?" Theresa span on her heel to see what Elle wanted, she smiled wildly at the fact that Elle had caught onto the fact that she had to be addressed in order to speak.

"You know what magical thinking is?" Elle questioned curiously.

"Obsessive thoughts." Derek responded quickly. "It's like a superstition. It controls them."

Elle hesitated for a moment, trying to think of the right thing to say next that would support her upcoming statement.

"Like, step on a crack, break your mothers back."

"Except she actually believes it." Derek pointed out.

Theresa ran her tongue over her bottom lip and sucked in a deep breath, the only difference with their unsub was that she actually believed in all the superstition.

She wondered what it felt like to believe in something so deeply that she was willing to kill for it, and even potentially die.

"Yeah. God tested her with fire. And now, when three threes-three threes show up around another person-"

"God tells her to test them." Derek concluded, his eyes flickering over to Theresa, she had barely spoken, not that it was her fault.

Neither him or Elle had really addressed her, but it did make him curious as to what she was thinking.

"Hey Hotch, we're looking, man. I don't think she would've left behind a day planned that says, set next fire here written in it." Derek paused, listening to what Hotch had to say. "I understand, wait until you see this place."

"Morgan. Cohen." Elle called out as she lifted a curtain to reveal a cupboard behind it.

Theresa's face fell once she saw the different bombs made. They were all ready to go. She could kill someone in an instant with them. The girl took the phone from Derek and took a deep breath before announcing,

"Hotch, there's at least 30 home made bombs in here."

"Seal the building, get everybody out of there and walk away, do you understand, Parker?" Hotch spoke slowly and strongly, not wanting the girl to miss a word he said.

"I understand." Theresa nodded, looking up to Derek, who's eyes seemed to have softened once they met hers. "We need to get everyone out, secure the building and walk away. Orders from Hotch."