Smart Girl(A Criminal Minds/Spencer Reid Fan-fiction) BOOK TWO

Chapter Fifteen: Devil's Night

        The months dragged on and the pregnancy only got worse. By now, at the nine month marker, I was huge, tired, and ready to not be pregnant. And so close to giving birth, our stress was on the rise. But, even if we were terrified out of our minds, we weren't going to let it ruin one of our favorite holidays; Halloween. I wore a t-shirt, with a pumpkin over the huge bump. I wore leggings with green ribbon wrapped around them and a green bow in my hair. I was a pumpkin patch. Spencer walked around wearing a plastic mask.

        'The cool thing about Halloween is, it's a uniquely American holiday. I mean, despite it's obvious origins in the Celtic festival of Samhaiin and the Christian all saints day, it really is a melting pot of various immigrants beliefs and traditions." Spencer told Prentiss as we entered the round table room. "It became a little more popular with trick or treat in the nineteen fifties and today it rivals only Christmas in popularity."

        "I only asked what they were doing this weekend." She told Rossi and Morgan.

        "We were debating between going to the Edgar Allen Poe shadow puppet theater, or the the re-enactment of the nineteenth century Phantasmagoria." I told them.

        "I don't want to know."

        "Oh, yeah you do. Phantasmagoria are these amazing pre-cinema projected ghost shows, invented in France, where the showman tried to spook the audience using science magic." They all just stared at us. 

        "You can only imagine what their kid is gonna turn out like."

        "You know, I wouldn't have to worry about loosing my feminine curves, if you guys would pay more attention to all the trees we're consuming around here." Garcia said, handing us case files.

        'When did you become an eco-freak?"

        "Baby, I was born green."

        "We're going to Detroit." Hotch told us.

        "What, it's Halloween weekend." 

        "Arson investigators have noticed a three year trend in the days leading up to Halloween.

       "Devil's night."

        'This unsub is killing only these three days out of the year."

        "How's he doing it?" Rossi questioned.

        "He's burning the victims alive. He's abducting seemingly random people and dumping their bodies in abandoned parts of town. He struck again last night."

        'Yeah, Tony Torell, Forty. He lives in the suburbs, but was found twenty miles away in the river town district."

        "He's attacking the city at it's most vulnerable time."

        'What does he do during the rest of the year?" Spencer asked.

        "He's dormant."

        'Arsonists are predominately white males between the ages of seventeen and twenty-five who have a physical incapability to stay away from fire. THey're addicted to it, but normally, they target dwellings, not people. I think he burns people alive, but he's not an arsonist. This unsub uses fire as his weapon." I told them.

'        "And devil's night gives him the perfect cover to kill."

        'And we've got forty-eight hours before he disappears again."

        "Well our last victim was athletic. He wouldn't be easy to subdue."

        "The offender must be just as strong or might have an upper hand if he's younger."

        'Still, how does he transport his victims across the city and get them inside buildings without being noticed?" Prentiss asked.

~~~

        We got up and prepared to board the plane. I suddenly felt a searing pain. I groaned and put a hand on my stomach. Spencer put a hand on my back.

        "Are you ok?" I nodded.

        "Fine."

        'Hotch, maybe I should stay with her-"

        "No way. If you think I'm staying here again your-"

        "Marianne, we can't risk you going into labor in the middle of a case. Reid, you can stay."

        "If he does you'll be down two agents." I reminded him. "Go, Spencer. I'll be fine." 

        "Marianne-"

        "I'll be fine! Go." He shook his head."They need you."

        "They have my cell number."

        'They also don't have time to argue." I said. He sighed, knowing he didn't have time. 

        "You text me if anything, anything at all, changes, ok?" I nodded, kissing him on the cheek.

        "Meanwhile...I'll step in for Garcia. Anything you need electronically, I'm on it." Hotch nodded and they left.

~~~Spencer~~~

        I sat looking out the window. I tried to focus on the case, but how could I when my wife could go into labour any second!

        "Now, I though Devil's night was Halloween eve." Emily said. I said nothing.

        'What, no long explanation?" Morgan asked. I sighed.

        "Sorry, um...In Detroit it's actually a three-day, city wide, cultural phenomenon with masks, costumes and chaos." 

        "You know she'll be ok, right?" 

        "No, I don't know that, because what happens if she gives birth to my child and I'm not there? That's not exactly something I'd like to miss. If my wife wasn't so stubborn, it wouldn't be a problem." 

        "She'll call you if anything happens. It's only an hour long flight, you'll be able to get back in plenty of time." I nodded.

        "I hope your right."