Tainted (Criminal Minds / One Chicago FanFic)

Chapter 2 (Edited)

1 Week Later...

Alexa drove down the I-95 going around Washington as she took the freeway towards Illinois. Her music was playing off a playlist on her phone. However, she wasn't really paying attention to the music. She spent most of the drive wondering if she should've at least told her dad she'd taken a job in Chicago and that she was moving away. 

She did leave him a note on the counter for when he got home from the case he was on, telling him she felt like it was time to leave home, to start a new chapter in a new city. She told him she'd be in Chicago and that she was sorry that she left without seeing him. 

Before Alexa left Quantico she stopped by to see Jack who was staying with her Aunt Jessica. She offered to babysit Jack when Dad took cases out of town an arrangement they made shortly after her mom's funeral. She told Jack she loved him so much and hung out with him for a few minutes before she went to drop a second letter off at Derek's house. 

She left the card in the mailbox, got in her car, and took off down the freeway. It's not like Alexa was leaving forever, she'd go back to visit. She just couldn't keep staring at the same place in the kitchen when her mom was shot 3 times. Alexa shook the thought as she passed a sign that said Pittsburgh was 10 miles away.

Alexa glanced at how much longer the drive would be noticing she still had another 6 hours to go before she got to Chicago. She wondered if she was making the right choice by leaving home, it might have been time to start a new chapter but she could have dealt with it better at least when it came to communicating. She knew that but she was also 6 hours away from home, and she already had everything set in motion including a 2 bedroom apartment in a really nice building near Bucktown. 

Alexa kept driving stopping for gas and something to eat before she'd get back on the road. The sun was starting to set when Alexa saw the 'Welcome To Chicago' sign. As Alexa got closer to the city she noticed massive skyscrapers, it didn't take her long to get off the freeway and pull up outside the 4 story apartment complex. 

Alexa Hotchner's Apartment, Bucktown Chicago Illinois

Alexa switched her car off climbing out of the driver's seat and stretching before she grabbed her purse and suitcase out of the backseat. The ginger shut the doors and locked them as she made her way over to the sidewalk and up the walkway to the building. After Alexa sent the landlord first and last she requested he mailed the keys to her since she didn't know how late she'd be getting into the city. 

Her landlord gladly agreed after she sent him money to mail the keys to her. Alexa used the code to get through the front door, and over to the elevator taking it to the second floor. The ginger stepped out of the small elevator and made her way down the hallway toward apartment 2B. Alexa paused outside the door to her apartment pulling the keys out of her bag and unlocking the door. 

Alexa switched the lights on revealing the empty apartment, she ordered the basics online a few days ago but the earliest they could deliver anything was tomorrow morning. Which just meant she'd either get a motel for the night or crash on the floor of her new place. The ginger set her suitcase down in the hallway along with her purse before making her way out of the apartment locking the door before heading back outside to grab the rest of the boxes she packed out of her car.

Alexa made 3 trips from her car to the apartment before all her stuff was finally inside. The ginger took her purse and a change of clothes and drove to a nearby Hotel for the night until her stuff got delivered. The last thing she wanted was to sleep on the floor after driving all day. 

Holiday Inn, Chicago Illinois 

The drive took less than 10 minutes, Alexa parked her car in the lot and made her way into the lobby of a Holiday Inn. The ginger booked a room and made her way up to the room for the night. Alexa locked the door to her room before she kicked her shoes off and climbed into one of the 2 beds falling asleep the moment her head hit the pillow. 

After what felt like minutes Alexa woke up to the sound of her phone ringing nonstop. She grabbed the phone noticing it was almost 9 am. "Hello?" she said answering the phone still half asleep. "Is this Alexa Hotchner?" a man asked her, "speaking," Alexa replied as her eyes adjusted to the dark room due to the closed curtains. 

"We're with Pete's deliveries, we're here with your furniture," he said through the line. Alexa hopped out of bed at the words. "I'll be there in 10 minutes," Alexa said before she hung up the phone. The ginger changed into the extra set of clothes she brought before grabbing her purse and stuff from the hotel room. 

Alexa went down to the lobby checking out of her room, and made her way outside to her car that was parked in the lot. The drive back to the apartment didn't take her more than 10 minutes. The ginger parked her blue Honda behind a dark grey pickup truck, she switched the car off and climbed out. 

Alexa Hotchner's Apartment, Bucktown Chicago Illinois

Alexa walked over to the delivery truck leaving the young men up to her apartment with her massive boxes of furniture. They moved the boxes upstairs with dollies, it took the pair 45 minutes to move everything up to her apartment. After the delivery drivers left Alex spent the rest of the morning, into the afternoon assembling her couch, and bed. 

It was almost 2 in the afternoon when Alexa realized she still hadn't eaten breakfast or lunch. The ginger sighed debating whether to pick up groceries or just order takeout instead even if she would barely touch it. Ultimately she decided to order food, settling on onion rings and a root beer. It wasn't much but at least she could say that she ate something, while Alexa waited for her food she wondered how her dad was doing. He had to still be away working a case with the BAU or he would've found the letter. 

How would he react to her just not being home when he got back? She knew he'd freak out until he found the letter. Her phone buzzed with a notification, pulling her away from her thoughts. The message on her phone was to let her know her delivery driver arrived outside. Alexa took her apartment key and made her way down to the lobby to grab the bag of food she already knew she'd barely touch. 

Alexa spent the rest of the afternoon lying on her couch scrolling through the photos on her phone. Most of them were of her mom, dad, Jack, and her. Some photos were of her and her mom making silly faces and laughing. Alexa let out a shakey breath as a sharp ache of pain went through her chest. It felt like someone was squeezing her throat closed as she tried to fight the tears welling up in her eyes. 

A tear fell from her eyes, "i'm sorry I couldn't save you," Alexa's words were barely a whisper as she started sobbing uncontrollably. Like a damn that just broke, she couldn't stop the sobs once they started, leaving her curled up in a ball on her couch. All she wanted was her mom, to talk to her again and hug her one last time; but she never would and that thought alone felt like a stab to the heart.