Spencer Reid Oneshots/Limited Series

Shadow of Obsession - Part Five

Spencer waits until he's sure that you're sleeping before he makes his way to the dining table. He spreads out all of the photos the stalker slipped under your door and wrote down all the details of the case. He's working under the dim light from the lamp, and he himself fights off sleep. Like he said, there is no length too great for you.

Thanks to his impeccable memory, he's able to recall when you wore each outfit depicted in the photos. He's sure that this will help him construct the timeline of when this all began. Of course, it'll likely only be a ballpark estimate, as it's likely it took the stalker some time to build his confidence.

With the clues laid out in front of him, his mind works to put the puzzle together. He rearranges the photos and clues, switching things out every so often. As he works his mind also begins trying to form a narrative that makes sense.

The photos have all been taken within the last two months. This tells Spencer either the stalker has built a lot of confidence really quickly, or this has been going on for a lot longer than anyone realized. His stomach churns at the thought of an unknown man lurking outside of your apartment, just waiting to catch a glimpse of you.

The thought also gives him a drive to work harder and to think faster. He paces around the table, looking over the photos and other evidence again and again, hoping that the answer jumps out at him.

The exhaustion weighs his eyelids down and as he paces he rubs his eyes constantly. He's afraid that if he stops moving he'll fall asleep on the spot. And he can't afford to do that. No, he has to stay up and figure this out once and for all. And he's confident that the answer is right in front of him somehow. There has to be enough clues here to point him in the right direction.

He has to do this. For you. He has to make sure you're safe. He has to be sure nobody is lurking in the shadows waiting for you. He has to be sure. For he cannot bear the thought of someone else even putting a finger on you.

A jolt of adrenaline courses through his veins with the thought. The idea of another man putting his hands on you is enough to keep him up for days. He wants to be the only one who has the privilege of feeling your touch. He wants to be the one who you come to when you're upset. He wants to be the only one.

And so he cannot rest until he knows he's the only one.

He finally comes to a stop and leans forward on the table, his hands tightly gripping each side to support himself. Spencer takes a closer look at each picture and dissects each one, for every photo tells a story in and of itself.

It isn't until the sun shines through the curtains that he realizes he's stayed up all night constructing what he believes is the correct timeline. With tired, yet careful, hands he packs everything up in order and leaves it on the table so he can remember to take it with him when he goes to work. You're still not permitted to return to the office, under Hotch's orders, but Spencer most certainly can present this to the team.

He isn't sure exactly what he's going to say, but he knows he's going to have to work hard to keep his anger at bay.

"Spence?" Your groggy voice surprises him out of his thoughts. He stands straighter and offers a small, soft smile.

"Good morning, did you sleep okay?" He asks you, and you nod after a yawn. You walk over to him and rub your eyes, and Spencer is sure he's never seen such a beautiful sight.

"Did you sleep at all?" You ask him, your eyes carefully looking over the finer details of his face. He feels a blush creep up his neck, and he knows there's no point in lying.

"No, I had something much more important to do." He says, licking his lips as his eyes glance between your eyes and your lips. He notices the crease between your eyebrows and he can almost guess what's going to come out of your mouth next.