Oblivious || Spencer Reid x Original Character

Chapter 14: First Contact

"To follow by faith alone is to follow blindly"- Benjamin Franklin

Rory stared out the window of the car, her gaze tracing the Colorado desert, as they drove along the bumpy dirt road. She had barely slept since New York and the aftereffects were still present. She felt like she had failed Kate, like she had failed Hotch and no matter how many times her superior officer told her it wasn't her fault she still didn't feel it. Kate had been one of the people to rescue her in London. She had risked her life to save Rory, and Rory didn't return the favour. The only one who had truly understood how deeply the death of the British-American had impacted her was Emily; she had been there too, and she knew all too well how Rory was feeling. She had been distant during their last case in Ohio. She was almost certain the team had noticed. Maybe that was why Hotch had sent her out here with Spencer, to remind her of why she wanted to work in the FBI.

"Tell us about the 9-1-1 call," Spencer asks from the back seat, glancing up from the case file, breaking Rory from her thoughts.

"I believe the 'he' that they referred to is the church's leader, Benjamin Cyrus," Nancy said her hand gripping the wheel tightly.

"Benjamin Cyrus- No criminal record. No record at all, really," Spencer's eyebrows furrow, "What else do you know about him?"

"It's rumoured that he's practicing polygamy and forced marriages," Nancy replies distate clear in her voice.

"Any idea who the caller is?" Rory asked turning to the dark-haired woman beside her.

"Uh, Jessica Evanson is the one who the age fits, but..." Nancy sighs releasing her grip on the wheel slightly, "We can't be sure. So I negotiated interviews with all the children. It wasn't easy." The weariness was clear in her voice. Rory couldn't imagine doing her job, responding to allegations of sexual abuse against minors. The thought was almost laughable, the fact that she dealt with the worst of humanity in each case, sadists, sociopaths, psychopaths but child predators always made her blood boil.

"Well, considering their view on outsiders," Rory says snapping herself from her thoughts, and focusing on the situation awaiting them at the compound, "It would be best if you didn't identify us as FBI. Just use our real names, and introduce us as child victim interview experts." Nancy nodded confirming she understood, before fixing her gaze on the buildings on the horizon, slowly growing larger. Rory glanced at Spencer in the rearview mirror. He ran a hand through his hair, tousling it, before pushing his glasses up to the bridge of his nose as he read through the case file for what must have been the millionth time given how fast he could read. She knew his actions were redundant, with his eidetic memory he would have memorised the entire thing the first time. He was as nervous as her.

"It's going to be fine Spence," Rory says, her gaze not moving from his form. He looks up at her catching her eyes in the mirror. Her heart leaps in her chest as their eyes lock.

"I know that," he says furrowing his eyebrows slightly, his nose crinkling up.

"Then put down the case file, I know you already have it memorised backward and forwards," she says, her tone light trying to relieve some of the anxiety he felt as they pulled into the compound. Rory had never seen Spencer wear glasses before, she liked them, the way they drew more attention to his eyes noting the way the usual amber appeared darker set against the dry landscape, like molasses. She found herself lost in them for a moment. Trying to communicate wordlessly with him that this case was simple, they would be in and out and would be able to allow the locals to make the arrest based on their interview. The sound of Nancy's car door snapping shut broke her focus. The two FBI agents slowly exited the vehicle.