Sweeter Than Honey

Chapter 12: Let Me Be Your Comfort

3rd Person POV:

Three weeks had passed since the harrowing case involving Mateo and his friends. The team at the BAU had returned to their routine, tackling each new case with their usual dedication. Cassia and Spencer were seated at a table, filing paperwork from their most recent case. Spencer's hand rested subtly on Cassia's thigh, a comforting presence as they worked through the mundane tasks.

"Can you believe we actually caught a break today?" Morgan said, stretching his arms over his head. "A whole night without a new case."

JJ nodded, glancing around the room. "It's nice to have some downtime for a change."

Rossi chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "Don't get too comfortable. You know how quickly things can change around here."

Emily grinned, tapping away at her laptop. "Rossi's right. Enjoy it while it lasts."

Garcia, who had been engrossed in her computer screen, looked up with a mischievous smile. "How about a movie night? I've got a great lineup ready."

Cassia laughed, feeling a warmth spread through her. "Sounds like a plan. I could use some distraction."

Spencer's hand gave her thigh a gentle squeeze. "Agreed. A movie night sounds perfect."

Hotch walked into the room, holding a stack of folders. "Alright, team, let's finish up this paperwork. I don't want any unfinished business hanging over our heads."

As they settled back into their tasks, the atmosphere in the room was light and relaxed. It felt like a rare moment of peace in their otherwise chaotic lives. But just as they were beginning to think it might be a quiet night, the door to the BAU swung open.

A man staggered in, covered in blood. His eyes were hazy, and he looked like he could barely stand. "I... I just murdered a woman," he mumbled, his voice trembling.

The room fell silent, all eyes turning to the man. Cassia's heart stopped as she recognized him. It was her father, the man who had abandoned her, her mother, and her brothers when she was just ten years old.

"Dad?" Cassia whispered, her voice barely audible.

Her father looked up, his gaze unfocused but landing on Cassia. "Cassia? Is that you?"

Morgan and Hotch moved quickly, guiding the man to a chair. "Sir, we need you to stay calm," Hotch said, his tone authoritative yet gentle. "Can you tell us what happened?"

"I... I don't know," her father stammered. "I woke up, and there was blood everywhere. She's dead. I must have killed her."

Cassia felt a wave of emotions crash over her—shock, anger, confusion. Spencer's hand tightened on her thigh, a silent support.

"Who is dead?" Emily asked, her eyes narrowing with concern.

"My wife," he replied, his voice breaking. "She was lying there, covered in blood."

Cassia's mind raced. Her father had remarried? She hadn't known. "Dad, you need to tell us everything," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Sheila," he said, looking at Cassia with desperation. "Her name is Sheila. We were at home, and then... I don't remember. I woke up, and she was dead."

Garcia was already at her computer, typing furiously. "I'm pulling up everything I can find on Sheila and their address," she announced.

Hotch nodded to Morgan and Rossi. "Get a team to the address. We need to secure the scene and gather evidence."

Cassia felt tears prick her eyes. This man, who had caused so much pain in her life, was now at the center of another tragedy. "Dad, were you drinking? Taking any medication?"

He shook his head, confusion and fear etched on his face. "No, nothing like that. I don't understand what happened."

JJ placed a reassuring hand on Cassia's shoulder. "We'll figure this out, Cassia."

Spencer's analytical mind was already at work. "If he didn't kill her, then someone else did. We need to consider the possibility that he was framed."

Emily nodded, her expression grim. "Or that he was drugged and manipulated into thinking he did it."

As the team mobilized, Cassia's father looked at her with pleading eyes. "Cassia, I know I haven't been there for you, but please, you have to believe me. I didn't kill her."

Cassia swallowed hard, trying to process the whirlwind of emotions. "We'll get to the bottom of this, Dad. But you need to cooperate with us fully."

Rossi and Morgan returned from the address, their expressions serious. "We secured the scene," Rossi reported. "It looks like there was a struggle, but no clear evidence pointing directly to him."

"Sheila was definitely murdered," Morgan added. "But there are some inconsistencies. We need to dig deeper."

Hotch turned to Cassia's father. "Sir, we're going to run some tests to see if you were drugged. We need to know everything you did leading up to the incident."

As they began their investigation, the pieces slowly started to fall into place. Garcia discovered that Sheila had been involved in a legal dispute with a former business partner, a man with a history of violence. The team also found traces of a powerful sedative in Cassia's father's system, confirming their suspicions.

"The sedative would have incapacitated him," Spencer explained, "and made it easy for someone to stage the scene."

Emily pieced it together. "The business partner must have drugged him, killed Sheila, and made it look like he did it."

Hotch nodded. "It fits. We need to find this guy and bring him in."

Cassia's father sat in the interrogation room, his head in his hands. Cassia entered, her heart heavy. "Dad, we know you didn't do it. We're going to find who did."

He looked up, tears streaming down his face. "Thank you, Cassia. I'm so sorry for everything."

Cassia took a deep breath, trying to reconcile the man before her with the father she remembered. "Let's just focus on getting through this. We'll talk about the past later."

The team worked tirelessly through the night. With Garcia's help, they tracked down the business partner. He was brought in for questioning, and under pressure, he confessed to the murder, detailing how he had framed Cassia's father.

When it was over, Cassia's father was released, cleared of all charges. He stood before her, looking lost and broken. "Cassia, I don't expect you to forgive me. But I want to try to make things right."

Cassia took a deep breath, feeling the weight of her past and the uncertainty of the future. "It's going to take time, Dad. You... You did a lot of bad things; I-I can't just forget the years of abuse you put us through... Leaving us like that."

He nodded, tears in his eyes. "I understand, but-but I hope one day, you can find it in your heart to forgive me..."

As the emotional whirlwind settled, Cassia found herself back at her apartment with Spencer. The night had been long and draining, but she felt a sense of closure she hadn't anticipated.

Spencer wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "You were incredible today."

Cassia leaned into him, feeling his warmth and support. "I just wanna put this all behind me......"

He kissed the top of her head, his voice soft. "I'm here for you, Cassia. Always."

They stood there in the quiet of her apartment, holding each other. The bond they shared had grown stronger through the trials they had faced, and as they looked toward the future, they knew they could face anything together.