Under My Skin - A Spencer Reid Fanfiction.

Chapter 14: One Dance

Song for this chapter: Under Your Spell - Snow Strippers 🎵

'It's like I waited too,

You keep me under your spell,'

📖

After several weeks of relentless brainstorming that literally turned the whole team into zombies— even Reid— The lab results were finally in.

Garcia's chipper-as-usual voice resonated through the conference room, a stark contrast to the fatigue etched on all of our faces. "Alright, team, gather 'round! I have some very juicy and anticipated intel from our forensic analysis of the letter."

We leaned in, eyes fixated on her screen as she continued painfully slow, "So, here's the kicker: They used some kind of weird chemical treatment to create that vintage look, also Reid, don't ask me what it is because the analysts told me and I couldn't even pronounce it— Anyway! It's clever, but it means that we have to be extra super cautious from now on."

A murmur of frustrated words rippled through the group. After weeks of scrutinising every detail, and acting out every possible theory, we were right back at square one. If this letter had been carefully crafted to look old and authentic, who knew how much of the information contained within it was genuine?

"And that's not all," Garcia added, her smile fading slightly as she scrolled through the data. "There were traces of some obscure ink that doesn't correspond with any known brands. So, we might be looking at something custom-made— or maybe even homemade? Whoever created this wanted to ensure it would stand out in a sea of ordinary documents."

⌛️

Outside our usual club, the neon lights cast vibrant colours across the pavement as we stepped into the throbbing heart of the city— on a wild Saturday evening. The pulsating bass vibrated through me as I stepped into the club, the energy of the crowd also further hitting me like a wave— the perfect distraction from the chaos that was constantly brewing in the back of my mind.

The celebratory atmosphere was infectious, yet my heart still felt heavy as I scanned across the room searching for that one familiar face. Another side-case had wrapped today, however, the larger cult case still loomed over us, the cult that was trafficking hundreds of people a day and taking part in all sorts of unexplainable activities...I shook my head, eagerly trying to release the thoughts of having to go back to the bullpen.

Looking up from the multi-coloured floor, my eyes land upon a face that I had been waiting to see. Reid stood across the room, a few feet away from me, laughing with Morgan about god knows what. His smile, finally wide, bright and genuine, seemed almost completely foreign to me. It stung, a bittersweet reminder of the somewhat comforting friendship we had. I remembered the way he had been looking at me the past few weeks since our undercover mission.

Something felt different, but I wasn't sure what.

I pulled my gaze away, forcing myself to focus on something else, the laughter of my teammates cutting through the tension that was taking over my mind. "Hey, Mira! Come join us!" JJ called out, her voice bright against the backdrop of the music. I plastered on a smile, stepping toward the group, but my heart sank as I yet again caught Reid's eye. There it was again- that simmer between us.

As I joined the others, I felt a palpable distance between me and Reid, an abyss that was growing wider by the minute. He stood close enough to be within arm's reach, yet somehow felt like he was unavailable. I clenched my jaw tightly, causing a jolting pain through my neck— anything to shake off the effect he had on me.

"Let's get some drinks!" Morgan shouted, breaking the moment at last. I turned my attention to the bar, hoping that the noise would drown out the thoughts swirling in my mind. As I made my way through the crowd, the rhythm of the night enveloped me, taking over my body.