SPENCER - spencer reid

T H I R T E E N

CHAPTER 13: WHERE'S SPENCER?

Rosemary Cooper's POV

[January 27th, 2010]

I smile to myself as I walk into the café just down the street from Spencer's apartment. He had called me late on his drive home from work yesterday, saying that he had to be back to work early today, but we agreed that I would drop off some coffee for him this morning so we could see each other if only for a brief while.

He hadn't given me an exact time, so I hoped that I wouldn't be making him late. I grab my phone and dial his phone number as I stand in the back of the line. After several rings, I begin to think that he won't answer until the tones stop, indicating that he picked up.

"Hey Spencer," I begin to say happily, glad that I had caught him. "I hope that you're still home, because I'm just now making it to the café to grab some coffee for you-"

"Rosemary." I hear a voice that most certainly does not belong to Spencer say after a deep breath.

"Aaron?" I blink, startled to the point that I completely forget my surroundings. "Where's Spencer?"

"Listen, Ros-" Agent Hotchner begins to say, his tone of voice telling me that he wasn't planning on giving me any information.

"What happened?" I demand, keeping the waver from voice.

When I receive a hesitant silence in my receiver, I hang up and quickly exit the café, apologizing as I nearly knock businessmen and women over along the way. I all but run down the sidewalk, knowing that Spencer's apartment is just a few blocks down from here.

As I draw nearer to the complex, I feel like realization punches me in the gut.

What am I going to discover when I arrive?

I push the selfish thoughts of my own wellbeing aside, focusing only on why Spencer was unable to answer his phone and why Aaron was the one to answer it for him. I finally spy the outline of Spencer's apartment building on the horizon of the early morning sky, the purple and orange hues casting twisted and almost sinister-looking shadows across the parking lot, which is crowded with large, black vehicles.

I see Jennifer pacing nervously back and forth outside of Spencer's apartment with her phone to her ear and the outline of somebody's back in the doorway. I ignore the burn in my calves as I hurry up the metal staircase, the bitter winter air biting at my already-numb cheeks and nose. I tighten my lips, which are quivering from either fright or the cold. I can't determine which it is as the sky begins to spit snow almost spitefully, large flakes clinging to my hair and eyelashes.

"Jennifer?" I speak weakly once I am fully up the stairs, and she turns around towards the sound of my voice, her eyes widening slightly. "What happened? Where is he?"

JJ approaches me, saying a few more things to the person on the phone before hanging up.

"Hotch." She calls through the open door, and the dark-haired man emerges with a facial expression even more grim than usual.

"What is going on?" I ask, shaking from his stare and the snow alike. "I know that I shouldn't have come here, but-" my voice cracks as hot tears well in my eyes, threatening to dampen my lower lashes. "Aaron, he's all that I have."

"Rosemary, I'm going to need you to stay level-headed, alright?" He speaks assertively, but his eyes and voice show sympathy. "We'll find him." He swears, resting his hands on my shoulders.

I nod my head twice before letting my head fall down, my chin nearly resting on my chest in defeat as tears begin to stream down my cheeks. I hear footsteps approach and the weight Aaron's hands on my shoulders disappear. I feel someone's arm fall across my shoulders, pulling me into a gentle embrace while their other hand rests soothingly against the back of my head, pulling me closer.

"It'll be okay, Kiddo," I hear Rossi murmur against my hair as I shake with silent sobs. "We'll get you through it. Everything will be okay."

I shake my head against his shoulder, not believing his words to be true. How could it be okay? The man I love is in danger, and there's absolutely nothing that I can do about it.