Forgetful

Chapter 7

"He's going to kill you." Morgan whisper-shouted, his mouth hanging open in slight shock. He couldn't believe she actually snuck onto the jet.
"I was going to kill myself if I didn't get out, Morgan. You understand, right? I'm fine, no death wishes here." She pleaded with her eyes to not let Spencer know until the just touched down. If it was any earlier than that, she had no doubt he would manage to make the pilot turn the jet right around.
"Does Hotch know?" He questioned.
"Only Hotch and Penelope were on this." She told him.
"What about your lupus? The doctor said you had to stay home-"
"People live with lupus every day. I have my medicine and if, for some reason, my body decides to have a flare up, then that's my fault. I'll just be bedridden." She touched his chest, drawing his attention back to her. "Please. Please, be my big brother on this one."
He crossed his arms over his chest. "I'll act like I didn't see you. But I'm not going to argue with Spencer."
Rowan gave a small sound of excitement and hugged Morgan tightly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
"Don't thank me too early, I'm not lying to your husband for you."
"I'm not lying to my husband, either. I'm simply hiding the truth until I see the time fitting." Rowan justified.
"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Pretty Girl." He walked back towards the main part of the jet.
By the time that the jet touched down, Rowan was ready to burst with boredom. When she stepped out, she thought that Spencer was going to pass out from shock.
"What are you doing here?" He demanded, grabbing her arm.
"I'm going to work. I'll take it easy on myself." She promised.
"The doctor didn't say to take it easy on yourself. The doctor said to stay in bed for the next two months." Spencer ran a hand through his hair nervously.
"I can't. You know I can't. Can someone vouch for me and say that I'll be okay?" She asked loud enough to draw the attention towards herself, not that everyone wasn't eavesdropping anyway.
"I think she'll be fine. And if not, I'll kick her butt." Morgan wrapped an arm around her shoulders, squeezing tightly.
"See?" Rowan's eyes were pleading with Spencer. "Elizabeth's with Penelope. She'll be fine." Rowan stepped towards  Spencer, her hands on his chest. She forced him to look at her.
"You know I don't like disobeying the doctors wishes."
"Then listen to your wife, who happens to be a doctor, too. I'll be fine." She assured him, touching his hair softly. Sometimes he didn't even bother doing it in the morning and she felt the need to fix it.
"You're not allowed in the field." Spencer said firmly. "Under any circumstances."
"Sir, yes, sir."
•
"These are the files. Everything we've got on the case." The police chief dropped a box onto the table in front of Rowan and Spencer.
Rowan mumbled a thank you before beginning to sort through them.
Four women had been murdered, all within their home. Stabbed to death.
"Stabbing is up close and personal." Rowan thought aloud. "Maybe he knew the victims."
"We should call Garcia and see if she can find any link between them."
Rowan reached for her phone and dialed her.
"You can call me baby girl because I'm the girl with the baby. What can I do for my hot mama?" Penelope asked.
"Can you try and find something to link the victims together with? Credit card history, doctors, anything."
"You betchya. I'll hit you back if I find anything."
As the two hung up, Spencer had a thought. "My mom called you?" He asked.
Rowan hesitated. His mother had called her the night before in a schizoprehnic fit. She was howling about how Elizabeth was the devil, how her own granddaughter was out to get her. Rowan had deescalated the situation as quickly and smoothly as she could.
"Yes." Rowan answered, looking away from her husband.
"What did she say? She didn't call me."
"Just the usual. Asking about Elizabeth." Rowan lied.
"I know when you're lying; why are you lying to me?" Spencer stepped towards her, placing his hand on her elbow delicately.
She looked into his eyes for a moment before her voice died in her throat. "I talked to the doctors. They switched her medicine on accident and she reacted badly."
"What happened?" She watched the worry darken his eyes.
"She was angry. And agitated. And yelling. I talked to her until she calmed down." Rowan explained. She reached up and touched his collarbone, a feather of a touch. "She's okay now."
"But what if I'm not? What if in ten years, I'm the one that goes into a breakdown and starts yelling at your or Elizabeth?"
"Oh, Spencer." Rowan felt her heart shatter inside of her chest. "My Spencer." She ran her fingers through his hair. "You're not going to breakdown. I know you're not. You trust me, don't you?" She pressed.
He nodded.
"We'll be okay. All three of us, we'll be okay."