Selcouth | Criminal Minds | Spencer Reid

Chapter 13

"Courage Is Being Scared And Saddling Up Anyway"
○------------------------------------------------○

WE WEAVE THROUGH the traffic that is swallowing up the streets leading to the apartment building, our sirens flashing.

Emily refuses to turn on the sirens and I agree it's a bad idea, but Spence is oddly quiet.

Emily throws us into park and we clamber out of the car cautiously, fingers fishing over the handles of our guns.

"Shit!" I curse through clenched teeth at the amount of cars in the lot.

"We need a plan or else he might blow this whole building sky high with all the people inside," Emily murmurs as we make our way to the doors slowly to buy time.

"The building has five floors, with approximately 5 residents on each floor, and there seems to be only one empty apartment where he could be, which is on the top floor," Spence rattles off quickly.

"Emily, make sure residents on floors 1 and 2 get out, Spence, you take 3 and 4," I quickly order as we get in the door.

"Nat, you almost got blown up a couple weeks ago and you want to go near another one?" Spence huffs incredulously.

"Spence, you almost got blown up as well, but we can't argue right now, meet me on the 5th floor when you get the residents out!" I hiss, feeling a bit protective over him after nearly witnessing him get blown up before.

He just nods, a bit hesitantly and rushes up the stairs with me, not following as I get closer to the top.

I knock on the first door I see, praying the bomber isn't in it.

Thankfully, a little girl of about ten opens the door, smiling at me with a toothy grin.

"Hi sweetie, is there anyone else in there with you?" I question, crouching to meet her eyes.

She shakes her head furiously and replies, "No, mommy left to go to work,"

"Ok, I'm with the FBI and I need you to go downstairs and outside into the parking lot, my friend might even show you the sirens on our car!" I chuckle, ushering her down the stairs and making my way around to the rest of the rooms, repeating the process.

At the last room, I hesitate before sharply knocking at the door.

"I suppose you've come to take me away," A shrill voice emits from the room, the doorknob rattling.

"Yes, I suppose I have Kyle," I reply, watching the knob rattle intently as if the person inside is hesitating.

"You know Kyle, I could come in, we could talk," I offer him sweetly, my fingers grazing over the handle of my gun as the door swings inwards to reveal Kyle and a young girl with a bomb strapped to her chest.

I take my hand off my holster as Kyle grins, "Would you still like to talk?"

"Yes, I would very much like to do that if you were to take the vest off this young lady here," I motion to the tearful young girl.

"You see, lady, the second I set down this remote here and go to take off the vest, you'll put a bullet in my brain and I won't be your problem anymore," He chuckles, his finger still near the button on the remote.

Paranoid. Psychopath. Contemplative.

"I could take it off her," I offer him, knowing good and well there's no reasoning with a psychopath.

"Only if you put it on yourself," He snickers, motioning with the remote.

My heart skips a beat and to be quite frank, I'm terrified. That's the thing though, I can't chicken out and leave the girl wondering in her final moments why the lady didn't save her.

"Of course; may I?" I refer to the vest, knowing when I hear a soft shuffling behind me that Spence has arrived.

"Go ahead," He chuckles darkly and I unzip the hunkering vest with shaky fingers.

"Run, outside," I whisper to the girl as she flies from the room sobbing.

"Now put it on," Kyle deadpans. That's when he makes his mistake.

His finger moves away from the button ever so slightly and I decide to take a chance.

"Don't shoot me," I say out loud, noticing his confused look.

Time seems to slow as a bullet whizzes through the air and his finger creeps towards the button.

Then it's over, Kyle slumping to the ground along with the remote. I gently set the vest on the floor and make my way to his unmoving form.

I quickly grab the remote and place it up high before rushing from the room to Spence.

He holsters his gun just before I wrap my arms around him, pulling him into a hug.

"Thank you," I whisper, burying my head in his chest, not allowing him to see the lone tear roll down my cheek.

We quickly make our way down the steps, past the bomb squad thundering up the steps, and to to the parking lot.

Spence turns to face me near the car and blurts out, "Don't ever do that again, please, you scared me!"

I go to reply, only to feel him tilt my chin up gently to meet his honey colored eyes, sparkling in the sunlight.

I don't even think as I push my lips forward to meet his. It feels almost natural, it feels as if all the bad things that have ever happened to me are erased, a whisper of smoke. It feels nothing short of perfect.

A/N:
The ship has set sail...
PS: Thank you everyone for the reads, it's amazing how many people have read this! :)