Remember Me

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

                Reid shut the engine off after pulling the SUV into its parking spot. He looked over at Gayle, and gave a small smile.

“How’re you feeling?”

“Betrayed and thankful, actually.” He chuckled, and moved out of the vehicle, opening her door and reaching for her hand.

“I can completely understand. I wouldn’t know how it feels, but I can understand wanting to feel that way, especially after what happened,” he said, leading her to the elevator. Gayle sighed.

“I just wish I knew why…but a really big part of me would rather take your gun and pop him in the back of the head,” she admitted, shaking her head.

“Then I guess we’re lucky I don’t have my gun on me,” he replied, smiling at her. She looked up at Reid, and turned, giving him a gentle and friendly hug.

“I am thankful for you, Doctor Spencer Reid. You helped me feel better after two bouts with nightmares. And you help make me feel safe, something I haven’t felt in a very long time.” Reid blushed, as she pulled away, and nodded.

“It’s really nothing, Gayle. I was just, you know, being myself, and doing my best – it’s what I do,” he replied, shrugging. She chuckled, but nodded again, patting his shoulder as the doors slid open, and they stepped out. “I’ll take you to Morgan,” he said, leading her through the bullpen and to the same room she’d been placed in when she first arrived at the BAU. Morgan looked up from where he sat, leaning back in the chair, against the wall, and smiled, standing. Reid waited until Gayle sat down before smiling, nodding, and closing the door.

                Gayle tilted her head, listening to the door close, and looked over at Morgan, giving him a small smile.

“So…what happens now?” she asked, rubbing her hand across the back of her neck as she looked at him. He sits forward, and looks down at the papers on the table in front of him.

“We try to tie up loose ends, debrief you, and then go from there.” She nodded, and sighed.

“Alright.”

“First things first…when we got you out of the basement, and onto the bench, you said he moved an hour and a half away, and started killing women.” She frowned, looking up at Morgan, and raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah…I know…” she said slowly.

“He didn’t start after he faked his death…” he revealed, sliding a file over to her. “He started before you two got married,” he added. The color drained from her face          as she looked through the file, seeing fliers of women who had gone missing, their date of death written in red ink beside the pictures. The dates ranged from two years before she ever met her husband, to a date only a couple days before, paired with a picture of Debbi’s forever-smiling face.

“He’s…been doing this…for years…” she murmured, shaking her head as she splayed them in front of her to see the faces of the women. “If I had known…”

“Gayle, there’s no way you could have known…He had an intricate method of kidnapping, torturing, and killing these women, without you ever knowing, ever having any clue. He was good at what he was doing, but he wasn’t stupid enough to flaunt it. At some point, he had to have realized you were going to find out at some point, and it made him nervous. It’s why he faked his death, and moved the hour and a half away. He knew you well enough to know you wouldn’t cross paths again,” Morgan explained. Gayle lifted her eyes, brimming with tears, to see Morgan, and shook her head.

“But obviously we did, or he got scared that I would…” He reached over, gathering the pictures and sliding them back into the file.

“Melody had moved to Manassas, that’s why you traveled there. He must have seen you, but you didn’t see him, and he panicked…” Her eyes fell back upon the table, away from his face, and she sighed.

“It’s why he didn’t shoot me like the others. It’s why he wanted my brakes to fail and me to crash – because he knew…he knew that if he killed me like the others, it might get linked back to him,” she suggested, glancing at Morgan to see him nod in agreement.

“It’s the best we’ve got. He’s not talking, but we’ve got enough to charge him, and lock him away for good.” She leaned back, and ran both her hands over her face, wiping her eyes in the process. He reached his hand and laid it across her wrist as she put her hands on the table. “You did what you could – and you saved Melody’s life.” She sighed, but nodded.

                As Morgan finished debriefing Gayle, he slid the file away from her, and put both his hands over hers.

“He’s locked away, and you’ve made friends in the FBI. You are going to be fine,” he assured her, nodding. She looked up at him, and nodded too.

“I know. And I do appreciate it.” She sat quietly for a second, before giving a small smile. “Is there…anything else?” she asked, looking at the file on his other side. He smiled back, and shook his head.

“Nah. We’re done in here.” Gayle carefully moved her hands, and stood, thinking.

“Hey…uh…Morgan?” He looked over at her as he picked up the file. “…Is there any way I can get a ride? I don’t have a car,” she asked sheepishly. Chuckling, his grin making her blush, he hooked an arm around her shoulders, and led her from the room.

“Yeah. Go wait with Reid, I’ll get things organized here, and get you taken care of.” She smiled, and moved off towards Reid’s desk as Morgan headed to Hotch’s office to return the file to him.

                Morgan pulled his bike to a stop in the lot, and waited for Gayle to climb off before climbing off, too.

“C’mon, Gayle, let’s pick you a car.” She rolled her eyes, but smiled.

“You know I can’t pay for a rental car – no credit cards, ‘member?”

“You seem to forget that I am capable of doing this for you.” She stared at him, a look and smile of disbelief.

“Derek Morgan…I know you said I had friends in the BAU, but I was definitely not expecting you to be so wonderful,” she laughed, shaking her head and pushing his shoulder.

“Come on, doll, let’s find you a car,” he insisted, gently taking her by the wrist and heading inside with her.

                Gayle leaned against the side of the Corolla, playing with the key as she looked at Morgan.

“I owe you one, Morgan.”

“You owe me, like, three, but don’t worry about it,” he teased, poking her arm. The two stood outside the building, and for a second, didn’t say anything.

“Once things settle down, and I figure myself out a little bit…I would like to extend an invitation for dinner. To the entire BAU, though I figure I’ll hold off on inviting the rest until I’ve got a date in sight.” Morgan raised an eyebrow, and shrugged.

“If it’s at a good time, I’ll all for it.” Gayle put her arms around his shoulders, hugging him gently.

“Thanks, Morgan…I’ll check in with you later, when I know what’s going on…okay?” she asked, moving back and opening the door.

“Sounds good. Drive safe,” he replied, patting her cheek before heading to his bike. Gayle glanced over her shoulder as he drove off, and she smiled, sinking into the car before driving towards the hospital to visit Melody.