February Night

Chapter 40

"You can't expect me to just sit around and not getting any news! This is about my best friend, bloody hell!" Lucy was furious. Neither her brother nor her boyfriend had told her anything about the case yet and she was starting to go insane. Although her parents were doing their best to distract her and make her smile, Lucy couldn't stand this situation anymore.

Currently, she was talking to Spencer on the phone while she walked up and down her childhood room. She could hear her boyfriend sigh on the other side of the line. "But there's nothing you could do right now, babe", Spencer told her in a calm, low voice. Lucy bit her lips to keep her tears at bay. She was sick and tired of crying and mourning. She wanted this nightmare to end; she'd had enough of it.

"Then please tell me what you got so far", she whispered. And Spencer did. He told her that they thought the killer was a parent of a child that had died in a kindergarten some weeks ago. "Oh, my god", Lucy murmured as she listened to Spencer's words. She couldn't believe that her best friend had to die just because a mourning father or mother was running amok. Of course, it must be terrible and the worst feeling in the world, to lose a child. But it couldn't be the solution to now run around and kill other people to get revenge. Lucy sat down on her bed and had just one desire: sleeping. She felt so tired. It had been two days now since Lucy had flown to New York with the BAU team but it felt like an eternity to her. At nights, when she tried to sleep, she couldn't stop the thoughts and imagines that were running through her head and kept her awake most of the time. And if she was too tired to even think about anything, she cried herself to sleep. It was beyond exhausting.

"How...how did she have to die, Spence?" The words dropped out of Lucy's mouth faster than she could have thought about them. This question had been running through her head all the time since she'd gotten the news of Tessa's death and although Lucy wasn't sure she wanted to know, she had to ask.

"I don't think you want to know", Spencer replied. Lucy bit her bottom lip as she lay down on the bed.

"No, I don't want to. But I need to know, Spence", she whispered. "Please just tell me."

Another sigh came from her boyfriend. "She was shot in the head. It happened fast. I doubt she felt anything. She didn't have to suffer, Lu", he eventually said and Lucy gasped. She pressed a hand against her mouth and tried to hold back the tears. But a sob escaped her lips. Even if Tessa didn't have to suffer, it was still a terrible way to die. Tessa didn't deserve this. Her parents didn't deserve this.

"Okay", Lucy whispered with a shaky voice. "Thank...thank you for telling me."

"Babe, I wish I could be with you right now", Spencer said after a short break and Lucy knew he was serious. She knew he'd rather be with her, holding her in his arms and trying to console her. But this case needed to be solved.

"Just...get that asshole", she said and after an I love you she hung up and snuggled into the blanket on the bed. Maybe she could find some sleep now and when she woke up the killer would have been caught.

~

"Lu? Hey Lu, wake up." A voice was calling her name and it seemed to be so far away. At first, Lucy couldn't figure out where she was and who was calling. But then she realized that she was laying in her old bed in her parents' house and that it was Luke who was saying her name. She slowly opened her eyes to see her brother kneeling next to the bed, a slight smile on his lips.

"Hey, sleepyhead", he said.

"Hey", Lucy murmured as she sat up. "What's the matter?" She rubbed her eyes and then glanced at Luke. He was still smiling.

"We got him, Lu. He's caught and he'll get punished for what he's done", Luke quietly said and now sat on the bed, right next to his sister. She stared at him for a moment and tried to take in what he had just told her. Tessa's killer was caught and would spend the rest of his life in prison.

"Why did he kill all these kindergarten teachers?", she asked.

"It was the father of the child that died some weeks ago. He freaked out. And because he couldn't find the kindergarten teacher that was responsible for his child's death – she got thrown out and left the city – he started to go on a killing spree on other kindergarten teachers", Luke explained and took one of Lucy's hands in his. He gently stroked it. "I'm so sorry, Lucy."

She just nodded. She didn't know what to say anymore. Her best friend was gone and she had to deal with it. "The funeral's tomorrow. Do you want to go?", Luke asked.

"Yeah, of course. She was my best friend", Lucy replied. She hadn't thought about the funeral yet but of course there would be one. And there was no way Lucy would miss this.

"You want me to join you?"

Once again, Lucy nodded. "Yes, please. And...do you think Spencer would come too?" She finally looked up at her brother. He slightly smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"Of course, he'll come as well. By the way, he's currently downstairs where our parents are asking him a thousand questions, I guess." He couldn't hold back a chuckle.

"Oh dear, we should go and safe him", Lucy said and there was finally a smile creeping onto her lips. The siblings stood up and went down to join their parents and the genius agent. Spencer was sitting at the kitchen table, a cup of steamy black coffee in front of him. He was currently telling Mr. and Mrs. Alvez about his career at the BAU and they listened to him, obviously fascinated.

"Hey", Lucy quietly said as she went towards Spencer and put a hand on his shoulder. He immediately wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into his lap.

"Hey, love. How are you doing?" His gentle voice and warm eyes made her smile.

"I'm okay", she replied as she wrapped an arm around his neck. "The funeral's tomorrow. Will you...join me?" She looked at him and was relieved when Spencer nodded.

"Sure." He pressed a kiss on her temple. Lucy's parents watched them and they both couldn't help but smile. It was obvious to them that their daughter and Spencer were in love. They didn't have to say anything, but Lucy knew they were glad she had found someone like him. Someone, who would do anything for her and be there for her whenever she needed him.

Mrs. Alvez insisted that the three of them would stay in for dinner and Mr. Alvez told them that they didn't have any other chance than to stay. So, they did. The rest of the team would stay in New York as well until the funeral would be over although Luke had said that they could fly back to D.C. and him, Lucy and Spencer would follow a day after. But none of them had wanted to. They all wanted to be there for Lucy. She was part of the BAU family and they loved her. There was no way they would leave and let her going through all of this alone.