𝓶𝓪𝓻𝓪 𝓳𝓪𝓷𝓮 ➢ 𝓼. 𝓻𝓮𝓲𝓭

𝒻𝑜𝓇𝓉𝓎-𝑜𝓃𝑒

Somehow, Mara convinced Reid to sleep in bed with her. Convinced her that it was comforting to have his arms around her. They woke up the next morning, their phones going off at the same time. They knew it was the team calling. They'd found something.

Once they arrived at the FBI building, Mara nearly ran up the stairs and into the conference room where everyone was waiting for the duo. Mara breathed in, scared to who the next victim could be. "Who is it?"

"It's not a body." Hotch said as Garcia clicked her remote to pull pictures up on the screen behind the group.

On the screen, there was a grave that was dug up and the coffin was out of the grave, the name Mara written on it in blood. Mara read the name on the tombstone before covering her mouth, spinning around into Reid's chest as she let out a shaky breath.

Alex James Tate

Mara let out a sob into Reid's chest, one hand going around her shoulder while the other went to her head. "We'll get him."

Garcia took Mara into her office to calm her down a bit while the team talked about what their next step was. "I'm tired of this son of a bitch being ahead of us."

"I've never seen her like this." Emily said, catching Reid's attention.

"That's because the murderer that killed her family just killed her best friend and dug up her dead brother's grave, Emily, did you think she would be fine?"

"Reid, that's enough," Hotch said. "Can I speak to you for a moment?"

Reid rolled his eyes and followed Hotch outside the conference room. Hotch crossed his arms over his chest and tried to meet the young doctor's eyes. "I know you're upset, but this entire team is working to find him before he finds Mara."

"He's already found her," Reid replied. "I just feel like he's getting closer and closer to her and there's nothing we're doing to try and stop him."

"I know you care about her and that you'll be do anything to protect her," Hotch said as Reid nodded. "By studying this son of a bitch and waiting for him to make a mistake, we're going to catch him."

"What if we're too late?" Reid muttered under his breath. "What is she ends up like Maeve?"

Hotch set a hand on Reid's shoulder and squeezed gently. "We need you on this. Not only for us but for Mara, too."

Reid nodded before moving through the conference room and into Garcia's office, where Mara had her head in her hands, breathing heavily as Garcia tried to calm her down.

Garcia looked up when Reid entered, relieved. "She's having a panic attack, I can't calm her down."

Reid kneeled in front of Mara, looking up at her face. It was red and splotchy from crying, her chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath. Reid's heart broke at the sight.

Reid tried to pull her hands from her face but she snatched them back. "Hey, it's me."

She moved her hands from her face and met Reid's eyes, suddenly moving and wrapping her arms around his neck, throwing her body onto his. Reid almost fell back and hit the floor but he balanced himself, hugging the girl tightly as she let out shaky breaths.

Garcia could only watch as Mara cried into Reid's neck, him being the only person that could calm her down. "I'm scared, Spencer."

"I know, I am too," he replied to her, rubbing her back gently. "I'm not gonna let anything happen to you. I promise."

Mara could only hug him tighter and pray that he would keep his promise. Even though, deep down, she knew he couldn't.