Coming Home

#1: Departure

A ring disturbs my sleep like it has dozens of times since I began dating Spencer Reid. I rolled over to him as I listened his snores and shook his shoulders lightly to awaken him. It wasn't often that Spencer would sleep through a phone call, in his line of work that could mean one more casualty, but the poor boy had only gotten home from a different case about four hours ago so I can't say I blame him.

"Spence... Spencer, the phone" His groggy eyes start to open and with a few huffs and puffs he inches over to the side of the bed and grabs his phone.

"hello? Are you sure we have to go? alright, i'll be there in fifteen" I closed my eyes for a second before the news that I knew was coming could ruin my night.

"Sophie? are you awake?" I groaned and turned over so he could see my wide open eyes.

"you have to go again don't you?"

"yeah"

"There's no other team that can do it?"

"no, I'm sorry, love. I know you had something planned for tomorrow." He kissed me lightly on the forehead and proceeded to swing his legs over the edge of our bed. I watched his demeanor as he got dressed and packed his bags to leave. This was a bad one, I could tell.

I sat up groggily so that I could face him before he left. If this was going to be as horrible as I think it was, the least I could do is let him see my loving face before he left.

"I love you" I looked into his hazel eyes one last time before he could leave our small apartment.

"I'll call you as soon as I land I promise. And Soph?"

"yeah babe?"

"Do me a favor and don't watch the news" with that he put his satchel over his shoulder and grabbed his car keys from the counter, leaving me cold and alone in our bed.

~~~Spencer

I tried my best to compose myself before walking through the building to the elevator. all of the cases we take are hard. every single one makes its mark on all of us, but sometimes one mark can be deeper than the others. Sometimes we know that someone's child isn't going to make it home into their arms, and that's what breaks me.

"you comin' Reid?" I hadn't even registered that Morgan was standing in front of me holding the elevator door open.

"yeah sorry, just getting ready" The elevator ride was quiet, as they usually are when we get called in so late. or early I suppose as it was now two in the morning. The team all piled into the conference room and sat at the round table for our briefing.

"Good morning everyone" Garcia's voice was loud and bright despite the obvious sleep deprivation that everyone felt.

"So, tonight we have a tough one. two days ago the Acton PD in Maine found what they called a "midden" of none other than... human bones. based on the ME's report all of the bones are from children ages 4-8 and the oldest body dates back to 2005. With three bodies a year following"

"if they found them two days ago why haven't we been invited until now?" JJ was sitting beside me and startled me slightly when she spoke.

"For an older state such as Maine which still has a relatively high population of Native tribes it is not usual for a midden to be discovered, it seems that the only real difference between this and other discoveries is the age of the bones, most human bone middens made by natives from that state would have to date back to at least the 1800s if not even earlier and usually human bodies especially those of children would be more ceremoniously buried"

After saying my piece I got my usual stares of wonder from my colleagues before Garcia continued on.

"The good doctor would be correct, however the PD only called us in because they just received a call from a family on the outskirts of Acton saying that their five year old son, James McCallister was missing from his bed. The PD suspects that our unsub was forced to take a child to replace the bodies of the ones that he lost."

she finished with a somber note and there was very little discussion between us all before Hotch stood from the table.

"Wheels up in 10″

The ride on the jet seemed like days but truly the flight from Quatico to Portland was only a couple of hours. It was the drive from there to Acton that was truly interminable. JJ and I were sent straight to the police station in Acton which consisted of three desks and a single conference room that they had set up for us. While JJ started to assemble the board I stepped out to make my call.

"Hello?" even though she sounded groggy and slightly perturbed by the call, her voice instantly made me smile.

"Im sorry baby, were you asleep?" as soon as she heard my voice you didn't have to be a profiler to tell that she was relieved. She was always like this when I was away on the cases, especially ones late at night and far away.

"No, I couldn't really sleep after you left, you sound tired, did you get a chance to sleep on the jet?"

"A little, but the flight wasn't long"

"Spence? Are you in Maine?" shit whenever I leave I always try to make sure she doesn't know what case i'm working on until i'm home, that way she doesn't have to hear the gruesome details or the worrying news headlines about someone being shot.

"You watched the news didn't you?"

"I couldn't help myself. Spence are you okay?"

"Im fine Soph I promise, look I have to go okay? But i'll call you whenever I get a break. Try not to worry. Love you"

Before she could convince me to text her every hour I hung up and walked back into the room where JJ and the rest of the team were waiting with somber looks. JJ stood up and walked over to me talking quietly in my ear.

"James McCalister was just found dead, the unsubs devolving"

I put a hand on her arm and pulled her into a hug. Cases with children are hard for us all, but after JJ had Henry every child lost is one that in her eyes could just as easily have been him. I know that there is no way to convince her that it will be okay, because in our hearts we both know that's not true. It's not going to be okay, not for us, and not for that poor little boy's family.

~~~~~

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