Partners in Crime

Unsettling

Ryan arrived in Virginia on Saturday morning. Alex spent the whole weekend 'helping' move all his stuff into her apartment. She did majority of the work while Ryan took naps and watched TV. As she dumped a box full of his clothes onto her bed to organize, she felt her phone vibrate on the night table. She grabbed it, seeing a text from Emily.

Emily: Dinner tonight? xo

She sighed, thinking of an answer. She knew that Ryan wouldn't want her going out without him, especially on their first free night since he moved. She typed back.

Alex: I think Ryan wants to hang out but we can go out later this week?  

She got a text back almost instantly.

Emily: Of course, see you tomorrow. I think we have a case.

Alex: Okay. See ya! Muah.

She finished putting away Ryan's clothes and walked out into the living room, where he was standing in the kitchen getting a glass of water.

"Okay," she sighed, walking closer to him. "you're officially all moved in."

He smiled at her, taking a sip of his water.

"You are the best," he reached out and pulled her into a kiss.

"I know," she mumbled into his lips. They both giggled.

"So, what do you wanna do tonight?" She asked, pulling away and opening the fridge.

"Well, after you cook dinner? Anything you want... though I have a few ideas in mind," he hugged her from behind and spoke into her ear.

"Yeah alright, but I think we have a case tomorrow so you might have to fend for yourself for tomorrow," Alex spoke as she started pulling out pots and pans from the cabinets and taking out various ingredients, placing them on the counter.

"Huh," he furrowed his brow. "When will you be back?"

"Well, depends on how fast we solve the case, but normally no more than a couple days." 

"What am I supposed to do until then?"

"Maybe, you can start looking for a job?" Alex suggested.

"A job? You are my job," Ryan rebutted. Alex rolled her eyes as she put a pot on the stove to boil. That's always been his excuse for never getting a job. Alex doesn't need anyone breathing down her neck, making sure she's okay. She needs him to help out financially. She's been his little piggybank since after high school. Besides little jobs here and there that Ryan gets, and doesn't keep for long, he's never provided for her.

"Anyway, do you know what case you're working on?" he changes the subject.

"I'm not sure yet, 'cause we usually get briefed in the morning before we go... but we have been dealing with a lot of kidnapping cases lately."

Ryan shook his head.

"Why'd you have to pick such a dangerous career, Alex? I don't like the idea of you going off around the U.S. dealing with these weirdos without me there to protect you."

"I can protect myself, babe. Besides I have the rest of my team there too, it's not like I'm alone."

"You're team..." he scoffed and then muttered, "Yeah, don't remind me. Emily and a bunch of dudes."

Alex chose to ignore him. Ryan can be sweet sometimes but he also gets extremely territorial and jealous of Alex around other guys, as if she's ever given him a reason not to trust her. She's been loyal to Ryan since the second they started dating. If anything, she shouldn't trust him. He's the one who's cheated on her in the past, even though it was a long time ago. 

She made him dinner and after they ate and Ryan downed 5 beers, he was in a very "loose" mood. He started kissing her neck and grabbing her thigh.

"Babe," Alex whined. 

Her and Ryan hadn't had sex in months, since the last time she flew down to Florida to visit, and Ryan had definitely been keeping track. He was like a drug addict looking for a fix, and though she was tired and had a long day ahead of her tomorrow, she thought not to argue with him about it. She let Ryan do what he had to do- which ended rather quickly- and she hopped in the shower to clean herself off before heading to bed, unfazed. She chose not to admit it, but Ryan doesn't ever really do it for her anymore... sexually. Not that he couldn't be good if he wanted to, because he's been plenty good in the past, but he just doesn't even try to please her anymore. He just gets himself off as fast as possible, as if it's a race, and moves on, leaving her to have to handle things on her own.

Alex woke up the next morning to her alarm clock ringing. Disoriented, she turned over to see Ryan still sound asleep next to her. She got out of bed, rinsed her face, brushed her teeth, and got dressed in gray pantsuit with a white button-down shirt underneath. She accessorized with her gold necklaces and her black platform "work" heels. She did her hair in soft curls and applied mascara, eyeliner, and lip gloss before giving Ryan a kiss on the forehead and heading to work.

The case was about a series of serial killings taking place in Georgia. It took about a day and a half, but they finally found the man responsible, George Ludwright, and Alex and Hotch were able to successfully talk the guy off of jumping from his 6 story apartment building. On the way back home, Emily came and sat across to Alex on the jet, who was re-reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire for the twentieth time, even though she's a 27 year old woman.

"You coming to the bar tonight with the rest of the team?"

"Ah, I don't know-" Alex started her excuse, but Emily quickly interrupted. 

"Oh come on! You're not going to blow me off two nights in a row, are you?" she asked with pleading eyes.

Spencer sat across from them on the couch reading a book, but he couldn't help but overhear the conversation in front of him.

"But Ryan doesn't like me going out without him, he would want to come too," Alex said to Emily, and she stayed silent for a second, in thought.

"So, let him come, I guess," Emily suggested. "But I still don't see why he has to come along with you everywhere. You went out alone for the past year and were perfectly fine-"

"I know, I know... but you out of anyone knows how he gets."

She was right. Emily does know how he gets. Possessive. Jealous. Manipulative. Besides the stories Alex tells her about him, she hasn't seen him in years, which she of course doesn't mind.

This was all news to Spencer, who was using his context clues to conclude that Alex was in a relationship with someone named Ryan. Spencer didn't even know Alex had any friends outside of Emily and the rest of the BAU, let alone a whole boyfriend. As his mind drifted farther away from the book he had clutched in his hands, he imagines what a relationship would look like for him, especially with this job. Rossi and Hotch's marriages all failed, and as far as he knows, Morgan, Emily, and Garcia are all single. He doesn't know how Alex and JJ even do it, and in a way, he's kind of envious.

"He hasn't even met the team yet! C'mon, I'm sure he'd love for you to introduce him to everyone. He'd want to meet them sooner or later," Emily said, and even though she suspected that that isn't the best idea, she was just desperate to get her best friend out of the house again.

"I guess I could," Alex sighed, feeling once again defeated by Emily's stubbornness. Usually she and Alex could go head to head on a regular day and she wouldn't give up so easily, (I mean she is a Taurus after all) but lately she's felt no motivation to argue with anyone because she feels as though things are going to be what they are either way, and she has not the energy to try and change things.

Emily has noticed this mood change happen in Alex before, and it isn't a coincidence that it happens whenever Ryan comes back into her life and takes over. She calls it the "Ryan-effect," even though Alex hates when she says that. Anyone as close to Alex as Emily is can tell that her entire personality and demeanor changes during the Ryan-effect, and it's heartbreaking to watch happen over and over again. The rest of the team, including Spencer, also noticed Alex's lack of enthusiasm during this last case, but as long as she was getting the job done, they didn't worry about it. However, Emily knows all too well how draining the Ryan-effect can be, and this is just the beginning of it.