CHAPTER EIGHTY-TWO: THE CALM BEFORE !

11x21

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      GARCIA CALLED THE TEAM IN FOR A RATHER PECULIAR CASE. "Two years ago, 12-year old Adam Morrissey vanished on his way from school from Franklin, Virginia." Garcia started. "At the time, he was living with his mother, who had just gone through a bitter divorce."

"I remember this," Rossi spoke. "His mother and local authorities believed he was abducted by his father and taken to Mexico."

Garcia nodded, "Yes. And then three months after that, 13-year-old, Jimmy Bennett, went missing from Richmond, Virginia, 75 miles away. He was in foster care because both of his parents were drug addicts. He had run away once before, so police assumed that it happened again."

"The cases were thought to be unrelated until last night." Hotch informed. "That is when prison guards at Fletcham Correctional Center intercepted an incoming package containing the clothes both boys were last seen in." Garcia showed the clothes found on the screen.

"DNA samples from skin cells found on the clothing were confirmed to match the missing boys, so we know the items are authentic." Hotch stated. "And there's dried blood on the clothes. That's not a good sign." Vivian added. 

"Who was the package being sent to?" Spencer asked, to which Hotch answered with, "Antonia Slade."

"Antonia Slade," Casey muttered to herself as she looked at the mugshot of the woman on the screen. "Where have I heard that name before?" She asks.

Rossi is in disbelief. "You don't say." He says. "She was a serial killer captured fifteen years ago, right?" Tara asks and Rossi nods, "The Runaway Killer. She was a clinical social worker and she started this Runaway hotline in order to lure her preferred victims, young teens, to her home." Rossi then looks over at Casey. "Gideon was on that case." Casey nodded, "Explains why it seems familiar."

"It says here that she lived with her long-time lover Phil Garmin, who shot himself when police arrived. They found 9 bodies-- 5 girls, 4 boys-- wrapped in plastic, encased behind the drywall of her basement. All the victims had been shot in the back of the head." Spencer read off of the file.

"It drove Gideon crazy that she never talked about the murders after her arrest. She never explained why she did it." Rossi told. "And she never has." Hotch added.

"Is there any information on the package itself?" Vivian asks. "The package was postmarked in Roanoke. The return address was the prison. When police went to question the post office, no one could recall who sent it." Garcia explained.

"Okay, I'm going to ask the obvious question here," JJ spoke. "But do we really think these boys are still alive? Based on the clothes, I'd say it doesn't bode well."

"Well, there is the timing of the package," Spencer said. "I mean, why send it now, two years after the kidnappings, if the boys have long been dead?"
"Someone might be trying to replicate one of Antonia's crimes." Rossi assumes. "The boys were too young when they were taken, but they'd be the right age now. What if Antonia's orchestrating this entire thing from behind bars?" Tara questions.

Hotch then decides, "We need to talk to her."

Antonia Slade had certain requirements where she would only see one agent at a time. The first person she'd seen was Hotch and she wouldn't say a word to him, but she threw a paper ball at him, taunting him with a note. JJ was the second and the woman explained that the inmate behind bars certainly liked to get in people's heads.

After speaking with her, JJ came back to their conference room and explained the interaction. "One thing I learned, she likes being in solitary. I'm pretty sure she tries to get sent there." JJ finished off.

"So why ask for a transfer now?" Rossi questions. "She never has before." Casey shrugged, "Change of scenery?" She asks. "She knows she has leverage." JJ adds.

"What if it's to escape? I mean, she had a road map in her cell." Spencer figures. "Well, she'd need outside help." Vivian tells as she holds her coffee mug in her hand. "Given her devotees, that isn't hard to find. She even had inside help when she tried escaping before, from two other inmates and a new prison guard." Rossi explained. "This could be another attempt." Spencer suggests. "Possibly." Casey adds.

JJ sits next to Casey as the woman tries to ring in Penelope on the phone in front of them. "Penelope." Popping up behind them, Garcia appears. "At your service." She speaks.

"Oh. Hey, uh, did you get the mail and visitor records from the prison?" JJ questions. Garcia nods, "Yeah. She was not lying when she said she has mucho numeros fans. She gets about 4 to 5 letters a week, mostly from men."

"Who knew there were so many male hybristophiles?" Spencer comments. "Has she ever written any of them back?" Casey asks.

"No," Garcia tells. "She's only written one letter, back in 2000, to the editor of a newspaper, claiming libel. Apparently they claimed she admitted to killing those runaway teens, saying they were a scourge to society."

"So, she's an extreme narcissist. She wants to control exactly how she's perceived." Vivian says. "Know a few people like that."

"Female narcissists have a need to feel superior to others," Casey tells. "They exploit others to get what they want. They rely on manipulative tactics like anger, criticism, and guilt to achieve their goals."

"I'd expect her to love the adulation from the groupies, so it's sort of shocking that she's ignored them all." Spencer tells. "What if she hasn't?" JJ wonders. "What do you mean?" Vivian asks JJ. "Maybe she has sent letters back but not through official channels because she knew there'd be a record." JJ answered.

"We need a list of everyone in the prison who's had regular contact with Antonia. Guards, medical personnel, other inmates before she was in solitary confinement." Rossi tells Garcia and she nods, "I'm on that."

Rossi's cell phone beeps and he informs everyone in the room. "Lab has an imprint of the letter Antonia was writing when Hotch showed up."

The rest of the team headed to the lab and had decided to decipher the message written on the screen. "'When I think that proof alone will never beat faulty logic, I bleed twice, once for myself and once for the others who suffer beside me. So I rely on the sound of rain to relieve the monotony of my days.'" Rossi reads aloud. "I gotta say, it sounds pretty innocuous."

"Well, one thing is certain. She's writing to someone. Her letters are leaving the prison somehow." JJ tells. Spencer crossed his arms, looking at the screen in front of him. "There's something strange about this. The language feels stilted and too formal."

"It could be a code." Hotch suggests. "I agree, although it's more likely a cipher with a symmetrical key." Spencer added. "You think you could break it?" Hotch thinks.

Spencer shakes his head, "Not yet," With that, he heads towards the door. "Where you going?" Casey asks her husband. "I'm gonna talk to her." Spencer answers.

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        After Spencer had talked with Antonia, Casey had found him over by the sink in the kitchenette area, frantically washing his hands. But as Casey got closer, she noticed him scrubbing only his left hand. "Hey, you okay?" Casey decides to ask.

        Spencer doesn't stop washing and he doesn't answer. He's mumbling to himself and Casey is pretty sure that Spencer hasn't even noticed her come up to him. "Hey... Spencer..." Casey places a hand on his arm. Spencer tenses but only for a second and realizes his wife is the one standing next to him and trying to comfort him.

        Spencer takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. "What happened?" Casey asks as she begins to rub his back soothingly. Spencer sighs as he turns the water off and grabs one of the rags. "She... she spit... food in my hand." Spencer spoke lowly.

         Casey made a face and shuddered. "Oh, gross." She said. Of course, for her it was a natural reaction, but for Spencer, it was something more. Sure, he was a dad and changed diapers even with his germophobia but for someone to spit food in his hand? It was like his fear was maximized times one-hundred. And Casey knew that so as soon as she said that, she noticed that look in his face.

          Casey dug into her pocket and pulled out a travel-sized hand-sanitizer. "Here." She handed it to Spencer. "You just carry this around?" Spencer asked, holding up the hand-sanitizer. "I started carrying mini-hand sanitizers around as soon as I met you." A small smile crept up on Spencer's face.

         In all of her time that she had known Spencer, she always knew germs were never really something he took lightly. So, she always carried the hand-sanitizers around in case he ever needed any. And there were a few times he did.

         "You get anything out of her, at least?" Casey decided to ask. Spencer nods, "She wrote 'CH' on my hand." Casey furrowed her brows. "'CH'? What does that mean?" Casey asks and Spencer shrugs, "No idea. I'm about to go and tell Hotch."

Casey had decided to join Spencer in that as they walked towards the conference room. "She wrote 'CH' in my hand, but there's no one in the mail or visitor logs with those initials. We were talking about the letter at the time, so it could have something to do with the cipher." Spencer explained just as JJ, Vivian and Rossi walked through the opposite side of the conference room.

"Hey, so we checked with the Roanoke Post Office. We showed them photos of Antonia's Virginia based fans. Still nothing." JJ explained. Rossi speaks up next, "Let's think about the unsub. We know he's one of her followers. It's plausible he sent the clothes to impress her."

"He kidnapped the boys just to get her attention?" Hotch questioned. "We talked about someone trying to replicate one of her crimes." Vivian added.

"Yeah, but she never held two boys captive for a long period of time, though." Casey told. "No, but Antonia picked up two boys at the same time. One of them escaped. Hector Ramon." Rossi told as he walked over to the board. "He and another runaway he befriended, Sam Meckler, called a hotline one night when the temperature dropped below freezing."

JJ nods. "Yeah. It says Hector described her as a loving mother at first. She made soup and sandwiches..." JJ began to read off of the description. "'I had a warm bed to sleep in for the first time in a year, but after a week or so, she changed. She would get mad about small things. If we left the cap off the toothpaste or spilled something, she would say, "You're old enough to understand the rules. You must atone when you break them." Pretty soon I knew she wasn't the nice lady she pretended to be, and she wouldn't let us leave.'"

Casey shakes her head as she looks at the board. "Imagine thinking you're safe with somebody and then come to find out that they're a totally different person behind closed doors."

"When did he escape?" Spencer decides to ask. "Three weeks after they arrived. His friend, Sam was too scared to leave with him and ended up being Antonia's last victim." JJ told.

"We need to talk to Antonia again, but I think we've been approaching this wrong. It's time we use her rules against her." Rossi tells.

Garcia walks into the room. "I just talked to the prison. They're looking at inmates and personnel who've had regular contact with Antonia Slade. One guard in particular, Orel Wilbur, has had more contact than anyone. He's picked up extra shifts in units where Antonia has been held, and this week he volunteered to fill in for a sick guard in solitary."
Spencer shakes his head, "That can't be a coincidence."

Rossi looks towards Casey. "Ready for a field trip?" He asks. Casey knew that the time would come that she would have to interrogate Antonia Slade and she was honestly not ready for it after hearing what happened with Spencer and JJ. Casey sighed, "Sure."

"You know, she tried to test Gideon when he was on this case. There's a chance she's gonna do it to you, too." Rossi stated. "She's been trying to push us past our limits since the beginning. She spit in Spencer's hand, tried to get in JJ's head, taunted Hotch with a rhyme. We gotta be ready for all the stops in case she tries to push us past ours." Casey explained.

"We won't let her push us past ours." Rossi told, nudging his head towards the door. Casey sighed as she squeezed Spencer's hand before leaving. "Wish me luck." She speaks sarcastically.

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The oldest and youngest member of the team decided to approach Antonia Slade's cell together, noting at her rule of there being one agent at a time. When Rossi and Casey arrived, Antonia was in bed, facing away from the bars.

"Good afternoon," Rossi greeted. "I'm FBI Agent Rossi. This is Agent Willows. We're with the BAU." Antonia turned over. "Midday slump, huh? That's always comforting. Right about the time of day I need a gallon of coffee." Casey makes small talk.

"What is so difficult about following one simple rule?" Antonia questions. "Oh, you mean seeing us one at a time? Yeah. Sorry. That's not gonna work for us anymore." Casey stated.

       "And why is that?" Antonia asks. "Because you decided to grab my husband's wrist and spit in his hand. You break a rule of mine, I break a rule of yours." Casey said, monotone, to make sure Antonia wouldn't get into her head if she responded with that.

        Antonia fell back in her bed as she scoffed. "We're here because we have just one question for you. Who is John Smith?" Rossi questions. Antonia doesn't answer.

       "Yeah, I don't think she's gonna talk to us." Casey said and they turn back around. "Guard!" Rossi calls. "I'm not surprised, Gideon said the reason she never spoke about the murders was that she was all hat, no cattle." He whispers loud enough for Antoni to hear. "How so?" Casey asks curiously.

      "Well, her lover, Phil Garmin, was the brains behind the operation. The Runaway hotline was all his idea." Rossi answers. "Was he a pedophile?" Casey asks. "Gideon thought so. Antonia was just a helper. She'd bring him victims."

      "Why not just admit that?" Casey questions. "Well, she'd lose her power and mystique. That's all she has, especially now. She protects herself by making people think she's dangerous." Rossi told.

       "Hmm," Casey thinks. "Did my uncle ever get through to her?" She asks. "No. Try as he might, Gideon never could. Wasn't worth his time, anyways." Rossi told. Casey hums and she looks up at the door. "What is taking so long?" She waved an arm as the door buzzed.

         Before they could walk out, Antonia then spoke. "Gideon was a fool." Casey and Rossi exchange a look and then turn back around. "Excuse me?" Rossi asks.

        "Phil was not a pedophile." Antonia tells and she sits up. "He had nothing to do with those children." She looks at Rossi. "Oh. I know who you are now. You're David Rossi. You started BAU. I read your books. You're a bigger fool than Gideon was."

         Antonia's eyes then trailed over to Casey. "And Agent Willows, how old are you, may I ask?" Casey gulps and then turns to Rossi, who gives her a reassuring look. Casey crossed her arms. "28, almost 29."

      "And how long have you been in the BAU for?" Antonia asks. "Nine years." Casey says.

      "So, that would've made you about... twenty years old when you started?" Antonia stands up. "Tell me, did you exactly earn your spot or is that just the nepotism talking?"

Casey scoffed and swiped her tongue across her teeth. She was always used to the threats of her career and her age. But never once in her career had she ever gotten a comment such as that one. She stared at the woman coldly. "I earned this spot because I worked hard for it." She said through gritted teeth.

Antonia laughed lightly as she shook her head. "That's what they all say. Is it hard proving to everybody you're smart and know what you're doing when you really don't?" Casey knew she wasn't gonna let these woman's words get to her. She's heard worse. "You said your husband was that doctor? Is it hard trying to prove you're just as smart as him?"

Casey gave the woman a blank stare not showing any emotion. But internally, she felt that way. Sometimes, she felt like she didn't know what the hell she was doing until she did it when it came to this job. She started off as an intern who at times, was lost. And now she was an agent, a profiler. Even now, she still felt lost.

"I know what you're trying to do and it's not gonna work." Casey glared and Antonia looked at the girl, trying to figure out where she recognized the cold glare from Casey until it finally had come to her.

Antonia pointed at the woman. "You know, you are just like him. Agent Gideon. Had that same stink eye." Casey kept her cold glare on Antonia. "You intrigue me. If you get me a transfer to Kentucky, I will reveal all to you."

       "I don't think so." Rossi tells. "You tell us where those missing boys are and then maybe we can talk about a transfer."

       "Agent Willows," Antonia's only focus is Casey. "Why don't you and I talk alone? I think we can work something out."

        Rossi looks over at Casey, who nods in reassurance that she's okay with it. Rossi leaves the room and eventually, Casey stays. Tara and Vivian then come in and they later take over as Casey takes a break.

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        Eventually, the team decides to give Antonia what she wants. And that's her transfer to Kentucky. Spencer and Rossi join Tara and Casey, since Antonia enjoyed her conversations more with Tara and Casey, she wanted them to be the ones to escort her on the jet.

        They arrive at the tarmac, the jet getting ready for takeoff as they await for the arrival of the chained-up Antonia Slade.

         When she sit down on the seats, Tara and Casey sit in front of her as Spencer and Rossi are towards the front of the plane. "So, is this the private jet for all inmates or just me?" Antonia questions.

       "Well, you're not special, if that's what you're asking." Casey stated. "You respond like him, too. Gideon. He always had a way with words." Casey looked down at the mention of her uncle and was grateful Antonia didn't pay much attention to it.

        "I don't want you to think that I'm ungrateful for this prison transfer, so I'm gonna share something with you. The man you're looking for is trying to duplicate the circumstances of the two boys I crossed paths with." Antonia told. "Yeah, we figured that out already." Tara says.
"You told us you'd give us his location if we transferred you."

      "I don't know exactly where he is at the moment." Antonia reveals.

        Most of the ride is quiet and it makes Casey think of the times where they fly home after cases and the ride is silent on the way back home. Spencer beside her, reading on the couch while she takes a small nap.

        Casey turns from the cloudy windows back to Antonia, who has her eyes locked on Tara. "You single, Dr. Lewis?" She questions, curiously.

       "Why do you want to know?" Tara asks. "Just wondering if there was anybody you shared everything with. I think you're like me. Nobody really knows us."

       Tara glares coldly at Antonia until Antonia speaks in a language that Casey can only assume is German. "Ich helfe Dir wenn die wahrheit sagt." Spencer turns towards them and locks eyes with Casey and she knows that Spencer just heard what she said. "Verspreche. Wenn das alles vorbei ist." Tara says back.

       Antonia chuckles until she leans in. "He's bringing the children to Kentucky. Right outside Lexington." Casey looks at Spencer, who also heard that as he goes to call Hotch.

       When the time comes, Rossi and Spencer had walked towards the three and Casey checked her watch since they were on a time stretch. 9:40. He was killing the children at 10.

       "Okay, Aaron, we're about to land." Rossi told, hanging up the phone. "Where's Claude Barlow going?" Spencer sits down on the couch in front of them as Rossi questions.

       "Oh, good, you know his real name," Antonia tells. "I wasn't quite sure what he goes by these days. It's always changing."

        "It's 9:41," Spencer speaks. "We don't have time for games."

       "There's no address where Claude is, but I can take you there. However, I do have one more request." Antonia tells and Casey sighs once she reveals what it is that she wants. To get out of her handcuffs.

        Rossi decides to call Hotch and holds his phone up so Hotch can listen to the conversation. "Undo my chains, Agent Rossi. Look at me. I can't run away." Antonia tells.

"Why is it so important to you?" Spencer questions. "A little taste of freedom. Probably the last one I'll ever have." Antonia says.

"And if we don't?" Rossi questions. "Well, you can take me straight to the new prison. I'll leave the heroics to you."

There's a pause as Casey hears Hotch tell Rossi to stand by until a minute later, she hears: "Dave, do as she says."

"Understood." Rossi hangs up the phone as Spencer looks at Casey and nods at her and Tara and they take the position of holding their guns to her. Casey holds her pistol while Tara holds her Glock.

"Don't get comfortable." Tara speaks. "Our guns are gonna be on you the entire time." Casey tells. Spencer unlocks her chains. "I wouldn't have it any other way." Antonia speaks.

       The team gets their FBI vests on as they exit the jet, Tara and Casey behind her, their guns aimed at her. Antonia tells them where to go as they open the SUV door for her. "This is so exciting, I feel like one of the team right now."

      "You shouldn't." Casey spits.

      "Maybe I can replace Agent Morgan." Antonia tells Spencer as she gets in the car. Casey bites her tongue and the door closes and she finally mutters under her breath,
"Bitch."

       Tara and Casey both decide to sit on each side of Antonia as she sits in the middle. Driving down the area she tells them to drive in, Spencer receives a call from Hotch. "What do you have, Hotch?" He asks.

       There's a pause and Spencer looks at Rossi, who's driving. "There's a possible address for Claude Barlow. 8879 Rincon Street."

       "The New Days Clinic?" Antonia asks. "He's not there."
There's another pause and Spencer speaks, "Pull over. We need to turn around."

        Rossi pauses and pulls the car over. "You better keep going," Antonia tells. "I'm telling you, he's not at the clinic. We used to take walks during our sessions. I'm taking you to his favorite place."

       "Guys, it's 9:55." Tara informs. "If you go to the clinic, you're gonna miss saving those kids." Antonia warns. Casey turns to the woman. "Maybe that's been your intention all along. Maybe you're playing us."

      Antonia ignores the woman next to her. "Just ahead, there's a dirt road on the right. You better take that road."

       Casey turns towards Antonia. "If you're leading us to a trap, that transfer's a no-go. You realize that, right?" Casey warns herself. Antonia doesn't bother to look at Casey. She simply looks ahead and says, "If you all thought I was coming here to witness the murders, why would I be going to so much trouble to miss it?"

      In front of them, Spencer goes back to talking to Hotch on his cell. "We're gonna keep going, Hotch."

       They finally arrive at the destination and open up the door to an abandoned house. One of the boys is found tied up. It's Jimmy Bennett. "You're ok. You're ok. We've got you." Rossi comforts the boy, removing the gag from his mouth.

       "There's no one else here." Spencer looks around. "He took Adam." Jimmy tells.

       Spencer heads back over to the SUV where Casey and Tara are with Antonia. Spencer opens up Casey's door and looks in Antonia's direction. "Show us where you would take Claude." He tells.

      "Let's go." Tara tells and the three women get out of the car. A couple of officers follow with the team members. "There's a trail -- Devil's Backbone." Antonia tells.

       Antonia informs Spencer where he's headed as Casey walks in front of Antonia and Tara stays behind her.  They delve deeper into the trail and they hear a struggle and Barlow yelling. "Let's go!"

      They rush after it. Spencer holds his gun up to their unsub as Casey, Tara and Antonia stay behind before they can approach Barlow. "Claude Barlow, FBI, drop the weapon!" Barlow holds the gun to Adam. "Where's Antonia?" Barlow questions. "Let the boy go." Spencer orders. "Did you bring her?" Barlow asks.

       "She led us to you in order to stop you. Put the gun down." Spencer told. "Shut up! Where is she?! Antonia!" Barlow calls.

       "Let me talk to him." Antonia looks towards Tara and Casey. "No." Tara tells.

       "We don't want to hurt you, Claude. Let Adam go." Spencer stated but Barlow was adamant to see Antonia.
"He's dead unless I see her."

       Spencer contemplates his decision in his head before he looks back at his wife and Tara and nods. Casey nods back as they lead Antonia towards Barlow, holding their guns to the woman. 

       Antonia walks towards the man. "Hey, Claude." She smiles a bit. "You came." Barlow tells and Antonia nods, approaching him closely. "I want you to listen real carefully.
I got something to tell you. But first..."

       Antonia gets Adam out of Barlow's grasp and he runs towards the officers with Casey, Tara and Spencer. "It was all for you. I did everything you said." Barlow tells, looking into Antonia's eyes. The woman nods, "I know."

       Antonia gets real close to Barlow and whispers something to him. It's a long whisper until she finally decides to walk away. Casey is confused on what she just whispered to him and it happens all too fast. Barlow holds the gun up to himself and shoots himself in the head before Tara, Spencer and Casey can do anything to stop it.

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        The transfer was never set and stone. Antonia Slade was returned back into her old cell in good ol' Virginia. Jimmy Bennett and Adam Morrissey were returned to their families. Tara, JJ, Casey and Spencer watch the scene unfold, content with the outcome of family being reunited.

      "Jimmy Bennett's father beat the odds and actually got off drugs. He's petitioning the court to regain full custody." Spencer informed as he walked out of the room where the family members were.

      "There's still one thing I didn't understand," JJ speaks. "We know Antonia told Claude to send the clothes, which then got our attention, but why now?"

      "The boys were getting older. He couldn't hold them much longer." Spencer tells. "Doesn't make sense why he held those two boys. He could've gotten rid of them but he didn't." Casey adds.

      "And don't forget boredom. I mean, she had a really exciting couple of days there. Not to brag, but we are more scintillating company than most inmates and guards." Tara tells and Casey shrugs, "I guess you're right about that."

       Spencer looks over at Tara as he puts a hand towards the lower part of Casey's back, holding her there contently. "I overheard the arrangement you made with Antonia in German. You promised to tell her the truth after the case was over if she helped us out. You gonna follow through?"

       "Hell, no," Tara responds. "Look, of all the serial killer types, the ones I find most dangerous are the hyper-intelligent ones that get off more on the mind games than the killing. They're like vampires ready to suck your soul dry and file your information away for a rainy day."

       JJ sighs, "That's Antonia." Tara shrugs, "Well, we got what we wanted from her. I say we move on."

       "Good riddance, because that woman was — ugh." Casey shudders.

        After some hefty paperwork, Casey and Spencer go home. Isaac was watching Christopher and had offered to take him for the night so Casey and Spencer could get some rest for the night without a rowdy three year old.

        Casey and Spencer were getting ready for bed and Casey had gotten under the covers and noticed Spencer was still in the bathroom. He's only in flannel pajama bottoms and shirtless. The bathroom door was open and Casey took a peek and noticed he was still washing his hands after twenty minutes of doing so. "Hey, baby? Why don't you come to bed?" Casey calls.

         "Uh, okay. J-Just give me a second." Spencer finally turns the water off and grabs a rag to dry his hands off. He turns the bathroom light off and heads into the bedroom. Casey forwards her head towards him. "You okay?" She asks.

Spencer looks at his hand and then back at his wife. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay." He looks back at his hand and Casey pats the bed. "Well, come on. The bed feels empty without you."

Spencer then gets into bed. He turns his lamp off as he settles into bed with his wife. Casey rests her head in her palm as she sits next to him. Spencer's head is on the pillow and this causes him to look up at Casey but he doesn't. Spencer can't help but keep staring at his hand. Casey notices and grabs his hand and closes into a fist and he lets his hand drop. Just by Casey's simple touch, he's less tense.

"I don't know how I can't handle it. I've washed my hand for twenty-six minutes, disinfected it. I could handle changing Christopher's diapers, puke and other gross stuff so why can't I handle somebody spitting food in my hand?" Spencer questions and Casey plays with his hair.

"It just happens, baby," Casey tells. "I mean, not the spitting food part, the triggers. They come back even with the littlest things. And plus, Christopher is kind of a part of you, so you're bound to share some germs." This gets a chuckle out of both Casey and Spencer.

There's a pause as Spencer looks up at Casey and caressed her face with his hand — of course, it wasn't the one that had food spit on it hours before.

Spencer furrows his brows. "What did she say to you?" He decides to ask. "When you went to interview her with Rossi?"

Casey stiffens and shrugs, "Nothing important." Spencer sits up a bit. "I wanna hear." He insists. Casey really didn't want to tell Spencer how Antonia made her feel about her earning her job. Casey swore she wouldn't let it get to her but it made her think.

There were times where Casey felt like her job was handed to her. And she hated the fact that she thought that way about it. Even with Gideon always being mentioned, she couldn't help but feel as if her role wasn't her role. Like she didn't win it fair and square just like everybody else. But that was different, she did. But she couldn't help but wonder, if maybe, just maybe, Gideon had a part in all of it.

Casey cleared her throat and thought back to when she was standing outside of Antonia's cell. "She asked me when I started at the BAU. I said I was twenty. And she tried getting in my head. Asking me if I truly earned my spot. Assuming that it was just nepotism that brought me here."

Spencer looked down and he could tell by Casey's voice that she was affected by it. "She also asked if it was hard... trying to prove how smart I am solely because I'm young." Casey scoffed at that part and she shook her head, avoiding eye contact with Spencer. "I didn't let it bother me. I know I'm not the... smartest person... but I know I earned my spot. I did that."

"Hey," Spencer said softly and turned Casey's head to him and forced her to stare into his eyes as he spoke nothing but the truth. "You did earn your spot. You worked hard for it. You studied harder than anyone ever has. You were practically buried in books during your training and your internship." Casey takes a deep breath.

"And yeah, you're related to Gideon, but that didn't bring you to the BAU." Spencer sits up more and he placed a kiss on Casey's temple. "Your beautiful..." A kiss on the cheek. "Caring..." A kiss on the lips. "Loving..." A kiss on her neck. "Smart..." A kiss on her chest. "... brain did."

Spencer places a hand on her cheek as he speaks to her. "Don't ever question if you've earned your spot because you have in my book. For the past eleven years that I've known you, you've always been the most hardworking and independent person I've ever met. It's what made loving you so easy." He could tell that Casey was less tense after he spoke to her with such loving words.

Spencer takes her hand with his and places a kiss right on the back of her hand. "I love you, you know that, right?" He asks and Casey shakes her head, "That's my line." The two laugh.

Casey caressed his face and looks him in the eye. "I love you, too." She says back and Spencer leans in as he cups her face and kisses her on the lips.

Spencer and Casey's kiss is more passionate as it always is. It takes a minute as Spencer pulls the covers so he can make his way over to Casey. He cowers above her, his hands traveling from her face to her hips until he finally finds what he wants to do.

Spencer holds Casey's hand down with his, intertwining it like a wire. He removes his lips from hers and smiles down at her. "And I'm gonna show you just how much I love you." He pants. Casey gives a teasing smile as she raises her eyebrows. "Oh, really?"

"Really." Spencer leans down for a kiss and as Casey begins to kiss at his neck, Spencer turns Casey's lamp light off on her side of the bed.

Y'all know what happened next.

hey, lovelies!

casey miss girl how you gonna let a woman that looks like this:

tell you you didn't earn your job- goodbye😭😭😭

Y'ALL I LITERALLY CANNOT EVERY TIME THE BITCH CAME ONSCREEN ALL I COULD THINK OF WAS CHUCKY'S SON GLEN 💀💀💀 i'm still cracking up at the photo

anywaysssss
one more chapter of s11
and then the rollercoaster-
oh lord buckle up
bc this next chapter is gonna get crazy too
-mya </3