*Trigger warning*
Chapter Six: Taste of your own Medicine

[Mean~ Taylor Swift ]

It was official Anya Holmes was Supervisory Special Agent and she had the badge and gun to prove it. It would've been a no fucking brainer if she didn't get the job, and it meant she got paid more money which meant she didn't have to ride the trains everywhere she was just thankful that Wyatt's nanny was giving him rides to school. Hotch and Anya kissed and were still back to their same old ways of arguing with each other, being at each other's throats. Hotch still had vivid and intense dreams about her. He figured he had more trust in his right hand than dating anybody right now or just a specific someone

Of course, they were in the round table room and it just so happened that Reid and Anya were both running late. She had no excuse her life was easily falling apart most of the week and she couldnt make any of this shit up. Not to mention she wasnt getting any sleep. Like an ounce of it and she wasnt going to tell anyone else that. Reid saunters it first and everyone is grilling him about why he was late, asking him questions and then Anya enters ten minutes after.

"Im so sorry." she takes a seat in between Reid and Emily.

"You and Prettyboy, getting some... who is this mystery guy and when can we meet him." Anya rolls her eyes. Her outfit consisted of whatever she could be thrown on in enough time which was a beanie and black jeans with rips on the knees converse and a light orange knit short-sleeved turtleneck and a flannel over that. She just stares at the screen ahead all eyes on her.

She sighs "What?"

"Where were you?" Derek quirks a brow at her.

"None of your business." she shrugs as everyone was laughing.

"Mhmm. Who's the lucky guy."

Anya just looks between everyone clearing her throat and ignoring them. They all watch her intently again. "Would you just do the thing?" she points to the screen.

"I know it's late, I know we're tired, But we've got two dead cops," Hotch speaks up as Anya sighs thankful for him talking for once.

"All right, uh, the resident, Rod Norris, was d. O. A. They're still trying to i. D. The remains of the second victim, Whom they believe is his 16-Year-Old daughter Jordan. From the condition of the remains She would have had to have been inside the house Close to the source of the blast."

"Clearly, they used the bombing to set the officers up for an ambush," Emily speaks up.

"It's a well-established terrorist tactic. First wave takes out civilians, The second wave takes out first responders".

"The locals are thinking terrorism In West Bune, Texas?" Derek asks, leaning back in his chair.

"Not exactly a tier-One target, But dhs did issue a terror alert For the border states yesterday, Just due to the timing and nature of the attack."

"I've never heard of this place. I mean, the militia, ok, that I could see." Derek nods.

"Yeah, well, it is close to the border. It could be traffickers sending a message."

"Whoever it is, they gun down two cops And blew up a teenage girl. Till they're stopped, no one in that town is safe." Anya says with a sigh.

"We need to be cautious with the locals. They've lost two of their own, They're anxious, they're scared, And they're gonna want revenge."

"Can you blame 'em?" Rossi speaks up.

A sad soul can kill you quicker, Far quicker, than a germ." John Steinbeck.

Anya literally hated everyone at the moment. They had been nonstop grilling her and Reid about where they were last night the entire time on the jet and the car ride, Anya told Derek to shove it where the sun dont shine and explained that nothing happened. Which was a lie, she was late for a simple reason. She had an unexpected visit from her ex-husband. Matt Rodriguez was big-named around Government Agencies. He had a hand in literally every single one. Including the FBI and he made it apparent to linger over Anya a lot. She hated it, she wasnt a baby and she definitely could hold her own, he should know she had taken him down one too many times, in training exercises, the divorce was a mutual thing mostly on Anya's end he still loved her, but she felt like they weren't working they were too completely different people now then they were when they met in high school. When you marry your high school sweetheart, you are expected to love them after high school and after Jessica died, Anya turned into a different person. She was more confident than she was in high school, and she wasnt as shy. After two years of boring sex and bad communication, things fizzled away for Anya. Matt wanted to try counseling and Anya just wanted to live life, she just wanted to live life to the fullest, and trying to make a relationship that was failing work again was just way too much. Anyways Matt and Anya have been, what's the polite way of saying fucking. It happened when he came over to get some things out of the basement and they reminisced on how things used to be. He made dinner and they had the best consensual sex that they had ever had in their entire lives maybe being divorced is what they needed to start up their love life again.

Last night though, Anya was late for the mere fact that she broke it off. She didn't want Matt to catch her feelings and the sex while it was great, was vanilla, she needed to be dominated in the bedroom and Matt wasnt capable of that. He was a sweet guy but it was a bad idea to start up a physical relationship with her ex again. Besides. She also had a lot on her mind.

She also couldnt stop thinking of the kiss she shared with her boss, he was her boss and he was also fifteen years older than her and like extremely irritating. But she couldn't deny that was the best kiss she ever experienced and yet. Why did it happen? Did she truthfully hate Hotch or was it just a game? She could never really hate anyone, maybe did hate him, or maybe she loved him. Maybe she loved him so much that it manifested as Hate? Nah she fucking hated that man, and for good reasons but she was thankful that he put his differences aside to make her an official member of them. Arriving in Texas was bittersweet. She was away from her ex, but around the man who had been literally stuck in her head. They looked over the crime scene in Texas JJ takes the rest of the officers back to their station to brief them while everyone else is walking the scene. Rossi, Emily, and Reid were walking through the house, While Hotch, Anya, and Derek were outside the house. Where the two officers were killed.

"Hit pattern says they were fired on full auto. Tight grouping for it. Single burst put them both down." Derek explains.

"That takes skill And some serious training."

"Letts lands here," Hotch points to the spot on the ground. " still alive, Savage falls there dead."

"But I walk past Letts. And I shoot Lou Savage in the face When I know he's already dead." Anya begins and Derek is nodding like a proud parent.

"This was personal."

"They knew each other?" The sheriff asks.

"Enough to know Rod Norris Would enter through the back door while smoking."

"And that Lou Savage was on duty and would respond," Hotch explains.

"So what are we talking about here?"

"This wasn't terrorism, domestic or otherwise. terrorists rarely know their victims, At least not personally." Hotch continues,

"Because they knew Rod Norris was a smoker who used his back door?"

Derek nods, "And shot Deputy Savage in the face at point-blank range."

"They weren't being thorough?"

Anya shakes her head. "No. He walked past Letts, who was alive, shooting Savage in the face when he knows he was already dead. Responders were coming. That last shot was risky overkill."

"Overkill means rage. Rage means a close personal relationship."

"Rod Norris and Lou Savage were the specific targets of this attack. Sheriff, can you think of anyone with a close personal connection To Rod Norris and Lou Savage?" Hotch asks.

"I didn't think about it because of the terror alert."

"Think about what?" Derek asks.

"Owen. Owen savage. Lou's son was dating Jordan Norris." Sheriff explains.

The group now with Reid takes a ride over to the Savage residence. "My deputies didn't find Owen at home." The sheriff runs up the stairs of the house the front door was already Open.

"How long did you know Lou Savage?"

"My whole life." Sheriff replies.

"And deputy Savage's wife?"

"Hope?" He asks.

"How did she die?"

The group was looking around the house. "Drunk driver in '02. Lou was in Afghanistan. Owen lived with us until he got back."

"Semper fi." Reid mutters swiping his finger across a picture frame on the wall.

"How long was Lou Savage in the marines?"

"12 years. He was discharged so he could raise Owen." The sheriff, explains.

"Is that why he resented them?" Anya speaks up.

"Pardon me?"

"Uh, did Lou blame his wife and son For ending his career in the marines?" Anya continues the sheriff looks at her with a scowl.

"Lou was a good man."

"A good man that doesn't have a single photo Of his dead wife or only son anywhere in his entire house," Reid says.

"I know this is hard, and if we had more time we would be more sensitive, But we don't."

The sheriff sighs, "Hope was the drunk driver. I didn't write it up that way, But it didn't matter. Her drinking was no secret in town."

"Where's Owen's room?" Reid asked.

"Right over there." He nods and Reid and Anya take the room. "Here's your gun safe. I don't know the combination."

"Start with birthdays-- Lou's, Owen's, Hope's." Hotch hands him the file with their birthdays in it.

Derek was checking the dad's room. They get the safe open and it just so happens that all the guns were gone, which was not good cause Lou was the town's tactical adviser. Meanwhile in Owen's room, Anya and Reid were looking around.

"Are you still going to the meetings?" She looks at the posters on the wall.

Reid nods. "Yeah, thanks again for finding those for me."

"Of course. Anything for you Spence." she smiles at him and he walks over giving her hand a squeeze. Before they separate and continue looking around the room

"The Gun safe is empty." Derek entered the room.

"That's a surprise."

The two men stop at a poster on the wall. "That's James Dean's porsche. No pictures of James Dean, though. That's a bad sign."

"Especially when your mother died in a car accident." Reid explains as Anya tenses up, Reid takes a mental nore of that, "Still haven't found the father of the year award." He walks to the other side of the room.

"You already check his computer?"

"It's password encrypted," Anya replies.

"Well, a smart move if your dad's a cop."

"Ah, assuming he cares enough to snoop." Reid babbles.

"Hey, Reid. Check yourself. That sheriff out there wanted to take your head off. I think Hotch might have let him." Derek mutters.

Anya scoffs. "Please like you would let anyone hurt Reid,"

" All his clothes are black."

"The same here," Reid replies.

"Just like his friend Johnny Cash. So Owen identifies as being a misunderstood loner. You know, I wish all our unsubs would just tack their profiles On their walls like this for us."

Reid scoffs. "It doesn't mean anything." Anya nods. "What, you grew up in Chicago, a high school jock, You had pictures of Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan All over your walls, trophies everywhere?"

"Yeah. But you forgot Walter Payton. Not to mention the sexy ladies Of the sports-illustrated swimsuit issues."

"Smart money says you didn't paint your mirrors black," Anya says before turning to Morgan. "You know with that Ego you probably stood infront of them all day." Reid laughs as Derek makes a face at Anya.

"I guess Owen didn't like what he saw."

There's yelling heard from outside of the house and the trio looks at each other before heading outside. A blonde woman is being forceful with a deputy. She shoves past him.

"My children need their daddy," she yells as the trio makes it to the porch in time.

"That's Officer Letts' wife," Hotch whispers to them.

"Send them home, you don't need them. You know what to do. You find that little son of a bitch. You find him and do what's right." she yells again before leaving.

"Why do I get the feeling she's not going to be the only one With that sentiment?"

Owen seemed to be on a mission and the bau team couldnt quite figure it out. Reid and Hotch went by the high school while Anya and Derek were working Owen's room more.

"So you gonna talk about it?"

Anya kneels down looking at Owen's bed. "Talk about what?"

"Why do you hate this case so much? Why you are so snappy with the sheriff?"

"Derek I love you I do but there are some things I can't tell you." Anya moves the clothes to the side of the closet, knocking on the wall. Derek stops in his tracks looking at her.

"What does that mean?"

Anya sighed she didn't need to be so mean or closed off, these people were her friends. "My dad use to be a detective and growing up I didn't peak til the end of high school, kids kicked my ass for a long time, and for a while my dad would just let them, he said it was supposed to make me tougher, honestly I didn't think it would but that was the only flaw he had was that I needed to be tougher," she clears her throat. "My mom died and he didn't care about anything I did, I was reckless and crazy and my sister was trying to sort me out and trying to get me to be better, and for a while, I was getting into fights and doing better, then my dad started to get out of hand and I was sixteen trying to figure out why I was fucked up and angry. From then on it was my sister and me for the longest time. She got me to be a better version of myself and without her, I dont think I would've been able to be the person I was today. I just know what it's like for your parents to not give a shit about you. It sucks." Anya just nods as Derek pulls her into a hug.

"Why didn't you tell anyone, kid?"

She shrugs, "It's not a big deal, I am an adult."

"No, you dont have to bottle up your past we would understand," Derek explains,

She nods and they stop hugging. Derek goes back to looking around the room before wringing her hands out nervously. "I have a secret, that no one knows about not even Hotch or Strauss."

Derek turns to look at her. "How big are we talking?"

"Life or death." his face turns to concern.

"Anya" he looks at him, with wide eyes. "Whatever it is we can help you."

"Derek if I tell you, you can't tell anyone."

And Derek stares at her contemplating if he cared about his job or her the most. He just nods and she just explains everything, the heart condition the pacemaker and Derek just hugs her. He loved her for telling him and he loved her more for surviving. He promised to keep her secret and they continue looking around the room Derek tries to take a crack at the computer.

"Come on, mom." that password doesn't work. "Johnny Cash." doesn't work. "Come on. Savage?I know you're trying to tell me something."

"Try Hope." Derek types it in and it works. Anya smirks They see a Mpeg on Owen's computer and they open it. "Oh my god," Anya grimaces from the video. "Call Hotch."

"A mpeg on Owen's computer. You really need to see this."

They set the video to the computer at the school, the video itself was awful, and Anya felt bad for Owen. they were working with Garcia to retrieve everything else that Owen deleted off the computer, they got word that Owen killed the three boys that made the video. Anya's heart hurt, this violence didn't need to happen. Reid came back to the house and Hotch explained how he snapped at the sheriff. Anya went to the bathroom which gave Derek time to talk with Reid,

"Garcia restored those e-Mails."

"Yeah, I'm sorting through them right now." Reid was sitting at Owen's computer.

Derek takes a seat on the bed. "Reid. You know, you're not the only one who identifies with him.

You said I was a high school jock. I was. But not at first. In my freshman year, I was 5'3." Reid smiles as Derek chuckles. " I weighed a buck 20 soaking wet. So trust me when I tell you I got my ass kicked every day. So the following summer, I hit the weights. And I got lucky. I grew 6 inches. But it was never about vanity, Reid. It was about survival."

Anya leans in the doorway. "Sophmore year I was a mess of braces and flat chested, all the kids bullied me, one time this jock, the hottest jock in school Chase Bradford, told me he wanted to take me out to the lookout point, it was the known makeout spot, only when I got there, it was all the cheerleaders, they threw eggs at me and feathers called me a chicken told me I was never going to be as pretty as them I never felt uglier in my life, It took me a year to eat eggs,"

"I was in the library, And, uh... Harper hillman comes up to me, And she tells me that Alexa Lisben Wants to meet me behind the field house. Alexa lisben's, like...Easily the prettiest girl in school."

"So what happened? Alexa wasn't there?" Derek asks.

"She was there. So was the entire football team. They...uh... Stripped me naked And tied me to a goalpost. So many kids were there, you know, just watching."

"Nobody tried to stop them?" Anya asks.

"Mm-Mmm. I begged– I begged them to, But they just--They just watchedAnd finally, they got bored, and they left. It was, like, midnight when I finally got home. And my mom didn't... Mom was having one of her episodes, So she didn't even realize I was late."

"You never told her what happened?" Derek asks.

"I never told anybody. I thought...It was one of those things that I thought If I didn't talk about it, I'd just forget. But I remember it like it was yesterday." Reid was practically crying and Anya comes over and gives his shoulders a squeeze. He grabs her hand and squeezes it.

"Ah, Reid, you don't need an eidetic memory for that. You know, we forget half of what they teach us in school, But when it comes to the torment and the people who inflicted it...We've all got an elephant's memory."

"Owen just wants to forget, And I know what that's like," Reid says

"He's been making a big deal out of saying goodbye to Jordan In all of his e-Mails. None of its shorthand. That's odd."

"He never got a chance to say goodbye to his mother. Abandonment is his biggest fear.

That's why he chose Jordan. He thinks she'll never leave." Reid explains

//

The next day the trio goes to the police station. Dressed in newly refreshed clothes and ready to go.

"Owen's mother's death left him with severe issues of abandonment. If we can get Jordan away from him, we'll save her And take away his reason to live." Reid explains

"He'll take his own life."

"It's the only way we can save Jordan," Derek explains.

"How can we get her to leave him?"

"He's kept Jordan in the dark. She doesn't know about the murders." Reid explains

"You want to tell her?"

"If we can. We can get her to turn herself in." Anya says as Hotch nods. She just looks at the ground and Emily watches their interaction, she makes sure to grill her about it later.

"But even if we could talk to her, The only person she trusts is Owen."

"There's one other person, And she might be able to get a message to Jordan." Emily pulls out her phone.

Helen didn't like everything that was happening but she sends a message to Jordan, anyway Hotch and Reid go, man, the message line to Jordan. While the others wait around the front with Helen. Jj, Emily, and Anya were back at the Station. they hadn't heard from Jordan and they were worried until she walked into the station she explained how she got away while he was digging and that he was at Stratman's ranch, the men of the Bau's head over while the women stay with Jordan. Reid comes bustling into the station. He walks over to the evidence board.

"They think he's going to his mother's grave." He pulls a picture down from the board.

"Isn't he?"

He stands infront of Jordan showing her the photo. "He was gone when we got to the ranch.

I want to save his life, But I need to ask you a question. This necklace– He gave it to you? Uh...I left it at the ranch."

"He's coming here." Reid leaves the room and Anya is Hot on his trail.

"Spence, where are you going?"

"I need to talk him down," Spencer explains as Anya just nods.

"Okay, all right What makes you think he'll come here?" they were standing outside.

"It's what I would do." Reid spots him and takes his gun out of the holster... "Anya Cover me." he hands her his gun.

She just nods. "Okay!"

"Do not shoot."

"I can't make any promises," Anya yells

"Owen, I don't have a gun. My name is Spencer, I'm with the FBI, and I'm here to help you."

"Yeah? I need you to stay back!" Owen yells.

"I know the only reason you joined the team was for your father. I know that he blamed you for what happened."

The SUV pulls up and Anya still has a clear shot. "Stay back! Right where you are!"

"I also know the only reason You kill Rod Norris and kyle Borden was to protect Jordan. I know the harder you tried, the worse it got, And it felt like everybody just stood there watching you suffer, And not a single person even tried to help."

"They didn't. They didn't."

Reid steps to the left a bit blocking Hotch, Derek's, and Rossi's shot and Anya runs over to the SUV.

"I need a riffle right now," the men just look at her. "Right now!" they reach into the trunk and get her a rifle. "Just the scope," Derek takes the scope off the top and she runs back to her spot where she was, she needed the scope to see Reid, she wasnt going to miss her shot by any means, she was the best fucking sniper that they had and none of them knew it, it wasnt in her file. It showed on her scores, she was good and it took her a lot of practice to be that good, Reid moved Owen far away so Anya couldnt hear, they watch as Owen reaches inside his jacket pocket he takes the the strap from the gun off his arm and places the gun on the ground. Derek runs over and cuffs Owen. Reid takes him inside, to see Jordan and they give her his mother's necklace.

"We cross our bridges when we come to them "And burn them behind us, "With nothing to show for our progress "Except the memory And a presumption that once our eyes watered." Tom Stoppard.

The jet was full of everyone sleeping minus Anya, Reid, and Hotch. Reid and Hotch were talking before he stands up and leaves, he takes his seat again and Anya looks at Hotch.

"Please cut him some slack, he got Owen to stand down." Hotch sighed. "Don't sigh at me, Reid is sensitive, and this is the first time he is choosing to open up in a long time."

He just stares at her he knew she was right and he didn't want to admit it. "Where were you?" she makes a face, "when you were running late where were you?"

"That's none of your business."

Hotch nods. "It is my business I am your boss."

"Bite me"

"Bend over" He snarks as she rolls her eyes.

"Go to hell Hotchner." and with that, they ignore each other for the rest of the flight.

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