CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO: A PARALLEL UNIVERSE !

15x07

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CASEY AND SPENCER HELPED LENNOX THROUGH THE HALL AS THEY URGED HER TO KEEP HER EYES CLOSED. "Keep your eyes closed, kiddo." Casey starts as she opens the door.

          "They're closed." Lennox tells, wanting to get this over with already. "Okay, ready and... one, two, three! Open them!" Spencer tells and Lennox opens her eyes are furrows her brows for a moment and looks around the room.

After everything that happened, of course, Spencer and Casey couldn't adopt Lennox right away but since she was a teenager and was capable of making her own decisions, her social worker had let Lennox decide where she wanted to go.

Within two weeks, Spencer and Casey cleaned out an extra room, had their friends help them build up a headboard to Lennox's bed and then bought some things they thought she would like. Of course, they had no idea what it was like shopping for a teenager so Casey called up her good friend, Kate Callahan to help out with that. They didn't get a lot since they were still trying to figure out sixteen year-old Lennox, but they were trying and Lennox could see that.

            Lennox looked around at the photos on the wall of her friends and aunt. Old photos of Casey, Spencer, Chris and Lennox together. Fairy lights hung around the room. Her vanity perched in the corner near her bed. It almost looked like her old room. The only thing that changed was the wall color, Lennox picked out a dark green for that.

           "Wow. It— It's all—" Lennox was lost for words. She appreciated all that Spencer and Casey had done for her. "Almost exactly like the old room, except with a few teenage twists on it." Spencer said.

         "We moved everything here from your house," Casey said. "I hope you like it." Lennox nodded, "I really do, thank you."

          The way Lennox said that made Spencer and Casey think and Casey sighs out — "You don't like it."
          Lennox immediately shakes her head, "No, I do, I do." Lennox was genuine about liking her room, but in ways, she still felt like a burden to Spencer and Casey. They'd done nothing to make her feel that way but she felt as if they were doing so much for her.

          "It's just... you guys have done so much for me already with moving me here, with already juggling Chris too and I can't believe he's already speaking in full sentences." Lennox said. When she'd seen Chris again when she'd come home the first night, Chris almost didn't recognize her but he warmed up to her almost immediately. Spencer chuckled, "Trust us, we were just as shocked."

           Lennox continues, "And you guys with the wedding coming up. I mean, are you guys sure this was a good idea?" Casey approaches the girl as she places a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hey, hey, we wanted this." Spencer nods, placing his hand on Casey's shoulder. "And we want you here. You're not a burden, so don't think that you are."

            Lennox nods as she slumps her shoulders in a sigh. "I know. It's just... gonna take some getting used to. I'm happy here, I really am. I just... have a lot of trust issues." Casey nodded in understanding.  "You and us, both." It was going to take some time for Lennox to warm up in a new environment but Spencer and Casey just wanted her to be as comfortable as she could be. Casey hoped they weren't putting too much on it.

             After that, Spencer and Casey left Lennox to her own devices and to make herself comfortable. The couple walk downstairs as they quietly chat. "Do you think she liked it?" Spencer wondered and Casey nods, "I think she did. It's always been hard getting a read on her."

           As they make their way into the kitchen, Spencer thinks out loud: "We're right about doing this, right?" Casey sighed, hoping Spencer wasn't overthinking like he often did. "I mean, she's entirely uprooted her life and she's officially moved in. Have we give her enough time to cope and recover from everything that's been handed to her?"

           Casey pushes herself closer to Spencer. "I think she's a teenager and she's gonna have her moments and she will love us and hate us at the same time but she'll be happy here." She reminds him. "It's been two weeks and she's adjusted nicely. She starts her first day of school in a few days, her first therapy session is next week. I think she's okay, or she's going to be at least. Considering everything that we've told her, too. Everything about Leah, my dad."

           It wasn't easy telling Lennox about everything that happened. She almost didn't believe most of it. Like Spencer going to prison, Casey's whole situation with the Angel and the Demon, their divorce. They'd caught her up on nearly everything. But Lennox seemed to take Leah's death and the estrangement with James a little hard, considering she'd known and talked to them before. And for some reason, that stuck with Casey.

         "Are you okay?" Spencer tilts his head to meet his future wife's eyes and Casey sighs and nods, "This is my second wedding. And it's a do-over wedding and I don't even have my dad walking me down the aisle."

         Casey'd been thinking a lot about this recently. For some reason, it was really hitting her now. And she had no idea why, she didn't even have her dad walking her down the aisle the first time.

        Spencer sensed his fiancée's thoughts and decided to embrace her around in his arms, putting his chin to the top of her head as he held her to his chest. "If it helps, my dad's not gonna be there either." He attempted to make her feel better.

         Casey furrows her brows and looks up towards Spencer. "Really?" She wondered. Spencer moves away towards the sink as he nods, "Yeah. I hardly know the guy." Spencer goes to the sink as he begins to wash the two dishes. Casey scratches the back of her neck. "Well, it wouldn't... hurt to... invite him..."

Spencer furrows his brows as Casey insinuates what he's thinking. He straightens his bad posture and tilts his head a little. "Alright, what's going on?" He's become very suspicious now.

"Nothing." Casey shakes her head, eyes wide, drawing even more suspicion to herself. "There's something going on." Spencer tells. Casey shakes her head again, "There's nothing going on."

Spencer narrows his eyes at Casey and raises his brows and Casey groans, "Stop doing the sexy stare. You know I always give in to the sexy stare." Spencer nods, "Yeah, that's why I'm doing it."

Casey sighs, shrugging as she tries to bring this up in a way Spencer could understand. "I just feel like you should talk to him. You know, it's been years since you've last seen him and I know your guys' relationship isn't the best but it doesn't hurt to try. Besides Christopher should know who his other grandfather is." Casey knows she has no room to talk but it wouldn't hurt to talk to Spencer about it.

"He wasn't willing to stay for me, what makes you think he's willing to stay for Christopher or Lennox?" Spencer told and Casey has a guilty look on her face as she bites her lip hesitantly. Spencer can automatically tell that something's up. "You've already planned something, haven't you—?"

Casey looks at Spencer, knowing she has to come clean. This wasn't even her plan or her fault. She sighs, "He friended me on FaceBook! He was surprised to see that you were getting married and that you already had a kid that he never knew about. And he asked how you were, congratulated us. Of course, I had to remind him that we'd already met almost eight years ago when you thought he murdered a child."

Spencer sighs, "Could've just googled me. He didn't need to contact my fiancée to get through to me and my life." Casey leans against the counter with Spencer as he finishes the dishes and turns away from the sink. It was weird, he hadn't spoken to his dad in almost eleven years.

"Yeah, well, he wants to hear it from you. And you only." Casey told. "Weren't you the one that pushed me into talking to my dad again? Twice?" Spencer looks at her as if he's saying: 'And how did that turn out?'

Casey takes a breath as she grabs Spencer's hand. "Come on, listen to me this time. And if it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out. I will happily do the walk of shame." She tells.

Spencer almost wants to kick himself in the head for even contemplating it. He still couldn't wrap his head around the fact that Casey had talked to him. But he thinks about what Casey's saying. And even though he'd make up his mind about his dad himself, what his mother told him when she was lucid about him stuck with him. After that, he considered that maybe his father just couldn't handle the heat and lived with his regret everyday. He'd forgive but never forget what he did. But another weight carried when he thought about Christopher and Lennox? What if he left them just like he left Spencer all those years ago?

"He was nice to you, right?" Spencer wondered and Casey nods, chuckling a little bit. The fact that that was his question made her smile. "Yes, he was."

Spencer thinks again and then looks back at Casey. "Can I think about it?" The woman nods, "Of course." As she goes to peck him on the cheek, her phone buzzes and she sighs as she checks her phone. "Duty calls."

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Casey had been called in for a budget meeting that she and Emily attended and the rest of the team was called in for a case and it regarded found video footage of a man yelling into a camera and holding a decapitated head of a man in his hands.

         "Pretty gruesome stuff." Rossi commented as Garcia uncovered her ears. "Yeah. I'm definitely not sleeping for a week." Erik nodded. "This is the third killing in the last two months?" Luke wondered. Casey nodded, "Yes. The Denver division invited us in."

        "They've got 3 men dead. Each was decapitated. Heads nowhere to be found." Emily told. "The first two were killed in public yet secluded areas, one on a bike path, the other at a park." Garcia informed.

        "This the first time this guy's left a message?" Matt questioned. "Yeah. Nothing like this was found at the other crime scenes." Emily nodded.

        "Yeah, and speaking of this message, it was filmed on the victim's phone, so there's no way to track it." Garcia said. "The unsub's not afraid of being seen," Spencer turns to Casey. "We should take the partial we have of his face, run it through ViCAP, and see if it hits."

         "And what did he mean by everything you know is wrong and this is proof? Proof of what?" Tara wondered. Luke shrugs, "Power, control, his dominance over the victims." Erik nods along, "It could be numerous things."

         "Well, his word choice plus that head, it feels like a taunt directed at he viewer, not the victim." Matt said. "If it was a taunt directed at the general public, he would have uploaded it somewhere." JJ tells. "Then it must be law enforcement." Rossi suggests.

          Spencer chimes back in, "Either way, the distinct lack of empathy and remorse in his voice plus his general demeanor and the nature of his crimes tells us that he's an organized offender with a specific psychopathology." JJ nods, "One that includes taking his victim's heads."

         "Nothing here says he's close to being done. There's a chance this is mission oriented. Wheels up in 10." Casey decides as everyone packs up and gets ready to go to Denver. When everyone's out, Casey, Rossi and Emily are the last ones in the room.

        "Denver, huh?" Rossi starts, knowing Emily's current boyfriend lives there. "Mendoza call you directly?" Emily looks up and shakes her head: "Uh, no actually. It came through official channels and Casey got the call."

         "You and him are long distancing, how's that been going?" Casey wonders and Emily doesn't answer, instead she grabs her things and walks out, leaving Rossi and Casey alone in the room.

          "Someone's deflecting." Casey comments as she heads on out as well. "You're telling me." Rossi agrees.

           After that, the team headed on the jet and settled themselves in, ready to debrief. "Go ahead, Garcia." Casey orders. "Okay, fam. We got dossiers on top of dossiers. Our first victim is Manny Rodriguez. Late thirties, divorced, no kids. He was a twice-elected city councilperson." Garcia informed.

         "Politics can be messy," Rossi suggested. "He may have ruffled some feathers."

         "Perhaps, but our second victim, Isaac Wiley was in his late 20s. He worked for a tech firm. There's nothing in his file that could be considered controversial or political." JJ debunked. "Our latest victim, Sean McAfee was an architect, early 30s, single, never married, no kids." Spencer stated.

         "So all three had different jobs and lived in different parts of town." Erik stated, standing at the side with a cup of coffee in his hands. "And all low-risk victims."

         "Garcia, have you found any overlap socially?" Luke wondered. "Do I have to start calling you newbie again?" Garcia questioned and Casey and the rest of her team chuckled at the comment. "Okay, so you would have led with that."

         "Shut the front door. Andrew Mendoza signed this report. Andrew Mendoza is Prentiss' boyfriend. He's the head of the Denver field office?" Garcia questions and Emily nods, attention drawn to her now. "Uh, yes. He has been for the past, uh, two months." Emily nodded. "Um, his daughter and ex-wife moved to Colorado a year ago, and he'd been waiting for a transfer so he could be closer to Keely. She starts high school soon, so..."

         Everyone is quiet until Luke speaks up: "But you guys are, um, you're good?" Emily nodded, "Yeah. Yeah. It's all good. Anyway, we have bigger fish to fry than my personal life, so when we land, Simmons, Rossi, and I will set up at the Denver division. Casey?" Everyone has amused looks on their faces.

           Casey wipes the amused look off of her face. "Right, uh, I will join you guys there. JJ, Spence, Erik, check out the latest crime scene. Tara and Luke, you will go to the ME's office." She groups.

        "So we're just not gonna talk about that tall hunk of water you call your bae?" Garcia questions.
         "No." Emily answers.
         "I have so many questions. Like, is he left-handed?What does he sleep in? Is he allergic to cats?"
          Emily reached over to hang up on Garcia. "Bye, Penelope."
         "Was he ever in band?"

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           They'd arrived to Denver and everyone went to their spots and then later came back when they had just a little bit more to go on. They'd realized that their unsub had been going after fathers or father figures and there had been a reason why he was going after just men, they were substitutes for his own father.

         "So it turns out that there was latent bruising on the torsos and chests of all 3 victims." Tara stated. "A closer analysis of the contusions revealed that they're some kind of characters." Luke told.

         "Now taken together, we think they may be mathematical symbols, perhaps part of a larger expression." Tara explained and Casey looked over at Spencer, who straightened up and looked hard at the board.

         "Schrodinger's equation," Spencer said. "They form the basis of Schrodinger's equation." He begin to draw something on his notepad. "Well, I've heard of Schrodinger's cat." Emily comments and Casey shrugs, "Where you going with this, babe?"

         "Both describe potential energy," Spencer stands up and taped up the equation on the wall. "Schrodinger's equation is the basis of quantum mechanics. It describes the probability that a particle will behave in a certain way in a certain place in a certain time. The implications of this gave rise to the many worlds theory of the universe."

          "Which is that reality as we know it is only one of many possible universes." Mendoza stated. "Yeah. Yeah. I'm with you." Tara nodded, everyone looking her way as she shrugged, "I watch Doctor Who."

           "Okay. So does our unsub think he's in a parallel universe?" JJ questions. "What does killing dads have to do with parallel universes?" Luke wonders. "He could be mad at his own? But even if he is, why take their heads?" Erik questioned. "Yeah, doesn't line up." Rossi nodded.

          "You know, we said these kills are transactional. Maybe the heads are sacrifices or tokens of some sort, something the unsub needs to do in order to pass between realities. I mean, it only has to make sense to him." Matt considers and everyone else begins to think in that sense.

          "Yeah. Matt's right. Most serial killers engage in some kind of fantastical thinking, right Bundy, Dahmer. Son of Sam thought he saw a talking dog, but this particular delusion that this unsub is experiencing, it comes from somewhere." Tara explains in a psychological sense.

          Casey nods, "Not to mention, outside of my genius fiancé, most people don't know that equation." She winks over at him as Spencer gulps and looks anywhere but her in hopes that he doesn't get — to put it lightly, turned on.

         "Yeah. We should be looking for people with a background in theoretical physics and quantum mechanics." JJ said. "And fast because based on the markings on those bodies, his equation isn't complete. He hasn't finished his proof yet." Emily explains.

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          Another body had been found and they'd talked to a witness about what he heard. The witness had heard the unsub say that he "needs to get back" and they figured out how it was connected and here they were, delivering the profile.

       "We're looking for a male in his late 30s or early 40s, who we believe is killing in order to cross over into a parallel universe." Emily started. "This unsub is a man living inside a delusion, a fractured reality that he believes is wrong." Matt added.

        "The idea that we're living in the wrong timeline is most commonly described as the Mandela effect." Rossi told. "The Mandela effect is a psychological phenomenon similar to false memory syndrome. It's so called because a significant number of people have a very clear memory of Nelson Mandela dying in prison in the '80s when we know that not to be true. He did, in fact, survive, was released, and made president of South Africa until he passed away in 2013." Tara explained.

        "Scientists and psychologists haven't figured out this phenomenon yet." Luke added. "But a popular theory on line is that we are currently living in a parallel reality, that at some point in the recent past our world or timeline shifted, and the evidence is all around us." Spencer explained.

        "Things we collectively remember to be one way are actually another." JJ said. "Names of childhood books, authors, certain phrases, even brands. The 'Berenstein Bears' while others recall the 'Berenstain Bears'."

        "Or Curious George, do you guys remember a tail or no tail?" Spencer questioned and Casey even chimed in to this one. "A tail. He had to have a tail."
         "Got to have a tail, right? He's a monkey." Mendoza and his own chief even chimed in to that one.
         Spencer smirked as he shook his head — "No tail."
         Casey tilts her head to look at Spencer. "Really?" She questioned and he nodded.

        "We don't know what sparked our unsub's interest in the Mandela effect, but when we find that, we find him." Erik told. "Do we have a theory on why he's targeting fathers or father figures?" Mendoza questions.

        "Well, as of right now, given the violence, he seems driven by a hatred perhaps towards his own father." Rossi stated.

         Casey sits up. "This man is dangerous. He's isolated, and he's mission-oriented. We have to advise the public not to confront him. He's out there. So, let's get to work. If you have any questions, talk to me or my second-in-command, Agent Prentiss. Thank you."

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After a coffee run, the team discussed a possibility that their unsub had been killing men that were actually substitutes for himself, not his own father. As they'd done that, Casey had run into Emily and Mendoza after they'd had some hasty talk in a separate room.

Casey had been getting some more coffee and Rossi was in the same room when Emily walked in. "This place really clears out at lunch." She says. "You're telling me." Casey nodded.

"Yeah. This granola bar will do it for me." Rossi comments and Casey and Emily both nod. "Hmm. Me, too." Emily stated.

"So you're not having lunch with Andrew?" Casey wondered. Emily sighed as she looks around and then decides to sit with Rossi and Casey in the room. "Three months ago, Andrew asked me to move to Denver with him, but I'm happy where I am. I'm not ready to leave the BAU. I haven't even met his daughter yet." Casey's eyes widen at the news.

"Why?" Rossi wonders. "You've been seeing him for over a year."
"Keely was already in Colorado, and the couple of times she visited last year, the timing just didn't work out." Emily shrugged.

"Hey. You're putting up walls. Stop it. I know because I've put up plenty myself. Especially when it comes to my relationships. Hell, you've seen me do it." Casey told.

"Uprooting my whole life?" Emily questions. "Moving halfway across the country? That's just not something that I ever had in my plans, and what if it doesn't work out?"

"Take it from a guy who just married his third ex-wife for the second time." Rossi told. "And from the woman who's getting married to her ex-husband for the second time in a row and is also re-adopting a kid." Casey added.

"All of this work is worth it. You deserve this." Rossi told. "And you deserve to be happy." Casey chimes in. Rossi nods in agreement, "Be honest with him. Tell him how you feel."

Suddenly, Matt had walked in the room to his bosses. "Sorry to interrupt. Denver PD just found another decapitated body. The head is missing, and so are the man's two kids. JJ and Reid are en route." He informed.

They'd discovered that their unsub's son, Ethan, was the final missing piece of the puzzle and that their unsub's name was George Kyle Peters. He was a high school physics teacher that lost his son in a car crash and his son was decapitated. Hell of a stressor.

They'd used the help of Kyle's caseworker, Brenda, who actually knew him a little better than what she was letting on and Emily and Mendoza got her to come clean.

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After finding the children and getting their unsub in custody, the team was ready to go back home. Emily had stayed, wanting to spend some time there and everyone else went back.

Casey and Spencer were sitting together on the chairs, Casey cuddling up to Spencer, with a blanket wrapped around her. JJ sat in front of them, sighing in relief of a case done.

"All this talk of alternate realities. Who do you guys think you'd be in a parallel universe, you know, in one of your imagined futures?" JJ wondered.

        Casey thought about it for a moment, as did Spencer. "I'd like to think I would have a life that was outside of what we do. Maybe I'd... be a writer." Casey admits and JJ's eyebrows raise. "A writer?" She asks. "Yeah, I'd write stories. Spence?"

        "I don't know." Spencer shook his head. "Come on. You have to have at least one." Casey told. "If you weren't an FBI agent, what would you do?" JJ asked.

         Spencer looks at the two women as he closes his book. "You promise not to laugh?" He asks. "Cross my heart and hope to die." Casey nods as she inherently waits for an answer.

         Spencer smiles momentarily as he sighs out: "A cowboy." Casey and JJ interlock eyes and nod at the man. "A cowboy?" JJ repeats, to make sure she heard what he said correctly.

        Spencer nodded, "Mm-hmm. Yeah. I'd, um, you know, have some horses, a few cattle, be surrounded by nature." Casey tilts her head, "And what would you do with cattle?" Spencer thinks about that, "Well, you know, look at them, pet them. I-I hadn't really thought about that, but I'll-I'll figure it out."

        "Wow. I was was not expecting that." JJ comments. "You know, it... it doesn't surprise me. I think it's cute." Casey smiled as she ruffles the man's hair.

         Spencer clears his throat as he looks down. "And you're there," he turns to his fiancée with a small smile on his face. "Writing, just about anything. In your own study that's filled with books and papers and junk. Lennox and Chris are with us and... and we're happy." Casey smiles at the imagination. "I can see that."

       "And, uh, JJ, you're there with Will and the boys. You run the flower shop on Hickory Street. It's this cute, little street in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, and Rossi's there. He runs a saloon, which he lives above, and Garcia has a sanctuary for wounded animals." Spencer explains.

         "I feel like Garcia would run a bakery in another life. And she'd have Luke as one of her workers, just bossing him around, making his life miserable." Casey joked.

         Rossi walks up to the three as he holds up two glasses of strong alcohol. "May I interest anyone in a beverage?" JJ chuckles. "Wow. That's timing." Rossi sits next to JJ as he gives her the glass. "So, uh, Dave, in another life, what would you be?" JJ wondered.

       "Oh, that's easy. A boxer." Rossi answers that quickly. "You've certainly thought about this." Casey told. "In fact, there was a time I was having dinner with Muhammad Ali, and we were having a discussion just on this subject roads taken or not taken in this life." Rossi explains.

      "And what did he say?" JJ wondered and Rossi thought about it for a moment. "I don't quite remember because I was drinking for the two of us, and it was the best scotch I'd ever had, and that's a A lot." Rossi explains, getting a chuckle from the three younger co-workers of his.

       "So, to paths not taken." Rossi holds his glass up and so do the three, JJ having the other glass of alcohol and Spencer and Casey having water. "To paths not taken." Spencer agrees as they clink together and take sips of their drinks.

       Casey looks at her fiancé and smiles. She'd like to think that in every other universe, her and Spencer were meant to be. They would've found each other, in another life, he would've still turned her head. She was so grateful to have him here, with her. And was grateful that even with all of the hardships they've been through, they found each other again. And that reminded Casey of the wedding. She would be marrying this man in two weeks time. And God, that gave her butterflies.

       JJ and Rossi had gone to go and get another glass of that alcohol when Spencer grabbed his fiancée's hand and interlocked their fingers together. "You know, I thought about it," Spencer starts. "Maybe my dad being at the wedding wouldn't be so bad."

        Casey smiles and she nods, "Good." She takes a pause before she reveals — "Because I kind of already invited him." Spencer furrows his brows and pulls up a smirk. "You sneak. And if I had said no?" He wonders. "Well, then, I would've told him you changed your mind." Spencer sighs, "You're very lucky I love you."

         Casey snuggles close to Spencer as she rests against him and in that very moment, Casey thinks: out of all of the universes where her and Spencer were meant to be together, this had to be her favorite universe.

hey lovelies!
not me listening to "timeless" by taylor swift for this last part of the chapter to get in the mood hehe🤭

anywayssss
wedding chapter is next!!!
i am very excited about it😁
a lot is about to happen
(it's not bad, we've had enough of that)

actual photo of me watching criminal minds and daisy jones and the six instead of updating:

anywayssss
Y'ALL my fellow swifties
how do we feel about the new album announcement?😀

alrighty
thank you for reading
love you all!!
-mya </33