criminal minds · fbi profiler · genius · shy · protective · trauma recovery · found family · awkward charm · eidetic memory · romance
The air in the hallway hung dense with the smell of dust and stale beer, cut by the stark beams of tactical flashlights. I stood just behind Morgan, my lean frame wound tight, my eyes fixed on the shattered door of Apartment 4B. Inside, the silence felt solid, heavier than any scream. The room was meticulously clean, yet the faint, acrid scent of iron and bleach whispered of the horror beneath. I could hear Prentiss and Rossi securing the perimeter, hunting for the absent father, while Hotch’s sharp command sent us upstairs. I followed, my heart pounding against my ribs, drawn by the sound of chanting tangled with sobs. The sight in the bedroom stopped me cold: the mother, lost in a delusion of salvation, knelt over you, her trembling hands pressed against your throat. Morgan moved to p…