third person's pov

It had been three weeks since what happened to Sydney. she had recovered but was resorted to a pair of crutches because of where she got shot in her two legs. Her stomach was bandaged up which made her breathing sound like deep breaths and little to no sleep. But what's new in her life, she doesn't sleep that well as is.

She's been temporarily living with Derek for the past three weeks which is fine, but she misses her dad more than anything. She is currently watching the big bang theory for no particular reason whatsoever. That and because nothing else was good enough for her to watch. She was doing homework as usual, then again, she has nothing better to do.

She's also been in contact with Owen, the guy who became her only friend while she was held captive. So that's nice. He got situated with an amazing family up in Vegas. She had a pillow under her leg to make her more comfortable.

JJ was keeping Sydney a little bit of company because Derek is at the gym, and also because Sydney can't be left home alone. JJ had brought Sydney some coffee of course from Starbucks because why not. only the best at least in her opinion. as said Sydney was eating her bagel with cream cheese there was a knock on the door.

"The door is unlocked!" Sydney yelled to the person on the other side of the door. she was happy that it was Penelope. Sydney took notice of yet another gift basket from Penelope, as the team have sent gift baskets but not one of them is from her dad. Which pains her a little, but she puts that away.

Speaking of her dad she hasn't heard of him and or seen him in three weeks. "Sup." she says as she took a sip from her coffee which tastes amazing.

"Glad to see you're doing better, sweets." Penelope says as Sydney shakes her head.

"How many baskets are you going to send me, good lord."

"Hey, you can never have enough, gift baskets." Penelope says with a smile as she puts the newest one with the other ones.

"You're filling Derek's kitchen island with baskets." She says to her which Penelope just responds with a bright smile that lights up every room that she enters.

"Yes, to lighten up your gloomy mood." Penelope says as Sydney just nods her head refusing to answer.

"You'd think that with all these baskets that at least one of them would be from my father. But apparently not." Sydney grumbles as Penelope and JJ feel bad for the girl. At least considering how close Spencer and Sydney are. she's not wrong though.

"How's the cast?" Penelope asks as sydney sighs.

"Eh, not the first time though however it's cutting off my circulation off my leg." Sydney says shrugging like it's nothing as it's not the first time that she has had a cast. She thought she'd bring back her dad into this conversation.

"Have you guys heard anything from dad at all?" sydney questioned, as Penelope and JJ exchanged a look before they shook their heads.

"I went by his apartment yesterday morning, and all of my gift baskets have remained untouched." Penelope tells sydney which she sighs

"He's just...going through a lot right now." JJ says reasoning.

"He is, well he isn't the one who got shot twice on both legs then shot in the stomach. So, in all reality he's fine, he can just walk it off." Sydney says as this was unusual for the girl. Her little outburst made Penelope take a step back from the girl.

Said girl sighed and took a breath. "Sorry, with everything going on, and on top of school and with Beth's funeral arrangements everything is just...wonky." Sydney says as JJ rubbed her leg but was careful of anything else.

"We know, Syd." JJ says nodding her head.

"i just want him to be okay. i know what he went through was hell." sydney tells JJ and then Penelope spoke up next and sat next to sydney.

"Have you spoken to your dad at all?" Penelope asks as sydney shakes her head.

"Not once, not even a happy birthday. nothing, zilch, nada." sydney says before sighing. "He won't even call me or to say how I've been, good night, nothing, not even a fucking happy birthday. how hard is it to wish your own daughter a happy birthday." sydney says with another outburst.

before anything can be said JJ'S phone went off, she looked down to see who it was from as it was from hotch. "We have a case." she says before getting up and getting her stuff. "I will be back later." She says before hurrying out of the house leaving Penelope and Sydney to themselves.

As since sydney can't be left home alone as words from spencer she'd oftentimes be with the girl and or Derek. it's every other day that Penelope is with Sydney, then Derek has the other days.

"Ever thought about what he's doing?" Sydney asks Penelope as she makes some coffee with Derek's so-called 'fancy coffee machine' but in all reality it's a kerig. (i know i didn't spell that right)

Penelope didn't know how to answer that knowing that at the moment, talking and or mentioning about spencer is a touchy subject for Sydney. She didn't want to say something and Sydney having one of her outbursts. "I don't know sweetie." She says honestly to the girl which didn't help but whatever.

Sydney reached her hand into her hoodie pocket which was one of her dad's that she took. It still smells like him, but that's not helping the girl missing her father more. When she grabbed her phone and took her hand out of her pocket, she dialed her dad's phone, and it is popping up with a cute picture of her and her dad a while ago. She sighs before she hit the call button.

But of course, it went to voicemail, so she left a message. "This is Dr Spencer Reid. Please leave a message."

"Hey, dad, it's me." Sydney started as she had tears in her eyes as she took a breath before continuing. "I don't even know how many times, I've called. I miss you, so much. I'm wearing your hoodie; it still smells like you. It's not helping at the moment. I wish you were here, with me telling me that everything is alright. Even if you're just sugarcoating it, but it's fine. Call me when you want, just within the next century, love you. Wish you'd say it back to me, love you, bye." After that she hung up as she sighed as she put her phone down beside her on the couch.

But little did she know, Spencer was listening to her on the other end, feeling terrible that he wasn't calling her back, as he's been in his own depressive state. His trauma response to what happened three weeks ago was to stay mute and cooped up in his apartment. He could tell that every time that sydney called he could hear her crying, and it broke his heart even more.

｡ₓ ू ₒ ु ˚ ू ₒ ु ₓ｡

After Sydney left that message her and Penelope were at the BAU just so that she can get out. Sydney was helping with the case like usual particularly filling in for her dad's position as someone should, and it might as well be Sydney. Though it doesn't feel right.

They had another victim as of when Sydney and Penelope got there. The others and Sydney who is next to Derek as he's helping with her balance, so that she doesn't fall again. As her balance isn't always her strongest trait.

"We believe that this unsub is a white male in his 20s or 30s, and he thinks of himself as a painter or an artist." Hotch says looking around the officers.

"The placement of the vics tells us a lot about who he is." Sydney adds to Hotch.

"Pamela Hurd was found near a painting done by little-known San Francisco artist Henry Floyd." JJ says.

"Gary Porter was posed near a piece of graffiti art by a street artist named cypher." Derek says.

"The third victim, Lynn Stevens, was found near a mural painted by inner city youths." Hotch says.

"Finally, Aimee Fortner was placed near the statue of saint Luke, patron saint of the artist." Sydney finishes.

"This is a compulsion. it's not accidental. He is obsessed with art." JJ says.

"All of the works of art are neglected, ignored, cast aside. it's how he feels about himself." Rossi states.

"We believe it's also the reason that he's evolved to removing the victims' eyelids. He's forcing them so see what he sees." Hotch says as Sydney was wincing a little at hearing that.

"There's no sexual component with these murders, but that's because the blood and the use of the blood is his sexual release." Sydney says as miles one of the officers speaks up.

"So, wait. what is he doing with the blood?" He asks as Sydney looks at him.

"Because he's so obsessed with art, we believe he's painting with the blood of his victims." Sydney explains to him as miles nods his head at the girl.

"He has a quick kill pace. more blood means more paint. the more paintings he does, the greater chance someone will recognize his work." Rossi says as Sydney nods her head.

"We think that because of his need for acceptance, he may be trying to sell the paintings. So, focus your canvassing on places that might sell this kind of fringe art." Hotch says as not to long after that he dismissed the officers.

｡ₓ ू ₒ ु ˚ ू ₒ ु ₓ｡

sydney's pov
little later

I was looking over the board and I hear my phone going off as someone is calling me. Without looking to see who it was, I picked it up.

"Hello." I say to the person on the other line.

"If it is about the art, then it's clear the disposal sites are scattered around the mission district area." I was shocked that it was dad as I moved my phone from my ear and yeah it was dad who called. So, he calls now but not for three weeks I roll my eyes at this.

"Wait a second, how did you know-" I said confused of how he knew about the case.

"I had Anderson bring me over some of the files." He speaks. "How are you feeling, baby?" he asked but I ignored him.

"Let me patch in Penny." I say flatly ignoring his question.

"Sweetie what have you heard? Is he okay?" She asked as I shook my head.

"Slow down speedy." I say to her. "Go, spencer." I say as I refuse to call him dad. a dad would check in on his daughter. which he hasn't done.

"Garcia you should pull a list of all the art galleries in San Francisco." He says as that's when Derek walks in.

"Reid, i was just...how are you?" penny asks him.

"Somewhat better. thanks for asking. and thanks for the baskets, you know nuts have magnesium, which helps produce-" he says.

"Serotonin, yeah, I know. okay galleries, I got a lot." she says.

"Focus on the mission district." He says before he hangs up.

"Okay, there's still a few galleries, but its more manageable. I'm sending the addresses to you baby." she says.

"Thanks, pen." I say to her as I end the call.

"You actually got to him." Derek says.

"Yeah." I say to him.

"Are you good, Syd?" He asked me as I turned around.

"Please don't ask that question." I say to him.

later

The team had split up to find the unsub's art pieces, and Rossi and JJ ended up finding one.

"We now have a piece of his art, but we still don't know anything to identify the unsub." JJ says.

"The lab's got a sample, but it's probably Pamela Hurd's blood." hotch says.

"Master Andre said he was an average white guy in his late 20s to early 30s." Rossi says.

"Same thing the gallery owner says as he signed it." I say to him.

"Yeah, it looks like a 'b' something or something 'b'." JJ says.

"I'm going to have Penelope compile a list of artists with the letter 'b' somewhere in their name. it's not much, but it's something." Derek says.

later

"They got the report back from the lab. they couldn't extract any DNA from the painting. they said something about their only being red blood cells." Miles says.

"Hmm. He removed the white blood cells. plasma." I say.

"Why would he take the plasma?" Rossi asks.

"It would make it thicker. easier to use as a paint." hotch says.

"What type of equipment would it take to do that?" Derek asks.

"You can easily buy a centrifuge online these days for a couple hundred bucks." I speak.

"What other reasons would he have for separating the plasma from the blood?" hotch says.

"It's a habit." I heard the one voice i was really not wanting to hear. I didn't turn around as I couldn't bare myself to look at him.

"Spence." JJ says as she was the first one to hug him. Then Derek did the unthinkable he turned me around and shoved me in the direction of my dad.

"Hey, baby." he says as I flashed him a quick smile.

"You have the audacity of coming here but ghosted me for three weeks, pathetic." I snapped on him as my emotions are getting the best of me, but I don't give a shit.

"h-he's a hemophiliac." dad says turning his head away from me. yeah, don't look at me.

"That would explain his obsession with blood. he can't bleed without a fear of dying." rossi says.

"it's also why he would separate the plasma from the blood before painting with it." JJ says putting her pieces together.

"It's an antiquated treatment, but some hemophiliacs can inject plasma into their wounds, kickstarting the clotting process that's ineffective in their own systems." I explain not caring if I beat dad to it. in my defense he's too slow.

I was the first one to call Penelope, as I put her on speaker.

"Say something appropriate, boss is here." I say to her as I heard Derek laugh. As hotch is probably questioning me but it's fine.

"Man, that's no fun." She says as I chuckle to myself.

"Hey, I need a list of hemophiliacs in San Sran." I say to her.

"Vague. so vague, okay." she says.

"Garcia, for his obsession to be so profound, he most likely has the more severe version of the disease. it's type b Christmas disease." dad tells Penelope.

"Reid, I'm happy to hear you made it safe and sound." Penelope says as I roll my eyes.

"I'm not." I muttered under my breath as I felt Derek flick my head.

"Thank you, Garcia." He says to her.

"Okay, Christmas disease, that does not sound very jolly." Penelope says.

"It was named after the first known case, Stephen Christmas." dad says.

"Alright, I got 15 people who have trouble clotting." she says.

"He wouldn't stray too far from the art world." JJ comments.

"Most likely works in and around the art community, but not as an artist." dad says.

"He's a loner. So, look for people with jobs where they don't interact with the public." Hotch orders.

"Yeah. Yeah, I got three. Stockboy at a local supermarket, an art blogger, and a custodian." Penny says.

"These vics have different blood types. If he's taking the plasma out of the blood, he must be a universal recipient. Any of them with ab-positive blood?" I ask penny.

"Specific my sweets. I dig it. okay, if I factor in those b names i was working on...and bingo is his name-o. actually, his name is Bryan Hughes. He is an ab-positive hemophiliac who works as a janitor at the bay area museum of art, and before you ask, yes, his address has been sent to your phones." Penny explains as I smile at her. We love Penelope Garcia.

"You're the best, baby girl." Derek says, then I hang up.

"Dave, you and JJ take the museum, the rest of us will take the residence."

we all make our way out, then dad started talking. "Syd, please don't do this. I know I hurt you, I'm sorry. I really am baby." he says which made me stop in my tracks as I turned around to him. with tears already in my eyes.

"You didn't have the audacity of calling me, to see how I was. I dependent on Derek and Penelope for three fucking weeks. To make it worse, you never called on my birthday, when I waited for hours upon hours upon hours, not one fucking call. Look I know you want to patch things up but just go. don't try to wiggle your way back into my life." I say as I left without saying a word. I connected with Penelope on the way, and she gave me information about Hughes that he had been in an accident few weeks prior to the murders.

We made it to the dude's apartment, and we see Hughes standing over his victim with a scalpel to her neck. We ended up shooting him, and also found another body

BAU JET
third person's pov

They're all on the jet heading back to Quantico, and Sydney is sitting away from her dad. The others are talking about the baskets that Penelope has been leaving spencer. "Well, I counted five baskets." JJ says.

"Probably either nine or ten, but I think Ms. Cavanaugh next door may have taken a couple." spencer says as sydney wasn't in the mood of talking which she wasn't when they got to the dude's apartment anyway. she just stayed behind Derek, and she shot the unsub. she's getting braver killing the bad guys if it comes down to it. that's probably the only good thing so far. Right after they got onto the jet, Derek helped her unbandage her thighs from when she got shot by Diane, just to air them out as that's what the doctor said about three weeks after she got the bandages on them.

"What's up with Syd? Usually, she would be using you as a table, or something?" JJ asks as she's concerned of how Syd is taking all of this.

"I'm going to try one last attempt." Spencer says before he gets up and walks towards his daughter who was looking out the window with her headphones in her ears.

When she saw someone standing in the corner of her eye, she looked up to see who it was, but she didn't react when she saw her dad. All she did was look back to looking out the window.

"Syd," he says as she sighs before taking her headphones off her ears, as he got a good look at her facial expressions. He guessed that she must've been silently crying because her eyes were red and puffy. "Look, I know you don't want to talk, but can you at least just listen." he says to her as she just looks at him silently telling him to continue. "Look, I know what happened, happened. the only thing i could say was that I was in my head and didn't want to talk to anyone. I know I should a called but i didn't. I'm sorry." he says to her hoping that there will be a small hope that she will forgive him. "I never wanted any of this to happen, okay. can we start over?"

After he was done talking, he saw her lips curve into a small tiny smile then the next thing that he knew was that she was practically squeezing him. He felt happy that she forgave him as he wanted his little girl back into his arms.

Literally.

He missed her being in his arms that he didn't know what he would do without her in his life. They both saved each other in their own ways. She made his life happier and that he dan come home to her, and she's happy to have him in her life mainly because he's there for her.

He carried his daughter back to the others who definitely wasn't going to leave anytime soon and she doesn't want too anyway. This was definitely overdue. once he got situated with his daughter leaning her head onto his chest he turns back to the others.

"I'm really sorry, if I've been kind of--" Spencer says before JJ interrupts him.

"Spence, you don't have to apologize." she says.

"Kid, we didn't mean for you to come all the way out there." Derek says as Spencer had an arm around his daughter. Glad to have her back into his arms.

"I know, I just wanted to." he says as the others nod their heads at the genius.

"Listen, if you need anything at all, you just have to ask." Derek says as Spencer thought for a moment before nodding his head thinking of his destroyed house.

"Actually, if you guys don't mind, I could use some help with something." he says as Derek nods his head.

"Name it." he says.

little later

They all made it to Virginia early in the morning and JJ, Penny, Sydney and Derek are at the house helping Spencer clean it up. After a while of mainly cleaning up the living room Sydney waddled to the stairs and didn't waste any time walking to her room and accidentally tripped as she landed on her bed.

"Kid, are you okay?" Derek asks noticing the look on spencer's face.

"Um, I just want to thank you, for, having Syd." Spencer says struggling to find the words to say as Derek nods his head knowing what the kid is talking about.

"Of course, kid, anytime. You know I love her." Derek has a bright smile on his face. "Me and an old friend is meeting up." he says as spencer raised an eyebrow.

"What's her name?" Spencer asks, as Derek turns around.

"Her name is Savannah." Derek says before he closes the door behind him. As Spencer chuckles to himself before making his way upstairs.

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

hannah speaks!
hope y'all love this chapter.
it took me a while because i kept procrastinating but here it is.