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ahickey2000 · 4 years

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Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan was released on July 24, 1998 in the US by DreamWorks Distribution. It opened in 2,463 theaters and was very well received making over $30 million opening week. The movie had a $70 million budget and ended up grossing over $216 million domestically and $265 million internationally, making it a whopping $481 million release worldwide. Saving Private Ryan is a war drama that stars Tom Hanks, with a strong core supporting cast that is set in World War II and begins with the invasion of Normandy. The movie went on to win and be nominated for several awards in almost all major categories. The movie was recognized by both the Academy and the Golden Globes as nominees and in some cases winners for Best Motion Picture, Director, Cinematography, Sound, Editing and Writing. One thing that was noted as a controversial point was Spielberg’s use of graphic violence to depict the battle scenes. It was the first movie to use so much graphic violence, but many felt that including that violence was what created the realism and made the viewer feel like they were really watching a true depiction of war. The violence in Saving Private Ryan is important as a tool to allow viewers to consider that the movie is more about the war than it is about the plot of the movie. The movie’s premise is that three brothers from one family have died in the war and that in order to ensure that the fourth brother survives, so they send a group of soldiers on a specific mission to find him and send him home. While the plot is important and there are truths embedded in the story, the movie itself is about the war, and the violence and horror the soldiers faced. The initial battle scene of the invasion of Normandy is filmed in a way that makes it like a documentary and gives the feel that it was filmed during the actual battle. “In the first battle sequence, the camera is handheld which creates a jittery but not blurry picture of the fierce battle. Critics believe that Spielberg shot this sequence in double speed using every other frame, this is what made the film appear sharper, edgier and less soft”(Nora Emanuelle Boehmer). Spielberg also uses the sound in the movie to create realism. During the invasion scenes on the boats the motors are very distinctly heard and you can almost feel the chop in the water and smell the salt in the air. When the soldiers end up under water the sound goes out into a dreamy sort of quality, just like when you actually end up under water and then when the soldiers come up for air the sound is crisp again and you can hear the battle going on. These techniques, creating such realism, draw the viewer into film and make the audience feel like they are a part of the history of the scene. “The viewers are supposed to be emphatic observers who feel a personal closeness to the tragedy, the viewers are supposed to dive into that battle scene on D-Day at Omaha beach”(Nora Emanuelle Boehmer). Spielberg’s intention seems to have been to have the audience feel the emotions that were felt during the battles and between the different characters. Without the graphic violence the audience would not have been able to fully grasp what the soldiers felt during those battles. One of the things that critics mentioned when discussing Spielberg’s use of violence in Saving Private Ryan, is that he is very careful to handle the graphic violence in a way that does not glorify senseless killing of the German soldiers. All of the battle scenes are appropriately reverent to the emotional toll the soldiers faced. Spielberg is able to show how difficult the war is with both physical and emotional wounds. “The battle scenes avoid conventional suspense and sensationalism; they disturb not by being manipulative, but by being hellishly frank” (Lisa Leigh Parney). The response of movie goers after seeing it in theaters for the first time was reflective of this. In an article by Lisa Leigh Parney they did exit interviews and overwhelmingly the audience felt that it was very authentic. One viewer noted “The violence was authentic. My brother was out there in France, missing in action for six months, but they got him back. The movie honors him and his fellow men. It was accurate all right.” And other viewer who was an unnamed veteran said “war is hell – it showed hell”. Saving Private Ryan’s remarkable success was in great part due to this realism including the use of realistic violence. “The first 30 minutes are considered the most realistic recreation of war in movie history”(Columbia University Press). It was marketed as such and included the use of veterans verifying its authenticity. In a press conference about the movie Spielberg said “It would have been irresponsible for me to undercut the truth of what that war was like… My hope is somehow to resensitise audiences to how bad it was for the men who survived, as well as for those who perished”(Columbia University Press). The criticism of Spielberg is that Hollywood sensationalism is ever apparent in any movie. In fact, the sound and music as well as some of the visual choreographed effects are clearly technology used in a Hollywood megamovie rather than a documentary. Critics note that although it leans toward the idea of authenticity, it is still, in fact, a blockbuster movie that is made and marketed as a profitable venture. While this is true it is important to remember that it was in fact produced as a feature movie and not a documentary and so that distinction is irrelevant. “Nobody squinting through a viewfinder could have lasted thirty seconds on Omaha Beach, and synchronized sound was impossible… Reconstruction is the only mode of naturalistically portraying events where cameras could not be present” (Columbia University Press). In order to portray a realistic and authentic tribute to the horrors of D-Day, Spielberg deliberately and carefully uses his sound and camera techniques to guide the audience through the graphic scenes. In order to confirm authenticity and the truthfulness of the story it’s important to listen to veteran accounts of the invasion, and their critique of the movie and the battle scenes. In a news clip about the day, a WWII veteran talks through a shaking voice and tears about his duties on the boats that day. He frankly details the numbers of deaths, and how he prayed over a fallen comrade to ease his pain “I couldn’t help him, I couldn’t even help myself” (Inside Edition). During the interview he is emotional and reports that Saving Private Ryan accurately depicted his experiences. In the initial battle scene we see Tom Hanks with his head down and hands shaking, and his young men looking to him for strength (Jade Docs & Movies II) and you can feel the words of veteran Frank Devita and his description of the men whom he saw that morning leaving the boats. It is important to acknowledge that in addition to portraying accurate battle scenes with gruesome brutality, Spielberg also very beautifully captured the emotional side of his characters. While the movie’s focus is on the battles encountered, it is easy to see that there is a brotherhood that is formed by the men in the movie. By the time the final battle scenes on the bridge take place there is an obvious bond that has formed between the soldiers. It is different than the initial invasion and Spielberg brilliantly takes care to develop this throughout the movie. The relationships in part are built on the conflicted feelings about the mission and how they are risking their own lives for the sake of one man. In the scenes depicted after the loss of two of the men, Ed Burn’s character is very vocal about his frustration with the mission and Tom Hanks’s character continues his process of building the brotherhood. As Tom Sizemore’s character is physically and verbally fighting with Ed Burn’s trying to pull ranks and get him back in line, Tom Hanks humanizes and quiets the debate by calling out the bets on what he does for a living. He speaks calmly about home and his family and connects the characters and thereby the audience (The Paramount Vault) in a very human way. This scene shows the emotional hardships of war and reminds viewers that these were very young men; regular everyday men who were required to fight in this grueling war. Saving Private Ryan became known as the most realistic portrayal of WWII ever. It was a huge financial success that garnered praise and awards for masterfully and authentically recreating the hardships of WWII. It would have been impossible to have such a reaction from veterans and the movie industry without the graphic violence. It was difficult to watch, but more difficult to live through and that was the point. Saving Private Ryan would not have been able to connect with those who had fought the battle, as well as those who studied the battle if it had not been honest about the loss and devastation the soldiers lived through. Spielberg created a beautiful tribute for the world even with the graphic violence that was necessarily included.

By Abby Hickey

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companionjones · 5 years

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Friends Made Along The Way

Requested by: @damedevon

Request: This is the second request in case you don't want to do the first one :) NCIS universe: Reader, genius level IQ that is a talented artist (painting, sculpting, all the things) is brought in to consult on a case. (S)he meets Spencer and they hit it off, talking about cultured literature and time period specific art and history.

Fandoms: NCIS, Criminal Minds

Pairings: Spencer Reid x NCISAgent!Reader, Platonic!BAU Team x NCISAgent!Reader, Platonic!NCIS Team x NCISAgent!Reader, Specifically Platonic!Gibbs x NCISAgent!Reader

Warnings: Extreme descriptions of blood and gore

Author’s Note: This takes place around season 5 for both NCIS and Criminal Minds. Idk if that lines up chronologically, sorry if it doesn’t.

*******

“We got a case,” informed Gibbs as he headed to his desk for his gun and badge.

Yourself and the rest of your team moved to gather your individual things and meet in the elevator.

Gibbs gave more details about the case. “A former marine was found dead outside a Cheesy Cheese.”

Timothy McGee asked, awkwardly, “Uh, Boss? Don’t you mean Chuck E. Cheese?”

“Does it look like I know the difference, McGee?” Gibbs returned.

The younger agent was clearly uncomfortable. “No, Boss. It’s just...I didn’t--”

Ziva’s voice was as sly as ever. “It’s best to stop now, McGee.”

As you headed out of the bull-pen, you opened your mouth to say something.

DiNozzo cut you off instead. “L/n, I swear to God, if you make one more Shakespeare reference today, Ziva’s driving to the crime scene.”

“Tony,” you rolled your eyes, “How could I possibly make a reference to the Bard from this?”

All DiNozzo had to do was give you a look.

“Fine, I’ll shut up,” you sighed, exiting your team’s area.

Abruptly, Gibbs turned and stopped you. “Not you.”

“What?” You were shocked.

Gibbs gruffly explained, “Fornell called. Apparently, a friend of his wants you on his case. It’s ten miles out.”

Forgetting your usual respect for your superior, you groaned.

Again, all it took was a look.

“Yes, sir,” you childishly agreed.

***

“Excuse me, Agent Aaron Hotchner?” I’m Agent Y/n L/n, from NCIS.” You stuck your hand out when the man confirmed his name.

He took your offer, and shook your hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m sorry it had to be under these circumstances.” The senior FBI agent spent the following few minutes explaining the details of the case to you.

So far, three murders had been committed. The odd thing about the murders was that the killer was recreating paintings by an artist from the 1800s by posing the victims how the muses were posed in certain paintings. You had read about the strange murders in the paper.

“Gustave Courbet,” you named the original artist. “I realized that after the first murder. I didn’t think it was going to take you guys this long to figure it out.”

Hotchner knew not to take your words personally. “That’s why we called you in. We need an expert on Courbet on this case.” He noticed an agent from his team walking up to where the two of you were in the living room of the apartment/crime scene. “This is Dr. Reid. He’s the one on our team who recognized the pattern in the first place.”

The younger man greeted you by giving you his first name. “Spencer.” He then admitted, “I don't shake hands.”

“Oh, okay. Call me Y/n,” you politely offered.

Another agent was making his way to the three of you. Two female agents and an older male agent were trailing behind him.

The darker-skinned agent smiled. “We’re very proud of our Dr. Reid, here. Kid has an IQ of 187.”

“You’ve got me beat, then,” you admitted, turning back to Dr. Reid. “My score is 186.”

Everyone seemed pretty blown away by that. You could tell it was rare that the team came across anyone that was as smart as their resident genius.

You never liked the term ‘genius,’ especially when it was used on you. On the contrary, you mostly kept your skills under the radar. Except for a few literary references here and there, you rarely talked about your smarts. Actually, you never really got the chance to.

The rest of the agents on the team introduced themselves, and Hotch explained, “We’re the BAU at the FBI. It stands for--”

“Behavioral Analysis Unit. I know. But here’s an acronym you guys probably don’t know-NCIS. It’s where I work.”

Hotch obviously knew what it meant. He was the one who called you in. You got a marine vibe from Rossi, so he probably knew, too. They weren’t the kind of men to just blurt out the answer, however. The rest of the team seemed to be having trouble with the acronym.

Spencer was different. “Naval Criminal Investigative Service,” he said almost immediately.

“Good! It’s rare someone just knows that. I’m assuming you don’t have any prior connections...Maybe you do know what you’re talking about.”

You noticed a prolonged look Agent Morgan gave Spencer. Spencer furrowed his eyebrows, and moved his gaze elsewhere. You didn’t understand the exchange.

Hotchner began, “Okay,. Now that introductions are out of the way, we were hoping you could take a look at this crime scene.”

Two minutes later, you were two inches away from a body. The poor woman was a hunched over in a chair. She was a brunette, and looked to weigh about 200 pounds. Like the other victims, she was dressed in middle class mid-1800s clothing. The chair she was in was next to a spindle. She had some raw wool wrapped around a distaff sitting on her lap. You swallowed hard when the thought crossed your mind that it almost seemed like she was sleeping.

Agent Jareau (she preferred the nickname JJ) informed you, “She was found early this morning by a mother and daughter returning from a trip. This apartment is theirs. They don’t own a spinning wheel.”

Rossi continued, “We got a positive I.D., her name is Suzanne Welling. No relation to the family that live here.”

“I hope the daughter is young. There’s more of a chance of her forgetting this tragedy when she gets older,” you quickly added that last part when you realized how harsh you sounded. You never broke your studying of the remains.

JJ confirmed, “The girl’s 4 years old.” It was a tone you could tell clearly was a mother’s. You wondered how many kids she had. You also hoped your words weren’t too harsh.

“The painting this is based on is The Sleeping Spinner, painted in 1853. It looks like he’s going in chronological order.” You dragged your index finger over your bottom lip. It was a thinking habit you had.

Emily Prentiss, the other female agent on the team, inquired, “Why do you think he’s male?”

“The first painting--er...murder.” You straightened up onto your feet. “The Wounded Man, originally painted in 1844. It’s a self-portrait. A lot of Courbet’s early works were. The killer sees himself as Courbet. The first muse--victim probably looks like the murderer.”

A new voice entered the room. “Unsub.” It was Spencer. “Unknown suspect. We call our suspects unsubs. You can, too...if you want to.”

“...Unsub.” You smiled slightly while you tested out the name for Spencer.

He expressed the same sentiment to you.

The rest of the day was spent working the case. It was explained to you that the team would usually split up with some of them heading to the local police department when first arriving for an assignment. It was just how things worked out in that particular instance that the whole team went straight to the crime scene.

Soon enough, you found out Spencer was the agent who spent most of his time in the local police stations. You were the agent who spent most of your time with Spencer.

“What’re you up to, Agent Reid?” you asked with a somewhat playful tone.

He had been pinning a map to the board you and the BAU team had borrowed for the case. He started marking it up. “I’m making a geological profile of the area. We usually see if the locations of the crime scenes give us any clues to where the unsub is living or where he might kill next.”

“At NCIS, we do the same thing to see if we can find out where the killer lives--”

Spencer distractedly corrected you, “Unsub.”

“Unsub. But we don’t really have cases where we have to predict where the unsub may strike next.”

The young FBI agent reasoned, “It’s crazy, but you get used to it. Soon, it’s just another part of life.”

“I don’t think I would want to get used to this kind of stuff.” You couldn’t help your mind from drifting to the deceivingly peaceful form you had observed earlier that day.

For a moment, Spencer stopped his efficient actions. He was thinking. “... ‘Because I could not stop for Death, He kindly stopped for me. The Carriage held but just ourselves And Immortality.’ Emily Dickinson.”

“She looked at death like it was such a peaceful thing. Like it was a new beginning.” Your tone was more bittersweet than you had ever heard it sound.

He turned toward you. Spencer headed for a seat next to yours at the conference room table. “Maybe that’s what it is: just another part of life.”

“We investigate death everyday...but we never talk about what comes after.”

The young man smirked slightly, “They obsessed over it enough in the 1800s. Is there even a need to think too much about it anymore?”

Surprisingly, that got you to laugh. You and Spencer Reid sat there in the conference room, laughing about your elders’ morbid curiosities.

***

“Happy Monday,” you greeted as you descended the stairs into the basement.

Gibbs looked up from his fifth boat-in-progress. “Happy Monday, L/n.”

Similar to everyone else on the team, Gibbs had a unique relationship with you. You hadn’t known Gibbs as long as he’d known Ducky, but the two of you were very close. However, you didn’t think you’d ever be as important to him as Abby.

Anyway, you and Gibbs had a standing arrangement for dinner every Monday night. It was never anything fancy, nothing with Gibbs ever was. Dinner with the senior agent usually consisted of two orders of Chinese food in his basement.

“Making slow progress with this one, aren’t you?” you questioned, referring to Gibbs’ latest woodwork.

He responded, “Doesn’t matter how long it takes, as long as it’s done right.”

“Yes, sir,” you chuckled. You pulled out the meals while Gibbs set up a makeshift table and chairs.

About ten minutes later, your boss interrupted what you though was your usual, comfortable silence. “You seem preoccupied.”

“I am,” you admitted, “It’s the FBI case.”

He looked you over, then went back to eating. Then, Gibbs easily stated, “It’s not just that.”

You stared at him hard, trying to come up with something else to say besides the truth. You sighed and repeated him, “It’s not just that, but this isn’t your area of expertise.”

Once more, all it took was a look.

“It’s a guy, Gibbs. A cute, kind, and smart guy.” You met his gaze because you expected that that would be enough for him to back off.

Jarringly (for you, anyway), Gibbs didn’t give up. He continued to stare is Gibbs stare right into your soul.

“Agent Spencer Reid,” you gave in, revealing the boy’s name. “Has a higher IQ than me...Eh, he has 187. I have--”

He gave your score for you, “186.”

“So, it doesn’t really count.”

Gibbs chuckled, then agreed, “No, it doesn’t.”

After about an hour, dinner was done. You headed home, but not before mulling over the fact that you had just talked romance with Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Maybe you were closer with him than you had previously thought.

***

The next morning, you were woken up at 5 A.M. with a phone call from Hotch. At first, you were concerned as to why you weren't notified earlier. You launched out of bed and began to quickly get dressed. Hotch grew hesitant. He didn't seem to want you to go to the crime scene. You didn’t know why. You insisted that you were a federal agent just as he was, and that you had every right to be at any crime scene that had to do with a case you were legally working.

On your way to where the BAU was, you continued to think about the team. They apparently took you in as one of their own after just one day of working with you. It reminded you of your connections with your almost-family at NCIS. You didn’t mind it, and you were actually warming up to the idea. The only thing you had a problem with was when it interfered with your job. Hotch did that when he tried to keep you from a crime scene. You knew he was trying to protect you, but you were wondering from what.

The newest crime scene was an abandoned warehouse. Spencer was standing outside, on the phone with someone as you pulled up. When you got out of your car, he handed the phone to Agent Morgan.

Morgan smiled to himself as he walked away. “Baby, how you always bring such beautiful light in this world is beyond me...Love you, sweetheart.”

“Who was that on the phone?” you inquired.

Spencer answered, “Penelope Garcia...Our technical analyst.”

“Co-workers are allowed to date each other on your side?”

That last question made him smile. “Nope. And they’re not dating.”

“...Huh.”

“Huh indeed.”

Sighing, you then cracked your neck. “Alright. In we go.” You brushed around Spencer and headed toward the entrance of the warehouse.

You were surprised when Spencer took hold of your shoulders and stepped back in front of you.

He seemed as concerned as Hotchner, if not more. “Listen, Y/n. Remember that conversation we had yesterday? You said that you didn’t think you ever wanted to get used to the death that we see. Y/n, there’s a lot of death in there.”

“No one in this hemisphere can tell you what the unsub is aiming for in there besides me. If we catch this guy, it’ll save everyone from more death than what could be in there.”

Still, Spencer didn’t let you go.

“...Please, Spencer.”

The boy gave you a look that reminded you of a puppy. He stepped aside.

A few steps later, you were inside. Turns out, a few steps were all you could take. Fifteen people. Three of them were children. It was a long time before you were able to breathe again.

When you did take a breath, JJ and Emily were at your side. Not that you were complaining. You would need someone to steady you if your knees buckled.

Hotch came up to the three of you. “This is why I didn’t want you coming here, L/n.”

“...I’ve never seen a massacre like this...” You still weren’t sure you could remain on your feet.

Rossi approached. “Do you need to leave for a second?”

“The Preparation of a Dead Girl...and/or Wife...all the public knows is that it was released sometime in the 1850s,” you slowly breathed out the words after you swallowed. With your knees shaking, you made your way closer to the scene. “He put rods in them to pose them correctly compared to the painting...They were still alive when he put the rods in place.”

It was hard for you to understand how, but you made it through the rest of the day. Everyone in the BAU could obviously tell you continued to be affected by the most recent crime scene, and you hated that they were all walking on eggshells around you. The bottom line was that you didn’t let it affect your job, and you didn’t see why everyone was treating you differently. Okay, maybe you did see why. It was the same reason why Gibbs let Abby ramble on about the little things sometimes. Family. You were already part of the BAU’s family.

***

Later that night, you were back home. Your apartment was small, but you didn’t mind. You still found a way to fit all the books and art supplies you wanted in your home.

There was a knock at your door.

“Hiya, Spencer,” you softly greeted. You left your door open for him to enter through. You returned to your seat at your pottery wheel. “I hope you don’t mind if I keep working on this while you’re here. It centers me.” You got quieter. “...It calms me down.”

For a moment, Spencer was silent. “How long have you been in the field?” His question was gentle, unaccusing.

“Do people get annoyed when you profile them in social situations, Dr. Reid?” Your tone didn’t hold any malice, either.

He smirked, “All the time.”

It was your turn to be silent as you resolved to answer Spencer’s question. “Gibbs and I first met when he and his team were working a case at the University I taught at. He came to see me for some time after that. Most of the time it was to use my intellect on other cases he was working...I’m quite proud to say I was one of the few friends he had outside of the agency. Well, until I joined the agency.” You paused as you chuckled. “He recruited me back in ‘03, and I’ve been with the team ever since.”

Spencer waited. He could tell you weren’t finished.

“Only...,” you sighed, accepting that you couldn’t hide the following fact from him. “I’ve only been allowed at crime scenes for about a year or so. Gibbs is fiercely protective of me, and it took me years to get him to let me into the field...Man, I hope he doesn’t find out I acted today. He would never let me see a dead body again...not even in Ducky’s autopsy.” You said that last part more to yourself.

He smiled at you from his chair. “I think you acted perfectly fine today, Y/n.”

“Betcha Agent Rossi didn’t think so,” you chuckled, “He was read to dodge my vomit when I showed up today.” You stopped talking for a moment when your mind jumped back to the bloody warehouse. “...Your team doesn’t think I’m fit to be in the field.”

Spencer almost matter-of-factly stated, “They don’t think that.”

“Well, what do they think?” The vase you had been working on was thrown off balance on the pottery wheel. You set to work fixing it.

The male agent never moved his eyes from you. “They care about you, Y/n...I do, too.”

You were thankful you had your craft to focus on, it helped you hide your smile. “I know that, Spencer...I know that.”

Spencer stayed for the next few hours. Nothing physical happened. You eventually put away your pottery and broke out some wine. The two of you spent the night talking about arts, literature, and maybe other things that the two of you needed to discuss.

***

The following day, you made it to the local police station by 7 A.M. You first stop was the conference room where Spencer was already studying the map as closely as the last time the two of you had been in that room.

“Did you even sleep last night?” You inquired as you set your things down in one of the chairs.

As expected, Spencer barely glanced in your direction as you found a seat for yourself. He was already too immersed in his work. “I actually kind of slept in today...I have you and Walt Whitman to thank for that.” Surprising you, Spencer glanced over his shoulder and caught your gaze.

His inside joke got you to throw your head back in laughter. “Alright, Spencer. Here’s what I want you to do.” You hurled yourself out of your chair, and moved to stand next to the young agent. “I want you to explain this map to me. You don’t even have a key for it.”

Spencer shrugged, “It’s easy enough. These are parks, these are obviously areas of water, and this right here is a Chuck E. Cheese, so these marks mean places entertainment--”

“What?”

He pointed to a part of the map that was less than five blocks away from the second crime scene. “This mark right here is a Chuck E. Cheese. Which means--”

“No Spencer, you don’t understand. NCIS had a body at a Chuck E. Cheese. There can’t be too many of these in this area. This is very close to the second crime scene, but not close enough that it would make sense for the unsub to still be on foot. What if the unsub was walking home and the former marine saw the weapon? The unsub has used the same gun in every killing. He would have to take it home with him. The unsub could live in this area!” You drew a circle with your finger of a quarter mile radius around the second crime scene.

Spencer didn’t agree. “I don’t know, Y/n. All of this seems highly circumstantial. Couldn’t this all be a coincidence?”

“There are no such thing as coincidences,” you shook your head.

It was enough to get Gibbs and the rest of the team to work with the BAU on the case. Within the hour, most of your NCIS family were present in the local police department.

Hotch greeted Gibbs with a handshake. “Pleasure to meet you, Agent Gibbs. I wish it could be under better circumstances.”

Gibbs nodded, “The feeling is mutual, Agent Hotchner.”

“Your Agent Y/n has proven to be very impressive.”

There was a blink-and-you-miss-it twitch of the lips for Gibbs. For half of a moment, he smiled. “That’s why I recruited them.”

Meanwhile, you were still in the conference room with Spencer. Tony, Ziva, and McGee had joined the two of you. You were explaining the details of he case to your three coworkers.

As usual, Tony got off topic as soon as he could. “So, Agent Reid” Tony was nose to nose with the uncomfortable FBI agent, “you’re just a hybrid of McGeek and L/n, aren’t you?” He sniffed the air. “I think I smell a bit of Palmer on you as well.”

Spencer looked anywhere but Tony. “I don’t know who Palmer is.”

“He’s our medical examiner’s assistant, Spencer,” you clarified, “Tony, what the hell are you doing?”

Ziva tried to help you out. “Leave the poor kid alone.”

Suddenly, Gibbs entered the room with Hotch. The rest of the BAU were behind them. Before Tony noticed their presence, Gibbs was already behind the movie expert. Tony received a slap to the back of the head.

Gibbs leveled voice suggested, “Yeah, Tony. Leave Agent Reid alone.”

Tony grimaced, “Yes, sir.” As he moved to the conference room table, Tony passed by you. He whispered in your ear in his usual, quick way, “You’ll be the dominate one in the relationship.”

Naturally, you were mortified by his words. How had he figured out so quickly what was going on between you and Spencer? Was it really that obvious? Was it distracting from the case? You hoped it wasn’t. You glanced around. No one seemed to notice Tony’s exchange with you. Except for maybe Gibbs, whom you could’ve almost sworn that he’d shot a knowing smirk in your direction.

Hotch directed, “Agent L/n, could you tell everyone what you’ve put together?”

"NCIS’s victim was murdered less that five blocks away from the BAU’s second crime scene. Eleven of the fifteen victims in the fourth crime scene were taken from the same quarter mile radius.”

Emily Prentiss added, “All of our earlier victims were from all over the state. Do you think our unsub is devolving in that he can’t wait long enough to go too far to find his victims anymore?”

“Yes,” you agreed, “It would also explain how Colonel Wilfred, the victim from NCIS connects to the other murders without reflecting any of Courbet’s paintings.”

JJ, suddenly got a notification on her phone. “There’s been two more reports of missing individuals in the same area. Both were white women in their twenties...about 220 ponds...they look like our second and third victims.” She looked worriedly from her phone to you.

“The Hammock and The Sleeping Spinner...,” you whispered the second and third crimes to yourself in order. “...He could be going after Young Ladies on the Banks of Seine. It makes sense with his running chronological theme. The reason why they look so alike with the previous victims is because it was rumored Courbet used his sisters for a lot of his portraits. Out unsub might be trying to replicate the likeness in Gustave’s muses.”

Hotch directed, “Alright. We may have some time to save these two women. Spencer, stick with the geographical profiling. Rossi, Prentiss, canvass Jones Avenue through Tenth Boulevard. JJ, Morgan, take Damien Road through Johnson Street. I’ll stay here and run point.”

Gibbs instructed his own team, “Y/n, stay here and work with Reid. McGee, Tony: Dischem through Clark. Ziva, you and I will take Harren to Williams.”

With the whole police department, along with most of Gibbs and Hotch’s team canvassing, it was likely the unsub’s house would be found within the following few hours.

Meanwhile, you and Spencer were back in the nearly empty police station. The two of you were in separate conference room chairs, and you both were staring at that map. It had delivered an extremely helpful break in the case, but it seemed to have done all it could. Hotch was in another room with the police captain, so you and Spencer were left to your own devices.

That was, until a secretary came running into the conference room. “Help! We need help!”

Both you and Spencer launched out of your respective seats.

“What’s wrong?” Spencer asked, alarmed.

The secretary elaborated, “A girl called the tip line. She sounds terrified. She claims to be Samantha Hawford, one of--”

“the missing women,” both you and Spencer finished with the secretary.

“Connect us, please,” you requested as calmly as you could.

She silently nodded, and quickly left the room.

Seconds later, a line lit up on the phone in the conference room. It turned out to actually be Samantha. She was hysterical, but you eventually got her to calm down enough to communicate.

Earlier, she had stolen the unsub’s phone, and she was waiting for a safe time to call the tip line she had seen a lot on T.V.

While you encouraged Samantha to keep talking, Spencer called Garcia. She traced the phone call for the two of you.

A minute later, you knew where Samantha was. You were on your way out with Spencer when Hotch gave you his blessing to go. It was obvious neither you nor Spencer were going to wait for Hotchner’s agreement.

You and Spencer were able to get to Samantha's location in fifteen minutes. Which was good because five minutes into your journey, the unsub found Samantha and hung up the phone. You prayed the unsub kept her alive long enough for you and Spencer to get there.

When the two of you did arrive, the unsub was about to stab the other girl with the first metal rod when you and Spencer found them. He had both the girls tied up as he prepared to stab them with the metal rods and shoot them in the heart.

At first, Spencer tried to talk him down. It was obvious that it was going no where.

“I can make sure the world knows of your works of art,” you suddenly lied, surprising yourself. “People took pictures of your crime--masterpieces. They could be hung anywhere and everywhere. You could become even more famous than Corbet. But let me tell you: if you hurt these two girls, no one will ever know who you are. Not your name, and not your face.”

Chillingly, there was hope in the killer’s eyes. As you’d guessed, he looked a lot like Gustave Courbet himself. You could see why he wanted to use Courbet’s image to make himself famous.

Eventually, you got the killer to turn over his weapons, and turn himself in. You cuffed him yourself. By then, your team, the local police, and the BAU had arrived. You turned the killer over to the local P.D. The two girls were crying as they thanked you profusely for saving them. You tried to push their attention away from you. It didn’t work too well.

Once all the chaos was over, you were back at the police station, gathering your things.

Hotch addressed you, making you turn around. “Agent L/n.”

“Uh...Yes, sir?”

His whole team was with him. “We would like to thank you for your work on this case.”

Morgan complimented, “We couldn’t have done it without you.”

“Oh, I don’t think that’s true,” you reasoned, “I mean, you guys have Spencer. He probably would've figured things out just as fast as me.. Well, almost as fast as me.”

Spencer smiled in a way that was contagious. “Don’t try to brush this off, Y/n. You know how important you are.”

Hotch continued, “That’s actually what we wanted to talk to you about. You’ve shown promising capabilities as a profiler, and we want you to know that there’s a place for you on our team.”

“Wait. On your guys’ team? In the FBI?” You were nearly in shock. “I...I don’t know what to say.”

JJ offered, “Well, we would really like it if you agreed.”

“...I can’t. I’m sorry guys, but NCIS is my home. They’re my family there. I mean, honestly, in these past few days, you guys have kind become my family to, but I don’t think I could leave NCIS. At least not right now.”

For the first time, you saw Aaron Hotchner truly smile. “It’s alright. The job’s here for you whenever you want it.”

“Thank you.” You were sincerely grateful.

Thee rest of the team left, but Spencer hung back.

“You know,” you sweetly took his hand in yours, ”my not joining has nothing to do with you.”

He squeezed your hand in his. “I know, but it would’ve been nice to see you more often.”

“I guess we’re going to have to make it work as is,” you smirked.

Keeping his gaze on your intertwined hands, Spencer chuckled. “Yeah, I guess we are.”

Slowly, you leaned in to kiss the boy.

At first, Spencer kept his hand in yours. Then, he moved both arms around you, pulling you in close.

Your hands were o his chest, but you soon snaked them around his neck to get lost in his hair.

Okay, so you were beginning to regret your choice not to join the BAU just a little bit.

***

Before you went home that night, you went back to NCIS. Spencer had to go back to Quantico to get some paperwork done, so you couldn’t spend the night with him. You decided to go back to NCIS to do the same thing.

“Y/n! Y/n, Y/n, Y/n!” Right outside the elevator doors, a certain adorable forensic scientist was waiting for you.

Practically catching the incoming woman, you tried to keep her steady on her feet. “Hi, Abby! How’ve you been?”

She was almost vibrating with excitement. “I’m completely fine. It’s you I wanna know about! How were Fornell’s friends at the FBI? Were they mean? They treated you nicely, right?” Abby continued on with the onslaught of questions until you got to your desk.

When you sat down, you looked up to Abby as you searched your mind for a way to tell her you needed quiet right then.

Gibbs beat you to it. He had been sitting at his desk. You only noticed him when he gathered his few things to leave. He stopped by your desk and explained, “Abby, it’s late and they’re tired. Leave them alone.”

With a quick, slightly intimidated glance to Gibbs and a “Sorry, Y/n,” and wave to you, Abby was gone.

However, Gibbs stayed behind a bit longer to knowingly ask, “So, you didn’t take the job, huh?”

“No,” you tiredly smiled, “I’m staying right here, boss.”

It was then that Gibbs did something that he very rarely did. He returned a smile. “Good,” was his final statement before Gibbs left for the night.

***

In the end, you made sure the killer’s name was never released to the public. You didn’t want anything to be given to the distributed criminal mind. However, you knew that some name needed to be given to the person behind the painting-based murders. You just expected it to have something to do with Gustave Courbet himself. You didn’t expect the previously unknown subject to be called The Chuck E. Cheese Killer. The nickname ended a pizza franchise.

*******

Author’s Note: Thank you for reading! Fill up that heart and reblog if you liked it! If you would like to read more, I have more fics over on my page. You should go check it out. Also, REQUESTS ARE OPEN. I take requests for one-shots, multi-chapters, headcannons, and preferences. No smut, please. I write for a variety of fandoms. If you’re wondering if I write for a specific fandom, please ask me. Have a nice day, night, or whatever time it is for you.<3

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(Behind the scenes stuff)

Proofreader: @girl-of-many-faces

Crime scene #1 here

Crime scene #2 here

Crime scene #3 here

Crime scene #4 here

What would’ve been crime scene #5 here

#ncis #ncis x reader #criminal minds #criminal minds x reader #spencer reid #spencer reid x reader #gibbs x reader #hotch x reader #friends made along the way #companion jones #Matthew Gray Gubler #mark harmon

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