Chapter Two-Charlie, Melly, and the BAU; A Recipe for Disaster

Chapter Two

Charlie, Melly, and the BAU;

A Recipe for Disaster

"Well, I just don't see why they had to come. We were fine and-"

"Shh! They're coming!" Emily hissed at JJ.

It had been this way for two weeks now, when everyday the Wilkes stepped into the Quantico office. Charlie, sauntering with a sneer and Melly, meek and intimidated.

   Charlie had made it clear to both Melly and the team that he wanted her to stay away from them. She belonged under his wing, and that was that. And every day, Melly got a little closer to the line-closer than she needed to. A conversation with Reid about string theory, letting Emily braid her hair, letting Hotchner make a decision she was meant to make. She wasn't a leader. She was an organizer, but then watched it play out.

   Reid was scared to spend time with Melly, no matter how much pleasure he got from breaking her out of her shell. Emily took great pleasure in the presence of Melanie Wilkes. She liked the fact that she could over power Charles, and the girl herself was great. Quirky and pure and kind.

"Melly!"yelled her brother.

"Yes, Charlie?" Melanie asked.

"Go to town, the bookstore manager called me to say that he has something for you. He wanted to give it to you before we left for Washington State. Come back fast."

"May I have the car?" she asked.

"No. You'll ruin it." At this remark, the girl didn't pout, or look sad in the least. She collected the black cloak she left by the door. With her black satchel that bounced on her hip, she left.

"Pst! Dr. Reid! Morgan!"

"Yes, sir?"Morgan asked, Reid at his side.

"...Follow her. I don't know what she gets into. Give me a play-by-play when you get back. Got it?"

"Actually, a play-by-play would be us contacting you while we were following her-"

"Yeah, we got it,"Morgan interrupted Reid.


     Melly wasn't all that exciting to follow. She dillied and dallied as she walked, swaying and humming all the way down. She twirled and Reid and Morgan felt safe as they followed a good 50 yards away. When she wandered into the little village called Clancie. It was a little town, with all of three roads. She didn't mind the dust from the road that blew up into her face with every breath of wind, she merely turned her head and admired the fields or the clouds above (it was not a very pretty day, or perhaps it was because the dawn had not come?).
     Melly Wilkes was a very peaceful girl. Once along the way she broke out in a little folk song about a creek and two children who would meet there after dark to share their love. She bent over every once in a while to collect flowers from the edge of the road and stick them in her wooden, wicker basket.
     Reid watched long and hard the little girl. He tried to no avail to make out the title of the book in the basket, to identify the white flowers, to see the little pink circles on her cheeks. She sung again with a little voice (that clichely reminded him of a Nighten-gail):

"There were bells on the hill, but I never heard them ringing, n o, I never heard them at all,t ill there was you.

There were birds in the sky, but I never saw them winging. No, I never saw them at all, till there was you." and the song continued. Reid felt a little sick in his stomach. He didn't want to tell Charlie about this!  The poor girl...-why, she was singing her heart out!

     But, Reid also felt a little funny. Who was this man? Did Charlie know about him? No, he couldn't. But if he did....Should Reid tell?
     Once in the little village, Melanie stumbled on a little group of kids and they greeted her with smiles and screams.
"Melly!" they cried with pleasure, all trying to climb upon her at once. She kissed all of their foreheads and calmed them all down and soon they were all playing their games again. All except one...
     She seemed Hawaiian in nature. Her hair was curly and in two pigtails, the puffed up and surrounded her head. She had on a little yellow night gown and she seemed so happy to see Melly.
     Melanie took up the girl on her hip and the girl asked her loudly,"HOW CAN YOU STAND TO BE HERE?" It wasn't cruel or mean, just an outside voice.
Melly cocked her head and gave the girl a weak smile,"It's a little town, yes, it's a quiet village. Every day, like the one before. Little town, full of little people who have nothing better to do than greet you in French!" she exclaimed and the little girl threw her head back and laughed.
      And, as if on cue, the residents came out and started greeting each other with the dawn.
"Bonjur!"
"Bonjur."
"BONJUR!"
"Bonjur-"
"Bonjur..."
Melanie began,"There's the baker, honey, do you want anything?"
"No,I-"
The baker interrupted,"Ah, Melanie! Where are you off to?"
"The bookshop,"she said,"I just finished the most wonderful story! About a misfit boy who falls-"
"That's nice. Now, Marie! The bread! Hurry up!"
     Melly rolled her eyes and the little girl laughed.
"Their must be more than this provincial life!" exclaimed the girl.
"I'll find it for you,"Melly whispered,"and I'll take you their."
     Melanie put down the girl and entered the book shoppe. Reid and Morgan waited outside.
"We can't hear anything out here, Reid,"Morgan sighed, resigned,"These people seemed to know an awful lot about her. Why don't we talk to some people?"


BIG MISTAKE.

"Melanie? Melanie Wilkes? Ha! How can anyone learn a thing when she's got her nose stuck in a book all the time?"

"Yeah, she's pretty and all, but behind that fair facade, I'm afraid she's rather... odd. She's different from the rest of us. Ya know?"

"It's a pity and a sin, she doesn't quite fit in. She never has, never will."

"That whore!" cried some of the teenage girls-the head of the clique,"Every man looks at her! Even-"she looks both ways, as if to see who hears-"Gaston!" All the girls squeaked at this.
"Gaston?" Morgan asked.
"My future husband! Duh! She-he-!-BOYFRIEND STEALER!! AND SHE ACTS AS IF HE DOESN'T EVEN EXIST!" She tossed her blonde hair angrily and the rest of the clique consoled her.

"So we have misfit, nerd, bookworm, and whore. Nice."
"We should start heading back, Melly already left,"Morgan said.
"Wait,"Reid urged him,"I want to find more about this Gaston." Turning back to the girl that had clearly wrongly accused Melanie he asked,"Where is he?"
"He just returned from hunting,"she sniffed,"He's at the bar."

     Once in the bar, Reid wished he hadn't come. Gaston was big. WAAAAAYYYY big. His biceps were easily the size of his head. His chin was chiseled and no one had even seen such a thick neck. His long black hair was pulled back by a black ribbon. He had on a white oxford, with the sleeves rolled up. Over that, he had a silk, red, button up vest. His brown corduroys were up to his knees in mud. Over his pants, came black leather boots, just below the knee.
     "So, there I was, and there was that stupid buck. What else was there to do? I shot it once and the big beast fell dead!" Everyone in the bar roared with laughter at the muscled man's joke. "And-ah, Bedfried." he said and a little man walked forward."Any word?" he asked him.
The little man kneeled,"Melanie Wilkes went to the bookstore today. She's leaving this afternoon."
"Shit!" he cried,"I missed her again! We may have to skip hunting this Saturday...the population can have time to regenerate. Melly..."he crooned, as if she was in the room,"my beautiful Melly. The most beautiful girl in town! She will be my bride...I swear it! My sweet...sweet, Melly! Oh!"

And with that, Reid and Morgan left, there tails between their legs.
***
"So?" Charlie asked Reid, shaking him the very moment Melanie had shut her eyes to sleep.
"Talk to me, Charles,"Morgan said, taking Charlie's arms off Reid. Once out of his grasp, Reid felt like Jell-0.
"Fine, muscle-boy, what happened?"
Morgan sighed, then looked at Reid. Reid nodded."She went to the store and got the book. Nothing else. She said hi to the baker and that was all."
"Whose the baker?"
"A thousand year old man,"Morgan said.
"...Alright boys...good job,"Charlie slipped by the two men and headed right for the bar.
***
"Nice hotel picking, Hotchner. Now I know why I'm in charge."
"Charlie! You mustn't say such things! It's rude..."
"Quiet, Melly! Just look at this place!"
It was true, the hotel was small, and in the middle of no where. They probably wouldn't be able to reach Penelope, so they brought her along.
"Five rooms,"the owner said.
"What?" Morgan cried.
"I get a room to myself!" Charlie said, setting up the stairs,"the nicest, too please." the owner handed him the keys, and once he was gone, she said.
"Gave him the one where the toilet doesn't work."
Melly shot a nervous look at Emily, and Emily smiled back at her.
"Well, like last time, I'm not sharing with Reid,"Morgan said.
The team exchanged nervous glances.
"What!" Reid said. Nothing was wrong with him! Or...
"I'll share with him."
"...Nuh-uh, darlin', your brother would-"
"I don't care!" Melly shot at Morgan. "My brother doesn't own me! I'm a woman of the United States and I can do as I please!"
"Like bed up with Reid?"
Melanie swallowed.
***
"You want the bed?" Melanie asked as she sat her suitcase on the floor.
"Uh...naw...I-I-I'm fine, Mel, I'll take the floor."
"Naw, Reid take it. While we're awake we can share it-sitting on it, I mean-but when we sleep you can have it, 'kay?"
"I'd feel bad-"
"Take it, Reid,"she growled.
"...O-Okay...."
     She took her little hand and wiped her brow with it. He should have helped her with her bags. Hers easily weighed thirty more pounds than his. The make-up and hair products...that had to be it.
"So, do you think it's...male? White...middle-aged?" she asked.
"Nail on the head,"Reid said, slapping her arm as he went by into the bathroom to unload his toothbrush,"Your getting better at this, Melanie."
"Melly,"she said,"when he's not in the room, Reid, it's Melly."
"...huh..."he looked nervous. She was right in front of him, in his face. He broke from her gaze and walked around her.
"Can't I call you, Spencer?" she asked out of the blue. He looked at her incredulously."I'm sorry..."she said, looking away,"I just feel weird calling everyone by their last names. I call Garcia "Penny", and Emily "Em", why can't I call you "Spencer" or "Spence-""
"Spencer, only please,"he couldn't bear it if she called him Spence...that was only for JJ's use...even if she hadn't said in so long....
"I'm sorry,"she said sitting next to him on the bed. She grabbed his hand, which had been perched on his knee. He shook her away and she flinched and gave a little yelp. When Spencer tried to apologize, she took to the bathroom and shut the door.
*****
     Melly let out a little yawn and fluffed the sheets around her."Aren't you cold?" she asked Reid.
"Aren't you tired?" he teased her. She sat up a straighter and raised her eyebrows (not to mention puffing out her chest...).
"Not in the least!"
Reid sighed,"Hand me the file, Melly. Go to sleep. Take the bed too, I probably won't even nap."
"No! I won't have anyone say the worked harder than me. I've got to earn this place on this team, Spencer. I will earn it." She loved saying Spencer's name. It practically came out in every sentence she spoke.
     Reid placed his hand under her chin and studied her face. Why he made such a bold move, he'll never know....."You're not like your brother," he said.
She jerked away,"Who said I was? I love Charlie, but he and I are nothing alike. 'Always address her as Miss Wilkes and I as Master Wilkes. Ugh, he's as bad as my mother." she said with an eye roll.
"Melly, go to bed before you say something you'll regret."
"No. Just hand me my bag, Spencer." He did so. She pulled out a little black shawl and wrapped it around her shoulders.
"I hope you don't think I'm queer, still having a safety blanket and all."
"Not at all, it reminds people of happier times."
She smiled,"A happier time, indeed," she sniffed a little and wiped her eyes,"I just wished it hadn't taken me 13 years to be happy. I wished it would have lasted..." she wiped her eyes again. He could see she was about to sob.
"Go to bed, Melly," Reid whispered, taking her hand and leading her out of bed and onto the floor. Once on the cool carpet, she fell right to sleep.
*****
"You made her take the floor?"
"AHH!" Reid fell out of bed with a scream. He landed right next to Melanie, who didn't even stir."What time is it?" he whispered, so not to wake her.
"Time to get up, kid,"Morgan said.
"Haha, thanks for being vague." Reid gathered himself off the floor. "She offered to take it,"Reid said sheepishly.
"YOU DON'T LET HER TAKE IT, MAN!"
"Whaa?" Melanie hummed, stretching and rising to her feet. "What's all the yelling? Oh, hey Morgan."
"Hey, girly,"he said.
"You know you should have knocked, Spencer and I could've been naked." and with that, she left for the bathroom and turned on the shower.
Morgan turned to Reid,"Did I miss something?"
*****
"Melanie?MELANIE! YOU'RE ASLEEP-AGAIN!"
Melanie stirred in the chair in the station office and her face flushed when she saw all eyes are on her.
"Sorry, Charlie." she apologized and straightened up. She went to stand by him.
"It's from the lack of sleep, Sir,"Morgan said.
"Well who did she room with? It's her fault. That woman should have seen Melanie to bed....Well, who was it? Jareau? Prentiss? Surely not the tech-girl....Well!"
"It was Dr. Reid, Sir,"Rossi said.
"...A boy? Melanie, you roomed with a boy!"
"He didn't hurt me, Charlie! Don't make such a fuss!"
"I don't care, it won't happen again tonight, understand? Room with Jareau. She likes you least."
"...No,"Melanie whispered.
Charles slowly turned and faced his sister,"What?" he spat.
"...N-no...no! No, Charlie. I don't wanna."
"You listen to me and you listen good! I tell you-"he stopped and looked at the team. He grabbed her arm-a bit too hard-and dragged her out of the room. He stepped into the room across and closed the blinds. You could barely see through the cracks, but see you could. He shook her good and hard and you could hear him yell, but couldn't make out the words. When he left, the blinds slipped open and you could see Melly sitting on the officer's desk. She stared forward, so you only saw the perfect profile of her face. Reid stepped closer to the window. She turned to face him, and the bright red mark on the right side of her face matched with Charlie's 5 big fingers.
     Her tears fell, brave and strong.

She didn't even wipe it away.
**************************************************************
       Reid was packing his things in the suitcase, returning home. The man was caught. He was just as Melanie had guessed. They had one more night here, before the plane came. So, you could imagine his shock when Melly walked in.
     "Melly, get out. Now. Before he comes."
"No."
"Look, it won't be your ass on the line this time, it'll be mine," he growled in her face grabbing her arm. She stared at his hand which was gribbing her too hard.
"Just-just hand me my blanket...NOW!"
He slowly released her arm and looked away. He turned and reached for the blanket, the soft, black shawl she had worn the night before. He could hear her snuffling behind him. He tried to pretend he didn't notice when he handed it to her. Yet, she didn't turn to go.
"Did you just let me room with you to be nice? Have you been pretending this whole time?"
"Wha-why would I do that?"
"And now that you see that my own brother hates me, you realize what the citizens of Chauncie say is true? That I'm an outcast, and a nerd, and a sinful little whore? Huh?"
"Melly-"
"Don't! Don't Spencer-"she stopped and looked down and her red eyes dropped tears,"...don't Reid. Just...just don't." And she lefted the room.

And didn't look back.

**************************************************************
"Man, you screwed up."
"What do you mean, we!" Reid yelled. Morgan used his chopsticks to steal a noodle from Reid's carton. They were again sharing a room, and the two sat on the bed with the take-out they had ordered.
"Well, you should've told her to come back."
"I don't make the rules, Morgan, Charles does. There's nothing I can say to change them."
"Then why don't you stop with words and start DOING things to change them."
...
"Like...?" Reid asked.
"Like-" Morgan's phone buzzed and the conversation was ended. He looked at the caller I.D. and smiled.
"Hey, baby girl, you're on speaker. And, you know your just down the hall right? All of 30 steps from the door?"
"Yes, Mr. Sarcasim. Is Melanie with you?"
"No..."Morgan drew out the word.
"Garcia, where is she?" Reid asked.
"I don't know, she never came to the room! That's why I called you!"
"Damn, I was the last to see her."
"Where are you going?" Morgan asked as Reid put on a jacket.
"To find her."
**************************************************************
Reid had looked every where. He had been trying for hours. He had no choice. He had to tell Charles Wilkes. He sighed and tried Melly's phone once more. Once again it went to voice male but as he walked by the terrace, he heard a overture from some musical.
"Dang..."whispered a little voice.
"Melly?"
"I have a gun!"
"Melly, it's me! And I already know you have glock."
A hoarse chuckle arouse from the shadow stuck in the dark of the city,"And pepper spray and a switch blade and a tazer..."
"Remind me not to hurt you,"Spencer said.
"...too late..."
Reid sat behind her and her blonde hair was undone and blowing every which way which she tried (and failed) to contain. The blonde waves tickled his face and he scooted just a bit closer to her.
"I didn't mean to Melly. I swear. I worried, about you. I didn't want him to hurt you again."
"You don't know me, Reid. You don't know anything about me. So don't act like you care."
"But, I do care, Melly. I can't help but care. The whole team-minus your brother-is looking for you,"Reid smiled,"he doesn't know your missing."
"You can't care if you don't know..."
"Then help me to. I don't like seeing you hurt and I hurt you and-"
"You don't know hurt, Reid. What you did to me, wasn't hurt. What Charlie didn't wasn't hurt. Not compared to what I've been through. You have no idea whats happened to me. You have no idea what I've went through, what I had to deal with. What I've done...."
"Don't I?" Reid whispered,"My mother was a parinoid skitzophrenic. My father left us. My mother didn't notice when I was late home from school because she would have her episodes. She didn't know when I was stripped naked and tied to a flagpole for people's amusement. No one helped me."
"And you think I was helped?" she screamed,"You think people HELPED ME? HELPED ME WHEN-" she stopped there. "I-I could go on and on. But this isn't the place." she whispered and let Reid wipe her tear.
"Then come back,"he said, extending a hand.
"...No,"she said, smiling.
"What?" Reid growled.
"On one condition."
"What?"
"...You let me room with you."
"You play a hard game, Melly Wilkes."
"...Thank you...I think..."
He smiled,"I mean your strong."
She looked at her feet with an odd look at her face,"...I've never been told that..."
He took her hand,"There's a first time for everything," he said.


She smiled at him.