Strange Encounter - a Criminal Minds fic

The Sequel + Authors Note

Y'all, holy crap lol. My heart was beating so fast the past few days writing the last few chapters. When I started writing this, I had a general idea of the first 20 or so chapters but since then I've been just writing as I go since, following my gut.

From downloading Wattpad at the end of July to read EMAEY (I cannot tell a lie), to discovering so many other fics and books, CM related or not, they all inspired me to write the story I'd find myself day dreaming about in work Zoom calls. I cannot fathom that almost nine thousand pairs of eyes have viewed this story.

Whether you read silently, voted on your fav chapters, commented (ellie1037, sourmlky, nutellaola, camzjerkylitlelion, lolitstiana, kimberly_bbg1, I c u), etc, THANK YOU.

Now buckle up kids, Book Two is gonna be a bumpy ride.

xo, emma

First chapter now published on my profile!

♡ Normal People: Strange Encounters - Book Two ♡

𝙰𝚕𝚕 𝙰𝚖𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚊 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚂𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝙽𝚘𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚕 𝙿𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎.. but from the moment they met their worlds began turning upside down.

Chapter 1

Amelia paced the living room, glancing out of the blinds occasionally. She kept glancing over her shoulder at Tommy, as his fingers flew over the keyboard. In front of him were four monitors, all covered in code, none of it meaning anything to her. She watched him work, biting at her lip until she felt it bleed. That was a nasty habit she'd picked up on recently.

Tommy bounced his knee as he typed, eyes moving over the screens and taking in the information. Amelia met Tommy inland, at the only Barnes & Nobles within a three hour drive. Just five weeks ago she had been sitting on the floor, surrounded by piles of coding books..

"You know, depending on what you're trying to accomplish, those aren't gonna do shit for ya."

Amelia glanced up at the scrawny man in front of her under the visor of her baseball cap.

"Great, thanks" she'd said shortly, hoping he'd go away.

She watched out of the corner of her eye as he picked up a book, 'The Web Application'. Her mind started whirring.

"I'd heard of that.. isn't that supposed to be, like, super advanced?"

The man stared at her, as if trying to read her. She didn't look like trouble, not in the usual sense. She didn't seem like under cover, and she seemed like she was in need of.. something.

"Yeah, I may dabble. What are you looking to get out of those?" He gestured to the books scattered around her.

Amelia cleared her throat, pulling the hat lower on her face before she whispered.

"What do you know about hacking?"

The man laughed, and crouched to sit next to her in the middle of the aisle, looking around to make sure no one was nearby.

"Darlin, what don't I know? Who you trying to look into?" He noticed her look over her shoulder, and got the sense that she was worried there were being watch. "Wanna grab a beer? I know a place."

He gave her an address and they both got in their respective vehicles and met there. Amelia was glad it happened to be about an hour closer to the Harbor and not further inland.

She she slammed the jeep's door closed, she fell in stride next to the man as they walked into a dingy looking bar. "You from inland?"

He shook his head, "Boothbay Harbor, in town. You?"

"Oh, same. But near Mill Point."

He looked at her as they sat in a table in the corner of the bar. "Wait, are you the one who moved in with old lady Gladys?" Amelia nodded. "Simon told me about you. Said you're a hard worker, trustworthy." He seemed to read her again. "Also said he got the sense you were in trouble."

Amelia looked down at her hands on the dirty wooden table.

She saw the man stick his hand out. "Tommy."

Amelia stretched her hand out after a moment. "Eliza."

"Eliza?"

Amelia shook her head, still not used to responding to the new name. She quickly crossed the floor and crouched next to the desk.

"What did you find?"

"I think we've got a lead on your Christopher Regino."

♡

Derek hovered in the hallway, hesitating before reaching his hand up. He had never hesitated to visit his best friend, why was he feeling that way now? Reaching up, he rapped his fist on the door.

"Kid? Open up. I've got Indian from that place you like, and you know I only eat one thing from there."

He tilted his ear toward the door, listening for movement. After a beat, he heard papers getting shuffled and feet make their way across the floor.

Spencer opened the door, giving Derek a mildly annoyed look.

"We just wrapped a case, Derek, I'm tired."

Derek pushed passed him into the apartment, disregarding his annoyed look. He set the food on the coffee table and crouched down to pet the orange tabby that circled his feet.

"Swoop, right?" Spencer nodded as he took a seat on the couch. Derek straightened back up, and looked around the apartment. It had seen better days. Stacks of ramen sat on the counter, takeout counters filled the recycling bin. He noticed a bottle of whiskey on the counter, and raised an eyebrow. Walking around the room, he noticed a stack of manila folders sitting on an end table. He picked them up and dropped them on the couch between him and Spencer.

Spencer went to grab them, receiving a smack on the hand from Derek. "Look, Hotch said we can work it in out free time and I know that you're pouring over this every chance you get. Let me give you a second set of eyes."

Spencer held his eyes for a moment before giving him a small nod. While Derek ate quietly and flipped through Spencer and Penelope's notes, Spencer got up and turned on his stereo. He scrolled through his phone until he found the playlist he was looking for, and tapped shuffle. He looked at the title, a knot growing in his stomach. "For Spencer" played in the background, while Derek and Spencer once again revisited everything they knew.