gryfflepuffinthetardis

[gryfflepuffinthetardis]

Blood in My Ledger (Alec Hardy): Season/Series One, Episode Two

Word Count: 6065 Words

Warnings: Flirting with Alec Hardy; Alec Hardy being socially awkward; Alec Hardy's accent; Mentions of trauma; Using sarcasm as a coping mechanism; Child murder statistics; Mention of sister's death; Mention of trauma involving sister's death; Vague mentions of something the reader blames herself for; Mention of rough aftermath of sister's death; Panic attack; Method on dealing with a panic attack; Mention of murder of a relative

"Losing a sister is like losing the moon and stars. No words can describe the void in your heart."

When Y/n entered the station the next day and walked up to Hardy's office through the precinct that was filled with overflowing phone calls, where he was talking to Ellie, she said, "Does anyone know why there's an irritating journalist I'd very much like to punch in the face hovering outside or should I taze her now?"

"Don't taze her." Hardy said, rather dryly like this was a normal occurrence for him. "You didn't tell her anything, did you?

"Only that I'd taze her in the face and she wouldn't be so pretty anymore if she didn't shut the fuck up and get the hell out of my way." She deadpanned.

"Mmm. Very violent." He said, dryly, and then turned to Ellie, "How're we doing on the house to house?"

"We've got five uniforms allocated, two probationers, one who can't drive, and one who'd never taken a statement before last night." Ellie said.

"That's all they've given us?"

"It's a summer weekend." Ellie explained, "You've got three music festivals and two sporting events within a hundred miles, so all the officers are attached to them until Monday."

"Don't tell the family." Hardy said, "Uniform are moaning they're having to take calls."

"We're getting more phone lines put in." Ellie said.

"Clear desk policy end of the day, yeah?" Hardy said and walked off the whiteboard.

"You drink coffee?" Ellie offered the coffee cup she had gotten Hardy to Y/n.

"I hate coffee." She shook her head. "I live in London and have an addiction to chocolate, I drink tea or hot chocolate." She went to join Hardy at the whiteboard.

"SOCO are at work on the beach, it's gonna be a long one." Ellie continued, putting down the coffee that no one apparently wanted, "Oh, we're still going through the Latimer house." Hardy was staring intently at the board. "Sorry, are you listening?" You couldn't say he wasn't dedicated. A rather handsome at it too.

"Danny's skateboard. Danny's mobile. Priority. Also, main suspects. You know this town, who's the most likely?" Hardy asked, and Ellie looked like she didn't know what to say while Hardy turned to the map. "If the boy was killed before he was left on the beach, where's the murder scene?" He looked at the map as if expecting an arrow to say: Danny Latimer was killed here. He turned to Ellie, "What are you doing now?"

"We've managed to find a Family Liaison Officer. I'm gonna take him over to the Latimers. Oh, and Jack Marshall, owns the paper show, rang in. He said he'd remember something." Ellie said, holding out a note.

Hardy took it without a word of thanks. "Right, Officer L/n, with me," Hardy said, and then he added sarcastically, "Gotta make sure you don't taze anyone."

"Like you could stop me. And are you sure you aren't just using that as an excuse to spend time with me?" She teased.

Hardy looked at her, his brain starting to short-circuit again as his mouth gaped open like a fish out of water, "Shut up." Was all he could manage and walked off.

—————————————————————————

Y/n and Hardy met back up with Jack Marshall, "Couldn't stop thinking about him... all last night. I help run the Seas Brigade."

"What's that, like, Boy Scouts?" Y/n asked.

"Sort of, but on the water. Danny had been coming about eighteen months, on and off. Cheeky lad, but a good heart. It matters, a good heart."

A twitch on Hardy's face suggested he found something ironic in Jack's words and he did not find them funny in the slightest

"Yes, it does." Y/n agreed. "You don't see it much these days in my experience."

Hardy glanced at Y/n, his bitterness of the irony of Jack's words fading with the mystery that was Y/n, and then he turned back to Jack and said, "You said you remembered something about seeing Danny."

"Must have been end of last month. Around a quarter to eight on a Wednesday morning on the road to the cliff tops on the way to Linton Hill. I saw him."

"And what was he doing?" Hardy asked.

"Talking to the postman. Well..." Jack Marshall said as he picked up a newspaper, "not talking, more like arguing. He was quite a way away, but the body language was pretty clear. Then Danny stormed off. The postman was calling after him."

They walked in the shop with Jack, and Hardy said, "You're certain it was the postman?"

"Well, he had a bag and one of those high-visibility jackets. Who else is going to be out that time in the morning?" Jack said.

"Can you describe him for me?" Hardy asked.

"He was a long way off. Medium height, short brown hair, I think. It was only after you were in yesterday that I remembered. I should've mentioned."

—————————————————————————

Ellie had gone to the Latimers' to bring Pete, the Family Liason officer there and to take the family's fingerprints to eliminate them from the prints they'd find around the house. They had given her a list of people who could've killed Danny and she was shocked to find that it was all their friends. SOCO Brain found five hundred pounds in cash taped under Danny's bed frame and cocaine in Chloe's room. 

When Ellie questioned her, Chloe claimed that Becca Fisher from the hotel gave it to her.

Hardy, Ellie, and Y/n went to question her.

"Chloe Latimer says you supplied her with a wrap of cocaine."

"What? You're kidding!?" Becca gasped.

"Why would she say that if it's not true?" Ellie asked.

Becca hesitated but admitted, "There was this couple down from London for a long weekend, in a suite, spending money, they asked me if I could get them some coke." She sighed and continued, "Chloe was working for me that weekend, I asked her if she knew where I might find some. She took so bloody long, the couple had gone, I gave it back to her." A maid knocked on the door. "Not now—thanks, Emily." Emily apologized and closed the door.

"Where did Chloe get it from?" Ellie asked.

"She said a friend. She didn't tell me his name. She said he didn't deal, but he knew where to get stuff." Becca said.

"Did her brother have anything to do with it?" Hardy asked.

"It's... it's nothing to do with that." Becca said, "Do I get arrested?"

"We will have to process the offense." Ellie said.

"Is there any way we can keep this quiet? I could lose my license." Becca pleaded.

"Fix a time to come down to the station, make a formal statement." Hardy said.

"Just make sure, none of that stuff gets near my girls or you'll lose more than your license," Y/n said as they left with a smile that held a threat behind it.

"You do know you don't have to threaten everyone." Ellie said.

"Oh, but it's such fun." Y/n said, sarcastically. 

—————————————————————————

Hardy poured himself a cup of tea as Ellie said, "Cocaine, though. It must be a one-off. They're not that type of family. Chloe's not that type of girl."

"Nobody ever is." Hardy drawled.

"No, I live here. We don't have these problems. A couple of arrests for possession every month on the estate but no more than that." Ellie said.

"Yeah, but that's what everyone thinks. That this stuff doesn't happen to them until it does. I can't tell you how many times I've heard that." Y/n said.

"This is different."

"No, it's not. Everyone has secrets, Ellie. It's one of the reasons my job exists."

"What, you come in and snark at everyone?" Ellie snapped at her.

"No, that's just my defense and coping mechanism." She said blankly. 

"For what?"

A twitch twinged on Y/n's face as she narrowed her eyes at Ellie. Ellie seemed to forget because of Y/n's age, but trauma happened no matter how young you were. "Buy me a drink first, and maybe I'll give you a hint." She snarked with a cold bite to her words and walked off before Ellie could push any further.

Hardy turned, picking up his tea and he watched Y/n walk away. She was fiddling with her silver bracelet that he hadn't noticed before now due to her always wearing her jacket.

"I can't tell when she's being serious." Ellie said and then she rounded on Hardy, "Are you just making one for yourself?" He just stared at her.

Then another officer said, "Ellie, you might want to take this one." Ellie walked off.

Y/n watched Ellie walk past her before she looked back at Hardy from where she had sat down. He stared at his cup of tea and... his face faltered. He looked dizzy, he clenched his fists, and she watched him hurriedly make his way to the bathroom. Like she said, everyone had secrets.

—————————————————————————

Hardy, Ellie, and Y/n went to speak to the postman that Danny had been seen arguing with, Kevin.

"Yeah, that's my round up past Briar Cliff." He answered them.

"And did you work the route last month?" Ellie asked him.

"I've done every delivery out there for the past eight or nine weeks, I'd say." Kevin said.

"Did you ever see Danny Latimer?" Ellie asked.

"Yeah, all the time. He used to deliver papers up there to a couple of houses, including the hut. When I heard, I thought, I've only seen him a couple of days previous."

"And did you ever talk to him? Particularly the last week in June?"

"I might've waved and maybe said 'hello'. I didn't really know him to talk to."

"That's it? Just hello?" Ellie asked.

"What else would I say?" Kevin asked, almost nervously.

"You didn't ever have a conversation with him?"

"No."

"Or an argument?" Hardy asked.

"What am I gonna be arguing with a paper lad about?" Kevin asked but they didn't answer.

"I don't know? Mail?" Y/n drawled.

"And where were you Thursday night?"

"Thursday, I'd have been with the boys. We got hammered. Six of us, there was. Finished at four. My missus woke me up at seven, I was out cold."

"Well, we're gonna need the names of all those you were with." Ellie said.

"But, I mean, you don't think I had anything to do with it?"

"I don't know. Did you?" Y/n asked.

"No."

"Ignore her." Ellie said, and Y/n gave her a sharp side look. "It's just to rule things out. Nothing to worry about." Hardy looked at her as Ellie smiled politely and warmly. "All right, thanks, Kevin. Bye."

They walked off. "Don't say that." Hardy said once they were a little ways away.

"Don't say what?" Ellie asked him.

"No need to worry."

"Why not?"

"Don't reassure people. Let them talk." Hardy said, which enraged Ellie.

"Can I just say, you can't just rock up here and try to mold me. I know what I'm doing and I know how to handle people. And you can keep your broody bullshit schtick to yourself," Then she turned to Y/n, "and your sarcastic and joking flirts to yourself. We're investigating a child's murder."

"Miller." Y/n said, sharply, she was tired of Ellie judging her based on her age, she had been silent until earlier "Don't think that just because you have more years in law enforcement, that you can understand even a fraction of what I've seen and been through. I do not need to explain my trauma to you. I hunt serial killers and serial rapists and human traffickers who think they could break me because I tend to be their type—young and a single woman—only to be mistaken on a colossal level and I have done so for the past six years and my trauma started before I even started. So, yes, everyone has secrets, and you need to understand that if you want to make it through this investigation, because I had to learn the hard way, bleeding and broken. I cope the way I cope. If I didn't I would have killed myself by now. Just because I try to make a little light in the darkness that is my life, does not mean I am not serious about this investigation. I don't have to stay here but I am so I can help get Danny justice because a lot of boys like Danny go under the radar. You don't know people as well as you think you do. That's why my job exists. I am trained to see what most don't notice. I'll walk back to the station." And she walked past them away from the car.

"We're four miles away and a child was just murdered." Hardy called after her. 

"Yeah, well, I'm not nine hundred years old like you. I've been through worse than walking five miles. I think I'll survive." Y/n shouted back.

"You just got here not forty-eight hours ago! You don't know your way around this place!" Hardy shouted.

"Just leave me alone and let me walk. Good for your mental state. You should try it!" She shouted back. Taking a walk. Something she was forced to do for a little less than a decade now.

—————————————————————————

Y/n had gotten back to the station perfectly fine, imagine that. 

She was going over something with Hardy with her dinner in a Tupperware container when Ellie came back with two wrapped dinners. She put one on Hardy's desk.

"What's that?" Hardy asked.

"Thai place was closed. Chippy was the only place open." Ellie said. 

"I can't eat that." He shook his head.

"You don't eat fish and chips?" Ellie asked, "What kind of a Scot are you?"

A grumpy one with a sexy accent. Y/n thought as Hardy looked at her before taking off his glasses and sitting down. She could easily become obsessed with Hardy's accent and the way he pronounced certain words.

"You eat chips?" Ellie asked Y/n.

Y/n's eyes flickered to the unwrapped fried food. She used to love chips, but she didn't eat them as much as she used to. Not since she was fifteen, well, twelve.

"No. I don't eat much fried food anymore." She said, shaking her head.

Hardy unwrapped the fried dinner and Ellie said, "That's all there is. Eat or be hungry." He stared at it but didn't eat it. "What's wrong with you two? Don't drink coffee and don't eat fish and chips." 

"Oh, I hate fish." Y/n shook her head and nodded at the barely eaten homemade variation of a Mediterranean salad in her lap. "I have this salad." She didn't seem particularly hungry, given she didn't have lunch.

"I hate salad."

"Oh, I do too. That's why there's no lettuce in this." She said.

"Then why do you eat it, if you don't mind me asking?" Ellie asked.

Y/n stared blankly at her for a few seconds. Much like how Hardy tended to do. "The postman, Kevin's alibi checks out." Y/n ignored the question. Apparently, she did mind her asking. "Four times." Then she stabbed at her salad.

"He was with his mates all night, the night Danny was killed." Hardy said.

"Jack Marhall got it wrong then?" Ellie asked.

"Or it's unrelated." Y/n said, "He could still be lying that he didn't have an argument with Danny."

"Do you think everyone is lying?" Ellie asked.

"Most people I talk to are trying to lie to me." Y/n said. "You have a heated argument with a child and that child ends up dead a few weeks later. Not ideal."

"She's right. Do we have any reason to disbelieve the postman? How's Marshall's eyesight? Does he have any reason to lie? And do we think that the money and the drugs found at the house are connected? Is that cash for the supply of cocaine?" Hardy asked.

"You do know you do this incessant list of questions thing?" Ellie asked, "Bam-bam-bam-bam, so no one's got a chance to reply. It's like you really enjoy it?"

"Do I?"

"Yeah, can I eat my dinner please?" Ellie asked, and she continued to eat.

After a few moments, Hardy asked her, "First murder. How you finding it?"

He was checking up on her. He wanted her to understand that people did have secrets as much as Y/n did but he didn't want Ellie to be traumatized and jaded like he was.

"Grim." Ellie said as Hardy picked up a single chip to eat. First time in forty-eight hours either of them had seen him eat.

"What do you make of Mark and Beth's list?"

"Heartbreaking." Ellie admitted, "Some of their best friends, Danny's teachers, baby-sitters, neighbors. They're traumatized, not thinking straight."

"Or smart. We never asked for a list." Hardy said, shaking another fry to get the grease off. "Maybe they're trying to direct where we look." He said a brief goodbye to somebody leaving before continuing. "Taking focus away from their household."

"They didn't kill Danny." Ellie said.

"You have to learn not to trust." Hardy said.

"Oh, do I? Of right. That's what you've been sent to teach me—the benefit of your experience..." Ellie said, getting frustrated again.

"You have to look at your community from the outside now."

"I can't be outside it and I don't want to be." Ellie argued.

"If you can't be objective, you're not the right fit." Hardy said and this seemed to hit the sore subject that he got the job that had been promised to her.

"No, I am the right fit. It's you who's not the right fit. Swanning in here and taking promotions meant for other people. Not being able to accept a cup of coffee or a bloody bag of chips without a great big sigh!" Ellie snapped and Hardy stared blankly at her with grumpy half-lidded eyes. "Sorry... sir."

"You need to understand, Miller, anybody's capable of this murder, given the right circumstances." Hardy said.

"Most people have a moral compass."

"Compasses break. And murder gnaws at the soul. Whoever did it will reveal themselves sooner or later." 

"No killer behaves normally over time, especially one like this. Danny was left out in the open. His killer wanted him to be found. This was their first kill and he's right, it isn't impossible that Danny's family didn't have anything to do with it. The statistics say that seventy-three percent of homicide victims knew their killers, and twenty-four-point-nine percent of them were done by a family member."

"That... can't be accurate." Ellie said, shocked at how high the number was.

"It is. I specialize in crimes against children, I'm required to know the statistics as mind-numbingly as the paperwork is. However, it's a bit harder to pinpoint the exact percentage that happens to children. But for kids who were murdered from ages zero to twelve, the most common perpetrators are family members."

"You know what people are like here already. You have to look for behavior out of the ordinary, even just a little bit. Follow your instincts." Hardy said.

"My instincts tell me the Latimers did not kill their son." Ellie said.

"Just make sure that's your instincts talking and not your judgment," Y/n said.

—————————————————————————

The next day, some time after lunch, Y/n went into Hardy's office, "The CCTV footage from the car park below the hut, I just sent it to you."

When Hardy noticed Ellie had returned from lunch, he shouted for her, "Miller!"

"What is it?" She asked after she entered.

"CCTV from the car park below the hut." He clicked the mouse to pause the video as a man walked around the hood of a car. "Mark Latimer."

"When is this?"

"The night Danny snuck out of his bedroom." Y/n said.

"He said he was out of a call. What's he doing?" Ellie asked.

"Waiting for someone." Y/n said.

"How do you mean?" Ellie said.

"His body language."  Y/n said.

Then the video continued until the screen was filled with static.

"Tape's run out. Is there another one?" Hardy asked, and Ellie started to look.

"No. Apparently, they just use the one tape and rerecord over it to save money." Ellie said.

"Bollocks!" Hardy cursed.

Then there was a hesitant knock at the door and it was the guy who was installing more phone lines. "Sorry." 

"Are you done?" Ellie asked as Hardy glanced at him, vaguely wondering who he was and why he was bothering them.

"No, no, it's not that." He said, "It's Danny Latimer you're doing, isn't it?"

This made Hardy look up at him and Y/n furrowed her brows.

"Why? " Ellie asked

"It's something to do with water." The man said.

"What?" Y/n asked. 

"What are you saying?" Hardy asked. 

"I've been told it's something to do with water." The man said.

"Told by who?" Ellie asked. 

I-I have, um... I have this thing where I... I get... I get messages." He stammered, leaving Ellie and Hardy still confused. Y/n's body language shifted and she sighed, heavily having gathered what this was about. "Psychic messages." 

"Oh, for God's sake, who let you in?" Hardy complained.

"No, the thing about the water, that's important. Don't just ignore it." The man tried to protest. 

"Oh, come on, out." Ellie sighed, trying to escort the man out. 

"It's something that I'm supposed to tell you." He continued, "Erm... like, he was... he was in a boat. Like he was... he was put in a boat. Yeah, yeah. I don't... I don't know why."

Y/n ran her hand over her face and asked, "You said it was a message. Who... told you this?"

"Danny."

—————————————————————————

They escorted the man, Steve Connelly, to the interrogation room. Hardy and Ellie sitting while Y/n stood behind them, leaning against the wall next to the door.

"And state your address for the tape." Ellie said.

"57 Whitney Road, Lewiston."

"Where is that?" Hardy asked.

"Um... it's about thirty miles from here." He said, pointing in a direction. "I cover the full region.

"And you're saying Danny Latimer wants us to know that he was put in a boat before he died?" Hardy asked, glaring at Steve.

"Yes."

"And I want you to know that nothing offends me more... than cranks wasting police time." Hardy growled. That must be quite the achievement. Y/n got the impression that a lot of things offended Hardy.

"I receive messages. I don't... I don't ask for them. I don't question them." Steve said.

"Did the message happen before or after you were allocated by your company to install extra phone lines here?" Y/n asked.

"After."

"Amazing. I love this." Hardy said, sarcastically, "The phone engineer who hears voices from the dead."

"I don't want this. It comes to me." Steve said and he held up his hands, "Look, you don't want to listen, that's fine."

"Oh, you're a reluctant psychic!?" Hardy spat out, "A child has died, and you come in with this self-indulgent horseshit!"

"Did you ever meet Danny Latimer?" Ellie asked.

"No, never."

"Do you know the family?" Ellie asked.

"No, I don't think so."

"Do you have any concrete evidence relating to the death of Danny Latimer?"

"No."

"Interview terminated at 6:17 PM." Ellie said as she turned off the recorder next to her.

"Do you know what happens around a murder, Mister Connelly?" Hardy asked, "A whole industry grows up, of groupies and rubberneckers, and people who want to touch the case. You're just the first. Don't let me see you 'round here again." He got up and started for the door.

"She says she forgives you." Steve said, and Hardy turned to him, "About the pendant." Hardy stared at him, a vacant yet traumatized look filled those chocolate brown eyes that usually only conveyed the exhausion and cynicism that his trauma had caused him. "And Officer L/N, she says it's not your fault."

"What?" Y/n asked, sharply.

"Your sister." Steve said, "She says that her death isn't your fault and neither are the things that happened before it." 

Y/n's face was paling and her breathing was growing more and more shallow. As he spoke, his face went in and out of focus as she felt like her axis was tipping and the world kept half swirling from one side to the other, almost like swaying... now that she mentioned it, the world was also swaying. Her sister's eyes and her smile swimming in and out of her vision.

"Stop talking." She said, a sharp plea, but there was a notable quiver in her voice.

"And she's sorry she wasn't there for you when you needed her after she died."

Images flashed behind her eyes, the white hosptial room, the doctors' faces, her aunt's face, the grainy black and white hospital pictures.

Y/n couldn't take it anymore; she fumbled for the door that Hardy had stepped back from to get out of her way, tore it open, and ran out, closing the door behind her.

"Miller, get him the hell out of here." Hardy said, sharply, pointing aggressively at Steve, and he opened the door to go after Y/n.

Hardy found Y/n across the hall, against the wall, sinking down it as she grabbed at her chest.

"L/n." He said, recognizing that this was a panic attack but that was only the to of the iceberg, he moved quickly in front of her. Hardy crouched down in front of her, trying to get her to focus on her.

"I can't... I can't breathe." She said, clawing at her chest and throat, pulling the fabric away from her throat but he grabbed her hands when she started to claw marks into her skin and he forced them away from her throat and by her sides.

"You're having a panic attack, you need to calm down and slow down your breathing." He said, rationally. "You're hyperventilating, you're making it harder for you to breathe."

"Oh, there are a lot of things making this worse right now." She said with a weak, disingenuous chuckle.

"Y/n." He said her first name, making her look at him, but only just barely to be really looking at him, he grasped her hands tightly in his in an effort to help ground her back to reality. "You're okay. You're in the police station in Broadchurch in Wessex, England. It is July twenty-first, 2013. Your name is Officer Y/n L/n with the Serious Crime Analysis Section in the National Crime Agency in London. You are twenty-four years old. You have two nieces that you have adopted as your own." He was describing their surroundings and what he knew about her to ground her back to reality. It was two of the techniques recommended if you're having a panic attack. "I need you to focus on me and only me. Listen to my voice. Breathe with me. Slowly. Breathe in... and breathe out." 

Her breathing was shaky as she attempted to do, copying his own deep breaths, but it slowly steadied and the fear slowly faded from her eyes. She looked at him and he looked at her. After a long time, she pulled her hands from his and wiped her eyes, wiping away her tears.

"Are you okay?" Hardy asked, "Do..." He didn't really know what to do now that it was over. "Do you need me to ring your girls?"

"No!" She said, quickly. "No. They don't... I don't like it when they get involved with... my issues. They worry. I don't like to worry them." He could relate. He hadn't told anyone about his heart problems. Not even his own daughter. Y/n couldn't seem to be able to keep his eye contact, he kept looking down, feeling embarrassed and then she said, "I'm sorry. This was unprofessional of me."

Was she actually apologizing for having a panic attack?

"You can't control your trauma, L/n." He said.

Ellie had returned now, looking concerned at Y/n's teary eyes and the tear stains around her eyes; the rest of her face was still quite pale. "Are you okay?"

"Okay is a relative term." She said. "I... I wasn't expecting... him to say that."

"What was he..." Ellie asked.

"Please, don't." Y/n said, and she cleared her throat, "There's no one who's old enough to remember that time besides me. No one ever talks about it to me anymore. It'd... triggered a... panic attack."

Hardy eyed her. That was more than a panic attack; that was a PTSD panic attack. She hadn't been kidding when she said she had trauma, and it was clear that it was about her sister's death, which, based on her reaction, she blamed herself for.

"Stop that." She said.

"Stop what?"

"Stop looking at me like that. Like you pity me. Stop it." She said.

"But what was he talking about? He said something about a pendant." Hardy didn't answer. "And your-your sister..."

"My sister was murdered." Y/n interrupted, sharply.

That... actually explained a lot. Her overprotectiveness of her girls and based off the chemical burns on her hands... she may not have been unscathed either.

"You said she died in labor."  Ellie said.

"Yeah, she was in labor when she was murdered." Y/n said, "I didn't lie, I just left out something. I... I was there when it happened."

Hardy's eyes flickered at her hands. The chemical burns. Hardy suspected she had gone unscathed from the incident.

"You're too close to me." She suddenly said to Hardy and he stood up, holding out a hand but she ignored it but she didn't get up, she just looked away from it as pain continued to throb in her body. She didn't seem to like touching.

Hardy turned to Ellie and continued on, respecting Y/n's obvious wishes to stop focusing on what just happened. "Every big case, these people come crawling out of the woodwork."

"What did he mean about the pendant?" Ellie asked, "Do you know?

"He has the bloody nerve to come in our office!" Hardy said, furiously. "Check his details, find out who he is. Rule him out, just to be sure." Then he turned to Y/n, who was still on the ground. "Are you going to stay down there?"

"Maybe." She said, the pain had dulled but didn't completely go away. It never did. She forced herself through it as she always did and got up. "Happy?"

"No." He said and he started to walk off.

Ellie and Y/n followed him into the bullpen and he entered his office.

"What are you going to do now?" Ellie asked.

"Mark Latimer lied to us about where he was that night." Hardy said.

"Danny's social network profiles from his hard drive. They've just come through, all his posts." Ellie said and she read Danny's posts out loud, "Third of May: going to get a lock on my door, keep all this crap out. Seventh May: she's totally having sex with Dean. Twelfth of May: Dear Dad, remember me? I'm the one you used to play with. Twelfth of May: I know what he's doing."

"See you later."

"Hey, where are you going. I'm coming with."

"You just had a panic attack." Hardy said, continuing to walk as Y/n followed him. "I'm not bringing you along. Go home."

"No. I'm not going 'hoome'." She mimicked the way he pronounced the word with his accent. Honestly, she had been tempted to do for the past two days, it was amazing it had taken this long to do so for her. "It was a shock, that's all."

"It was PTSD. I'm sure you, being a forensic psychologist, can recognize that." Hardy said.

"Recognize it?" She scoffed. "I live with it. And like you're any different!" Hardy stopped and turned to her, his eyes intense. "I read the Sandbrook case. I know what happened."

"No, you don't." He promised.

"I know enough. I read the lines on the file and in between the lines as a profiler. I know that you're not the same as you were before it. You've got PTSD too. I could see it on the beach when you saw Danny's body and I know why you took his job."

"Why, if you know so much about me?" He challenged.

"You're punishing yourself for what happened on that case and you took this job as penance. You don't want to let Danny down like you feel you did in Sandbrook. You're not the only one."

"What does that mean?"

"What happened to my sister was my fault. That's why I do what I do now. My PTSD won't interfere with my abilities in this case. You have my word on that." She promised.

Hardy searched her face for any deception but all he saw was stubborn determination—not unlike his own. "Fine. But you're going home early and if I get the idea that it is, I'm calling your boss."

—————————————————————————

Hardy and Y/n took Mark out to the backyard, closing the sliding door for some privacy while Beth watched them through the glass.

"Um, Thursday night... the night Danny went missing," They had clokced by now that Mark had a bit of a temper, apparently the local preist had gone on TV to offer condolences and sharing belief in the church that they will support everyone in the wake of the tragedy and Mark had stormed over there and practically throttled him in rage. "Where were you?

"On a call-out. Call came through... I dunno, early evening, about half six. Whole family's system had packed in, you know?" Mark said, even though they knew he was lying to them. 

"How long did that take?" 

"Most of the night. It was a nightmare boiler, so I was there pretty late." Mark continued to lie.

"No." Hardy said.

"Why are you lying to us, Mister Latimer?" Y/n asked.

"There was no call out." Hardy said and Mark stared at them. "We have CCTV footage of the car park at the top of Briar Cliff. You were there at seven-thirty."

"Uh..." He glanced at the house before turning back to them, "so you're snooping on me now?"

"No. We just checked the CCTV in the area where Danny was found, and we saw you." Y/n said.

"Now, what did you do that night?" Hardy asked.

"What am I, a suspect?" Mark asked.

"The first thing we do is eliminate people from the investigation. You tell me where you were, who you were with, how long for, I can eliminate you from suspicion. It's entirely methodical. You don't give me those facts, I can't eliminate you. And if I can't eliminate you, you're a person of interest." Hardy explained.

"In the murder of my own son?" Mark said, looking past them.

"I'm sure this is all very straightforward," Hardy said, looking down.

"Mister Latimer, most cases of kids who were Danny's age were killed by a family member. I can tell you love Danny, his death hasn't changed that. But we need look at every angle, that includes his family and you were the only one not in the house. You tell us where you were and we can get closer to finding out who really did this and they will pay for what they did." Y/n explained.

"I, uh... I met a mate. You know, we drove off together, and then he dropped me back at the car park and er... I came home." He said, still being evasive.

"What time?" Hardy asked.

"Three or four in the morning, maybe." He said.

"What's your mate's name?" Hardy asked.

"I can't remember."

"Sorry? You can't remember the name of your friend?" Hardy asked. "Where did you go?"

"I think we just had a drive around. Bite to eat. Bit of a drink."

You think?  This was three days ago." Hardy said.

"Yeah, and a lot's happened since then." Mark pointed out.

"And is there any reason you wouldn't want to tell me the name of your mate?" Hardy asked, glancing at Beth through the window, he had a suspiscion. "This is only about who killed Danny. Nothing else."

"Um... It'll come back to me. I'm just knackered. I haven't been sleeping, you know, all the stuff on the news. Head's not straight."

"Yeah, we heard about that." Y/n said and Mark looked at her.

"When you came in, you went straight to bed?" Hardy asked.

"Yeah."

"Can your wife confirm what time you came back?"

"No. She was asleep." He said.

"Mark, who you met... it's a big gap in your recollection." Hardy said and then his phone rang.

"Sorry." He stepped away, "What?" His body language shifted and he turned to Y/n, "L/n. You should hear this." 

"Excuse me, Mark." Y/n smiled and went to Hardy. "What's up?"

"Miller's at the hut. They think that's where Danny was killed." He said as they moved even further away from Mark so they could put Hardy's phone on speaker phone. "Miller, go on. Anything else?"

"Yeah, the whole place has been cleaned. But we've also found another set of prints by the sink. I messaged them through to run a match against elimination prints. They belong to Mark Latimer."

[gryfflepuffinthetardis]

Blood in My Ledger (Alec Hardy): Season/Series One, Episode One

Word Count: 8966 Words

Warnings: Canon child's death; Canon child's body; Mention of a mother dying in labor; Reader has grief over sister's death; Canon family in grief; Alec Hardy being socially awkward; Chemical burn scars

"No one ever told me that grief felt so much like fear." — C.S. Lewis

Officer Y/n L/N arrived in Broadchurch and made it to the crime scene before Alec Hardy and Ellie Miller. She traveled with her nieces who she had adopted as her daughters as soon as she was legally allowed to, so she had to set them up at the hotel before she traveled to the crime scene on the beach.

By the time Alec Hardy arrived, Y/n was already crouched over the young boy's body. He was just a young boy, barely more than ten years old.

Alec Hardy arrived, not really noticing the young woman with the h/c and e/c at first, only the body that was prompting a small panic attack to surge through him. She looked remorsefully at the body of the boy.

"Oh, God, don't do this to me." He muttered to himself.

 Y/n's eyes flickered up from the boy's body to see a man who was at least a decade older than her, but his tired eyes made him seem older. The man stopped, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, he was gathering his strength. The man was handsome, very handsome, but he didn't look very well-cared for; his hair looked like it wanted to curl but was just as tired as the rest of the man so it just didn't and drooped. It barely looked combed. The man looked professional but drained... more than that, he looked like the definition of depression. And Y/n would know. The man was muttering to himself. If she didn't know what one looked like, she'd say he was fighting through a panic attack. 

He wasn't moving and his breathing was so heavy that his shoulder kept rising and falling. He looked like he was overwhelmed by all the senses around him. Y/n knew who he was. She had kept tabs on the Sandbrook case. "Come on." He breathed to himself and forced himself to walk. One foot in front of the other.

"What do we got here?" Alec Hardy asked. He had a Scottish accent, so he likely wasn't from around here. Somewhere around Paisley, maybe?

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Y/n asked, standing up to her full height. He looked familiar, and it wasn't like he was a face you'd forget and she wouldn't be forgetting that accent any time soon.

"DI Alec Hardy, and this is my crime scene. Who the hell are you?" Alec asked.

"I'm a new transfer, sort of. Officer Y/n L/n from the SCAS in the NCA. I'm a forensic psychologist."

"A what?" He deadpanned.

"I'm a profiler. I analyze the behavior of criminals based on their crimes and use that to find them. I specialize in crimes against children so I was called when the boy's body was reported."

"Oh." Alec groaned in annoyance. "You're too young."

"I am twenty-four years old, old man." She retorted back, making Alec give her an offended look, and looked at the body, scanning it, "He didn't fall. There's no bruising consistent with blunt trauma. But..." She crouched down, "He might've been strangled. There is bruising consistent with manual strangulation. I'd wager the attacker was male. Most likely an adult but it's hard to tell. He was placed here with care. The killer was remorseful, he may have known the killer. It's entirely possible the killer cared for the boy, his murder may have been entirely accidental."

Hardy stared at the woman, but the skepticism had disappeared from his eyes. Something mingled with that tired sadness... he was impressed.

Y/n's eyes flickered back to Hardy to a woman who was allowed past the tape, and she looked past her to see a middle-aged woman casually smoking and holding a dog leash. Too casually. She balled her fists as a memory throbbed, and she dug her nails into the palms of her hands. As she did this, Hardy crouched down to examine the boy's body.

The woman who was allowed past the tape started to speak in horror. "Oh, God. No, no, no."

Hardy stood up and tried to instruct her while Y/n analyzed the woman's face and voice. Recognition. She knew the boy. 

"Off the beach. This area's off-limits." Hardy ordered.

"No, I'm police." The woman said, taking out her badge and handing it to him, never looking away from the boy's body. "Oh, God, I know him. He lives here. He has tea at my house. He's my boy's best friend. Oh, God, Beth. Does Beth know?"

Y/n stepped to her, "Alright, calm down. Who's Beth?"

"You don't understand! I know that boy!"

"I understand that." Y/n said with calm compassion laced in her professionalism.

"Shut it off." Hardy said, bluntly.

"'Shut it off'!?" The woman exclaimed.

"Be professional. You're working a case now." Hardy said and held his hand out. "Alec Hardy."

"I know. You got my job."

"Really? You wanna do that now?" Hardy asked.

"You don't even know who he is!" 

"Tell me!"

Y/n moved to the two arguing older detectives and she spoke rationally. "I understand this is more than a little jarring, but you need to compartmentalize for the moment. Right now, we need to know as much as we can. And this is not the time nor the place to be bickering over a job, we've got a dead child here."

"Who are you?" The woman asked.

"Officer Y/n L/n. I worked in the Serious Crime Analysis Section in the NCA. I specialize in crimes against children. And you are?"

"D.S. Ellie Miller."

"Now... who was he?" Y/n asked.

"Danny. Daniel Latimer. Eleven-years-old. Goes to school with my boy, Tom. His family live here. Dad's the local plumber."

"Is this a suicide spot?"

"He wouldn't do that."

"Answer the question." Hardy said.

Ellie glared at him and replied, "No. There are others. There's one three miles west. Another one further inland. He's not that type of kid."

"He didn't commit suicide. The bruising and placement of the body's inconsistent." Y/n repeated.

"I need more than the word of a twenty-four-year-old using a pseudoscience." He said. He wasn't disagreeing with her. There was definitely something off about the placement of the body.

"Is it already reminding you of Sandbrook?" She countered, and he looked sharply at her. "Young child murdered near the water. Must be triggering."

Hardy glared at her for a few more moments and said, sharply, "What else can you deduct?"

"Not much else at the moment." She said.

"Great. Find out where SOCO are. We have to move fast. That tide'll be in.

"Who's Beth?" Y/n asked.

"His mother. She'll be devastated."

"Any good mother would." Y/n muttered and then as they covered the body, she looked past them to see a frantic, rapidly approaching woman with the body language she had seen too many times over the course of her career—the body language of a mother who knew that they had outlived their child but needed confirmation of what their mother's intution already told them. "Oh, boy. That her?"

Ellie turned to see a very beautiful woman in her early thirties with auburn hair in a red dress, carrying her shoes to keep them from slowing her down on the loose, sandy terrain of the beach, running and panting as she got closer.

"No, Beth, get off the beach!" Ellie said as Y/n shifted, trying to shield Danny's body from Beth's view.

"What have you found!? Let me see, let me see!" Beth shouted as Hardy and other officers tried to stop her.

"You can't be here!"

Beth caught sight of Danny's shoes before Y/n blocked them.

"Those are his shoes. Those are Danny's trainers." Beth gasped as she grew hysterical, as the officers tried to pull her back. "THOSE ARE DANNY'S TRAINERS! NO! NO!"

Ringing rang in Y/n's ear. No, not ringing. Screaming. Multiple ringing screams that throbbed against her skull.

"DANNY!"

Y/n wished she could say this was an uncommon occurrence. For the memories of the screams to ring in her ears, but they were far from that.

—————————————————————————

Hardy, Ellie, and Y/n walked along the top of the cliff as Hardy criticized," They let people walk along here, no safety barriers?"

"It's the coastal path. People know to be careful."

"Careful or not, people can still trip and be pushed by accident. Cliffs crumble and bring whatever's on top of them with them." Y/n pointed out.

"She's right. It's a death trap." Hardy agreed as they approached the SOCO team.

"Morning, Brian. This is a new transfer, Officer Y/N L/N from NCA." Ellie greeted, and Y/n awkwardly smiled and waved.

 "How's it going?" Hardy said, straight to the point.

"Well, from what we've got up here, sir, it looks like the rock fall around the body was faked." Brian said.

"What do you mean?" Ellie asked.

"The angle of the body was wrong. It was too arranged." Brian said, and Y/n looked at Hardy with a sardonic look, like, imagine that, as she had already told him that twice. "And up here, there's no flattened grass or slippage. No loose rocks. No fibers, no hand marks. No sense of a downward trajectory."

"You mean he didn't fall?" Ellie asked.

"Could he have jumped?" Hardy asked, still not ruling it out.

"That's unlikely, sir, given where he was found and the trajectory of the cliffs."

"See, not Danny."

"Someone tried to make it look like an accident." Y/n said, "It's unlikely he was on the cliff."

—————————————————————————

They walked down the cliff as more cars arrived, including one that didn't look police-issued. 

"Get on to the pathologist. Tell him to hurry up. Even if it is just preliminary." Hardy said.

"He'll have to take his time. What happened to Danny in the hours before his death are just as important as what happened to him." Y/n advised.

"We need to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else."

"I understand that, sir." Y/n spat it out, turning sharply, "But hurrying results may cause for something to be overlooked. Time isn't always better than efficacy, contrary to what men may widely believe."

Hardy did a double-take at her implication as she walked on as if she hadn't said anything rather cheeky. Ellie raised her eyebrows.

A young man around Y/n's age with brown hair got out of a cheap, hand-me-down-looking red car that pulled up.

"DS Miller!" The man shouted.

"Who is that?" Hardy asked.

"Just keep walking." Ellie sighed.

The man jogged over to them. "Ellie!"

"He seems to know you." Hardy stated the obvious.

"Auntie Ellie!"

Ah, there it was.

Ellie held up a stern finger and reprimanded her nephew, it was more than the sternness of the mother of an eleven-to-twelve-year-old boy. It was lifelong. And her son and her nephew had quite the age gap and based off the state of the car... that told Y/n that Ellie was the responsible sibling while her sibling and nephew's mother was irresponsible, so Ellie grew up scolding and being stern.

"I told you, don't do that!"

"Olly Stevens, Broadchurch Echo." Olly introduced himself to Hardy and Y/n.

"Ugh." Hardy groaned, and Y/n scoffed, her jaw and hands clenching. She detested journalists. They tended to make her job even harder for their own ambition without caring who they hurt with the consequences of their actions. But mostly, she had a personal reason she hated journalists so much.

Olly jogged alongside his aunt, questioning her, "I was down at the other end. They said you'd be here. Why has the beach been closed?"

"Because it's been closed." Y/n answered unhelpfully.

"No statements now." Hardy answered.

"I heard there was a body. Has it been ID'ed?" Olly asked.

To Y/n's surprise, Hardy opened the backseat passenger door for her and looked at her. She blinked in surprise, not used to people acting out of simple kindness for her and especially not from men. She smiled in thanks and ducked inside. He closed it after her and got in the front seat without a word to Olly.

"Please." Olly begged for something.

"There will be a statement, Oliver." Ellie said and got in the seat next to Hardy. Then they drove off. They had to alert the family.

—————————————————————————

They pulled up to the Latimer house and Hardy asked, "Are they all in here?"

"Sir. I can lead with this family." Ellie offered.

"No." 

"I know them." Ellie said.

"How many deaths like this have you worked?" Hardy asked.

"You can't make it better. Don't try."

"You don't know how I work." Ellie said.

"L/n. What are the probabilities of Danny's death?" Hardy said.

"The most likely premise is abduction. Was he taken, and if so, then by whom? The statistics say that it was most likely by someone he knew. You need to watch their movements, their reactions, every single one. I can only do so much, but you know them personally. Any behavior that doesn't make any sense, you should tell DI Hardy or me."

"Okay." Ellie said, and Y/n started to unbuckle as her seatbelt and get out. "I'm sorry, if you don't mind me asking, how many of these have you done?"

"Quite a few. I specialize in crimes like these against children. I may be young, but I've been doing this for six years and I am more than competent for this job." 

"I wasn't questioning your competence." Ellie denied.

"Yes, you were. You're just being polite by not voicing it, but you're thinking it. You're thinking that I can't be this young and be truly competent for this case. But let me tell you that my career was fast-tracked, and there is a reason for that. I am no less capable than an older officer may be, more perhaps."

"Wha-what does that mean?" Ellie asked but Y/n was already getting out of the car.

Hardy raised his eyebrows and got out of the car, soon followed by Ellie.

When they knocked on the door, Danny's father, Mark Latimer, opened the door. Hardy shook his hand while Y/n smiled solemnly and waved awkwardly again.

The whole family was waiting for them, their grief suspended with their uncertainty of who was found on the beach. Beth was standing up, staring out the back door. Danny's older sister, Chloe, sat on the couch with Danny's grandmother, Liz Roper.

"Morning." Hardy said and cut right to the chase. "I'm Detective Inspector Alec Hardy, this is Officer Y/n L/n from the National Crime Agency, and I think, you know DS Miller. Why don't you take a seat? We need to talk about something."

"Yeah." Mark said, hollowly. 

Hardy went to fetch a chair and returned with two, one for him and one for Y/n. She briefly paused again before sitting down in it, glancing at Hardy, momentarily before she turned her attention to the family. She knew these moments. These suspended-in-grief moments where it was Schrodinger's Cat. Danny was both dead and alive until they broke the news and opened the box to reveal that the poison had killed the cat and that it had been Danny's body on the beach.

Liz sat with her arms crossed, leaned forwards with a cross necklace on, Chloe sat back, shrunken back on the couch, her whole world that had previously just been about growing up, school, and boys was about to come crashing down when she learned the brother she had taken for granted was gone. Beth sat literally on the edge of her seat, her hands folded on her lap, axniety written on her face with... maybe just the slightest bit of hope that they would tell her that it wasn't Danny. Mark sat between Beth and Chloe with one arm around his wife and his other arm around his doaughter, looking numb and in shock, just as uncertain how to feel as he was uncertain if it really was Danny and he was hoping so much that it wasn't. 

Hardy sat down in his chair and started, speaking with gentleness and more than just sympathy but empathy. "The body of a young boy was found..."

"It's Danny, isn't it?" Beth interrupted, anxiously. 

"Let him tell us, please." Mark said, breathlessly.

"I saw his shoes!" Beth interjected.

"Plenty of kids have those shoes." Mark tried to reason and nodded to Hardy, "Sorry, you talk."

Hardy nodded and broke the news, still speaking in the gentle tone, "We believe it's Danny's body."

The box was open. The news crushed any hope the family had had that it hadn't been Danny.

Beth struggled not to burst into tears and she looked at Ellie for complete confirmation. "Who is it, Ellie? Was it him?"

When Ellie didn't protest but remained silent with tears in her eyes as she nodded, Beth started to sob and hyperventilate. Mark took her hand, and Chloe and Liz joined in holding their hands as the family grieved at the sudden passing of the young boy. Mark wrapped an arm around Beth and an arm around Chloe as both women started to cry.

Y/n's mind rebelled against her will and forced her to recall when she woke up... her aunt Iris sat by her side with baby Isobel in her arms, just a few months old by the time, Y/n finally got to meet her. Y/n had known... she knew that Jasmine was dead. Iris couldn't get the words out as she choked on the tears, and Y/n just nodded, understanding the horrible news. She had known there would be no saving Jasmine, but because of what she did, Isobel got to live.

Once the grief had settled in, Ellie went to make the family some tea. And Beth asked Hardy, "Was it an accident? Did he fall?"

It wasn't a good idea to confirm this to the family without a proper autopsy.

"We don't know yet. Can you think why he might have been up on the cliffs last night or this morning?" Hardy asked.

"He wouldn't have been." Beth said.

"Well, he obviously was." Mark said.

"He didn't have any reason to be." Beth rephrased

"How was Danny over the past few days?" Y/n asked.

"He didn't kill himself if that's what you're suggesting."

"Ellie said the same thing. I'm a behavioral analyst. I study the behaviors of criminals and..." She hated using the word 'victim'. "The people the crimes have been committed against. I need to know how Danny's been."

"He's been just... normal." Beth said.

"He wouldn't kill himself. He knows he can talk to us about anything." Mark said as Chloe sat beside her father again.

"And you last saw him when?" Hardy asked.

"I looked in on him... about nine o'clock last night." Beth said. "He was laying in bed reading."

"Anyone see Danny this morning?" Hardy asked.

Beth shook her head, "No. He was up and out before anyone else. He's got a paper route... but he didn't turn up for that. Jack, I spoke to him." Beth looked at Hardy and Y/n and explained, "He runs the paper shop."

"Any signs of forced entry or disturbance around the house?" Y/n asked.

"No, nothing." Mark said. "I want to see the body." Nobody replied. "You might be wrong about it being him. So, I want to be sure. I want to see.

—————————————————————————

Ellie took Mark down to the station while Hardy and Y/n searched Danny's room. There was absolutely no sign of any forced entry.

Y/n found Chloe sitting against the wall, hugging her knees.

"You need anything?" Y/n asked, knowing asking if she was okay was stupid. "Water? Chocolate? Ice cream? Pizza?" Chloe gave her a look, "Studies show that fatty foods can make you feel less sad, not that it'll make it go away but that's why it's called comfort food."

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not and it's okay not to be fine." Y/n said as she slid down the wall to sit next to her. She pulled a bag of chocolates out of her bag and offered one to Chloe, she looked at her. "Chocolate is a natural antidepressant, plus it's delicious. What, you don't like chocolate?"

"Who doesn't like chocolate?"

"Only idiots." Y/n joked, and Chloe managed a small twitch of her mouth that hinted at a smile and she took a piece. "They say dark chocolate is better for grief, but it's gross, this-this chocolate's from Belgium. My youngest, she loves chocolate, I mean loves it, she hoards it, I have a hide it. I always give them comfort foods when they're sad."

"You have kids?" Chloe asked, Y/n didn't look too much longer than her, barely a decade.

"Well, they're my nieces. They were my sisters' daughters before... look, I know how you feel, believe it or not." She seemed to be having trouble getting words out. "You know, I lost my sister when I was fifteen too." Y/n said, "She was eighteen. We... I was there and the memory still haunts me and I'm still dealing even eight years later."

"What happened? I-I'm sorry. That was... I'm sorry." Chloe said.

"She... it was a complicated situation, she always tried her hardest to protect me. The big sister and all that. That's what got her killed. She was my best friend, she was always there for me and then suddenly she wasn't and she wouldn't be ever again.

"Does it get better?" Chloe asked.

"I wish I could say it did... but better's not really the word. Easier. More like it. Easier to live with. But I still live with the constant ache that replaced where she used to be. I think about her every day. I've been where you are, Chloe. I used to live in a town like this when my sister was killed, and I feel I should warn you.

"About what?" Chloe asked.

"These following months, in a town like this, I can't promise you it'll be easy, especially when people find out, they'll look at you with pity and they'll expect you to be grateful for it. It'll be hard that all the memories, everything will remind you of him and it won't be easy."

—————————————————————————

Hardy paced in front of a whiteboard with Danny's picture on it.

Y/n and Ellie were the only women in the group that he spoke to. 

"Was Danny Latimer abducted? Did someone gain access to the house?" Hardy questioned. Y/n's memory betrayed her again and ventured off to when she was twelve and was abruptly awoken with a rough hand slamming over her mouth to keep her quiet before she saw that disgusting hunger in his eyes and Jasmine's distant pleas for to leave Y/n alone from the other room. "If so, how? If it wasn't forced entry, who has the key? We need to collect any CCTV from a mile radius around the house." Hardy turned to Ellie and said, "Miller, family. Who are they and where were they?"

"Beth had Chloe, their eldest daughter, when she was fifteen. Uh, Mark was seventeen."

"Beth and Chloe were at home watching the telly." Y/n said, recalling the answers to the questions she had asked the family back at the house. "They say they didn't leave the house until school the next morning. Mark was out on an emergency call-out. Apparently, he's the local plumber. He got in around three in the morning. Neither parent thought to check on Danny. Last time either of them saw him was when Beth checked in on him at nine o'clock. Liz Roper, Beth's mother, lives nearby. She was in all evening and Mark's mum lives in Wales."

"Until we're ready, all of this remains confidential. No gossip. Do you understand? All right. Go on." 

The Chief Super, Jenkinson, waited to pull Hardy aside to talk to him but not before talking to Y/n, "Officer L/N, your boss wants to speak to you. Line three."

Y/n noticed the uneasy look Jenkinson had. She had learned a little about her past. Y/n slid off the desk. She was sitting cross-legged on it as she felt Hardy's eyes on her. She spun in a semi-flourish and sat down, and picked up the phone, "Hello, boss-man. How's Foxley Hall?" As her boss answered, her eyes shifted to Hardy's hard eyes on her. "Uh... It's a bit crowded here, you mind if I give you a ring somewhere else? Thank you, sir. See you in a minute."

—————————————————————————

As Hardy spoke to Jenkinson spoke, Y/n spoke to her own boss about if she thought Danny's death was related.

"No, sir. I don't think so. Well, whoever put Danny there, placed him there with care and remorse... they never have remorse." Her boss asked if she wanted to come back. "No, sir. I think I'll stay. Danny deserves justice."

—————————————————————————

Y/n walked with Hardy and Ellie on the boardwalk.

"What did Jenkinson want?" Ellie asked.

"Jenkinson?" Hardy asked.

"The Chief Super. I saw you walking with her." Ellie clarified.

"No." Was all Hardy replied with.

"I did, you were having 99s," Ellie said.

"I think he meant 'no' as in he's not going to answer your question." Y/n deadpanned.

"What did your boss want?"

"Asked me if I thought it was serial and if I needed more officers or if I was going back to London?"

"Do you?" Hardy asked.

"Too soon to be sure but I don't think so."

"Then why aren't you leaving?" Ellie asked.

Y/n, similarly to Hardy, didn't answer the question.

"Miller, your son went to school with Danny. Does he know yet?"

"No."

"You need to talk to him."

"Tomorrow. I'll tell him tonight." Ellie said, and then she said, "And sir, do you mind not calling me, 'Miller'?"

Hardy looked at her and frowned, "Why?"

"I don't really like the surname thing. I prefer Ellie."

"Ellie." Hardy tried out as though he had never heard the quite common name before and it was foreign to him, "Ellie." Then he decided, "no."

Y/n rolled her eyes and said, "Do you have any other kids, Ellie?"

"Yes. I do. Fred. He's two." 

"Oh." Y/n smiled, warmly.

"Do you have kids?" Ellie mostly meant it as a joke, given her age and the job she had.

"Sort of. Two nieces. I adopted them when... my sister was... " She cleared her throat and looked down, and Ellie's face softened in sympathy while Hardy felt a twinge around his heart. "Thirteen and eight. My sister died when she was in labor with the youngest. Anyways, they're back at the hotel."

"You don't have someone watching them. School's not out yet."

"They get assignments because of my job. We don't have anyone else and I don't tend to trust people enough to let my girls get near them for long, nonetheless, leave them with them when I'm cities away for sometimes weeks at a time." Y/n said with a note of protectiveness in her tone, like anyone dared to would have to get past her first.

Hardy almost let a smile tug at his lips, reminded of how he felt towards Daisy.

—————————————————————————

They stopped at the paper shop to talk to Jack Marshall, who was clearly saddened by the news of Danny's death.

"Jack, we need to ask you a few questions. Danny didn't turn up for his round this morning?" Ellie asked.

"I assumed he was sick."

"Did he often miss his round?" Ellie asked.

"They all do, one time or another."

"How was Danny yesterday?" Y/n asked.

"No different than usual."

"Didn't notice anything on his mind the last few weeks?" Y/n asked.

"He was only in here fifteen minutes first thing. I'm no psychiatrist. Surely, that's your job."

"Yes but I didn't know Danny." Y/n said.

"Are you married?" Hardy asked Jack, suddenly.

"No. Are you?" Jack asked but Hardy didn't answer.

Jack looked back at Ellie and Y/n while Hardy didn't stop staring.

"They brought him in here, Mark and Beth. Three days old, he was. " Jack reminisced and he looked at Hardy, "It's not right."

"No. But sadly, that's how the world is. As tragic as it is, sometimes children die before they can truly become themselves." Y/n mused, heavily, and she felt Hardy examine her. She could tell he was piecing together that her sister must've been young when she died. He wasn't exactly right but he wasn't wrong either.

Jack sympathized... more than that, he empathized, but he didn't let on. 

—————————————————————————

Hardy, Ellie, and Y/n met up with the coroner once he had finished on the preliminary autopsy on Danny's body.

"What do you have?" Hardy asked him.

"Superficial cuts and bruises to the face. Traces of domestic cleaning fluid on the skin. Cause of death was asphyxiation."

Hardy turned to Y/n and dryly said, "You were right."

She didn't react as through she had heard. She was fidgeting with her hands. Hardy's brown eyes fell down to her hands, she was scratching the inside of her palm and... her skin was discolored like... a chemical burn, but it was almost all of her palm. Y/n seemed to notice him looking without even looking at him because she hurriedly pocketed both her hands, hiding them from him.

"He was strangled." The coroner continued, solemnly, clearly the autopsy had been harrowing for him, given Danny's age, "Bruising to the neck and the windpipe, and at the top of the spine." Y/n swore sometimes she could still feel their hands against her throat. "The pattern of bruises suggest large hands."

"Male?" Y/n asked.

"I'd think so." The coroner said, "It, um... it would have been brutal." Y/n lost count of how many times they would choke her until she passed out after the third month. "The angle suggests he would have been facing his attacker. They always liked it when she was facing them as they choked her, so she would never know whether or not they'd be the last thing she saw. "Uh... he would have known."

"Any sexual violence?" Hardy asked.

"Mercifully, no."

Y/n felt some semblance of relief for the young boy... that he hadn't suffered as...

"The time of death?" Hardy asked.

"I'd put it between 10 PM, Thursday night and 4 AM Friday morning."

Hardy closed the file and shook the coroner's hand, "Thank you."

The coroner shook Ellie's hand, but when he reached for Y/n, she stepped away and gave an awkward yet polite nod of thanks.

"We don't get these around here." The coroner said. If Y/n had a nickel for every time, she'd heard that. "Make sure you find them."

As they left, Hardy asked Y/n bluntly, "What happened to your hands?"

"I had a bad day." She said, vaguely.

—————————————————————————

They went back to the Latimers' house, where they were all still grieving the loss of the youngest Latimer, taken violently from them, far too young. They had to let them know what happened.

"We... have some preliminary findings." Hardy told them once they entered, after Beth numbly let them back in. He spoke in the same gentle and understanding voice that told Y/n that he, too, was a parent, "We are treating Danny's death as suspicious." Beth gasped, horrified, as Liz grasped at her heart at the news. "We think he may have been killed."

"I should have checked on him before I went to bed. If I'd checked..." Beth said.

"Beth, this is not your fault." Ellie reassured her. "Whatever happened, this is not down to you."

"You can never predict when these things happen. You'll drive yourself insane with all the 'what if's and the "I should have's." Y/n said in a calm tone but her words were heavy, telling Hardy that she tortured herself with those. "This is no one's fault except for the person who did it."

"I promise... we will find the person responsible." Hardy promised. Beth sobbed as Mark went to her to embrace and comfort her. "You have my word."

"He's a little boy!" Beth sobbed, and Chloe went to her room so she could call her boyfriend; she had to get out of the house.

—————————————————————————

They stopped at a gas station. Hardy looked at Ellie. "You okay?"

"I'll be better once I've eaten something." Ellie said. "You two want anything."

"No." Hardy said.

"I need to call my girls." Y/n said, and she started to unbuckle her seatbelt.

"Do you think other kids are in danger?" Ellie asked, and she turned to look at Y/n, "You said Danny's killer is likely remorseful."

"Just because a killer is remorseful doesn't mean they won't do it again." She sighed. "I don't know if any other kids are in danger. It's just too soon but you should keep your son indoors until we get more information." Then she got out of the car as she called the only non-work contact she had on speed dial.

Hardy's head tilted as his eyes went to the car side mirror, where he could see Y/n where she was leaning against the car, her hair blowing messily in the beach air as she had to keep brushing and irritatedly batting it out of her face. She clearly wasn't used to being in a beach town. She was definitely a city girl. There was something... about her. He had never worked with an NCA officer before but he was pretty sure they weren't supposed to be like her. He could tell there was a trauma behind those E/C eyes, he didn't know if it had happened on the job or not but she had definitely seen things. He could tell in the small things. How she hesitated and looked confused when he held the car door open for her and pulled up a chair for her, something that was just a natural instinct for him to do for another human being, but it had clearly taken her aback as though she wasn't used to common decency. 

He knew that her sister had died in labor, but he could tell there was something about it she wasn't saying, not that he wanted her to go into detail. He noticed that she was not as happy as she pretended to be, not that she had smiled too much, but she wasn't her true self when she talked, or maybe she was, just as much as she was her true self when she thought no one was looking. 

He could chalk all of this up to her being traumatized by her sister's death... except for those burns... they looked like chemical burns. And he knew that she didn't have to be here but she was choosing to stay. 

Hardy got out as Y/n took her phone away from her ear. He needed some air.

Y/n looked up at him and then bent her head down, looking down. She was nervous to be alone with him, he realized. But he wasn't sure if it was because of her trauma or just social anxiety—he got social anxiety, that's for sure.

"How are your girls?" He asked, thinking of Daisy and how we wished he could talk to her every day, not just that but see her.

"Fine. Just making sure, they don't eat chocolate cake for lunch. My youngest, she'd eat chocolate cake for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if I didn't stop her."

Hardy's lip betrayed him, and he almost smiled.

Y/n looked up and a teasing smile lit up her face but still it didn't seem to fully reach her eyes, just enough to fool ordinary people who didn't know to look for those subtle microexpressions.

"Was that a smile?" 

"No." Hardy refused to admit.

"You smiled." She sang.

"No, I didn't." He shook his head.

She smiled at him and he tried not to look at it. "Fine. I'll keep your secret." She teased and then she said, "How many do you have?"

"What?" He asked, growing internally socially anxious as this seemed to be crossing into small talk region, and he hated small talk... and social interactions.

"Kids. How many kids you got?" Y/n asked.

"How'd you know I got a kid?" He questioned. He didn't doubt her capabilities, despite her age, she had proven to be on point so far, perhaps that's what made him anxious about her, that she can read what he tries so hard to hide.

"You looked at the Latimers with sympathy only a parent would know. Especially a parent who doubled as a cop. Like you spent every moment since they were born terrified that one of the world's monsters would hurt them."

He hesitantly nodded, uncomfortable. "A daughter. Daisy. She's fifteen. Lives with her mum." There was a great sadness in his words, he clearly he could see her more often.

Y/n searches his face with her eyes, and he anxiously wonders what she's deducing. What she's deducing is that if his daughter was fifteen, then when the Sandbrook case happened, his daughter would've been twelve—exactly the same age as that girl's.

There's something both familiar and foreign about the officer, and it unsettles Hardy. She had a teasing manner not unsimilar to his ex-wife's, who had a way of getting under his skin, but Y/n seemed much kinder than Tess, that was the foreign part. Tess didn't get emotionally involved in the Sandbrook case, not like he did, something that had added to his anger towards her, how could she have been so careless when their daughter was the same age? But he could tell that Y/n was already emotionally involved into Danny's death. She didn't show it, she didn't show much emotion but he could tell she felt it.

"What exactly did you mean earlier, that there was a reason your career was fast-tracked?" He questioned.

He knew he was ruining the moment... whatever this moment was... honestly, even he was shocked at times that he was married and had a kid with his social skills.

Y/n didn't curl into herself, her walls didn't go up. She seemed to know that he was trying to ruin the moment so he could run away from it and hide behind his badge. She maintained a playful, almost mischievous but not malicious glint in her eyes as the stupid, stupid sun shined rays of light behind her.

"If I told you that now how would I maintain my mysterious allure?" She teased.

Hardy was pretty sure his brain was short-circuiting and was actually glad when Ellie came back and he was able to hide behind the case again.

—————————————————————————

When they got back to the station, Y/n's phone rang and she picked it up to see a picture of a very pretty girl in her early teens that you just knew would one day turn into a beautiful woman, but she was making a silly face with her tongue sticking out.

She stepped aside and asked, "Heather? Is something wrong?"

Behind her, Mark had come up to the gate between the street and the station parking lot as Heather explained what she had found on Twitter, with cartoons playing in the background as Isobel watched TV.

"Ellie!" Mark called, making Y/n turn as she continued to listen to Heather on the phone.

"Mark?" Ellie asked.

"You just announced it without even telling us. Is that how it's done?" Mark asked.

"What are you talking about?" Hardy asked.

"Everyone knows now, don't they!?" Mark shouted. "Eh!?"

"Danny's name was released on Twitter." Y/n said, telling him what Heather had just told her.

"Oh." Hardy actually growled and stormed past Y/n, seething.

—————————————————————————

Ten minutes later, after Hardy was chewed out for what he had absolutely no fault in, he stormed into the bullpen, shouting angry Scottish.

"FOR GOD'S SAKE, BLOODY TWITTAH! THESE PEOPLE'S LIVES HAVE BEEN DESTROYED, AND NOW OUR INCOMPETENCE HAS MADE IT WORSE! THINK WHAT WE HAVE TO DO NOW TO REBUILD TRUST THERE!" He glared at the officers with the utmost hate, like they had personally killed Danny themselves, "Who told the journalist?"

Ellie hesitantly raised her hand, willingly taking the brunt of her idiotic nephew's mistake. "I think it might have been me."

Hardy turned towards her and he made a guess. "Your nephew?"

"He saw Danny's sister at the beach. I didn't tell him anything. I told him not to publish. He's a little shit." Ellie said and Hardy shook his head in disappointment. "I'll rad the riot act and I'll explain to the family."

"Go away." Hardy said, softly, and he turned and retreated back into his office.

Y/n walked into another room and rang the Echo's phone number so she could furiously tell the editor what her journalist had done. 

—————————————————————————

Y/n went into Hardy's office twenty minutes later, once she felt he may have run out of steam.

"Uh, there'll be a press statement outside in thirty minutes. Have you done one before?"

"Yes." He said, blankly

"Good. So I don't have to..." She I don't think Ellie told him anything, really. You shouldn't be so hard on her."

"Shouldn't I?" He challenged, raising his eyebrows.

"No, who you should be yelling at is her nephew. I'd like to wring his throat right now."

"Now do you?" He asked in the same Scottish monotone, rather causal, when this NCA officer just threatened to strangle someone.

"This isn't the first time some journalist who thought that violating a... v-victim's family to make a name for themselves without thinking of the consequences, about the lives they could be destroying and... someone ended up killing themselves and driving the rest of the family out of town forever." Hardy noticed how she spat out the word 'victim' like it was poison in her mouth.

"Oh? When was this, now?" Hardy asked, leaning back in the chair, keeping cool and causal, trying to find out more about this mysterious officer. He wasn't very good at cool or casual.

"At some point before now." She deadpanned, vague and unhelpful... and rather sarcastic. She wasn't easy to get information out of. "But Ellie is not at fault. Olly Stevens is determined and didn't leave that beach for hours, and spotted Chloe paying respects to her brother. He's clearly not stupid because he put two and two together and ignored what his aunt said. This is his fault and he should hope he doesn't get sued for this."

She spoke with calm determination and passion that Hardy could tell that under her calm, she was as furious as he was.

—————————————————————————

Thirty minutes later, Hardy gave the press conference, confirming the details.

"This is a short statement to confirm that this morning, the body of an eleven-year-old child was found on Harbour Cliff Beach at Broadchurch. The body was subsequently identified as Daniel Latimer, who lived in the town. We are treating his death as suspicious. Our investigations are continuing and there'll be a full briefing later this evening. We ask that the media respect the family's privacy at this time. Thank you very much."

—————————————————————————

At the end of the work day, Hardy approached Y/n and said, "You're staying at the Traders hotel too." It wasn't a question.

"Yeah."

"Come on. I'm giving you a lift. Don't argue." He said and walked off without another word, leaving Y/n taken aback and confused.

—————————————————————————

The car ride was silent. Hardy wasn't striking up any conversation, and Y/n seemed on edge. He had a feeling it was because he was a man she had just met that morning, and surely in her line of work, she had seen the very worst of men, the kind that made him ashamed to be a man. 

This was the kind of hotel where the room keys were checked out when you left the hotel, to hang behind the front desk until you checked back in. 

This forced both Hardy and Y/n to interact in some non-work-related human socialization. Something neither of them were particularly fond of, funny considering their jobs

"Hello." The owner of the hotel, Becca Fisher, a pretty young blonde woman with an Australian accent, she had to be a few years older than Y/n, and she was pretty enough that even Hardy clocked this, said as Y/n smiled half-heartedly in greeting.

"Hi." Hardy said.

"Long day?"

"Yeah."

Y/n tried to move off, but Becca stopped her.

"Oh, um, Officer L/N..."

"Y/n, please. I'm not on duty at the moment and even then I don't like being called that." She sighed. 

"Y/n," Becca smiled politely, "this came in for you." and she handed Y/n an envelope. She glanced it for a moment and looked away from it at once in exasperation and shoved it into her leather jacket pocket. While she did this, Becca got a key and handed it to Hardy. 

"It's really tragic. Can't bear to think what the family must be going through. We're all in shock." Becca said.

"Well, just... try to let the family have their space, it's already been ripped away from them to some extent. I wouldn't want to taze someone after being in town for less than twenty-four hours. Well, I say 'want'." It wasn't until her lips quirked did Becca realize she was joking, trying to alleviate Becca's sadness, and smiled. "Uh, ahem, my girls didn't cause any trouble, did they? I told them to stay in the room but... they're them."

"Uh, 'Izzie' came into the bar before the other one brought her back to the room but other than that, no." Becca said.

"Looking for sweets?" Y/n drawled, "Yeah, she does that." She had an exasperated tone like she had warned her time and again to stop and would again when she got to the room.

Becca stopped them before they could go further into the hotel, "Actually, um, do you think the beach will be open tomorrow? I... only so I know what to tell the guests."

"I don't know." Hardy said.

"Probably not." Y/n said.

"It's just I've had an early check-out and a cancellation just tonight. So..."

"Yeah, a child death tends to put people off." Y/n deadpanned, morbidly and then she looked through the doorway to the bar and suddenly said in a louder voice, "What in the hell is Ellie's shithead nephew doing here? Trying to tempt fate?"

"Oh, sorry." Becca said, remembering now, "There's two people waiting for you two in the bar.

Y/n was already glowering at Olly with a murderous rage as she and Hardy went in.

Maggie, the editor, looked at her journalist protégé and prompted, "Well, go on." She wasn't going to hold his hand and do it for him.

"I was wrong to post that news. I'm sorry." Olly said.

Something shifted in Y/n's eyes and the rage somewhat dissipated but there was still a lot there. The last journalist never apologized. Just fanned the flames.

"I should hang him by the bollocks from the town hall spire." Maggie said.

"Should? Can't you?" Y/n asked, not breaking eye contact from Olly who couldn't hold it.

"You must be Officer L/n who yelled at me over the phone, and I gave him the talking to I promised. All reporting on this will come through me now. The Echo works with the police. I'll... I'll speak to the Latimer family. Give them our apologies."

"Apologies? He should get on his knees and beg for their forgiveness." Y/n said, "You had no right to do that. Danny was a minor. He was eleven. That gives him the right of anonymity until we're ready to release his name—until his family is ready for the town to know. And you took that away from them. It's disrespectful to the police. It's disrespectful to you. It's disrespectful to your own aunt, DS Miller. And most importantly, it's disrespectful to Danny and his family, who now are going to have to deal with everyone suffocating them with pity."

Olly hung his head in shame, but Y/n wasn't done.

"Ellie's son was Danny's best friend. He eleven too?"

"Tom. Nearly twelve, actually." Olly nodded.

"What if it were Tom on that beach and someone released his name?"

"They wouldn't live when Aunt Ellie got their hands on them?" He guessed, "I... I wouldn't be too happy either. I'm sorry."

"You're lucky, the Latimer family isn't suing you. Not us, not the Creek Echo! You!" She said, and then she said, "Can I make a request? I want him," She pointed at Olly, "To go and personally apologize to the Latimers. I want you to drive down to their house and apologize to this mourning family for making their grief public without their consent. I want you to own up to it. And I want you to tell them that Ellie Miller did not confirm it to you, so they should hold no resentment for the suffocating pity people are going to smother them with on her and to the police, because you very well could've damaged our case in giving Danny the justice he deserves."

Olly seemed genuinely ashamed as he wouldn't make eye contact. When she spoke again, she wasn't speaking in a tone with restrained but potent rage anymore. She spoke in a gentle yet firm tone to get through to him.

"You got rejected today, didn't you? From a newspaper?" She asked.

Olly looked up in surprise and furrowed his brow. "How did you..."

"It's what I do. I analyze behavior, and I know journalists, and I've gotten a read on your aunt in the past twelve hours. She's the responsible sister to your..."

"Mother."

"Your mother is irresponsible, and you're desperate not to be like her. But there are consequences for your actions. This could've not only ruined our investigation,n but it could've ruined your aunt's career, she's already convinced that it is ruined, and if you keep up with that kind of behavior, well, I reckon newspapers don't exactly want a journalist who gets them in trouble with grieving families. You're determined and intelligent, and you clearly got what a lot of journalists don't have—compassion, you're here and you're owning up to your mistake, and I can tell you're genuinely ashamed. A lot of journalists don't have that. They only care about themselves. If you aren't careful, the stories you send out could ruin someone's life or even end it. Do you understand?" 

"Yes, I'm sorry. I won't do it again." He promised.

"I should hope so because if you do, I'll be coming down to the Echo myself. And you haven't even seen the tip of the iceberg of what I'm capable of." Her eyes softened, "Good luck with your applications. Don't let something as foolish as nativity ruin your potential, but don't let it jade you like most others."

Then she turned and walked off. Hardy looked back at them, rather impressed with the wisdom and kindness that had come from that scolding. He looked at Olly and said, "Stay out of my way."

Olly nodded, and Hardy walked off to his room.

—————————————————————————

Later that night, everyone had to go back in. 

Y/n was getting off the phone with Heather. "I should be home before dinner. I'll pick up something. Text me what you two are in the mood for, gotta go. Hey, I love you both. Bye." She hung up and sat beside Ellie. "That the footage from last night?" Her eyes flickered up and eyed Hardy, noticing he was wearing a different suit. A very subtly nicer one. Same black blazer, same black tie. But nicer material. He looked good in it but it still didn't hide the weariness of him.

"Different suit?" She asked.

"Press conference in ten minutes. Jenkinson wants you there. I'll give you a lift." Hardy said and he noticed a slight movement of her brows, furrowing just slightly in confusion.

"Uh, Gallifrey. Look at this." Y/n said and he gave her a bewildered look. "Ellie got the CCTV from, where the hell is this? It all looks the same."

"Town center last night." Ellie said.

Hardy walked over and Ellie pushed play. The jittery footage played, showing a young boy around eleven with dark hair skateboarding down the empty road.

"Is that Danny?"

"It matches his clothes and his height." Ellie said. "It looks like his skateboard. He wasn't abducted."

"He snuck out. Why? Where was he going? Who was he meeting?" 

"And where's his skateboard? Or did I miss that and all your grumbling?" Y/n asked.

"No, you didn't." Ellie said as Hardy gave her an irritated look. "Oh and another thing: I was checking through the list of belongings recovered from Danny's body and at home and there's no mobile phone. He definitely had one because he and Tom, my son, had the same model, virtually identical."

"It isn't there?" Hardy asked.

"No."

"Check with the family." Hardy said, "Come on, L/n." Y/n rolled her eyes and got up to follow before a single-worded praise went to Ellie. "Good."

Y/n got on the phone as she followed him, "Hey, Heath. I'll be a little bit late. Just try to keep your sister from demanding sweets from strangers." They got in the car, and Hardy saw her face fall in a deadpan, "Oh, you'll try? Great. Thanks. Yeah. Yeah, I'll pick up a pizza if this town is big enough for a pizza place."

—————————————————————————

Hardy and Y/n sat down in front of the camera as Jenkinson said, "I'm going to hand over now to our senior investigating officer, DI Alec Hardy."

Hardy looked like he had never smiled in his life.

"What advice do you have for the people in the town, particularly parents?" Maggie asked.

"The crime rate in this area is one of the lowest in the country. Um, this is a terrible anomaly." The door squeaked as it opened, and a pretty woman with dark hair entered and seemed to cause a distraction to Hardy. "Um, we are in the early moments of what might be a complex investigation." He knew that woman. Y/n could tell. "Danny's life touched many people, and we'll be looking at all those connections. If you or someone you know has any information, has noticed anything unusual, please come forward now. Um, I'd urge anyone, don't hide anything. Because we will find out. If a member of your family or a friend or a neighbor has been behaving differently in the past days or weeks. Please tell the police, immediately. There will be no hiding place for Danny's killer. We will catch whoever did this."

[gryfflepuffinthetardis]

Blood in My Ledger Season/Series One Cast

Y/n L/N — You or whatever actress you wish to see the main character as.

Heather L/N — Selena Gomez (As Alex Russo)

Isobel "Izzie" L/N — Scarlett Estevez

Alec Hardy — David Tennant

Ellie Miller — Olivia Coleman

Beth Latimer — Jodie Whittaker

Mark Latimer — Andrew Buchan

Chloe Latimer — Charlotte Beaumont

Danny Latimer — Oskar McNamara

Elizabeth "Liz" Roper — Susan Brown

Reverend Paul Coates — Arthur Darvill

Joe Miller — Matthew Gravelle

Tom Miller — Adam Wilson

Maggie Radcliffe — Carolyn Pickles

Becca Fisher — Simone McAullay

Lucy Stevens — Tanya Franks

Oliver "Ollie" Stevens — Jonathan Bailey

Jack Marshall — David Bradley

Nigel Carter — Joe Sims

Susan Wright — Pauline Quirke

Steve Connelly — Will Mellor

Karen White — Vicky McClure

Dean Thomas — Jacob Anderson

[gryfflepuffinthetardis]

Reader Bio (Season/Series One) (Blood in My Ledger)

Name: (First name) (Last Name)

Gender: Female

Age: 24

Quote: 

"But I didn't ask to be born. I didn't ask to be ripped apart from the inside."

Relations:

Gordon (Father; Deceased)

Rosemary (Mother; Deceased)

Iris Salvatore (Maternal Aunt; Deceased) 

Jasmine Salvatore (Older sister; Deceased)

Heather (Last name) (Fourteen-year-old Niece/Adopted Daughter)

Isobel (Last Name) (Eight-year-old Niece/Adopted Daughter)

Personality: Dedicated; Determined; Protective; Caring; Loyal; Observant; Intelligent; Brave; Introverted; Guarded; Semi-Antisocial; Traumatized; Self-Loathing; Moral; Sarcastic; Sassy; Blunt; Driven; Stubborn; Empathetic; Gloomy on the inside; Depressed; Guilt-ridden; Compassionate; Teasing; Sometimes flirty (doesn't always voice it)

Personality Notes: Y/n may have a face of sarcasm and statistics, but under that is a woman who was deeply traumatized and is filled with self-loathing over what she has endured and been forced to do in the past.

Hogwarts House (this is the one I have in mind): Burnt Hufflepuff (I am a Hufflepuff, personally. I'd love to explain what a burnt Hufflepuff is but I tend to get sidetracked very easily—I'm ADHD—and it's too long to put in here, so Google it, it should pop up right away.)

Occupation: National Crime Agency (NCA) Officer; Serious Crime Analysis Section Officer 

Occupation Titles: Behavioral Profiler/Criminal Profiler/Criminal Investigative Profiler; Crime Analyst; Forensic Psychologist

Occupation Specialties: Violent crimes against children; Child trafficking; Sexual assaults; any crimes related to the Barrow couple

Disorders: PTSD; Severe Depression; Insomnia

Inspiration: Spencer Reid (some aspects such as being empathetic without being overly emotional and remaining analytical, germophobia, not mentioned but the reader is a genius and she so successful so young in life like Reid); There are also clear similarities between the main character here and my main character in my Spencer Reid slow burn story, Valentia, named Zoe Noble-Valdez (who has an OC as her father, whose faceclaim is David Tennant, too.) But I can't really state those without spoiling them, as they'll be revealed slowly over the series.); Chloe Decker (I want a similar dynamic between the reader and her girls but also a bit like Mazikeen's)

Notes: The UK does not have a direct equivalent to the BAU which seems odd to me but the closest I can find is the SCAS which stands for the Serious Crime Analysis Section which is why she works with that part of the National Crime Agency.

Note 2: Also, I am American so I do not really have a great understanding of dialect or slang in the UK so Y/n may use more American slang and I directly tried to leave some of her dialect more... ambiguous, even though Y/n is from the UK.

[gryfflepuffinthetardis]

Blood in My Ledger Masterlist

Blood in My Ledger Summary

Reader Bio (Season/Series One)

Season/Series One Cast

Season/Series One, Episode One

Season/Series One, Episode Two

Season/Series One, Episode Three

Season/Series One, Episode Four

Season/Series One, Episode Five

Season/Series One, Episode Six

Season/Series One, Episode Seven

Season/Series One, Episode Eight

Reader Bio (Season/Series Two)

Season/Series Two Cast

Season/Series Two, Episode One

Season/Series Two, Episode Two

Season/Series Two, Episode Three

Season/Series Two, Episode Four

Season/Series Two, Episode Five

Season/Series Two, Episode Six

Season/Series Two, Episode Seven

Season/Series Two, Episode Eight

Reader Bio (Season/Series Three)

Season/Series Three Cast

Season/Series Three, Episode One

Season/Series Three, Episode Two

Season/Series Three, Episode Three

Season/Series Three, Episode Four

Season/Series Three, Episode Five

Season/Series Three, Episode Six

Season/Series Three, Episode Seven

Season/Series Three, Episode Eight

(Original Chapters Under the Works, but I Do Plan to Continue the Storyline)

[gryfflepuffinthetardis]

Blood in My Ledger (Alec Hardy x Reader) Summary

Officer Y/n L/n is a forensic psychologist-slash-criminal profiler for the National Crime Agency (NCA) for the Serious Crime Analysis Section (SCAS) who specializes with crimes against children so when eleven-year-old Daniel "Danny" Latimer is murdered in the otherwise sleepy, idyllic town of Broadchurch in Wessex, Dorset, she arrives rather quickly with her nieces-slash-adopted daughters and meets DI Alec Hardy and DS Ellie Miller. They are surprised that this twenty-four-year-old is so far in her career and has enough experience under her belt. Alec Hardy finds himself taken aback by her when he finds her to be unpredictable; just when he thinks he has her pinned down, she surprises him. She is compassionate yet matter-of-fact. She is understanding yet perceptive of deception. She is deeply intelligent yet humble. She is professional yet sarcastic, and… he could swear she's flirting with him at times. But it turns out there's even more to Y/n than meets the eye, and it turns out she is just as broken and traumatized as Hardy is.

Alec Hardy x Reader (Slow Burn) Broadchurch Rewrite

Also on Wattpad

[gryfflepuffinthetardis]

Spencer Reid Rec Fics: Fitness Test

Fluff - 🍬

Angst - 😢

Smut - 💦

Mild Smut/Only Mention of Smut - 💧

Fitness Test Prank - 🏃‍♂️

Mention of Fitness Test - 👟

Awkward - 🤓

Teasing/Being Silly - 🙃

BAU!Reader - 🕵️‍♀️

Pulse-Racing Activities - 9️⃣🍬🕵️‍♀️🏃‍♂️💦 - @radiant-reid

Fit For Purpose - 9️⃣🍬🏃‍♂️💧 - @lyrelyretheresmeninthathorse

Let's Get Physical - 💦👟 - @notanotherreidgirl

Sweating, and a Lesson on Self-Worth - 🍬👟 - @donald4spiderman

Paybacks - 🍬👟- @re1d

Stress Relief - 💦(👔)👟 - @darnittumbleweed

Exercise - 9️⃣🏃‍♀️🏃🏻‍♂️ - @cat-loves-music

Having It Easy - 9️⃣🏃🏻‍♂️ - @speedreiding

I've Been Working Out a Little Bit - 🕵️‍♀️👟🙃💧🍬 - @babymetaldoll

Not That Kind of Training - 9️⃣🏃🏻‍♂️💧 - @reid-fiction

Testing Motivation - 🕵️‍♀️🏃🏻‍♂️👟💦 - @can-youimagine

Fitness Test - 9️⃣🕵️‍♀️🏃🏻‍♂️🍬 - @1-800-imagines

Working For You - 🍬 - @reidslibrarybook

Fitness - 🍬🏃🏻‍♂️9️⃣ - @gf2bellamy

Archive of Our Own

Tangled Up in You - 👟🕵️‍♀️🔒💢💦💦(❌🔗)🏃🏻‍♂️ - @andiebeaword (Tumblr Link here)

*Added to March 24, 2025*

[gryfflepuffinthetardis]

Favorite Spencer Reid Fics Rec List

Here are a list of my favorite Spencer Reid fics. I don't do reblogs on this blog because I feel that it can clutter up a blog when you're trying to find the blogger's things but I also wanted to share my favorites, so I think I'll do some rec lists. This is just some that are currently my all-time favorites at the moment. I have a lot of them so this list may not be all of them but some of them. I have a separate private blog where I have over 80 drafts of rec fics but those are just for myself, just because I have so many likes that I can't find the ones I want when I want to so I may copy some and bring them public here. Thes are mostly ones that I've liked and reliked just so they'll be a the top of my likes list (is that annoying to the bloggers?)

I purposely kept the angst and smut fics on here to a minimum on this one but I may update this list or create more. The draft lists I have are more according to the subject matter of the fic so if anyone would like that I could do that. There's also a lot of fic writers that I didn't mention on here so I think I'll do a list of my favorite Spencer Reid fic writers.

Fluff -- 🍬

Angst -- 😢

Smut -- 💦

Smut-like/Mention of smut -- 💧

Drinking -- 🍺

Drunk -- 🥴

Secret Relationship -- 🔒

Post-Prison Spencer Reid -- ⚖️

BAU!Reader -- 🕵️‍♀️

Trigger warnings/Blood/Involved in a case -- 🩸

Drugs/Spencer's drug addiction -- 💉

Dad!Reid (I LOVE SPENCER AS A DAD! I MEAN, WHO DOESN'T!) -- 👶

Slow Burn -- ❤️‍🔥

Cat Adams -- 🐈‍⬛

One-Shots

My Girl -- 🍬💧 -- @reidslibrarybook

Infestation -- 💧🔒🕵️‍♀️ -- @reidslibrarybook

Suspenders, Ties, Cuffs -- 💧🍺🥴 -- @reidslibrarybook *I love drunk Spencer. He's just so funny*

Rib Cage -- 😢🩸 -- @imagining-in-the-margins

Don't Go -- 😢💦💉 -- @moon-light-jukebox

Germs -- 🕵️‍♀️😢🩸💦 -- @moon-light-jukebox

Tease -- 🕵️‍♀️💧💦1️⃣0️⃣ -- @moon-light-jukebox

I've Got My Eye On You -- 💉😢💧 -- @unseededtoast

Exposed -- 🍺🥴🔒 -- @gf2bellamy

Drunk -- 🥴🍺 -- @gf2bellamy

Reid My Lips -- ⚖️😢💧 -- @fortheloveofwonderland

Multi-Parter

All I Do is Try Try Try, I'm Still Trying Everything -- ⚖️🕵️‍♀️💧 -- @pencil-n-pen

The Holiday -- ⚖️💦 -- @g4rvez-r3id (There is currently no part two)

That Wicked Love Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, They Never Will, Unconventional-- ⚖️😢👶🩸💧💦 -- @aperrywilliams

Don't You Want Me? -- 🍬💧💦 - @nereidprinc3ss (I think I was accidentally blocked (I never directly interacted with them other than liking their posts, so I have no other understanding for why I was blocked) and I have no other way of contacting the owner of this blog so I can't link the masterlist of this series and I had to type out the full blog name. This was my all time favorite series before I was blocked though.)

A Muted Shade of Green -- ❤️‍🔥🩸🐈‍⬛😢💦 -- @dalamjisung

Spencer Reid x OC (This one is not directly a fic but it's like stills-version of one. I don't think there's a masterlist so I just put the blogger's tag link for it to see the story in chronological order just scroll to the very bottom and go up from there.)

Spencer Reid and Alison Strauss -- 🍬💧😢 -- @marril96

*I haven't updated lately because I was working on Valentia (My Spencer Reid x OC fic) on my Wattpad account, but I just finished the first book (seasons one to seven) and I'll start uploading them here soon.*

[gryfflepuffinthetardis]

The Fisher King Part One

Summary: The BAU are supposed to have two weeks off but a psychotic killer has other plans and forces the team to play in his elaborate fantasy game to rescue a missing girl but what will he do when they break one of the rules?

Warnings: Killing, Blood, Decapitated heads, Isobel Noble and her daughters, Single mother of four with no mention of any fathers.

Cast: (Gifs/Pictures on Archive of Our Own and Wattpad Only)

Amelia Noble (Ten years old) — Caitlin Blackwood

Ophelia Noble (Eight years old) — Sadie Sink

Astrid Noble (Six years old) — Lexi Rabe

Effie Noble (Five years old) — Zoe Colletti

"There is no evil in sorcery, only in the hearts of men." — Merlin (Colin Morgan)

Zoe tossed and turned in her bed. Her heart was racing, she was sweating. In her dreams, she kept hearing her sister, she was crying and then suddenly Zoe shot up in bed, clutching her heart as it raced as if she had been attacked. She felt like the room was spinning, she stumbled out of bed, she moved through the room in the dark expertly, even in this state she was able to move around the dark as well as she could in the day as she had been trained. There was an intense pain in her chest, she made her way to the bathroom and stood in front of the sink, panting heavily.

——————————————————————————————————

Two weeks later, the whole BAU team was actually given two weeks off.

"Morgan, your friend's resort better be as nice as you say it is." Elle was telling Morgan.

"Hey, I never said it was his. He just manages the place, but trust me when I tell you it is off the hook." Morgan said, "Hot sunny days, cool breezes at night, never-ending tropical drinks with the little umbrellas and nothing but young, beautiful adults looking to make vacation memories."

"Male and female, right?"

"Elle, two weeks of pure heaven."

"I can't imagine what two weeks away from this place is going to feel like." Elle sighed as they came back to their desks.

"Well, you know, you better thank your man upstairs for making it the whole team. Otherwise, you know they'd find a reason to bring us back up in here." Morgan said, referring to Hotch,

"Why? They got other teams."

"Okay, you can go on believing that if you want to, but I am not answering my cell phone." Morgan said as Spencer came back to his desk.

"Okay." Elle chuckled and clinked her mug with his.

"Oh, there he is." Morgan said and walked over to Spencer, "Pretty boy. Last chance. I can get my man to swing you a hotel room for practically nothing. Even you might get a little loving out there."

"Thanks anyway." Spencer refused.

"Ah, come on, Reid. Live a little, huh?

I have to go. Uh- I'm going home." Spencer said.

“Zoe, pretty girl, you in?”

"No, my aunt, Dad's sister and her daughters are flying in from Scotland."

"I thought you were visiting your ex." Elle said and Spencer clenched his jaw.

"I'm doing that next week." Zoe said

“Have a good one, guys.” Spencer said, heading off.

"Bye." Elle said.

Morgan turned to Elle, "He look okay to you?"

"He looks about the way I would if I was gonna spend two weeks with my family." Elle said.

Hotch walked down the stairs from his office, saying, "Hey, don't knock family. I'm going to get nothing but for the next three hundred and thirty six hours.

"Good for you."

"Haley's got a list of chores a mile long and I can't wait." Hotch said, "The biggest decision I gotta make is what I'm gonna do first."

"I bet you she has a thought or two about that as well."

"Bring it on."

"I'll be lost in a cabin in the woods for the next two weeks." Gideon

"Sounds like somewhere you'd be murdered." Zoe deadpanned.

"Do not call me for anything. Have a great time. You all deserve a break." Gideon said and then backtracked, "Seriously, don't call."

"Don't worry." Elle chuckled.

Alexander walked down the stairs and said, "Isobel and the girls' plane should be landing in twenty minutes."

"Great. Did she have any more children since the last we saw her?" Zoe deadpanned.

"She only has four."

"That's too many!" Zoe said.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Writer Elbert Hubbard said, "No man needs a vacation so much as the man who has just had one."

Isobel was a beautiful thirty-four-year-old woman. She was seven years younger than Alexander and they were close since ever.  Their mother had died when Alexander was fourteen and Isobel was seven, leaving them with their abusive father until they ran away. Isobel worked in the National Crime Agency where she worked in a specialized team that focused on behavorial analysis, criminal profiling, and the investigation of serious crimes. Essentially it was the Scottish BAU.

Isobel had four daughters all with her red hair. The oldest was a ten-year-old named Amelia with red hair and blue eyes. The second oldest was a nine-year-old named Ophelia with curly flaming red hair and blue eyes. The second youngest was a six-year-old girl named Astrid with brown hair with a hint of red hair and brown eyes and the youngest was a five-year-old girl named Effie with red hair and blue eyes.

"Zo-Zo!" Effie ran to her cousin and hugged her.

Zoe picked Effie up and said, "You're getting heavy, you know."

"No, I'm not!" She laughed.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

After a four-hour flight, Spencer arrived at his home city of Las Vegas, he didn’t have many pleasant memories here except of those with his mother.

His mother, Diana Reid, had paranoid schizophrenia and for the past six years, she had been a patient at the Bennington Sanitarium since Spencer had admitted her when he turned eighteen as she couldn’t care for herself. Despite that she, like her son, had a high IQ, she used to be a professor of literature and she had shared that love of literature with her son whom she was immensely proud of. Spencer could do anything he wanted, but he chose to make the world a safer place.

When Spencer was ten, his father just left them, so Spencer had to care for his mother while she hadn’t exactly been easy to deal with, what with her episodes and him going to high school when he was twelve.

Spencer stood on the other side of the room as he watched his mother read.

A nurse who recognized him came up to him. “Heard a rumor you were here.”

“How’s she doing?” Spencer asked, without looking away from his mom.

“Schizophrenia’s a lifetime illness. The meds stabilize the worst of her symptoms, but she still has bad days.” The nurse told him as Spencer nodded slightly, “What makes her most happy are her journals and your daily letters. She is exceptionally proud of you.”

A small smile pulled at Spencer’s lips. “She is?”

“Talks about you all the time to anyone who will listen. Staff, other patients. Her journals are filled with the cases you write her about.” She told him, “Calls them your adventures.”

“Mom’s of the belief that you can find adventure all around you if you just look.” Spencer said, “That’s what happens when you’re a professor of fifteenth-century literature.”

“Well, she’s going to be so excited that you were finally able to get here in person.” The nurse beamed.

The twitch of a smile fell from Spencer’s cheeks as guilt rippled through his chest from his heart.

Schizophrenia was highly heritable, the exact percentage of how so was debatable going from as low as sixty percent to as high as ninety percent. Not one gene was considered to be responsible and there was no sure way to prevent it. It was a brain disorder classified as a psychosis meaning that it affects a person’s thinking, sense of self, and perceptions. Schizophrenia was widely perceived to be dangerous due to media and the few violent schizophrenics who become famous such as David Berkowitz also known as the “Son of Sam” and Ed Gein, just to name a few, but schizophrenics are rarely actually violent, arguably less than ten percent of violence is attributable to schizophrenia.

Spencer knew the statistics. When a parent has schizophrenia, the child’s chances go up ten percent and schizophrenia typically develops in male in their late teen to early twenties with a peak at twenty-one to twenty-five years old. Exactly Spencer’s age. And it very well could be triggered by trauma to those who are already vulnerable to it.

"Maybe it's better if I just let her rest today." Spencer said.

"Rest?" The nurse frowned.

"Yeah, I'll-I'll, uh, come back tomorrow." Spencer stammered.

"But, Doctor, she's..." She started.

Spencer held out the wrapped book in his hands to the nurse, "Can you give this to her? It's, uh, Margery Kempe, her favorite."

The nurse took the book from him and glanced down at it before looking back up at her patient's son and protested, "It would really be good for her if you could just...

Please?” Spencer interrupted her, politely, “Thank you so much. Thanks.” And he left, guilt and the constant fear he lived with continuously pounding in his chest.

He loved his mom dearly, she was all the family he had, but it didn’t get rid of the constant fear that one day he’d have to live with what he watched her go through.

When he was young, around six years old, Diana’s schizophrenia had worsened, he didn’t know why, it just did, and she started having these episodes that had terrified him. How was he supposed to know? He was only six. A six-year-old with a brain beyond most six-year-olds had but still just a kid. Diana had still explained her schizophrenia to him and he had understood enough, not to the extent that he did now or even what Diana had known at the time, but he understood enough. He remembered the words she said to him.

“I know sometimes I get confused, but I want you to remember because this is so, so important, I will never ever stop loving you. My love for you is bigger and stronger than a disease of the brain. Love is a world of its own that lives in the heart, not in the head.”

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Zoe had the girls staying over at her place, she had a guest room that she kept just in case… they ever found Zarah.  Just the kind of room Zarah would want. A bay window that let in plenty of light, a big closet, plenty of room for her to move when she felt like dancing. Decorated how she wanted… Zoe wouldn’t have allowed pink furniture in her house by hand, so everything was on the line of Zoe’s slightly gothic grunge tomboy and Zarah’s girly-girl-ness. Not consisting of Zoe’s preference of dark colors but Zarah’s preference for light colors. Zoe told herself when they found Zarah, she could get what she wanted and maybe Garcia would want these.

A dark voice in her head always corrected, "if" but she always ignored it. She had to hold onto her faith.

There was a colorful plushy carpet that consisted of bright blue, yellow, and pink that Zoe had only bought because she knew Zarah would’ve loved it. There was a large bed with a blue-purple fluffy comforter, identical to the one at Alexander’s house that looked at though it had remained untouched in five years until you realized there wasn’t a spot of dust in the whole room. The bay window had colorful cushions and pillows around it including a folded pushy pastel blanket.

The girls slept in there, strewn through the room. Effy and Astrid would sleep on the bed while Ophelia would sleep in a sleeping bag on the soft clean carpet and Amelia sleep in the bay window.

Now, the girls were in the room watching TV until it was time to go to bed. Isobel would be staying at Alexander's since there wasn't anymore space in Zoe's place.

Zoe sat at her dining room table that she never actually ate food on, wasn’t that what couches in front of TVs were for? She had some case files in front of her but she was clearly distracted. Her heart kept racing and fluxing but she didn’t think it was related to her heart condition.

"You know your mum used to do that too when she was very stressed." Came Isobel's thick Scottish accent as she came and sat across from Zoe. Zoe looked up, she had braided her hair into four separate braids. Isobel had only been fourteen when the twins were born and Zelena died but she had known her well and she knew that her brother had loved her dearly. "What's wrong?"

Zoe hesitated before saying, "...Zarah. I feel like she's... but I can't do anything..."

"I'm sorry."

"I miss her." Zoe confessed.

"We all do." Isobel told her but she knew it wasn't the same. There wasn't a bond like the kind twins had and Zoe had a way of forming this intense bond with certain people and Zarah was one of them.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Late that night, Garcia was still at the office, playing a game on her personal computer, Camelot, where she would meet up with someone she had met on the game.

He wrote: I have a surprise for you.

Garcia giggled and grinned until her laptop screen went black. The only thing on there were two words written in white: GAME OVER. Then the words vanished and one by one more words showed up with a beep for each one: All Work No Play.

It started disappearing and appearing in different spots on the screen as Garcia processed this, she frowned and repeated the words. "All work, no play?" She started to type but then suddenly the words appeared over and over on her screen as there was a rapid beeping and buzzing sound.

She looked up and saw one of the BAU computers were black with: GAME OVER. All Work No Play.

Garcia's eyes widened as the other computer screens started to do that same thing. The first one had the four words repeating. The same thing spread to the other computers.

"No, no, no, no." Garcia kept repeating as the shock wore off she tried to stop it but nothing was working, "No, no, no, no. Oh, my... No. No."

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Isobel had retired to Alexander's place and the girls had fallen asleep, Zoe still remained at the table when there was a knock on the door. Just a simple three-knock knock.

Zoe raised her eyebrows suspiciously. After being kidnapped at least four times, she was wary. She had four girls in the house that she would protect with her life. She grabbed her gun and crept to the door, silently. She looked through the doorhole but there was no one there, clutching her gun, she unlocked the door and opened it. Her eyes immediately went to a simple package. It was a simple box taped with duct tape.

She was no stranger to mysterious packages but the bloody lillies only appeared when she was in or near Boston and his packages were always meticulously packaged with clear tape.

What this box told her was that there was something in the box, they didn't want to be accidentally opened.

Zoe bent down and nudged the box with her gun, there was something somewhat heavy in it. She licked her lips, pocketed her gun and picked up the box, swiftly and brought it over to the table, kicking the door shut behind her which automatically locked.

She put her hand in her pocket and pulled her pocket knife with a clip out and she flicked it open with a soft click. She cut through the duct tape and opened the box.

The first thing she saw was the bloody hatchet with no handle. Things started going off in her head, then she noticed there were pictures underneath. She would deal with that later. She got out her phone and called Alexander.

"Dad, I just got a package. There was a bloody hatchet in it with no handle." There was a crash on the other end of the line as her father fell out of bed. "I'm waking up the girls and getting them out of here."

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Zoe had brought the girls to Alexander's to stay with Isobel and Zoe rode her motorcycle to the BAU before her father did by now it was around seven in the morning. There wasn't anyone in the BAU office except for Garcia.

Zoe walked into the part where Garcia mostly resided and stopped, it looked as though Garcia had taken apart the BAU’s computer case, the rectangle box on the floor that sat under the desk. Zoe had made the computer case when she was seventeen and it had been deemed to be more efficient than any one that the BAU could’ve bought. There were computer chips and ribbon cables all over the floor as Garcia furiously used needle-nose pliers to take the case apart as she grumbled, furiously to herself.

"All work and no play, huh? All work and no play? You just wait till I am through with you."

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! What happened here!?" Zoe exclaimed.

"I've been hacked, Zoe! They hacked me! I swear when I get my system up and running again, I am going to track him down!" Garcia shouted. Zoe had never seen her this upset.

"Okay, calm down, Garcia. Give me the tool before you break something and you can't get it back up. Deep breaths." She kneeled by Garcia and took the pliers from her.

"You're right. You're right." Garcia said and then she took some deep breaths that were louder than necessary but very Garcia-like.

Zoe looked down at Garcia's hands and all but shouted, "Why aren't you wearing gloves? What hacker are you, you don't wear gloves when furiously digging around in a computer case! You should be wearing anti-static gloves to protect sensitive electronic compnents from static electricty damage or are you under the impression the computers are only sensitive to coffee?"

"I... I..."

"And there are a bunch of sharp metal edges in there. I don't think your blood has the power that Hulk's does." Zoe scolded her.

"I don't have any anti-static gloves."

Zoe scoffed and got up to move the area and opened a cabinet where there was a safe with an old-school combination lock.

"That doesn't open." Garcia said.

Zoe looked at her and she turned the wheel to the right, then to the left, and then to the right again and it easily unlocked.

“I had your job before you did. This was my office when Dad was on local cases.” She said and she pulled out a toolbox and brought it over. “I made these computer cases.”

"You did?"

"Yeah, when I was seventeen." She said, opening the box. The tools were colorful, a variety of dark and bright colors. "You think the FBI would buy something so retro?"

She handed a pair of pink, green, and white zebra-striped gloves to her while Zoe picked a pair of striped purple gloves.

Zoe noticed Garcia looking at the gloves, oddly. These didn't match Zoe's style. "Those were Zarah's." Zoe explained and Garcia dropped them like they burned.

"Come on, put them on." Zoe said, putting hers on. Garcia put them on.

"Already, tell me what happened?"

"I... I... I was playing a game. Not on the BAU computer on my laptop..."

"Did this game happen to be online?"

"I... y-yes."

"Got it. He hacked your computer through the internet and jumped to the BAU computer." Zoe nodded in understanding.

"I... I thought he liked me..."

"Well, men suck." Zoe said. "And you know what I say, treat everyone you meet online like they're planning on killing you."

The the phone rang, Garcia's irritation came back and she huffed at this distraction from fixing the computer, she got back on the computer chair and slammed her hand on the answer button.

"What?"

"Garcia, I need a rundown on a guy." Morgan's voice said.

"No." Garcia said, bluntly.

"What?" Morgan asked.

"The information superhighway is closed." She told him.

"What are you talking about?"

"Someone had the nerve to run a black hat op into my computers, Morgan. They hacked me. Okay? But you can bet your sweet ass I will find them. I've got honeypot farms hidden behind UML kernel data packets and a first-generation honeynet I personally programmed. My Snort log lists every visitor, every server request, every keystroke on this entire network. If I have to back-hack his IP all the way to the freaking Stone Age, I will find this son of a bitch. Okay? So bye." Garcia raved and then she hung up.

"What's Morgan doin' up? Jamaica is an hour behind meaning it's six in the morning now, you'd think he want to sleep in."

"It's seven? What are you doing here?"

"Someone sent a box with a bloody hatchet with no handle and pictures. I had to

"Oh my God!" Garcia screeched.

Zoe nodded and looked down, "A handless hatchet was the only weapon they found when they found my mom."

The door opened and JJ entered, "Zoe, uh, Alexander said to tell you when Gideon got here. He's here, someone sent him a head."

Zoe got up and pulled the gloves off, dropping them back into the box and followed JJ as Gideon entered the BAU.

"Gideon, I've been trying to call you." JJ said.

"Why?" Gideon asked.

"Someone sent you a head?" Zoe asked him.

"From Jamaica." Gideon confirmed.

"Morgan and Elle are in Jamaica right now. There was a murder. The body was headless. Elle's been arrested for it." JJ said.

"What?"

"Hotch headed down there last night with some Bureau lawyers and a crime scene unit." JJ said, "He should be there by now."

"If you talk to him, have him call me right away." Gideon said.

Yes, sir.

"I was sent a bloody hatchet without a handle and pictures. I haven't looked at them yet. Dad has it."

Gideon's eyes narrowed and his face paled even more. He remembered the scene when they finally found Zelena. The place had been abandoned, she had been left for dead, only recently, meaning they had just missed him. Zelena's body had been coated in sweat and blood from the nineteen blows, in her chest just above her pregnancy bump was a hatchet with the handle broken off.

"I'll be right there." Gideon said.

Zoe nodded and she walked with Gideon and continued to walk when an agent stopped him with some information. Gideon joined Zoe and Alexander in

"Are the girls okay?"

"Yes, I drove them to Dad's, right after I opened the box." Zoe said.

Gideon put on the gloves and removed the hatchet. It was the same kind as the one they found in Zelena's chest.

The pictures below were of each person in the team. Gideon. Hotch. Morgan. Elle. JJ. Garcia. Spencer. Alexander. Zoe. They were clearly taken from a distance but there were two more. Zelena and Zarah.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Spencer entered his mother's sanitarium, hoping to maybe build up the courage to actually face her when the secretary called after him.

"Oh, Doctor Reid?" He looked back at his name being called, "Someone delivered this to the desk last night for you."

Spencer frowned, his teammates didn't even know where he was. Just that he was in Las Vegas.

"What?" He asked and he took the large envelope and opened it to a smaller envelope the kind you would put a business card in, with Dr. Reid written on it, and he opened it and found an old-fashioned black key and a folded-up piece of paper in it.

"She will die unless you save her, Doctor Reid. Call Gideon. He knows." He read aloud.

———————————————————————————

Apparently along with the head was a Nellie Fox card, though Zoe had no idea who that was only that Gideon had mentioned it a few times throughout her life. JJ had been sent a pale clouded yellow butterfly which were indigenous to Europe but mainly Britain. Hotch had given proof that there was no way Elle could’ve killed that man and got her off on the charges.

They had a suspect named Frank Giles who had flown to Flordia and then to Virginia, Arlington and he had a long criminal record. The victim, Marty Harris had been a two-time convicted fetish burglar, and registered child sex offender.

Hotch had gotten a phone call last night before he had found out Elle had been arrested.

They regrouped into the conference room, "So, clearly we have a psychopath intent on drawing us into his game."

"Playing with us." Gideon added.

"Then let's return the favor." Elle said.

"He kept telling us repeatedly to save her. What 'her'?" Morgan asked.

"Maybe, the items he's sent must be some kind of clues." Zoe suggested.

"Let's get them up on the board." Hotch said.

"I got a Nellie Fox baseball card from 1963 and I got a head in a box." Gideon said.

"I got a rare butterfly in a shadow box." JJ said, uncapping the marker to write on the whiteboard.

"And repeated messages to 'save her'." Hotch added.

"I got the decapitated body and a nice visit to the Jamaican Police Headquarters." Elle said, still resentfully.

"Your, uh, tech girl told me something." A Scottish voice said as Isobel strode into the room, "Reid called from Nevada. He's on the way back here with a skeleton key and a note he got, too."

"Uh, who is this?" Morgan asked.

"Uh, Morgan, Elle, JJ, this is my kid sister, Isobel." Alexander introduced.

"Kid? I'm thirty-four years old." Isobel scoffed.

"Why are you here?"

"I'm helping you. My daughters were in your house when that package was sent." Isobel said, challenging Zoe to argue.

"The guy who called me said, 'The second youngest one holds the key'." Hotch interrupted.

"That's Reid." Elle said.

"I got bloody handleless hatchet and stalker pictures of all of us."

"Okay, but wait a minute. UnSubs, they don't contact us this way. I mean, they might taunt us, dare us to catch them, but they don't drag us into their fantasy." Morgan interrupted.

"Why not?" JJ asked.

"Because they're sexual fantasies. I mean, taunting us is a show of power, but making us the object is..." Morgan tried to search for the right word, "I don't know what the hell that is."

"There's something else about the baseball card. Nellie Fox was one of the stars of the 1959 White Sox." Gideon said, "I went to almost every game with my father that year. Fox was my hero. So is it a coincidence that he sends this to me, or does he know how I feel about him?"

JJ turned around, "I collected butterflies when I was a little girl. That's how I knew what butterfly was in the box.

"So then he knows us?" Morgan surmised.

Zoe's memory drifted to Garcia. Could their UnSub be the hacker?

"I got an anonymous message." Hotch said,

"I got a police raid."

"Why'd you get the hatchet?" Morgan asked.

"When we found Zelena, she had..." Alexander's voice broke, he hated to think about it, his sister put her hand on his shoulder so Zoe took over.

"When they found my mom, there was only one weapon to be found a hatchet with the handle broken off stuck in her chest after she was hit nineteen times." Zoe said. It was very quiet for a long time. "That information was never released. I've read every article about Mom's death, about that UnSub, they never mentioned the hatchet. Only the FBI and police involved knew."

"So how did he find out?" Isobel asked.

"And he knew exactly where we were." Morgan said, "Hotel in Jamaica, Gideon at the cabin, Reid in Vegas, you at your homes."

Garcia entered, her rage had by now subsided and had turned into guilt, disappointment and shame in herself. "He got that from the Bureau computers. "Your locations are always in there so they can find you if they need you. And I checked the log. The hacker was definitely in the personnel folders. There were room numbers to the hotel in Jamaica, the address of Gideon's cabin... There's a lot of information in those databases."

"What about my mom's murder?" Zoe asked.

"The digital file was untouched. I don't know how he got that information." Garcia said.

"Have you figured out how he was able to get into the Bureau's computers?" Hotch asked. Zoe looked at Garcia, pursing her lips.

"I'm-I'm still working on that." Garcia choked out, clearly guilt-ridden. Her poker face was useless against profilers.

"Garcia, if you know something...

-No, it's, um... It's just... I..." Garcia struggled to get out, she had never screwed up this badly before. "I was playing a game yesterday. An online game."

"A game?" Gideon asked, confusedly.

"Not on the Bureau computers, sir. On my own personal laptop." Garcia said.

"No, Garcia. No, no, no." Morgan sighed.

"I don't understand." Hotch said.

"Wireless Internet. By wirelessly hooking into the Net here to get online, the hacker could have gotten into her computer first and I doubt her laptop has as much protection as the BAU computers." Zoe explained.

"And he could have gotten into the entire Bureau computer system this way?" Hotch asked.

"Yeah, it's possible." Garcia said.

"J.D. used to do it all the time." Zoe added.

"Playing a game?" Gideon scoffed, "How could you be that stupid? Information, files. You have a responsibility."

"I know, sir. I'm so sorry." Garcia said, struggling not to cry.

"Gideon, she didn't know. She told me. She met this guy on the game. He tricked her." Zoe defended. "She's not a profiler like us."

"But I found him."

"You what?" Elle asked.

"I know who he is, the hacker. His name is Giles. Frank Giles. He lives in Arlington, Virginia, forty miles from here." Garcia said, her voice breaking, "I have his address."

"Garcia, you said Giles?"

When they walked down, "ZO-ZO!"

Effie attacked Zoe with a hug and Zoe saw all four of her cousins there.

"Uh, why is there an army of redheaded children here?" She asked in her usual snark.

"This UnSub knows where we live. The girls are safest here. Now anyone else have any problems with it!?" Isobel asked.

"I-I can watch them." Garcia offered.

"Mummy told us not to go with strangers." Effie said.

Zoe crouched down and smiled at her, "Effie, this is a coworker of mine. A friend. She is the most positive person you will ever meet. She has her own little Batcave and she has a table full of pink little knick-knacks and you four can have all of my sugar stash that you want, okay-okay?"

———————————————————————————

They arrived at Giles' place and as per usual they had Morgan do the door-kicking, apparently that was one of his specialties. But when they got there presumably Frank Giles had a sword in his chest and through the mattress below him and written on the wall with blood was: HERE THY QUEST DOTH TRULY BEGIN.

"He's definitely playing with us." Hotch said as they examined the body.

"His identification checks out." Elle said, "That's Frank Giles."

"There's a big old bag of money sitting right here on the dresser." Morgan noted.

"So Giles took Harris to Jamaica to kill him and then the UnSub killed Giles." Hotch recounted.

"Yeah, but he paid him first." Morgan said.

"And left the cash?" Elle asked.

"Well, he's apparently well-funded."

"He said these were 'unrepentant, bad men'."

"Are we looking for some kind of vigilante?" Isobel suggested.

"No." Gideon shook his head. The bodies are nothing but a way to get us interested. They're game pieces. The killings are secondary."

"It's a chess game to him, Giles and Harris were merely his pawns." Zoe said.

"Well, this guy likes to write things in blood on walls." Elle said as Zoe gave it a distasteful look.

"All kinds of cult and demonic significance to that." Morgan said.

"'Thy?' 'Doth'? 'Quest'? 'Thy quest doth truly begin'." Elle said, "Why start phrasing things like this now?"

"Yeah, all the other messages were in modern English." Hotch said.

"Maybe this is the first one the UnSub actually wrote." Morgan suggested.

"So we're looking for Shakespeare?" Isobel asked.

"What are you doing?" Morgan asked Zoe. "Why are you being weird?"

She was crouched down and looking intently at the blade with her head fully tilted to the side.

"There's something etched on the blade." Zoe said and she read it aloud, "To learn of what should next be done, leave the blade till the hour be none."

"'Hour be none'?" Morgan asked.

"'Leave the blade'." Hotch repeated.

Zoe got up and stepped backwards until she was in the doorway. She remembered when Maze taught her how to read a sundial. Tell the time by shadows.

"The bed's in the middle of the room." Zoe noted.

"Which isn't by chance."

"And maybe the light from here casts a shadow and points to something.

Come on. Are we in the middle of an Indiana Jones movie?" Elle scoffed.

"It's called a sundial." Zoe said, sharply.

"The hour be none."

"Well, midnight is zero-zero hours in twenty-four-hour time. Would that be none?" Morgan said.

"No, midnight wouldn't cast a shadow. There would be no sun. Sundials work by using shadows."

"Hour be none."

"Three PM." Spencer said from behind Zoe and she moved out of the way so he could awkwardly scoot on through, "Hey, guys. Garcia told me where to find you.

"Three PM?" Isobel asked.

"Um..."

"Reid, this is my aunt and my dad's sister, Isobel Noble, she's with the NCA in Scotland. Her dozen children are now living at the BAU." Zoe deadpanned.

"Oh, hi. Nice to meet you." He waved awkwardly as she smiled back, she had been told he didn't like to shake hands, "yeah, three PM. It's medieval. The days used to be broken into hourly intervals, the canonical hours of the breviary. Prime: six AM, terce: nine AM, sext: twelve noon, none: three PM, and vespers: six PM."

"Reid, do not ever go away again." Elle said and Spencer smiled.

"Medieval. That's why the language changed." Gideon said. "Doth."

"Everything this guy does is a clue." Zoe said.

"Okay, but, guys, it's four-thirty-five. What do we do? Leave the blade in till three PM tomorrow?"

"Uh, no." Zoe deadpanned.

"Not if we can block that window out." Spencer said and he turned to a police officer, "Do you have any spotlights in your car?"

"Sure." She said, getting up to go get them.

"Thanks."

When she returned, Zoe had blocked the window and the police officer came back and handed Spencer the light. He thanked her and went to a certain spot in the room and shined the light across the room so it cast a shadow from the sword.

"See, the sun is right here at five PM. Zoe, follow the shadow as I move the light higher." Spencer advised.

Zoe kicked a small table away from the wall and started to tap the wall, making hollow sounds.

"It's hollow." Morgan noted.

"Yeah, most walls are hollow." Zoe deadpanned.

"Definitely an Indiana Jones movie."

"Elle, shut up. I'm trying to listen." Zoe told her as she got lower and there was an almost indecipherable change in hollowness in the tap but she could sense it, "Now that's less hollow." She felt the wallpaper, "It's been replaced."

"Tear it up." Hotch said.

"Wait, what if there's like a trap..." Alexander started to protest.

There was a shout and thud and they found Zoe punched into the wall with her fist and she ripped the hollow wall with her bare hands.

"It's a box." She said.

"Take it out."

"Wait, are we sure that's safe?" Spencer asked.

"What, you think it's a bomb?" Hotch asked, "You think he'd be playing this game just to blow us up?"

"He'd have already done that as long as we've been standing here. We've been here for what feels like two hours which means it's probably been thirty minutes." Zoe said and she took the box out and she placed it on the table.

Morgan tried to open it.

"It's locked. You want me to break it?" Morgan asked Hotch.

"No, we should process it first."

"'The second youngest holds the key'." Gideon recalled.

They all looked at Spencer who emptied his pockets before remembering he had put it in the breast pocket of his shirt and pulled out the skeleton key. He crouched beside Zoe and opened the box. It started playing music. A music box.

"Schubert. The Trout Quintet." Gideon said.

"Five people fishing." Hotch said as Spencer took a card

"Never would it be night, but always clear day to any man's sight." Spencer read.

"Well, that was worth it.

"Did you forget what we said fifteen minutes ago or are too sleep-deprived?" Zoe asked, "Everything this guy does is a clue. There's a tab underneath the lock."

She reached out and pulled the tab and the roof of the box pulled down to reveal a lock of blonde hair held together with a ribbon and a DVD with "Thy quest" scrawled on it.

"Oh, God." Elle groaned.

———————————————————————————

When they got back to the BAU, they watched the video on the DVD.

It showed a desk with a bunch of knick-knacks on it, a number of them seemed to be of medieval things. The UnSub walked around the desk and went to get in the chair. He didn't in it swiftly like one normally would. His body was stiff and he moved to the side to shuffle sideways to get in the chair.

"He moves funny." Hotch noted.

"It's like he's injured or something." Morgan suggested.

Zoe leaned her head in with concentration. "It must be a full body injury, he walks stiffly as if in constant pain, not severe exactly but he's learned to walk in a way that causes him the least amount of pain."

"I assure you, you will all understand in the end why it must be this way. You might even thank me." The UnSub said on the video.

"Don't hold your breath, scumbag." Elle scoffed and Zoe shushed her.

"You know now you're on a quest." He said and the video showed what seemed to be an old-fashioned dungeon with a young blonde woman behind the bars. She was clearly very angry as she threw a book at the UnSub and banged and shook the bars. "A young girl's life depends on the successful completion of it. As you can see, she is quite beautiful and in distress. Now please listen closely, for there is one rule and this rule must be followed. The one rule is, only the members of your team may participate in the quest: Jason Gideon, Alexander Noble, Aaron Hotchner, Derek Morgan, Elle Greenaway, Spencer Reid, Xiomara Noble-Valdez, Jennifer Jareau, Penelope Garcia." With each name, a picture of said member showed up, different than the blood-splattered ones in the box, "A quest must be completed in the proper way or it isn't a quest, is it? That's it. One rule. Simple. Now, you will be receiving an item soon that will hold the final clue you will need to finish the quest. You will find you will also need a book which has inspired many an adventure like mine. Believe me when I tell you I truly hope to see you all soon. It will mean a successful end to this adventure for all of us."

"What do we do now?" Spencer asked.

"Well, the lock of hair's being analyzed for DNA. There might be something on file." Hotch said.

"I'll get Video to enhance the shots of the girl." JJ said.

"Let's get the clues up on the board. Maybe we can make some sense of something." 

"Wait, we're going to play this guy's game?" Elle scoffed.

"Do we have a choice?

"She's a keeping a girl hostage. If we have to play his game to save her, then that's we'll do." Zoe said, sharply.

Gideon suddenly left, clearly shaken.

"Be right back. You guys keep working." Hotch said and went after him.

Zoe soon followed Hotch to tell him about an idea she had that she could look for, "Hey, uh... Hotch, I could analyze the UnSub in the footage and see if I could come up with a list of possible injuries he may suffer from."

"Are you sure it's an injury?" Hotch asked.

"It's most likely a traumatic injury of some sort from just what I've seen." Zoe said.

"Good idea. You do that." Hotch approved.

Zoe's head turned to the side and she turned back, "Also, Haley's here with Jack."

"Haley?" Hotch asked.

Zoe stepped to the side and let Hotch move past her and he walked down to his wife and son. Haley seemed urgent and distracted as she held a yellow envelope.

"I've been trying to call you, but you haven't been answering your cell." She said.

"Oh, no, my battery died. We just got back. What's wrong?" He asked.

"A man came to the door with something he said you would need right away. That a girl's life depended on it." She said.

"He came to the door?" Hotch said, he had agreed to let Isobel's daughters stay because she seemed determined and there was no one else in their family they'd be willing to watch them but maybe that wasn't such a bad idea.

"Yeah."

Hotch brought Haley and Jack to his office and he gently moved Jack's stroller back and forth to ease his son.

"What's going on, Aaron?"

"Honey, what did the guy look like who came to the door?" He asked.

"Look like? Um, I don't know. Young. Dark hair." Haley said as Gideon entered.

"Did he look injured?" Hotch asked, remembering what Zoe had said about it most likely being a truamatic injury.

"Injured?" Haley asked.

"Yeah. I mean, did he seem injured in any way?"

"No. He was just a guy. He told me what he was giving me, you needed right away, that a girl's life depended on it."

"Well, that's not a normal delivery." Gideon said.

"I know." Hotch agreed.

"What do you mean?" Haley asked.

"Well, they don't come with detailed messages like that." Gideon clarified. "Did he say all these things to you? Were they in a note?"

"No, he said them." She confirmed.

Gideon looked at Hotch, "If he isn't the UnSub, he probably talked to him."

"What's going on?" Haley asked.

"It's the case we're working on." Hotch explained.

"What did he deliver?" Gideon asked.

"Um, a piece of paper with numbers on it." Haley recalled.

"The team's got it. It's in the conference room." Hotch said.

———————————————————————————

The folded-up piece of paper was taped the to clear whiteboard

"My eyes are so heavy, I can barely see it." Elle complained.

"Go home. You haven't slept in over twenty-four hours and they were exhausting hours." Zoe said. She dauhad her various medical books from school on the table as she made a list of possible injuries.

"No way."

"Then drink some of the coffee you guys love so much." Zoe said.

"I think it's a coded message of some sort." Spencer said. "The UnSub said we needed a book, didn't he?"

"Yeah. 'A book that inspired many an adventure'." Morgan recalled.

"Maybe, it's a book code. Zarah and I used to do that with Mom's old books."

"You did?" Morgan asked, "Is that a twin thing? Like twin talk?"

“It’s a 'genius daughters of a paranoid FBI agent’ thing. Dad encouraged us to have a code that only we would understand and to challenge us. We both had high intelligence and found a lot of things understimulating.” Zoe said, she got up, walked to the board, and pointed, “Each one of these sets of numbers represents a particular word.”

"For instance, page one-eighteen, line thirty, word three." Spencer said as Zoe walked back to her chair and sat down. "We need to figure out what the words are and fill in the blanks.

"Yeah, but from what book?" Elle asked.

"I don't know." Spencer admitted.

"The trouble is, it has to be the exact same edition of the exact same book that he used." Zoe pointed out, writing on her list as she examined the video now on her laptop.

JJ entered, "Just got a DNA hit on the lock of hair. Rebecca Bryant. She's been missing out of Boston for two years." She handed Elle a picture of a young sixteen-year-old with blonde hair.

"Two years?,"

"I think she's sick." Zoe said, examining Rebecca on the video

"What?"

“She’s pale and sweaty. Plus, if he’s had for two years in that environment, that’s not good for you. Lack of sunshine increases the risk of Vitamin D deficiency which causes rickets and other bone diseases including osteoporosis. Also high blood pressure. Assuming she doesn’t get fresh air, that can contribute to a range of respiratory diseases including asthma, allergies, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, or lung infections, also it can be linked to cardiovascular issues like stroke and heart disease."

"What does all that mean?" Morgan asked, having understood very little of this.

"Which part?" Zoe asked.

"I don't understand any of the medical talk you just said."

"Does it matter?" JJ asked, "none of it sounds good."

"I... the place I was in for those eight months and then those six months, were similar. Old. Stone. Prison bars. At least, she can see, in my eight months, I was... most of the time, my vision of obscured, making me rely on my other senses." She skirted around it. But Spencer knew. She told him. They had put a headbox on her head.

"Guys, how are we supposed to figure out which book this code was copied out of?" Morgan asked.

"I have no idea." Spencer said again. "How's the list of possible injuries coming along."

"There's a lot of traumatic injuries that can cause full body pain." Zoe said, showing her notebook.

Nerve damage from trauma (like a major accident; can cause chronic pain, paralysis, loss of sensation, difficulty with movement, and/or difficulty with coordination)

Complex regional pain syndrome

Fibromyalgia

Severe burns (it would most likely be full body burns; extensive burns can damage underlying nerves, leading to chronic burning pain even after the itial injury heals)

Severe motor vehicle accidents

Major falls

Crush injuries

Spinal cord injuries

"This is too much." Morgan said.

“Well, I’ve ruled out menstruation.” Zoe sassed and sighed, “I’m almost certain that it’s related to nerve damage. Neuropathic pain, or nerve pain for the Morgans in the room, can occur when the nervous system is damaged or malfunctions, causing nerve fibers to send the wrong signals to the body’s pain centers. This pain can feel like stabbing or throbbing, and can affect the entire body.”

An agent named Agent Grant Anderson entered, "Zoe, they did an analysis on the axe that was sent to your house." Anderson didn't really go in the feild, his duties seemed to be mostly grunt work but he was a good agent, nonetheless, and perfectly friendly.

"What?" Zoe asked

Anderson didn't seem to want to meet Zoe's eyes and he handed her the piece of paper, she looked at it and she sighed, dropping it on the table as Anderson made his escape.

"What?"

"That particular axe that was sent to me was made in the year 1985. Same year, Mom died. Same year, Zarah and I were born."

"Are you sure, it looks ancient?" Morgan asked and Zoe gave him a look.

Zoe typed on her computer and brought up the sealed case file for the UnSub who killed her mother.

"The UnSub who... we, or rather, they back then theorized he was obsessed with famous axe murders. Contrary to popular belief, the Borden murder was not done with an axe-axe, well, depending on who you ask. The only possible murder weapon they found a year later, it was the same kind that was used on my mom and she was struck nineteen times. Same as Andrew Borden." Zoe said with a loud tap on a key and it sent it back to the video.

"Is this common knowledge?"

"No. The hatchet wasn't mentioned to the public." Zoe said.

"So how did he get that information?" Morgan asked.

Zoe shrugged and pulled her medical textbook back towards her.

Spencer awkwardly cleared his throat and got back to the book code, "He said we have everything needed to complete the quest."

"The answer's got to be up there somewhere." Elle said, her voice was tired and slightly slurred.

Gideon entered, "JJ, get some reporters here as soon as possible."

"For what?" JJ asked.

"Just say we need help on a new case."

"Is it this? Because he said we had to keep it in the team. Some criminals are very strict about rules." Zoe said but Gideon ignored her.

"Press conference?" Morgan asked.

———————————————————————————

Zoe had finished with the traumatic injuries and was now writing down possible diagnoses for Rebecca along with all possible symptoms.

"A Pale Clouded Yellow butterfly indigenous to Great Britain?" Spencer questioned as Hotch entered the room.

"How's it going?" Hotch said.

"Here's the list of possible injuries the UnSub has," Zoe handed Hotch a few papers stapled together. "I'm now writing down possible diagnoses that Rebecca may have that we should prepare for."

"The answer to what book we need has to be in here." Spencer said.

"Yeah, but we sure as hell can't see it." Morgan said.

"Yet." Spencer said.

Elle was asleep on the couch, Zoe wasn't complaining, this way she'd be quiet.

Hotch walked over to her and shook her shoulder, gently, "Elle?"

"I'm awake." She awoke with a start.

"I'm sending you home." Hotch said.

"No." She slurred.

"You need to get some rest, and we won't do anything without you, I promise." Hotch reassured her.

"Elle, seriously, we're not any closer than we were." Morgan agreed, "Get out of here. Go home."

"But..."

"It's an order." Hotch told her

Elle sleepily picked up her bag and headed out with Hotch.

"Hotch, have someone drive her home." Zoe called.

"I'm fine." Elle protested.

"Impaired driving performances due to sleep loss is a major contributor to motor-vehicle crashes, fatalities, and serious injuries." Spencer said.

"It can affect driving as much and somethings more than alcohol." Zoe said.

"Ugh." Elle groaned, walking out of the room, bumping into the doorway on her way out.

Zoe held up a hand like, see?

"Good call." Hotch agreed and he followed Elle, making sure she didn't bump into anything else.

"Anderson, take Greenaway home." Hotch requested.

"Yes, sir." Anderson agreed.

Hotch looked at Elle who was rolling her eyes, "I'll have your car brought over later."

"All right, come on, Anderson." Elle sighed.

"Get some sleep." He said.

"Yeah." She sighed.

———————————————————————————

Elle arrived home and too tired to drag herself all the way to her bedroom, she crashed on a nearby couch under some windows, she was too tired to notice that they were both open and as she had last left her house, going on vacation, that should've raised some alarms.

She also didn't notice the man in her house with the gun, until he said in a hoarse voice, "I told you there was one rule."

Elle sat up, seeing him pointing the gun at her, and said, "No."

"One rule, Agent Greenaway."

"Stop."

"Do you not consider that holding a press conference is going outside the team for help?" He asked as Elle glanced at her holster with her gun on the table in front of her.

"Listen." Elle tried to protest.

"ONE RULE!"

"Listen to me!" Elle pleaded, "We can talk about this."

"I told you this was important!"

Elle lunged for her gun and...

BANG!

*I am now on Wattpad too. The profile is GryfflepuffinTardis (I couldn't fit in "the")

[gryfflepuffinthetardis]

Secrets and Lies

Season One Masterlist

Charm and Harm

Summary: The BAU are called in to investigate the CIA’s counterterrorism unit on a mission to save one of its informants and identify a mole in the unit while Zoe has to call in help from an old friend who the mole may had wronged.

Warnings: Killing, Mentions of terrorists; JD; Mistrust of the CIA; Mention of torture; Mention of sexual assault

"A wise man once said, 'be careful who you let on your ship because some people will sink the whole ship just because they can't be captain'."

Albert Einstein said, "Whoever undertakes to set himself up as judge in the field of truth and knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the Gods."

Spencer, JJ, and Garcia walked out of the elevator

"We have a CIA escort, okay?" Garcia said, "It's weird and a little scary."

"What do you suppose this is all about?" JJ asked.

"Call me cynical, but considering it's 2:00 am, I doubt it's good news." Spencer said.

"You are a genius." JJ said.

They entered the briefing room where Morgan, Elle, Hotch, Gideon, Alexander, and Zoe already were.

"The CIA's counterterrorism unit is engaged in a mission to save one of its informants." Hotch told them, "They suspect one of their agents is a mole, and until the identity of that mole is discovered, they've locked down the unit."

"This gives us the opportunity to profile the UnSub up close. Go ahead."

One of the CIA agents spoke into his watch, "Start the video feed."

A man appeared on the monitor.

"John Summers was the CIA's best field agent in the Middle East. Three nights ago he was found in his home in Washington. He'd been tortured and murdered." Pictures of his body appeared on the screen

"CIA made it look like suicide." Gideon said.

"How'd you like to have that job?" Spencer said, grimly.

"Look at the wound patterns." Zoe said, "They come from two distinct angles. Different heights. One's right-handed and one's left-handed. He was definitely tortured by more than two people."

"Are you sure?"

"I've been tortured and seen torture enough to know." Zoe said.

"Hotch, what was Summers working on?" Elle asked.

"Aaliyah Nadir. Had been beaten and sexually assaulted at the hands of her husband, Hassan Nadir. That's how Summers flipped her and got her to work for the CIA." Hotch said.

"And what's the husband's story?" JJ asked.

"He's a diplomat for the Saudi government, but he's a fundraiser for major terrorist organizations." Zoe said and they looked at her. She just shrugged in that way she did.

"Aaliyah gave Summers intelligence on terrorist organizations the CIA had never been able to penetrate, organizations Hassan, her husband, funneled money to."

"And Hassan realized he had a leak?

"Yes, but he didn't know who." Hotch said, "For Aaliyah's protection, Summers never revealed her identity to the CIA until about eight weeks ago. CIA arranged papers for her and Summers brought her and her children to the US about a month ago."

"Only Summers knew where he hid her." Gideon said.

"What did Hassan think happened to his family?" JJ asked.

"Car accident. Bodies too disfigured to identify." Hotch said. "Only the CIA knew it was staged until Hassan arrived in Washington last week under diplomatic cover."

"Only someone in this unit could have given Hassan the information about his family." Spencer said.

"And now he's here looking for her." Morgan asked, "Why us?

"Over the years, I've conducted psychological evaluations on every field agent in that unit." Gideon said.

"You work for the CIA?" Garcia asked.

"Not officially."

"And I may or may not have been sporadically in contact with this unit before the BAU." Zoe said.

"You were?" Spencer asked.

"I didn't speak to them personally. It was more just sending them what I profiled. And then I was kidnapped by terrorists for six months and they really wanted to know about that but almost everyone in that prison ended up dead."

"The train's running and if we stop this mission, even for a second, Aaliyah and her children are as good as dead." Hotch said.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

They left the elevator in the CIA building

"Don't remove your firearm." Gideon told Spencer who was about to do so

"US soil. Federal building." Hotch said.

"Just your cell phones. Non-negotiable." Gideon said.

"The moment we walk in there, the UnSub's going to know we got him cornered." Morgan said, "We don't hand jack over."

They walked through the scanner, the scanner picked up, Hotch's hip gun and his ankle gun. Spencer's gun. Then Zoe's right hip gun, her left hip gun, her left ankle gun, her right ankle gun, her left thigh gun, her right thigh gun, the gun tucked into her front, the gun tucked into the small of her back, her gun concealed in her bra, the guns inside her jacket, and her micro pocket guns in her leather jacket.

The man behind the scanner gave her a look as she was carrying thirteen guns. She just nodded at him like, what's up?

They stepped through the unit when Bruno Hawkes who had called them on the case came out of his office

"Special Agent Hotchner." Hotch introduced himself with a handshake.

"Oh, I know who you are, and your team, too. Doctor Noble-Valdez. I am very sorry for the ordeal last year." He said.

"By ordeal, you mean me and my ex-boyfriend being tortured for six months by terrorists?" Zoe deadpanned.

"I'm afraid so."

"Well, that makes it better." Zoe had a bite to her tone and less professionalism in her eyes than usual.

"I've got the personnel files all set up for you guys. Video, whatnot, it's all there in the conference room. Now, if you have any questions, feel free to talk to my senior officers. This is Gina Sanchez. She's the Associate Director of Field Operations. And that guy up there is Kruger Spence, the Assistant Director of Operations. The lady with him is his second-in-command, Olivia Hopkins. And, uh, thank you for coming."

As he walked away, Zoe clearly gave him a sarcastic smile. People were looking at her. She didn't blame them. They knew things about her that were classified to the team. Including that she shouldn't be there. She was technically on a list...

"Neither of you ever mentioned Bruno Hawks." Hotch said

"You never asked." Gideon said.

"Eh." Zoe shrugged.

"How long have you unofficially been working for CIA?" Hotch asked.

"Long enough to know who and what we're dealing with." Gideon said.

They all entered the conference room and Hotch closed the door behind them.

"We're looking for what the CIA classifies a Type A personality. Overachiever. Highly adaptable. Well-educated. Virtually unshakable." Gideon said, " Manipulative enough to persuade a loyal foreign national to betray their country, a wife to betray her husband. Most importantly, this UnSub long ago accepted the reality they will be summarily executed if caught." He had looked out the window and then turned back to the team, "Life means nothing to this UnSub. Not his own life, not his family's, not his colleagues', certainly not ours, and certainly not theirs." He pointed the the missing family on the monitor.

"One of those agents turned against everything they believe in. Why?" Hotch asked.

"Well, they stopped believing. Maybe it was about ideology." Morgan said.

"We need to find the stressor. A major event that caused them to turn. Love. Revenge. Economics. Ideology."

"The intelligence community's mantra says, 'Increase the parameter of your enemies' paranoia.' Right now, we're the enemy. Whatever you see or are told, please trust no one but me."

"Gideon, you're going to want to take a look at this surveillance video." Garcia said, appearing on the monitor with JJ.

"What is it?"

"Uh, it's you. It's your name next to a whole slew of MPEGs. There's one that says 'John Summers.' It's three hours long.

The video showed Gideon in his car, talking to Summers through the window, but it was taken from a little bit away, hidden.

Shoot, go.

"When was this?" Hotch asked.

"Three days before he was killed."

"Who called this meeting?" Summers asked Gideon.

"Does that matter?" Gideon asked him.

"Every detail matters."

"Why?"

"It can only be one of four people." Summers told him.

"Why is that important?" Gideon asked.

"Whoever requested this wanted more than just an eval from you."

"Did you know they were filming you?" Morgan asked.

"I assumed they were." Gideon said.

"Taking in all factors discussed, age, rank and field status, and if you eliminate all non-field agents, we're left with a total of sixteen candidates." Spencer calculated.

"All of whom are in this unit." Elle said.

"We have to assume the mole has an exit strategy." Gideon said.

"Only now we're blocking the exit, and the only way out is through us." Hotch said.

"Zoe, we need all hands on deck," Gideon said.

Zoe raised her eyebrows as she understood his meaning. "I can call J.D., but I can't guarantee he'll cooperate."

"Why wouldn't he?" Morgan asked.

Zoe clenched her jaw.

"He's... different. He's impulsive, he has trust issues, he doesn't cooperate, I mean, he's my ex-boyfriend."

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Hawks presented the BAU to the unit, "Now, we all know why BAU are here. They have their job and we have ours. And we're down to the wire on this. Aaliyah Nadir risked everything, and now she and her children deserve our fullest attention. Let's find her."

It was four at night, so getting a hold of J.D. was difficult. Zoe was still on "hold" essentially, she had connected her phone to an earpiece that was in her ear now.

She stared at a video, "Hey, guys, take a look at something." She said when Gideon and Hotch returned. She pointed at the screen, a nearby car. "Right there. That's a woman sitting in the passenger seat of that car." She took the remote and the screen zoomed in and optimized the picture.

"Looks a lot like Aaliyah." Elle stated.

"Why would he leave them in the car, unless he knew he was being videotaped?" Hotch asked.

Gideon took the remote from her and played the tape, replaying the scene from earlier.

"Who called this meeting?

"Does that matter?"

"Every detail matters."

"Why?"

"It can only be one of four people."

"That's not true." Gideon said, "Anyone in this division could have insisted upon an eval.

"Why narrow it down to four?" Elle asked.

"Well, he rightly suspected Hassan came to the US because he knew his wife was alive." Morgan asked.

"And that someone in this agency was working for Hassan." Spencer said.

"If we don't discover who the mole is before they find her, she and the kids are dead." Morgan said.

"Zoe."

"Still on hold. I'm seriously about to go down to that prison and shove a pitchfork up their..." Zoe said, clearly very annoyed.

"Garcia." Gideon interrupted

Garcia and JJ appeared on the monitor.

"Right here, boss."

"How many agents in this unit were actually in Saudi monitoring US interests?" Gideon asked.

Garcia did some typing, "Uh, four."

"Let me guess. Bruno Hawks, Gina Sanchez, Olivia Hopkins and Kruger Spence." Gideon said.

"Four-for-four."

"See what else is on the tape.

"All right."

The two BAU blondes disappeared from the monitor and Gideron gently placed the monitor down. "John Summers would have only trusted seasoned agents, of which, in this unit, there are only four."

"So he guessed that the mole had to have been one of his four bosses." Zoe said.

"Before he put in for Aaliyah's extraction, he wanted to know which one not to ask." Morgan said.

"We need to match up with them, one-on-one." Gideon said.

"But there's six of us." Zoe said.

"You, sweetheart, will be switching between all four. You've seen the most darkness, you can recognize trauma." Alexander said.

"But..."

"Sweetheart, you have the best instincts the BAU has seen ever. You worked with this unit."

"Barely. I insisted on being as far away from the CIA as possible. I don't really trust them. They deal with politics more than the FBI and I think politics make people distrust each other. It breeds bad people like our UnSub."

"Exactly. There's a reason you're on a list and the CIA still had to let you in here because you're that good at profiling." Alexander said.

Zoe huffed, grumbling under her breath. Now she had to interview four CIA agents while she attempted to get her extremely uncooperative ex-boyfriend to cooperate and help the CIA of all people.

"Kruger Spence, assistant director of operations. Recruited at the age of eighteen after graduating from M.I.T." Gideon said.

"It says he had six years of experience as a weapons systems designer and an IQ of one-ninety-seven. He butted up against the system and didn't deal with authority. They moved him into field operations in China for eight years before transferring him here."

"Olivia Hopkins, divorced mother of two. She spent nine years in field operations in Europe. She also visited Riyadh with Krueger." Elle said.

"I got Gina Sanchez. West Point graduate. Black belt in two martial arts. Served in Iraq doing psychological operations with military intelligence. She joined the C.I.A. Speaks three languages, including Arabic." Morgan said.

"Bruno Hawks, deputy direction of operations. Extensive field ops in the Middle East and Europe. Did his military service with Jason Gideon." Hotch said.

"One thing I've learned over the years profiling CIA agents, spies are some of the smartest liars in the world. Be smarter."

Zoe suddenly slammed her hand on the desk. "Finally! I got through to you." She looked at the others. He picked up. J.D. I need your help... of course, you heard." She lifted her hand in incredulity.

"What?" Morgan asked.

"He's speaking in Old French for some reason. J.D. J.D.! Stop speaking like you're a Frenchman from the thirteenth century. You're from New York!" She looked at the others, "It's going take a while to get him to cooperate. Give me ten minutes."

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Zoe finally got him to stop speaking Old French and talk like a normal person.

"Why would I help them? They never helped me. The CIA is one of the reasons I'm stuck in the locked box in the middle of nowhere for the rest of my life." He argued.

"And the fact that we're trying to save a woman and her children's lives doesn't sway you?" She asked.

He didn't reply. She didn't think it would. He wasn't emotionless, he just... felt less for others... except when it came to her.

"Alright, how about this since the only thing outweighing your IQ is your egomania. We worked with this unit two years ago. That means it's very real possibility that it was this mole who informed the terrorists about us and got us kidnapped."

"You really think so?"

"Would I lie to you?" She asked.

"No." He admitted, honestly. "I hope you wouldn't. Will they pay for it? They work with the CIA."

"J.D. If they compromised us, then that means I will blame them for what happened as much as I blame myself." She said, steely cold.

Knock. Knock.

Zoe turned to see a more awkward-looking than usual Spencer. "Zoe, I'm about to talk to Kruger.

"Who's that?" J.D. asked sharply.

"No one." Zoe said. "Just a coworker. You're sure this line won't be compromised?"

"Are you doubting me?" He asked, cockily.

"Don't be cocky."

——————————————————————————————————————————————

"We can't circulate a photo of a woman who's supposed to be dead." Krueger told Zoe and Spencer.

"We realize that, but..." Spencer said.

"Look, I appreciate you have a job to do, but so do I." Krueger said and got to his team of agents

"All right, start looking at where Aaliyah would feel the most comfortable. Arab-populated areas...

"This guy sounds like a real numbskull when it comes to profiling. You sure he has an IQ of one-ninty-seven?" J.D. asked.

Zoe and Spencer exchanged looks at Kreger's strategy plan.

"Actually, you might wanna start by profiling Summers." Spencer said.

"Be my guest. Aaliyah's about to be brutally murdered in front of her children." He said, rather condescending to the two and he looked at Zoe. "Got nothing, sweetheart?" Zoe narrowed her eyes at him in a way that reminded him of so many of her female family members.

"Tell me this guys IP address, I'm gonna ruin his life." J.D. said but Zoe ignored him. "No one talks to you like that!"

Kreger turned back to his team, "Okay. Where were we? Let's put some teams together."

"John Summers was obsessed with his own security." Zoe said.

"Aren't we all?" Kruger groaned out, exasperatedly.

"Can you shut up for five seconds and listen to the actual profilers?" Zoe snapped.

J.D. clapped over the line.

"He didn't care about money, or possessions, or family. All he cared about was his job. He was a classic control freak, a meticulous paranoid." Zoe explained in a mocking somewhat condescending tone.

"A loner who chose to live outside the community," Kreuger realized.

"In an environment that he could control." Zoe said.

"All right. So he would have placed Aaliyah outside the community in an environment only he could control or have access to."

"May-maybe." Spencer stammered, "on the other hand, he might..."

Krueger held up his finger to silence Spencer, "Alright. New deal. I want you to search the areas surrounding Summer's apartment..."

"So, we're looking for industrial sights, uh, storage spaces, warehouses." Zoe cut in. "Basically anywhere that can hide a grown woman and her two children but still have the ability to keep them from suffocating."

The team moved out as if Krueger had given the order and he looked at the two young agents, impressed. "That's good. Thanks."

"Oh, and sweetheart? Don't ‘sweetheart’ or condescend me again. We may be young but we are geniuses, we're as successful as we are for a reason." Zoe growled.

"That was mucho sexy, Zoe."

"No, no, no, no. Don't do that." Zoe said and she turned to Spencer, "I'm going to Morgan and Gina."

She arrived to them and said, "Well, Kreger's a jackass. I set him straight.

"I commend you." Gina said, slightly deadpan, and said, "I don't think I could have a job where I had to sit and talk to people all day."

"Okay, wait a minute, it's not all psychobabble. Trust me." Morgan said.

"We get our fair share of action." Zoe said.

"I'm sure you do. Here's something you might find interesting." Gina said and spoke to her coworker, "Joystick, come around thirty degrees, fifteen by thirteen north. Zoom in two miles." The computer she was on zoomed in on the Earth and into Virginia, to a neighborhood.

Morgan frowned and leaned forwards, "Wait a minute. That looks like my neighborhood. That is my neighborhood. That-that's my house and that's my bike."

"What kind of bike does this guy have?"

"Something inferior to my bike." Zoe told him and Morgan gave her a look.

Gina zoomed in on Morgan's house and a white spot moved around the green-outlined furniture.

"You have a dog."

"Yeah, yeah, I got a dog. That's Clooney." Morgan chuckled.

"Well, it looks like Clooney's on the couch." Gina said.

"Okay, so you know where I live. I like that." Morgan said.

"Tell me does this guy ever flirt with you?"

"He knows how many guns I carry." Zoe told him and she looked at Gina, "- You also knew where Summers lived."

"That's my job." Gina said.

"Your job to make it look like suicide?" Morgan asked, "You stood over the dead body of a friend and a colleague, you stuck a shotgun in his mouth, and you pulled the trigger?"

"Yep." Gina said, but there was clearly not happy with it.

"Must take a psychological toll, no?" Morgan asked.

Gina turned to Morgan and Zoe. "Let's get one thing clear. We all write a letter just like the one Summers wrote."

"Yeah, I know. When the CIA joined my cousin's anti-terrorism task force, they tried to get me to do the same. I wasn't putting up with that shit." Zoe said. "Writing a suicide note is one thing. Shooting the brains out of your friend's corpse's head is another."

"That doesn't mess with your mind just a little bit?" Morgan asked.

"I'm neither disillusioned or confused about what I am, what I do or what I have done."

"Somebody here is. Why else would they rat out their own people?" Zoe asked.

"You'll have to ask them."

"Did it bother you what you had to do to Summers' body?"

Gina turned to her and countered, "Did it bother you when you had to do your job and arrest your boyfriend?"

J.D. grew quiet.

"Yes. But I didn't do it because it was my job, I did it because it was the right thing to do. I could've easily let him go but I didn't. I thought about it but I didn't. It only bothered me because I pushed him into doing it. It's my fault and if the mole here is the same, it's just as their fault. And they should remember what Maze was capable of before fucking with me." Zoe said with a cold danger in her voice and then she walked off.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

She joined Elle with Olivia who looked like she was being bothered by a child peppering her with questions when she was trying to work.

"CIA looks a lot like the FBI." Elle said, "This is a real boys' club. Must be tough being a woman here."

"Get to the point, Agent."

"Well, she's a real ray of sunshine, isn't she?"

"Divorced, lost custody of your kids." Elle said, "That didn't help your career, huh?"

Hopkins slammed the file she was working on shut and started to storm off, demanding Are you interrogating me?

"Just questions." Elle said.

"You're doing your job. We're doing our job." Zoe said.

"You want answers, look in my file."

"That's not how profiling works, agent." Zoe said.

"I did. During an operation in Europe you were taken hostage." Elle said.

"For which I received counselling."

"But it didn't help. Your marriage fell apart soon after." Zoe said.

"How does this help you?" Hopkins asked them, crossing her arms.

"It would take a major event for someone to turn against their country, don't you think?" Elle asked.

"A major event like what?"

"Like one that's not in any file." Zoe said. "I've was taken hostage too... multiple times and I know what does and doesn't go in files when it comes to that."

"What happened to you over there?" Elle asked but Hopkins didn't reply.

"I know what people like that do." Zoe said, "Did they attack you? Did they torture you? Did they rape you?" Zoe's tone didn't have the hostility that Elle's did. It was blunt yet... understanding of that the situation.

Hopkins didn't reply.

"Olivia!"

"That's enough." Kreger said, "This is in violation of her civil rights."

Hmm. That's interesting. Mister Condesending's ego isn't big enough to defend Hopkins.

"Until they find the sleeper and we find Aaliyah, all rights are revoked." Hawks said.

"And they wonder why we refused to work with the CIA." J.D. said.

"Where were you on the night that Summers was murdered?" Elle asked. The rest of the team and the CIA agents they were following had gathered around.

"I was with her in her apartment." Kreger confessed.

"Well, you're a married man. At some point you must have left to get back to your wife, right?" Gideon said. Kreger just looked at Hawks. "You wake to an empty bed?"

"Yes, I did." Hopkins said and looked back at Elle, "Are we done here?"

"My wife will testify that I arrived home at 1:30 am." Kreger said.

"We all know none of this'll ever reach a court." Hawks said.

"Look, if you want to arrest us for having an affair, be my guest." Kreger said.

"I'll deal with you two later." Hawks said and Olivia walked off.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

A few minutes later, Zoe noticed that the CCTV monitors were down and having a bad feeling, she went after where Olivia went to find Olivia's body. She was in front of a computer slumped over it. The bones in her neck were pushing against her skin in an unnatural angle. Her neck was broken... just like Summers'. She felt for a pulse but there wasn't one.

She fetched Gideon and brought him to the room.

"When I saw the CCTV monitors were down and Olivia hadn't returned, I thought I'd better come looking for her. Her neck was broken. She must've been killed just after we all saw her." Zoe told him.

"Have any agents seen the body?" He asked.

"No."

"Good. We can use this to our advantage. Get the others."

——————————————————————————————————————————————

They gathered the rest of the team, informing them of what happened and brought in the remaining possible moles: Hawks, Kreger, and Gina into the room the team had set up in.

"What? What's going on?" Hawks asked.

"What are we doing here?" Kreger asked. "You're pulling us away from our assignments? There's a woman out there whose life depends on us."

Gina looked around and asked, "Where's Olivia?" Kreger also looked around until Zoe spoke.

"I'm sorry but Olivia Hopkins was murdered ten minutes ago. Her neck was snapped. Just like John Summers."

Kreger scoffed, "What are you talking about?" Gina looked at Hawks. "You're lying. Where is she?" He looked around at them as Gina looked at him, "Look, people don't just get murdered inside the CIA." He turned to Gina to see her, looking at him, "What are you looking at?"

"I realize the enormity of this, but Hassan Nadir is still out there looking to kill his wife, and I need every agent on this." Hawks said.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Zoe entered Hawks' office with Gideon as Gideon stared at Gina at her chair.

"What do you think it would take for somebody to betray their country?" Gideon asked.

"If I knew that, you wouldn't be here. Or is this the part where you two profile me?" Hawks asked.

"I've done that for over twenty years and for free.

"What'd you come up with?" Hawks asked.

"Well, you don't smile as much as you used to, but the Rogaine's working." Gideon said.

"You need to quit your day job."

"You've strived your entire life just to seek the approval of your father. Obsessively tried not to make the same mistakes he made. The emotional cost wipes the smile off your face." Gideon said.

"You know, my kids, they don't even know who or what their father really is." Hawks said.

"But they know there's absolutely nothing you wouldn't do for them." Gideon said.

J.D. scoffed, bitterly, "Wonder what that's like."

"Who says, you know, our kids need to know everything about us?"

"Or that our parents need to know everything about their kids." J.D. said but Zoe didn't quite know what he meant by that.

"Trust me, we're not that interesting." Gideon said.

"I beg to differ." Zoe said. Twenty years in and her parents and father figures in Rossi and Gideon were still her heroes.

"Who do you think it is?" Gideon said.

"I'm so close to it, Jason, I honestly can't tell." Hawks siad, "But I will say this, I'm glad you're here."

"You feeling okay?" Gideon asked and Hawks tilted his head, "I mean, you lost two of your people. Two colleagues. Two friends."

"I've lost plenty of those along the way." Hawks said, "I just feel pissed off." Zoe furrowed her brow, something didn't sit right with her. Even for a CIA agent, Hawks' emotions didn't quite fit his words. She had seen agents after they lost friends. She had seen anger... after a while, the anger's not as impulsive. It would've fit more to be tired with his reaction. Tired of it all. Tired of the guilt. But that's not what he said. The human response would be to feel guilty. "Someone is going to pay dearly for what they've done."

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Zoe had excused herself and joined Morgan and Hotch in following Gina, "You lined us all up to see how we'd react to Olivia's death." She said, "What did you see?"

"You stared straight at Kruger like you were trying to deflect blame onto someone else." Hotch said as Gina sat back down at her desk.

"You are wasting precious time. Time she doesn't have." Gina told them as she, "Now, unless you having something useful to ask, we're trying to save lives.

"So are we." Zoe said, "This is how we do it." J.D. said something and she said, "You're getting a call."

Gina furrowed her brows but then her phone rang. "It's our tech analysist."

Gina picked it up to see that she was right, "Patch her through. It's for you." Then she walked off and Garcia and JJ showed up on Gina's monitor.

"Garcia? talk to me."

"That virus that knocked out the CCTV."

"Yeah, what about it?"

"It was downloaded into the system three weeks ago."

By who?

"Kreger."

Well, that was easy. Almost too easy.

Morgan and Zoe went across the room to where Elle and Spencer were questioning Kreger. "Just because I lied about Olivia doesn't make me the mole."

"No, but the virus that took out the CCTV monitors does." Morgan said.

"It originated from your computer." Zoe explained.

"Then whoever put it in my computer is trying to frame me." Kreger exclaimed.

"Olivia was looking for something. She didn't find a thing. You know why?" Morgan asked, "Because all of your files have been erased."

"Do you really think if I was the mole, I would keep files that would incriminate me?" Kreger demanded, "Those files were erased to make me look guilty."

"It's what I would do." J.D. said.

"Looks like it's working." Elle said.

"Garcia's calling." Zoe said.

"Morgan, your girlfriend's back." Gina shouted.

They went back to Gina's computer. "Garcia, it's Morgan. Go."

"Can she not see that?" J.D. asked.

"Hey, listen, that virus left a back door into the CIA mainframe."

"Yeah, so?"

"So I sort of went ahead and used it to find out who ordered John Summers' psych eval with Gideon." Garcia said.

"Who was it?"

"Well, that's what's so weird." Garcia said.

"Who, Garcia, who?"

"John Summers." JJ said.

"Summers? Why would he order his own evaluation?" Morgan asked.

"So we'd ask that question ourselves." Spencer said, "Guys, we missed something on that tape."

"We better figure out what it was before Hassan's friend in here beats us to it." Morgan said.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

They watched another part of the footage, Summers was now in Gideon's car with him, "Presidents come, presidents go. One thing always remains: the people that run those presidents."

"People like you?" Gidoen asked.

"Me?" Summers laughed, ironically, "No. No, no, I'm an expendable pawn, but I got wise to their game."

"Game? What game?"

"Battleship. I'm the ship at sea. They try to sink me." Summers said.

"What the hell is this guy talking about?" J.D. asked in Zoe's ear and she shushed him.

"How do you cope?" Gideon asked in the video.

"Compartmentalization. Separate and seal every aspect of my life."

"How does that work?"

"One part of the hull is compromised, the rest of the hull remains intact." Summers said, "I stay afloat."

"Wow, he's really sticking to this ship metaphor, isn't he?" J.D. said and Zoe shushed him again.

"And what about a direct hit?"

"Then I have a box that I put the really important things in, a sort of insurance policy."

"Against what?"

"Sudden death. Keep it safe from those who appear to be friends."

"That's the only thing he's said that's made sense."

"I forgot how much you talked. Shush!" Zoe shushed him as Morgan paused the video.

"What?"

"J.D.'s yapping." Zoe said and then nodded to the video, "Summers was trying to tell you about the mole."

"If they were following Summers, how come they don't know where Summers put Aaliyah?" Morgan asked.

"You couldn't follow Summers through a desert. He was that good." Gideon said

"So they followed you." Hotch said.

"So Summers must have known they'd be filming him." Morgan said.

"They always are. Smile." Zoe said.

Garcia and JJ appeared back on the monitor.

"Garcia, let's review the tape again." Hotch said.

Garcia and JJ conversed amongst themselves.

"He sure likes boats." Garcia noted.

"He refers to compartmentalizing his life like the hull of a ship. Yeah, and then he talks about a box."

"And putting something inside the box as an insurance policy."

"He was telling Gideon how to find Aaliyah." Garcia said.

"Summers' cover in Saudi was for a shipping company." JJ recalled.

"Okay, um, what about a shipping container?" Garcia asked, "That's a box. That's a big box."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." JJ agreed as Garcia typed, "The only shipping port near Summers' apartment in Baltimore, it's north up the I-95 from Langley."

"Garcia, I love you." Hotch said.

Zoe heard J.D gasp.

"J.D.?" She asked. "Guys, something's wrong?"

"Garcia?" Hotch asked.

"Someone just hacked into this feed." Garcia said.

"We just found out where Aaliyah is. But so did someone else." Hotch said.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

The office was as frantic as the CIA seemed to allow themselves to now that they knew where Aaliyah was

"I can have a chopper on the roof fueled and ready in two minutes." Gina said.

"Yeah, but there are thousands of containers at that port." Hawks said. "What makes you so sure Aaliyah's in one of those containers?"

"Why don't we send in a SWAT team? Split them up." Elle suggested, "Have them search in grids."

"Why? Because Hassan has diplomatic immunity, this mission can't exist." Hotch said.

"It's not Gina." Gideon said and Gina looked up at him, shocked.

"Yeah, obviously." Zoe said.

"Morgan, Zoe, take Gina with you." Gideon ordered.

"Wait, this is my command. These are my people." Hawks protested.

"We have jurisdiction here, and there's nothing you can do to stop us." Hotch said.

"This is my career on the line here." Hawks said.

"No, this is Aalyiah and her two children's lives on the line here." Zoe said, bluntly.

"You always trusted me, right?" Gideon asked and Hawks asked, "Trust me now."

Hotch and Elle approached Kreger, "Come with us."

"This is crazy. Bruno." Kreger protested yet he gave up his firearm anyways in resignation.

"Come on, let's get moving!" Zoe urged.

"Use the thermal imaging. Search every container for body heat." Gina said, "You can walk us in and direct us when we get there.

"J.D.'s doing that too." Zoe siad.

"What, how?"

"It doesn't matter! Hurry up!" Zoe shouted.

"Green, Adams, Duncan, come with me."  Gina instructed.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

"How'd you know I wasn't the mole?" Gina asked Zoe as they got on the chopper.

"Your profile. Highly intelligent, strong-willed. That's because of your dedication to what the CIA protects. You're a good person, you may do morally dubious things but so have I. When it comes down to it, you do the right thing even if it comes to disobeying orders, unfortunately that's not what the CIA likes to hear."

They arrived soon and ran through the port of shipping containers that kind of smelled like fish.

They're somewhere on the east side of this port." Gina said, "You guys, take that area over there. Morgan, Zoe, let's go."

They kept on running as they were informed Hassan had found them and was in the container.

"This is crazy, Gina. We're just running in circles."

"J.D., your directions are not helping at all, now stop screaming in my ear!" Zoe shouted and she touched her other comm, "Reid, come on, help us out here. Give me something."

"A hundred meters southwest of your current location." Spencer said.

Zoe took off running, "Come on!"

She came upon a particular container that caused both Spencer and J.D. to speak, saying different things in the other ear.

"Okay, you're both talking but I get the gist." She said.

"Make the arrest. It's FBI jurisdiction. You're in charge." Gideon said.

When they reached the container, Morgan, Gina, and Zoe pulled the doors open

"FBI!" Morgan shouted

"Let her go and put the gun down." Zoe shouted and he narrowed her eyes at him. He didn't obey, "I said, put down the gun or I will shoot you. I can still arrest you if I cripple you with a bullet!"

He let Aaliyah go and put the gun on the floor, holding his hands up.

"Diplomatic immunity, my friend." He said, smirking at her, she knew he recognized her, maybe not personally but from photos perhaps.

Zoe grinned at his underestimating her intelligence, "Uh-uh. You got it wrong, my friend. You see this container hasn't passed through customs." Hassan's smirk fell. "Officially, we're not on US soil. Summers was a smart man."

Suddenly Gina pressed the barrell of her gun into the back of Zoe's head.

"That he was. Drop the gun."

"Lower the gun, Gina!" Morgan shouted, now pointing his gun at her.

"No, keep your gun on Hassan! Do not give him the chance to hurt Aaliyah and the kids." Zoe shouted.

"Morgan, what's going on?" Gideon asked, the screen kept flickering to static.

"You still certain that Gina isn't the mole?" Hawks asked.

Crystal.

"Angel?" Alexander asked, pleadingly.

"Morgan? Zoe? What's going on?"

"Gina's holding a gun to Zoe's head." Morgan said.

"Well, get it away from her!" Alexander cried.

"When she drops her gun!" Gina shouted but Zoe didn't move.

"Zoe, just drop the gun!" Morgan shouted and J.D. joined in, she relented and handed Gina her gun.

"Gideon, we got a situation here." Morgan said as he and Zoe shielded Aaliyah and the kids and Gina held a gun at Hassan.

"Gina, don't do this. Gina, don't do this." Gideon said.

"I don't take orders from you. Bruno, what do you want me to do?" Gina asked.

"Cover their eyes. Cover their eyes." Zoe said, "he's a monster but they shouldn't witness this."

Aaliyah covered her children's eyes as she pleaded, "Please, please stop this."

"Bruno?" Gina asked.

"You know what to do."

"Say it." Gina requested.

"It's not your call."

"I told you from the start, this was strictly in-house." Hawks said to Gideon.

"This is not your call." Gideon gritted to Hawks.

"Gina, what are you waiting for?"

"An order." Gina said.

"Finish him." Hawks said and then he repeated it, "Finish him."

"Gina, don't do this." Gideon pleaded.

"You're going to cut the visual feed, right, Bruno?" Gina asked.

"Of course. Cut it, now. Cut it!" The visual feed was cut off, followed by four gunshots.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

"I want to thank you, Jason, for your help." Hawks said when he turned back to Gideon.

"Why?" Gideon asked, "Why'd you turn against everything you believe in?"

"What are you talking about?" Hawks asked.

"When someone asks you how you feel about losing one of your colleagues, the only human answer is, 'I feel guilty,' isn't it?"

"But as you so brilliantly deduced, Kruger Spence is the guilty one." Hawks said.

Elle handed Hawks a note they had handed Kruger earlier. It read: We know it's not you. Bruno is the mole.

He just chuckled, "Ridiculous." He scoffed, "Absurd."

"The only thing that's absurd is your arrogance." Gideon said, "to believe you could get away with this."

"Unfortunately, with Hassan now dead, you have no proof." Hawks said.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

They had turned off their microphones and arrested Hassan.

Zoe checked on Aaliyah and the kids.

"You're going to be all right." She reassured them. "They're a little dehydrated and malnourished but nothing a little hospital food can't fix. You should get checked out just in case. I don't see any signs but better safe than sorry."

"Sorry about that. I had to find out if I was right." Gina said when Zoe walked away from the kids.

"No problem, believe it or not, you're far from the first person to hold a gun to my head." Zoe told her.

"How'd you know it was Bruno?" Morgan asked.

"Because Agent Gideon believed in me, and there isn't a reason in the world to kill a man who knows as much as Hassan does." Gina said.

"Except one." Morgan said.

"The same one that made Bruno and Hassan kill Summers. Self-preservation." Gina said.

"Looks like Gideon was right." Morgan said.

"Yes, it does."

"He usually is." Zoe said. "Same as that eval. You disobeyed a direct order."

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Spencer put down the phone and said, "Actually, Hassan is alive and well." The smugness on Hawks' face falls. "He's en route. That's all the proof we'll need."

Hawks looked at Gideon and stepped closer to him, "You are a fool if you think they're going to put me in prison with all that I know."

"Why'd you have to kill Olivia?" Elle asked.

"Economics." Gideon said, "Olivia was looking into your financial records when you snapped her neck."

"So she knew your dirty little secret." Elle said.

"Which one? I have so many."

"You were looking to cash out using Hassan." Elle said.

"Mmm-hmm. Twenty million from Hassan will go a very long way to helping occupy my mind on a beach somewhere." Hawks said.

"The only beach you'll see is on a postcard I send you from my vacation." Gideon said.

"Did you tell them about my daughter?" Alexander asked.

"It was so I could prove myself to Hassan, so he could trust me."  Was all he said.

Alexander balled his fists and was clearly itching to empty his gun into Hawks so Hotch stepped in front of him.

"Let me have your gun." Gideon said.

"You know, I think the consequences of what you're doing to me, my friend, are going to be a lot harder to live with than you think."

"No, I think that's what happened when you gave my daughter over to those terrorists." Alexander spat.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Zoe, Morgan, and Gina returned on the chopper. She was quiet as she gathered her things. An act of closure upon her while J.D. ranted in her ear.

"Thank you, J.D. For everything." She said.

"It's been a while."

"Yeah, it has. But we can't do this again. And you know why."

"Yeah, I do. Bye, my rebel love."  He said and he hung up.

Zoe took the ear piece out of her ear and looked down at it. She sighed heavily and pocketed it.

"What I don't understand is why he invited us here." Spencer said as they exited the conference room.

"He didn't. Summers did by asking for the eval." Hotch said.

"When I put the call in, Bruno had no choice." Gideon said, "He had to find outwhat I knew and keep me close."

"Bad choice."

"You said you'd send a postcard of a beach. You lie." Alexander said.

Yeah, you hate the beach." Spencer said.

"Beaches are for storming." Gina shrugged.

"Only if ordered to." Gideon said.

"Thank you." Gina said and shook Gideon's hand and the team went to leave while Morgan flirted some more with Gina.

"So how are you and J.D.?" Elle asked.

"Uh... I think I might visist him during our two weeks coming up."

Spencer frowned.

George Orwell said, "In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."

*I actually quite like Kreger, not necessarily his character but the foil he is to Spencer. They're both stated to have exceptionally high IQs, they were both recruited to agencies at young ages from good colleges after skipping grades, and if you've watched half way through season twelve there's another thing they have in common. But Kreger is arrogant and condescending and rude to those who he thinks are beneath him, like he was to Spencer before Spencer proved to be just as smart as him. Spencer is kind to everyone, he values everyone's contribution, despite his intelligence he doesn't think his intellect is better than others, he knows he's a genius on paper but doesn't think that it can truly measured.*

*Gina originally knew Zelena but I feel like I already have too many cases that will connect to Zoe*

——————————————————————————————————————————————

[gryfflepuffinthetardis]

Charm & Harm

Season One Masterlist

Somebody’s Watching

Secrets and Lies

Summary: The BAU is in Florida again, tracking a known serial killer who kills women by torturing and drowning them in hotel rooms and he is able to elude capture through multiple states by changing his appearance like a chameleon.

Warning: Killing, Drowning, Canon Emotionally Abusive Parents, Implied Toxic Relationship, Implied Clingy Ex, Alexander being a Protective Dad

"The only way to keep your head above water is to convince yourself you are going to make it."

April 17, 2006

Morgan stared at Elle, oddly as Zoe's personal phone started to ring.

"What?" Elle asked as Zoe saw the picture she used for J.D.  She declined. He knew she was at work.

"We've only been here an hour. You've made two calls."

"And?

"You hate the phone, Elle." Morgan said.

"I don't hate the phone."

"Actually, you do." Spencer said as Zoe's phone started to ring again. Seriously. She declined again. "Hey, did you know that Alexander Graham Bell and Eli Gray both simultaneously invented electronic sound transmission devices? It came down to a race betwixt the two."

"Yeah, and Bell beat Gray to the patent office by a matter of hours." Elle said, "Common knowledge."

"Why are you acting so weird?" Morgan asked.

"We're sitting with a guy who knows that there are eight hundred kernels of corn on the average cob..."

"Arranged in sixteen separate rows."

"And a woman who has twenty degrees by the age of nineteen."

"Twenty-four." Zoe corrected as she declined another call.

"And you're calling me weird?

"You're getting some loving, aren't you?" Morgan asked, "You got a boyfriend."

"You are basing this on what, exactly? The fact that I don't like the phone?" Elle asked. "That's all you've got? That's your best? You've been a profiler for how long, Derek, and that is... That's weak. That's weak."

"What's weak?" JJ asked as she approached with the files for the next case.

"Morgan thinks Elle has a boyfriend." Spencer said as Zoe's phone rang again and she declined it.

"Nothing." Elle said.

"'Nothing.' See, you just denied it." Morgan laughed as they got up to follow JJ into the briefing room.

"Do you?" JJ chuckled.

"It's more fun not to answer that question." Elle said.

"That right there's a yes, baby." Morgan teased. "I knew it. I told you."

"She didn't really admit to anything, man." Spencer said.

"Thank you."

"Reid, trust me, you got a lot to learn." Morgan said and Zoe's phone rang again. "Who keeps calling you?"

"It's more fun not to answer that question." Zoe mimicked Elle as she silenced her phone and started to text a graphic threat to the caller.

They entered the briefing room where JJ told them where the case would be. Tampa, Florida. Ugh.

"FBI Tampa has been investigating a series of murders over the past two months along Florida's central Gulf coast." JJ said.

"I consulted with the SAC down there. They had a strong lead." Gideon said, not looking up.

"And DNA evidence. All four women were killed by this man, Mark Gregory." JJ clicked the remote and a man appeared on the monitor.

"Wait. If they know who he is, he's not really an UnSub. Why are they calling us?" Spencer asked.

"They were unable to arrest him before he disappeared."

"They let a serial killer get away?" Hotch asked.

"Well, it's Florida." Zoe deadpanned, banging the decline on her phone again.

"How long has he been missing?" Hotch asked.

"About thirty-six hours, along with this woman, Nicole Wegener." She clicked the remote, showing a dark-haired woman.

"What do we know about the other victims?"

"They were all abducted within a sixty-mile radius, tortured and then drowned in hotel bathtubs. They were all found a couple of days after they were reported missing." JJ said.

"Same geographical area and he's killing in hotels instead of private, controlled environments." Morgan said.

"Well, he can pay for privacy in a hotel room." Elle said.

"Let's just hope he's not heading for Orlando." Spencer said, "It's second only to Las Vegas in the number of hotel rooms."

"Well, knowing who he is, is certainly part of the equation, but it's a long way from knowing where he is." Hotch said

"A serial killer who's been sussed out and is on the loose, he's got two choices. He's either hiding or worse, he's on the run." Morgan said.

"And if Gregory feels like he's got nothing to lose..." Hotch said.

"He's got the whole country ahead of him." Gideon said.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

The French philosopher Voltaire wrote, "There are some that only employ words for the purpose of disguising their thoughts."

They sat on the plane; Zoe didn't sit near Spencer like she usually did and her phone calls had finally stopped.

"All right, this is everything, the Tampa office has on Mark Gregory. He's a single, white male, thirty-eight years old. Graduated from FSU., Started his own real estate company with a business partner five years ago. He frequently travels for work around the country, sometimes overseas. Just last year he purchased a very lavish home in Sarasota."

"What was he doing before he got into real estate?

"Says he raced cars after college, even worked as a chef at a French restaurant." JJ said.

"Jack-of-all-trades." Zoe mused, lost in memories of the year prior.

"Yeah, he's plenty mastered. He worked as a staff photographer for a couple of magazines along the Central Coast before transitioning to work with models in Miami." Hotch read from the file.

"It's strange so many serial killers make a hobby of photography." Spencer mused, "Must have something to do with the act of voyeurism."

"Zoe, you've profiled known criminals based on what you know of them." Alexander said.

Zoe looked up at her dad with an unreadable stare and then blankly said, "That was different. I don't know anything about Gregory personally yet."

"Zoe." Alexander said. "You still did it. Every time."

She sighed and asked, "What about his bank accounts and credit cards?"

"They seized everything after he disappeared thirty-six hours ago." JJ said.

"So when he uses his credit cards or goes to his house or work, then they've got him." Zoe explained.

"I heard enough about Mark Gregory. I want to hear about his victims. Zoe, is anything familiar."

"Yeah, a lot of these women look similar. Dark hair. Could be surrogates. When we get there, I can see in detail how they died when I get the autopsy reports."

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Zoe was given the autopsy reports once she arrived at the warehouse the police had set up. She looked through the four files, examining them. All of which she had suffered through once before. Only she had lived.

"See anything?" Hotch asked.

"None of these women have the same injuries. He used different forms of torture with each one. Choking, burning, suspension, and beating. Drowning was the only constant."

"They were all classified as wet drownings, which means the victim was alive when they were submerged. They could feel their lungs filling up with water." Spencer said. "It's an extremely painful way to die."

"I'll say. None of these methods of torture are by any means pleasant. Elaine Carol's whole body had broken bones and fractures all over it."

"Why would he take the time?" JJ asked. "They were barely alive after all the torture.

"Well, drowning's a form of torture, too, and it's all part of his signature." Zoe explained, "And it just might be the part that's the most important to him.

The doors opened and an officer came through to introduce himself, "SSA Raymond McCarthy.

"SSA Jason Gideon, we spoke on the phone." Gideon shook his hand.

"Sorry for the temporary setup. We wanted you closer to where Mark Gregory lives." McCarthy said as he shook Hotch's hand. "Please, continue."

"Oh, we were just discussing drowning as a cleansing ritual." Spencer said.

"If we look back into Gregory's childhood, we may find what he needs to purge." Morgan said.

"You think that's the best use of our time? We're itching to find this guy. He got away on our watch."

"Well, by studying his behavior as a child, it helps us understand why he does what he does." Hotch said.

"You know everything about this killer, except why he does it. So, the further we go back, the further ahead of him we might get." Gideon said.

"Were you able to connect Gregory to all four victims?" Morgan asked.

"He had a previous relationship with the first woman he killed." McCarthy said

"Oh, we can look into that as the possible stressor." Elle said.

"The second and third were acquaintances from business deals. The fourth worked at a restaurant the same time he did."

"What's his connection to the missing girl?"

"We can't find anything. Gregory's big news in Florida." McCarthy said, "When do we hold a press conference to alert the entire country?"

"Hopefully we'll find Gregory before we have to." JJ said.

"So, if we split up, we'll cover more ground." Gideon said, "Does he still have family in the area?"

"His dad's close by."

"Why don't we start from the present and work our way backwards?" Gideon suggested, "Zoe, Reid, and I will go to Gregory's house." Zoe gave resigned smile and a nod.

"Elle and I will go and talk with the business partner, Hank Bloomberg." Hotch said.

"I'll comb through some of the evidence here." JJ said.

"I'll help you with that." Alexander said.

"Garcia's going to want an update. I'll catch up with her." Morgan said.

"Good, let's meet back here in two hours. If he's following a previous pattern, we have less than twelve hours to find Nicole Wegener alive." Gideon said.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Gideon, Zoe, and Spencer arrived at Gregory's house. Zoe's Florida migraines were already forming.

"This is a really large house with hardly any furniture." Spencer noted.

"It kind of reminds me of Rossi's house, only without the books, awards, art, kitchen supplies, and endless cigars." Zoe noted, "like the house he had when I was a kid after his divorce with his second wife, before he started writing books."

Gideon nodded and said, "Typical bachelor pad. Large sofa, big-screen TV, white walls."

"I noticed a luxury car in the garage, but it's at least ten years old." Spencer said. She knew how to drive a car... and barely that, since she drove like a maniac.

Zoe shrugged. She didn't know cars. She knew motorcycles.

"Where are the dogs?" Zoe asked, walking past two food bowls surrounded by dog toys.

Spencer entered Gregory's closet.

"Gideon, Zoe, check this out." He said.

Zoe approached and then coughed at the mixture of a closet of leather boots and Gregory's cologne. Also the enclosed space of the closet, made it even less appealing for her to go in. She had been imprisoned for months at a time twice in her life and it gave her mild claustrophobia, and she wouldn't really consider it a phobia but a strong dislike and want to avoid it.

"This guy's got, like, twenty different suits. Some Italian, some tailored, some leisure suits."

"Yeah, looks like Rossi's closet, all right." Zoe said. "Just missing the stench of cigar and his overpriced coffee." Then she leaned to the side, "Except for that." She pointed to a nearby uniform. Spencer turned and frowned at it.

"He's got a mechanic's uniform."

"Yeah, Rossi definitely wouldn't be caught dead wearing that." Zoe said.

Spencer went to a case full of fancy watches and pointed with his gloved pinkie, "Wide assortment of watches and wallets, approximately twenty different pairs of shoes."

"Look at all these driver's licenses. He could start his own DMV." Gideon noted

"Yeah, then he could find a new way to torture people." Zoe quipped.

Spencer smiled, their bond had slowly mending over the past few weeks but still wasn't what it used to be.

"Feed those to Garcia." Gideon said and walked out of the closet, past Zoe. "He travels around the country to buy and sell different properties."

"Probably reinvents himself with each deal he makes. You know?" Spencer speculated, "Plays a different role."

"Dresses up to impress a rich investor, dresses down for a poor farmer." Gideon said.

"This guy is a chameleon, he can adapt to any situation." Zoe said,

"You know, from the outside this house seems clean and shiny, you know, but it's like it's all for show. Like it's a facade to hide what's really going on." Spencer said, picking up something Zoe had pointed to.

"Well, serial killers tend to do that. Ted Bundy was described as incredibly charming while he was committing assault, rape, necrophilia, decapitation, and you know murder, oh and keeping their skulls as trophies in his apartment." Zoe said.

Spencer walked past Zoe to Gideon and she followed as Gideon took out some books from Gregory's desk.

"Drawer full of catalogs. Uniforms for law enforcement, construction, janitorial, military. What do you think he needs these for?"

"Probably has something to do with this." Spencer said, handing Gideon a booklet with his face and sketches of  glasses, beards, mustaches over it. To see what he'd look like with them. "Someone's trying to disguise himself."

"Like Ted Bundy."

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Garcia found that Gregory had been caught peeking through a neighbor's window and when he was eighteen, he had been charged with statutory rape, and his marriage had lasted only twenty-three days.

"Wow, that's like the length of one of Rossi's marriages." Zoe had deadpanned.

They gave the profile to the Tampa police, Zoe's migraines had fully started by now and she was wearing sunglasses inside... like a douchebag. Since she still had her sight.

"We found evidence at his house that he acclimates well to different surroundings." Gideon said. "Possible disguises."

"He's emptied his bank accounts and he's put his dogs in a kennel. We're certain he's left the area and he's not coming back." Hotch said. "And since he's on the run, this classifies him as a spree killer."

"Usually this type of killer goes through two phases, guided and random.

"Guided means that this killer stays in his particular geographic area or comfort zone until he breaks down." Elle explained

"That's why he killed the first four women in a sixty-mile radius?" McCarthy said.

"That's right, and we're hoping he's still there."

"In the guided phase, they usually have a final destination in mind." Morgan said.

"Like Edmund Kemper and Andrew Cunanan, they saved their most meaningful kills until last." Zoe said. Respectfully Clarnell Elizabeth Strandberg and Gianni Versace. "We should find out who that would be for Gregory.

"When the random phase begins, the kills seem to be without design, there's less time in between them. At that point, he's lost total control." Spencer said.

"And as he devolves, he's going to take more victims and become less noticeable." Elle said.

"What does that mean?" McCarthy said.

"In Gregory's case, his MO is the torture. That would mean he will torture less and spend more time on the thing that gives him sexual release, drowning." Alexander explained.

"So it's very important that we find him while he's still in the comfort zone." Hotch said, After that, there's no telling where he'll be."

Hotch's phone rang and he excused himself to take it.

"We'll get a release out to all the major networks." JJ told the officers, "His face, possible disguises will be all over the country by dinner time."

Hotch came back and announced the news he had got, "They just found the missing girl's body."

"Close by?" Morgan asked.

"No, Georgia."

"Come on, Elle. Looks like we're going to Georgia." Morgan said.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

A few hours later, Hotch got off the phone and told them, "Elle and Morgan just landed in Georgia. They'll be at the hotel in about twenty minutes."

"So, Florida's not his only comfort zone." McCarthy said.

"No, apparently he set up businesses throughout the southern US." Hotch said.

"He's prepared." Zoe noted.

"Well, we have warnings along I-95 and I-10 in case he decides to travel along the Gulf Coast." McCarthy said.

"Well, now that he's crossed state lines, it's a nationwide search." Hotch said.

"He doesn't want to get caught, so he'll probably alter his route and drive quieter roads." Zoe theorized.

"We'll prepare for that, too."

"These records indicate that he went to high school in four different states." Spencer said.

"So he moved around a lot.

"Let's talk to his father. Find out why." Gideon said.

"Maybe he's revisiting places where he feels comfortable." Spencer said.

"The latest hotel records indicate that he checked in using his own name." Zoe said.

"You know, if he doesn't want us to catch him then what's he doing?" McCarthy asked. "Taunting us?"

"No, taunting would imply that this is some sort of game. It isn't." Hotch said, "He's made it very clear that he has no intention of going back to his life as it was. This is a one-way trip."

"There's DNA proving he's the offender." Alexander said, "No point in covering his tracks now. That would only slow him down."

"And if he wanted us to catch him, he'd simply stop running." Hotch said, "It's not likely. He's got four hundred grand in cash."

"That type of money, he could charter a plane or buy a ticket virtually anywhere in the world." Spencer said.

"Well, he's not hiding, he's hunting. Besides, driving works for him. It's anonymous and he can cover a lot of territory." Hotch said.

"We should notify the Mexican and Canadian border patrols." Zoe suggested. "He might try to leave the US."

"Let them know that most spree kill send with suicide by cop." Gideon said, "Could be how he plans on getting out of this mess."

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Zoe, Spencer, Alexander, and Gideon went to speak with Gregory's father, Doug.

"I still can't understand how my son could be responsible for this."

"Your son's a narcissist with split-personality. He's able to gain his victim's trust before inflicting pain upon them." Spencer informed him in his usual matter-of-fact tone. "This is most likely derived from an incredible amount of self-awareness."

"Mark has mastered the art of manipulation." Gideon said, "Only allows you to see his good side."

"This is a nightmare." Doug scoffed.

"I don't doubt that," Alexander said.

"Why don't you sit down, Mister Gregory?" " Gideon asked.

Gideon crossed the room to sit a couch while Doug sat on another couch. Spencer sat next to Gideon and cross his legs while Alexander sat next to Doug. Zoe remained standing, still wearing her sunglasses.

"You moved around a lot when Mark was growing up?" Gideon asked.

"Mark never complained. I guess it's because he was always good at making friends." Doug said, "He fit in wherever we went."

"We know he's been to Georgia. Do you know where else he might go?" Gideon asked. "Any places he loved to visit? Anywhere he'd call home?"

"We lived here the longest. He would consider Florida home."

Zoe had been looking around, all the photos contained Gregory as a child but no sign of Mark's mother. When Zoe and Zarah were growing up, there were always pictures of Zelena. Not just because of their tradition of putting up a picture of a loved one who had passed. Alexander had wanted them to know what their mother looked like. The woman who fought against a psychopath and let him torture her just so she could ensure Zoe's safety and bring her into the world even if she knew she wouldn't make it.

"I notice that Mark's mother isn't in any photos." She said.

"Elizabeth died in a car accident."

"I'm sorry." Alexander said as Zoe pursed her lips.

"How old was Mark when that happened?" Spencer asked.

"Ten."

"Were they close?" Spencer asked.

"She was his mother." He said, defensively.

"That doesn't answer the question, with all due respect. I know what it's like to lose a mother. Granted, my mom died in childbirth due to a murderer, but I still felt very close to her." Zoe said.

"Typically when a child loses a mother, he sees her as a victim. Which, you know, theoretically, he'd want to protect women. More likely to lash out against the father, blaming men for needing punishment, but Mark didn't do that."

"Because you and Mark were close." Gideon asked.

"Yes." He kept using the same tone.

"Any reason he would've blamed his mother for her death?" Alexander asked. "Was she drinking and driving..."

"No."

"...falling asleep at a wheel, anything?"

"No, no, nothing like that."

"Maybe he blames her because he thinks she abandoned him?" Spencer suggested.

"The loss of a female figure could explain why... he was Peeping Tom in adolescence." Gideon said.

"Are you telling me that young boys, aren't curious?" Doug asked.

"Sure, they're curious but not all peek through windows. Right, Spencer?" Zoe looked at him.

"What?" His voice went up several octaves at her teasing implication. "No, I never did that."

"What about the statutory rape charge?" Zoe asked Doug.

"Oh, no. Mark had just turned eighteen and his girlfriend was fifteen. They were kids, for God's sake. It was her parents that pressed charges."

He kept making excuses for his son.

"Did Mark ever have to take responsibility for anything?" Gideon asked.

"Look, what are you saying?" Doug demanded, "That being a protective parent has turned my child into a killer?"

"No, I'm saying you're making excuses. I'm not sure it did him any favors. I'm a protective father myself, this is my daughter here and she hasn't killed four women."

——————————————————————————————————————————————

They met back up with Hotch at the warehouse and found out that Garcia had found Gregory's ex-wife. Apparently, he had repeatedly accused her of cheating on him and then stalked her years after the annulment.

"Well, if I found out my ex-husband who thought I was constantly cheating was stalking me. I'd move away too."

"Well, he'd have my entire bullet clip collection in his head so you wouldn't have to." Alexander said and then narrowed his eyes at Spencer who looked both confused and scared.

"I can handle myself." Zoe said.

"Based on these interviews, it looks like the first victim wasn't being unfaithful. She had a husband and was trying to keep it secret." Hotch said, reading the report.

"Sounds like he found out."

"Yeah, there must have been something major in his past to trigger such an extreme reaction." Hotch said.

"Maybe something with his parents' relationship that scarred him during childhood?" Spencer suggested.

"Ted Bundy's hatred of women stemmed from when he found out as a child that the woman he had thought was his sister his whole life was his mother and his parents were his grandparents but they tried to hide it due to religious beliefs. This caused him to feel unloved and illegitimate. Then when his girlfriend dumped him, it furthered this feeling of being unloved and his hatred towards women." Zoe explained.

Garcia showed up on the laptop that was searching for Gregory, "Hey, guys, I found Mark Gregory's car at Atlanta International Airport."

"That's pretty smart. There's a sea of cars at the airport." McCarthy said.

"But he parked in short-term and he got a ticket."

"There must have another reason for him to dump it there." Hotch said.

"Guys, I know we ruled out flying, but it's hard to ignore the fact that his last known location was a place that literally had thousands of international flights a day.: Spencer said.

"Thousands of people, all possible victims." Gideon said.

"Hey, Garcia, is it possible to run the face recognition software at the airport?" Hotch asked.

"I'm already on it. I went ahead and started with security footage at the parking garage since we know he was in there."

"Knowing what he looks like's got to be some advantage to us." Hotch said.

"It is. I'm uploading to you right now."

"Thanks."

They watched the video of Gregory dressed like a pilot, eyeing a blonde woman putting her luggage into a car but he walked on by.

"She seemed like his type." McCarthy said.

"Some serial killers look for challenging victims for the thrill but not Gregory. He just wants the release. He's looking for the easiest target and he doesn't have time to waste." Zoe explained.

Gregory settled on a dark-haired woman, helping her put her luggage into her car.

"Who doesn't trust a man in uniform?" Gideon asked.

"He helps her. She returns the favor and gives him a ride." Hotch said as Gregory walked to the passenger's seat of the car.

"Fatal mistake." Gideon said.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Spencer stared into a cup of water, intently with those hazel-brown eyes of his.

"Let's review what we know. Gregory will continue to drown. The question is why does he have to?" Hotch asked.

"People who murder via drowning typically want to invoke fear." Zoe recalled for her own experience of being waterboarded to the point she would pass out.

"If water symbolizes emotion it says they're overwhelmed by their own unresolved issues or facing some sort of major life crisis." Spencer said, "It suggests a release of the old is necessary to emerge and begin anew."

"So there's something he's trying to purge or cleanse by killing these women?" McCarthy asked.

"Yeah, I think that's exactly right." Spencer said.

"That's the key to unlock why he kills." Gideon said.

An officer came up and said, "Excuse me. Sorry to interrupt. But we've located the missing woman to a motel in South Carolina."

"Already?" Zoe asked, "That's not good."

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Spencer stared at the board of the victims.

"You see something?"

"No, I was just thinking about the information we released about Mark Gregory at the press conference." Spencer referred to the press conference JJ had held not too long ago.

"What about it?"

"Well, we described him as someone who's engaging, confident, poses as people with authority, but this is a guy who's flying under the radar." Spencer pointed out.

"So what, we made a mistake?" McCarthy asked.

"No, not at all, no." Spencer said. "We're dealing with a killer who's highly intelligent and incredibly resourceful. You would think that we've pushed him to change what he's doing."

"To what?"

"Maybe he's not using a simple ruse anymore?"

"He could alter his appearance so he's barely recognizable, just like in the sketch book." Gideon said.

"If he does that, we have no idea what we're looking for." Alexander said.

"Have Garcia find the records of the accident that killed his mom. Maybe there's something in there that can help us."

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Garcia called Zoe, "Who's the answer to all your dreams?"'

"I believe they're fictional." Zoe quipped, "I'm going to put you on speaker."

"Oh, you completely suck. Are you getting the records?"

"Yeah, I got them." Zoe said, bringing them up on her laptop.

"Hospital records show Mark Gregory fractured a vertebra when he was ten. He suffered damage to his spine, ligaments, and neck.

"What causes that type of injury?" Gideon asked.

"Whiplash." Spencer and Zoe said in unison.

"Behold the wonderful geniuses of Doctor Spencer Reid and Doctor Zoe Noble-Valdez. Sweethearts, that's exactly what the rest of the hospital record says. Now, I did some more digging. I found an article in the Polk County paper describing the crash."

"What did it say?"

"Well, the headline reads that Elizabeth Gregory died in the crash, but here we go, her ten-year-old son was only injured."

"Mark Gregory was in the car with her?" Hotch asked.

"Apparently."

"We need to talk to Gregory's father, find out what else he's keeping from us." Gideon said.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

"Well, I know you guys didn't come here to look at pictures of my son." Doug said a few minutes after he had let them back into his house. "Did something happen?"

"Why are there no memories of your wife here?" Zoe asked.

"Why would I want to remind my son of the most horrible thing that ever happened to him?" Doug asked.

"Normally when a parent dies, the other parent tends to overcompensate by building a shrine of pictures, leaving their personal effects untouched, sometimes for years." Spencer said. "You didn't happen to do that."

"My pregnant fiance died hours before my youngest daughter here was born and I still put pictures of her all over the house. I told my daughters stories of her for years and I still carry a picture of her in my wallet twenty years later." Alexander said.

"Why didn't you tell us your son was in the car when your wife died?" Gideon asked.

"I didn't think it was important." Doug scoffed

"You didn't think it was important?" Gideon repeated, "You didn't think it was important to tell us your son witnessed his mother dying?"

"No."

"The fact that he witnessed his mother die at such a young age, it clearly affected how he regards women." Spencer said.

"But still he despises women. He blames his mother for someone." Zoe said. "Do you know why your son was married for such a short period of time?"

"Yes, it was a mistake, he was young." Doug scoffed like that was all there was to it.

"Well, we talked to his ex-wife. Mark was obsessed with thinking she was unfaithful."

Doug scoffed and said like they were stupid, "It could happen."

"Well, she never was, but he made life unbearable for her. She couldn't leave the house. She couldn't take a breath without worrying about it." Zoe said, "And years after he still stalked her, to see if he was right."

"Something must've happened to feed that distrust and give him such a distorted view of relationships." Spencer said.

"How were things with your wife, Mister Gregory?"

"Normal and uneventful." He said.

Well, it ended with her dying in a car crash.

"Was she being unfaithful?"

"What?"

"Did she pick men up? Did Mark find out, catch her in the act?" Gideon asked, quick fire.

"No! All right, all right, enough. Stop it." He said and sighed, "Uh... When she couldn't find a babysitter, she would take him with her to the motel and let him play by the pool. This went on for over a year. What kind of mother would do that?"

"Did you ever take him to therapy, Mister Gregory?" Alexander asked.

"No."

"Why?"

"I didn't think he needed it." He said.

"You didn't think he needed it?" Gideon repeated again.

Even Zoe and Zarah had therapy by Gideon's ex-wife about their mother's death and they were babies when it happened.

"No."

"A boy watches his mother die. He lives. She dies. You don't think that's confusing to a ten-year-old kid?" Gideon asked.

"I didn't say that!"

"You did say that."

"Mark was smart enough to know what was going on. That explains his issues with infidelity, his hatred towards women, and now why he tortures and drowns them." Spencer explained. "His first victim was married. She was having an affair with him, which it clearly reminded him of what his mother did to you."

"Do you think your wife's death was an accident?" Gideon asked.

"I honestly don't know." He confessed.

"Well, what do you know, Mister Gregory? What do you think? What do you feel? Do you even know what I'm talking about?" Gideon said, quick fire, gesturing with his hands.

"Well, okay, I had my suspicions." He confessed.

"Well, your son did what you thought about doing a hundred times. These are innocent women, innocent women, Mister Gregory. They didn't do anything. But in his mind, he views all women as unfaithful like your wife was." Zoe said.

"Ever occur to you your son might be trying to stand up for you in his own sick, demented way because you weren't there? You weren't there, Mister Gregory!" Gideon said.

"I..."

"Help us, before he kills again and again and again. Help us, Mister Gregory. Help us."

Doug didn't do anything.

"Right. While you sit here and perfect the art of doing nothing, we're going to try to save more women from being killed." Zoe spat and stormed out of the house.

"Zoe!" Spencer ran after her, "Zoe." She spun around, looking at him with an angry glare in her eyes. "You do know that Doug Gregory isn't the killer, right?"

"Yes, I know that, but he protected one, and now at least six women are dead because of it." She said.

"Zoe... what's going on with you..." Spencer asked.

Zoe's face scrunched up as she clenched her jaw, then she said, "We're not friends, Reid." She spat then she spun around and stormed off, leaving Spencer with a hurt look on his face.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

April 19, 2006

"Garcia found a lead in Tennessee. Allyson Glennon was snatched from a grocery store a couple hours ago and survived an attempted drowning in a motel pool." Hotch said when they came back.

"Motel pool?" McCarthy asked, "Doesn't sound like our guy. "

"Yeah, I know except that she's identified Gregory as her attacker, and the place is less than an hour from the last killing." Hotch said.

"And the last victim was killed at a motel. He's devolving." Zoe said. "He's not sticking to hotels anymore."

"Garcia's giving Elle and Morgan details right now."

"Alexander, Zoe, Reid and I had another talk with Mark's father." Gideon said. "We need to get everybody on the phone."

"Hey, Gideon." Elle said over the phone.

"We think Mark's first victim was his mother." Gideon said.

"What?" Morgan asked.

"I'm sorry. You're saying a ten-year-old killed his own mom?" Garcia asked.

"It's possible. I made my first kill at thirteen." Zoe said.

"What!?"

"It was self-defense."

"You did it with a bow and arrow." Alexander said.

"I still did it!"

"It's a common theory that sons can fixate on their mothers since their mothers are their introduction to love." Hotch said.

"And if that mother had a negative influence on him, in this case, she was an adulteress, it invalidated not only the father, but it reflected poorly onto the son." Spencer said.

"Mark Gregory was a child, but he was old enough to understand what his mother was doing." Gideon said, "He was protecting a weak, impotent, passive-aggressive father who wanted his wife dead. He read the old man like a book and lived the life he couldn't."

'Because she was his mother, he saw her as a saint, but because she was a cheater, he also saw her as a sinner." Zoe said, "It wouldn't be hard to cause a car crash. Mother and son argue. Son grabs wheel and turns it. Car crashes."

"Do you think the father knew his son was a murderer?" McCarthy said.

"Yes." Gideon and Zoe said.

"It's why he's so overprotective of him." Spencer said.

"We need to go through all of the evidence from the car accident." Hotch said. "Absolutely everything."

"News articles, medical records, police reports. I'm on it." Garcia said.

"We need to do it as quickly as possible. He's a killer on the run, and he's grabbing women as he sees them." Hotch said.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

"Here's the police photo of the car Gregory's mother was killed in." Hotch said as Zoe ran a hand through her hair. "Right there. See the water dripping from the under the car?"

"It doesn't look like it'd be a fatal car crash." Spencer said. "All the damage was done on the passenger side?"

"What was her official cause of death?" Zoe asked.

"I'll ask Garcia."

McCarthy came in, "We've got a possible abduction. Kelly Dalton, twenty-eight. Eyewitnesses saw her leaving a parking lot with a man who resembled Gregory. She was supposed to pick up her son, never made it."

They called the rest of the team, "So, he's got a victim and a car. Now all he needs is the location."

"Okay, there are five sources of water nearby. Closest to the accident is... Rock Creek in..." Garcia said.

"Clearwater, Flordia." Spencer said, "

"That's where Kelly Dalton was abducted. Morgan and Elle are there right now."

"I'm headed there on my motorcycle. They need all hands on deck. I can be there in less than fifteen minutes on my bike." Zoe said.

"Zoe, one more thing." Garcia said, "Elizabeth Gregory's official cause of death was asphyxia caused by immersion in fluid."

"She drowned?" Hotch asked.

"With no discernible damage done to her, keeping her trapped in the car, what would cause a taller mother to drown and a smaller child to survive?" Spencer asked.

"There's only one way." Zoe said as she gathered her things, pulling her helmet out and strapping it on her head, "Mark Gregory held his mother's head under whatever water was in the car."

"His first kill was his most powerful." Hotch said. "Well, at least we know where he's going."

"Back to where it all started."

Zoe left the building and got on her bike.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Zoe was on another side of the mass of land at route sixty, when there was a constant honking sound cutting through the air, it was nearby. She was closer than Elle and Morgan, she got on her motorcycle and drove at top speed until she got to the car, just a minute away. She got off her motorcycle.

"I just found the car. It's been crashed and it's empty. Kelly Dalton must've made a run for it." Zoe said.

She looked around, calculating where Kelly would've run to when she heard distant screams.

"SOMEBODY HELP ME! HELP!"

"I hear somebody screaming. I'm going into the woods." Zoe said. "In the direction the car is pointed. Keep you posted."

She bolted towards the direction of the screams

"Help me! Help me! Somebody help! Help!" Kelly screamed.

Gregory shoved the struggling woman into the body of water, he kept on pushing her under.

"How does that feel?" He shouted, "Shut up. Nobody can hear you.

Kelly grabbed a pipe at the bottom of the pond and hit him over the head with it. He stumbled back and she stood up, taking a breath of the sweet, sweet air she never wanted to not appreciate again, before lunging at him to make sure he was down for her own survival, stumbling because she was knee-deep in water and grabbed onto him, raising the pipe but he pushed her off him and she tried to flee, yelling out, hoping someone anyone could hear them, he pulled her back and raised the pipe.

"HEY! MARK GREGORY!" FBI! Zoe screamed, holding up her gun. "PUT DOWN THE PIPE AND LET HER GO OR I'LL SHOOT!"

"SHE CHEATED!"

"SHE'S NOT YOUR MOTHER! YOU KILLED HER TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS AGO!" Zoe shouted. "LET HER GO!"

He didn't move; he seemed to be examining Zoe, almost as if trying to decipher her words but due to his complete loss of sanity and distinguishing any Caucasian woman from his mother all he saw was a sinner, a liar, a cheater.

He lunged to hit Kelly over the head. BANG! Zoe shot at him, hitting him in the shoulder. He screamed out in pain as there was too much pain for him to even barely hold the pipe, much less hit Kelly over the head with it. Zoe rushed forwards and punched him, not enough to knock him out because he lunged at her to try and drown her next but she kicked him between the legs and punched him again, knocking him down, his bottom half in the water and kneed him in the face, simultaneously knocking him out and breaking his nose.

Zoe looked at his bleeding body and turned to the woman, "are you okay?"

She was sobbing and crying out, "He tried to kill me" and "no".

"So, you smashed your car to get away from him and beat him with a pipe. My kind of a woman." She tried to joke before looking at her wound while speaking to the other agents, "Alright, she may have a minor concussion, definite bruising and she should spend the next seventy-two hours at the hospital to avoid risks of secondary drowning and while that's on my mind, someone call the South California hospital that Allyson Glennon is in and warn them to keep her for at least seventy-two hours after her near drowning."

"The author François de La Rochefoucauld wrote, "We are so accustomed to disguise ourselves to others that in the end we become disguised to ourselves."

*I changed where Kelly Dalton was abducted so Zoe could face off the UnSub in the end and also I really liked Kelly. I thought she was a really tough and resourceful survivor and these are mostly told through Zoe's point of view. I changed it because the locations between them was eight hours by car. I don't think Rock Creek in Copperhill, Tennessee is a real place, so I kept that the same. Sorry.*

*Just a little hint but J.D. will make an appearance but no one gets to see him.*

——————————————————————————————————————————————

[gryfflepuffinthetardis]

Works In Progress

Crossed out means I may not ever write them.

Steve Harrington

Embers In the Sky (Dominique "Nico" Henderson played Georgie Henley; Alex Henderson played by David Tennant)

Killer Queen (Cassandra "Cassie Dare" Henderson played by Zoey Deutch; Pan Henderson played by David Tennant)

Trauma (Emilie Henderson played by Hailee Steinfeld)

Devil Town (Imogen Henderson played by Katherine Langford)

Isaac Lahey (Teen Wolf)

Embers in the Sky Season One (Milo Stilinski played by Katherine Langford)

Spencer Reid (Criminal Minds)

Braveheart (Isobel Noble played by Karen Gillan) (*This is a different character completely from Isobel Noble the aunt of Zoe Noble-Valdez in Valentía.*)

Born Profiler (OFC Played by Katherine Langford)

Chip Taylor (68 Kill)

The Black Sheep (Work in Progress; Coming Soon) (Chip Taylor x Reader; Liza and Dwayne's sister)

Kyle Orfman

Brother's Best Friend (Work in Progress; Coming Soon) (Kyle Orfan x Reader; Zach Orfman's Best Friend)

Joe Harper (The Band of Robbers)

True Companions

Fred Weasley

(All of these are Potter!sister!OCs, most of them are of Harry Potter's twin sister)

The Girl Who Lived (Sadie Sink as OC) (Need of a rewrite. Her name was Violet but since then my cousin had a baby daughter who he named Violet so I'm changing this character's name. I just can't write original characters with names of people I know. It's a rule of mine.)

North Star/Falling Star (Metamorphmagus!Cassiopea Potter played by Katherine Langford)

The Twins Who Lived (Georgie Henley as Currently Unnamed OC)

Embers in the Sky (Emberly "Ember" Potter Played by Caitlin Blackwood/Karen Gillan) She is also the face claim I maintain of Lily Evans/Potter. (Caitlin Blackwood played young Amelia Pond in Doctor Who and is Karen Gillan's real life cousin.)

Will Burton (Escape Artist)

Unjust (Will Burton x Reader) (Escape Artist Rewrite)

[gryfflepuffinthetardis]

Who I'm Willing To Write For

I don't know if I'm being paranoid but people seem to be not liking my posts as they usually do. So I'm going to simplify my Masterlist because I haven't written for most of these.

So I'm going to add these here. Remember the characters are color-coded by what Hogwarts house I think they're in and since Tumblr removed the yellow color, Orange will represent Hufflepuff except in the condition of Good Omens' Crowley who I am stuck between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. If you disagree, please give me your best argument and I'll offer my insight of David Tennant's Crowley.

Ninth Doctor - Brooding Time Lord Who Tries To Hide His Light with Darkness

Tenth Doctor - Hyperactive Time Lord Who Is Always Being Slapped Born From His Love For a Human Who Tries To Hide His Darkness and Trauma With Light

Metacrisis Doctor/TenToo (My Headcanon is that he chose the surname "Noble")

Fourteenth Doctor - The Face That Returned, now arguably more Hyperactive and Traumatized

Campbell Bain - Bipolar Nineteen-Year-Old Walking Ray of Sunshine That Somehow Doesn't Do Well With Girls

Alec Hardy (Broadchurch) - Grumpy and Broody Scottish Detective With a Heart Condition yet a Heart of Gold (Doesn't Know He's a DILF)

Emmet Carver (Gracepoint) - The American Version of Alec

Crowley (Good Omens) - A Hyperactive Drama Queen "Vaguely Sauntered Downward" Angel Turned Only Demon with an Imagination

Barty Crouch Junior - The (Possibly Bipolar) Misunderstood Boy Who Never Got His Father's Love and Was Manipulated By Voldemort (I think I read that he was actually a Ravenclaw but I do see a lot of Hufflepuff in him, his insistence of a fair fight and honesty and loyalty)

Peter Vincent (Fright Night) - Hyperactive Alcoholic Magician/Vampire Hunter with a Heart of Gold

Dave Tiler (Single Dad) — The sweetheart dad with too many children with so much love in his heart who fate was so cruel to.

Kilgrave (I've never seen Jessica Jones, I just feel like with him having the same accent and looks the same, it might ruin David Tennant's Doctor for me, and I love David Tennant as the Doctor.)

Cale Erendreich (Bad Samarian; Haven't Seen This Either)

Will Burton (Escape Artist) — Britain's best Criminal Defense Attorney, who defended and offended his worst client

Doug McLeod — A "complete and utter bloody shambles" and "Not England" Dad of three fantastic (and hilariously curious and independent) children from ages four to ten (who are the most mature in the family) who made a few mistakes but loves his family so much.

Steve Harrington (Stranger Things) - The Hair; Nomenee for Mother of the Year

Isaac Lahey (Teen Wolf) - The Abused Puppy With a Heart of Gold Who Only Wanted the Power to Defend Himself and To Not Be Scared

Spencer Reid (Criminal Minds) - The Genius Pretty Boy

Raymond Wadsworth

Chip Taylor (68 Kill)

Kyle Orfman

Lesley Juniment-Smith

Thornton "Thorn" Adams (King Knight)

Joe Harper (The Band of Robbers)

Fred Weasley

Walter "Wally" Clark (School Spirits)

Yes, there are a lot of David Tennant characters. I don't want to write for the actor himself, I just feel a little creepy doing that. In my numerous Steve Harrington fics, the more recent ones (The OC is always Dustin's older sister, except in one) I think he is the best Doctor and I think he should officially be titled as the biggest Doctor Who Fan ever. (He became an actor because of Doctor Who, he says he thinks he underplays how much he loved Doctor Who, he became the first regenerated Doctor and the first one to last more than one season on the revived Doctor Who, he met his future father-in-law, like a year before he met his wife, Ty Tennant, Georgia's oldest son and David's now adopted son, in 2008, considered the Tenth to be his favorite, and hilariously, his grandfather was nowhere on the five-year-old's list--then David Tennant met Georgia (at the time) Moffat on the set of Doctor Who as she, the daughter of the Fifth Doctor, played the daughter of the Tenth Doctor, I heard that David Tennant met Ty on the set, and according the Peter Davidson, Georgia didn't even realize that he liked her when they started going out (apparently he was offended when she said she hadn't seen any Shakespeare), then David Tennant counts as the unofficial twelfth regeneration (there was the War Doctor who the Doctors deem as not worthy of having the name of the Doctor), then he adopted Ty Tennant and married Georgia; he returned for the 50th and 60th anniversary (and I hope he never stops returning), now is the Fourteenth Doctor, that's three official regenerations, and Good Omens is full of Doctor Who references. I don't think anyone can beat him for the biggest Doctor Who fan. His life like revolves around Doctor Who in a way that every fanboy/fangirl dreams of. *(Can't pinpoint what house Alec Hardy and therefore Emmet Carver would be in, the only blog I've found on it, discussed how he may be a burnt Hufflepuff (just google it, it'll send you to the tumble immediately) but discusses his desperation in season two suggests Gryffindor, also implying his ignoring of his heart condition but he's aware that he has it, so he's gone to the hospital and he takes pills, he's just aware that the doctors told him that he may not survive his surgery to have the pacemaker put in and he feels like he owes it to the families to get the closure they deserve, so it doesn't strike me as impulsive but more dedicated, determined, and "unafraid of toil". Then the blog argues that his need to protect people he views as in his care and how he related to the Sandbrooke case as Slytherin but I don't see that. I think perhaps a "Burned Hufflepuff" is accurate.*

[gryfflepuffinthetardis]

Somebody's Watching

Season One Masterlist

A Real Rain

Charm and Harm

Summary: While in Los Angeles conducting a profiling seminar with the LAPD, Gideon and Reid are brought in to consult when someone commits a series of murders occurring around a young Hollywood actress, who becomes attracted to Reid.

Warnings: Stalking; Killing; J.D. Zoe being mean to Spencer; Spencer being mean to Zoe; Spencer cursing; Zoe is being a bit shady when it comes to her photo being taken, Obsessive Love

Note: *Although I have recast Lila, because she’s played by a real life UnSub (someone on Archive of Our Own said “she wasn’t but okay” but come on, look what she tried to do) and a genuinely awful person who tried to ruin a good man’s life, there will be passive-aggressive comments about her because I hate her that much because I love Johnny Depp so much. My mom actually wouldn't let me watch Aquaman because she didn't like Herd and this was before the scandal broke, she didn't trust her. I kept being reminded of different actresses because she looked so different or more likely, my brain was trying to replace her with someone I actually like rather than a terrible human being who can't act. She is now cast by Claire Holt from the Originals and H2o*

"When you have seen as much as I have, you will not underestimate the power of obsessive love." — J.K. Rowling

Diane Arbus once said, "A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you the less you know."

March 26, 2006

Zoe's suspension was up and she was in California with Spencer and Gideon to give a lecture and Spencer had brought them to an art gallery that a semi-friend from high school was hosting. He hadn't been a friend exactly but he hadn't been one of the cruel ones to Spencer and defended him a few times which Spencer had appreciated.

"Spencer! Spencer Reid!" The man was older than Spencer, obviously and hugged Spencer who awkwardly tried to return it. "Dude, dude, dude. Look at you. You look just the same. Look at you, dude, nothing changed. Spencer was the only twelve-year-old in our graduating class. Just the same."

"Thanks." Spencer said.

"This is Special Agent Jason Gideon and this is Doctor Zoe Noble-Valdez." Spencer introduced, "This is Parker Dunley. We went to high school together, as you can probably gather."

"Yeah, I gathered." Zoe said.

"Hi. How are you?" Gideon introduced.

Hey." He said and then he looked at Zoe and Spencer didn't miss how he eyed Zoe. "You work with the FBI?"

"Yeah, Spencer was the youngest before I came along." Zoe said and she looked at her hand still in Parker's hand too long and she pulled it back as Spencer shifted, uncomfortably.

"It's a beautiful gallery." Gideon said.

"Oh, thank you, thank you."

"Uh, Jason's a big contemporary art enthusiast." Zoe said.

"Well, we're exhibiting four up-and-coming artists in this show. Everything's for sale." Parker said.

"Yeah, birds are his favorite. You got any of those" Zoe deadpanned.

Parker looked at Spencer who just shook his head with a fond smile like, she's always like that.

"And I could definitely swing a nice discount for a friend of..." He spotted a pretty blonde woman enter the room with a brunette friend. "Lila." He turned back to them to bring them to introduce them. "Hey. Guys, come on." He walked to the woman.

Spencer turned to Zoe and Gideon, "Do I look twelve-years-old to you?"

"Basically." Zoe deadpanned with a smirk. Not that she

"Fourteen?" Gideon said.

Spencer looked away and shook his head and followed Parker.

"Spencer, you ever meet a real movie star?" Parker asked.

"Movie star? Please. She has a supporting role on a television series about beach volleyball." Lila's friend said, "Totally blue-collar."

"I'm Lila." She introduced to Spencer.

"Hi, I'm uh, Doctor Spencer Reid. Um... I'm Spencer. You don't have to call me doctor." Spencer stammered.

"I won't."

"Doctor Zoe Noble-Valdez, M.D." Zoe said and then started to turn to make her leave before turning back around at such a quick pace that something was clearly wrong and standing stiffly as someone started to take pictures of Lila.

"Excuse me." Parker said and turned to confront the photographer, "Hey, you. I told you no photos in the gallery. All right? Out!

When the photographer moved as Parker made him move, still taking pictures of the group, Zoe ducked and reemerged with her leather jacket hood over her head but she wasn't sure if she had kept herself hidden enough.

A waiter offered them champagne, Lila took one and Spencer declined, Zoe immediately took it, rather annoyed with the situation but unable to leave without risk of getting her photo taken.

"So, you're not from around here, are you?"

"No." Zoe said, blankly.

"Me? No, no. I'm... We're running a training service about profiling for the Los Angeles Police Department." Spencer explained.

"Profiling?" Lila asked.

"Yeah, we're with the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI. We psychoanalyze crime scenes in order to gain a better understanding of the criminal who might have committed the crime." Spencer explained.

"Psychoanalyze, huh?" Lila said and Spencer nodded and glanced away awkwardly.

Zoe stuck her tongue out in disgust. Barf.

"Are you doing that to me right now?" Lila asked

"What? No. I'm not psychoanalyzing you. I'm just..." Spencer stammered.

"I'm kidding." Lila chuckled and Spencer pressed his lips together, nodding.

He noticed Zoe, giving him a rather annoyed look as Lila was clearly charmed by Spencer's awkward nature.

"You're an idiot." Zoe said.

"What?" Spencer asked but she then spun and getting on her phone, deeming possibly being caught on camera was worth getting away from these two.

"Hey, J.D." He caught her say before she disappeared into the crowd. Spencer bit his tongue. "Hey, uh, I know this is just a message but I might have been captured on some paparazzi photos and I'd really appreciate it if you could search for those to make sure they don't reach anyone who may have seen me. I'm at an art gallery actually, I know you don't have many pleasant things to look at other than computer screens, I can look for one something that you'd like as a thank you. And if I wasn't, just... I can't say I'm sorry because I was doing my job but you are where you are because of me. Bye, J.D. I hope you get this soon."

Zoe was examining a piece of art that was closest to JD's taste but still not to it. It was gothic enough. He was dark. When she got the call from him.

He spoke to her with his usual... JD-ness, only she ever understood him. Zoe knew she shouldn't smile when she talked to him but she still did which Spencer noted bitterly.

"I don't think any of these are to your liking. Too modern. You're both. You're classical and modern." Then she spotted Gideon looking deeply uncomfortable. "Uh, Gideon looks like he's freaking out, I gotta go but I'll call you later. Well, Johnson can say that to my face, if he wants. We both know he won't."

"Zoe, let's go. Where's the kid?" Zoe led Gideon to Spencer.

"I can't tell you how to feel." Lila said.

"Right now I feel pretty good." Spencer said, awkwardly.

"We're leaving." Gideon told him

"We're still looking at the exhibit." Spencer protested.

"Now." Gideon said but Spencer hesitated, "Now. Now."

"Uh, yeah, yeah, I guess we're leaving." He shook Lila's hand, "Nice to meet you."

"You too..."

"Reid, now." Gideon said.

"Bye, Spencer." Lila chuckled and watched as he awkwardly weaved his way around the caterers, meeting up with Zoe who was downing a last glass of champagne and not looking at him, determinedly.

——————————————————————————————————

March 27, 2006

They gave the lecture to the LAPD in the morning, "Today, we thought we'd focus on what is probably the most important component of profiling... or, for that matter, any investigative technique, victimology. The word victim stems from the Latin word, 'victima,' which means sacrifice. Victims of violent crimes are brutalized by a subject who takes it upon him or herself to decide life or death over a fellow human being."

Zoe jumped into her work as usual. "There are around sixteen million people in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Every time a person is killed, robbed or raped, the most important question you will ask yourself is why. Why did your UnSub choose this victim at this time? Was there anything done which provoked the criminal to act or was the target available or weak? A casualty of circumstance?"

Spencer had never seen Zoe be so focused on a lecture, she didn't give one sarcastic comment, and she seemed to be ignoring him.

The detective who had invited them walked the three to their car, Detective Owen Kim.

"You know, we really can get ourselves to the airport." Gideon said.

"I didn't invite the FBI here to let them make their own way around town." He said.

"We really appreciate it." Spencer said.

"Hey, I can't thank you guys enough for conducting the seminar." Kim said.

"Well, don't hesitate to call if there's anything we can help with." Gideon said.

They started to pack up their things when Kim got a call and stepped aside to take it. His body language seemed to change as he got off it.

"Everything all right?" Zoe asked.

"Double murder at a Hollywood bungalow. A celebrity. A young movie star, Natalie Ryan, and her fiancé apparently shot to death. It's going to be a major pain in the ass." Kim said, "Hey, you guys care to take a quick look before I drive you to the airport? It's on the way."

"Absolutely."

Zoe unattached her motorcycle, not wanting to sit next to Spencer and drove off at once.

Kim, Spencer, and Gideon met up with Zoe at the crime scene as she examined the bodies. The woman was on her couch with a bullet to the head, eyes open

"No sign of forced entry." Spencer noted.

"Same weapon." Gideon said.

"Natalie was shot execution style, once in the head. Jeremy Collins, her fiancé, three times in the torso." Zoe said.

"So, you have two different MOs." Gideon said.

Kim approached them, "We have an image on the video surveillance camera. Looks like a messenger of some kind wearing a motorcycle helmet. He's unidentifiable."

"There's no sign of a struggle between the girl and the UnSub from the door to the couch. He most likely forced her at gunpoint." Spencer said.

"He told her to trust him, 'Do what I say. I won't hurt you'." Zoe said.

"Fatal mistake." Kim said and Zoe hummed in agreement.

"He asked her to sit on the couch and then shot her in the head."

"Fiancé wasn't expected. His killing's messier. It's less controlled. It's less organized." Gideon said and looked at Kim, "What do you think?" "I've had a couple other cases recently, past few months. Same type of weapon, .22 caliber handgun, both shot in the head. The first was an established film producer, Wally Melman, and the second was Chloe Harris, another young actress. Though not as well-known as Natalie here." Kim said.

"Sounds like a pattern." Zoe said.

"Any forensic evidence?" Spencer asked.

"No, and the guys have been going through this place all morning and haven't come up with anything."

"So, he clearly knows how to cover his tracks." Zoe said, walking around.

"Like a professional hit man?"

"Maybe." Zoe said and then she suddenly ducked and reemerged, looking annoyed and with her hood back over her head.

"Gideon, there are people actually taking photographs of us from the next yard." Spencer said, looking at what made Zoe duck.

"Yeah, welcome to LA." Kim said.

"Well, some of us don't want their photo taken." Zoe grumbled, turning away from the paparazzi.

Zoe made her way back to the bodies and turned her back to the windows.

"Twenty-two's are small, but efficient. They bounce around inside a person like a pinball." Zoe said.

"Preferred weapon of the Mafia." Spencer said, "You know, there's no obvious sexual component to these crimes, which is usually the case with serial murders."

"So, you are thinking this is a serial killer?" Kim asked.

"Well, it's certainly a series of murders. We don't know enough yet to call them serial." Gideon said.

"Would you consider hanging out in LA a little while?" Kim asked. "Let me lean on your expertise until we do figure out what we've got?"

"As long as I don't get my photo taken." Zoe deadpanned.

"Yeah, just cancel the flights. We'll have the rest of our team out here ASAP."

——————————————————————————————————

Kim listened to what the team had come up with so far once the rest of them arrived.

"This guy is an assassin?"

"When you look at the victimology, there's no obvious links." Morgan said, "All the kills are clean, except in the instance of the last victim, Jeremy Collins."

"There's absolutely no evidence left at the crime scene. There's no DNA. No manifestation of psychosexual release and there's no detectable signature of any kind." Elle said.

"Remember, our profiles are formulated not just by what's present at the scene, but also what's absent." Gideon said.

"From all the evidence that we've gathered, we believe that you're looking for a Type Four Assassin." Alexander said.

"Type Four?"

"Type One's are political assassins like John Wilkes Booth." Spencer explained.

"Type Two's are egocentrics looking for simple recognition." Zoe said.

"Type Three's are psychopaths, cold-blooded killers who leave far messier scenes." Hotch said.

"And Type Four, our UnSub, suffers from a major mental disorder and is frequently delusional." Alexander said.

"The closer we come to figuring out that delusion, the closer we'll get to finding the UnSub." Spencer said.

"Well, what's he going to be doing until we do?" Kim asked.

"Finding other victims." Gideon said.

A man entered, "Excuse me?" He knocked on the open doorway, "Hi. Is there a Detective Kim here?""

"Right here.

"You're heading the investigation into the Natalie Ryan murder?" The man asked.

"Yes."

"Um... My... I have a client, she's... Is there any place we could be private?" He asked.

"We're all working this murder." Kim said.

"Well... She received a note. My client did and she freaked out. I told her not to worry about it, and..." He explained.

"Where's the note?" Morgan asked and the man handed it to him, it was an article about Natalie Ryan's death with three words written in red: You owe me.

"Where is your client?" Hotch asked.

"She's waiting in the other room."

"Reid, Zoe, let's go." Morgan said.

Zoe, Morgan, and Spencer walked through the precinct and... you gotta be kidding me.

"Lila." Spencer recognized her. Why wouldn't he? "Hi."

The team came to interrogate her.

"How well did you know Natalie Ryan?" Hotch asked.

"We spoke when we saw each other in public, but we were never friends." Lila said.

"How about Wally Melman?" Hotch asked.

"What?" Lila asked.

"Wally Melman, he was a producer who was killed a couple months ago." Zoe clarified.

"The-the paper said that was a robbery." Lila stammered.

"Well, the paper was wrong." Zoe said, somewhat curtly.

"Did you know him?"

"Well, we met a few times about a project, but I didn't get the part. They went a different way." Lila said.

"Which way?" Elle asked.

“He cast another act..." Realization came to her face, "Oh, my God."

"What is it?" Spencer asked.

"He cast Natalie Ryan." Her agent, Michael said.

"You owe me." Morgan held up the article with the note.

Lila sighed, devastated in guilt and put her head in her hands.

"I guess that's one way to ice out the competition?" Elle said.

"Don't look at me. I brought her into the police station." Michael pointed out.

"Have you ever had a sense that someone is watching you, following you?" Gideon asked.

"From the moment I get to work," Lila said, "I have hair and makeup, and wardrobe people, producers, writers, my agent, my manager, publicist. Not to mention photographers. I..."

"It's part of the life." Michael said.

"Anything that seems odd, out of the ordinary, happens on a regular basis or a semi-regular basis?" Gideon asked.

"What do you mean?" Lila asked.

"Repetitive phone calls with hang ups? Gifts left anonymously?" Spencer suggested.

"I receive flowers on the seventh of each month they just appear in my trailer. Never a note. Just a plain glass bowl. Red anemones. My favorite." She said.

"And you don't want to know who they're from?" Zoe asked.

"Celebrities get anonymous gifts all the time." Michael said, "She has fans, you know."

"You remember meeting anyone on the seventh day of the month?" Gideon asked, "Or in July, the seventh month of the year?"

"No."

"Wally Melman was a producer who considered hiring you but didn't and Natalie was a rival."

"And Chloe Harris, she looks a lot like you. Don't you think?" Elle asked, showing a picture of her.

"Who?" Lila asked.

"A potential rival." Elle said.

"She was murdered, too." Hotch said.

They doing a real good job at scaring this girl.

"So, all these people are being killed because of me?

"It's possible." Hotch admitted.

Lila put her head in her hands, briefly, this was too much for her. "I'm sorry. I can't. I have to go."

Spencer hurried after Lila, calling her name. He ran awkwardly out the station after her.

She turned to him, "What's happening, Spencer?"

Spencer brushed his hair out of his face as he explained, "Well, it's still rather speculative, but it appears there's a delusional assassin who's killing people to help further your career. It probably started as a stalker. An erotomanic stalker. There's a psychopathology of the evolution of these types of stalkers and the fact that he's contacting you indicates that he believes you owe him something. This model frequently concludes itself with one of two possibilities, either the stalker will kill himself or he'll kill the object of his affection."

——————————————————————————————————

When Spencer left, Zoe shifted and grabbed the file from Hotch aggressively and sat down, going through it.

Morgan did a full turn and walked away, not stupid enough to tease Zoe at the moment.

Alexander came up to her and sat down, "Are you alright?"

"Yes, why wouldn't I be?" She asked, shortly and hostilely.

"No reason. No reason." He sighed. "Just a father worries when his only daughter who he knows where she is faces heartache over the boy she's smitten with."

Zoe slammed her hands on the table. "I am not smitten!" She growled out.

"Of course not." He said, blankly, being sarcastic.

"He's twenty-four, he's a great guy, he's smart, single, and still a virgin. I don't get a say in his love life."

"You get a love life too as much as it pains for me to admit." Alexander said.

"No, I don't. The Satanists and the serial killer who paid them to kidnap me made sure of that. Because of them, I can't trust people and I can't let myself feel. Emotional detachment, remember? The last boyfriend I had now has multiple life sentences in jail because of me.”

She looked outside, seeing Lila walking away from Spencer who watching her go and tilting his head, obviously checking her out.

She groaned and dropped her head on the table.

"You're going to have to hit your head harder if you wish to induce a concussion, sweetheart." Her father deadpanned.

“I hate everything.” She groaned.

——————————————————————————————————

March 28, 2006

They gave the profile in the morning.

"With this UnSub we're looking at a compound profile. A Type Four delusional assassin with an erotomanic fixation on the actress, Lila Archer."

Zoe didn't like Lila. She was aware of that even if she was vehemently denying the possibility on why. But she knew what it was like to have an erotomanic stalker with murderous tendencies. Every time she got a package, she feared it would be another bouquet of white lilies covered in blood. She couldn't look at any kind of lilies without seeing them. Sometimes she felt like he was still watching her.

"Erotomanics are a form of stalker who possess the delusional belief that another person, usually of a higher social status, is in love with them."

Zoe's hand went to her biggest scar, all of them aching.

"This phenomena is commonly just thought of as another stalker case to many but they are quite dangerous. Famous erotomaniacs include John Hinckley Junior, Margaret Mary Ray, Michael David Barrett, and John Robert Bardo." Zoe said.

"In the United States, at any given time, there are over two hundred, thousand people being stalked." Elle said. "Our UnSub is having a fantasy love affair with Lila Archer. The way John Hinckley did with Jodie Foster."

"Miss Archer was not aware of her stalker until yesterday." Hotch said, "He wasn't trying to impress her. He was more like an unwanted, very violent guardian angel.

"When the stalker feels as if they've been in some way betrayed by their love object, this often leads to violence against the target." Gideon said.

"In the case of John Robert Bardo, when actress Rebecca Schaeffer took a role where she had to have a sexual relationship with another character, it was enough to force him to snap and seek her out to kill her." Spencer said.

"Though stalkers can be either male or female, it's most likely we're looking for a single male. A loner in his late twenties to early forties, very intelligent with ample time to follow his victim and study her habits." Hotch said.

"As of yet, the UnSub has not directed any violence towards Miss Archer, but he has shifted his focus from those around her to her directly." Spencer said.

"This doesn't preclude the fact that anyone who has the vaguest association with Miss Archer is a potential target." Gideon said.

——————————————————————————————————

Lila had gotten another note that said: Lila—I've always been so good to you. Why would you go to the police?

They were in her trailer looking at the note in the evidence bag now

"I'm intrigued by this particular version of the verb 'to be." Gideon said.

"Past participle." Spencer said.

"Steady state of being. Preceding adverb." Gideon agreed.

"Always."

"In English." Kim requested.

"That is English. We're discussing the verb tenses..." Reid started.

"Reid. Reid." Morgan cut him off.

"No offense but now not the time for a vocab lesson." Zoe said.

Gideon turned to Officer Kim, "Our stalker sounds like someone she knows."

"Based on the tense of the verb." Spencer continued as Lila tilted her head back in exasperation.

Zoe looked at her and gave her a sympathetic smile like, sorry about this.

"Maybe it's time to get her off the street." Morgan suggested.

"You know there's been no physical threat to her. She might be safe just staying put as opposed to anywhere else." Spencer countered.

"I'm standing right here, guys." Lila complained.

“If we did remove you, we’d have to take you to an undisclosed location. I’m sure your stalker knows where you live.” Gideon said.

“I’m not having the whole show close down. I only need one more scene to shoot. Look, last night I decided I wasn’t gonna be afraid of this lunatic." Lila said, reminding Alexander of a rather defiant pair of girls he fathered.

Lila looked at Detective Kim, “Am I safe here?”

“The set’s cleared of everyone except essential personnel, and we have increased security at the gate.” Kim relented.

"But if the stalker sees that she's moved then they may feel more betrayed and try to find her and that never ends well. We don't know how much they know about her." Zoe pointed out.

There was a knock and a young woman with blonde hair around Lila's age stuck her head in. Zoe couldn't get a read off her since she was looking at Lila with the back of her head facing the law enforcement. “Lila, they’re ready for you.”

“Thanks, Mags. I’m staying at work” Lila said and left the trailer.

“Well, she’s one tough girl,” Derek stated the obvious.

“Yeah,” Spencer agreed.

Zoe showed no reaction, putting on her usual apathetic facade.

“I didn’t want to say anything in front of her, but his anger about her going to the police suggests he might alter his agenda." Gideon said.

"It’s typical for a stalker,” Morgan said.

“She didn’t go alone to the police.”

“Her manager took her.” Zoe recalled, "the stalker could perceive him as guilty for getting the police involved.

“You, Morgan, and Reid stay here. Keep an eye on her,” Gideon instructed.

"Awesome." She muttered.

She both didn't want to stay and watch Lila flirt with Spencer while he remained painfully oblivious to it but stay to make sure they didn't cross any lines, not that they likely would with Spencer's utter inability to interact with other people, especially women.

"I'll hang back, too." Kim said.

"Where are you going?"  Morgan asked.

"To talk to her manager." Gideon said.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Zoe remained on set of this painfully dull set about beach volleyball. God, she hated the beach. She was on her phone searching for a painting to send to J.D. that he'd actually like or maybe she'd get him a book, but the problem was finding on he hadn't read yet.

Zoe looked up, seeing Spencer bump into a camera and try not to knock it down as he made his way to speak to Lila who had put a robe over her bikini.

"Sorry, if I was, um, insensitive last night." Spencer apologized to her.

"You're only doing your job, right?" Lila asked as Spencer drank some a coke bottle.

"Yeah."

"Then there's no need to apologize." She said, giving a doey-eyed look as she sipped her tea or coffee but apparently it was one of those drinks she had to drink to keep her figure or something or she saw another opportunity to flirt because she made a disgusted face. "Ugh." Then she took Spencer's coke. "You don't mind sharing, do you?" She drank it without a reply but he answered anyways. Spencer shook his head.

"No." The germophobe said.

The bell rang, signifying her break was over, so she took off her robe and moved past Spencer who was drinking from the soda again, trying and failing to appear as if he wasn't looking at Lila's body and watching her walk off.

Morgan walked up to Spencer and mimicked Lila, teasingly while Zoe hit the buttons on her phone harder than necessary. "You don't mind sharing with me, do you?"

"Shut up." Spencer told him, sharply.

"Go get 'em, lover."

Spencer went to walk after Lila before realizing he was going in the wrong direction.

Zoe rolled her eyes. "I didn't think you had it in you to be jealous."

Zoe sharply brought her head up from her phone and glared at Morgan. "I am not jealous."

"Then why are you upset?"

"I am not upset. Spencer's just a friend and I don't have any feelings for him and he doesn't have any feelings for me."

Are you blind? Morgan thought.

"Even if he did, he can do much better than me." She said.

Morgan's teasing smirk fell, "You don't really believe that do you."

"My last boyfriend... wasn't totally dissimilar from Spencer. High IQ, Neurodivergent, book lover, but he was... he was homeless when I met him, and I was in a bad place. We clicked because we had similar traumas, but we never really labeled it. I let him help in the cases I was working on when I was Maze's apprentice and we both ended up being kidnapped for six months. What he saw in that prison... it was my fault. And what he did after that led to him being arrested was my fault too. He was survived so much only for me to finally break him."

"You didn't break him, those men did."

"They hurt us but me more than him because I volunteered to be tortured instead of him."

"You volunteered to be tortured."

"He had been hurt so much, if I could keep him from feeling more pain, then I would. And I did. I can take it. That's something you learn when you're being tortured just because." Zoe said, "I'm too broken for someone like Spencer. Even if we did have those feelings, he could do so much better than me." She stiffened up, "If anyone asks, I never said a word."

Morgan saw he had something in common with Zoe. They had both been hurt by men who took advantage of them, even if they weren't aware of it in each other's past yet but they had ways of refusing relationships because of it.

——————————————————————————————————

Michael Ryler, Lila's agent had been shot in the head. They were too late.

Zoe left the studio with Morgan and Kim while Spencer had taken Lila to her house when Elle called, he put her on speaker phone while Zoe pulled her hoodie over her head.

"Morgan, it's Elle."

"Yeah?

"We just found a manila envelope on Michael Ryer's desk. It's full of photos."

"Okay."

"Well, they're candid shots of Lila Archer nude. I'm guessing he was probably paying someone off to keep them out of the press." Elle said as they got in the car, a groan rumbling in Zoe's throat.

"Do we know who?"

"The name on the envelope was Joe Martinez."

"The paparazzo?" Kim asked.

"You know him?"

"Yeah, I deal with him a lot."

"So the creep kind?" Zoe asked.

"You could say that."

"Elle, we're on it."

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Spencer entered Lila's house which was more lavish than his apartment that could be mistaken for a mini-library.

"Wow. I like your house."

"I rent it." Lila said.

"Nice. You should also probably change all your phone numbers." Spencer said.

"I'm unlisted." She told him.

"Anytime you call an 800 number or an 888 number your phone number's put into a data bank that's then sold to telemarketers. If someone gets your cell phone number, they can go online and research all your records." Spencer explained.

Lila looked at him with the usual look.

"Hanging out with you could be really depressing." She said, walking to a different part of the house.

Spencer could practically hear Zoe's remark: He gets that a lot.

"You should also probably carry a piece of paper and a pen with you where ever you go in case you see any suspicious license plates that often reappear." Spencer said, following.

Spencer saw a piece of part that seemed to be randomized bits and pieces.

"Photographic collage." Lila said, "I like it because it's like life, you know? You know, like obscure, difficult."

Spencer nodded and then said, "You should also get a dog. Like a guard dog of some sort."

"Allergic." She said. "Earl Gray or Chamomile?"

"What?" He asked, still oblivious to her attempts to flirt with him and she walked off to the kitchen, "What..."

"Would you like some tea?" She clarified.

"Yes. Yes, uh, sure." He said and then mouthed to himself, scoldingly.

No wonder he had never had a real date-date.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Zoe beat Morgan to the door and kicked it down with her hood still up.

"FBI! Come out where ever you are, creep!" She shouted.

"Martinez?" Morgan shouted.

"The creep's not here. Probably on the prowl." Zoe sighed, coming upon what seemed to be practically a shrine to Lila Archer due to the amount of photos of her "Come look at this!"

"See? This guy's a real scumbag." Kim said.

"You got that right." Spencer said.

"Oh, this creeper." Zoe said, finding a picture of the first paparazzi, "He was taking pictures of her at the gallery we were at the other day. The owner had to kick him out. Morgan, do me a favor. If you see any photos of me, burn them. I'm not being sarcastic, I have a lot of enemies who know what I look like but don't know my name or where I actually live. If they know I'm in America now, it could cause a real problem."

Morgan spotted a piece of paper, "What's this?"

"It's a call sheet." Kim recognized. "It's the shooting schedule for a film or television show."

"That's Lila's show." Zoe recognized.

"Yeah."

"He's not supposed to have that, is he?" Morgan asked.

"No.

"So, at minimum, we can charge him with stalking because this," Zoe gestured around with a finger, "Goes beyond paparazzi to just plain stalking."

Zoe walked to a table and shifted through the photos. She stopped when she spotted a photo of Lila talking to a man. She knew the back of that man.

"Morgan, it's Spencer." Zoe called.

"There's a whole bunch of them." Kim said, shifting through the photos, some directly on Spencer, and some had Zoe in them, turning away from the camera. "He a target now?"

Zoe looked at him, "Not if I can help it. Let's go." Zoe headed to the door, leaving all the pictures of her behind. Who cared if any of those terrorists saw her in the paper, she had to go get Spencer.

"You and me both." Morgan agreed, right on her heels.

"You call him." Zoe said once they left.

Morgan rolled his eyes and called the second youngest agent in the team, "Reid, it's Morgan. Listen to me. You got to watch your back over there. We just found a bunch of close-up photos of you at this guy Joseph Martinez's studio. It looks like he could be the UnSub. He had a ton of photos of Lila and Natalie plus a call sheet for Lila's show. We're on our way right now," Zoe froze, "but I need you to be real careful until we get there, all right? All right."

Zoe had stopped and there was a motorcycle revving up.

"GET DOWN!" She shouted but before they could react gunshots went off at the car, hitting Kim.

Zoe and Morgan pulled their guns and shot at the motorcycle but they were too far away.

Zoe broke away and ran to Kim.

"You hit?" She asked.

"Yeah. It's just my shoulder." He said and Zoe went to applying pressure to the wound.

"All right. I'm calling for help." Morgan said, "Officer down. We need an ambulance at La Brea and Wilshire."

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Gideon, Elle, JJ, Alexander, and Hotch came upon them as they had Kim in the ambulance, it wasn't critical but he did need a hospital.

"How we doing?

"He'll make it." Zoe said, "Caught one in the shoulder and shattered his collarbone.

"You okay?" Alexander asked.

"We're fine." Morgan confirmed.

"Yeah."

"No sign of this Martinez, the photographer?" Gideon asked.

"No."

"Whoever took a shot at you followed you from the set."

"I'm sorry. I should've noticed." Zoe said.

"You can't notice everything." Alexander told his daughter.

"I'm going to head to Lila's to provide extra cover." Zoe said and headed off.

She took out her phone and called Spender.

"Yeah?" Spencer said into the phone.

"Hey, there's been another shooting, Officer Kim. Don't worry, he's still alive but it was only the shoulder and since you know you can barely shoot, I'm heading over to Lila's."

"Alright." Spencer ignored the jab, "You have her address?"

"Yeah." Spencer overlayed the message to Lila who seemed indifferent but when Spencer went back to the phone, Zoe had hung up.

"Huh? She must've gone out of service." He said, oblivious as ever.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Zoe's motorcycle shot off at top speed but barely any noise.

"Martinez has a bunch of paperwork in the studio that says where Lila's going to be every day." Morgan said as Gideon's phone rang once Zoe was long gone.

"Gideon. That's what I thought. Thanks." He hung up, "Garcia's gone through every article written about Lila. She never says anything about red anemones being her favorite flower."

"Well, we're looking for someone pretty close to her." Elle said.

"This list gets shorter every day." Morgan said.

"He's circling in. We need to get to her house." Gideon said.

"I'll make sure the press doesn't get out of hand with this mess." JJ said and Kim held up a sign with his fingers.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Spencer stared at the college when Lila came up behind him. "Feel anything yet?"

"There is something definitely appealing about this one." Spencer said, not being able to tell what.

"That's a start." Lila chuckled and headed towards her pool in the backwards undoing her robe.

"What are you doing?" Spencer asked.

"Going for a swim." She said, dropping the robe to reveal her in a bikini.

"What? No, Lila." Spencer ran after her.

Zoe unlocked the door with Lila's spare key that she had found rather easily and walked through the house, not finding them when she heard a loud splash.

She followed it and saw that Lila had rebelliously jumped into the pool with Spencer stuck between his normal awkwardness and his duty to be responsible towards his job.

Zoe had stopped, watching from inside the house where she was unnoticed by both Spencer and Lila.

"Lila, you cannot do this!" He complained.

"Five minutes." She told him and pointed at her house, "go get a suit in the house."

"What!? No! I don't want to grab a suit!" He exclaimed, his voice going more than a few octaves higher as if she had asked for something else, he had yet experienced. 

"Are you kidding me?"

"Join me."

"No, I'm not gonna join you." He said.

"Why not?"

"You're being pursued by a psychotic killer who shoots people in the head!" Spencer exclaimed.

"I'm not gonna stop living my life. I'm just not." Lila said, words Zoe had said all too often to her dad.

Zoe had to admit, there were some similarities between her and Lila. They were both tough and rebellious, refusing to just submit to whatever people told them to do. They both had a way of teasing for what they want while never actually making a grab for it, hoping someone will take the hint (but he never will). They were determined not to let a little trauma stop them from living their life. The difference was Lila was a tall, beautiful blonde actress with blue eyes, Zoe was a short, tomboyish noirette (black hair) with at best amber-brown eyes. Lila had no scars that littered her skin unlike Zoe's. Lila was full of light while Zoe's had been snuffed out a long time ago, in her opinion.

"Lila, I'm begging of you. Will you please get out of the pool?" Spencer sighed, exasperatedly, feeling like he was babysitting or hanging out with Zoe.

"Really, Spence," Lila said and Zoe flinched; she was the only one who called him Spence.

"You should live a little." She had a point. He was way too uptight.

"Live a little!? I've known you forty-eight hours; I feel like I've aged ten years!" Spencer exclaimed.

Don't we all feel like that when spending time with or watching her?

"Oh. I can't be that bad." She teased.

"Yes. No, you-you are that bad." Spencer exclaimed.

Preach! Truer words have never been said.

"Oh." She said and Zoe could recognize her tactic at once: to pretend to submit to tease some more. "Fine, can you help me out at least?"

Spencer bent down and reached to grab her hand but predictably, she pulled him in with all his clothes on with her laughing. Spencer came back up, now soaked in pool water, brushing his soaked hair out of his face.

"Yes, very funny. Laugh it up, Lila. Hilarious." Spencer said, sarcastically. "You and Zoe would really get along. My gun's wet. Great." He took his holster off and placed it on the side of the pool, not noticing Zoe watching, unable to look away. He looked down at himself and he actually laughed—a beautiful, beautiful laugh but it caused a small hurt in Zoe's chest that it wasn't because of her. "My clothes."

"You should have worn the suit." Lila flirted, getting close to him, and as apparently nothing less would cause him to get the hint, Lila placed her hand on the back of his head and kissed him and to his better judgment he started to kiss back. Zoe couldn't move. She wanted to flee. She wanted to do what she did best and run from her emotions but she couldn't move. Guess it was just the masochist in her.

Realizing how unprofessional this was, Spencer pulled away, "This is completely inappropriate."

"This?" She asked, "What this?  And she pulled him back in for another kiss, this one brief as he kept pulling away to protest yet continued to kiss her with every other word. "This is..." Kiss. "I can..." Kiss. "But I..." He gave up, running his hands through his wet hair and fully leaned in for another kiss, this one was open-mouthed which even Zoe could see from her angle which had shifted since she was now standing outside, watching solemnly for reasons she could not (or would not) understand for the life of her. Spencer cupped her face and deepened the kiss before he pulled away with another logical explanation why this beautiful woman was kissing him.

His first kiss with Zoe had been preceded by her drunkenly (while underage in America) telling him, it was merely for the purposes of him losing his kiss-ginity though Spencer had seen and still saw it as one of the best moments of his life as it continuously appeared in his more pleasant dreams, she had no memory of it and he still didn't want to embarrass her further.

"No, there's this thing called transference..." He insisted, apparently under the impression Lila was redirecting her feelings on someone onto him or it was just because he was supposed to be (and failing to do so) protecting her.

"You don't like me?" Lila frowned, completely unaware of Zoe frozen to the spot in front of her house as Spencer's head blocked her.

"What?" He asked, shocked she would even think that.

"You don't like me." She repeated.

"No. Are you cra—I-I-I do." He stammered.

"I like you." She told him.

"I like you too." He reassured her. "Just I'm a federal agent, you know, and I'm supposed to protect you." He explained.

Yeah. Right. With his aim? Said the sardonicism in Zoe's head.

"Then keep me close." Lila said, getting in close to him again.

"I'm just, uhm I'm a little bit worried." He said and she leaned in. "You know, we're..." She kissed him and he kissed back, not wanting to stop it, no matter what his words said, "we're in a pool." Another kiss. "and it's a—we're..." Another kiss. "Pretty much exposed. They kissed passionately some more before he pulled away and waited for her to answer.

"We have cops posted out front." Lila said, kissing him again. "There are coyotes out back. And right here, it's just you and me." Lila rested her head against Spencer's and they gently rubbed their noses but not in that nauseating couple way, but more of the we-were—just-making-out lips hovering above lips way.

"Ahem." Zoe finally managed to clear her throat, startling Spencer and he lost his footing and went back under the water before popping back up to see Zoe, looking as closed off as he had ever seen her, she wouldn't meet his eyes. How long had she been standing there? "If you're not too busy, trying to lose your virginity, Reid. We should get the target of the psychotic shooter inside now." She said with a noticeable icy cold sharpness in her voice. "We wouldn't want them to shoot her like they did her manager, Michael."

Lila seemed to be in a brief state of shock as Spencer's eyes widened.

"Zo..." Spencer looked at her and then back at Lila, "I was going to tell you. I swear I was."

She turned back to him, "How could you—how could you not tell me?"

"I was afraid you'd be upset." He said.

She started to get angry, "You...! You knew what you knew, and... how could you not..."

"I'm so sorry." He said.

Lila pulled herself out of the pool and Spencer swam after her. "No, don't-don't touch me! Don't touch me!"

Then she stormed off past Zoe back into the house, leaving Spencer in the pool and Zoe feeling guilty.

"Spen... Reid..." She struggled whether or not she should call him by his surname which she only did when she was mad at him or to call him by his first name to apologize to and comfort him.

"Why would you do that!?" He cut her off. "I get what I was doing was unprofessional but... you... she's really upset now. She cared about him!" He pulled himself out of the pool and continued to yell at her, "You know, this is the first time in my life a girl is interested in me." Oblivious. But they both were. She was oblivious to her own feelings for him. "And while I don't understand why she would be interested in someone like me, that gives you no right to chase her off. You're not exactly the most professional person here, you know! You were hired by your dad at nineteen. You're whole family's in the FBI. You're just... you always bring your own bullshit into this. You just bring it up, casually and ignore it when I try to talk to you about it because I'm concerned but you refuse to deal with it and then I'm left standing alone like a jackass! Sometimes you can be such a... such a..." He seemed to calm down and swallowed the insult he didn't mean at the hurt look in her eyes that mingled with the coldness.

"You think I got hired because of nepotism? You think Shyster was right?"

It just now hit him on what he had said. He could barely believe he had said them.

"No. I didn't say that." He backtracked. He was so bad as talking to women. Why? He grew up with one. He grew up without a father so why did he just act like a jerk. Why did he never know what to say?

"Little traumatized Zoe, still very much a child. Unable to move on from her past." She said with cold mockery in her voice, clearly deeply hurt and Spencer was aware people with ADHD usually had something called RSD or Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria, meaning she didn't handle rejection or criticism well, especially not from people she cares about, feeling severe emotional pain when they feel they are shunned or criticized and according to a study he read one in three referred to it being the hardest part of living with ADHD, this was what likely led to her shutting down her emotions during her months of captivity along with the expected trauma, "So traumatized that she numbed herself of all basic emotions without her twin who very well could be dead but she hangs onto this absurd belief that she's still alive, no matter she was just starting to trust again. Trust a man of all things after what they did to me. I thought you were different than all the other boys but you're just like them all. You're willing to string along any girl who'll slip you the tongue and get into your virgin pants."

"No! That's not... I am different. I don't..." Spencer felt near close to tears at how badly he had screwed up and hurt her.

"Am I interrupting something?" Elle asked.

"No!" Zoe said.

"Yes." Spencer said.

"No. What do you need, Elle?"  Zoe said, sharply.

"Well, we found him in the bushes." Elle said, taking a towel and handing it to Spencer as Morgan brought a handcuffed Martinez to them.

"I told her she should cut those." Elle looked at Spencer, waiting for an explanation for why he was all wet. "I, uh, fell in."

"Yeah and I'm sure there's plenty of photos of it." Elle remarked.

Morgan pushed Martinez in front of them. "Stop shoving me, man."

He turned to them, "You're a suspect in the murder of Wally Melman, Natalie Ryan, and Jeremy Collins." Morgan said.

"Murder? What? Whoa! Whoa, whoa." Martinez said with his eyes bugging.

"Just shut up with the 'whoa'!" Morgan shouted. "We know for a fact that you have hundreds of photographs of Lila Archer and Natalie Ryan on the walls of your studio. You have Miss Archer's daily schedule on your desk. You've been stalking her."

"Look, guy, look, hold up." Martinez said, "Every paparazzi's a celebrity stalker. If you don't stalk them, you don't get the shot, and if you don't make the shot, you don't sell no pictures.

"You're not supposed to have that schedule or take dozens of photos of her in her personal home in her personal bedroom. That's not being a paparazzi, that's being a pervert." Zoe said in a rougher deadpan than usual. She looked at Elle. "Give me that."

Elle handed the camera to Zoe who looked at Spencer as he looked at her with sad puppy dog eyes and she ripped the film out.

"Whoa. That's just wrong."

"So is stalking, you pervert. Taking photos of people like that is a crime. You're trespassing and you're stalking and now..." She threw the camera on the ground and stomped on it, never breaking eye contact with the man.

"Whoa! Whoa! That thing's expensive."

She got closer in his face with an intense death glare in her eyes. "Should I bill your widow?" She growled and he gulped. "Get this ass out of my sight before I do some digging and find out what else he's done." She snarled.

"I'm still being locked up?"

"At the very least, you're trespassing." Morgan said and pulled him away. Zoe held up the film and handed it to Spencer, "You're welcome, Reid."

"Zoe..." He said with pleading eyes.

"I have to call my dad." She brushed him off and walked to the other side of the house, disappearing around the corner.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Spencer knew Lila would be easier to apologize to... he didn't even know how to apologize to Zoe.

"Lila?" He asked as she cried, mourning her agent's death, "Are you still... Are you okay?"

"Michael was like family." She cried.

"I'm so sorry."

"It's just so hard to trust people out here. You don't know who to believe." Lila said as Gideon entered the house from behind them, "Everybody wants something from you."

"That's why I thought you were different."

Zoe's words rang in Spencer's head. "I thought you were different than all the other boys but you're just like them all."

"I know I should have told you..." Spencer said.

"I told him not to." Gideon said, they looked back to see him as Alexander and Zoe reentered. Spencer immediately noticed, Alexander giving him the evil eye, like nothing would give him greater pleasure than to empty his clips of the many, many, many guns he had on him into Spencer and then beat him into the ground. "He was only following my orders." He patted Spencer's shoulder and walked off. Then he came back and pulled Alexander away before he actually did shoot Spencer.

"You know the last time I was able to fully trust someone was at Juilliard? Before I was a somebody."

"Lila, sorry, but did you just say Julliard?" Zoe suddenly asked.

"Yeah, why?"

Spencer saw she was looking at the college and he looked at it and he spotted something, a piece of what looked like the front of a street sigh name: Hous"

"And didn't you say you used to live on Houston Street?"

"What?" Lila asked.

"You were a waitress, you lived on Houston?" Spencer clarified.

"Yeah." Lila said and got up as both the young geniuses looked at the college.

"I need to take this thing apart."

"What?" Lila asked, still very confused.

"I'll-I'll put it back." He promised, "I think I see images of you."

"Guys!" Zoe called.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Zoe and Spencer took the college apart, spreading it on Lila's kitchen counter and put the strips of arts together, forming a full picture, all of which related to Lila's life, having several pictures of Lila in it.

"Lila, it looks like someone's been stalking you for years." Morgan said.

"Yeah, this tells your whole life story." Elle said, "Movie premieres, theater playbills."

"Everything since college." Spencer said.

"That's our country house. Right here." Lila said, pointing to a suburban house.

"Who gave you this collage?

"He did." Lila said, pointing to a picture of Spencer's high school semi-friend, Parker.

"This guy? Who is he?" Morgan asked.

"That's the guy I went to high school with, Parker Dunley." Spencer said.

Morgan took his phone out and called Garcia, "Garcia. Parker Dunley. E-mail me a sheet on him, all right?"

——————————————————————————————————————————————

The rest of the team went to question Parker while Zoe stayed with Spencer and Lila.

"You don't seem to like me very much." Lila said as she handed Zoe a mug of tea.

"It's nothing personal." Zoe said, "there's nothing wrong with you. I just have issues.”

"With Spencer?" Lila guessed.

"No." She said, sharply. "We're just friends..."

"Why are you here?"

"I know what you're going through." Zoe confessed.

"How?" Lila scoffed.

"When I was twelve, a serial killer held a gun to my head. He gets off on control and the fear he inflicts in others, and I knew that so I didn't show him fear. I was first person to not do that. It fascinated him. He kidnapped me for five days. I have no memory of what happened. But once he got what he wanted, he let me go... barely. I was comatose for a week and that when I got the first bouquet of flowers... white lilies. Every time I'm near that place, I get white lilies but for a while now, they're covered in blood. It's a taunt. I can usually manage to use their logic against them but not him. He's the only one who has ever had full control over me. He's gonna kill someone one day and it'll be my fault."

"I'm sorry." Lila said.

"Yeah." Zoe sighed and drank some of her tea. It was more bitter than she preferred but she just let it burn her tongue.

Lila wasn't a bad person. She was bold and independent. She didn't deserve this.

Across the room, Spencer's phone rang, and Gideon spoke to him without saying hello.

"We have a name. Maggie Lowe. She's the UnSub. She's on Lila's show. We're on our way."

Spencer hung up and turned to Lila and Zoe.

"Lila, do you know someone named Maggie Lowe?" Spencer said.

"Mags? Yeah, of course I know her. I've known her for years." Lila said, "I got her a job on my show."

Lila's phone started to ring, and she looked at it. Zoe looked at it too and looked at Spencer.

"What?"

"That's her calling right now." Lila said.

"Is she calling from a cell phone?" Spencer asked.

"Yeah."

"Lila, we think Maggie's the UnSub." Spencer said.

"The what?" Lila asked, being unfamiliar with the term.

"The stalker." Spencer clarified.

"No way." Lila said.

"Answer the phone." Spencer said.

"That's-that's crazy." Lila said, standing up.

"We assumed that the UnSub was a man but it's not unheard of that an erotomaniac stalkers are women. Both David Letterman and Story Musgrave were stalked by Margaret Mary Ray." Zoe said. "Answer the phone. Act completely natural. The longer we keep her on the line, the more likely we'll be able to trace the call." Lila looked at her. "I'm doomed with mine, he's going to torment me until one of us dies or I can redeem myself and help arrest him but I can still stop yours. Trust me."

"You can trust her." Spencer nodded.

Spencer went to call Garcia while Lila answered the call.

"Hello? Hello, Maggie? Maggie, is that you? What's wrong?"

Garcia picked up Spencer's call. "Oracle of Quantico, speak if you deign to hear truth."

"Garcia, I need an emergency trace on a cell phone call to Lila Archer's cell phone." Spencer said into his dinosaur phone.

"Sure. Go ahead."

"(323) 555-0129." Spencer recited Lila's phone number to her.

"Okay. Keep her talking. Keep her talking.

"Maggie?" Lila asked.

Zoe put Lila's phone on speakerphone so they could all hear it while Zoe went to Spencer to hear Garcia on the other end too.

"Oh, I am so tired." Maggie sighed.

"Tired?" Lila asked.

"There's been so much upset in the world really. I think it's just so tragic. All of it."  Maggie said, so far she didn't exactly sound stable which fit the profile, "I miss you. I just do."

"Mags, I saw you today." Lila said.

"It's never going to be the same as it was. It's just never going to be the same."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Lila said, choking slightly as she started to realize that they could be right about Maggie being the "unsub".

"I'm talking about that time in college! When the heat in your apartment was off and the two of us stayed in my dorm room. Don't you remember?" Maggie asked, sharply as though angry that it wasn't as important to Lila as it was to her, "You were playing Ophelia on the mainstage."

"I remember." Lila recalled, uneasily.

"That was the happiest time of my life." Maggie breathed.

"Maggie, sweetheart, that was only for a weekend." Lila told her.

"The happiest time... And you don't know anything about me at all." Maggie's voice broke. "And I did everything for you."

"Reid, is Lila's address 6028 Pike Street?" Garcia asked

"Yeah."

"She's calling from inside the house. I'll get you two some backup." Garcia said.

"Oh, it's Black Christmas. 'The calls are coming from inside the house'." Zoe said and she took out her holster gun which altered from her usual preference of revolvers and was a Glock. A Glock 19 to be exact. Of course, she would be quoting a horror movie from 1974.

"Lila." Spencer whispered.

"You... you... YOU!" Maggie shouted and then there was a thud from upstairs that echoed through the phone as Maggie brought the phone down from her ear.

"How'd she get in the house?"

"She has keys." Lila said.

Zoe lifted her leg up and pulled her ankle holster gun. It was a revolver

"Alright, Lila, I'm assuming you don't know how to use a gun?"

"No."

"All right. This is Glock 19. It's easy to shoot. The most commonly bought gun. There's no manual safety, so all you need to do is push this secondary trigger and when she pull the main trigger it'll shoot. There's fifteen rounds plus one in the chamber. Careful, it's heavier than it looks. But as long as that secondary trigger isn't pulled, it won't go off, even if you drop it." She handed Lila her hip gun. "It's not my preferred gun but I always try to prepare for the unlikely. I figured worse came to worse, you'd need to defend yourself. Only shoot if Reid and I go down. Only then. You're not experienced, only as a last defense. She's sick but she's still a person. She's still Maggie. She's still Mags."

Spencer's eyes watched Zoe as she explained all this to Lila who tried her best to understand.

They crept through the house with Zoe taking the lead, both she and Spencer holding their guns up.

They crept into Lila's room but saw nothing but then Zoe spun around just before Maggie revealed herself, holding a gun to Lila's head.

"Why'd you have to bring these people?" She demanded.

"Hey, Discount Billy. The only reason we're here because you killed a bunch of people to help her career which could've gotten her arrested, you batty loon. Now we really should calm down before we get a new Agnes."

"Put down the guns or I will shoot her." Maggie growled.

"Maggie." Spencer said, lowering the gun as Zoe did the same.

"Don't call me Maggie. You don't know me. Come on, Lila, let's go." Lila stared at the two, shaking her head, pleading with her eyes. "We really got to go, baby."

"Maggie, don't hurt her." Spencer pleaded.

"You don't need to hurt her." Zoe said.

"Why? I saw the look on your face while these two were..." She growled. "This way I get her and you get him."

"I don't want him!" Spencer flinched at her cruel words, "But you don't get her. You can't force her to be with you. It's not real love. If you hurt someone you love, that's not real love. That's toxicity. That's obsession. That's abuse."

"You don't know anything." She turned back to Lila, "I would never do anything to hurt you." She brushed back Lila's blonde hair, "No. I created you."

"No, you didn't." Lila shook her head. Maggie narrowed her eyes, gesturing at Lila with her gun,

"Yes, I did! I know I did. God. You stupid... ungrateful.... God. I can't believe I loved you."

"Maggie..." Zoe started.

"SHUT UP, BITCH!" Maggie screamed, pointing the gun at Zoe. "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!"

"Maggie, Lila, she loves me now." Spencer said.

"What?" Maggie demanded, pointing the gun at him now.

"She told me so. We were in the pool. She kissed me. Now she loves me, okay?" Spencer said.

"No." Maggie said, pointing the gun back at Lila.

"Zoe saw. Tell her. Tell her Lila and I kissed in the pool."

"Yeah, they did. It was full-on making out. Closest he's ever gotten to a woman since he came out of one." Spencer gave her an offended look and his surrender turned into an exasperated come on gesture. "I mean, he's known her for like two days and he's a nerd. I mean, look at him. He graduated high school when he was twelve and look at his hair. He practically screams virgin. To him, that's practically confessing his undying love."

"Zoe!" Spencer hissed.

"NO!" Maggie shouted, pointing the gun back at Lila.

"Is it true? Are you in love?" Lila looked at Zoe and Spencer who nodded.

"Yes. It's true. We kissed. We-we're in love."

Zoe decided to both twist the dagger in Maggie's heart and add salt to the wound. "That's gotta sting. Years of friendship and you get outdone by a nerdy virgin who looks like he's twelve who's known her for forty-eight hours. I mean, come on."

"Stop it." Maggie growled as she walked backwards, pointing the gun at Zoe. Zoe was walking forth, "At least, Morgan's athletic, Reid looks like a toothpick.”

"Shut up!"

"Then why don't you do something about it, Mags. You never did anything. Never. You're all alone."

Maggie pointed the gun at Lila and shot.

"NO!" Zoe jumped in front of the bullet, hitting her in the chest, making her hit the floor.

"NO!" Spencer screamed, he lunged and grabbed Maggie, tackling her to the ground and taking her gun, pointing it at her as Lila hurried to Zoe who landed in front of her bed.

"Don't move."

"PLEASE! PLEASE KILL ME! COME ON! SHOOT ME, PLEASE! I'D BE SO MUCH HAPPIER, PLEASE!" Maggie screamed.

"Is she okay?!" He called to Lila, his voice cracking with fear.

"I'm okay." Zoe coughed out, getting up and sitting up next to Lila who was trying to assess the damage even though she had no idea what she was doing.

Spencer breathed in relief and uncocked the gun.

"We're gonna get you help. It'll be alright." Maggie started to sob and Zoe went to comfort her, soothingly shushing her.

"How..." Spencer asked her.

Zoe pulled at her plaid shirt, making it unbutton and revealed a bulletproof vest. "You didn't think my dad was going to just let me walk around here with a shooter on the loose with no protection, did you?"

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Bernard Shaw once said, "An American has no sense of privacy. He does not know what it means. There is no such thing in the country."

Spencer and Lila parted ways and Spencer sat on the plane ride alone. Just the day after, a magazine published a picture of Lila and Spencer saying goodbye with the oh-so original headline: A Mystery Man in Lila's Life? As opposed to anything about her almost being murdered or stalked. Old news, I guess.

Spencer looked at the magazine as work wrapped up for the day or rather night, most of the BAU had left.

"Night, Hollywood." Morgan laughed.

"Come on, man." Spencer sighed.

"You know, Reid, you're lucky they didn't get a shot of you next to the pool trying to dry your gun. You looked like a wet rat." Morgan teased

Spencer shook his head, looking down.

"Hey, I was playing." He reassured him.

"Did you know that she... uh... I kissed her in the pool? It's so weird. It doesn't even feel like it really happened, you know?" Spencer said.

"Sure, sure, she's a beautiful young actress." Morgan said.

"Yeah. Yeah, you know, I kept explaining to her about transference and the fact that, you know, she probably only liked me because I was there to protect her..." He said.

"Reid. You were her hero." Morgan said.

"I wanted to think that." Spencer said.

"No, no, no, don't go selling yourself short, kid. You took down an armed subject without firing a shot. You saved her life. It's pretty much a hero in my book." Morgan reassured him.

"Let me ask you this, have you ever crossed professional boundaries with a victim of a case you were working on?" Spencer asked.

"No." Morgan admitted.

"It's pretty bad, right?"

"There's some things you can't control even with that big old brain of yours. No harm, no foul." Morgan said and he turned to get his stuff. "Let it go."

"Hey, Morgan?" Spencer asked and Morgan turned back to him, "Has there ever been a girl that you wanted to be with for more than, you know, just one night?"

"Excuse me?" Morgan asked.

"I've never seen you with the same girl twice." Spencer said.

"What, are you calling me a dog?" Morgan asked.

"No, no, no, not at all. I'm just trying to figure out if this feeling I have is ever going to go away?" Spencer said.

"Reid, what we do for a living, it takes up all our time, and a relationship's hard enough even in the same city." Morgan said.

"So, I mean, you're saying it's probably wise that I don't call her, right?" Spencer asked.

"I can't answer that one for you. Here, I'll tell you what I do know. You don't need to come up with that answer tonight" Morgan said. "I'm out." Then Morgan went and started to leave.

"Have a good weekend." Spencer said.

"Yeah, you too, Romeo."  Morgan said before he left.

"Reid, no offense but Morgan's never had a relationship that's last more than twelve hours at most." Zoe sighed, making Spencer jump, he hadn't seen her in the darkness. "I wouldn't take his advice. It's not exactly fulfilling

"I know you're mad at me. But can I ask you something?"

"Sure." She said.

"Did you break up with J.D. because of the job?"

Zoe's jaw clenched. "No. It wasn't because of our job or because of the long distance with being not in America is as much as I can say and me flying around the United States every other week. It was what I pushed him into doing. Otherwise, we'd still be together. Long distance was most of the relationship, time-wise. I can do long distance. I can even deal with him being in prison for the rest of his life. Morgan's relationships are more about physical affection, sex, and fulfilling a temporary desire. J.D. and I... we met at a vulnerable time. It was about emotional connection, being understood, having someone to tell our trauma to, and most of all loyalty. It's why we're still friends. I couldn't cut him out completely. Not for me, but I couldn't do that to him."

"So, what do you think I should do?" Spencer asked tentatively.

"Just... think. Do you really see you and Lila going anywhere? Are you willing to wait for a day that may never happen?"

——————————————————————————————————

Gif Sources: @criminalmindscaps, @thisiscalmanditsdoctor, @onscreenkisses, @islandellis, @tobias-hankel

[gryfflepuffinthetardis]

A Real Rain

Season One Masterlist

The Tribe

Somebody’s Watching

Summary: The BAU travels to New York City to investigate a series of murders that appear to have been committed by a vigilante who is exacting revenge on other criminals who have been released by the justice system.

Warning: Murder, Mention of pedophilia, Schizophrenia, Delusions, Vigilante, My interpretation of the victims, Talk of death penalty, Talk of philosophy, Underaged drinking

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” — Martin Luther King Junior

March 19, 2006

Hotch showed them a picture of a man's driver's license and showed them the man's body outside his cab.

"Walter Derbin, age fifty-two. His body was found in his cab in East Harlem. He was blindfolded and shot once in the chest. Death was caused by a knife stabbed through his ear. The UnSub broke off the handle with the blade lodged in his brain."

"It's the same signature as two other murders." JJ said and she showed a picture of a woman, "Rachel Holman, twenty-four, found in her apartment three weeks ago on the Lower East Side." Then she showed a picture of another man, "And Kaveh Surrani, thirty. Police found him two weeks later inside his painting studio in Hell's Kitchen."

"Different locations, different victimology." Hotch stated, "It's possible we're looking for someone who will hunt indiscriminately."

"NYPD have any leads?" Elle asked.

"Guy's a ghost." Hotch shook his head.

"He kills at night. There's no witnesses." JJ said.

"Is the NYPD feeling the strain?" Gideon asked.

"Well, they've withheld details so the press hasn't sniffed out a link between the murders." JJ said.

"With no discernible victim patterns, a killer's practically impossible to stop." Morgan said.

"Did you know the original Zodiac Killer actually continually changed his victims? Young, old, men, women, white, black." Spencer said.

"Exactly. And he killed for 30 years without ever being caught." Gideon said.

——————————————————————————————————

W. H. Auden said, "Murder is unique in that it abolishes the party it injures. So that society must take the place of the victim and, on his behalf, demand atonement or grant forgiveness."

"This is not how I planned to spend a few days home in New York." Elle said.

"I'd kill for an afternoon at Barney's and dinner at Il Cantinori."

"That sounds incredibly boring." Zoe deadpanned. Zarah would've loved it but Zoe always hated shopping.

"I'm looking forward to seeing New York." Spencer said.

Morgan and Zoe looked at him.

"You've never been to New York?" Morgan asked.

"We've never had an UnSub there." Spencer said.

"I thought you were going to talk to Reid about taking some vacation time." Hotch said to Gideon.

"What's vacation time?" Gideon deadpanned.

"Reid, it's a one-hour flight." Morgan said.

"Back before the BAU had a jet, we'd take road trips and New York was always our favorite because there was so much to see. Zarah always would spend like twelve hours shopping."

"It was two, at most." Alexander said.

"Well, it felt like twelve." Zoe said, "And I'd always go to bookstores and museums and obviously famous murder sights." Spencer looked at her speaking with awe in his eyes, "If we have some time, I'll show you around."

"Sounds wonderful." Spencer nodded.

"It's a three-hour train ride, man." Morgan said and Elle chuckled.

"Some people like to stay indoors. Not everyone's an extrovert, Morgan." Zoe defended.

"Well, at least, you finally got a date, Reid." Morgan teased.

"It's not a date!" Spencer's voice went up several octaves.

Alexander cleared his throat and Morgan stopped teasing since Alexander's daughter was involved. Zoe rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Okay, here's what we know. Blitz attackers are almost always male."

"And he got picked up in the pouring rain by a New York cabbie, so we definitely know he's not a brother." Morgan said, indicating that the UnSub was white.

"The fact that he kills in a major urban setting without detection indicates he's highly intelligent." Spencer said.

"How intelligent can he be?" Elle asked, "I mean, blitz attackers are textbook disorganized killers."

"Yeah, but he brings along a murder kit. Blindfold, knife. How disorganized can he be?" Zoe asked.

"We'll split up. We'll take the last two crime scenes." Gideon said, "In the meantime, let's talk about what we can agree on. Blindfold likely means one of two things."

"The UnSub might blindfold them initially if he's unsure of killing them and wants to avoid detection." Morgan said.

"Exactly, but since we know the cab driver couldn't have been blindfolded when he drove the UnSub, we're looking at reason number two. Blindfolding a victim suggests the UnSub feels remorse. Doesn't want his victims to look at him, as he kills them." Gideon said.

"I need caffeine." Zoe groaned and got up to make one of her overly-caffeinated Mexican Hot Chocolates"

"Sorry about Morgan..." Spencer's voice said, cracking slightly.

Zoe looked at him and smiled, "No problem. But I can't believe you haven't been to the Met, it's the largest museum in the world. I mean, I know you don't get out much and didn't in your childhood.'

"What do you mean?" Spencer asked, tensely, fearful that she had found out about his mother.

Zoe realized what she had said and double-tracked subtly, "Because of your personality. You're an introvert who prefers his own company or those you care about. I can only assume that was the same in your childhood. "Plus, you're from Las Vegas that's all that way across the country." Not technically a lie.

Spencer relaxed, "Right. Of course. So you like New York?"

"Yeah, it's probably the state where my dad could be sure that I wouldn't be in the police station, putting myself in danger, once I grew up enough to protect myself. There's too much to do." She looked down and hesitated before admitting, "Mom liked it. She wrote journals too about what she liked about the museums. It was a ritual that we'd go to her favorite museums... but I haven't gone since..."

"Oh, well, you don't have to..." Spencer mumbled, blushing.

"No, I think Zarah would want me to do it and she would like you." Zoe promised, "We would always go see a Broadway play too."

"How'd you get tickets?" Spencer asked.

Zoe looked at him with that mischievous glint in her eyes and slyly shushed him, indicating she and Zarah would sneak inside, she took her hot chocolate and went back to her seat.

Spencer watched her walk back with a cloudy gaze in his eyes until they landed on Morgan, just absolutely smirking at him... until Alexander smacked him in the head with his file, glaring at him.

——————————————————————————————————

Spencer, Gideon, and Zoe went to the crime scene where the cabbie was killed with the detective on the case, Nora Bennett.

Gideon looked at the building the cab was in front of.

"What's in that building?"

"Nothing." Bennett said, "It's been vacant for a couple of months."

"This train goes express after midnight, it doesn't even stop here." Spencer noted.

"He picked this spot beforehand." Gideon said.

"His last fare was logged at an address on Church Street." Zoe noted and she turned to Bennett, "Do you have any idea what's there?"

"Church is an entry point from Brooklyn. There's a dive there where the cabbies stop for coffee before the overnight shift."

"Explains how he got a cab." Spencer said.

"This guy is definitely not disorganized." Gideon said.

"Why does he shoot them and then stab them in the head and break the blade off in their heads?" Bennett asked.

"A few possibilities. Through the ear is the softest way to the brain." Zoe explained, "and snapping the handle's also common in prison shankings.

Your ex-boyfriend in prison tell you that. Spencer found himself suddenly bitterly thinking. He shook that thought away, not wanting to be that person for someone who wasn't even interested in him.

"Break the handle off, the other guy can't pull the blade out Not that you should ever pull the blade out. It's the only thing keeping you from bleeding out. Movies get that wrong. Never pull the blade out unless you have medical help." Zoe explained

"What's the other possibility?" Bennett asked.

"Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris drove ice picks into their victims' heads and broke off the handle." Spencer explained, "It's possible our UnSub is sort of a serial killer groupie."

"So is this guy an ex-con or some nut-job with an Amazon account?" An officer asked.

"This particular UnSub presents a mixed profile." Gideon said.

"No offense, but uh, then what good is it?"

"None taken." Zoe said, "The profile's just a starting point for narrowing down the suspects, but it does tell us some things. For instance, the fact that the UnSub shoots his victims first, it suggests that he wants a quick and effective means of controlling the situation. It's possible that he feels he can't overpower his victims. It could be that he has a physical problem or that he's not confident just because he's small."

"We now know he has a high degree of organization. That, coupled with the fact that he hunts at night, means he probably has a steady job." Gideon explained.

——————————————————————————————————

When they explained the profile to the police officers, someone asked, "So, we're looking for a small, angry, white guy with a day job?"

"Maybe it's Wilson." Another officer joked, making the other officers laugh.

"Cut it!" Bennett ordered.

"No, no, it's all right, it's all right. You're right." Gideon admitted, "There's a lot we still don't know, but we do know this, these are not blitz attacks. They're too controlled. These are absolutely executions."

"An UnSub's signature is his own extremely rare combination of MO and ritual. An UnSub kills to satisfy an inner need and will continue killing until that inner need, which is based on a ritual, is lived out perfectly."

"But because reality never lives up to fantasy, this becomes an impossibility." Zoe continued.

"In other words, he's not gonna stop killing until we catch him." Gideon said.

"Okay, hit the streets and keep your head on a swivel." Bennett told her officers.

The rest of the team continued, JJ shook Bennett's hand, "Hi. Jennifer Jareau, we spoke on the phone."

"Detective Bennett."

"Agent Hotchner." Hotch introduced himself.

"Hello."

"So, I spoke to your point man. I reiterated how important it is to keep the crime scene details under wraps, but it would go a long way if it came out of your mouth, too." JJ said.

"You got it." Bennett agreed.

"If this guy is who we think he is, we're talking terror like New York hasn't seen since Son of Sam." Hotch said.

——————————————————————————————————

There was another kill. In a church. Zoe hesitated before going in.

Apparently, the priest was found by the night janitor in the confessional booth who didn't see anything but they had a potential witness who was talking with a nun.

They approached the body, Zoe pulled her hair back in a ponytail

"First public killing. Getting bolder, huh?" Gideon said.

"Didn't let his surroundings alter his method. He's meticulous." Hotch said, "Presentation's every bit as important as the kill."

Hotch wandered to the witness where Elle and Morgan were questioning her, then Bennett, then Gideon and Alexander.

Spencer and Zoe stayed with the body. Spencer got in close next to the officer who was inspecting the body as Zoe pulled on her gloves The officer looked at Spencer oddly who smiled awkwardly back. Zoe stepped next to Spencer, leaning over the body to see something.

"Spence, do you see that?"

"What?" The officer asked.

"The blade." Zoe said, she reached down and slid it out. She looked at Spencer and nodded towards the others.

"He's not using just any knife. It's made of flint." Spencer told the others.

"As in stone?" Elle asked.

"In Egyptian mythology, flint was the symbol for protection and retribution. With hieroglyphics, they used to depict dangerous animals like scorpions and snakes being cut with flint knives in order to render them powerless." Spencer explained.

"Guys, come here!" Zoe called.

When they came over, she gently lifted the blindfold up and looked up, "Anything strike you as strange?"

"The blood's all on the inside." Hotch spotted.

"What'd she say?" Zoe asked, nodding at the witness.

"She spotted a man who was like moving his fingers like he was playing a piano and the priest was deemed innocent towards charges of pedophilia."

Zoe said something in Spanish and looked up, "Justice is blind."

"What?"

"The term, 'justice is blind'. Call Garcia and see if any of the others were acquitted." Zoe said.

Hotch went off to call Garcia.

"If the victim was blindfolded first, the blood would have flowed over the blindfold." Gideon explained, "He puts it on after he kills them."

Hotch returned soon, saying, "All three charged with a felony, all three found innocent."

"And that didn't show up on your man's radar?" Elle asked Bennett.

"Acquittals? No." Bennett said, "Why is it important?"

"Because we have a new profile." Gideon said and left with that.

"He does that." Zoe said.

——————————————————————————————————

They updated the police on the profile in the morning, using a slideshow. "We now believe these killings aren't random. We might be dealing with a vigilante. The UnSub first shoots his victims in order to subdue them. Flint knife then provides both an efficient kill and symbolic retribution. Finally, the victim is blindfolded, like the statue of Lady Justice. This particular UnSub, he displays both a heightened, he's... It's actually almost a poetic sense of right and wrong."

"Serial vigilantes are extremely rare. The exaggerated drama of these killings suggests that they're somehow personal." Spencer explained, "He or someone close to him was likely the victim of a violent crime. His first killing was possibly against his original attacker. And since then he's developed an overblown sense of justice in order to justify that killing to himself."

"Because he chooses the imagery of Lady Justice, it's possible we're dealing with someone who works in or around the criminal justice system. Lawyer, paralegal, bailiff, even a judge." Gideon said.

"We'll crosscheck unsolved murders against suspects in assault cases and victims who work in the system." Bennett suggested.

"Whatever the UnSub's job, he's someone who's a cog in the machine. He's overworked, undervalued. He's used to not being noticed. His sense of theatrics is a way to enhance his own self-esteem. Convince himself he has a higher purpose, but he also knows that people look right through him. Being faceless is his best defense against detection. He's everyone." Gideon said, "One last thing, we need you to close ranks. The more details slip out, the more he'll feed off it. We don't want him believing he's captured the public's fear or imagination."

JJ arrived with a newspaper, "Too late. The afternoon edition's leading with the vigilante story."

"Alright, who ratted!" Zoe shouted across the precinct but no one looked in her eye.

"Zoe, calm down." Alexander told his daughter, only one brave enough to meet her deadly gaze.

"How did they get it?" Bennett asked.

"I don't know.

Gideon put on his glasses and looked at the newspaper, "You were worried about this guy becoming another Son of Sam." He looked at Bennett, taking off his glasses. "Now we might be dealing with a vigilante folk hero like Bernhard Goetz."

——————————————————————————————————

The team went to get Chinese at a nearby restaurant.

"So you know there was a big hole in the profile you presented back there." Hotch said.

"Can you pass the moo shu, please?" Gideon asked.

"Uh, what-what's the hole?" JJ asked, passing it to Gideon.

"I left out the possibility our UnSub might be a cop." Gideon said.

"Well, they do know the system." Morgan admitted, "They're definitely overworked and underpaid."

"They see so much injustice every day they can easily take matters into their own hands." Hotch added.

"When someone like our victim is killed, police refer to the murder as a public service murder." Spencer said, he was struggling to keep his noodles on his chopsticks

"You know how many rapists I saw walk during my Sex Crime days?" Elle asked, "And either the victims, they didn't want to press charges, or the juries they said that she was asking for it. It was enough to make you explode."

"Well, it's a long way from feeling like that and actually committing murder. Don't you think?" JJ said.

"No, not really." Hotch said.

Alexander understood. They never caught who killed Zelena, he just stopped killing. They never caught who kidnapped Zoe and Zarah. And then there was that UnSub who kidnapped and stabbed Zoe when she was twelve...

"Excuse me, could I get a fork, perhaps?" Spencer tried to ask a waitress subtly.

Morgan laughed at this.

"Did you know that experts credit Confucius with the advent of the chopstick?" Spencer tried to hide his embarrassment with an info-dump. "He equated knives with acts of aggression."

"You don't know how to use them, do you?" Morgan asked.

"It's like trying to forage for dinner with a pair of number two pencils." Spencer complained.

"Okay, here let me help you." Zoe said, taking her hair tie from earlier and wrapping it around his chopsticks.

"Oh, the rubber band trick." Morgan laughed.

"Yeah, the rubber band trick. Rossi taught me this after I threw the chopsticks at his head too many times though that more because he gets pretentious when he cooks." Zoe said.

Gideon smiled at this.

"Well, New York City cops do have a lot of pressure on them." Morgan said, back on the subject of the case, "Every move they make gets scrutinized."

"One of the first cases of criminal profiling happened when a New York City cop asked a criminal psychiatrist friend to help with the Mad Bomber case." Gideon said.

"The Mad Bomber was a major inspiration for the Unabomber. He eluded cops in New York for sixteen years, starting in 1940, but he kept his promise and never set off a single bomb during the Second World War." Spencer said.

"Psychiatrist James Brussels, he developed a profile so accurate, he predicted that when they caught the Bomber, he'd be wearing a double-breasted suit and it would be buttoned." Zoe said, "And he was right."

"You guys, we're here in New York and even when we're not talking about our case, we end up talking about another profiler." Elle chuckled.

"You're right." Hotch said as Spencer continued to struggle with his chopsticks. "So, Elle, are you seeing anyone?"

Morgan and Elle chuckled before Elle said, "Gideon, why didn't you tell the cops that it might be one of their own?

"If we're gonna catch the guy, we need all the help the cops can give us. Last thing I wanna do is accuse one of them of murder." Gideon said.

"How's it going there?" Zoe asked Spencer.

"Awesome." He said, sarcastically as Gideon's phone rang.

"Gideon." He answered.

Spencer missed again. "It's absolutely incredible, 1.3 billion people stay nourished using these things."

"Yeah. Okay. I got it." Gideon said and hung up, "He just took out a cop-killer."

——————————————————————————————————

They were back at the station and Bennett handed Gideon a file of pictures of the new murder. "His name's Shawn Cooley. One year ago he killed two Port Authority cops and he walked, because the only witness against him was shot six times outside his apartment."

"Might be worth having your men re-canvass this morning." Gideon said, flipping through the photos, "People are more likely to talk in the day. They feel safer."

"I'm already on it."

JJ arrived, "More bad news."

"Oh, neat, what is it?" Zoe deadpanned.

She handed Hotch a newspaper, "It's the same reporter every time. Lance Wagner. He's practically deifying him."

"I'm not even happy with the results when God plays God." Gideon said.

"You know, a few of the men were talking about making him a wish list of other dirtbags." Bennett said.

"Someday a real rain will come and wash all the scum off the streets."

"Taxi Driver." Spencer recognized.

"This town loves a psychopath." Bennett said.

"Why hasn't he contacted the press yet?" Spencer asked.

"Reid's right. He's got the symbolism, the inflated sense of duty. He should be seeking out acclaim." Hotch agreed.

"Maybe it's not about acclaim with him." Zoe suggested. "He's on a mission. Maybe it's about the work."

"Yeah, but the last two cases were a cop-killer and a pedophile priest." Hotch said, "Those are higher-profile cases."

"He's getting more confident." Spencer noted

"He's growing into his role as the city's judge and executioner." Gideon said.

"I'll check the press archives for controversial acquittals." JJ said, "Maybe we can target the victim before the UnSub. Have the police waiting on him." Then JJ went off to go do that.

Elle approached them, "Hey, guys, listen to what came off the tip hotline." She pushed play on the recorder in her hand.

"I got a tip. Let the guy be."

"How come the NYPD wants to catch this guy? Are you jealous he's doing the job better than you?"

Elle stopped it, "It goes on for half an hour."

"He's a hero." Gideon said.

"The exact same thing happened with the Goetz New York subway shooting in the early eighties." Gideon said.

"You weren't even born." Gideon said.

"I read a lot." Spencer said.

——————————————————————————————————

When Morgan arrived he informed them that Garcia found that all five cases had gone through the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse at 100 Centre Street.

"Do you have any idea how many cases..." Hotch started.

"One hundred-twenty-two-nine-hundred-ninety-eight cases a year." Morgan replied, repeating what Garcia told him.

"I'm assuming you didn't know that on your own?" Zoe asked.

"We'll check it out." Gideon said, "Maybe there's someone with a history of erratic behavior who worked in the building. Crime groupies. Security guard that fits the profile." He looked at Morgan, "Get with JJ. See what you can make of her case list."

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Alexander, Hotch, Gideon, Zoe, and Spencer checked the courthouse.

"Ever crossed your minds?" Hotch asked Alexander and Gideon.

"Taking the law into my own hands?" Gideon asked.

"Not the law, justice." Hotch said.

"Yes." Alexander said, bluntly.

"What's this about? The boys in Iowa?" Gideon asked.

"It's just a question." Hotch deflected.

"It wasn't your fault, Hotch." Zoe said from behind them, shaking her head.

"I guess I think if I ever let my mind go there, then the UnSubs would be getting into my head instead of me getting into theirs. That wouldn't be a good idea, now would it?" Gideon said.

“Well, an UnSub never kidnapped your pregnant girlfriend and killed her and nearly killed your youngest daughter who would continuously be threatened by UnSubs throughout her life.” Alexander said, sternly.

"Dad." Zoe warned.

"Angel." He repeated her tone.

They passed a statue of Lady Justice with the blindfold.

Zoe can't say she had never thought about it. She had been tortured to what was added up to be over a year's worth, but none more so than that one UnSub...

Alexander split up with Gideon while Zoe went with Hotch and Spencer, they spoke to an older man, giving the description to him.

"He's quiet, he... Body language gives the impression he's seen too much." Hotch said,

"Work in this building long enough, we all get that way." He said.

"We have more." Zoe said, glancing up at a picture of, yet again, Lady Justice with the blindfold. "He's small. Meticulous. You might not notice him at first but when you do, you realize he's heard everything around him."

"He might have had a personal brush with crime. When it happened, he talked about it all the time, but now you realize he hasn't mentioned it in quite a while." Spencer added.

"And when the subject of the vigilante comes up, he expresses his support, but it's not something he would bring up in conversation himself." Hotch added.

"Well, if people are being honest with you, that's most of the people in this building." The man said. He turned to Spencer and Zoe, "How old are you two?"

"Twenty-four." Spencer said, confused.

"Twenty." Zoe said with a resigned sigh.

As always, people did a double-take that someone so young was an FBI agent but she just stared at him like, get it over with."

“I give you six years and you ten. By that point, a tiny part of your brain will be asking if what this guy’s doing isn’t the right way to do.”

“My parents co-founded the BAU, when my mom died, my dad brought me along on cases and I’ve seen my fair share of tragedy. My mom died hours before I was born and I’ve been kidnapped by serial killers who would make you shiver and weep and… I don’t kill people with no evidence. Not unless I need to.” She said. "It's not right to force the death penalty on people."

——————————————————————————————————

Zoe and Spencer met up with Alexander and Gideon.

"Anything?"

"Nothing useful. Just a bunch of depressing statements." Zoe deadpanned. "You?"

"Same." Alexander matched her tone.

"What happened in Iowa?" Spencer asked.

Zoe looked at Spencer, the same as Gideon and Alexander.

"It was one of the first cases Hotch worked with us. Small town, two boys had been murdered, same signature. Profile led us to the local 4-H leader. We went to interview him, the guy, he was suicidal. He had a shotgun. Our guns were drawn. And at some point, he turns the shotgun on Hotch, but instead of firing, Hotch talks him down. The guy surrenders." Gideon explained.

"Sounds like pretty good work."

"At trial, the guy's wife gave him an alibi for both murders." Zoe explained with a sigh.

"Small town, they all knew each other. Jurors believed her. Eventually, they got him when he killed another boy." Gideon continued.

"That's on the wife and the UnSub. Not Hotch." Zoe said, sternly.

Hotch came up to them.

"What's not Hotch?" Hotch asked.

"Smiling." Zoe retorted, sarcastically.

"Any luck?" Hotch asked Gideon.

Gideon handed the newspaper he was looking at with the headline: Street Justice

"I want punch him in the face." Zoe deadpanned.

"You usually do want to punch someone in the face." Alexander told his daughter.

"Point taken." She admitted.

"This guy's not doing us any favors." Hotch remarked about the reporter.

"His access is unbelievable. He's practically scooping us." Spencer said.

——————————————————————————————————

JJ met with Lance Wagner. "The FBI needs help, and they get you to do their bidding?" Lance asked JJ.

"I am an FBI Special Agent." JJ said, "The rest of the team is too busy. They're out on the field."

"Yeah, and they're doing a bang-up job, too." Lance scoffed.

JJ glanced at a file tab that said: Righteous Killings. Lance put it away.

"Look, the fact is, you've scooped every other reporter in New York." JJ said, "You've even managed to be ahead of the cops a few times."

"A good crime reporter needs to be better than the police." Lance said. "You got less to go on.

"Well, that's why Agent Gideon was hoping you'd accept this invitation to help." JJ said.

"Jason Gideon?" Lance asked as if he wasn't sure if he heard her.

"Mm-hmm." JJ hummed.

"Ha. Ha. Ha." He said with arrogance and sarcasm, "He used to be one of the best."

JJ did  not have her trademark friendly look on her face but she forced herself to remain professional, "He still is."

"Yeah. He had kind of a famous meltdown." JJ knew if not before Zoe would've punched this guy in the face but JJ kept the smile on her face.

"And a whole string of successes since he's returned."

“Yeah. Yeah. Yeah." He dismissed, "Meltdowns make better copy. And he recommended his co-founder and friend’s daughter who was four years under the required age.”

"Zoe is the exception. She was qualified.

"How?"

"She's a genius."

"She's mentally ill."

"Which is what makes her genius. You can see for yourself.  You can take that up with them, yourself. You know, if you decide to come in." JJ said.

——————————————————————————————————

Hotch, Gideon, and Zoe spoke to Lance once he came in and Zoe dug her nails into her palm to keep from punching him.

"So, how did you put together the vigilante angle so quickly?" Hotch asked.

"I covered the original trials of all the victims." Lance replied.

"Must have a good memory." Gideon said, "A lot of killers can't remember details from their own crimes."

"Some cases just stick right in your brain." Lance said.

"Tell us about the victims." Hotch said, handing him the photos.

"All right, well, this girl, she was just a waste case." Lance said, pointing at a picture of the first victim, Rachel Holman. "The jury bought into the whole addiction-as-disease BS."

Zoe's eyes hardened. "Her name was Rachel Holman and she was trying to start a new life and was going to Acholoics Anomonous." She said with a slight edge.

"Whatever." He muttered, but he shifted. "And this old guy, he was a thug. He beat his wife, but the case fell apart because she wouldn't testify." Walter Berbin.

"Surrani?" Gideon asked, showing him a picture of the second victim, Kaveg Surrani, "He drank and drove. It was a tragedy, but it was the kind of thing that could happen to anybody, so..."

He related to him the most because he was an alcoholic too.

"So, who do you think we're looking for?" Hotch asked, "What's his background?"

"My guess is he's a crime victim. Probably something violent."

"But you do think he's a hero?" Gideon asked.

"Well, you know, this city makes you swallow a lot of crap. It's hard not to feel for someone who won't take it anymore." Lance said.

"These haven't been released to the press. They're pretty grim." Hotch said, handing him the photos of Shawn Cooley's corpse.

"Well, I've seen plenty of crime scenes." Lance dismissed.

"Huh?" Lance said, picking up a picture of the flint in the ear.

"We're stuck on the ear. Is it for killing efficiency or symbolism?" Gideon asked. Lance glanced up at Gideon but then looked again, noticing Gideon's intense gaze. "Why would you stab someone through the ear into their brain?"

"What's going on here?" Lance asked.

"The profile leads us to think that he works close to the criminal justice system. What do you think?" Hotch asked.

"Oh, no, no. You didn't bring me in here because you wanted my help." Lance said.

"Yes and no." Zoe told him.

"Profile suggests this guy'd contact the media. He hasn't." Gideon said.

"And we thought the killer wouldn't need to contact the press if he were the press." Hotch added.

"You're single-handedly turning this psychopath into a folk hero." Gideon said.

"So what happened? You get your men killed on the job and you think everybody else must be a killer, too?"

"Hey!" Zoe snapped.

"Watch your mouth." Hotch said.

"It's okay, Hotch, Zoe." Gideon said.

"It's not okay!" Zoe argued and she stood up and sighed, "He's not our guy."

Damn right. I didn't kill anybody. What about you?" Lance looked at Zoe. "You and your sister went missing for eight months and only you came back."

"Wagner." Zoe's tone was so cold and sharp that it made Lance stop. "You're right. You're not the killer."

"Mmm-hmm." He nodded like, duh.

“Everything you feel is vicarious. You don’t have it in you to act. You’re worn out, exhausted, cynical, but not completely devoid of empathy. You don’t focus much on the victims’ recent past, like that Rachel was trying to make a new life for herself, trying to not be a 'waste case’ anymore; you only focus on what they were accused of. You’re observant, if you were in her apartment, you would’ve seen the numerous pictures of her boyfriend who OD'd, her 'change of address’ paper, and the printout of A.A. meetings. All of that indicated, that her boyfriend’s overdosing was an accident on his part that she was accused of but she truly cared for him and decided to try and better herself to avoid turning out like him before the vigilante took that from her without warning, without discussion, without knowing the truth.” She explained. Lance’s eyes kept breaking away with obvious signs of slight guilt, “This psycho’s the last chance for you. You’ve screwed up other jobs. You drank too much, you empathized the most with Kaveg Surrani. You probably have a broken marriage or two. You’re actually hoping he doesn’t get caught for a while. That part of you knows that’s twisted and pathetic, but, hey, just reporting the news, right?”

Lance saw what JJ meant about her mental illness making her a genius. She saw through him more than he’d want to admit. She empathized with the victims which made him feel bad for dismissing them. She was right.

——————————————————————————————————

Zoe left the room to the precinct, "Well, I managed not to punch him in the face."

"I'm very proud of you." Alexander deadpanned to his daughter.

Bennett approached them, "The reporter is not our vigilante."

"Yeah, we know. How do you know?" Elle said.

"There was just another shooting in Central Park."

"You say shooting, what about the rest of the signature?" Morgan asked.

"Officers heard the shot, but he ran off before they got there. The victim was an undercover cop." Bennett said.

Zoe looked past her at a man with a black hood on entering. "I think you're looking for me." He held up his hand, holding an M1911 pistol.

Everyone took their guns out at this possible threat.

"Put the gun on the ground!"

"On your knees!"

"On your knees right now!"

"Drop the gun!"

The man got on his knees and got on the floor

"Get down! Don't move!"

"No, you don't understand. I did this all for you. We're in this together." The man said.

——————————————————————————————————

The man sat in the interrogation room with Gideon and Bennett.

"Name's Will Sykes. He's a security guard at a boutique in SoHo. He was a mugging victim last year. Spent two days in intensive care." Morgan informed them.

"Fits the profile."  Spencer said.

"Yeah, barely." Zoe muttered.

"How's it going in here?" Elle asked.

"He just confessed to all the murders." JJ said.

Zoe rolled her eyes and entered the interrogation room to get some answers, she sat down next to Gideon.

"So, what were you doing in the park?" Bennett asked.

"It's full of animals. Muggers, scum, drug dealers. I knew one of them would try to prey on me." Sykes said.

"That's not your usual method." Gideon said. "I mean, you target them. You don't let them target you."

"I made that point. Now I'm making this one."

Zoe clasped her hands under her chin, nodding patronizingly, "Mmm. Mmm-hmm. So you're not going to suddenly go back to the original signature, huh?"

"What?"

"What's the point you're trying to make now?"

"If you hunt us on the street, you will die the way you live."

Zoe's facial expression didn't change at all, she just continued to stare at him with an annoyed and unconvinced look on her face, like he was nothing but a nuisance to her. Her mind flashed back to a case eight years ago.

"You know a serial killer told my dad something similar once and he made more sense than you do. That cop wasn't hunting you. Self-defense is one thing, unprompted murder is another." Zoe said.

"So, why turn yourself in now?" Bennett asked.

"I can't change this city without help. People need to be inspired. They need to see me. They need to hear my voice." He said.

Zoe nodded. Now she understood. This guy wanted to be famous. He was a narcissist and wanted to take credit.

"Can you tell me about the cab driver, Derbin?" Gideon asked.

"He was a thug. A wife beater." Was all he said. Profound.

"Can you tell me about the first victim, Rachel Holman?" Zoe asked.

"She was a drug addict."

"She was getting off drugs, starting a new life. She had pictures of her boyfriend. This all points to that his overdose was an accident from his own hand and she didn't want to turn out like that." Zoe corrected him.

He showed no empathy.

"And the priest?" Gideon asked.

"What's to know?" Sykes shrugged, "He preyed on young boys."

"Is that why you stabbed him in the groin?" Zoe asked.

"It's what he deserved."

Zoe smirked, "Thank you... for proving my point. The priest wasn't stabbed in the groin, copycat."

"No, I did it." He protested as Gideon and Bennett left the interrogation room, Zoe stayed behind.

“Do you know what I do for the FBI? I’m assuming you don’t because you have narcissistic delusions and are only doing this for the infamy but I’m going to tell you anyways and you’re going to listen. I profile criminals. The vigilante we’re looking for targets people who were acquitted but presumably, he believes them to be guilty without actual evidence. He’s not going to change that. He’s not just trying to make a point, he’s trying to justify something he did. He uses a particular way of killing that he’s not going to change that you didn’t do and have no knowledge of. You killed that man for no reason and you will only be remembered as a sad, pathetic man who thought murder was a good way to be famous.”

She turned and left without another word.

"We know our UnSub has a heightened sense of right and wrong. If he knew that he inspired a would-be vigilante to murder an undercover cop, he might feel remorse." Spencer was saying.

"Do you think you might be able to mend fences with the reporter, Wagner?" Gideon asked JJ.

"If it played to his ego, yeah." JJ said.

"Well, we might be able to draw the UnSub out. That's a good one." Gideon said.

——————————————————————————————————

The cop's funeral played on the television, the next morning. Amazing Grace was played on the bagpipes.

"Wagner said, this morning, that the cop's blood is all over the vigilante's hands." Spencer said.

"How did JJ get him to cooperate?" Hotch asked.

"UnSub might feel a need to be there, physically mourn for what he caused." Gideon said as they did the 21-salute on the television. "If that article lures him, Wagner gets to claim he caught a murderer. It's the ultimate scoop."

"Will they know how to spot him?" Bennett asked.

"I briefed your men. If the UnSub's there, he'll be alone, out of place, not speaking to anyone else, probably not even making eye contact. Hopefully, he'll panic, draw attention to himself." Gideon said.

"I can never get that sound out of my head. It wakes me in the middle of the night." Bennett admitted.

"You should try being Scottish."

"Or half-Scottish." Zoe added and her father ruffled her hair.

"If there was any justice, cop-killers would have to hear it for an eternity."

Hotch's phone rang and he answered it, "Hotchner. Yeah."

Hotch informed the team of his phone call once it finished, Morgan had found out that there weren't any records available from Derbin's trial which had been four months ago.

Hotch caught Alexander, Gideon, Zoe, and Spencer up on this as they left the police station, "That means that anyone who knows the details of that case had to have been in the courtroom.

"Court reporters take their work home with them." Gideon said.

"They get paid overtime. They take their notes in court and finish transcribing them at night." Hotch said.

"You know what Bennett said about not being able to get the sound of bagpipes out of her head." Alexander said, "Maybe that's why the UnSub stabs the ears."

"Killers often harm their victims in ways" that they themselves have been harmed." Zoe pointed out, her hand subconsciously went to one of her scars.

"A court reporter is by definition a faceless cog in the machine. He sits there, day in, day out, transcribing testimony." Hotch said.

"Well, what if the voices wouldn't stop when you left the courtroom?" Gideon asked.

"The witness in the church said that the UnSub was uh," Spencer mimed with his fingers, "doing a piano-like motion."

"Or transcribing." Zoe said.

"Killing's a good way to get the voices to stop, huh?"

Zoe called Garcia and put her on speakerphone.

"Holla."

"I need the name of the court stenographer in each of the victims' original trials." Hotch said.

"Same one every time. Marvin Doyle."

"Crosscheck him against crime records. See if he was ever the victim of a violent crime." Hotch said.

"No, not him."

"See if anyone close to him was a victim of a violent crime." Zoe suggested. "Any family members?"

"Oh, Darkness, my beautiful friend, you read my brilliant mind." Garcia said, "His parents, killed in an attempted robbery, '04."

"That's his stressor. Is he still working?" Hotch asked.

"100 Centre, Courtroom 103."

——————————————————————————————————

Zoe got to the courthouse first on her motorcycle and by the time the others entered the courthouse, they saw Zoe walking back to the entrance, “Doyle called in sick but he worked in the same courtroom, Hotch, Spence, and I went to yesterday.”

"He saw us." Spencer said.

"I already called for a warrant." Zoe said.

——————————————————————————————————

The team and the police arrived at Doyle's place in their vests.

"Marvin Doyle? FBI. Open up." Gideon called but there was no reply.

They kicked the door in and they entered with their guns out but there was no one home.

Zoe walked to the window that had shiny tinfoil and duct tape on foam over them. She peeled it off, letting in the sound of an ambulance siren of a passing by ambulance.

"Trying to keep the voices out." Zoe said, "Soundproofed the entire place."

"He ripped the speakers out of the television and the radio." Elle noted, "And here is a life insurance check for $250,000. It's two years old. He didn't cash it."

Gideon took it from Elle, "He won't accept blood money."

Spencer showed them a photo of Doyle kissing a woman's cheek but her face was scribbled out

"Here's a box full of flint knives. There's got to be a hundred of them." Hotch said.

"Guys, come take a look at this." Morgan said, standing over a machine similar to a typewriter but not quite. "It's a stenography machine, but look at the keys. They're all worn out."

There were boxes of paper from the machine, "It's like he was trying to transcribe the voices in his head but couldn't keep up." Zoe said, forcing herself not to revert into a memory.

"It looks like hieroglyphics." Elle said, looking at the text.

"It's called steno. It's basically a phonetic series of syllables. No court reporter takes notes the same way, so no one can translate them but the reporter himself." Spencer explained.

"He's getting paid overtime to study potential victims." Alexander said.

"He knows we're on to him. He's racing us now.

"Someone in these boxes is targeted to die. We need to get inside his head and figure out who, so we can stop him. Let's go. Start fishing." Gideon said.

They brought some boxes out and started going through them. Morgan brought out another and said, "You know, this is a lot of boxes, how are we supposed to narrow it down?"

"Check and see if it ended in acquittal. If it didn't, toss it aside." Gideon said.

"It has to be a capital case. He's escalating. The more brutal the better." Hotch said.

"Why not go by most recent?" Elle asked.

"Judging by his elaborate filing system, Doyle, obviously, has obsessive-compulsive disorder." Spencer said.

"People with OCD often finish tasks and then go back to the beginning and start over." Zoe continued. "So he continually goes through the transcripts and the first one to trigger him becomes his next victim.

"Here's one. This is a liquor store owner who was shot with his own gun." Elle said.

"Flip to when they present the defense." Hotch advised, "Did the defendant testify?"

"No."

"Stick with the ones where the accused took the stand. This is personal. He hears their voices." Hotch said.

"Doyle's victims all claimed to be a type of victim themselves. First two threw themselves on the mercy of the court, pleading alcohol and drug dependency." Gideon said, Zoe gave him a look before going back to reading. "The priest said he was a victim, victim of recent hysteria."

"Look for key phrases: Victim, mercy, anything that signifies they thought their crime wasn't their fault." Hotch said.

"I think I might have one, guys. Ted Elmore." Spencer said, "He shot and killed both his parents after claiming self-defense for years of physical abuse."

"Doyle lost his own parents. Hearing someone get away with killing their own, that would haunt him." Gideon said.

They had Garcia get Ted Elmore's phone number and Zoe called. A woman picked up.

"Hello."

"Is Ted Elmore there?" Zoe asked.

"Not right now. Can I take a message?

"Who's this?" Zoe asked.

This is his wife. Who's this?"

"My name is Zoe Noble-Valdez, I'm with the FBI.

Her voice became a little less distant, speaking away from the phone, "Honey, the FBI is on the phone."

Then there was a BANG! And there was Mrs. Elmore's scream.

"Mrs Elmore? Mrs Elmore?" She asked, she looked around, "He's there. I'm getting my motorcycle."

"You need to wait for backup!" Hotch shouted after her as she started running.

"I can at least stall him!" Zoe shouted.

——————————————————————————————————

Zoe drove through traffic, weaving through and no one was very happy about her being there.

She made it to the apartment and ran up the stairs, no one was there as they retreated to safety when they heard the gunshot. She knew they would put snipers up but Doyle was most likely an undiagnosed schizophrenic with no one to help him, she wasn't going to let someone be shot just for having a disorder and trauma. But talking was worth a shot. He had an innocent hostage and he had an exaggerated sense of right and wrong.

"Please, just let us go."

"SHUT UP!" Doyle shouted to Mrs. Elmore who was crying and pleading.

"He didn't do anything to you." She sobbed.

She pulled out her gun and entered the open door. Elmore wasn't crying, he wasn't showing pain, he just sat there as he bled out. It's what Zoe would do. Only someone used to the pain would do that. He hadn't been lying.

"Mister Doyle, I am Doctor Zoe Noble-Valdez with the FBI. Put down your weapon."

"I'll kill him."

"Why?" Zoe asked.

"Tell them how you lied. Tell them how you killed your parents and pretended they'd been hurting you." He demanded.

"They did hurt me." Elmore said.

"You're a liar."

"What if he's not lying, Doyle? What if he's telling the truth?" Zoe asked.

"He's not."

"You hear voices, right? They tell you that people are lying. But they're wrong"

"You're lying."

'I'm not lying. Rachel Holman had an addiction but addiction is hard to fight. It can happen to anyone. She didn't kill her boyfriend, he overdosed by his own hand. She didn't want to end up like him so she tried to turn her life around."

"Liar!"

"New address. She was going to A.A. meetings. You're trying to justify your killings but eventually someone is going to be innocent."

"Stop lying!"

Hotch and Gideon entered the room with their guns drawed, "I'll kill him." He repeated.

"Then you wouldn't get to hear the truth. If he admits the truth, the voices'll stop, right?" Gideon was taking another tact.

"They always lie."

"Do you have the shot?" Zoe heard through her comm.

"Negative."

"Let us interrogate him. Put the gun down. We're the FBI. We'll get the truth." Hotch said.

"Marvin, I'm going to put my gun away." Gideon said, "We'll do this together, okay?" Gideon put his gun away but Zoe and Hotch kept theirs trained on him

Gideon glared at Elmore, "Tell him the truth. Tell him how you lied on the stand."

"They did hurt me."

"Don't listen to him, Marvin." Zoe advised.

"If he dies, they'll go away!" He screamed.

Zoe chuckled bitterly, "What do you think, they won't come back? They'll always come back."

"Waverly, Iowa, 1995. A man kills two boys, only to walk away free and kill another one." Hotch said.

"Stop."

"Haskins, Georgia, last year. Three white guys. Three white guys kill a black teenager, just because. Four witnesses see it, the jury finds them not guilty, just because." Gideon said.

"The first two boys were fourteen years old. The third was only twelve." Hotch said.

"Shut up!"

"It doesn't stop." Zoe said.

"Diallo, Blake, Simpson, T. Cullen Davis. You can't kill fast enough to keep up."

"They killed my parents."

"I know." Zoe said, "But Ted isn't him. Doyle, he’s bleeding out in front of his wife, what if he’s telling the truth.”

“He’s not.”

“Doyle, I’m a profiler. I’ve spent my entire life deciphering people’s body language. Look, he’s not crying, he’s taking the pain. Only a child of abuse would know how to do that.”

“The voices said he did. He killed his own blood.”

This wasn’t working. He was too convinced in the voices. They could do this until Elmore bled out.

"Then you'll need to kill me too. Because I've allegedly killed more family members than him. My own blood. My own mother. My own sister. And I got off scot-free. Wasn't even charged."

"What?"

"My mom died because of me. I killed my uncle when I was thirteen. Five years ago, my sister and I went missing and only I came back. I wasn't charged any of these times. There was no evidence that I didn't kill her but there was no trial."

“I see things too. I see dead people. And I welcome it. I hear voices, I’ve learned to cope. But I know how tired you must be. Just let him live, give me the gun and I promise you, I will get you a place to rest." Zoe promised. "The voices will stop. That's what you want, right?"

Doyle let Elmore fall but he still had the gun

"He... he... needs to die. And you do..."

"Your parents would be so ashamed. Because you're just like the man who killed them. You don't intend to be caught for murder."

"What?"

"You killed all those people because they got off on the charges but that's exactly what you're doing! Rachel Holman was trying to do better and you took that from her. Ted, here has spent years of being abused and you're going to end his life as painfully as it was. Not all of them were guilty! Not everyone who gets acquitted is guilty. A lot of people are but some aren't. Including you. Just drop the gun."

"The voices..."

"You're an undiagnosed schizophrenic. The voices just tell you what you're afraid of based off your trauma. We can get you into a nice a hospital and they'll treat your schizophrenia. It'll be better. I promise. Just give me the gun!"

He loosened the grip on the gun and Zoe takes it. She had been standing in Hotch's way. She knew what he was going to do.

She lets Gideon arrest Doyle and she applies pressure to Elmore's wound as she gives Hotch a glare.

"We do not kill people for being mentally ill. Now be helpful and call an ambulance." She spat at him.

——————————————————————————————————

Gandhi said, "Better to be violent if there's violence in our hearts "than to put on the cloak of non-violence to cover impotence."

Gandhi also said, "I object to violence, because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary. The evil it does is permanent."

"You tried to get him to shoot you." Hotch told her as she watched the ambulance drive away.

"I was trying to stall and confuse him. I was trying to get him to forget about Elmore." Zoe corrected him.

"You kept blocking my shot." Hotch accused.

"Because I wasn't going to let you shoot him for being a schizophrenic. Trauma is a contributing factor to schizophrenia. He likely had it before but the death of his parents worsened it and fueled his delusions. The injustice caused the paranoia. You told me in a few years I could be the team's Forensic Physiatrist. That means I'm in charge of cases with mentally ill UnSubs because I know what I'm doing. If I had a psychotic break would you shoot me dead?"

"No."

"Because you know me or because you don't want to admit the truth?" She demanded. "If Jack had one, do you think the best thing would be to shoot him or to treat him for the illness."

——————————————————————————————————

Zoe had been suspended for disobeying Hotch’s implied orders for a week without pay and Hotch pretended not to use context to figure out what she was cursing in Spanish at him.

——————————————————————————————————

After work, Spencer knocked on Zoe’s door, worried about her. There was a clutter on the other side of the door and muffled cursing in Spanish. Then there was a fumbling for the lock.

Spencer had a feeling before she opened the door and he saw Zoe looking drunk, her hair was disheveled, her eyes were slightly watery

"Are you drunk?" He asked, bluntly.

"No." She said, blankly, her poker face was better than a lot of sober people would be but not as good as it usually was and Spencer saw right through it.

"You're underaged."

"You're a forensic psychologist, not a police officer." She said. "And I turn twenty-one in October."

"But you're not yet."

"Are you going to arrest me, Spence?" She asked mockingly.

Spencer wasn't. If anyone had an excuse to drink it was Zoe. So he didn't give a response. "May I come in?"

"Yes, you may, Doctor Who." She said in a decent British accent.

Spencer entered, passing Zoe, smelling the smell of alcohol. "I'm sorry about what happened."

Zoe just smiled sarcastically as she went back to her couch. "Story of my life. I try to do the right thing and I get punished."

"What do you mean?"

Zoe's gaze unhazed slightly, "It's not important. Not yet."

Spencer looked at her coffee table and saw a file.

“What’s that?” He asked, reaching for it but Zoe suddenly slammed her hand down on the file.

“Don’t.” She said, a seriousness in her glazy eyes.

Spencer held his hands up, relenting, "Okay. Okay."

She slumped back onto the couch, looking sadder than Spencer had ever seen her, she thumbed her glass of what seemed to be vodka.

"It's not right to shoot someone just for having a disorder." She mumbled. "He didn't ask to have schizophrenia and trauma. Schizophrenia is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors."

Spencer wholeheartedly agreed. If his mother had a violent break, he'd do everything in his power to keep her alive, but he doubted she ever would, she was more likely to hurt herself than she was others.

"The way schizophrenia affects you depends on your specific life factors. The schizophrenia was most likely not severe but then his parents were killed and then the injustice, forming the black and white morality." She said.

"I know." Spencer said.

"Elmore was abused. He wasn't crying, he was just calmly stating that his parents did hurt him. Only someone who learned to take pain could do that. That's what I was trying to do. I was trying to show him that opinions don't state whether or not someone is guilty. His opinion is as much his as it is someone on a jury. I was trying to force him to see that not everything is black and white."

"You were goading him."

"Yeah, if someone in that room was guilty enough for him to kill, it was me."

"Zoe, you're not a guilty person."

Zoe looked down, shaking her head, "You don't get. And I can't tell you. I can't tell anyone."

"Is this about Zarah?"

"Yes but also no. I've done things. People have died because of me. People will die because of me."

"Zoe..."

"Every room, I step in, I could kill everyone in there if I really wanted to."

"But you don't, you're a good person."

“Nietzsche said morality is subjective. Edward Westermarck portrayed all moral ideas as subjective judgements that reflect one’s upbringing. David Hume believed moral judgements are based on human emotions and sentiments rather than objective truths.”

Spencer's heart did a leap. Even when she was drunk, she was so smart. Smarter than anyone he had ever met.

“It’s true. No one is purely evil and no one is purely good. You’ve been through hell, any one of the things you’ve been through would traumatize someone for the rest of their life but you keep on going in that life because you know you’re helping people. You must’ve done things to survive. It’s wrong to kill someone, but when it’s in self-defense, no one can blame you. You said it yourself, not everything is black and white.”

Zoe's eyes darted up to him and narrowed in dull surprise and mild confusion. She was used to another answer.

Spencer slowly took the bottle from her and capped it and put it on the coffee table.

"Let's get you ready for bed to try and sleep this off." Spencer smiled, kindly at her.

Though, Zoe could get ready for bed herself, even while drunk, she let Spencer guide her to the bathroom and he gently brushed her teeth, cradling her head, gently as she looked at him with an unreadable look.

When they made it to her bedroom, Spencer gestured awkwardly to her dresser and turned around.

Zoe opened her drawers and found "pajamas". She didn't wear traditional pajamas, finding them a bit pointless and wore more graphic shirts and tights. She often fell asleep, working so...

She pulled on an oversided Queen shirt that reached her mid-thigh and turned to find Spencer picking up a stuffed alebrije wolf stuffed animal.

"We agreed that I was a wolf and Zarah was an otter." Zoe said and Spencer turned around and his eyes darted down at her outfit and he willed himself not to have creepy thoughts.

“It fits you perfectly. Strong-willed, stubborn, determined, passionate, protective, brave, loyal.” Spencer smiled and he put the stuffed animal back down. “You’re resilient and intuitive that it’s… before I met you, I’d say it was impossible. And… at least I know as long as you’re on my side, it doesn’t matter what the statistics say, I know everything will be all right.”

He turned to find Zoe, suddenly very close to him. He tried to step back but Zoe's table against the wall, stopped him.

"You're so pretty, Spence... have I ever told you that?" She asked, her hand was stroking his hair and he wanted very much to not push her away.

"No. No one has." Spencer said, awkwardly.

Zoe got closer and Spencer could tell, even in this drunken and emotional state of hers, she was waiting for him to push her away but he didn't want to. Then she kissed him, fully on the lips.

He let out a series of awkward squeaks as she kissed him before he melted into it, his brain having short circuited. His IQ was very quickly losing points.

The kiss was both sweet yet messy.

He pulled away, "Zoe, you're drunk."

"Shh..." She shushed him and kissed him and against his usual professionalism, he kissed her back, his desire for her winning in the end.

He pulled back again and she started to move to kiss neck, making him shutter.

"Lo-look, Zoe, as much as I want this to happen, and believe me, that is so, so much." Against his better judgement, he tilted his head back so he could have more access. "I've had plenty of dreams of this, as recently as-as... well, last night, but-but-but..." He cleared his throat and pushed her away from her shoulders, "not like this. This won't be how our stroy starts if it ever does. And if it does, we will both be sober and it will because both of us truly want it."

Zoe nodded, stepping back, blushing in embarrassment and she mumbled, "Sorry..."

"It's okay. You're drunk. You're not thinking straight." He said, "Besides if your dad finds out, he will literally kill me and hide my body."

"Yeah." She agreed and then she drunkenly, smiled, "At least you lost your kiss-ginity."

"Here, let's get you in bed." He said and guided her to her messy bed. He helped her under the covers, and he couldn't help but notice that the sheets on the mattress were special ones for those with overstimulated sensory systems.

She looked at her alarm... shaped like that Tardis...

"It's too late, there's no more trains and it's too dangerous to walk this late." She slurred. "Stay."

Spencer sighed in resignation, "I'll sleep on the couch." He started to get up.

"When the time comes, you'll have a different opinion." Zoe murmured.

"What?"

"When you learn of the things I did or didn't do, you'll change your mind and hate me." Zoe said.

"I promise you I won't." He said but she was half-asleep.

——————————————————————————————————

Spencer awoke to the Doctor Who theme song, playing on the television at a blaring volume and he fell off Zoe's couch, softened by her carpet.

"You okay?" Zoe's voice asked.

Was that coffee he smelled?

He stood up, his usually neat hair messy and he saw a coffee brewing.

"You hate coffee."

"Yeah, but I work with a lot of people who like coffee." She said.

"You're antisocial." He countered in a matter-of-fact tone that rivaled her usual deadpan.

"Zarah likes coffee too." She said.

"How's your head?"

"I've been tortured for a combined time of over a year, I can deal with a hangover headache." She said as she poured the coffee into a Doctor Who mug. She placed it on her island table and poured a bunch of sugar in it, looking at him, sarcastically, making fun of his preference for a lot of sugar.

"That's good." He said, taking the coffee.

"Thank you. For taking care of me." She said.

"Thank you for letting me. I know you could've done fine on your own, but I couldn't just leave you." Spencer said.

"I'm sorry... I was weak."

"Zoe, if anyone deserves the excuse to drink and forget for a night, it's you. You have nothing to apologize for. You are far from weak."

"I hope I didn't do anything too... embarrassing." Zoe said.

"No." Spencer lied, shaking his head. She didn't remember. He knew that it would just embarrass her, and he knew it meant nothing. Besides, he had kind of hoped she hadn't, given he had said some things he didn't want sober Zoe to remember.

Zoe went to the stove and saw her mixing scrambled eggs, "I figured since you're the one going to work, you should have a homemade breakfast for once."

"Oh, that's not necessary." Spencer denied.

"No arguing." She said, "This is huevos a la mexicana, it's scrambled eggs with onion and tomato. I decided not to do peppers. Eat, matchstick man."

——————————————————————————————————

*Edited on October 23, 2024*

[gryfflepuffinthetardis]

The Tribe

Season One Masterlist

Unfinished Business

A Real Rain

Summary: When a group of college students are brutally tortured and murdered and one is kidnapped, the BAU is led to believe that their UnSub has an extensive knowledge but impractical understanding of Native American ritual which leads them to consult with the reservation policeman who is also an activist, then they start to suspect that a cult is involved.

Warning: Blood, Mention of torture, Mention of Main Character's Torture, Mention of Acid, Cult, Mention of Native American Culture being used against them; Hate on Christopher Columbus (he was not a hero. It's a fact. Look it up. Many historical figures were not as noble as they seem.)

Notes: I am a very white, very pale Caucasian from Irish descent and (possibly) Italian descent (my granddad was adopted but we think his parent(s) were Italian, but honestly I think he spoke to me once in my life while my mom all but had to get a restraining order against his wife with me), however if memory serves me right I am descent of a Native American tribe very distantly across many generations but last I heard of this I was 13, however I feel that doesn't really mean much in terms of... whatever, I can't think of the right word nor do I really want to talk much about it, while the OC is half American/Scottish, Half Mexican and from Aztec descent which was a Native American tribe, this is just because the Aztecs were in central Mexico and it's surrounding areas. I "canonically" (if you can refer that to fanfic) made Zoe a descent of the Aztecs because the Aztec culture is still a significant part of the Day of the Dead celebration. The tradition is a blend of Aztec beliefs about honoring the dead with Catholic practices introduced by Spanish conquistadors, in fact the Aztecs celebrated a similar holiday focused on the Goddess of Death in their culture, Mictecacihuatl. I did some research on this, and I think what the Aztecs were known for fit Zoe quite well but please correct me if I'm wrong because I did short-ish Google searches.

The Aztecs were known for their fearless warriors and pragmatic builders. They had a powerful military which includes elite warrior units like the Jaguar Warriors (who were full-time soldiers considered to be the knights of the Aztec kingdom known for their ferocity in battle and serving as peacekeepers and law enforcement when not at war) and the Eagle Warriors (but I'm not sure what they did as oppose to the Jaguar warriors but from what I've read they protected and policed the city, served as leaders, captured enemies to sacrifice to the Aztec gods which they seemed to actually be known for and I'm ignoring what I read about cannibalism but they were awarded the titles for acts of exceptional bravery in combat)

They are lesser known for their doctors or "ticitl" (If that's spelled wrong let me know) but still known for it, they were skilled in herbal medicine and surgery, even having their own kind of anesthetic using narcotic plants, they used obsidian knives to remove tumors, drain wounds, and agave thorns for eye surgeries.

The Aztecs were known for human sacrifice, especially during troubling times (like pandemics or other crises) and they were performed to honor the gods. The most common was heart extraction, they believed that the heard was both the seat of the individual and a fragment of the Sun's heat (not sure what that means though)

I think these unintentionally lead to Zoe quite well with the fearless warrior and doctor part and even the specification of the heart, I didn't actually know that, I just knew that the modern Day of the Dead culture had roots in Aztec traditions so that works quite well. Let me know if I'm missing anything and let me point out, I have great respect for other cultures, I have great interest in the beliefs that they have and find it fascinating. Just as I have great interest in Mexican culture of the Day of the Dead.

Note 2: I did change most use of the word "Indian" to "Native American" except when used by Blackwolf (because he is Native American and he can use that word while it's distasteful if others do but still don't feel good about it!) or any explicitly racist characters. Zoe's reservations towards Blackwolf are more for his attitude towards the FBI and violence and it's more annoyance for what she feels Blackwolf and Hotch are being rather... well, I can't quite think of the word other can "testosterone" and I think that feels like an exaggeration of what it is. Arrogance, maybe.

“There is a battle of two wolves inside each of us. One wolf is evil, representing anger, jealousy, greed, resentment, lies, inferiority, and ego. The other wolf is good, representing joy, peace, love, hope humility, kindness, empathy, and truth. The wolf that wins is the one you feed.” — Native American Proverb

March 6, 2006

Penelope Garcia was heading back to her batcave with cleaning supplies when she spotted Sean Hotchner enter the BAU. She stopped and handed the cleaning supplies to a random person and followed him.

"What are you doing out of your bunker?" Elle asked, coming up to Garcia, Zoe looked over, shaking her head. She honestly didn't see it.

"I was on my way to file the things that I... file." Garcia said, staring at Sean.

Sean spotted them and went to ask them where he wanted to go.

"Excuse me."

"Hey." Elle said, playing cooler than Garcia.

"I'm looking..."

Zoe stood up, "Hey, Sean."

Sean looked over to see Zoe who he had known from his brother working at the BAU. "Hey, Zoe. I heard you were working here."

"Yeah, your brother finally cracked from his workaholism and was briefly crazy enough to hire me. Follow me." She said and nodded before walking off and Sean followed.

Elle looked at Garcia and asked, "'Brother' as in... That's Hotch's brother?"

"Maybe Hotch is adopted."

"So, gonna tell him now. That'll be fun for us." Zoe snarked as she walked

"How'd you know already?" Sean asked her.

"I know everything Sean." Zoe said, "You're not the lawyer type. Top of the stairs. Good luck."

Zoe went back to her desk where Garcia had gone to badger her with questions and didn't get answers.

About five minutes later, there was a muffled shout from Hotch's office and Sean stormed out.

"Here he comes." Garcia said.

"That's Hotch's brother?" JJ asked.

"Uh-huh."

"I don't see it." JJ said.

"Eh." Zoe shrugged.

Hotch went after his younger brother, "Sean, listen to me. All I'm saying is you're twenty-five years old and it's..."

"You know what? Don't profile me, Aaron!" Sean shouted, pointing at him and then he stormed off.

"Now I see it." JJ said.

"See ya, Sean." Zoe called after him. "Be careful not to crash!"

——————————————————————————————————

They gathered in the briefing room where JJ presented the next case, handing them the files, "Terra Mesa, New Mexico. Five dead. All from Mesa University. No signs of sexual assault and no sign of theft."

"Five nineteen-year-olds. Minimal defensive wounds? One of them was impaled on a six-foot wooden pole." Morgan read from the file.

"Who'd want to torture five college freshmen?" Elle asked.

"They weren't tied up and no one escaped?" Morgan asked.

"No single UnSub could have exerted this much control over so many people." Spencer noted.

"So, you think there was more than two?" Elle asked and Spencer nodded.

"I think we're looking at a pack." Gideon said

"A pack?"

"Three or more that kill in unison. As in nature, the group dynamic dictates that the pack's survival is dependent on their ability to hunt successfully." Spencer explained.

"And, as in nature, a pack will keep on killing until it runs out of prey or is stopped." Hotch added.

"Stopped by what?" Elle asked.

"A stronger pack." Zoe said.

——————————————————————————————————

Nietzsche wrote, "The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe."

Hotch, Gideon, and Spencer met Zoe at the crime scene who drove on her motorcycle and waited for them.

"Sheriff, I'm Special Agent Hotchner. These are Agents Reid and Gideon."

"I thoughtany Doctor Noble-Valdez said there were more of you." Sheriff Jimmy Rhodes said.

"The other agents went straight to the station house to look at the victims' files." Hotch asked. "Has forensics had any luck?"

"The county CSU went through for prints and trace evidence. They said with all the workmen tramping through here, looking at footprints would be a waste." Rhodes said, "Come on." He lifted the police tape.

"The bodies were almost completely skinned. Yet, there's so little blood." Hotch said.

"Well, this explains why." Zoe said, looking through the photos, "The UnSub avoided areas of skin on the wrist and throat, areas where the veins and arteries are closest to the surface."

"Why would they do that?" Rhodes asked.

Zoe hesitated to tell him but Gideon did it for him. "They didn't want them to bleed out."

"These kids were skinned alive." Spencer explained.

They entered another room, "Two cases of beer. Two sleeping bags." Gideon stated.

"There's a third sleeping bag upstairs." Rhodes said.

"Everything you need for a night of teenage romance."

"It's unlikely that two couples brought a fifth wheel to take notes." Gideon said.

"Sheriff, it's possible there was a third girl here. A sixth victim." Zoe explained.

"I'll get my deputies to canvass the area. See if anybody saw a girl." Rhodes said.

"You said there was another one outside?" Zoe asked, referring to before the team arrived.

Rhodes showed them where the other victim was killed, a bloody wooden pole was stuck in the ground.

"He was like the others. Coroner said from the amount of blood he was alive when they impaled him."

"I know this is going to sound strange, but the way the victims were flayed alive, mutilated, and now the impalement display of this last victim..." Spencer listed but trailed off.

"What?" Gideon asked.

"These were all war rituals of the Native American Plains Indians." Spencer explained.

"Does that mean something to you, Sheriff?" Hotch asked.

"I'll say it does. Everything you see around us is Apache land. This whole basin is a sacred burial ground and was the site of a number of massacres as I understand." Rhodes explained.

"So, this development is on their land?" Hotch asked.

"It was their land, but they didn't have the money or the inclination to build on it. So the town seized half of it."

"Yeah, last year the Supreme Court ruled that cities can use eminent domain authority to seize and repossess undeveloped private land for private development." Spencer explained.

"And now the town is looking for investors to build on the other half. The Apache are fighting it, of course, in court." Rhodes said.

"There been any violence until now?" Gideon asked.

"Nothing like this."

"You know anybody on the reservation capable of this?

"I don't know. Reservation's federal jurisdiction." Rhodes said.

"Sounds like where we need to go."

We'll call Garcia. See what she can find." Hotch said.

"If she's done drooling over your brother." Zoe muttered.

"What?" Hotch asked, haven't heard what she said.

"What?" She asked in faux obliviousness.

——————————————————————————————————

When Hotch got off the phone with Garcia, he turned to Rhodes and said, "Blackwolf?"

"John Blackwolf?" Rhodes asked.

"You know him?" Gideon asked.

"Native American activist. He's been in a little trouble related to his activism, but nothing violent. And not around here."

"Should we call the reservation police and alert them?" Hotch asked.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Rhodes said.

"Why not?" Zoe asked.

"Blackwolf is the reservation police." Rhodes said.

——————————————————————————————————

Zoe was forced to ride in the car until they got to the reservation school.

"Jane Bear, these are FBI agents. Gideon, Hotchner, Reid, and Noble-Valdez."

She shook hands with Gideon and Hotch. Spencer just waved and Zoe shook her hand. "Just call me Zoe." Zoe insisted.

"Miss Bear is the president of the tribal council and principal of the reservation school."

"A president and a principal? Must be a busy woman." Gideon said.

"We're out here on our own, Agent Gideon. We all do our part." Jane Bear said.

"Is, uh, John inside?" Rhodes asked.

"This about the Terra Mesa killings?" She asked.

"They just want to talk to him." Rhodes said.

"John Blackwolf has done more to help his tribe than anyone. Hell, Jim, how many times have you called him in to find lost hikers? How many drunken campers has he tracked down for the park service? John is a peaceful man..." She defended,

"Who would not hesitate to defend this tribe with force if attacked." Rhodes added.

"What does this have to do with Terra Mesa?" She asked.

"Well, a lot, if John considers the building of the Terra Mesa development on Apache land to be an attack." Hotch said.

She sighed and turned to lead them towards and inside the school, "The developers have paid a lot of families to leave the reservation. So many families have gone now that we can barely fill a single class."

They entered the class as Blackwolf taught the class, "Forcing the Dene, the Apache nation, to abandon their homes and live in government controlled internment camps. Does anybody know the last tribe to surrender to the American government?

"Chiricahua." Spencer whispered

"It was the Chiricahua Apache." And does anybody know the name of the last leader of the Apaches?"

Some kids raised their hands as Spencer whispered, "Geronimo."

Blackwolf pointed to a boy and he said, "Geronimo."

"That's right. He was caught by the US army five times. But the Ga'he had given him so much strength he escaped each time." Blackwolf said, "Samuel.

"Yes?" The boy from before asked.

"Tell the men and woman from the FBI who the Ga'he are."

Spencer spoke instead, eager to share his knowledge. "The Ga'he are mighty spirits who dwell in desert caves."

"Reid, is your name Samuel?" Hotch scolded and the children and Zoe giggled.

"Sorry." He apologized.

"Are the Ga'he good spirits or bad spirits?" Gideon asked.

"They're both." Blackwolf said, "Like men."

"I'll take over for you, John." Jane said.

They met Blackwolf outside as he put on a coat, holding a giant dagger in a sheath.

"Mister Blackwolf, I'm Agent Gideon. These are agents Hotchner, Reid, and Noble-Valdez."

"You look like a college professor." Blackwolf said to Gideon and then looked at Spencer, "You look like his student." Then he looked at Hotch." You, you look like FBI." Then he looked at Zoe, "You look like a misbehaving student." Zoe shrugged.

"We're with the Behavioral Analysis Unit." Zoe said.

"Profilers should know better."

"How's that?"

"We don't do massacres. You do." Blackwolf said.

"Me, personally?" Hotch asked.

"Your government."

"We don't want massacres. Not any more than you do." Zoe said. "It's not fair to base us off our government." Then she thought for a moment and said, "Though to be fair, 'national hero' Christopher Columbus committed mass rape and genocide, among other things."

Blackwolf looked at her, narrowing her eyes as if trying to get a sense of her vibe. She just stared back, unwaveringly.

"Mister Blackwolf, we'd like for you to take a look at these photos and help us figure out how these kids were killed.

"You're not asking because I'm a cop." Blackwolf said.

"No, we're asking because you're an expert on Native American culture, particularly Apache Culture." Zoe deadpanned and handed him the photos, still never breaking eye contact.

"I don't base my opinion on pictures, Mister Hotchner. I have to walk the ground."

"Makes sense." Zoe said.

——————————————————————————————————

They approached the crime scene.

"We should start inside. Forensics says the outside's been contaminated from all the construction traffic."

"Of all the Native American tribes, the Apache were most renowned for their tracking ability." Spencer said, "It was said they could track a man or animal through any condition by simply noticing the slightest disturbance in the environment."

"It's profiling the dirt." Hotch said.

"It's more than that, Hotch." Zoe said.

"I notice you don't carry a gun." Spencer said.

"Twenty-one feet." Blackwolf said.

"What?" Spencer asked.

"Ask Agent Hotchner and Agent Noble, there. They're the real gun hands."

"Why do you say that?" Hotch asked.

"You carry two guns and I don't know how many you have but it's more than two."

"I like to be prepared." Zoe said.  "And it's Doctor Noble-Valdez."

"Any relation to the Valdezes?"

"Yes. The maximum distance an attacker with a knife can close in the time it takes to react, draw your side arm and fire is twenty-one feet.

"Inside twenty-one feet, I win. Outside 21, I have other options besides shooting a man."

"Like negotiating." Spencer said.

"Like running."

"I have more than just guns. It's not just one or the other. I only use them to protect myself and others. I've had more guns held to my head than you'd think. I was trained by Maze Valdez. She taught me to always be prepared. Always have a plan to kill everyone you meet in case they're planning on killing you first. And in my case, they usually are. I taught myself to be a weapon so the odds are usually in my favor." Zoe said. She wasn't following Blackwolf, she was walking with him, tracking with her own skills.

"You have other options."

"Of course, I do. Just because I have a plan to kill if I need it doesn't mean I'm going to. I'm a doctor. I try to save as many lives as I can. Some people just don't give you that choice." Zoe said. "And they're usually men."

"Why do you say I carry two guns?"  Hotch asked.

"Your right instep print's heavier than your left. And since you don't appear to have a club right foot..." Blackwolf said.

"You can't tell that from my footprints." Hotch said. "There's no perceptible difference between them."

"Your problem isn't with your prints. It's with your perception." Blackwolf said.

"Hey, can we get back to tracking or am I going to have to do it all myself?"  Zoe asked. "Am I going to have to solve the crime myself too?"

They went to the blood-soaked in the ground. Zoe was obviously annoyed with being with this company as Blackwolf observed the ground.

"What do you see?"

"There's a saying, 'Once too much blood has been spilled on the same ground, that ground develops a thirst for it'. This is all consistent with Native American warfare rituals. But it's not Apache." Blackwolf said and he stood up and handed Zoe the photos back, "Whoever did this carried out the most brutal practices of the Apache—Navajo, Comanche, Pueblo, and Sioux."

"No one tribe ever did them all. Not like this." Zoe said, her knowledge wasn't as extensive but she did know that.

"Real Indians would know that. This wasn't Indians." They started walking again, "And if you want to figure out who did this, it might help to know there was a sixth person in the house.

"Why do you say that?

"What did Maze Valdez teach you?"

"How to survive." Zoe said and then she spotted something and started walking forwards with intention.

"Female. Ninety, 95 pounds. Size six shoe. Fallen arches. She was walking alone when she was ambushed by two men." Blackwolf said as Zoe walked a good distance around the footprints.

"We also believe there were at least three suspects." Hotch said.

"Three? Yeah." Blackwolf scoffed. "Two over here plus at least six over there." He pointed behind them. "Because while these two carried this girl struggling to their vehicle to the east, at least six others ran single file to hide their numbers, from the west."

"So, you're saying that there were eight?" Hotch asked.

"At least."

"And one hostage."

——————————————————————————————————

They walked through the police station and Blackwolf spoke to Hotch, "Doctor Noble-Valdez trusted my ability, you didn't. You wanted to see how I'd behave at the scene of the crime. You can at least tell me how I did."

"Your lack of an emotional reaction at seeing the carnage leads me to believe you're innocent." Hotch said.

"A guilty man would have feigned disgust?"

"Exactly."

"You know what counting coup is?"

"No."

"The Apache knew they could easily prove their superiority by killing many of the enemy tribe. But they also knew killings would start a fierce blood feud which would result in the waste of lives and resources." Blackwolf explained.

"Makes sense." Hotch replied.

"So the Apache proved their superiority by counting coup, stealthily stealing property, usually horses, from right under the nose of their enemy. To the Apache, killing, unless absolutely necessary, was a sign of stupidity and weakness."

"If this is your way of saying you're not the killer, we already know that." Hotch said.

"So why am I still talking to you?" Blackwolf asked.

"Hotch." JJ approached, "So, if there was another girl out there, no one's reported her missing. None of the papers have received any claims of responsibility or ransom demands."

"We'd like for you to stay and help with the profile briefing." Hotch said.

"If it'll keep the FBI off the reservation, I'll stay."

——————————————————————————————————

They gave the profile with Spencer starting first, "Each torture ritual had specific religious significance, but only to the tribe that practiced it. It's highly unlikely that any one tribe would mix them all together like this."

"Meaning?" An officer asked.

"Whoever did this obviously had knowledge of Native American culture, but they had absolutely no practical understanding of it." Zoe explained.

"What we know is this pack shares a singular vision. Whether they share a religious faith, racist ideology, or political manifesto each member of this unit has surrendered its individual identity to the group." Morgan explained.

"It's the act of kidnapping that reveals the nature of this pack." Hotch said.

"From the German Red Brigade, to the Munich Olympics, to Iraqi insurgents, the act of kidnapping is a characteristic of political terrorist groups." Elle said.

"We could be looking for a domestic terrorist organization like the Symbionese Liberation Army that kidnapped Patty Hearst." Alexander said.

"But these are Native Americans, right?" The officer from before asked.

"I seriously doubt it. The torture and mutilation you see here are very confused imitations of warfare practiced by Native American tribes."

"You trying to tell us that Indians wouldn't be so brutal?

No. Zoe was descent from Aztecs who were known for having fearless warriors known for their ferocity and bravery in battle and they were known to sacrifice animals, but mostly humans, including children to their gods, most typically by slicing the heart out of the sacrificed and spilling their blood on the temple alter.

"No." Blackwolf said. "I'm saying that Indians wouldn't be so confused."

——————————————————————————————————

The team went into Rhodes' office with him.

"Can we really be sure he's right?" Rhodes asked.

"Well, I'm fairly certain Blackwolf wasn't in on it. But you don't need to be Einstein to realize these people were Native Americans, or they were people who made it look like Native Americans." Gideon said.

"Why would anyone want to frame these Native Americans?"

"Possibly to turn public opinion against them." Zoe said, "Jane Bear said that the developers had paid so many families to leave the reservation that they could barely fill a single class. Sheriff, you mentioned the Apache were fighting the land grab in court. Public opinion would be a significant factor."

"Is there anyone besides the developers who might be vehemently opposed to the Native Americans getting the land back?" Hotch asked.

"The ADU." Rhodes said.

"Who's that?"

"The American Defence Union. Founded by a local businessman named Roy Minton. They're like the Minutemen who patrol the borders. Only these guys blame everything on the Native American."

So like a certain politician [(and unfortunately future president-slash-future candidate for presidency for some reason) on everyone who isn't Caucasian or male.

"Who are the members?" Elle asked.

"Minton's people are mostly white, construction workers, building supply vendors, working class people that believe Native Americans are standing in the way of progress and commerce." Rhodes said.

"Well, that makes sense." Zoe deadpanned. Unfortunately the most common thing about Americans is that a White person that blames other races is usually not too far away.

"Whether they feel the Native Americans are standing in the way of progress, or profit or they're just genuine racists." JJ said, "I think Minton and the ADU are strong suspects.

"Let's bring Minton in." Hotch decided.

——————————————————————————————————

Hotch decided Zoe being from Aztec descent should come with them to interview Minton, though she didn't seem too enthusiastic about it as she met Hotch's usual deadpan gaze with her own deadpan gaze.

"Mister Minton, any idea who might be behind these killings?" Hotch asked Minton.

"The Indians have a history of violent behavior, especially the Apaches." Minton said as if it was a modern fact.

Native Americans. Zoe mentally corrected, hiding her distaste with her usual stoic (semi-)professionalism.

"Did you know that they used to kill white settlers? Decapitate the bodies. Put their victim's heads on wooden pikes outside their houses?"

“Yeah, and Christopher Columbus actually killed so many Native Americans that historians have stated it’s difficult to pinpoint but due to the combination of violence, enslavement, and disease following Colmbus’ arrival, it can be estimated that up to ninety percent of the native population died. Doesn’t make every Caucasian responsible for that.” Zoe said in her usual deadpan voice but there was a noticeable coldness to her tone. “It was a long time ago. You still seem pretty upset about it.”

Minton ignored the info about "national hero" Christopher Colmbus.

"That was the other night. My family has been dealing with the Apache for one hundred and fifty years." Minton said.

"You know, your rhetoric sounds just hateful enough to justify violence." Morgan said.

"We don't need to stoop to their level. We're fighting the Indians in court." Minton said.

"Is that right? Then why all the guns, Roy?" Morgan asked. "Our records show that your two hundred members carry over four-hundred-and-fifty firearms."

"We're simply exercising our constitutional right under the Second Amendment. We have the right to defend ourselves."

Zoe refrained from scrunching her nose as she had said something similar earlier. Only she had reason to carry firearms. She had been attacked so many times. So many people wanted her dead. Actively and in the past. She had been hurt by men who took advantage of owning guns and weapons that she

"Four-hundred-and-fifty guns, Roy. I don't think so." Morgan scoffed, "That's not self-defence. That's plain paranoid."

"Not anymore."

When they were done, they regrouped with the team at the police station.

"If Minton's as fanatical as he pretends to be, he wouldn't file lawsuits." Morgan stated.

"Or organize labor unions." Elle said.

"The Native Americans are keeping Minton and the members of the ADU from making a lot of money on the development and construction of the Apache land."

"I agree. He's using racist ideology to cover simple greed." Gideon said and turned to Rhodes, "Sheriff, I'd like you to put Minton under surveillance.

"You think he's guilty?" Rhodes asked.

"Not likely, but we've just given Minton reason to believe that some faction of the ADU may have taken matters into their own hands and Minton may lead us to them." Hotch explained.

Morgan's cell phone rang. "It's Garcia." He unclipped the phone from his belt and picked up, "Hey. What do you got? Okay. Nice job." He hung up, "Think we might have found our sixth victim."

——————————————————————————————————

Alexander, Zoe, Hotch, JJ, Morgan, and Elle went to Ingrid's father's house and he let them in. There was something off about him that Zoe just couldn't shake. Morgan went to look through Ingrid's old room.

"How old was Ingrid when your wife passed away?" Zoe asked Peter Greisen.

"Fourteen." He said.

"And then you raised her on your own?" Elle asked and he nodded.

"Why didn't you report your daughter as missing, Mister Greisen?" Alexander asked with a slight edge to his tone.

"I didn't know she was missing. She has her own place. She has her own life at school. Her own friends." Greisen explained.

"When was the last time you spoke?" Elle asked.

Griesen thought about for a second and said, "A couple weeks ago." And then he explained, "She's been going through a phase the past couple months. Distancing herself."

"Has anyone threatened Ingrid?" Elle asked.

"Not that I know of." He said.

"Have you received any menacing phone calls or seen anyone in the neighborhood? I mean, anything that's been unusual at all?" Zoe asked.

"No. Nothing like that."

"We have reason to believe the people who kidnapped your daughter may be politically motivated." Hotch said, "They killed those kids and they kidnapped Ingrid in the name of their cause."

"We think the first thing, or, the best thing, you can do to help your daughter is for you to go on the news."

"How will that help Ingrid?" He asked.

"If we can personalize Ingrid to the public, the public will take any harm that comes to her at the hands of the kidnappers personally." JJ explained. "Hurting her would hurt their cause."

"It will stop them from killing her?" He asked.

"It might."

——————————————————————————————————

They met up with Morgan in Ingrid's room.

"Hey."

"So?" Morgan asked.

"Fathers' blame themselves when their child is kidnapped. As irrational as it is, it's typical." Hotch said and Alexander and Zoe looked at him. "This guy didn't do that. Why not?"

"Well, in these situations, innocent parents, they don't hide their feelings of guilt, while guilty parents do." Alexander said.

"So we're thinking this guy's guilty?" Morgan asked.

"Of something." Hotch said.

——————————————————————————————————

While Greisen went on air, they continued to look through Ingrid's room for clues when Elle came in saying, "We've got a caller on the line."

"Has Greisen been prepped?"  Hotch asked.

"The caller doesn't want to speak to Greisen. In fact, he doesn't want Greisen to know that he's even calling."

Hotch took the phone, "This is Special Agent Aaron Hotchner."

"Yeah. We have Ingrid Greisen. We'll turn ourselves and the girl in under one condition." The man on the other end of the phone said.

"I'm listening."

"You don't tell Greisen about it."

"What does it matter to you what I tell Greisen?" Hotch asked.

"Because he paid us to kidnap her."

——————————————————————————————————

Alexander, Hotch, Elle, and Morgan brought the kidnappers in and got the girl to the hospital. Zoe heard she was nonresponsive. Morgan, Spencer, and Zoe went to the hospital while the rest of the team interviewed the kidnappers and the father.

As the three approached Ingrid's room, Morgan's phone rang. "It's Garcia."

"We got this." Spencer said.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Yeah." Spencer nodded.

"Yeah, believe it or not, I have some experience with kidnapping trauma." Zoe said.

"Okay." Morgan said and answered his phone, "Yeah. Talk to me." He walked off and Zoe and Spencer went to Ingrid's room.

Zoe looked through the window on the door to see the young blonde woman in the bed. She was awake, just staring in front of her.

Zoe mentally flashed back to the following days at the hospital after she escaped those eight months. It was a blur to her but she could remember seeing the pictures of her, she didn't look at the camera but past them, just into space.

Spencer opened the door and held it open for Zoe. She approached Ingrid, muttering a thank you to Spencer.

"Hello Ingrid. I'm Doctor Spencer Reid, this is Doctor Zoe Noble-Valdez. We're with the FBI and we were wondering if you could..."

"Griesen, Ingrid. nine-four-three-two-three-nine-four-eight-seven."

Spencer and Zoe looked at each other to confirm that they both heard this insanity that sounded like it came from a computer.

"Excuse me?" Spencer asked.

She looked at them and spoke more slowly, if it wasn't for the utterly blank look in her eyes and tone in her voice, she almost would've sounded annoyed that she had to repeat it, "Griesen, Ingrid. nine-four-three-two-three-nine-four-eight-seven."

"Can I see your hands?" Zoe asked, she didn't wait for a response and took Ingrid's hand, examining her hand. Zoe stroked her hands over Ingrid's palm and then her fingertips, feeling the grooves of Ingrid's fingerprints under her own fingertips. She didn't find what she had been fearing to find... to both her relief and disappointment.

She gently placed Ingrid's hand back on the bed and looked at Spencer, gesturing for the door.

Spencer still confused nodded and they left without another word.

"What's up?" Morgan asked, approaching, confused as to why they were out so soon.

"She's brainwashed." Zoe said at once. "Cult, most likely."

"Why'd you ask to see her hands?" Spencer asked.

"It's not the same cult as the one they built around me." Zoe said.

"How do you know?" Morgan asked.

Zoe hesitated, her jaw clenching, then she sighed and held up her hand, “She still has her fingerprints.” She held up her hand, “one of the first things they did once the cult was built was that they burned off my fingerprints with acid. It was a long shot, anyways."

Spencer gently took Zoe's hand and saw she had no fingerprints.

"I..."

"Don't." She pulled her hand back, on guard, "Just call Hotch." They didn't move. "Call Hotch!" She snapped.

Morgan took his phone out and turned away from them as Spencer gave Zoe puppy-dog eyes.

"Ingrid isn't catatonic anymore, but she's answering every question with only her name and Social Security number." Morgan told Hotch through the phone. There's more. Garcia did some checking. Ingrid hasn't been enrolled in school for over a year. She had good grades. Just suddenly dropped out and vacated her campus apartment. She left no forwarding, Hotch. We have no idea where or how she's been living."

——————————————————————————————————

Ingrid had been in a cult and the Greinsen intended on bringing Ingrid to a deprogrammer and he feared that the cult had been responsible for the killings but didn't want his daughter to go to jail. During the night Minton and his family was attacked and the police officer patrolling them was killed.

They went back to the police station to update the profile now that they knew a cult was involved.

"We're looking for the cult leader. Typically men between the age twenty-five and thirty-five with a high level of intelligence." Zoe said as cults were her specialty. "A sociopathic underachiever with an extremely abusive childhood. And obviously someone with an interest in, and an affinity for Apache culture and rituals."

"Look for males with criminal records for lesser type crimes." Morgan said as Zoe crossed her arms, she had put her motorcycle gloves on now because Spencer kept looking at her hands in sympathy. "Drug possession, petty theft."

"What about school records?" JJ asked, "The victims from the first crime scene went to Terra Mesa University? Maybe the leader was there, too."

"That's great." Elle said, standing up, "Look for students who studied Native American cultures extensively."

"We need to do it all." Morgan said, "With this second strike it could be a spree."

Zoe had to excuse herself now that her part of the profile was done, she had to meet up with Blackwolf, Hotch, and Ingrid at the house where the family was killed.

——————————————————————————————————

Zoe got off her motorcycle, glancing at the house. She went to take off her gloves before stopping and changing her mind. She approached Rhodes, Blackwolf, and Hotch who had just arrived too.

"Sorry about your man, Jim." Blackwolf said.

"I appreciate that." Rhodes said.

"That her?"

"She won't give us anything, but her name and her Social.

"Thanks." Blackwolf said."

Okay. They're ready. Everybody out." he called to the officers and went to the car and yanked Ingrid out, "Come with me! My friend wants to show you something." He pulled Ingrid to Hotch, Zoe, and Blackwolf

"Ingrid, my name is John Blackwolf.

"I know who you are." Ingrid said, the first words other than her name and social. "You are the son of Benjamin Blackwolf of the Chiricahua Apache.

"Come with me." Blackwolf said and turned to head into the house.

They walked through the hall of the house, next to a cluster of pictures of the kids was smeared with blood as the family had tried to escape. They walked past it and into one of the daughter's room.

"What do think happened here, Ingrid?"

Ingrid looked around, the books and trophies had lines of blood on them when the girl had been stabbed, blood was splattered on the white curtains, lots of blood was stained onto the bed, on the girl's paintings. Her name had been Nicole.

Ingrid looked back at Blackwolf and said, "I think three little trespassers met the vengeful blade of the tribe."

"What tribe would that be?" Hotch asked.

"There are only two people. The Apache, and those who trespass against us." Ingrid said.

"You're not Apache, Ingrid." Blackwolf said.

"No. You are not Apache." She argued, "Not anymore. Grandfather tested me. He sent me to the desert mountains to be blessed by the Ga'he. The Gahe have brought Grandfather back to us, build his new tribe to reclaim the sacred land for the Apache."

"Where is Grandfather?" Hotch asked.

"Did Grandfather ever tell you where the name 'Apache' comes from? It comes from the Zuni word 'apachu,' it means 'enemy'. And if Grandfather knew the first thing about the real Apache he would have taught you to refer to us as the 'diné'. It means, 'the people'."

"Grandfather said that you and all the living Apache are like the Jews of old, lost and wandering the desert in search of their Messiah. And he has come..." She argued but Blackwolf cut her off by speaking over her.

"The diné don't believe in a Messiah."

"You were lied to, Ingrid." Zoe said.

"The Ga'he..." Ingrid started.

"Don't use a word you don't understand. The Ga'he are not magic fairies. They are not gods as you understand them." Blackwolf said and he grabbed one of Nicole's shirts covered in her blood and held it up to Ingrid and he grabbed her harshly with her other hand, having her squeak in fear. Zoe refrained herself from jumping in as Blackwolf shouted, "This is not the blood of an enemy! This is the blood of a little girl just like you are. You've been fed bits and pieces of a culture you don't understand."

"You don't know." She said when Blackwolf let her go."

"What we do know is that you've been manipulated and exploited by a very disturbed individual." Hotch said.

"You are a liar!" She cried and she turned back to Blackwolf, "You have disavowed your ancestors. Only those who dwell in the dead lands deserve to live!"

Blackwolf looked at Hotch and Zoe.

——————————————————————————————————

Zoe was helping Garcia find potential cult leaders while Spencer looked through the paper files while the others figured out where the cult may be.

"Stop looking at my hands." She said, without looking up.

"Sorry. It's just... they should've grown back."

"Minor burns or injuries usually don't permanently change them. They didn't understand that. Within a few weeks, they were growing back and they burned them again and again. Until I stop screaming. I finally explained it to them. It would take a third-degree burn or other serious injury that affect all the layers of skin that the fingerprint is encoded into. At least five. Three months in and they had burned nine layers and, they're gone." Zoe explained.

"I'm sorry."

"I know you are, Spencer. I don't need your pity. I don't want your pity. It's been five years. I've accepted it. I just..."

"How were you never converted?"

"I wasn't a victim of the cult. I... I was the inspiration for it. Because I refused to break. If I was ever innocent, they took it from me but I still refused to break and I continued to fight, when they would've broken. They were broken and my fight confused them and so the cult formed. Even if they tried, I knew the truth." Zoe said, "Here's someone. Jackson Cally."

Spencer moved his chair to look at her screen.

"He was expelled from TMU six months before the others for drug possession and there was a string of colleges before. Every single one, he studied religion and Native American culture and he was in a seminar on Native American culture with Ingrid Greisen and look, John Blackwolf guest lectured." He read.

"Send it to Garcia. "

——————————————————————————————————

Zoe went with Hotch, Elle, Morgan, Blackwolf, Rhodes, and other officers to an abandoned motel off of Route 29 that Blackwolf speculated might have be where the cult was.

They kicked the door down and went through the darkened motel until Hotch found someone. A man with his back to them his arms behind him

"FBI! Don't move! Put your hands out to the side and turn around very slowly." Hotch said and Cally held his arms out. "Jackson Cally?" Zoe, Morgan, and Elle entered the room behind him. "Grandfather?"

Cally finally turned around.

"There's no one else here, Hotch." Morgan said.

"Where are the others?" Zoe asked.

"Hunting." Cally said.

—————————————————————————————————

Zoe was on the phone with Spencer as he read the paper file that he printed of what Garcia had pulled up. "Jackson Gordon Cally, thirty-two years old. Spent most of his childhood moving from foster home to foster home."

"Hang on a second. I'm going to put you on speaker." She said and pushed the button, "Go ahead, Spence."

"Simply another sad, but unremarkable statistic aside from the fact that he had an IQ of 189." Spencer said. Zoe was unimpressed.

"Any criminal record?"

"At eighteen, he spent twenty-two months in prison for auto theft. I just spoke to the warden at the prison. Said when he was there he found religion and began preaching to his fellow inmates. And that he once convinced a mass murderer he was doing time with to beat to death an inmate that was threatening Cally."

Zoe was still unimpressed. That wasn't surprising. Cult leaders were known to be rather persuasive.

"Ever since he was a child, this guy just survived on cunning, force of personality." Gideon said.

"He spent twenty-two months in the clink. Was released and then bounced from university to university studying, you guessed it, Native American cultures." Spencer said.

"Okay, thanks, Spence." Zoe said and hung up.

Cally reminded her of an unremarkable version of her ex-boyfriend. High IQ. Highly persuasive. Abusive childhood. Underachiever. Criminal record.

"What's his connection to the Apache?" Blackwolf asked.

"Aside from taking your class? Nothing that they could find." Zoe said. "With sociopaths like Cally, there is no connection."

"If it hadn't been Apache he would've found some other culture to attract and manipulate his followers." Hotch said

"Like Manson, Cally's been forced to become an expert profiler of sorts. He reads the people around him. He finds a way in, and then he brainwashes them to serve his needs." Zoe explained.

"And the only way to figure out his game is to play it." Hotch said, "I'm going to give him exactly what he wants."

"What's that?" Elle asked.

"An audience. Zoe, you have experience with cult leaders?" Hotch asked.

Zoe stared at him, unamused at Hotch-levels.

"Alright, but I have a suspicion. Give me a moment."

——————————————————————————————————

Zoe sat in a chair in front of Cally, the moment she sat down, his eyes flickered to her necklace, a Day of the Dead necklace, she didn't have her leather jacket on and had her shirt sleeves rolled up slightly, revealing her alebrije wolf tattoo on one shoulder and her tattoo of Santa Meurta on the other.

"Hello Mister Cally, I'm Special Agent Doctor Zoe Noble-Valdez with the FBI." She said.

"You know, I've spent my whole life talking to cops and doctors. There's something different about you. You're not just a cop or a doctor. Are you?" He said.

"You're very perceptive." She said, only barely meaning it.

"So what are you?"

"I'm a profiler."

"So am I."

"You're not the leader, are you?"

"No. That'd be the suit back there, Special Agent Aaron Hotchner."

"But your colleagues still respect you a great deal. They think you're very smart but you also scare them a little. You worry them. You're a mystery to them that they can't quite profile."

Zoe raised her eyebrows.

Cally looked at Hotch, "And they look at you to find all the answers. Leadership is a grave responsibility."

"Well, they don't call me Grandfather." Hotch remarked.

"Well, in my tribe, Grandfather is simply another word for 'teacher'."

"Did you teach your tribe to murder?" Zoe asked.

"No, I don't teach murder. I teach love. Love of land. Love of ancestors. Love of the tribe. These trespassers poison the land. You know the Day of the Dead stems from Aztec beliefs."

"I did know that. I'm from Aztec descent from my mother's side." Zoe said.

"Not many do. The remaining Aztecs have forgotten who they are. But the Apache will soon remember who they are and they will hunt these trespassers off their land until no one but the Apache remain."

Blackwolf stepped up, "You think you speak for the Apache, but you're nothing, but a coward and a killer."

"I haven't killed anyone." Cally chuckled.

"Your tribe killed a family last night. A mother, a father, and three little girls. Ages, five, eight, and eleven." Zoe said, "Do you think that your little tribe is going to wage a war with all the white people in this state?"

"Pretty soon, we won't have to." Cally said

"Why's that?" Hotch asked.

He turned to Blackwolf. "What's going to happen when the angry white men come to the doors of your children blaming you for the killing of their people? What are you going to do? Call the cops? No. You're going to string them up. You're going to put their heads on poles and rape their women just like the savage animal you really are. Like the savage animal your father was before they shot him down."

Blackwolf grabbed Cally by the front and slammed him against the wall. Zoe only looked mildly interested in what was happening while Morgan shouted, "No, Blackwolf."

Morgan pulled him off as Zoe got up and stepped up to Cally.

"And you! You're just like your ancestors. Who sacrificed children by cutting out their hearts while they were still alive. By eating their flesh!"

"I'm a vegetarian." She remarked and walked past him with Hotch outside to Blackwolf.

"Let me in with him, alone." Blackwolf said, "I'll get him talking."

"You've done more than we could have hoped for." Zoe reassured him.

Hotch turned to Morgan and Elle, "You guys take Cally down to the Sheriff's Office."

"You tell that man he's welcome on my reservation any time." Blackwolf growled, pointing.

"Cally's a racist. That's why I took my jacket off. To show my tattoos. Not all Mexicans are from Aztec descent but I just happen to be and he could make that assumption if he studied Native American cultures. You just tipped him over the edge." Zoe explained. "It was never about the Apache. It's just about power and control."

——————————————————————————————————

It turns out a bunch of guns were missing from Minton's house. The cult was going to stage an ADU attack against Native Americans since the ADU didn't actually attack anyone.

"The school's our most vulnerable target." Blackwolf said.

"Cally likes killing kids." Zoe scoffed.

They got out and walked through a dark room of the school. Blackwolf heard Hotch taking out his gun.

"Put that away."

"What?" Hotch asked.

"You don't need it." Blackwolf turned to them. "Use your baton. There are many paths to the same place. Trust me."

"Just so you know, you sound like a fortune cookie." Hotch deadpanned.

"You asked what Maze Valdez taught me. It was how to be the ultimate weapon. I don't need a gun. The Aztecs have fearless warriors known from their ferocity and bravery but they did it to protect their tribe. Our best bet is stealth. Pick them off one by one. My cousin is a modern ninja. Stealth is my specialty." Zoe said.

——————————————————————————————————

When the cult members arrived, the one classroom was empty. Zoe slammed a door shut, bringing one closer and she punched him in the carotid sinus, a pressure point in the front of the neck. When pressure is applied it can trigger carotid sinus syncope, a response that causes fainting, it can happen even if someone were to wear a tight collar. If this pressure point is struck, the body’s receptors are confused into thinking the body’s blood pressure is too high and the body attempts to correct this by suddenly dropping blood pressure which can lead to insufficient blood supply to the brain and then fainting.

Zoe led a few away while Hotch took out one and then pulled another into a classroom. Blackwolf pulled the rifle from another and the cult member took out his knife, Blackwolf took out hers.

Zoe had three following her, not sure if they had someone. She circled around a shelf and grabbed one, pulling behind it and hitting their head against the wall.

"Who's there?" A member shouted but Zoe was gone.

She grabbed another's rifle, kneeing them in the groin and kicking them away. He and the other member watched as without looking she pulled the ammo and threw the gun aside.

Then there was a gunshot. Hopefully, by Hotch, Zoe looked away and the last member holding their gunshot at her but she rolled out of the way and she spun when she shot again, dodging the bullets until the gun went click, click, click.

The first member she had disarmed lunged at her but Zoe simply grabbed his hand, twisting it to just to the point of intense pain, making him shout in pain but the most terrifying part was the intense look of hatred in Zoe's eyes, that they would attempt to come and kill children. The other member ran at her and Zoe pushed the first member into them, making sure to hit their heads together.

Hotch and Blackwolf showed up, having heard the shots and had become concerned but Zoe was still standing unhurt.

"You took out three at once?"

Zoe just shrugged.

Zoe tied up all the members, tightly so they would have no chance of escape and applied pressure on the woman's wound that Hotch had shot to keep her from shooting Blackwolf

The rest of the team arrived as the three were sitting in front of the school.

"The children?" Gideon asked.

"They're fine." Hotch said.

"Did you actually think I'd let any of them get hurt?" Zoe asked.

"We got them out before they got here. We took down these six." Hotch said.

"Without firing a shot?" Spencer asked.

"Captain America here shot number five." Blackwolf said, looking at Hotch.

"You're welcome."

"And one of them shot all their bullets at Zoe and missed." Blackwolf said.

"They're not exactly a sniper with a gun." Zoe dismissed.

"Number six is cut up pretty bad. I don't think he's going to make it." Hotch said.

"At least I didn't shoot him." Blackwolf muttered.

"I think I'd rather be shot." Morgan remarked.

"One of them has a broken wrist and a concussion, two of them have just a concussion, and one of them has an injured caroid sinus." Zoe said.

"There's an old Apache saying, 'You can take many paths to get to the same place'." Hotch said.

*Edited October 23, 2024*

[gryfflepuffinthetardis]

Unfinished Business

Season One Masterlist

Riding the Lightning

The Tribe

Summary: When "The Keystone Killer", a serial killer in Philadelphia, resurfaces after eighteen years of inactivity, the BAU works with now-retired FBI agent who worked on the original case to catch the killer.

Warning: Most likely incorrect symptoms of having too much morphine in system, Forced Drug use, Talk of Congenital Heart Disease, Mention of David Rossi

"Any obsession is dangerous." — Christina Ricci

February 25, 2006

There was always an Unsub that stayed with an agent more than others.

The man who killed Zelena for Alexander and then later the people who took Zoe and Zarah.

The UnSub who killed the parents of those three children, Connie, Georgie, and Alicia Galen for David Rossi.

The UnSub who started Gideon's obsession with birds for Jason Gideon.

The Boston Reaper for Hotch.

For Max Ryan, it was the Keystone Killer.

It was one of Zelena's last cases before she was forced back to Viriginia to work at her desk where she found the man who would end up killing her.

Ryan was giving his lecture about his book, House of Horror: The Hunt for the Keystone Killer in Washington DC

"At the end of his two-year killing spree, seven women were dead. He made a name for himself. Literally. He sent out written communication identifying himself as the Keystone Killer. These letters, all of which were accompanied by a word search puzzle, were part of his game Like Son of Sam, he taunted the police. He fueled the media's fascination with him. he left specific crime scene details in the word puzzles. And then, twenty years ago, he just stopped killing. Now, one of the Philadelphia PDs theories was that he was in jail on an unrelated charge. But this is a man who craves attention. He could not remain a faceless prisoner for so long. Another theory was that he had simply moved away and he continued killing in another city or another country. But the FBI's ViCAP program tracks murders and murderers all around the world and they turned up nothing."

He pushed a button on the slideshow he was showing, showing a close-up of hands knotted together. "This intricate knot was part of his signature. It's a signature we have never seen repeated. Another theory was that he had died, which is the only explanation for why a compulsive psychopath would stop killing. As you'll see in the book, But I never believed he was a psychopath who had to do this. I believe he is a narcissistic sociopath who chooses to."

He showed a young woman with short brown hair. "This is his last victim. Amy Jennings. She was twenty-three. Her infant son was in the next room when she was killed. So uh..." His memory briefly wandered to one of his former proteges... this was her last case in the field... "even if he thinks he's finished, he still has a debt to pay."

Ryan signed some copies of his book to a fan before turning to Gideon who he had taught everything he knew.

"You look comfortable up there. Why don't you come back to the BAU for a guest lecture?

"I'm retired, remember?

"Hell of a way to relax." Gideon said, the same thing he told Rossi when he started writing books after his retirement. "Three hundred and twenty-three pages on the one that got away."

"He hasn't gotten away. And you didn't count that eight-page prologue." Ryan said.

"What happened to Florida? Thirty-six holes a day?

"No, Florida's too humid. Zoe’s right. Florida… not for people like us.” Max Ryan said, “How’s she doing?”

“Just like Zelena and Alexander.” Gideon replied.

“So, stubborn, reckless, too smart for her own good, violent?”

Gideon shrugged.

"Anyway, I'd miss the seasons. So I'm in Philadelphia now."

You're in Philadelphia for the 'seasons'?" Gideon asked.

"You think I'm, what, dysfunctional? Obsessed?" Ryan asked.

"You want to eat where the killer eats, sleep where he sleeps?"

"Maybe I'm addicted to Pat's Steaks. Maybe I'm holding out hope that the Eagles will turn it around next season." Ryan suggested.

"Remember weapons of mass destruction?" Gideon asked.

"What are you saying? You think I'm chasing a ghost?"

"I'm saying sometimes we get it wrong. You ever consider that?"

"I've considered everything." Ryan said, sharply. "So, how are things at BAU? Anything changed since I left? Other than Zoe."

"Everything changes, everything stays the same. You know how it is." Gideon said, vaguely.

"Miss me?"

"No."

"Just here to buy a book, then, huh?"

"What can I say? Profilers, they fascinate me." Gideon said, sarcastically.

A guard came up to Ryan and handed him a piece of paper in an orange file, "Sorry to interrupt, but this is for you." Ryan took it and thanked him.

He opened the file as Gideon said, "Fan mail."

"Fan mail. How do you like that?" Ryan said and he unfolded the paper to find a familiar word puzzle. He got up and went back to the guard, "Wait a minute. Hey, who gave this to you?"

"I don't know. Guy in a blue jacket." The guard said.

Ryan then attacked the first guy he saw with a blue jacket but the guard was on him,

"That's not the guy. Hey, it's not the guy." And when Ryan let him go he escorted the guy out, "Sorry, sir. Misunderstanding."

Gideon took the paper from Ryan. "Who in his mind has not probed the black water? We're like two volumes of the same book, Max. Why don't we add a few more chapters?" He read aloud. "Is this from him? The Keystone Killer?"

"Son of a bitch was right here." Ryan snapped, handing Gideon two more things in the file—the IDs of two of the Keystone Killer's victims. "You still think I'm after a ghost?"

——————————————————————————————————

Zoe was trying to sleep. She had been trying to sleep for eight years. She had been having nightmares for years, just from the memories she did allow herself to remember… then her phone rang. She wasn’t complaining.

Norman Maclean wrote, "It is those we live with and love and should know who elude us."

Zoe, Spencer, Elle, and Hotch walked out of the elevator, it was late on a Saturday night but Zoe hadn't had plans. She hadn't had normal "going out" plans since she was fifteen.

"So they've been here all night?" Morgan asked, referring to Max Ryan, Alexander, and Gideon.

"Apparently."

"Where else would any of us be on a Saturday night?" Elle asked, sarcastically. It's not like we have lives or anything.

"Speak for yourself." Morgan scoffed.

"Guys, we are about to meet Max Ryan. The guy responsible for catching the Boise child killer." Spencer said, "Have you ever talked to him before?"

"I've been going on cases with him since I was a toddler." Zoe said.

"He's pretty intense, brusque. Not much of a bedside manner." Hotch commented.

"Sound like anyone else we know?

"He's basically older Gideon with less manners when it comes to crime." Zoe said.

"I heard he was forced into early retirement." Morgan said.

"No, he chose to retire." Hotch said.

"He's written a new book on the Keystone killer case." Spencer said.

"He moved to Philadelphia to be closer to the crime scenes." Hotch added.

"That's retirement?"

“BAU style.”

“David Rossi retired at forty even though he's a workaholic who hates taking vacation days and started writing books on his cases and getting divorced from Mrs. Rossi three to fourteen. I predict he’ll come back someday.” Zoe said.

Hotch didn't doubt that.

They entered the briefing room where the new puzzle was on the screen.

Spencer read the line at the top of the paper.

"'Who in his mind has not probed the black water'?" Spencer read aloud, "John Steinbeck, East of Eden."

Zoe took the

"A story of good and evil, love and hate. A recreation of the biblical Cain and Abel told through two generations of brothers who betray one another; teaches themes that man is flawed but can find forgiveness." Zoe said.

"There's been some new activity on the Keystone Killer case." Max said.

"New?" Elle asked.

"He was at Max's lecture last night." Gideon said.

"What?" Morgan asked, "He got away?"

"Would we have woken you up if we caught him?" Ryan asked

"Ryan." Zoe said, sternly, giving him a look, "I see you still didn't learn basic manners during retirement."

"He handed this letter to the security guard." Gideon said.

"And he included two driver's licenses with it." Ryan added.

"One is from his last victim."

"Last known victim." Ryan interrupted.

"Amy Jennings, strangled in 1985." Alexander recalled.

"His last victim." Zoe corrected and when Ryan opened his mouth to speak, she interrupted him. "He is an attention-seeking narcissist, if he continued killing he'd want you to know and he'd brag about it. He'd taunt you about it like with this."

Spencer was looking intently at the word search, catching the hidden words at a quick pace as he mumbled under his breath.

"You see something?" Gideon asked.

"Yeah. What is the significance of 'black bra' and 'grey wool socks'?" Spencer asked.

"That's what Amy Jennings was wearing when we found her." Ryan said.

"That's a lot of detail to remember for 20 years. The Green River Killer couldn't remember where the bodies were buried, much less what they were wearing." Morgan said.

"Well, some UnSubs take pictures. Print them themselves so they can manipulate the scene, bring it to life." Hotch pointed out.

"That would explain the level of detail."

Spencer was still muttering under his breath before asking, "Does 'no fight' and 'rear window' have anything to do with the Jennings case?"

"No. He entered in through the front door. There's ample evidence that Amy fought him very hard." Ryan said. "No, he's referring to a new victim there."

"The second driver's license?" Elle guessed.

"Carla Bromwell." Zoe said.

"Yeah, there's a 'C. Bromwell' here in the puzzle.

"Philly P.D. went to the address on the license a little while ago. Found her suffocated with a plastic bag."

Zoe looked at him. She remembered hearing the words from inside the womb. They were always strangled.

"Suffocated? His previous victims were strangled. His MO's different." Zoe said

"He hasn't been killing all along, has he?" Elle asked.

"It would've been difficult to tie these new murders to the Keystone Killer, what with the change of methodology and the time that's elapsed between kills." Hotch said.

"If he had been active, I would have known."

"It's not entirely impossible for an UnSub to switch his MO. The Zodiac Killer went from stabbing people to shooting them." Spencer explained.

"Yes, but he wanted to take the credit. This bastard didn't do anything in secret." Ryan said.

JJ entered, carrying a cup of coffee. "I'd say good morning, but it's still dark outside." She said and placed a picture of a woman in her forties with a plastic bag over her head,

"Who's this?"

"Carla Bromwell." JJ said, "Uh, Gideon, can you put on the news?"

Gideon switched on the TV, showing the news.

"The Philadelphia Police were notified late last night of a letter that was hand-delivered to this news station. Apparently, it was written by the infamous Keystone Killer, who's wanted in connection with the murders of seven women back in the mid-1980s. He also included a photograph of a woman. She appears to be dead in the photo, suffocated with a plastic bag. Now, subsequently, police discovered a body in the Overbrook area, but they are not confirming that it's the woman in this picture."

"He works fast." Hotch said.

"That's an understatement, huh?" Gideon said.

"Meet you on the plane in thirty minutes?" Hotch said, standing and walking already.

"I'm coming with you. I'm not asking, Jason." Ryan said.

——————————————————————————————————

They were in the plane when Garcia told them, "Philly P.D. confirmed that Carla Bromwell's been dead less than twelve hours. She was forty-seven."

"Victims are getting older." Hotch commented.

"That is unusual." Morgan said.

"Victimology rarely changes." Elle said.

"Her hands and feet were bound with Flex-cuffs." Garcia told them.

"Flex-cuffs? No ropes?" Ryan asked.

"That's what they said. They're waiting at the crime scene for you." Garcia said.

"Thank you, sweetheart." Morgan said.

"Here if you need me." Garcia saluted and Morgan hung up.

"So, older victims and a different mode of binding and killing." Hotch mused.

"Well, she would've been twenty-seven when he was first active. Maybe she was a potential victim he was stalking before he retired. Also, he's twenty years older now, presumably he's not as strong as he used to be, he may have suspected that he wouldn't be able to kidnap, restrain, and strangle them." Zoe suggested.

"Maybe the note just means we have a copycat on our hands." Morgan suggested.

"A copycat who just happens to have Amy Jennings' driver's license?" Ryan asked, skeptically. "No. No, it's the Keystone Killer."

"It's got to be him." Zoe agreed, determinedly.

"Why does it have to..." Morgan asked.

"This was my mom's last case." She interrupted him, silencing him as everyone but Max Ryan and Gideon looked at her.

"She died a few months into the investigation, We convinced her it was too dangerous for her to be working the case for the safety of Zarah and Zoe." Alexander explained, "And by convinced her, I mean, convinced her not to curse and attack Ryan when he demanded she go home."

"Three weeks later she was dead.” Zoe said, bluntly.

"Still but how are we supposed to work with him?" Morgan asked, referring to Ryan. "He's not even an active agent."

"He's here because Zelena isn't." Alexander said. "He's here because he knows this case better than any of us."

"We're leading the investigation. He's only consulting." Gideon said.

"Anyone tell him that?" Morgan asked.

"Old habits die hard, I guess." Zoe said, not looking up from the words of the profile that her mother had written twenty years ago.

"Zoe..." Morgan started but Zoe looked up at him, suddenly with a steeliness to her amber eyes.

“David Rossi helped create the BAU when he was twenty-seven. He was so ambitious that he ended his second marriage over his career and yet he was forty, he 'retired’,” She used sarcastic quotation marks, “and he’s spent those nine years of 'retirement’ writing about his cases. I doubt he’ll stay in retirement by the end of the decade. He used to read case files to me and Zarah because he couldn’t take himself away from it enough. There will always be cases that stay with you and they will. The BAU worked differently back then. The team wasn’t as big. There wasn’t even a jet. One, two, or three agents per case back then, plus two highly inquisitive kids too smart and hyperactive for their own good when Dad refused to leave Zarah and me behind. It wasn’t a group effort. Everyone had to take charge, not just the Unit Chief,” She nodded at Hotch, “Or a former Unit Chief-slash-Senior Supervisory Special Agent.” She nodded at Gideon, she held the steely gaze before going back to the profile as if she hadn’t scolded Morgan at all.

——————————————————————————————————

Elle, Alexander, and Gideon entered the bedroom where Carla was found.

"FBI?" The detective asked, "Detective Charles Santangelo, Philly P.D."

"Agents Gideon, Noble, and Greenaway." Gideon introduced.

"You actually think the Keystone Killer did this?" Santangelo asked.

"Yes, we do." Ryan said, entering the room, his tone said there was no room for arguments.

"Agent Ryan." Santangelo said in recognition.

"Detective." Ryan greeted.

"Should have guessed you'd show up sooner or later." Santangelo said.

"He's consulting with us." Gideon said.

"CSI's done processing the body?" Elle asked.

"Yeah. We'll get out of your way." Santangelo said.

"Thanks." Ryan said and he looked over the body of the latest victim as Elle examined the body. "This is his eighth victim."

"There's no bruising on the wrists, ankles or neck. Just a good-sized blunt force head wound." She noted.

"Yeah, probably a surprise attack." Ryan said.

"Well, the puzzle said 'no fight'." Elle frowned.

"I know what the puzzle said." Ryan said, sharply, coming off ruder than intended.

Alexander looked at him

"Head wound is extensive." Gideon said, moving on. "Level of violence is escalating."

"Yeah." Ryan agreed.

"Pent-up rage." Alexander deduced.

"This bedroom is in the front of the house, and the puzzle mentioned a rear window." Elle mused, "Maybe he left a print."

"No way." Ryan said, definitively.

Elle scoffed softly and said, "Well, I think I'm going to check it out anyway."

"You do what you want to do, but believe me, you're wasting your time." Ryan said.

Elle scoffed again and looked at Gideon and Alexander as she passed them to do what she said anyways.

"Elle's good at this, Max." Gideon told him when Elle left.

"Did I say she wasn't?" Ryan asked.

"It's more of your tone and constant attitude." Alexander said.

"I haven't had a feeling like this around a dead body in twenty years." Ryan said.

"I remember what you said to me on my first day." Gideon said and quoted him, "'Don't lose your objectivity. This isn't personal'."

"Yeah, well, maybe not for you." Ryan said.

"You're not the only one." Alexander said, sharply.

——————————————————————————————————

Spencer, Hotch, and Zoe walked up the stairs and into another room of the house as Spencer snapped the white gloves on his hands.

"What do you think of Ryan?" Spencer asked.

"He hasn't changed much." Hotch said.

"Still a buzzkill." Zoe deadpanned.

"I think we can learn a lot from him." Spencer remarked.

"What could you possibly learn that you don't already know?" Hotch asked.

"Hotch, repetitive thinking is a death knell for the brain." Spencer explained. "For complete brain usage, diverse stimulation is the key."

"Agent Valdez?" Santangelo asked, spotting her and recognizing the resemblance between Zoe and her mother.

“Doctor Zoe Noble-Valdez. I’m Zelena Valdez’s daughter.” Zoe said.

"Look at this." Spencer said, walking to what he spotted.

It was another word puzzle. Zoe refrained from making a remark that the killer might've run out of word search ideas.

Spencer placed the paper in a plastic bag as Hotch said, "Let's go show this to everyone."

They joined the rest of the team and Hotch said, "Found another note." And he handed it to Ryan.

"In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present." Ryan read.

"He's quoting Sir Francis Bacon now." Zoe said with an annoyed sighed.

"Yeah. I use this specific quote in my..."  Ryan started.

"In your book, on page one-eighty-four." Spencer finished. Ryan looked at him, confused, so Spencer stammered, "I-I read it on the plane.

"And you remember the page number of the quote?" Ryan asked.

"Don't ask." Morgan asked.

"You remember how Mom could read fast?" Zoe asked, "Spencer can read even faster."

"He says to expect another gift in two days." Hotch said.

"A gift?" Elle asked.

"Calls his victims gifts." Gideon said.

"Gifts for whom?" Elle asked.

"For me." Ryan said.

——————————————————————————————————

They were back at the Philadelphia police station and Hotch said to the team and Santangelo, "A lot of things have changed in 20 years, including the age of the Keystone Killer's victims.

"He's older. His victims are older." Santangelo said. "Makes sense to me."

"Most UnSubs have specific fantasies. It's as if they're killing the same person over and over again." Hotch explained. "This man clearly had a preference for young brunettes, and now he's switched to older women."

"Well, what does that mean?" Santangelo asked.

"Ted Bundy only killed women that looked like his fiancée. But then he devolved and he brutally attacked a house full of sorority sisters that looked nothing like his previous victims. He went off script." Spencer explained.

"Bundy's final victim was a twelve-year-old girl. When police found the van that he used to kill her, the amount of blood revealed that he had lost complete control." Zoe explained, "It was that de-evolution that eventually led to his capture." Santangelo looked at her and she summed up, "He could be de-evolving into a frenzy."

"So you mean he's about to mess up?"

"Maybe. Maybe not" Zoe shrugged, simply.

"The Keystone Killer's de-evolution is only a theory." Morgan said. "We need to be prepared for anything."

"And if he is in a frenzy, there's no telling how quickly he'll fall apart." Hotch added.

"Or how many more victims he'll take with him." Gideon said.

"So, we're going to go over everything we know, old and new, and hopefully find him before we find another body." Hotch said.

"We'll start with Agent Ryan and Agent Valdez's original profile." Gideon said, "Max, you want to present it?"

"No." Ryan said and walked off.

Zoe rolled her eyes and sighed. "Well, while he continues to brood and be helpful to absolutely no one, I guess, I'll give it. I remember hearing it."

"You weren't born yet." Morgan said.

"I had ears, didn't I?" She asked and gave out the profile, "We're looking for a white male in his late forties. The controlled crime scenes, the meticulousness and his collection of trophies suggests a possible military background. We believe he's been living in the same geographic area his entire adult life..."

Gideon had followed Ryan to speak to him while Zoe continued to give the profile.

"I thought you were going to present the profile." Ryan said.

"Team can handle it." Gideon dismissed.

"The team. We used to work solo or in duos or trios when this all started." Ryan said.

"Well, we were wrong." Gideon said.

"You don't worry about too many cooks?" Ryan asked.

"Nope. That's what Zelena always said, right?"

"He used a quote, Jason." Ryan blurted out, "He used a quote from my book."

"So? Maybe it's a coincidence." Gideon said, but didn't actually believe it.

"We've both been doing this too long to believe that." Ryan said and he went to turn back into the room when he came face to face to Zoe.

“He’s a narcissist who thinks he’s the best serial killer of his time because he was never caught. Of course, he was going to read your book. So stop moping around and criticizing the group’s dynamic and actually do what you came to do. Consult.” She said, bluntly and turned and went back to the team.

"All right, let's focus on the differences in the crimes." Hotch said to the team who were brainstorming, "What's he doing that's new?"

"Well, his latest victim was hit in the head. That's new." Elle said.

"In the word puzzle he said she didn't fight, so why hit her?" Morgan asked as Spencer drew circles around the word searchs that were tapes on the other side of the glass crime board. "Scare her? Show her he's in charge?"

"Well, he never did that before." Hotch said.

"A blow that hard wouldn't scare her. You see the bruising around the wound? It would just knock her unconscious." Zoe said, glancing at the photos on the board but she went back to what she was doing which was staring intently at the word puzzles.

"But why? In order to control her?" Hotch asked.

"Well, he switched from using rope to Flex-cuffs." Gideon said, staring at said photos, "The intricate knot was part of his signature."

"Flex-cuffs are easier. Probably saved him time." Morgan suggested.

"No, no, no, no. It's more than that. The rope was meticulously tied. It was intimate. Completely unnecessary." Gideon said.

"And he abandoned the rope and the use of his bare hands, which makes his kills less personal and less controlling." Elle said.

"Okay. Seriously, guys, let's just abandon all this. Let's just treat him like he's a new offender." Morgan suggested as Zoe was pointing and muttering to Spencer.

"He isn't." Gideon said.

"Guys, we have a name." Spencer said, circling the name.

"Nibrahs. That's a name? From what country?" Elle asked.

"It's backwards. S. Harbin." Zoe explained, "There's a Scott Harbin on the original suspect list."

"It's not Scott Harbin." Ryan interjected. Zoe sighed, very loudly and slowly, not turning around to look at him, clearly irritated but Ryan continued as Zoe continued to stare at the word search. "Harbin went to jail in 1988 for stabbing a guy while he was trying to escape during a home invasion. The guy later died. Harbin didn't even know there was anyone at home at the time he broke in."

"How long did he get?"

"Thirty years."

"So, that makes him a little more than halfway done." Gideon said.

"Unless he's been paroled." Hotch said, as he used to be a lawyer.

"No. No, that's too easy." Ryan said. "I interviewed Harbin, twice. He's a pervert. He's a small-time burglar with a fetish for lingerie. I mean, he's a creep, but he is not the Keystone Killer. Believe me, our guy has not been in jail all these years."

Zoe still didn't look away from the word search.

"All right, I'm going to call Garcia." Morgan said. "See what she can dig up on this guy."

"He's not the guy!" Ryan all but yelled, leaving the room in an awkward silence, broken only by Zoe's sarcasm.

"Well, if you think so. Let's just ignore the possible lead." Zoe said, sarcastically, finally turning to look at him with her arms crossed. Ryan stepped out of the room.

"Jason, what are we doing here?" Hotch asked.

"What do you mean?" Gideon asked.

"Well, is Ryan interested in catching the Keystone Killer or just proving he's right?" Hotch asked.

——————————————————————————————————

Scott Harbin had been paroled three months ago and missed his last appointment with his parole officer and they got his address from Garcia.

The SWAT team busted down the door.

"FBI! SWAT!"

Scott Harbin took off in a run towards his back door but the back door swung open, revealing Zoe in front of Harbin in his ill-advised run.

“Valdez…” He said before Elle tackled him to the ground. He looked up at Zoe, “Didn’t you die?”

“Doctor Zoe Noble-Valdez.” Zoe corrected. “Zelena Valdez was my mother.”

“Right, you’re the one who she said kicked whenever there was scumbag lying to her.” He said.

“I’ll still kick you if you lie.”  She promised.

“At least, you’re pretty.” He said and tried to look her up and down.

Ryan grabbed Harbin and pulled him back, aggressively, bringing him face to face to Alexander who looked like he was about to murder him for his comment.

"Don't bloody look at my daughter like that."

"You missed an appointment, Scotty." Zoe said, not phased by the comment towards her.

"They send the FBI now for parole violations?" Harbin asked, sarcastically.

"Yeah, we were in the neighborhood." Alexander growled, pushing Harbin away from his daughter.

——————————————————————————————————

"You okay?" Spencer asked Zoe.

Zoe looked at him and chuckled bitterly, shaking her head, "Trust me, far from the first time a convicted pervert has hit on me."

"I'm sorry."

"Truth of being a woman." She remarked and she moved away to search the apartment.

"What do you think?" Gideon asked, nearby.

"I don't know." Ryan said, honestly.

"Zoe?" Alexander asked.

Zoe bit her lip for a few moments, deep in thought. “I don’t know. Obsessive, yes. Definitely someone who needs to be in control but… nothing that screams attention-seeking narcissist. And…” She chewed her lip, “I feel like we’re missing something that’s in plain sight.”

"Everything has its place." Gideon agreed. "Probably comes from years of solitude, huh?

"And a strict upbringing. I mean, this is a guy who likes to be alone." Elle added. "Sharing a jail cell must've been a nightmare."

"This place is a neat freak nightmare for me." Zoe remarked, not being as neat as her mother had been by a long shot.

"Are you finished?" Harbin asked.

Zoe turned to him, her eyes immediately flaring with anger at him.

Her tone was condescending and a thinly veiled anger was evident in her voice.

"What, did I make you angry? Did I upset you?" She walked closer to him, there was a swagger to her step that conveyed danger. "What, you're going to hurt me?"

I'm not stupid.

Zoe smiled patronizingly at him. “Sure, you’re not, Scotty. But I can read you like a book. You wouldn’t hurt me here. You’d wait. Sneak up behind me and hit me over the head just when I’m not looking. But that wouldn’t work on me. I’ve dealt with men like you my whole life. You’re not special. You’re not unique. You’re a dime-a-dozen misogynistic pervert. I’ve met men like you who are as unique as you think you are. That can strike fear into an entire city. That can get control over me. That can get control over FBI agents. Make them fear him. But that’s not you. You’re nothing, Scotty.” Scott could see a merciless coldness in her that Zelena hadn’t had. A brutality in her words. A craziness in her eyes. Like she was capable of striking that kind into someone. “What’s the matter, Scotty? Can’t deal with a woman who’s not afraid of you? Because I’ve looked pure evil in the face and didn’t show him fear. Now, you?” She scoffed like it wasn’t even worth trying to compare them. She hated the praise her words would actually give him. That was how much control he had forced upon her.

Zoe walked off and started to knock books off of shelves.

"You okay?" Spencer's voice asked.

"What do you mean?" She asked sharply and Spencer avoided her eyes. She softened, "Sorry."

"Got a little hot."

"Did I say anything that wasn't true?"

"No... and I don't know. I'm sorry."

"What?" She asked but she knew what.

"That whoever he was hurt you."

"It was a long time ago."

"Yes, it was."

"Well, then, I guess I'm fine."

"You know that's not how it works." Spencer told her.

"Hey! Little help!" Morgan's voice shouted

Scott Harbin had a woman tied up, hidden in a hollow storage under his bed and Zoe had run to her when Morgan shouted. She thought perhaps a woman's face may put the woman at a little more ease and checked on her until the ambulance arrived.

"Single, obsessive, military background." Gideon said to Ryan as the local police arrested Harbin. "Fits your profile."

"But he keeps his victim in his house? He's that far off script?"

"Am I a dime-a-dozen pervert?" Harbin called to Zoe.

"Yes. Now you're a dime-a-dozen kidnapper-rapist. Still nothing special." Zoe told him, barely looking at him like he was so common, she didn't even bother spending time on him.

"Ryan." Morgan said, picking up a piece of paper on the car window. "It's got your name on it."

Ryan read it aloud, "Isn't Scott Harbin an inelegant creature? A monster. There is no light with him. No balance. He is pure evil. Balance is what gives one mercy. You'll be reminded of my brand of mercy tomorrow, Max."

"What does that mean?" Morgan asked.

"Scott Harbin's a predator, just not the one we're looking for."  Gideon responded and went to the closest officer, "Cordon off the area. At least a six-block radius. Someone must have seen this guy.

“He’s watching us.” Zoe said, looking around.

“Sweetheart, you okay?” Alexander asked, coming to her, speaking in a low tone.

“At least, it’s not Boston.” She muttered and walked to her motorcycle.

——————————————————————————————————

They entered the police station as Morgan said, "Well, that's got to be a first. A killer actually leading us to another killer."

"Come on, we all know they make the best profilers. They admire each other's work." Gideon said.

"Yeah, but usually from afar." Elle said.

"Well, at least we got Harbin off the street." Hotch said as they entered the room they had been using where Zoe already was. "All right. Let's review. What do we know about the Keystone Killer?"

"Well, we know that he's not dead or in jail." Elle said.

"Enjoys the taunting, the game." Gideon said.

"And he's in complete control." Morgan said.

"He strangled seven women in the 1980s, stopped for twenty years and then began again, suffocating them." Spencer said. "Ten percent of all violent crimes are caused by strangulation.

"It only takes eleven pounds of pressure to fully incapacitate your victim. And usually if you hang on for at least fifty seconds, they'll never recover." Zoe explained, gesturing by choking an imaginary neck.

"But when you suffocate someone you actually have less control over their death." Hotch said. "And it's actually more passive because the killer doesn't feel the life leaving the body.

"You know, he's changed almost everything that he does." Elle said.

"Why, why, why, why?" Gideon asked, "I mean, what's he getting out of this new MO? What is his payoff?"

Zoe had her eyes closed as she recreated each crime scene in her head. Seven women in their twenties, strangled. Then a forty-seven-year-old woman with a blow to the head and a plastic bag over her head.

"You got Carla Bromwell. She sustains a significant head injury. Blitz attacks suggest disorganization, no self-confidence." Gideon listed, " This is a guy who walks into seven victims' homes prior to this. There was no forced entry at any of the scenes. Where's the loss of confidence?"

Zoe suddenly heard a rattling sound in something hollow... plastic. A flicker of fleeting memory in the sea of her lost memories. Then she saw the blurry image of him standing over her in the mask, staring down at her. She wasn't sure if she could trust the strand of hope so if these were her last moments, he would have to look her in the eyes. She remembered feeling the blood flow out of her body as swiftly as the strength left her body. Only because she was losing blood.

She opened her eyes with the answer, not noticing how Spencer was looking at her.

"He would never change the way he kills by choice." She said.

"What?" Gideon asked.

"We've been operating under the assumption that he purposely changed his MO." Zoe explained.

"You say he changed because he had to change?" Alexander asked.

"When-when I was stabbed, the only time I stopped fighting when I was on the verge of blacking out from blood loss. It wasn't because I was choosing to stop but because I physically couldn't." Zoe explained.

"He knocked her unconscious, and it wasn't to scare her." Morgan realized.

"Because he couldn't control her physically while she's awake."

"He could be incapacitated." Ryan said.

"At least partially." Gideon said.

Zoe's memory flashed back to when he pistol-whipped her with his revolver.

"Maybe an injury. Or a stroke." Zoe suggested.

"Either way, you're going to have to have medical records. Agreed?" Gideon said.

"Yep." Zoe confirmed. "An injury that would've lasted twenty years would've required serious medical care."

"So what are we talking about? This had to have happened after the middle of 1985 in Philadelphia?" Morgan asked.

"Somebody who fits the rest of the profile." Gideon said.

"That's a lot of hospital records."

"Well, luckily, one of us is a medical doctor and one of us can read two thousand words per minute." Zoe said, she patted Spencer's leg and got up, not noticing how Spencer had flinched and blushed.

"You sure you can get access." Morgan asked.

"Medical records are often shared electronically between healthcare providers. This allows doctors to access a patient's most recent health info, which can help them provide better care." She recited, "But first, I need some caffeine. I'll be back in twenty minutes."

——————————————————————————————————

Zoe didn't return twenty minutes later.

Twenty minutes later, she had a to-go cup holder of coffees and a hot chocolate for her. She had requested extra sugar for Spencer and then added several sugar packets. She was cutting through an alley, the same one she had used to get to the cafe quicker but there was something different on her way back.

Zoe stopped walking when she passed a connecting alleyway that led to a dead-end. It had been bare bricks before but now there was a noticeable white object against the maroon bricks that she had spotted in her peripheral vision and having taken a moment to process it.

She stepped backwards a few times and looked down the attached alley and on the wall of the dead end was a word search.

She gulped; this was most likely a trap. She looked around and took her phone out and took a picture of it from afar. She opened her messenger bag and placed the cup holder in it so she could use both hands and she took out her butterfly knife from inside her jacket and put it between her teeth so she could draw her gun and approach it. She didn’t sense anyone behind her. She took a photo of the word search up close before putting her phone in her pocket. She took her knife out from between her teeth and pressed it against the paper as she examined the puzzle, the words lighting up for her convenience in her mind.

Beauty and brains are a dangerous combination in the hands of a woman—especially one so undeniably skilled with a sword as sharp as her wit.

No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness.

Never underestimate the power of a Valdez woman’s intuition… Valdez women can recognize your game before you even start playing it.

Zelena had said that after one of her biggest cases.

Z. Valdez.

Denim.

Blouse.

Black undershirt.

Badge.

Waist.

Got away.

October, thirty-first.

Axe.

Chest.

Passionate.

Intelligent.

Brave.

Selfless.

“Mom.” She breathed out, her voice broke slightly.

"LOOK OUT!” She heard Zelena’s voice shout in her head and Zoe threw herself to the side, just missing being pistol-whipped in the head.

The cup holder tumbled on the ground, spilling everywhere from on Zoe's clothes to on the ground. She saw an ordinary-looking man but she knew there was no ordinary-looking man.

"You're as beautiful as your mother." Said the man. "

It's you." She gasped and in an impulse decision, she stabbed her knife into the wall through the blank sides of the paper, and turned to run to get some distance, the butt of the pistol hit her back, making her stumble before she tripped and fell.

She wasn't as vulnerable to a blow to the head as most people were.

She grabbed her gun; she wasn’t far from the police station, and she aimed it at a nearby wall and shot three times before the UnSub hit her upside the head.

——————————————————————————————————

Some of the team went to investigate the reports of hearing gunshots near the station while JJ did a press conference.

"There's another puzzle." Spencer noted but he was more concerned with the knife in the wall next to it. Why was that knife familiar? It was a unique knife. It was light blue with laser engraved flowers on the handle. His eyes went to the note that made his heart race but not in the way it did when Zoe was around.

“There are definitely signs of a struggle.” Gideon determined as Spencer looked at the note.

“Uh… has anyone managed to get a hold of Zoe?” Spencer’s voice wavered.

“Why?” Alexander asked, sharply.

“Valdez. Hispanic. Catholic-Pagan. PTSD." He read.

“It also describes Zelena.” Alexander noted, trying to stay calm.

“She had PTSD?” Spencer asked.

"Never mind that! I don't know where both my children are!" He shouted, taking out his phone.

——————————————————————————————————

Zoe's phone rang on the table but she couldn't reach it, she was tied to a chair with flex-cuffs. Zoe didn't even glance at it, she refused to break eye contact with the UnSub as he picked up the phone.

"Your dad's that other agent?"

Zoe didn't speak and not just because of the gag in her mouth. He had already tried to suffocate her but realized that she could hold her breath much longer than any of his other victims and she kept on mocking him, unafraid of pain, in fact, she barely registered it.

He held out her phone and took a picture of her in the chair and he sent it to Alexander.

——————————————————————————————————

"Oh my god!" Alexander gasped.

"What?"

He showed them his phone which had a picture of Zoe tied up to a chair with flex cuffs and a gag in her mouth, she was awake and utterly glaring at the man behind the camera.

"He took her. He took my baby!" He cried.

——————————————————————————————————

Carla Bromwell's brother confronted JJ who responded with sympathy, knowing what it was like to lose a sister.

The reporters blamed Max Ryan but JJ protested the accusation, stating to blame was to be put on one member.

Ryan watched the press conference from the station.

"I'd hate to be standing out there in front of those jackals." He said.

"Well, JJ, she can hold her own." Elle said.

"You're all better at the press thing than we ever were." Ryan stated.

"Well, we have a lot more of it to deal with now.

"Zelena used to do it but Valdez women tend to have a searing wit."

"I've noticed." Elle said, they had been informed that Zoe was missing now.

"They need someone to blame. I guess it's me.

"Are you okay with that?" Elle asked.

"Well, the fact is, I haven't been able to solve the case. Zelena died twenty years ago by another murderer who also got away. So I'm an easy target. But if I... If we do close it, that'll all go away."

"And you think you'll be able to? You know, just walk away?" Elle asked.

"Well, I won't have any choice."

"But don't you want to? I mean, don't you get to a certain point where you want to relax?" Elle asked, "Maybe spend some time with your family?"

"Family? I lost that a long time ago. I haven't even seen them in years. This job tends to ruin family. Not just mine. And if I hadn’t pulled Valdez off the case… maybe that UnSub wouldn’t have killed her.”

“There’s no way you could’ve know that.”

“You don’t know do you? Zoe was born a stillborn due to the stress Zelena was under in her final days. The doctors barely got her heart beating again, then we learned she had a heart defect because her heart rate was rapid, her pulse was weak, her breathing was fast, and her skin was blue because she wasn’t getting enough oxygen.”

Elle was shocked by this news. But it further explained Alexander's overprotectiveness of Zoe.

“She seems fine now.”

“Yeah, she got heart surgery a week later but… she’s not exactly lucky.” Ryan said, “Maybe I should’ve made Zelena take off…”

“She’s never mentioned that.” Elle said.

“The BAU also doesn’t employ people easily willing to admit their weaknesses or with the relaxing kind of mentality. I’ve known Zoe since her birth and she’s never been one to admit her weaknesses. She’s too smart for her own good. Zelena was the same way.”

"What was she like?"

"Smart. Ambitious but moral. Obsessive. Bookish. The type A sort. Zarah was more like her but there's a lot of her in Zoe. Selfless. Hyper-competent. Stronger than she knows. I had to force her to desk duty because she kept ignoring her pregnancy symptoms and shouting at people when they pointed it out."

"Sounds like Zoe." Elle said.

"Well, we've got some records to go through."

——————————————————————————————————

They had to have Garcia get the records and they all went through them to find their missing team member.

"Something debilitating enough to lose strength permanently." Hotch said, "I'm still thinking stroke."

What they needed was Zoe!

"You know, Ryan's profile puts the UnSub in his late twenties. Isn't that too young for a massive stroke?" Morgan asked.

"Technically, you're never too young for a stroke." Spencer explained. Eighty percent of strokes are ischemic. The other twenty percent are hemorrhagic, which usually result in death. Ischemic strokes occur when plaque builds up in the arteries, causing restricted vessels to be blocked by a blood clot."

"Okay, but doesn't it take years for that type of plaque to build up?" Morgan asked.

"Uh, typically." Spencer nodded.

"Well, then, like I said, he was too young."

"Did you know that stroke victims who play virtual reality games show significant advances in recovery than those who don't?" Spencer asked, but no one cared. Zoe wasn't there.

He looked past them where Alexander was pacing looking like he was going to have a stroke himself.

"Now, here's somebody. In 1987 he was thirty, single, dishonorable discharge." Hotch said.

"That's a good start. What was the injury?" Morgan asked.

"Broken neck. Intense physical therapy for nine years." Hotch read.

"What's he been doing since?"

-Oh, never mind. The guy moved to the Florida Keys. He's a scuba instructor." Hotch said and lowered the file. "He's got the right idea."

In the other room, Gideon tried to help Ryan lessen his guilt so Ryan confessed what Zoe had already deduced from the start.

"You see, Jason, somewhere, I think in my subconscious, I hoped that writing this book would draw him out. That he missed the attention. And maybe... Maybe I wanted to play his game." He confessed.

"You had no idea he'd kill again."

"No, but he did! And now there's another woman out there in danger and he took Zoe." Ryan said.

"Zoe knows how to survive. She's been doing it for a long time. She's been kidnapped and beat the statistics every time. That's why we taught her. She has memories from inside the womb. She knows this case not from the files but because she heard Zelena talking about it. And just like her, you know this man better than he knows himself. You always have. Now you've got an advantage. You got a team of the most incredible agents in the world out there. And you're standing here alone. If you let us, we'll help you find him."

——————————————————————————————————

Zoe had deduced what the team was about to come to as a conclusion.

"Car accident?" She asked once he had taken the gag out after she hadn't suffocated like he wanted for the fifth time now.

"What?"

"You were in a car accident and that's why you stopped killing... wasn't it?"

"How do you know that?"

"I'm a doctor and I'm damn good at it."

——————————————————————————————————

"Elle is running down injuries on college campuses." Hotch told the team, "The guy's well-read. He may have been a professor."

"There are just too many hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities. We'd be sifting through records for weeks." Spencer sighed.

"Oh, come on. There's got to be some way to narrow down the search, right?" Morgan asked.

"Well, we've ruled out a stroke and half the hospitals don't even say how the accident occurred." Hotch said.

"Accidents?" The word struck an idea in Spencer. "In America, someone's involved in a car accident once every ten seconds."

"Car accidents with injuries would all be reported by the police." Gideon said.

"We profiled him driving a late-model American-made sedan." Ryan said.

"All right, so how about I get Garcia to check Philly P.D. records for accidents involving American-made sedans and serious injury?" Morgan suggested.

"It's a long shot." Ryan sighed.

"It's a shot." Alexander said, sharply and turned to Morgan, "what are you waiting for?"

"Start with 1985. If it was an accident, it stopped him in his tracks." Gideon said.

They narrowed it down to an incident that happened on I-95 by the airport, near Anders street where Carla Bromwell had lived back then. His name was Walter Kern.

——————————————————————————————————

"Walter Kern had a military background. ROTC in high school. Four years in the Air Force." Morgan told the remaining team.

"Hospital records show that he lost mobility in his right side due to severed nerve damage to his spinal cord." Spencer observed, taking place of the well of medical knowledge with Zoe missing.

"He never got the strength back." Ryan noted.

"Kern's been a county worker, claims adjuster, and get this, he installed home alarms with Scott Harbin." Hotch read.

"Takes one to know one." Alexander said, bitterly.

"All those jobs allowed him access to people's homes." Spencer said.

"Explains why there's no sign of forced entry. He had a legitimate reason to knock on the door." Morgan pointed out.

"Women felt comfortable letting him inside."

"He got a degree in criminology from Villanova in 1985. I wonder if he murdered anyone on campus." Elle said.

"That certainly explains his knowledge of law enforcement." Gideon said.

"Great, so we're all agreed this is the guy? Please tell me there's a current address." Alexander said, hurriedly.

"575 Wight Street, Southeast Philadelphia." Ryan said and whispered, "I got you, you son of a bitch." Alexander snatched the paper from Ryan. "We got him. Let's go bring him in."

——————————————————————————————————

Zoe was doped up but unfortunately for her kidnapper, she had spent eight months being constantly drugged, so she had built up a tolerance, even five years later. A few weeks into her kidnapping, she had found that the drugs made her hallucinations… she didn’t quite know the word… it was like it enhanced her subconscious awareness, creating a sort of Mind Palace that stayed with her to this day, a way of thinking. It was either that or her subconscious was trying to tether her to reality in an odd way.

She looked up, she was lightheaded more so from the attempts to strangle her before the killer realized that was easier said than done, since he wasn’t strong enough to keep pressure around her neck and she apparently could hold her breathe for an extended period of time and unlike his other victims, she remained calm when the bag was over her head before he threatened to shoot her in which she sucked the bag in and bit through it before doing a simple breathing technique that stopped her heartbeat for just a few seconds, long enough for him to think she was dead. But she was still locked to the chair, staring at the ceiling, her mind fighting for a chance but she was stuck back when she was twelve, reliving what little she remembered.

As she came down from a flashback with a jolt. She tried to think, if only, she wasn’t in danger of an overdose and random thoughts wouldn’t keep popping up in her head like, it’d be easier to think if these jeans could breathe easier!

Then it hit her. Jeans! My belt!

She pulled her belt loose, she snaked it between her hand and the arm of the chair and she secured it to the other end of the belt in a full loop, she put her foot in it and kicked out, snapping the flex-cuff off, and then the same to the other and she pulled at the plastic bag over her head, ripping the small hole until it was big enough to fit her head through and she absent-mindedly left it around her neck as she staggered to the door... bumot she couldn't open it. She fell down, he dosed her with way more morphine than was safe. She may had a tolerance but it still affected her.

She laid next to the door as her eyes closed... just for a minute...

——————————————————————————————————

The team, SWAT, and the police officers got to Kern's address. Gideon rang the doorbell once. No answer. He rang it again. Still no answer. Ryan reached for his gun when a woman answered.

"How can I help you, gentlemen?" She asked, politely though confused.

"I'm Special Agent Jason Gideon. This is Special Agent Max Ryan and Special Agent Alexander Noble with the FBI." Gideon introduced them, "Can we speak with Walter Kern?"

"He's not here right now." The woman said.

"Do you know where he is?" Alexander asked, urgently.

"Is something wrong?" She asked.

"Could we come inside?"

Walter's wife, Anne let them inside and she explained where he was, or where she thought he was. "Walter's at the Pinewood Community Center working with the Boy Scouts. He volunteers as one of the leaders."

Gideon took out his phone to call Hotch.

"Would it be possible for us to search the house, ma'am?" Ryan asked.

"Hotch, he's at the Pinewood Community Center." Gideon told Hotch through the phone.

"What for?" Anne asked.

"We've been called in to investigate the murders of several women here in Philadelphia." Ryan explained, "That's why we need to talk to him."

"That is the craziest thing I've ever heard." Anne scoffed and she looked at the faces of the three men, seeing they were all dead serious and she stood up, "And I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Now."

"Could you answer one question for us, Mrs. Kern?" Alexander asked, "Does your husband have an area here in the house that you're never supposed to go into? A place that you're not supposed to see?"

"Walter has a darkroom." Anne said.

"If he knew you were in there, would he become so angry that you fear he could hurt you?" Alexander asked.

"He... just doesn't want me to ruin his pictures, that's all." She tried to dismiss.

"Mrs. Kern, has your husband ever suffered from long periods of depression?" Ryan asked.

"Yes, after his car accident." She said, her voice becoming far away from anxiety of what this could mean.

"And did he suddenly just snap out of it, for no apparent reason?"

"What does all this mean?" She asked in a small voice, clearly fearful.

"Could you show us the room, Mrs. Kern?"

"Please. We suspect he may have kidnapped my daughter. She's only twenty." Alexander pleaded.

Anne nodded and went to show them the way.

——————————————————————————————————

The SWAT used a deadbolt cutter to cut open the lock and open the cellar door. They went down and came back up, "It's clear."

Alexander nearly knocked him down as he flew down the stairs.

The rest joined him and Ryan noticed at once clippings of newspaper.

"Looks like he collected every article written about him." He said, pointing.

Gideon seized a familiar-looking book and handed it to Ryan, "He's got your book."

Ryan opened the cover, "Damn it, I signed it."

"Hotch was entirely correct about the photography. This cellar's where he develops his photographs." Spencer said and then he spotted something. “He’s kept up on Zoe.” Spencer said as he found a clipping, detailing the murder of Zelena and the miraculous survival of Zoe.

“But why? Why? Zelena got off the case a month before she went into labor! Zoe!” Alexander cried, “What are you looking at!?”

He snatched another word search puzzle out of Spencer’s hand and paled even further.

The moon that’s missing her sun.

Z. Noble Valdez.

Black. Leather. Jacket.

Black. T Shirt.

Black. Plaid. Skirt.

Ripped tights.

Leather. Boots.

Mexican.  Scottish.  American.

ADHD.

PTSD.

Bipolar.

“Zoe. My baby.” Alexander breathed out and then he suddenly shouted, "Damn it, where is Zoe!? Where's my angel!?"

Behind the hidden door, Zoe jolted awake at the sound of her father's shout.

Daddy!

She started to smack the wall.

There was a soft thump. Thump. Thump.

Alexander was still for a moment before bolting to the other side of the room and tearing the articles off the wall, haphazardly before finding a lock that was covered by the articles and struggling to get a grip on it in his haste and pushed the door open, knocking Zoe over.

“Baby! Baby!” Alexander ran to his daughter’s side as she was clearly struggling; he was quickly joined by Gideon, Ryan, and Spencer.

She was sweating and pale, she had strangulation bruising around her neck, it was a darkish color from the broken blood vessels from beneath her skin, must’ve been at the most two hours ago. Her eyes were bloodshot, she had a black eye, a bruise next to her chin, and a bruise peeking out of her hairline.

“Are you… are you real…” She asked, her voice was a bit raspy from being strangled as she had pulled on Spencer’s suit.

“I’m here. We’re all here.” He said and he cupped the back of her head, “Let me see you. I think she was drugged.”

“Are her eyes pulsating? ARE HER EYES PULSATING!?” Alexander screamed.

“Uh, no?” Spencer said. “I mean, they’re a bit enlarged.”

“Med pack!” She breathed, “My med pack!”

Ryan grabbed her med pack and she slapped Spencer’s hand when he tried to take out the activated charcoal and took out the Naloxone instead and shrugged off her jacket, revealing track marks on her arm, confirming she was drugged and she injected it into herself.

She stayed still for a few moments before telling them she was fine.

“Morphine. It was only morphine. I’ve had worse. Go ahead.” She reassured them, lazily waving her hand.

"What, what happened?"

"Scrap-scrapbook." She said, standing up, she wobbled before taking a deep breath and walking... straight into the wall, she pushed off it and grabbed a scrapbook.

"My vision is still blurry." She said and handed it the book out to whoever

Gideon just barely grabbed it before it fell out of her hand.

"There's a chapter on every woman he's killed." Zoe said, looking fully past them.

Spencer took the scrapbook from Gideon and noted, "These entries are detailed enough to let him relive the kills for years."

"He has candid photographs of the victims at the park, grocery store, outside of church. Driver's license, clothing, jewelry." Gideon said.

"Those chapters in the back. They're not finished." Ryan noted.

"These photographs are at least twenty years old. I mean, look at the hairstyles, the clothing." Spencer noted and then he frowned, at first he thought it was Zoe but it couldn't have been. "Uh, Alexander..."

Alexander looked at a particularly unfinished chapter... of Zelena. She looked a lot like Zoe, only all of the pictures taken by Kern himself, Zelena was heavily pregnant but there weren't very many of her. She had done well to keep herself hidden. Zelena had a more feminine yet professional fashion sense and less of the need to radiate rebellion like Zoe did. She was wearing a denim shirt unbuttoned at the bottom to free her pregnant stomach from the denim restrictions with a black undershirt with two pairs of pink baby footprints in a heart, a denim skirt, and boots

Spencer looked up to find Zoe looking at him.

“Zelena was the same age as the victims back in the day. Then she went back to Virginia and she was killed by another killer.” Alexander said.

“Zelena could’ve been a target of his and if he followed the news on her daughters, he could easily find out that Zoe and Zarah look a lot like Zelena.”

“The one who got away.”

"His recent themes of communication have been about 'old friends', 'unfinished business.'. He said those exact things to me when he was drugging me and trying to strangle me before he realized he couldn't hang on long enough." Zoe explained.

"His car accident was in the Fairmount district of Philadelphia. That's exactly where Carla Bromwell lived." Spencer said.

"He was on the way to kill her when he had his accident." Gideon realized.

"It's not about finding a new type of victim. It's about a specific target. Zoe, you were right." Spencer said.

"Because he was such a perfectionist, and is a perfectionist, he had to finish what he started years ago." Ryan said.

"Oh, these aren't new victims, Max. They were already targeted. Right from day one." Gideon said.

"I was the only new one because Mom was killed by another killer. He thought he could get the same release by strangling me. He didn't realize I was trained to survive that. He only thought he succeeded when he threatened to shoot me with my own gun if I 'refused to die already'."

"How'd you do that?"

"I slowed my heart rate down, making him think I had suffocated when in actuality, I bit through the plastic bag and made a hole I pushed open after he left." She explained as if it were no big deal.

"Who's in that last chapter?" Ryan asked.

——————————————————————————————————

Zoe deduced she had about half an hour before the Naloxone wore off but they weren't sure when she explained it to Morgan and Elle, she had said, "He planned his victims back then, back to the future, and killed them now in Back to the Future two. He's not continuing, he's finishing what he started."

"What's wrong with you?" Morgan asked.

"I'm still a little high. It's sped up my processing speed but there's too many... too much noise." She shook her head, neurotically.

"You need to go to the hospital."

"No, what I need is to arrest this son of a bitch." She said like Morgan's reasoning was stupid.

"We believe Walter Kern is in Sylvia Gooden's home now. Hotch confirmed he left the community center hours ago and Kern's car's parked on the next block." Gideon got to the innocent life on the line.

"I want Walter Kern alive." Ryan said.

"I'll stand by for the word." A SWAT member said.

"Good. Let's move out." Gideon said. "I'll call you when we've secured Kern."

"But Zoe..."

"I'm fine!" Zoe shouted. "When I start falling down, that's when I should be pulled off the case."

Zoe was already at the door when the rest arrived, she had picked the lock and opened the door, giving Morgan a look.

When they heard screaming, Zoe took off running upstairs, drawing her gun, still her running steps were silent.

"It'll all be over soon." Kern told Slyvia.

"I agree!" Zoe's voice said before she yanked him back away from Slyvia. "The Keystone Killer's reign will be over soon."

She slammed him against the wall, stunning him enough for Morgan to grab him, pinning his arms behind his back as Zoe went to Sylvia, taking the plastic bag off her head.

"Ow! Watch my arm!" Kern shouted and kept on shouting like any of them cared.

Ryan joined Zoe in comforting the woman, "It's all right. We're the FBI."

"We got her. Sylvia Gooden's alive. We got her." Gideon said into the phone.

"Gideon! I need your cuffs, man." Morgan said, because for some reason he didn't have his.

"You're going to be fine. It's over. You're going to be fine." Zoe reassured Sylvia.

Gideon handed Ryan his handcuffs, "Why don't you do this?"

"I'll take care of her." Zoe agreed.

Morgan forced Kern up to his feet and to turn around as Zoe continued to comfort Slyvia.

Ryan turned Kern around, handcuffing him.

"You got him?" Morgan asked.

"Yeah, I got him." Ryan said.

"You know you've enjoyed this ride as much as I have, Max." Kern said.

"Well, I sure am enjoying this part of it." Ryan spat and forced him to turn around. "We are inseparable, you and me." Zoe clenched her fists. All of his notes were similar.

"Let's just test that theory, huh?" Ryam said and shoved him at an officer., "Get him out of here."

"Didn't I kill you?" Kern asked Zoe when he spotted her.

"I'm not as killable as I look." Zoe said, simply.

Zoe's naloxone started to wear off moments later as she tumbled down the stairs. Spencer helped her up and helped her towards the ambulance. The high was started to come back and her mind was starting to cloud.

They had to walk back to the ambulance because of the journalists were blocking up the street with their cars. Spencer offered to walk Zoe.

"I'm-I'm not used to morphine." She groaned after she vomited as Spencer held back her back, gently.

"It's perfectly normal to throw up after a morphine overdose. It's also normal to feel sleepy or sick or dizzy or spasms of pain in the stomach or intestinal tract."

"I've had stronger before." She muttered, wiping her mouth.

"Stronger?"

"He only dosed me to get me to stay still." She said and then chuckled, bitterly, "How else do you think it took me eight months to escape?"

"They drugged you?"

"Dilaudid."

"Dilaudid?"

"Yeah, about ten times stronger than morphine. Kept me out of it. I built up a tolerance and a life-long coping mechanism

"Stay..." She mumbled. "Please."

Spencer nodded, smiling politely and he climbed into the ambulance with Zoe as her mind got cloudier and cloudier.

"Is your hair curly?" She asked him, suddenly and he felt her hand touch his hair.

"Uh, yeah." He blushed, "don't tell anyone."

He supported her weight as they walked and she let him.

"I'm not used to morphine or walking while high." She slurred.

They finally reached the ambulance.

"Uh, please, help. My friend, she was overdosed on morphine. Her naxolone wore off. " He said and he helped her up in the back of the ambulance.

"Stay..." She said when Spencer went to leave. He nodded and sat back down to stay with her. "I hate drugs."

——————————————————————————————————

Abraham Lincoln once said, "In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."

By the end of the day, Zoe was better, the opioids were mostly out of her system, and she was allowed back on the plane... according to her personal "doctor's opinion" but none of the ones at the hospital.

"Did Jason ever tell you about the time that he found the Director's itinerary in a bomber's car?" Ryan asked.

"What? What?" Spencer asked.

"Max, come on. Come on." Gideon groaned, embarrassed.

"No, no, he never said anything, man." Morgan said.

"Well, let me fill you in, then." Ryan said, "We had this bomber case. It was one of Jason's first. So, we had him go over and search the bomber's car, which was in the Quantico garage. Except for me and the guys," Meaning Rossi, "had planted this piece of paper that had all these times and locations of where the FBI Director was going to be over the next forty-eight hours. Anyway, Jason takes one look at this piece of paper, and before we could stop him, he takes off, runs up twenty-five flights of stairs to the Director's office..."

"Get out of here." Morgan laughed.

"...barges in, interrupting a meeting with the Attorney General himself."

"The Director didn't find it very funny." Gideon deadpanned.

"He was the only one who didn't.

"Rossi said it was his idea." Zoe smiled

"It would be. He rubbed off on you." Gideon said.

Zoe knew what he was talking about. New York during a blizzard. Zoe grinned.

On the other side of the plane, Elle told Hotch, "You know he has no one? No family."

"Who's that?"

"Ryan. I mean, technically he's retired, but he hasn't seen his kids in years."

"Divorce is not uncommon in the BAU." Hotch said.

"You know the other night when you called? Saturday night? Did you think it was weird that we all just were able to drop everything and go to the office? That we're all available to you anytime you call, day or night?" Elle asked.

"No, not really." Hotch said.

"How do you do it? How do you do this job and still have a wife and a baby?" Elle asked.

"Well, when I'm with them, I try to focus a hundred percent of my attention there. And then when I'm with you guys, I try to do the same thing." Hotch explained. "It's about priorities, Elle. It's about setting them and keeping them."

"I'm just so scared I'm going to turn into that guy over there." Elle said, nodding towards Ryan. "Look up and see that my life has passed me by while I was chasing monsters."

"It's hard. This job will eat you up if you let it." Hotch admitted.

"So what do I do?"

"Find a way not to let it." Hotch said.

"He told me Zoe has a heart condition." Elle said after a moment.

Hotch looked at Elle. "I don't know much about it but apparently it was rare, she had the surgery but she still has small fits once in a while. She's perfectly fine. Gets regular checkups. Even has an inhaler to help when she feels off. But she doesn't want people to know. Doesn't want to appear weak."

"She got lucky a few times but there comes a time where you consider is it really luck when you have so much bad luck?"

*Once again, there was going to be a kiss but then as writing it, I made Zoe be more rational while high because she was used to it rather than fully loopy, there are some lines that bled through more for comedy. Sorry, if that's offensive to anyone or if I did it wrong. I decided I'll do the kiss later but definitely before Lila.*

Edited on October 23, 2024