Questions
Intro: This is based between my 2 stories (Introduction and Answers). As with the other 2 stories I use my own character Amy Garton, sorry find it easier writing most of it through her/about her. Guess I'm afraid to do an injustice to one of the real characters! Please read and review.
Sat round the table in the conference room everyone was listening to JJ's introduction of their latest case. Go bags ready.
"Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Pasadena; California, three women have been abducted, tortured, raped and strangled. Their bodies have been found down dark alleys partially hidden by dumpsters." Images of the three women before and after appeared on the screen. It was overtly obvious how these women had suffered. Their last hours on this earth had been a living hell. "Broken bones, deep cuts and bruises all over their bodies, burns . . . "
"The physical similarities between the three is startling" Reid interrupted "It seems our unsub has a very specific type."
JJ starts to go through the information on each individual; name, age, occupation, abduction sites etc. Everyone was making notes, asking questions and airing thoughts. All except Amy Garton. She couldn't take her eyes off the images before her. Hotch, eagle-eyed as ever, had noticed her reaction. He had wondered how she would respond to this case. With her past it would make or break her, be the test to see if she was ready to be back in the field. Amy had been with the BAU for just over 6 weeks, this was her fourth case. Hotch caught Rossi's eye and with the slightest flick of his gaze got his attention onto Amy too. She was rubbing her right wrist as if there was a dirty mark she wanted to get rid of, yet she was still staring at the photos on the screen. Hotch coughed, it did the trick. Amy was back in the room.
"Wheels up in 30 minutes, we'll recap and discuss on the plane once everyone has had chance to read through the files for themselves. Let's go!" he said in his normal no nonsense way. Everyone got up to leave. "Amy, a moment please" he added. Rossi held back too. Morgan raised an eyebrow at Prentiss but no-one questioned why, as they left the room.
Once Hotch was sure the door was shut he looked at Amy, "Are you OK?"
"Honest, been better, but I knew I'd have to face something like this sooner or later. Guess I hoped it would be later." She tried to smile and look up but still trying to avoid both sets of eyes.
"You could sit this one out." Hotch didn't want to see her falter, he would be the first to admit he was unsure about her joining the team but in her first 3 cases she had shown potential. She'd caught his interest.
"No, I'll be fine." Amy snapped "Sorry. I'll get my head together on the plane and read through the files. It won't happen again. Sorry"
"No one would blame you. We're not saying you shouldn't be back in the field, just maybe this is too soon" Rossi added softly, realising Amy had miss judged Hotch's concern as an accusation of being unprofessional.
"Is that all? I need to get my stuff together" she added curtly. Amy met their eyes and held them, she needed to show them she could do this, if not she might as well pack up, go home and forget it all. She had the right to a life, not a life sentence. She was a survivor not a victim.