A/N: Trying my hand at short fics tell me what you think...
Family.
Chapter One.
Special Agent Jennifer Jareau sighed as she collected the photocopies from the machine. Yet another gruesome case to brief the team on. As she put together the case files, she looked at a photo on her desk of her partner Will & her son Henry. 'I do this job to keep them safe.' She reminded herself.
She walked into the room where everyone else was waiting.
"Where's Emily?" she asked. Supervisory Special Agent Derek Morgan shrugged.
"We keep callin' her but it goes straight to voicemail."
"Let's get started. We can brief her when she gets in." Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner said. JJ nodded. She picked up the clicker & put the photos up on the screen.
"Metro police have found five bodies in a month. All raped, beaten & had their throats slashed. Each of the victims were found in or around Rock Creek Park. So far the only common link detectives have found is their ages & their hair colour. Other than that there's no obvious reason as to why the unsub picks them. Each of the victims was found approximately two days after being reported missing. Each of the victims were in their early thirties & had naturally black hair. The Metro Chief has called us in because he believes whoever's doing this isn't going to stop. I've already called ahead they're setting up to be ready for us when we arrive," As the rest of the team started getting organised to leave, Hotch's cell phone rang.
"Agent Hotchner."
"I understand that but why are you calling us?"
"We'll be right there, don't let anyone touch anything until we arrive." Supervisory Special Agent David Rossi & Dr Spencer Reid, who were the only ones who hadn't yet left the room, looked at him questioningly.
"Metro police just found an abandoned car in Rock Creek Park. They did a search of the car & found Prentiss' badge on the driver's seat. They ran the plates & the car is registered to her. Dave you take Reid & check it out I'm going to go over to her apartment & see if I can find anything that might help us find her. Tell the others to head to the precinct & start trying to solve this case. Let me know if you find anything."
As Hotch got into his car, he silently prayed that this case wouldn't end in tragedy.
When he got to the apartment building the landlady listened to what he had to say & handed him a key for the front door. But before he put the key in the door, the handle turned in his hand. The door was unlocked. He drew his 9mm Sig Saur & cautiously walked inside. He could hear a television in the next room. Someone was watching cartoons. He cleared the other rooms in the apartment & then slowly made his way towards the TV room.
A young girl was sitting with her back to him on a sofa. She had brightly coloured pyjamas on & was covered in a similarly coloured quilt. He quietly holstered his weapon & walked around into her line of sight. She jumped & backed away from him.
"Who are you & how did you get in here?" she asked.
"I'm Special Agent Aaron Hotchner. I'm with the Behavioural Analysis Unit at the FBI. Do you live here?" He replied. She nodded.
"With my mum. She works at the BAU. She's a profiler."
"Is her name Emily?" the girl nodded again
"Do you work with her?" she asked. Hotch nodded.
"Do you know where she is?" The girl switched off the TV & tilted her head to one side.
"I thought she was at work. I can't think of anywhere else she'd be. Except here, of course."
"Do you mind coming to the agency with me? I just don't like the idea of you being here alone." Hotch said.
"I'll just go change in to some clothes. Normally I'd be at school but I've only just gotten over the chicken pox so mum kept me at home for a few more days."
Hotch waited while she went & changed, then they walked down to his car. She climbed into the passenger seat & strapped in her belt.
"Someone's abducted her haven't they?" she said quietly. Hotch didn't answer.
He headed for Metro headquarters to meet up with the rest of the team.
As Hotch & the young girl walked into the squad room the team looked up & everyone had a quizzical look on their face.
"Who's this?" asked Morgan.
"I'm Sophia. You must be Special Agent Derek Morgan." Morgan smirked & looked at Hotch.
"Don't look at me I didn't tell her. Sophia is Emily's daughter."
"Daughter? How did none of us know that Prentiss had a daughter?" said Morgan.
"She seems to be good at keeping her private life private." Replied Rossi.
"I assume your dad isn't around?" said Reid. Sophia nodded.
"All I know about him is that he was British SAS. According to mum when I was a baby he was a heavy drinker. He never got physically violent with her but she could tell he was getting closer & closer the more he drank so she kicked him out & moved to DC when I was about eight months old. We were living in Baltimore before that. I've never heard from him & mum either doesn't have any photos of him or she's just not letting me see them so I don't know what he looked like."
"Get Garcia to go through Prentiss' life & see if she can drag anything up." Hotch said to Morgan. He nodded & moved away to make the call.
"Speak & you will be heard."
"Penelope, I need you to go through all of Prentiss' records. Before you say anything, she's missing & the only thing we have to go on is her daughter's father. Emily left him in Baltimore when Sophia was eight months old." Morgan said.
"Okay & how old is she now?" asked Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia.
"I'll ask. Sophia, how old are you kiddo?" Morgan held the phone by his side.
"I'll be thirteen in December." Answered Sophia.
"She's twelve but her birthday's in December. So they would have moved to DC somewhere around August. Sophia also mentioned that he was Ex- British SAS if that helps."
"I'll let you know what I find." Garcia replied.
"Thanks baby doll." Morgan said as he hung up.
Suddenly a ringing noise started coming from Sophia's backpack. She bent down & pulled out a small pink flip phone.
"Hello?" she answered
"Sophia? Is that you?" the reception was crackly & sounded like it was coming from somewhere overseas but Sophia recognised her mother's voice.
"Mum! Where are you? Agent Hotchner came to the apartment looking for you. I'm with them all now. What's going on?"
"You need to tell them to try & find Freddy Chalmers okay? Tell them to dig up everything they can on him. And Sophia? I love you honey. Make sure you tell them."
"I love you too mum. Where are you? Can you stay on the line? Agent Morgan is going to try to get Garcia to trace the call so they can find you."
"Just get them to look up Chalmers. They'll find me when they find him." Just then Sophia heard a faint noise in the background.
"Hey. What do you think you're doing? Give me that bloody phone." The next thing she heard was two loud bangs & then the line went dead.