Chapter one
(Updated)
Disclaimer: I don't really understand why I must state the obvious but here you go; I don't own Criminal minds
Penelope Garcia was just walking home from her favorite yarn shop holding a bag of varying neon colored yarns When as she walked by an ally she heard grunting. Garcia froze then quickly turned to see what was happening.
There were two boys in the ally both big and strong looking. The boys were in the process of beating someone up.
"Oh no" Garcia said anger filling her
She took her cell out of her stylish pink handbag and then rushed at them yelling.
The boys stopped mid-punch to stare at Garcia probably stunned momentarily by her outrageous hair and clothes.
Garcia brandished her phone "I've called the-" but before she could finish her lie that she had called the cops the boys bolted.
The victim of the boys rage looked up at Garcia. It was a girl maybe around ten or nine with cuts and bruise all over.
The girl smiled showing a missing teeth "thanks Miss"
"Come on" Garcia said helping her up and dusting her off "you look like you need a cup of hot chocolate. Now I know its July but hot chocolate is…" Garcia rambled on and on about the wonders of hot chocolate as she walked the girl to a nearby coffee shop. "Do you want cream in your cocoa?" She asked the girl as she held open the coffee shop's door.
The girl's smile faltered "I don't know. I don't think I've ever had 'hot chocolate' before"
"No way" Garcia exclaimed in mock horror.
The girl nodded looking as serious as any kid could "it's true"
"Well then you'll just have to try it"
Garcia ordered two hot cocoas, one for her and one for the girl.
"Oh I forgot to ask you, what's your name? Mine's Penelope"
The girl frowned "I use to have one, I know I did but everything before he took me is blurry" the girl stated taking a sip of cocoa "this is good!" She whispered in awe drinking more.
"What do you mean 'before he took me'?"
It took a second for the girl to reply since she was still chugging down her cocoa "I once had a mommy and daddy then he come and took me to a place where there were other girls" the girl furrowed her brow "one of the big girls made me leave. Maybe she didn't like me. But she told me to run and find a 'cop'" the girl took another sip of cocoa "do you know what a 'cop' is?"
"Hotch!"
Aaron Hotchner looked up from a case file "yes Garcia?" He asked glancing back at the file before giving his full attention to Garcia.
"Come, you have to hear this"
Perplexed Hotchner stood and followed the outrageously dressed hacker to the conference room where a little girl sat twisting her crudely cut blonde hair around a finger when the girl saw Garcia she smiled
"Hi Ms. Penelope"
"Hello" Garcia spoke to the girl in gentle tones "do you think you could tell agent Hotchner the story you told me?"
The girl nodded still smiling "can I have some more hot chocolate?"
"Sure" Garcia assured as she left to get it
"What story?" Hotchner asked squatting down next to her.
"My story, silly" the girl giggled
"Ms. Penelope said you'd want to hear it mister"
"Can I hear it then?"
"Okay"
"What's your name?"
She shrugged "don't remember"
Just then Garcia walked back into the room cup of promised cocoa in hand "here" she said as she handed it to the little girl.
The girl took a sip then started her story "I was five when mommy and daddy took me to Burger King for my birthday; I had just turned five" the girl puffed out her chest as if growing a year older was a huge accomplishment "I had to go bathroom after we started eating and since I was a big girl I went by myself. When I was finished, I washed my hands to get rid of all the bad germs. Then a nice man come and asked me if I'd like some candy" she paused taking another sip "I did want some so I followed him. He told me my mom and dad asked him to look after me for I bit" conspiratorially the girl lowered her voice "mommy and daddy had been fighting so he said if I went away for a bit they would stop. He took me to a big house and there were a lot of girls just like me inside"
"As in they looked like you?" Hotch asked scribbling notes on to a spare pad.
"Yup, all yellow hair and brown eyes. I had been there for a long time when one of the older girls made me leave."
"Made you?"
The girl nodded "I didn't want to leave the nice man told me it was almost time to see mommy and daddy again. But I left because the older girl was nice and she told me I could come back if I got lots of cops. I asked two boys if they know 'cops'" she frowned "then they started to beat me up" suddenly she smiled "then Ms. Penelope saved me. The end"
"Did you know the man who took you?"
"Nope"
"Do you think it's a case?" Garcia asked Hotch as they stepped out of the room leaving the girl to finish her cocoa in peace.
"It sounds like one"
"Good I've already put her picture into the database so we can know if she matches any missing girl reports