Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

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'Detective Lanes... this is the fourth murder like this in 2 weeks, we're dealing with a serial killer.'

'I want to be double certain before we recruit extra hands.' The detective replied, not truly wanting to believe that the town was under threat of a serial killers master mind.

'Well Sir... all families have consisted of three victims, mother, father, and child. All killed by one fatal cut to the throat, a picture of the deceased child taken and their laptops taken and sent back within the first 24 hours with new programmes, photo's of the murder before their own and unknown codes. I'd say that warrants extra help.'

The detective sighed and looked at the new victim's house. 'Quantico's B.A.U. team. They're our best bet for now.'

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'Round table guys we have a case.' JJ said holding up the files in her hands. 'Someone needs to get Garcia.'

'I'm on it and we'll be straight up.' Morgan said sharply and stood. He saw the other's exchange glances and brushed them off; they all knew it was obvious that should just ask the pair out right. He walked swiftly down the corridor and rapped on the door with his broad knuckles.

'Enter.' Penelope called out and continued to type away seemingly lost in the world of codes, virtual text and gooey mind boggling her in wonderful understanding bliss.

'Baby girl that untamed mind of yours is needed.'

'Okay handsome.' She continued to click away and then the screens went black. 'Let's go.' she said picking her laptop and note pad and funky pen up.

'They're guessing about us 2 by the way.' Morgan said as they walked down the corridor.

'You mean apart from Hotch and Rossi months ago... the other's are now latching on?'

'Exactly. Although Hotch knew, and roped Rossi into help.' He joked, as he opened the door for her to walk into the bull pen, he then followed her up the stairs and into the room and they took the last remaining seats around the table.

'We have 12 victims in total so far, 4 different families all from the same area, all killed the same.' JJ said as she pushed the button and the first family killed appeared. 'The Clarkson', father, mother and son found dead with their throats slit. Nothing missing from the house but their laptop.'

Penelope wrote notes, while the others chucked in suggestions on building up a profile. 'Second family are the Woods. Father, mother and daughter. Again killed with slit throats only thing taken was the laptop.'

'So we have a killer that wants death and a laptop.'

'Except he is sending the laptops back upgraded, with photos of the previous murders and with some unknown code.'

'Which is where you Garcia come in... you're coming with us this time.' Penelope nodded her response as she continued to write.

'The third family the Parker's, father, mother and son... again follows suit and the fourth family, found this morning were the Keaton's father, mother, daughter.' Penelope looked as JJ clicked the button and their photos appeared.

'Excuse me.' She muttered as paled, pushed away and fled the room. Everyone looked around just as Penelope fled with a look they all knew.

'JJ and Prentiss go after her...' Hotch said immediately knowing something was wrong with the family that appeared on the screen. JJ and Prentiss left the room and found Penelope in the bathroom.

'Garcia?'

'I'll be out in a moment.' Penelope's voice came out with evident tears. 'Go back, finish the briefing.'

'Hotch won't let us back in without you... what's wrong?'

'JJ where is this case?'

'Long Beach California.' The only closed toilet cubicle that was locked, opened and Penelope came out. 'Why?'

'I come from there... the Keaton's were my next door neighbours when I was little. Their daughter she has a disorder where she's severely disabled.'

'Garcia we didn't know.'

'It's okay, you weren't to know.'

'How far was she disabled?'

'She has a condition that stunts growth she was 4 when my parents died, I used to help look after her for allowance. She had this special laptop to help her to read and learn, because she couldn't do it otherwise.'

'All the other children, the laptops are their s to help with learning disabilities.'

'Let's get back.' Penelope pushed.

'Garcia... Penelope are you sure you can do this?' Garcia just nodded and headed for the door. The men all looked at Penelope as they entered, their eyes intently studying her.

'Garcia... what happened?'

'Erm Sir... I know the Keaton's.' Was all Penelope said. 'Well I knew them.'

'How?'

'They lived next door to my family's home.'

'Can you handle the case?'

'Yes Sir.'

'Okay... JJ ring their local PD and tell them we are on our ways.' Hotch said standing. 'Wheels up in 2 hours, be ready.'

Everyone packed up and began to leave, Penelope took a little slower, processing the deaths of people so close to her. Her whole childhood or at least most of it had been spent with the Keaton's and now they were gone and she was on her way to California, to her home town. Where she would ultimately come against the past.

'Hey baby girl you okay?'

'Yeah.' She said, her normal exuberant spark gone.

'I know you're not but I'll let it slide this time... let's go and get some stuff together so we're ready.'

'Okay handsome.'

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Hours later, Quantico was now their distant location; they had landed in California and were on their way to Long Beach's police department to start the process necessary with the case. As they entered, Penelope stuck to the back like she always did.

'Agent Hotchner right?'

'That's correct, this is my team Agents Jareau, Reid, Morgan, Rossi and Prentiss and our technical analyst Penelope Garcia.'

'Penelope Garcia you say?'

'I did detective.' Hotch looked behind him at Penelope. 'Come here Garcia.'

As soon as the detective saw her he smiled broadly. 'Well 12 years hasn't changed you in the slightest has it Penelope.' Penelope blushed. 'When we have a down part we need to talk.' The team exchanged glances, this man was evidently 20 something years Penelope's senior, plus 12 years had passed and here he was engaging in excited small talk with her. 'Your team can set up in there; I hope the room is efficient enough.'

The team set to work, pulling out the missing pieces that they may have missed while Penelope began to unlock the code on the laptops. After 6 hours of nonstop work, backwards and forwards trips to the newest crime scene and the previous one the team took off for the night, hitting a small Diner that they had asked Penelope to recommend. Settling down they all still wanted to know about her and the detective, they saw her hesitant but she willingly started.

'The detective from the police department was a help to me when I was 16.'

'Garcia... I think it's time you shared with the other 3.' Hotch prompted, Penelope just nodded and sucked in a breath before beginning.

'When I was sixteen, I was in the park near our house, I was waiting for my brother and our friend to come home from practice, it was dark, and they came and found me like they usually did, we were just hanging out when 3 men came into the area with us, my brother and our friend got me up and walked we out, them either side of me. Two of the men left the way they came the other ran around to get in front of us. They ganged up on us and one of them pulled a knife out, he waved it in my face and started to hurl abuse at me, I don't why but he went crazy and laughed, he put the knife down but then he pulled it out again and he stabbed me in the stomach.' The team bar 3 members looked at Penelope in shock. 'My brother and our friend went to lay me down and stem the bleed but the one who stabbed me made the other 2 get my brother and our friend, I watched as they dragged them into the basketball courts just to our left, when they were there they beat them before killing them, I lost consciousness not long after that but when I woke up, the detective from the police department interviewed me when I wouldn't let anyone else near me, we kept in contact ever since but when my parents died I cut all ties here.'

'Only he interviewed you?'

'I was sixteen, I wouldn't let anyone other than my parents or other brothers near me.' Penelope said looking down at the cup of coffee in front of her. 'He helped me a lot after it.'

They nodded. 'So your brother was playing the big brother and tried to protect you?'

'In some sense, in others he was doing what he did best.'

'What's that?'

'He was doing the twin brother duty.'

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TBC

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