Hi. I need to get back into the habit of writing, so this is my first attempt.
Averting Tragedy
They came in separate cars to an upscale restaurant. That was the first smart thing Melissa Miller had seen them do since this assignment started two weeks as. First Barnes came in, wearing a too-short cocktail dress for someone her age. Then came the one and only Director Fickler, looking sharp in a suit. Miller packed away her gear and decided to make an appearance.
Wearing a dress that showed the right amount of skin for the age she was presenting herself as, Miller casually walked up to the bar and ordered a drink. She pulled out her phone and ignored everyone.
Her laugh could be heard from across the room. Barnes was trying too hard. Miller casually aimed the camera in the direction of the noise and saw Fickler touching her leg. He clearly could care less if she thought his jokes were funny. Miller snapped the picture quickly and the sipped her drink.
"You look lonely."
A middle-aged man who wasn't aging too poorly approached her.
"You look married," she said, noting the tan line on his finger.
He laughed. "I'm recently divorced."
"I'm no one's rebound girl," she said and returned to messing with her phone.
The guy took the hint and spotted some better bait that was only five years older than her.
Barnes was drinking too much. She already looked buzzed. Fickler seemed to sense this and decided to ask for the check midway through the meal. She laughed and whispered something that must have been dirty when he mentioned taking the meal home in doggy bags. Miller cringed.
She waited five minutes before following them out. A couple more guys had approached her, but she blew them off claiming to be waiting for someone. Once outside and a few feet from the restaurant, she pulled off her heals and put on flats. She then walked back into the ally from where she had been spying on Barnes and Fickler and pressed a special button on her phone. With a zapping sound, she was gone.
…
Miller had teleported to the hotel room next door to where Barnes and Fickler were staying. Fickler was too predictable for his own good as he always reserved the same room. How either of them climbed through the ranks of the FBI was beyond her.
She opened her laptop to find that they were already half-undressed. Miller had posed as a maid and planted the cameras when the hotel reservations popped up on Fickler's credit card. It was like he was begging to be caught.
Barnes also moaned too loudly. Either she wasn't completely into it or she was desperate to impress her boss/lover. She guessed the latter. Pausing everyone once and while to pull pictures, Miller took no pleasure in watching this. Her mind drifted to the team that was being ripped apart because of one woman's ambition. Ending this assignment was going to be a pleasure.
Fickler fell asleep faster than usual this time around. Barnes snuggled next to him and was soon asleep also. Miller sighed with relief. Now the real work was going to begin.
…
Barnes was happy to tell Jareau an emergency had come up and she needed to meet with the Director immediately. So, what if they were hunting some old guys being held hostage? The case wasn't going to get the FBI any good press and micromanaging Jareau was becoming a pain. She couldn't wait to talk the Director into completely dissolving the team after the next screwup, which was bound to happen soon.
She was also glad she was wearing a nice set of underwear. Barnes opened the door to see candles lit everywhere even though it was only noon, and piles of rose petals were scattered everywhere, including on top of the bed.
"Jack?" she called out. She looked around and then checked the bathroom and found no sign of him. She decided to get comfortable and stripped down to her underwear. She laid on the bed in what she hoped was a seductive pose.
A few minutes later, she heard a key enter the door and Fickler appeared. He smiled and kissed her on the lips.
"I'm glad you were able to get away from the BAU," he said.
"You know I'd make time for you no matter what," she said.
Both jumped when they heard the creaking sound of a door. The adjoining hotel room door opened, and a young woman appeared in black jeans, a graphic t-shirt with a dark leather jacket. She was also holding a phone aimed directly at them.
Fickler jumped and covered Barnes with the bedspread.
"I've seen enough," she said casually without looking up from her phone. "Get dressed AD Barnes, we have a lot to discuss."
"Who are you?" Fickler asked. "What do you want?"
"Let AD Barnes finish getting dressed and you'll find out," she said sounding almost bored.
Barnes was missing a button, but other than that, she looked decent. The young woman gestured for them to enter the other hotel room and sit at the table where she had a laptop set up. Once they were sitting down, the woman stared at them.
"I'll keep this simple," she said. "I was hired by an outside agency to monitor your activities for the last two weeks," she said.
"Who?" Barnes asked. "By agency, could you mean David Rossi?"
The woman actually laughed. "Like he could afford me even if he sold his house."
"What's your name?" Fickler asked.
"You may call me Ms. Miller," she said.
"How old are you?" he asked as he stared at her intently. "You barely look old enough to work for any agency."
"I have a disease that makes me look much younger than I really am. I'm good at my job because I am easily underestimated. Now stop trying to profile me because you're doing a terrible job."
"What do you want?" Barnes asked impatiently. "To blackmail us? You know it is against the law and you'll be prosecuted to the fullest extent."
This time she merely suppressed her laugh.
"I'm not sure that is exactly what you want," she said, clicked the mouse, and turned the laptop around.
Playing simultaneously were four videos of Barnes and Fickler engaged in sex. The pictures were clear and there was also audio.
"That's enough," Fickler said.
"So, you don't want to see the photos?" she asked innocently.
"You still haven't told us what you want," Barnes said angrily.
"It is quite simple," she said turning the laptop around. "Reunite the BAU as it was before your witch hunt."
"What guarantee do we have that you won't leak the footage anyway?" Fickler asked.
"Let's get real directors, you don't need this kind of bad press. In light of recent events, the FBI already looks terrible and that is not good for the morale of this country. Leaking the footage to a select number of people will only be used as a last resort if you fail to comply."
"Why the BAU?" Barnes asked. "They don't do that much. They're a terrible group of people."
Miller stared at her hard. She tried to be strong but something about her glare made her feel completely defenseless.
"I really don't like bullies AD Barnes. They have a tendency to pick on people to compensate for something lacking in their lives. For you, I think it might be a soul."
Barnes felt a surge of rage. She knocked over her chair and grabbed Miller by the throat. Pulling her out of her chair, the slammed her to the ground and tackled her.
"What would happen if I were to kill you?" Barnes spat at her.
Miller barely looked scared. "You do know what cloud storage is, right?"
Barnes slammed her head against floor. "Maybe killing you would send a message to your boss that we are better than you? We will hunt down those who threaten us down and make them pay."
She suddenly felt shock to the side of her leg. It was painful and forced her to loosen her grip on Miller. The shocking stopped, and Miller pushed her off.
"Were you really going to let her kill me?" Miller asked as she got up.
Barnes heard the click of a gun.
"If she didn't, I was going to do it myself," he said.
"Killing me leaves too many unknown variables," she said calmly. "What's so hard about reuniting one team? I really don't want to cause any more trouble."
"I don't like bullies either," he said. "And you're one of them."
There was the sound of a gunshot. As Barnes got to her knees, she saw Miller fall to the ground with a gunshot wound to her head.
Barnes briefly stared at him. Fickler was already grabbing Miller's laptop.
"I'll take care of this," he said without looking at her. "I have people who are discreet who will clean this computer and hunt down any outside storage she might have."
She shakily stood up. "What about the girl?"
He pulled the phone out of her pants pocket.
"I also have people who can deal with her. I'm thinking, she was in a human trafficking ring and pissed off the wrong man with her mouth. I'll take care of everything, I promise."
"Is there anything I can do?" she asked.
"Take the day off. Use whatever excuse you want. Try to sleep and pretend this was all a bad nightmare. Then come in tomorrow for work and act like nothing happened."
"Okay," she said nervously.
"I also think it is in both of our best interests that we not see each other anymore. It was fun, and I wish something more could have come from it, but this is life. Good luck."
"You too Jack," she said as she slowly left. She turned around briefly and saw he was going through Miller's things. It was truly over.
As she left the hotel, she texted Jareau she wasn't feeling well, and wouldn't be coming back to the office. She then turned off her phone and drove straight home. Not bothering to change, she collapsed into her bed tried to pretend it was just a bad dream as her now former lover instructed.
…
There was a buzzing in the BAU bullpen as Barnes entered the next day to check on Jareau's work. When she opened her phone, she found a missed text from her saying the case ended and the unsub was apprehended. People kept glancing at her and then looked away. She felt an awful sensation in her stomach as she knocked on Jareau's door.
Jareau looked surprised to see her.
"How can I help you?" she asked mildly.
"I want to read report on the case," she snapped as she closed the door.
She went to her desk and pulled out the file. Barnes glanced around.
"You haven't redecorated yet," she said.
"I haven't had the time," she said. "Nor do I think I'll be here much longer."
"Are you already thinking about resigning?" Barnes asked, trying not to sound hopeful.
Jareau handed her the file. There was fierceness in her eyes now.
"I'm appealing the decision to break apart the team to the new director," she said.
"On what grounds?" she asked, shocked.
"You really haven't seen the footage yet, have you?" she muttered partially to herself. "That explains a lot."
"What are you talking about?" she asked, trying not let her voice shake.
Jareau pulled out her phone and shoved it in her face.
"This was sent to every person who has ever had an FBI email account, including Rossi and Reid."
It was a video message showing her and Fickler having sex with the lurid message. "That is one way to get to the top."
Barnes was speechless.
"Don't worry, the FBI HR department followed up with an email declaring anyone who leaked this footage to the press would be terminated. We'll see if that threat holds up," Jareau said.
There was a knock on the door. Jareau opened the door to find a pair of police officers waiting.
"Linda Barnes," one of them said. "We're here with a warrant for your arrest."
Barnes felt like she had been punched in the stomach. "What are the charges?"
"Assault and accessory to the murder of Melissa Miller," the officer said.
"No!" she yelled. "That isn't possible!"
"Please don't make a scene," the officer said.
"I did nothing wrong!"
"You have the right to remain silent," the other officer began to say.
"I know my rights!" she said furiously. "I did nothing wrong!"
She was felt the cold clink of handcuffs being placed on her.
Barnes struggled as she was practically dragged out of the BAU.
"I did nothing wrong!" she screamed. "Nothing!"
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Jareau smirking as she watched the scene unfold. This only made her angrier. Nothing about this was right. Fickler said he'd take care of it!
…
The evidence was indisputable. Apparently as soon as Miller's prints were entered into they system, a video file was uploaded to the police showing Barnes assaulting her, followed by Fickler killing her. Her lawyer was already trying to talk her into testifying against her former lover.
Barnes was then left alone in her cell. She couldn't believe how her life had changed so suddenly. It just wasn't fair. None of it was.
There was a zapping sound. A single piece of paper appeared on the floor. Curiosity getting the better of her, she cautiously picked it up.
Former Assistant Director Barnes,
If only you and your dumb lover had agreed to uniting the team and I would have kept the footage in storage with my agency. Now three lives are ruined, mine more permanent than yours or Fickler's.
I will give you some closure out of the pure goodness of my heart though. Whatever story you were told about me being forced into working for a clandestine agency is mostly true. Except I come from the future. My mission was to reunite the BAU to uncover a domestic terror plot. Time travel is difficult to explain, and I won't waste either of our time trying. Some things are fixed points in time like 9/11 but this wasn't one of them. This one will be stopped.
It cost me my life and I don't regret it. Knowing that I might die, I had put safeguards in place guaranteeing you and Fickler wouldn't get off.
Enjoy the rest of your life, Barnes.
Melissa Miller
As soon as she was done reading it the message vanished with a zapping sound. Barnes almost wondered if it was a hallucination. But something told her it wasn't. Miller was lying. She didn't do this out of the goodness of her heart. She had done this as final way of declaring victory over her. Now, she had to live with it for the rest of her life.
…
Henry's son found out the truth eventually. Melissa Miller, a teenager abducted from her own timeline, had chosen to save over thirty lives by reuniting his grandmother's team. He learned this when he rose through the ranks of agency. He even met her a few times but was forbidden from telling her when she would die. She didn't want to know and believed in living her life to the fullest.
With permission from the agency, he summoned the surviving relatives of the BAU to Quantico. Together they watched as an agent posted her picture to wall of those lost in the line of duty.
…
Miller watched at the ceremony from the shadows of the building. Time travel meant that she never aged properly. She had by her count, had been alive for more than a hundred years. She had earned the right to know the truth.
Seeing the people who knew the truth made her smile. Death was sad, but not the end. She wouldn't be assigned to 2018 for another few years. If dying meant saving a team as loyal and noble as the BAU, it was worth it.
THE END
I know. Time travel is a little crazy. Melissa Miller appeared in two other stories of mine and I'll let you find her. I hope you enjoyed it. It felt good to get back into writing and if anyone knows anything about modern Russian culture, I'm a little desperate for help. PM me.