Zack was on his way to pick Sasha up from class. He stopped at the gas station to pick up a snack, the man behind the counter smiled at him his eyes glued to the watch Zack had on. Zack never saw the bar or even really felt it.
x-x-x
News of Zack's death hit the news before JJ could stop it. He wasn't killed in a car or by an accident. No he was killed in a case that had crossed JJ's desk. They had taken the case but didn't solve it till after his body showed up.
x-x-x
Emily felt sick watching the man they knew killed Zack, she watched him hit the boy over the head with a steel bar. She hated that he had gotten off easy, death to her was much easier. They still had to find Zack's body, and the newest victim. So they still had a job to do.
x-x-x
JJ scrambled to get a press release out. Then a cop leaked that Zack was dead, they even gave up photos. When Izzy called asking if it was true, JJ wanted to lie, but she knew it'd be no good. So she sat down and went over every detail with Izzy. She'd treat her like a family victim member but Izzy, Izzy was part of the team, so she knew that she'd accept no less. By the end of the call she wasn't sure if Izzy blamed her or not, it sure sounded like it.
x-x-x
Izzy heard Zack's name so she turned to the TV, Elizabeth had the news on, when the words teenaged murder were said the TV was turned off. Elizabeth had saved her granddaughter and grandson from the photos she knew were coming. The photos of Izzy's best friend dead, splayed across the local and national news.
x-x-x
They found Zack and the new victim. They called the case a success. Emily and JJ didn't, they knew the number of victims. No one realized the local store manager was actually a killer driven by a maddening hording like disease. The team would go to Zack's funeral, honoring his life.
x-x-x
Jack Hotchner had his eye on Isabel Prentiss. He knew she was a wreck after losing Zack, she was just very good at hiding it. He watched her break away from her group of friends, some understood what she was going through, most just scoffed at her because of her attitude. So he watched her, because she was family.
x-x-x
Emily ignored the fight going on in the living room between Izzy and JJ, it was just the latest one of Izzy's tirades against someone.
"Why do you even care? You haven't for the past month anyway." Izzy yelled.
"It's time to stop mourning his death."
"You could have fucking saved him!"
"Don't you think I know that?" JJ screamed back.
"You don't even care about me do you?"
"Isabel!" JJ glared at Emily who yelled from her spot rooted to the kitchen floor.
"She doesn't care about me at all."
"Then she wouldn't be here fighting you would she? She wouldn't have been here for you for years, wouldn't call you hers, wouldn't hold you, hug you, kiss you. Hell she'd be like my mother when I was growing up wouldn't she?" Emily asked and Izzy stormed off.
"She's not my mother anyway."
"Yeah but I am damn it and you better get your ass in gear and realize who the hell you've been pitting against you." Emily yelled after her daughter, when she turned to JJ she realized she was going to face hell.