Disclaimer: We don't own Criminal Minds.

A/N: Hello all of you beautiful JJ/Morgan shippers out there and welcome to the sequel of "Christmas Confrontations"! We've decided to keep this just JJ/Morgan for now, but that could change later on in the story. You never know. :) Anyways...we hope you like this sequel, if if maybe you don't ship JJ/Morgan, and please let us know in a review what you think!

Chapter One

Amy Goldstein awoke quickly after what felt like seconds. She could see her husband, Patrick, asleep sitting haphazardly near her in the metal compartment they were being kept in, restrained in what looked like nothing more than a seat belt, but she could see the intricate knots around his wrists to keep him down if the need to do so arose. They were in some kind of truck, she surmised, she could feel the movement beneath her body. She tried to speak, but it was as though her mouth wouldn't obey her mind's commands. She tried to move a little, cry even, but immediately discovered that whatever that creep had given her had left her completely paralyzed. The only thing she could do was blink, and that was a terrifying realization. Every part of her body immediately became hypersensitive, every sound, every breeze of air immediately was analyzed as she was sure something bad was going to happen.

As she felt the movement of the compartment come to a short stop, she cringed at what horrors might happen to her husband and herself. She had seen enough horror films and criminal shows in her lifetime to allow her imagination to run wild, with frightening images constantly in front of her. Suddenly, a small light entered the compartment from over head.

"Oh good, you're awake, my dear. Time for us to get started." A cool voice said, causing chills to run up her spine, as her captor pulled her from the compartment where her husband still slept, and then slammed the lid closed on top of him--just loud enough to wake Patrick, but not loud enough for anyone to hear them. Eyes taking in her surroundings as she felt something soft beneath her back, she realized they were in the cab of an 18 wheeler truck, and, she suddenly noticed with an intense horror, she was now laying on the bed tucked neatly away behind the two front seats. Closing her eyes she prayed that maybe this creep would just disappear and that she and Patrick would be back at home again, and when he disappeared from her view her hopes rose, but quickly dissipated when he returned with a small bottle of what looked like pink nail polish and began painting her nails with the finesse of someone trained to work on hands. "Now Susan, you can't leave without your nails painted. I even got your favorite color..." Susan? But my name is Amy...her mind screamed as she felt every stroke of the brush put nail polish on her hypersensitive nails.

"You know, we really have to quit meeting like this." JJ murmured quietly reaching for the sugar as her hand brushed against Morgan's.

"I like coffee, you like coffee, if we both mysteriously gave it up, they would catch on." He replied, nudging her with his elbow.

"My place after work?" JJ asked, already knowing he'd be there. She turned around and walked to her office. Morgan grinned, putting his hand in his pocket. His smile widened as his hand grazed over the velvet box he had bought. When he realized that he wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with Jennifer Jareau, the first person he called was his mom. She had flown out to Virginia just to help him select the perfect ring. Now, all he had to do was find the perfect moment to give it to her. He knew he was rushing it a bit, they had only been dating for a few months, but he was sure that he couldn't be anymore ready for this step if they had been dating for centuries.

Interstate exit 242 had never seen so much activity as it did now. Police cars swarmed the area, closing off the exit ramp to travelers and locals alike while the crime scene was taped off and the evidence collected. "Is she like the others?" A tall dark headed man called as he made his way over to where the local Medical Examiner stood near the body.

"I'm afraid so Joseph, even down to the color of her nails." Dr. Christian Weathers stated sadly as he and his old friend stared remorsefully down at the young blonde woman in front of them. "He even left us, what I'm fairly certain, are Mary Clark's missing earrings."

"Captain Morris!" a young uniform called from about twenty feet away, "We found the postcard just like the others over here!"

"Who's it addressed to, Pete?" Captain Morris asked, his eyes never leaving the dead woman in front of him.

"It says 'Dear Susan...', sir. Just like the one we found with the last two victims." the uniform addressed his boss as he came closer to where he was standing near the body. "This time it's a post card from Noccalula Falls..."

"I'm calling that Agent Jareau woman again, we need all the help we can get down here. I've never seen anything like this..." Joseph Morris added as he pulled out his cell phone.

"Agent Jareau." JJ said politely as she picked up her office phone.

"Agent Jareau, it's Captain Morris with the Alabama State Police again..."

"Captain Morris..." JJ answered as she tried not to sigh into the phone. There were more pressing cases than this one that the team needed to take, but the man had kept calling her, almost begging her to come down.

"Ma'am we have another body..." he interrupted. Joseph Morris was anything if not perceptive, and he knew that she was about to inform him that the BAU wouldn't be making a visit to his jurisdiction. "This time he put the second victim's missing earrings on the body."

"Captain" JJ tried again, "Send me all the new information on the latest victim and I'll present it to my boss. I'm not promising anything, but maybe at least one member of our team can come down for a few days."

"I already had the case file e-mailed to the e-mail on your business card, Agent Jareau, and please hurry, if you can." He added as the line went dead.

"I received a call from a Captain Joseph Morris with the Alabama State Police this morning" JJ said as she started her presentation. Hotch had made the decision to present the case to the team incase the entire team decided to take the case at a later date. Pointing the small remote towards the flat screen she pulled up the DMV photo's of three women, "Three victim's have been found up and down Interstate sixty five, which is the main major roadway in the state. Julia McKenize, who police believe was the first victim, was found just off exit 175, near Montgomery. Her hair had been curled, heavy make up applied, and her clothing changed--all done just before her death. Her nails were also painted a pale pink color, but local police didn't realize the significance of that until they found body number two, Mary Clark, along exit 93. Her nails were also painted the same pink, and now police believe that the UnSub is painting their nails as part of his ritual before he murders them."

"Well that's new. A killer who gives his victim's manicures before he kills them." Rossi stated as he leaned back in his chair.

"The State Police thought the same thing. This morning Amy Goldstein was found along exit 242 in exactly the same manor as the first two victim's. Police have so far been unable to determine where each victim was abducted from, but what they are certain of is that all three women were drugged with a common muscle relaxant, Lorazepam, which is most often used in patients found in psychiatric hospitals as a sedative. All three victim's were strangled and the ligature marks on the victims throats allowed local CSIs to determine they were all strangled with the use of surgical tubing. They believe that the UnSub does each victim's hair, nails, and makeup; redresses them; and proceeds to rape them while strangling them during the rape to find his own release. Also, postcards from different tourist attractions around the state have been found with each body, all starting with 'Dear Susan...', and Mary Clark's earrings, that the police previously believed to be stolen, were found on the body of Amy Goldstein."

"The file says that all three victim's were married..." Emily prompted as she looked through her copy of the large case file. "Where are the husbands?"

"This is where it gets even weirder. All three husbands are also missing, but any evidence of their bodies has yet to be found. It's almost as if they disappeared into thin air. Gary McKenzie, John Clark, and now Patrick Goldstein haven't been seen or heard from from around a week before their wives bodies were discovered." JJ continued as she pulled up pictures of all three husbands.

"So he keeps them for a week, possibly drugged, before he kills them? But to do that he would need some sort of property to keep them where they wouldn't be discovered, and he would need access to both Lorazepam and surgical tubing. So Doctor? Nurse, maybe?" Morgan wondered aloud as he took a sip of his coffee.

"He's definitely organized" Hotch agreed, "It's extremely possible the UnSub is a doctor or nurse with close access to Lorazepam. JJ, do they have any theories on who 'Susan' is in his letters or who he's modeling the victims after?"

"No, all they could tell me was that the brand of nail polish used on each victim is from a company called Love Cosmetics that went out of business almost thirty years ago. The State Crime lab has yet to figure out how he has access to a product that went off the market just before 1980."

"It could be possible that he's somehow been able to keep the polish from spoiling." Reid tossed out. "All he would have to do is find a way to keep it from separating into the different additives inside the bottle."

"Yea, but for thirty years? Isn't that pushing it a little Reid? I mean what is it about this certain color and brand of polish that sets him off? Why couldn't he go out and buy a similar color made by a different brand?" Emily questioned.

"Look at their make up" Rossi commanded conversationally, "What does the eyeshadow and dark blush strike you as?"

"Seventies." Garcia added immediately and continued at the looks she received from her colleagues, "What? I used to beg my mom to do mine like that when I was in the seventh grade because I wanted to look like her poster of Jaclyn Smith from Charlie's Angels."

"Baby girl, why am I not surprised?" Morgan teased, and then added, "JJ does the press know anything about this case? We don't want to feed his ego by having them publish the story of the murders state wide."

"A reporter was the person who discovered Mary Clark when he pulled over to find a hotel room for the night. He leaked the story to the local news channels in Birmingham and every television station, newspaper, and state wide magazine has been running the story for the last two months. There was nothing I could do to keep a lid on it, and I have few, if any, contacts in that far south. They're calling him 'The Love Killer'."

"Morgan, this looks like an obsessional crime--your specialty. We've got other cases now that need more attention, but why don't you and JJ head down to Alabama and call us if you need assistance." Hotch commanded, "The rest of you, we've got a serial in Virginia--car leaves in twenty minutes."

Morgan smirked at himself, JJ and he were never paired together. He had decided since his relationship started with her that if they had ever gotten to work together then maybe they would have started dating years ago. He nodded contently as he got up and left the conference room. JJ was not far behind him.

"So this is a first, I think the last time we did anything alone together at work was when Elle got shot." JJ said to him, making up the small distance between them.

"I can't say I am disappointed." Morgan muttered, following JJ to her office. He shut the door behind him, and quickly shut the blinds. He quickly stepped towards her but before he could wrap his arms around her and subsequently go in for the kiss, she sidestepped him, effectively shutting him out.

JJ, understanding his confused look, explained. "Morgan, we are at work. Come on."

"Alright girly girl, we can do it your way. But just know, when we are in Alabama and we are off the clock, you're mine." He assured her.

"I'll look forward to it." She said winking suggestively, then her disposition changed slightly, "Okay, I have to arrange travel plans. Get out!" She teased.

"Wow! You're bossy." He mocked as he opened the door to leave.

"You know you like it." JJ retorted, softly enough so that someone outside of the office couldn't hear. She was almost disappointed when her merely smirked and walked back to his desk until she heard her blackberry alert her she had a new text message. Picking it up from her desk a wide smile crossed her face when she read the message's contents."I don't just like it, I love it. Oh and I love you."stared back at her from the phone's display, and she sighed contently before replying "I love you too."

"Emily?" JJ poked her head into Garcia's office, correctly assuming that Emily would be spending her last moments in DC with her technical analyst friend."You never sent me your expense reports."

Both women turned to look at her in surprise, a sheepish look Garcia's face matched with Emily's controlled one. "Oh, then I will get them right now." Emily stayed seated, both women eyeing JJ deeply.

"What?" JJ asked, the silence in the room was deafening.

"We were just talking about how we haven't seen you this happy since before Henry was born." Emily finally conceeded.

"Yes, and me being the oracle of all knowledge can't figure out why you're so happy. You don't have any credit card receipts for major shoe purchases, you haven't taken weekend vacations, and your stash of chocolate under your desk is running conspicuously low." Garcia observed. "So, we decided you must be seeing someone."

JJ's cheeks flushed, as Garcia squealed happily. "I KNEW IT! Pay up!" She held out her hand expectantly as Emily groaned and slapped a twenty dollar bill in Garcia's hands.

"So, do we know him?" Emily asked deviously. The car and the rest of the team was leaving in ten minutes, but she wasn't about to miss this.

"No." JJ replied, hoping that her mask of control would prevent them from knowing the truth.

"So, that would be a yes." Emily murmured.

"Does Henry like him?" Garcia asked carefully, knowing how shy the little boy could be.

"That is none of your business." JJ tried to deflect, inching closer to the door.

"So, that is a definite yes that she's dating somebody and we do know him." Emily told Garcia.

"Prentiss!" Hotch said sternly as he entered the office containing the three women, "Car leaves in five minutes, I suggest you be there." JJ could have kissed him for saving her from the inquisition of her friends, at least, she could have kissed him if he wasn't Hotch.

"This is not over Barbie." Garcia threatened as JJ walked out the door.

"Agent Morgan we'll be landing at Birmingham International Airport in ten minutes." the pilot informed JJ and Morgan over the intercom, "We're preparing for our descent now."

"Thanks Dan" Morgan replied easily back over the intercom to the pilot. Looking up as JJ re-entered the cabin from the bathroom his hand subconsciously snaked its way into his pocket to feel the ring box again. He had been waiting for the perfect moment for over two weeks now, the ring burning a whole in his pocket, and his mother had called every night to find out if he'd asked her yet. Seeing her soft smile as she sat down next to him on the jet's small sofa, he asked teasingly, "So what's with that content smile baby? Have other men been texting you again?".

"Yep, and I have to admit they're pretty cute." She added nonchalantly as they felt the plane jump a little as it hit the runway, "I always did have a thing for guys with no hair."

"JJ..." he growled and she giggled at his protectiveness, "Relax Derek. You're mom just sent me the cutest picture of Henry. He's covered in some of the blue icing from Desiree's birthday cake with this huge smile on his face. I think she's really loving having him stay with her for a few days, and you know how he loves his "Honey"."

"mmmhhmmm....And you know how I love my honey too." he mumbled as he stole a small kiss from her before the she could protest.

"Derek! Play nice or you'll be sleeping in your own hotel room tonight." she threatened playfully and had to laugh at his pout. When the plane slowed to a stop, she stood and grabbed her purse and laptop bag, "Now come on. We need to go and make friends with the locals."

Exiting the airport they found two young agents from the local field office waiting for them near two bureau issued SUVs. The tall blonde stuck his hand out to JJ, "You must be Agent Jareau. I'm Agent Bowen and this is my partner Agent Romine. We brought you the SUV that you requested, ma'am." He said, winking slightly.

"Thank you, we'll take it from here." Morgan insisted, taking JJ lightly by the hand and opening the door for her.

"Derek! What was that?" JJ asked incredulously as he entered the SUV watching as Agent Bowen watched in confusion as their SUV drove away.

"What?" Morgan asked seemingly oblivious, though JJ knew better.

"You blew off an Agent in the Alabama Field Office! What if they need to call us, but now he doesn't want to? Or worse, what if word gets out that he thinks we are together?" JJ's mind was racing in all of the possible ways that this situation could get completely out of hand.

"We are together, JJ." Morgan laughed.

"Yea, but we agreed that we aren't ready for people to know." JJ sulked.

"He just thought he could have a chance with you, I had to let him know you were taken. But, I promise I'll play nice." Morgan conceeded. Honestly, he hated the way other agent's and officer's looked at his girlfriend, but he knew as well as anyone else that part of her job was to keep people happy and cases flowing to the BAU.

The drive to the hotel took far longer than either agent anticipated. When they finally arrived, they noticed that the hotel was more like a beaten down garage than anything else.

"I wouldn't stay in my own room in this hotel even if we weren't dating." JJ observed. "This definitely doesn't look like the brochure."

"JJ we are not staying here" Morgan stated firmly as locked the doors to the SUV, "There's about one hundred percent of a chance that we're going to get shot at for just for being two people walking around, North Birmingham is like that."

"What do you mean, 'North Birmingham is like that'? When was the last time you were in Alabama? And if we don't stay here where are we going to stay? We're supposed to meet the locals at the crime scene in thirty minutes, I picked this hotel because it was closest to the exit where the most recent crime scene is."

"JJ" Derek sighed as he rubbed his hand over his face, "Remember when I told you I was undercover for 18 months right before I joined the BAU?"

"Yes" she answered, but it was obvious that she wasn't really sure what this had to do with them, Alabama, or both.

"Well I was undercover here, in Birmingham and sometimes Atlanta, with a local street gang that was working for the Juarez drug cartel. I know these streets better than my old neighborhood, and trust me when I say that these guys aren't going to be too happy to see me again after I busted their boss for heroin trafficking." Derek added as he started the car again, "Now call those people at the front desk and work some of your special magic to get us out of paying for thoserooms, girl. I know a pretty good place not far from here anyways."

He watched his newest attraction as they cooked lunch together with an older woman who had to be his mother based on the dark color of her skin. Susan never cooked with me...he thought and that thought made him angry as he continued to snap his photos of the oblivious couple, pressing so hard on the camera with each picture that it almost cracked from just the pressure of his hands.

"Now this is more like it." JJ cried happily as they entered the lobby of the Redmont hotel, the place looking like something out of the 1920s.

"I thought you might like it" He grinned, "A friend from Chicago owns it, he bought it a few years ago when it was about to go under and restored the whole thing."

"Do you have friends everywhere?" JJ asked incredulously as her eyes marble ceilings, "Are you sure that this even falls into our 150 per diem limit?"

"Baby girl this is Alabama. There isn't a hotel that doesn't fit into our budget until you reach Atlanta or Texas on the other side." Derek informed her politely as they made their way towards the check in desk.

"Well, then let's get two rooms in case Garcia decides to keep looking into my love life," JJ added thoughtfully and waited until he handed her a key to the room they would be sharing without the knowledge of their friends before stepping into the empty elevator car and adding with a wicked smile, "Oh would you mind getting my bag? I pretty sure there's a present for you in there--And if you play your cards right, I might let you see it later..." as the doors closed around in front of her.

Alright so there's part one. Don't forget to let us know if you liked it!