A/N: Please for the love of god review this because this is my first criminal minds story (and first 3rd pov story) and wow i'm so nervous! Much love to all you readers! This is a longer chapter than I usually post! Just wanted to get the first chapter up and running. XO- Elena

"Alex." She stated in a strong, forceful voice. A frown took over her lips and she cleared her throat, changing tone. "It's Alex." She shook her head. "I'm Alex!" She jutted her hand towards the full length mirror in front of her. "I'm pathetic." She said in the same tone, her plastered smile dropping. It was hopeless. Like practicing greetings to a mirror would prepare her for this day. Not all the coffee in the world could even help her at this point.

Alex Kennedy quickly stopped her greeting practicing and looked down at her current outfit before deciding the button down top she wore made her look like an eighty-year-old grandma.

"Okay, no. Definitely not." She sighed, shrugging out of the blouse. The phrase "dress to impress" repeated over in her mind like a mantra. Her bed was piled with clothes yet she was still donning only a bra and underwear while running around her room like a headless chicken trying to find something to wear. She groaned, running her hands over her face as her eyes met the clock. She needed to be at the BAU in forty-five minutes and if she didn't worry, she was going to be ugly and late. Being Alex was just upgraded from intern to agent, being late on her first day probably wasn't the best impression. She was already on thin ice with Section Chief Erinn Strauss for being put into this specific team—even with the training she endured.

The FBI's BAU—Behavioral Analysis Unit—had been Alex's dream job ever since she could remember. She was never one of those girls who had a problem picking their major in college; from day one she had set her mind to working her ass off on psychology and forensics. Alex was the assigned replacement for Agent Emily Prentiss, her team's former agent who had relocated to London to run INTERPOL. Alex had known Emily prior to the FBI—an old friend she met through her parents—and she was the one Alex had to thank for getting her into this job. Emily had somehow worked her magic by convincing Strauss to transfer Alex from the Rapid Deployment & Technology Unit to becoming the real deal—a member of the BAU team. So here she was at a mere twenty-six years old, ready to start her first real big job yet feeling like she was about to be the new girl at a grade school. She couldn't help but wonder what her co-workers would be like and what her team would be like. What if they didn't like her? She prayed her colleagues liked her as much as they did Emily.

Alex nervously chewed on a granola bar, glaring at the various outfits spread in front of her. Deep down inside, she was wishing jobs like this required sweat pants and baggy t-shirts, but alas she was out of luck. You win some you lose some with high profile jobs like these. Casual Friday's probably wouldn't be a thing. With an annoyed groan, Alex finally decided on her outfit" fitting black slacks, a white chiffon tank, and a black blazer. In the midst of finishing her small breakfast, she took her brown locks down from their pony tail and brushed them out while ever so often anxiously looking over to the clock and fretting the worst. She cursed herself out for spending too much time on her makeup this morning, even if she did want to look good. Her hopes of being early were slowly fading. Slipping on a pair of nude sandal heels, Alex took the last bite of her disappointing breakfast and positioned herself in front of the mirror once again. More than surprised, she managed to pull herself together. Though her skin was hot and she wanted nothing more than to stand in front of the freezer, she had to get going eventually. Being late made her anxiety charts hit the roof.

"There's nothing to worry about. I'll be fine. I'll be good." She muttered to herself, biting the inside of her lip and praying her comforting words were true.

The elevator chimed as Alex reached the sixth floor of the BAU. The doors slowly retracted, revealing a large lobby and a set of open glass doors that lead into the large office area. Her throat dried out and her heart began pounding against her chest cavity as her feet reluctantly moved her forward. At this point, she was totally okay with turning around and going back home. No, she chastised. It was like ripping off a band aid—she just had to get it over with. With a leap of faith, Alex stepped through the doors of the BAU, her eyes beaming at every nook and cranny of the office. Everything looked so…official. Sure, she worked in the FBI office before but this, this was different. It wouldn't be sorting papers and interviewing for hours on end. Most of the BAU employees were just getting to work, a reminder that Alex was on time and she needed to stop obsessing over her fear of being unprofessionally late. Alex watched workers stroll into the office. Even they looked official. Even the group of four standing a little way from her casually chatting looked official.

"How's the new agent?" One of the women asked, curiosity sparking her tone.

"We're not sure. I heard he'll be in today, though." One of the men replied. While continuously looking around frozen in her spot, Alex finally admitted defeat knowing she'd never find her lead agents office alone.

"Wonder what having a new guy on the teams going to be like. You excited baby girl?" One of the men quietly laughed. Swallowing fear and stubbornness, Alex trotted over to the group of two men and two women.

"Excuse me," She clutched onto the black bag hanging at her side, "do you know where I can find Aaron Hotchner? I'm his new agent." The group became still and quiet, noticing the unfamiliar face in their office. To her left stood a blonde woman donning a black and white British flag dress, with earrings and necklace to match. Her curls were tangled in with neon pink flowers in her hair. Her bright pink glasses weren't the only thing to make a statement, a large bag filled with London themed items hung from her hands. Beside her was an attractive man with the most beautiful caramel chocolate skin she'd ever seen. A smile lifted his lips, showing off his insanely white teeth as he let out a surprised chuckle. Beside him stood a petite blonde who had the face of a Victoria's Secret model. Immediately, Alex felt self conscious. A small replica of a red trolley toyed in the blonde's hands. Lastly, in between the blonde and Alex, stood a man who looked to be around her own age. Unruly, sandy brown hair framed his angular face. Hints of stubble sat on his upper lip and chin. The mans patterned button down, tie, cardigan, and Louis Vuitton messenger bag made him question her entire outfit choice. She totally should have gone with the skirt. Damn.

"You're Alexander?" The older of the two men questioned. Why did they all look so confused and—wait, Alexander?

"Alexandra," She corrected with a chuckle, "but Alex works too." Did they just call her by a mans name? The petite blonde blushed.

"God, I'm so sorry. Kevin must have typed in a computer glitch when sending the file out. I'm Agent Jareau, but just call me JJ." She flashed a friendly smile. "I'll take you to Hotch, you can meet these guys in the briefing room." JJ smiled.

"Thanks." Alex said with a breath of relief. JJ ushered her forward and around an abundance of desks. She craned her neck around before waving her fingers at the remaining three agents she left behind.

"It's so nice to finally meet you, Alex. Sorry we're all so frazzled. Spencer and I just got back from a case in Seattle and Derek and Penelope just got back from London. Heck of a Monday, right?" JJ laughed, making small conversation.

"Am I on their team?" She questioned.

"Yes! Sorry. Yes, we're all on your team! I'll introduce you to everyone once we're all together. Hotch—sorry, Hotchner's—office is right through that door. He may look scary but I swear he doesn't bite. I'll see you in a few minutes!" Before Alex knew it, JJ was off. Alex lightly tapped her knuckles against the wooden door and she could hear Agent Hotchner calling her to come in.

"Can I help you?" He lifted his head from doing paperwork.

"Hi." Her voice timidly squeaked. She cleared my dry throat. "Sorry, hi. I'm the new team—"

"Yes, Alexandra Kennedy. Emily told me a lot about you." Agent Hotchner walked over to her and gave me a firm handshake. His facial features were just as firm as his handshake. They were like stone.

"I hope only good things." She joked with immediate regret. It was her first day on the job, she couldn't make jokes yet. Especially not to her team leader.

"Of course. Welcome to the team, it's nice to finally meet you." He nodded.

"Likewise. I'm excited to get going."

"Well, that will be sooner than later for you. We just got called in for a case."

"Already?" The words blurted out before she could filter herself. Shit, she silently cursed. That was definitely not something you said to your boss.

"You'll get used to it. Go get settled at your desk and come to the briefing room in ten." He instructed.

"Yes sir," She nodded. "Thank you Agent Hotchner."

Like the punctual first day nerd she was, Alex was the first to be in the debriefing room. She stood around the wooden table, running my fingers over the leather seats while waiting for any members of her team to walk in. The first happened to be one of the same men from earlier.

"So you're the new boy, huh?" He smirked, crossing his muscular arms over his just as muscular chest.

"Hate to break it to you about the whole gender switch." She walked over to the man and shook his hand. His grip was even stronger than Agent Hotchner's. How much did this guy bench?

"Derek Morgan." He formally introduced.

"Alex Kennedy."

"Looks like we're going to have another Reid on the team. What are you, twenty-five?" Agent Morgan laughed.

"Twenty-six." She corrected. "What do you mean?"

"Morgan, do you know that —" The man her age from earlier walked in holding his messenger bag and clutching a cup of coffee for dear life. Coffee, that was just what she needed right about now.

"That's Reid." Agent Morgan threw his thumb at him.

"Doctor Spencer Reid." The man jutted his hand at her. She shook it, praying my palms weren't clammy. Doctor Reid retracted his hand after a quick shake.

"Kid joined the team at twenty-two."

"Wow." Her brows rose in genuine shock. Twenty-two? She was still in college going to bars on Friday nights with all her girl friends at twenty-two. She couldn't imagine having a solid FBI job. She noticed how ridiculously young Doctor Reid looked to be, well, a doctor.

"Looks like you're only a few years short. Statistically, the average age to become a member of the BAU is late twenties early thirties so you are ahead of most people already. By that age, most people are—" Agent Morgan put a hand over Doctor Reid's mouth.

"You'll also learn he's a genius that doesn't shut up". Agent Morgan flashed another smile.

"Seriously, Morgan?" Dr. Reid cried.

"It's not his fault he graduated high school when he was twelve. He's too smart for his own good." Alex was taken back again. Twelve? Did he just say twelve?

"Certified genius. Impressive." She noted.

"Thank you." He nodded.

"Looks like we've already got a case so you better prepare yourself." Agent Morgan said.

"Yeah, I heard. I'll try, Agent Morgan."

"Morgan." He corrected with a laugh. "We don't do any of that agent crap around here."

"Right." Alex pursed my lips. "What about you, Dr. Reid?"

"Doctor Reid works. Or Reid." He stammered. Morgan nudged him. "Reid works just fine."

"Good to know." She flashed a toothy smile. Alex turned around and finally took a seat. After Morgan muttered something to Reid, Reid fumbled over and took a seat next to her. Morgan took a seat beside him. Before they could get another word in, JJ, accompanied by the other blonde from earlier, walked in with an older man Alex recognized to be David Rossi. She tried keeping her cool, she really did. But on the inside, Alex was freaking out. The David Rossi, the man standing in front of her, was the author of the books displayed proudly on her bookshelf. She'd always been a big fan, running over to Barnes and Nobles whenever a new book was released. She would spend the day curled up on the couch reading. In her mind, he was one of the greatest nonfiction crime authors.

"So this is the Alexander I've been hearing about?" He gave a hefty laugh.

"That was a glitch on the computers part." The eccentric blonde winced as she admitted to him. Rossi leaned over the table to shake her hand. "SSA David Rossi."

"Former marine and writer of five best sellers. Big fan." She smiled, trying to contain my giddiness. "Alex Kennedy" She reciprocated the hand shake. Yet another strong handshake

"I like her already." Rossi nodded to the team, impressed. "Hotch told me you know Emily." Alex was quick on catching that Agent Hotchner was called 'Hotch' around here. Yet, Alex wouldn't dare to call him that herself.

"Old friend." She nodded.

"Can't be too old, you're more of a baby than Reid when he joined!"

"Few years older, actually. I've heard all about boy genius being a record setter." Reid mumbled something under his breath to Morgan.

"Penelope Garcia at your service." The eccentrically dressed blonde jutted in. "BAU tech analyst superstar and lover of all things pink and fuzzy. And can I just say how fabulous those shoes are." She complimented, causing Alex to furiously blush.

"Thank you."

"Garcia, don't embarrass the poor girl." Morgan laughed.

"What? Can't have a few girl to girl compliments in here? Ugh, too much testosterone I tell you." She shook her head.

"Good morning everyone, sorry to call you in so quick. I see you've all met Agent Kennedy, so let's get started." Hotch walked in with an older woman at his side. Alex's eyes gawked, quite surprised to see Erinn Strauss at his side. Strauss was the most intimidating woman Alex had ever met. During her interview, Strauss made her want to curl up into a ball and disappear from the face of the earth. Strauss gave Alex a quick nod before she began to hand out case files.

"A few hours ago there was a prison transfer to the county hospital in Abilene, Texas. The ambulance crashed and the prisoner escaped." Hotch explained.

"He's wearing the EMT uniform and he's armed with the guard's weapon." Strauss joined in and informed. Alex flipped open the case folder, seeing the police report along with the suspects mug shot.

"Aren't the US Marshalls on this?" Morgan wondered.

"Yes they are. But they need your help because this is what they found inside." Strauss pressed a button for the TV in front of the team to turn on. The picture showed the dead guard laying on the stretcher with a dead driver behind him. "The EMT and the driver died in the accident. The guard, however, suffocated." The screen focused in on the EMT in the white shirt. Strauss reluctantly clicked to another picture of the guard. The edge of his mouth was bloody and it looked to be shut with something.

"What's on his mouth?" Alex piped up.

"Sutures. It was sewn shut." She announced.

"So it's The Silencer?" JJ realized.

"Or this guys a copycat." Rossi thought.

"Forensics confirmed it's the same unique double-knot ligature he used in all three murders." Hotch informed.

"His last known victim was in 2004 and he was never caught." Reid informed.

"Why not just escape? If he hadn't sewn the guard's mouth shut, we should never have known it was him." Morgan thought.

"He wants us to know he's back." Rossi believed.

"What's his name?" Alex asked.

"John Doe. He was pulled over in '04 for a traffic violation. No registration, no tags, no ID."

"Eight years for all that?"

"They searched the car and found a gun with a silencer." Hotch added.

"A silencer? He was practically telling them who he was and no one made the connection." Rossi shook his head.

"It's a federal offense, carries a 30-year minimum sentence. But it was actually what he did inside that guaranteed him life without parole." We all reviewed the file.

"He killed two men while inside." JJ rose a brow.

"And never said a word." Reid added.

"Or speaking with his fists. There's got to be something wrong." Alex flipped through the report on John Doe. "Remaining silent for 8 years takes a hell of a lot of self-restraint. Not saying a lot is understandable but not saying absolutely one word? How do we know he's not mute? A condition response?" Alex questioned, her cheeks burning red as she realized she was talking too much.

"Garcia's gathering all the files from '04. We'll catch up on the plane. Wheels up in thirty." Hotch announced.

It's a known fact that Alex Kennedy is a horrible listener. But for once in her life, she took advice from the great Emily Prentiss and packed a bag to keep in her car if a case popped up. And bam, just like that, she was off on her first day. While Rossi, Hotch, Morgan, and JJ sat in the quad seats by the window, Alex sat across from Reid on one of the couches. The six of them reviewed the case files from 2004.

"Did any of you work this case?" She was the first to break the silence.

"That was during my extended sabbatical." Rossi shrugged. Hotch shook his head.

"We all consulted but never went to Texas." There was a moment of silence.

"Seriously?" She blurted out, her filter clearly gone to the wind. "I'm sorry, sir. I just don't understand. Three women? Four months? That's an unbelievable kill rate. And the signature is undeniable. Surrogates no doubt". Alex looked up and timidly met Hotch in the eye. He didn't look mad.

"We weren't invited by the local police." He pursed his lips.

"Wow." She sighed.

"Welcome to our world." He commented. While the rest of the team continued to consult, Alex reviewed the case in her own silence. What exactly besides shutting his victims up did The Silencer want to accomplish?

"Kennedy and I will head to the US Marshalls." She heard Hotch finish speaking. She looked over to him and nodded, wishing she paid attention more as he talked.

Texas heat was like nothing Alex could compare to. Growing up, she'd been used to DC weather. Texas was like sitting in a sauna with a coat on. It made her think of how much she wanted to stand in front of the freezer earlier. Thankfully, the US Marshall's office was fully air conditioned and made Alex feel like her brain wasn't melting out of her ears.

"SSA's Hotchner and Kennedy." Hotch greeted the man waiting in the lobby.

"Bob Tilghman. Thank you for coming, I got my whole team on this."

"Any leads?" Hotch asked as the two walked through the office.

"Well the wreck happened out in the middle of no where and the sun comes up at six so we figure he's somewhere within a 12-mile radius of the accident site." Tilghman explained.

"You think he's moving on foot in this heat?" She shockingly asked. She'd be surprised if the unsub didn't die of a heat stroke by the end of this.

"It'll kill you under the best conditions. He stole some supplies but not enough to hold up too long. You can expect him to be active tonight."

"Where can we set up?" Hotch wondered.

"Right in here." Tilghman pointed ahead. While the three walked past the cubicles, Alex could smell a pot of fresh coffee. The scent wafted up her nose, catching her attention immediately.

"Any coffee here by chance?" She wondered, dying to get some caffeine in her system to wake her up.

"Just started a pot!" Tilghman happily announced, the words like music to her ears.

"Perfect." She smiled. Tilghman led the two agents into a room set up just for them. There were two glass boards filled with John Doe's mug shot, most wanted posters, and pictures of the recent crime scene.

"We got his picture plastered up everywhere, but if he's hiding. He's hiding. It's gonna be awful hard to weed him out." Tilghman sighed. Alex looked at the boards, crinkling my nose and frowning.

"One thing you'll learn about me is that I'm not good at waiting." She looked up to meet Hotch's gaze.

"Neither am I." He agreed.

"Does the media know about this?" She turned around and asked Tilghman.

"No, we've been trying to keep them at bay. They don't know too much." She nodded in comprehension. Two officers carried in a couple of boxes containing the case files from '04.

"We've got a few hours to figure out this guy inside and out. If he kills in the dark that's just what he'll do." Hotch announced.

An hour passed and Hotch had left Alex by her lonesome to review case files. With a disposable coffee mug in one hand and the third case file in the other, she stood in front of one of the boards reviewing the crime scene pictures from The Silencer's 2004 murders. Silently, she was thankful she wasn't chosen to visit the ME's office. She didn't think she could stomach the sight of a dead body and the guard's mouth sewn shut. It was bad enough in pictures. Sure, the bodies weren't mutilated but this looked like something straight out of a psycho movie.

"There's something about silencing his victims, something besides the symbolism. Maybe he's not mute, maybe he is. Maybe when he was a child he was derided for speaking by his mother? A sister? He might have a speech impediment and when others talk, he's mocking them like they mocked him." Alex thought as Hotch came up beside her.

"It would have been severe—a stutter maybe." Hotch believed. Her attention went from being focused on him to Rossi and Reid entering the room.

"We've got ourselves a reader over here." Rossi announced.

"In multiple languages." Reid added.

"He reads in French and most of his own writings are in English."

"Spanish, English, and surprisingly enough German are Texas' main languages." She informed. Reid paused.

"Yeah, that's right." He eagerly nodded. "His handwriting is the size of a courier type and so far I've read 50,000 words. The small print tells me he's methodical, not always social."

"That's no surprise." She thought. It would have been a big surprise to her if this guy was a social butterfly without speaking a word on record.

"The narrow spacing indicates a tremendous amount of irritability."

"Can I see that?" Alex asked Reid. He handed her pieces of yanked out journal entries sealed in evidence bags. Her eyes quickly scanned over the writing.

"It's like a stream of consciousness. He's thinking and the pen just goes. The books he reads are for someone who's smart, but his writing is a total 180." She mused.

"Could be what he grew up hearing." Reid shrugged. Rossi looked from Reid to her, his eyes narrow.

"There's two of them." He exclaimed to Hotch. Alex quietly chuckled. She was hardly a genius, she just had a thing for writing.

"He literally put words in the guard's mouth." Derek announced as he and JJ walked in holding up an evidence bag.

Once night fell, there was soon another murder. Reid and Alex were instructed to stay behind while the others investigated with CSI. The two of them worked in silence, reviewing the files and jotting down notes when thoughts crossed their minds. Once 9:45 hit, Alex decided to pour herself another cup of coffee. She could already tell it was going to be a long night. Alex sashayed over to the coffee station, pouring the remainder of the pot into her cup. After throwing cream in, she was back into the room with Reid. She sighed and sat down, taking a sip of the room-temperature drink. Well, the coffee wasn't like her favorite café brew back in Virginia. Alex continued to read another part of the case file as she nursed her coffee.

"You like coffee?" Reid piped up after a moment of silence. Alex had felt his eyes burrowing into her and she was worried she'd done something wrong. She looked up, relieving she wasn't doing something unknowingly humiliating.

"Yeah, it pretty much runs through my veins." She joked.

"That's great," Reid stammered, "I mean, it's not great but coffee's good. It's healthy." He rambled.

"Yeah, well, usually I'd switch to water at this hour but it looks like we're in for a long night." She sighed. The thought of sleep sounded like a dream right about now. Instinctively, she took another sip.

"I'm the same way."

"It's either this or a Five Hour Energy."

"You know those aren't good for your heart? It contains a mixture of vitamin B, excessive amounts of caffeine, and citicoline and it causes your heart to pump faster than normal. It's been linked to several deaths." Reid informed. Alex's lips puckered in attempt to stop myself from laughing but it was to no avail. "What?" Reid cocked his head.

"You just know everything." She shook her head in disbelief, a smile playing on her lips. "It's crazy. You're like a living Google."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment." He believed. She immediately nodded.

"I wouldn't be grilling you for a bad thing, Doctor Reid." She grinned. Reid opened his mouth to talk but couldn't form words. Interrupting his lack of speaking, her phone buzzed on the table. Not knowing the number, she picked the call up anyways.

"Kennedy." She formally answered, feeling official.

"Hey, it's Morgan." He greeted.

"Hey, how's it going?" Her tone became more relaxed.

"We got another note. I need some outside opinion."

"I'm going to put you on speaker, ok?"

"That's how we do it." He agreed before stating the note. "Waiting on the taste of honey, the smell of summer."

"He's using the senses." She realized. "Sight, smell, taste? We're missing sound and touch."

"This guy's like Jekyll and Hyde." Morgan scoffed.

"I guess he thinks sweet notes make the murders less creepy." She rolled her chocolate eyes. What a sicko. "Thanks Morgan." And with that, she hung up.

"Maybe he's talking about a place." Reid thought.

"Yeah, but where?" She didn't think Reid, with that giant brain of his, could even answer that.

Towards midnight, the profile was given. Six hours later, the body of an unknown man was found with his baby—who was alive and well—nearby. Hours later the team was sitting at the table throwing out ideas. Alex was staring at left side of the unsubs face, particularly at the scar under his left ear.

"You know he never mentioned hearing?" She mused, her thumb pressed to her lips. In reply, she got confused faces and decided to elaborate. "In the senses. Hearing and touch are left out."

"Yeah, so?" Morgan shrugged.

"Why would he self inflict a wound under his ear if he couldn't hear?"

"Are you saying that he can?"

"I know I'm not crazy but I wouldn't try cutting my ear off if I heard nothing. If it's not broken, don't fix it." Alex announced, putting the folder on the table. "Getting himself into solitary confinement wasn't because of his rage, it was because he wanted silence."

"What about an implant?" JJ debated.

"Garcia, do any of the children have a cochlear implant?" Hotch asked into the phone.

"1988, John Myers."

"He was 14 at the time." Hotch realized.

"His mom was paid 650 bucks for the medical trial." Garcia revealed, sadness in her voice.

"Trial?" Alex piped up.

"Trial." She repeated. "Yikes, it was a highly experimental procedure. It was tested on humans and animals and caused quite the controversy." Garcia replied. Morgan quickly asked if he was deaf before the procedure.

"He had to be deaf in order to participate."

"So his mother gives him the gift of hearing that turns out to be a curse." Rossi said.

"His mom used him as a guinea pig. He spent the first 14 years of his life in silence and now he can't turn the noises off." JJ gravely said. A pang in Alex's gut made her feel sympathy for John Myers, but she quickly pushed it away. He was the murderer, not someone to feel bad for.

It was soon revealed John Myers' insolation cell neighbored one of a Danny Tucker, who owned a honey farm nearby that was just demolished for a housing development. Even sooner, Alex found herself in the car with Hotch, Morgan, and JJ on their way to Danny Tucker's home. Strapped in a bullet proof vest and gun plastered at her side, Alex was filled with fear.

"You ok?" JJ placed a hand on Alex's bouncing knee.

"Going into the field for the first time is a bit intimidating." She hated to admit it. All she ever wanted to be was a fearless bad ass who could do anything. But, that wasn't reasonable.

"Even after the first time it's intimidating," JJ laughed, "You never know what you're going to get really. It's always a surprise."

"Great." Alex's lips formed a tight line and a roll of nausea flowed through her stomach. The team's SUV pulled up to the Tucker home and they quickly filed out, the Marshall's behind them. Alex pulled out her gun and readied it. Blood pulsating through her veins echoed into her ears. Her heart felt like it was halfway up her throat, and if she made one move she'd choke on it.

"Danny!" A woman inside the house cried. "Danny please!" Without hesitation Hotch pushed open the door and all the agents were ushered in. This was it. There was no going back now. Alex's gun was raised firmly as she entered the house to see a woman and her daughter tied to two dining room chairs. Danny Tucker was unconscious in another one, the unsub looming over him with a needle and sutures. JJ rushed over to the mother and daughter, comforting them.

"John Myer, FBI show me your hands." Hotch yelled. The unsub craned his neck around and stared at the agent while Alex stood a way behind Danny Tucker's chair.

"Put down the gun." Hotch loudly demanded.

"John." Alex quietly piped up, putting one finger to her lips as she kept a solid grip on her gun. Her heart rattled against her chest, wondering how she was supposed to do this one sided conversation. She was horrible at making conversation. How the hell did she think she was supposed to talk down a mute unsub from killing someone? All she was sure of in that moment was that Hotch was being too loud, making the unsub more and more unstable.

"I know it's loud. Just put the gun down. It's okay." She spoke just above a whisper. The unsub's left eye twitched as he hesitated. Alex looked from Hotch to Morgan, praying they'd give her backup. "See? Here, I'll do it too." She demonstrated, slowly sliding the gun back into its holster. "I know you can do it too, John." The unsub suddenly began signing words so quickly it looked like a jumbled mess.

"Please slow down." Alex whispered, praying the two semesters of American Sign Language she learned in college would pull through. The unsub repeated the signs.

"He's a liar. There's no peace." She quietly reiterated the signs. "Who's a liar, John? Is it Danny?" He nodded. "There's no where to go. I'm not going back in there." She watched the unsub finish his hand motions while her heart sank. There were only two ways this would go: somehow the team would get the gun away from the unsub and he'd go back to jail or he'd kill himself.

"There's peace. But for this, there's no other way." Alex shook my head, looking sympathetically at the unsub. His lips formed a line and he swallowed a hard lump in his throat. His dry lips quivered before he stood up and backed up against a wall. His eyes shifted from Danny then to Alex, silently giving his last words.

"John." Alex's voice rose, hoping to prevent the inevitable as he positioned the gun to his temple. The gun rang, Alex immediately squeezed her eyes shut, as she felt a liquid spray on her right arm and cheek. She refused to open her eyes, not after the unsub's body hit the ground nor when the daughter beside JJ whimpered. A shaky breath passed through Alex's lips. As much as she'd been dreading it, Alex's eyes slowly opened to the unavoidable scene. The unsub laid dead with a hole in his head while Hotchner and Morgan slowly laid their guns back into their holsters. And just like that, her first case was over.

"I'm sorry. That was out of my range. Especially for my first case." Alex quietly apologized to Hotch as they left the Tucker house and entered the thick wall of Texas heat. At this point, Alex didn't care what Hotch said. All she could think about was getting the blood splatter off of her.

"Yes and no. But, you handled that very well." He nodded. "By the look on his face, I don't think anyone's ever spoke to him with kindness before."

"No one deserves to have a life like that." She muttered. If the unsubs mother had used him as a guinea pig for a fat check, there was no way he'd ever heard kind words. At the end of the line of police cars, Rossi and Reid pulled up from visiting the honey farm. Even though the two had the best intentions, Alex couldn't think of talking to anyone right now. She stood beside the trunk of the SUV as Hotch unstrapped his vest. An officer came up to her with a damp towel, handing it over with a polite nod.

"Thank you." She nodded as well. Alex rubbed the damp towel over her arm, thankful to get the blood off. The thought of showering in a gallon of disinfectant crossed her mind, but she was sure she'd have to wait until she got back to Virginia.

"Don't blame yourself." Hotch spoke up.

"Huh?"

"Jail was his hell. He wasn't letting himself back in." Alex shook her head as Hotch spoke.

"I was stupid. It was stupid. I don't know why I thought I could handle a situation like that. Talking someone down…it isn't my job." She proceeded to scrub the blood off of her cheek.

"But you did your best. One way or another it would have ended the same way. I'm sorry your first case was such a messy one."

"It's the job. Thanks Agent Hotchner." She graciously stated. Hotch nodded, finally walking away over to a Marshall Agent who called him over.

"Are you okay?" Reid exclaimed, his eyes as wide as tennis balls, as he walked up to Alex with Rossi by his side. She reached up and closed the trunk of the car.

"Yeah," She nodded. "I'll be fine." She brushed past the two and decided to get into the car, not wanting to see or hear any more of this.

Walking into the BAU office later that night was like having an elephant lifted off Alex's shoulders. That was until Strauss was there to greet the team.

"Don't tell me there's another one." Rossi stopped in his tracks.

"There's always another one." Strauss sympathetically said. Alex closed my eyes, silently groaning. She knew what she originally signed up for with the job, but she didn't realize the case load.

"I told you we should have just gotten into our cars." Rossi sighed.

"Where are we off to now?" JJ disappointingly asked.

"Home. You need to spend at least one night in your own beds." Much like the coffee she had drank earlier yesterday, the words were like music to Alex's ears.

"Don't have to tell me twice." Alex rose a brow, patting Rossi on the back. "Later."

"Yeah, wait for me!" JJ called as Alex rushed to the elevator. Rossi and Reid followed in suit.

The four team members entered the parking garage, talking about how thankful they were to sleep in their own beds tonight.

"As much as I'm dreading this ride home, my beds going to be so worth it." Alex happily sighed.

"Amen to that." JJ agreed.

"I'll see you all in the morning. Sleep up." Rossi waved as he got into his shiny back Cadillac sedan. JJ slipped into her navy BMW.

"Really wish teleporting was a thing already." Alex joked.

"You know, by the year 2100 scientists claim that teleportation and time travel will exist." Reid informed.

"With that brain of yours I'm sure if you helped it'd be sooner." She suggested.

"Well, without the right technology it's inevitable." Alex quietly laughed at his reply, smiling even though she was too tired to move a muscle.

"Goodnight Reid."

"Goodnight, Kennedy." He called, bowing his head.

"We're not on the job." Alex called back. "It's Alex." She flashed a smile before slipping away into her own sedan, leaving a smiling, exhausted Dr. Reid behind.