Criminal Minds Season 12 ~365 Days ~
A/N: Hey! This is the sequel to my story "A Storm just Came" it starts the exact next day after the previous story finished. Please read the first story to understand what's going on! Most chapters will be short day by day chapters (at least for the beginning till we get some of the major cases) I'll try to update often although I can't promise anything (sadly) since it's my last year in university and I'll have to work on getting my degree.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything!
Chapter 1: Day 1
DAY 1: I'm fine (common lies)
~The Average person tells 4 lies a day and 1460 a year. The most common lie is "I'm fine"~
August 31st, 2016
9:00
Dave's Mansion
Living together would be a challenge they all knew that, you can't just put a bunch of alpha males and females together and not expect an explosion to occur yes they were friends for years and yes they loved each other to death but actually sharing a house or a living room or kitchen? Were they actually willing to do that? Apparently they had to but were they going to? Hotch was sitting on the sofa watching Derek and Will moving boxes inside, he'd been grounded to the couch from Emily when he tried to move his suitcase up the stairs. Dave was sitting next on to him looking at all the havoc in his once pristine house.
"If you take out the fact that there are 20 something psychopaths out to get us this looks almost fun." Hotch said raising his coffee mug to his lips.
"Yeah right." The older man answered sarcastically.
"No seriously it could be" Dave looked at the stupid grin on his friends face,
"How many painkillers has Emily fed you?"
~o~o~o~
10:00
Quantico, VA.
FBI Academy
Elle looked around the room, everyone was back in their post by now, the whole bullpen was buzzing with life, if one looked around no one would know that just a short two weeks previously had happened, everything was swept away, out of sight out of mind, the windows replaced, everything back in perfect working order. She walked to her office across from Penelope's who still hadn't come back to work and walked in leaving her door open. She walked to the desk and sat down looking at her desk, looking at the pictures of her family there, Gideon was in all of them, of course, a smile appeared on her face when she remembered that she didn't have to go back to an empty house any more. Although she couldn't go to her house, it still didn't bother her that much.
"Hey boss brought coffee." She raised her head and faced Jordan Todd standing just a shy step inside the room holding a cup of coffee from the shop across the street, Elle smiled and the other agent walked in the room placing the cup softly on the desk, "Do we have any new cases?" she asked, everyone who knew Jordan, especially Dave, had been shocked with her decision to come back to the BAU, her tenure there wasn't the easiest and they had all thought that she would prefer to stay away from the Unit, but apparently she was willing to give her dream job (in her words) another go.
"No not really, we have some calls from some P.D.s thought from where some of the serial killers originally were asking for updates on the matter, most of them are afraid that they'll go back home and create havoc once again." Jordan took a sip from her cup still steaming in her hands.
"I don't think they'll go back home that soon, till they make a move we don't even know who's out there. I want you to gather the team in the conference room, while our favorite psychopaths might be free we still have to figure out who set them free."
~o~o~o~
12:00
Dave's Mansion
Aaron was lying on the bed, his shoulder and clavicle were killing him, he had his eyes closed trying to take deep breaths. He knew that Emily was downstairs with JJ, Will, Hayden and Dave watching Gideon and Michael getting to know each other so he knew that he had some time to himself. Although he'll never admit it to anyone he was relieved of not having to go back to his apartment, everything seemed to be reminding him of the moment SWAT stormed in and arrested him, those memories were so strong that from time to time he seemed unable to even remember the good times he had in this apartment. All he could remember is that he got arrested in front of his son. All he could hear were Jack's screams and the door breaking. Not laughing with Emily, not playing with Jack, not having fun with Dave during poker night, it was as if all those moment were erased, almost completely from his memory.
He felt a hand through his hair and his eyes flew open, for a moment, just a short one in the haze of all the pain he couldn't figure out whose hand it was. His eyes though focused fast on Emily who was sitting on the bed next to him, a sweet smile on her face, then he felt her other hand on his face and leaned towards it.
"Are you feeling better? I saw you taking a few too many painkillers before." He whispered, slowly lowering herself to lie on the bed next to him.
"I'm fine… I just… I worked myself a bit harder than I should." His eyes were looking over her shoulder to the bathroom door trying to avoid staring straight in her eyes, something that didn't went unnoticed by her, "Aaron" she sighed "Please don't lie to me." He opened his eyes and looked at her straight in the eyes "It hurts." He responded, "Hurts a lot" she looked straight into his eyes noticing his constricted pupils. "How many did you take today?"
"Two" he breathed out "Stopped for a while but still hurts." Emily noticed his slow breathing, as well as the stillness of his body. "How long ago?" she tried to speak softer, she knew from his tightly shut eyes that he was starting to get a headache. "It's been four hours." The words were getting out of his mouth with difficulty, "Aaron you should take another." He nodded softly no while still keeping his eyes tightly shut.
"Aaron." Emily insisted but so did he, barely managing to blur out that he would be fine without it. She could understand that he didn't want to take any more painkillers, thinking that he can handle it without them, but he was in pain and she hated seeing him like that. "I could run you a bath, maybe warm water will ease the pain?" she suggested and she was please to see him nodding positively not to long after "Will you join me?" he asked her, the smile on his lips missing out on the usual mischief Emily could find easily there, she still smiled back not letting him know she knew that something was wrong with him and maybe it was something worse than he was willing to admit.
"You know I'll never miss out on that opportunity." She joked "Stay put." She kissed his temple and saw him closing his eyes again before she disappeared in the small en suite bathroom.
~o~o~o~
12:00
Quantico, VA
FBI Academy
Matt looked up from the pile of papers he had in front of him signing, this whole pile would never lessen. He dropped his pen and leaned back on his chair taking a couple of deep breaths. He heard his cell vibrating on the desk and opened his eyes to see JJ's image appearing on screen, he smiled at the phone and picked it up.
"Hey Jen."
"Mattie, I'm in Quantico, are you free for lunch?" he looked at the clock across from his desk and then the pile of files on his desk thinking that in reality he didn't have time not only for lunch but even for eating.
"Sure, where are you?" he asked deciding to forget about the paperwork for a while.
"Outside your office!" Matt smiled and got up from the chair hanging up the phone, he grabbed his wallet opting to leave his blazer in the office and opened the door coming face to face with JJ's smiling face.
"Shall we?" she asked.
The walked to the small dinner few streets over and occupied their usual table by the window. The window was open and the soft breeze was hitting them softly, "I love the air." Matt muttered
"What?" JJ looked up from the catalogue in front of her and looked at her friend "Oh nothing, I just say I love that breeze." He smiled back at her and took his catalogue checking over what to order, although they both knew what they'll get.
"You fellows are ready?" their waitress, a girl no older than eighteen came over them, "Well I'll have a sailor sandwich but with regular mustard." Matt said giving her the catalogue, JJ rolled her eyes "How groundbreaking" she whispered smiling at him "And I'll have a BLT" JJ said giving both their catalogues to the girl
"How surprising Mrs. Jareau! A BLT!" Matt felt his mood significally improving since he left the academy. "Yeah just like you which time is this that you are ordering a sailor sandwich?"
~o~o~o~
12:30
Dave's Mansion
Emily and Aaron were both relaxing in the tub, Aaron leaned back resting his head against the wall. While Emily was leaning back on his uninjured side hugging his waist closer to her "Aaron" she whispered "Is there anything bothering you?" her question was met with silence but she knew that he was awake. His reluctance to speak did indeed hurt her but she knew better than keep pressing, she married one hell of private person after all, he needed his time before he would tell her what was bugging him so badly the whole day.
He closed his eyes and tried to even his breath, maybe foul Emily into believing that he was asleep, and maybe she wouldn't ask him about it. This was a part of his past that he wasn't all too keen on talking about. How could he after all? How can you explain about the fact that your own father abused to death the same pills you came so close to using to end your own life when seventeen and now need to get up from the bed? She knew his already messed up present and close past, there was no need to burden her with this part of his history as well. He was afraid that this might be the final drop, that last thing that might make her say enough is enough and run away from him for good this time. Maybe that way… if she never finds out maybe she won't…
17:00
Washington D.C.
D.C. Police First Substation
Will loved his work, he absolutely loved being a police officer. When he was away from it, when Henry was younger he was feeling a little less happy than he should, a little more melancholic maybe, like something was missing, at the best time of his life, spending time with his newborn (firstborn) son just wasn't as fulfilling as he thought it would be after a little while. The older Henry got the less he needed him to be over his head 24/7, the less useful he felt.
Today though was the first day he was eager to get out of the station and back home, or Dave's mansion which for God knows how long will be everyone's home. There were 24 serial killers, 24 freaks out there ready to brutally kill his family for revenge. He needed to be close to his boys and wife, he needed to be there to help protecting his family. He knew that one more gun wasn't enough against those people, and he did knew that if they wanted they could kill them all before they had a chance to do a thing. It was more the illusion of safety that nothing could happen if he was there. He knew deep down that a mare police officer with minimum training on serial killers couldn't really do anything to help the best trained team of the country on them, nothing more than offer brute force if they needed it. Just another gun, few more bullets in their arsenal and maybe that was enough, maybe not, anyway he didn't want to know.
He gathered his things and left the station in lighting speed, barely even talking to his partner before he bolted out the door and straight to his car. As he drove home he couldn't help but wonder if his life will ever again have any sense of normality. The same feeling he took for granted while he was in New Orleans because it was a given, the same feeling he despised after he met her because it meant that he could never have her, the same feeling he missed every time she came home hurt. He truthfully didn't know if he wanted it (not that he'll admit that to anyone, even himself) but he missed it, because maybe then he wouldn't have to speed home in fear of what he'll find there.
Even if that was just a family in war… with each other.
~o~o~o~
19:00
Dave's Mansion
When Matt walked out of his car he noticed that many of the windows of the house had light, almost all of the house had light but the living room, it frankly made him check his watch just to make sure he wasn't that late coming home. It was just a little past 7 am and no one seemed to be in the living room, or dining room. He remembered JJ telling him that she was going to cook tonight and not be late, that's why he took some of his files home, hoping to ask Dave at dinner if he could use his office to finish them but now the lights were off in the kitchen and dining room. For a moment he thought that JJ's cooking attempted floated and everyone went to sleep early but then he remembered that JJ was actually a great cook so that didn't make any sense. He shrugged and walked up to the house unlocking the door and walking in, the table looked in pristine order as if no one had eaten there, he turned and noticed the note on the alarm 'Cruz set the alarm! –D' he looked at the post it and ripped it off, it was a bit weird that Dave called him by his last name but he shrugged it off setting the alarm and walking to the kitchen see if there were any leftovers for him. He opened the fridge and found a plate covered with aluminum foil and a post it with JJ's handwriting 'Sorry there won't be dinner tonight but enjoy yours. Love U xxxJJ' he smiled and took the plate out raising the coverage to see his meal, his favorite fried chicken. He was curious with what JJ meant when she said there won't be dinner tonight but he was also so tired that he needed to eat and go to sleep. He'd have to ask JJ tomorrow what happened that's for sure, but for now he would settle with his meal and warm bed…
~We live in a house on fire. No fire department to call, no way our~
A/N: This is the first chapter. I'm already working on Chapter 2, hopefully it won't be long before I post it. Please let me know if you like this chapter till next time, have fun!