Chapter 1-Death, Destruction & Deliverance
Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or its characters. No profit is being made from this story (just check my bank account). First CM fic, please R&R!
Spencer Reid walked briskly into the break room of the BAU to refill his empty mug of coffee before their afternoon briefing. He was in his own world and almost didn't notice JJ leaning against the counter. He stopped dead in his tracks due to the look on her face; she looked completely lost in thought as she absently rubbed the right side of her protruding belly, a lazy smile making its way across her beautiful lips.
"JJ?"
Snapping out of her daydream, JJ looked sheepishly at her husband of almost a year, "Hey Spence. I didn't hear you come in."
He smiled as he shoved the hair out of his eyes, "Well, you were lost inside that beautiful head of yours again. What were you thinking about?"
"I was thinking that I can't wait to meet our baby. I'm tired of waiting."
"Are you feeling okay? Do you want to go to the doctor to make sure everything is fine?"
JJ smirked as she rolled her eyes, "No baby, everything is fine. I just want to meet this little one," she said pointing to her belly.
"Don't worry, there's less than three months to go and then you'll be wishing for a break from this little one," he stated with a smile as he covered a side of her stomach with one of his long hands.
"Never," she stated placing her hand over Spencer's, admiring the way his wedding band shone, declaring him hers for the rest of their lives.
Reid looked up after a long moment to see JJ staring at him with a predatory gleam in her eyes. Turning a bright shade of red he stated, "No way JJ! Not here. Not now. Not ever."
"What?" she asked innocently.
"I'd know that look anywhere. There is no way we're having sex in the break room."
"Who said anything about the break room? I have a really comfortable couch in my office…" she let the sentence trail suggestively to match her seductive tone
"Nope. Not in a million years. Hotch would kill me."
"How would Hotch ever know?"
"He would know before I even looked at him! That man's eyes can see into you soul!" he squeaked.
"Special Agent Reid," she whispered as she snaked her arms around his neck, "Are you really going to say no to me?" She put on her best pouting face and kissed him, painfully slow at first, then increasing in urgency as Spencer responded with fervor.
Derek Morgan had been trying to find JJ to ask her what time the conference would start when he walked into the break room and stopped short. Reid and JJ were making out like a couple of teenagers, so he stood there watching. If they were going to put on a show in the break room, then they should know that they were going to have an audience. He took out his phone and started making a video. This should be good! Now Reid will have to do some of my paperwork if he wants me to keep this little beauty to myself! After a minute, he glanced up just in time to see Hotch stalk out of his office and make a bee line to the break room; coffee mug in hand. Morgan cleared his throat, loudly saying, "Hi Hotch," as he blocked the doorway with his tall figure.
JJ and Reid jumped apart from each other as if they had received an electric jolt. JJ quickly set to work re-buttoning her blouse as Reid furiously tried to control the embarrassing shade of crimson that he was undoubtedly turning.
Hotch's eyebrows furrowed together, "Hi Morgan."
Morgan glanced back to ensure that JJ and Reid were decent , then he turned and entered the room and began filling his mug with coffee, while a curious Hotch watched as a cherry faced Reid brushed passed him and out into the bullpen followed closely by a waddling JJ.
"What was that about?"
"What? Can't a guy just say hello to his boss without arousing suspicion?" asked Morgan as he left the room. Hotch wasn't fooled, he would have to talk to those two about keeping their personal relationship private. He smiled as his thoughts drifted back to what Hailey had been like when they were expecting Jack; to the things they had done and the places they had done them.
Shortly after the incident in the break room, JJ gathered the team in the conference room.
"Let's get started," stated Hotch in his usual voice devoid of emotion.
JJ stood from her seat at Reid's side, "I have a friend in the Boston PD and he says that they've had four women of power murdered recently. The first murder took place two months ago, the second a month ago, the third a week ago and the fourth just two days ago," JJ explained to the team.
"Wow. He's devolving rapidly," observed Morgan.
"He apparently kidnaps the victims while they're on their way home from work, keeps them for 24 hours while he rapes and tortures them and then he kills them by puncturing an artery in their necks. They bleed to death over hours, sometimes even a day," JJ gave them the details as she handed out photos and various reports. "They're found in buildings that are under construction, where they are discovered no later than two days after death."
"That's pretty presumptuous considering that it can take up to a day for the victims to die. Couldn't the victims be found before they bleed to death?" asked Emily.
"Normally yes, but the first three murders took place on a Friday, the fourth murder took place on a Wednesday."
"Okay," opened Gideon as he spoke up for the first time since the meeting had started. "So from what we've seen, I'd say he's a caucasian male, mid twenties to late thirties. He's controlled in the manner of which he kills his victims although that control seems to be slipping. He blends into his surroundings since there's no mention of anyone seeing this unsub come or go from the crime scenes. That means that he probably looks like he's a construction worker or someone that belongs there."
"The unsub also left notes on the scene, drawn onto the floor with the blood of his victims. The messages are in French," JJ continued as she passed around pictures of the notes that were left at the scene.
Emily looked at the pictures and spoke for those on the team who didn't read or speak French, "'La gloire est au Père, et au Fils, et à l'Esprit Saint. Comme il au depart,'" the team followed along from photo to photo. They glanced up as Emily continued on in French, "'est maintenant, et jamais sera, le monde sans la fin. Amen.'"
"I gather from the 'Amen' that this is a prayer?" asked Morgan.
"It's the Glory Be." Everyone looked at Reid, who had been uncharacteristically silent throughout the process of putting together a rough profile. He was white as a sheet and his hands trembled slightly. The same thought ran through everyone's minds: Tobias. He continued, "It means, 'Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.' At least that's the rough translation of the prayer although it sounds like this person doesn't speak French as a first or second language. It sounds like it was translated online or through a dictionary. Since the unsub hasn't completed it, he won't stop until he's killed at least four more people," he calculated.
"Jason, I want you and Morgan at the crime scenes, Prentiss and I will talk to construction workers and the families of these women. Reid, I want you to do victimology and see if there's any connections between these four women. Then I want you to go through the evidence and see if you can find anything that the police may have missed, especially those notes; analyze the handwriting and tell me what you find. JJ, I want you to cover the press conference that we'll have as soon as we put together a profile. Wheels up in 30 minutes," Hotch declared as he gathered his files and left the room.
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Once in Boston, the team made quick work of putting together a working profile for the local law enforcement officers. JJ conducted a press conference that had yielded many tips, most of them useless, but thanks to Garcia the team was narrowing down suspects.
"Okay everyone, let's head back to the hotel. It's been a long two days and we need our rest," announced Hotch.
Gideon, who was sitting in a chair pinching the bridge of his nose, collected his files and headed out the door with Hotch as they discussed something that was undoubtedly case related.
"Anyone want to go out for a drink?" inquired Morgan.
"I'm in," said Emily.
JJ groaned, "What I wouldn't do for a beer right about now."
"I'll buy you a Shirley Temple," Morgan offered with a wink.
"Shut up, Morgan!" JJ threw back with a glare.
"Ouch! This whole pregnancy thing has your moods swinging faster than I can keep track of. First I run into you and Reid making out like the world is coming to an end, then you're all business during the case and now you're snapping at me."
"Whoa! Wait a minute!" Emily exclaimed, holding both her hands up in the air while turning an accusing glare towards JJ and Reid, "You two were making out in the break room?!"
Reid flushed a shade of red so deep he almost looked purple while JJ shifted uncomfortably in her chair.
"Oh yeah, they were getting ready to go at the main event and would have been caught by Hotch, if I hadn't came into the room first and ran interference. Thankfully, I have a little something called a video phone," he said while holding up the phone, grinning from ear to ear as he started playing the video for all to see.
Reid bolted from his seat and lunged at Morgan who tossed the phone to Emily, when Reid turned to Emily, she was watching with her moth hanging open, "Well, Dr. Reid, I'm certainly surprised! Who knew you had moves like that?! Wow, JJ, you really are a lucky woman!"
Reid squeaked as he turned to Emily and stuttered, "G-give that t-to m-me!"
"Hmm…" Emily appeared to think about the request, never taking her eyes off the screen, "Nope!"
Morgan laughed as Reid dove for Emily, who in turn threw the phone back to its original owner.
JJ lounged in her chair, watching the exchange between her husband and the other two agents. She sat up and fixed Morgan and Emily with one of her best don't-mess-with-the-pregnant-lady looks. "If you don't hand that phone over to me right now, you will have to conduct all of the press conferences until do I get that video in my hands."
"You can't do that, Hotch won't allow it," Morgan beamed, thinking he had won.
"I'll just tell Hotch that I'm not feeling well, due to being pregnant and all," she stated in a deadly calm voice while gesturing to her ever expanding belly. "Then I'll suggest that I might need some time off. God knows that I need to put the finishing touches on the nursery," she added with a sickly sweet smile.
Morgan's smile died on his face. He knew the amount of work that JJ put into her press conferences, and without her knowledge, experience and contacts he would be left with the worst press conference anyone had ever seen. Not a great way to stay in Hotch's good books. He groaned painfully as he deleted the video from his phone. "You drive a very hard bargain, Mrs. Reid." He moved to leave the room, turned and said, "JJ? You're pretty damn scary when you talk like that!" He left the room with Emily chattering excitedly about the video.
"Oh, and Morgan?"
He stuck his head back into the room, "Yeah?"
"If either of you so much as mentions that video or its contents to anyone, and I mean anyone, I'll take a leave of absence from work so fast it'll make your head spin."
Morgan stood there, looking dazed, then turned and left the room.
When JJ looked at her husband he had an awestruck look on his face, "Wow babe, that was…" he swallowed, "So sexy! What do you say we head back to the hotel and you can show me just how dominant you can be?"
"Oh I'll show you dominant!" she declared as she struggled to her feet and grabbed her husband's tie and practically dragged him from the room.
Please take the time to R&R!! I know this first chapter was fairly boring, but the next one will be action packed! Let me know what you think! D
FeistyFeral