Carrying the Shadow
Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds
Ross Donahue stared at his bruised and swollen reflection, his eyes boring a hole into his own black soul. His pulse was still racing, and his blood boiled with anger for the way he'd left things at the Blake house. The only thing keeping him going was his desire to see her again. It was a burning desire that he couldn't control…something he had no intention of controlling. He didn't want to control this and he wouldn't rest until he found her.
….
Everything can change in one second…It just takes a second for an event to change your entire life. JJ knew this better than most people. As Andi sat with a doctor in an exam room, JJ stood outside in perfect view so Andi would know she was there. JJ couldn't imagine what Andi was going through. Why did Andi have to go through this….again? Andi's eyes were haunted and wide open, still in shock. She would stay strong of course…JJ knew that. Andi was perhaps the strongest girl she knew and this situation would be no exception. JJ closed her eyes, remembering…
JJ was laughing, smiling, and happy, her eyes full of life, not having seen the devastation that was to come. Her face was bright and lit with glee. She hung lovingly on the arm of a young man with blue eyes deeper than the clearest ocean and strong arms she knew she could always trust. Collin Blake was the best boyfriend she had ever had and could see herself settling down with a guy just like him. He had a wonderful, loving family and JJ loved them. She grinned, making a joke at her boyfriend's expense, and chuckling at the mock-hurt look on his face that melted into a loving grin. JJ walked into his house and kissed him goodbye. She was babysitting his sister who was the smartest nine-year-old in the state while he went off to a class he was taking. JJ loved babysitting Andi. She definitely wasn't a baby, and it wasn't like JJ had to do anything but hang out with the girl. Even though Andi was nine years old, she was smart enough to pass as an above average high school student by intelligence. JJ loved her like she was her own sister. Andi was a genius and JJ even learned things from her on a daily basis. JJ sometimes forgot that Andi was nine, but what happened that day made her remember…
Collin came home a few hours later, his bad mood blanketed by JJ's and his sister's laughter. They all went to the park to have a picnic. Then something changed in the air…the wind picked up and whistled through the leaves, picking up their trash and carrying it through the air. A storm was rolling in and they packed up their things, ready to go home before it started to rain…but rain was the least of their worries. It started with a violent, sudden bang and a little girl's heart-wrenching scream…something JJ would never forget. She would never forget a lot of things from that night: The killer's malevolent grin as he took wallets and jewelry ,the blood and life spilling from her love's chest, the terror in Andi Blake's nine year old, tear-filled eyes as she watched her best friend and big brother die, and her heart….breaking; shattering into a million pieces. This tragedy seemed to last forever. The rain fell…first only a few drops, then a torrent of rain barraged the murder scene, washing the blood away, and mixing in with the tears and sorrow….This was the worst day of Andi's life…until now.
….
Emily Prentiss took a deep breath, settling herself down a bit before knocking on Hotch's door. Her eyes were red and worn out from the case they had just finished, but she knew that now, they had a whole new disaster to deal with. She knocked three times and waited for an answer. Hotch's uptight, professional voice answered, telling her to come in. When she walked in she saw that his face was marred with exhaustion and stress; he definitely didn't need the news that was coming to him, but she had no choice but to inform him of the most recent act of human malevolence.
"Prentiss, I thought you went home already." Hotch looked surprised and gestured for her to sit in one of the chairs in front of his desk.
"I did. But, Hotch, we have a situation." The tenor of her voice described the seriousness of the situation and Hotch sat up straighter, listening intently.
"What happened, Prentiss?" Hotch didn't really want to hear what was coming next.
"I was walking out to my car to go home, and I saw a girl huddled by the building. It's freezing outside, Hotch, so I was worried about her. I got to her and she was in shock, covered in blood, and shaking. She wouldn't talk to me at first and wouldn't tell me if she was hurt or not, so I asked her what her name was. She told me and then said she needed JJ. I brought her in and she told us what happened." Emily proceeded to tell Hotch the same heart-wrenching story that Andi told her and JJ. Hotch's eyes were intense as he listened to all of the details. Once she was finished with the story, she spoke again. "She was very observant of the killer. She noticed details that you would expect from someone who's had some sort of profiling training. And I have no idea how JJ knows her; I didn't get the chance to ask." Emily stopped and let all the information sink in. Hotch took a deep breath, his stressed face scrunched in thought.
"Okay…I'll take care of the crime scene when I get an address and you go to the hospital and talk to JJ. Figure out how she knows her and then we'll go from there." Hotch took a breath and let it out. "Looks like we're in for another grueling case…we need to find out more about Andi, so whatever you can get from JJ could help. Just call me with the details…" Hotch smiled sadly and Emily stood, nodding. She left the office and Hotch let himself lay back in his chair, his exhaustion taking over. They were going to be up all night and Hotch hadn't been to sleep in almost 24 hours. Emily and JJ hadn't either…this was going to be a long night.
….
"JJ?" Emily's friendly hand grazed JJ's arm as she walked up next her.
"Hey…" JJ sighed and glanced back into the exam room for a second, running her hand down her face.
"How is she?" Emily's gaze was worried and attentive, her brows pulled together.
"She's still pretty scared. She suffered a few bruises and a minor concussion." JJ frowned.
"She doesn't even look scared…She's tough." Emily's brows rose, impressed.
"Yeah…She's always been able to compartmentalize things." JJ's voice was sad and thoughtful as her mind went back to the night Collin Blake was killed.
"How old is she?"
"19…I've known her since she was little. I dated her brother in college for a couple of years." JJ leaned against the wall, still making her presence seen from the exam room.
"Yeah?" Emily nodded and waited for JJ to go on.
"She's been through a lot, Emily. She shouldn't have to deal with any of this…This shouldn't have happened to her…" JJ proceeded to tell Emily the story of Collin Blake's murder, keeping her own feelings completely out of it. JJ told her that she had gone to Andi's house every day for at least a year after Collin died. She'd been around for Andi for everything, like she was her big sister. And she might as well have been Andi's big sister. JJ had made sure that she helped Andi through everything; especially getting into a good enough college for her future. She had done everything for her just like she thought Collin would've done.
"Wow…" Emily's eyes were wide and she was shocked that this girl had been through so much. This really intelligent 19 year old girl, who now had no blood relatives and had watched everyone in her family get murdered now sat, almost calmly, in an exam room without an ounce of fear in her eyes for her own safety. Instead, there was anger. Emily saw Andi's fiery eyes and her balled-up fists. Andi wanted revenge…and JJ noticed too.
"I can't keep her out of this investigation…and I won't." Her voice was steady and unmoving; she had no doubts about what she just said. JJ's eyes filled with moisture, but she refused to let any tears fall as she looked up at Emily, shaking her head.
Wow! Thank you guys for all of the wonderful reviews! And thank you for reading! Reviews definitely brighten my day so keep them coming! Hope you enjoyed! R&R!-mlw217
