Thanks for the reviews/story alert/favorites…you rock Not exactly sure where I'm going with this story. Just taking it one chapter at a time, instead of planning ahead. Let's pretend that the BAU is on the 5th floor.
If you want a disclaimer, press the back button and read the first chapter.
It was a normal morning for the BAU's resident genius. Reid walked into the FBI building that morning with a rather large book in hand when a young girl's voice at security caught his attention. "Look, I don't remember her last name." The familiar voice said.
Reid turned to see Marie arguing with a middle-aged security guard. Why wasn't he surprised to see her again? "Look, Kid." The balding man said. "I can't let you in if you can't tell me why you're here or who you're here to see."
Marie groaned. "Are you stupid or something? I told you, her name is JJ and she's on the fifth floor." She argued.
Reid knew he needed to intervene before the girl got herself into trouble. "I can take her up, Charlie." He offered. Charlie handed Marie a visitor's pass and they walked away. "2,300 adults and children are reported missing everyday. By leaving home by yourself to wander around, you are greatly increasing your chances of becoming one of them." Reid warned the child.
Marie smirked. "I made it here, didn't I?" she pointed out as Reid pushed the button calling for the elevator. It didn't take long for the doors to open.
"Yes, Marie, you made it." Reid sighed. "Doesn't mean you will next time." He said as they stepped into the elevator.
"That's what you think." She retorted. Reid decided not to say anything more. Kids think they are invincible.
Once they stepped off the elevator, Elle immediately noticed Marie from her spot in front of Gideon's office door. "Marie, what are you doing back here?" she asked.
Marie shrugged. "I got bored, so I came to see JJ. She's nice to me and Mikyla is not." She said.
Elle sighed. "I'll go get JJ." She offered, before turning and walking away.
As Elle left, Gideon walked out of his office. "Who are you?" he asked the young girl.
"I'm Marie, I was here yesterday. JJ's my friend." She informed him with a smile. Gideon looked to Reid, who just shrugged and walked passed them to go to his desk. Gideon looked back down at Marie. "Those glasses look funny on you." She said, bluntly. Gideon had been reading just before she showed up.
JJ was in her office looking at a newly faxed over case that the local authorities told her was urgent. Looking through the case, she had to agree. This would be a tough one, it involved kids. As she gathered up the file, getting ready to make copies and present, Elle walked in. "Your friend from yesterday is back." She told her.
"What is she doing back here?" JJ asked, putting the file back on her desk.
"She was bored." Came the answer. "She likes you."
JJ nodded and followed Elle. Gideon and Marie were still in the same spot where Elle had left them. Morgan and Garcia joined them in that short time. Gideon and Morgan where silent as Marie and Garcia chatted, smiling at each other. The conversation was cut short when Marie saw JJ. "JJ!" she raced over to the blonde agent, wrapped her arms around her waist, and buried her face in her chest, similar to what a child would do with her mother.
JJ hesitantly wrapped her arms around the young girl in return. "Marie, shouldn't you be in school?" she asked.
Marie picked her head up. "Teacher planning day." She answered. "Can I stick around here?" she asked.
"We have work to do, Marie." JJ answered.
"Aw, come on, let the Little Jellybean stay." Garcia pleaded, smiling.
"This isn't a playground, Garcia." Gideon said.
"Please." Marie begged.
"Maybe when our case is over, okay?" JJ compromised, ignoring the frown on Gideon's face.
"We have a case?" Gideon asked.
JJ nodded. "Yes, it's local. Let me take her home and I'll present when I get back." She said.
Gideon nodded. "Alright, hurry back." He ordered.
"Yes, sir."
Garcia pulled Marie into a hug. "Bye, Jellybean. Here's my number, call me anytime." Garcia instructed, handing the girl a piece of paper with both her cell phone and home phone written down.
Marie smiled. "Thanks, Penny, bye." She waved.
Gideon went back into his office, while Garcia, Elle, and Morgan watched JJ and Marie get into the elevator. "Are you sure giving her your number was a good idea?" Elle asked.
Garcia nodded. "You don't have to be a profiler to know that that little girl just wants a friend." She answered.
The group made their way back to the bullpen to join Reid. "The way she's attached herself to JJ already, suggests some kind of attachment disorder." Morgan pointed out as he sat at his desk and Elle sat at hers.
Reid looked up from his book. "Most children in foster care, like Marie, usually detach themselves from others, especially foster parents, so it won't hurt as much when they are rejected or moved to another home. But it's not uncommon for foster kids to attach themselves too much to someone that showed them the kindness they aren't used to. It really depends on the child and the adult." Reid explained.
The four agents looked to each other. Looks like they would be getting used to Marie coming around.
Marie was silent the whole way home. Or her temporary home, as she called it. She never lasted more than seven or eight months in a home before. JJ wasn't looking at her, but she could tell that Marie was not happy with being returned to Mikyla. She lived in an apartment complex not to far from JJ's apartment. JJ thought about whether she should tell Marie that or not. If she told Marie, then Marie would be over there a lot. On the plus side, if Marie went there when JJ wasn't at the BAU, then she'd still have a safe place to go. JJ surprised herself when she felt a bond with the girl the moment she wrapped her arms around her. That scared her more than anything. JJ parked the car but didn't get out, Marie didn't move either. JJ looked over at her. "Listen, Marie, stay with Mikyla."
"Why, Mikyla's probably too busy playing tonsil hockey with her creep to notice that I'm gone." She argued.
"Do you like Vanessa?" JJ asked.
Marie nodded. "She's the nicest foster mom I've had." She answered.
"Do you ever sneak off when she's home with you?"
"No, she spends time with me. She taught me how to make flan." She smiled. "She has bad tastes in babysitters."
JJ nodded. "Sometimes, Marie, we have to deal with people we don't like. You can't just sneak away from them, believe me, I know the feeling of just wanting to leave the person I don't like. I'm in the FBI, remember?" JJ explained.
"You must meet a lot of people that you don't like." Marie inquired.
JJ chuckled. "Yes, I do."
"Any of them ever hurt you?" she asked.
"No, what about you?" Anyone ever hurt you?"
"No!" Marie answered a little too quickly.
"Not even Mikyla and her boyfriend?"
"I told you yesterday, they didn't touch me."
JJ nodded. "Come on, I'll walk you in." she said, opening her car door.
Marie stepped out of the car and met JJ at the hood. "Do I have to? Can't I just go with you?"
JJ put her hand on Marie's shoulder. "You can't today." She said.
"Tomorrow?"
"I don't know, Marie. As great as it sounds, I doubt we'll catch our killer by tomorrow." JJ informed her. She didn't want to give away anymore details than that, yet. "I gave Vanessa my card, so she has my numbers if you need me."
Marie and JJ walked up to Marie's apartment. They met Mikyla, immediately after entering the apartment. "Where the hell were you?" the teen yelled.
"Out." Marie muttered.
"You're lucky I don't know your case worker's number or I'd call an tell her that you should be removed from Vanessa's care." Mikyla threatened.
JJ was not going to let her threaten Marie like that. "Don't worry, Marie, she can't do that." She promised. "Go to your room and let me talk to Mikyla and the boyfriend." She said.
"Steve." The guy on the couch corrected her.
"I really don't care what your name is." She snapped as Marie left the room. "I hope you're twenty-one." She said nodding toward the can of beer in his hand. Then she turned back to Mikyla. "I understand that your mad that she left, but don't threaten her like that. Maybe if you and lover boy over here.."
"Steve." He cut her off.
She ignored him. "Weren't so wrapped up in each other, than maybe you would have noticed Marie leaving." She accused.
Mikyla rolled her eyes. "You know what, Bitch…" the teen started.
"That's Agent Jareau to you." JJ cut off.
"Whatever." Mikyla said. "You don't get to judge me." She snapped.
"No, I don't, but you being defensive tells me that I was right." She said. There were some things that you don't need to be a profiler to know. "How long did it take you to realize that Marie was missing? Did you even let Vanessa know?" she asked.
Before Mikyla could answer, Vanessa walked the door. "Mikyla, who is he and why is he drinking alcohol in my apartment with my child in the house?" the woman asked after spotted Steve on the couch. "Have you been drinking?"
"I thought you said you'd be back later." Mikyla said.
"So you thought it be okay as long as I didn't catch you?" she inquired. "Get out, both of you!" she ordered.
"Wait a second." JJ said as Steve and Mikyla tried to leave. "ID." She ordered Steve. He took his wallet out and handed her his ID. He was twenty-one. "How old are you Mikyla?" she asked.
"Nineteen." She answered.
JJ nodded. "Okay, now you can go." she instructed.
They didn't need to be told twice. "JJ, why are you here?" Vanessa asked.
"Had to bring a visitor home." She explained.
Vanessa sighed. "Again?"
"Afraid so. She's in her room."
"Thank you for bringing her back. Would you like some coffee or tea?" Vanessa asked.
"No, I need to get back." JJ answered.
JJ immediately went back to her office to gather the case file of their new case. After copies were made, she headed to the conference room. Everyone was already in there when she walked in. "When I said hurry back, I meant faster than that." Gideon said.
"Sorry, sir, but the babysitter is a piece of work. Anyway, we're in DC for this one." She said, giving everyone each a case file. "In the last six weeks, six children have been murdered. One child a week. First was Nadine Glass, age six, she was strangled. She was found in a playground near where she lived." She clicked the remote and a picture of a Caucasian girl, with long brown hair and brown eyes showed up on the screen. "Then next week, five year old, Tyler Duncan was found in the swimming pooling of his apartment complex. He had been suffocated before being tossed in the pool." She clicked and a picture of an African-American boy. He had brown eyes and was bald. "Mariana Cortez, age thirteen, found strangled in her on the floor of her bedroom, a week later. She was said to be home alone." A photo of a Hispanic girl, with her shoulder length hair dyed red and brown eyes appeared on screen. "Another week later, ten-year-old Reginald Green was found strangled outside a convenience store in his neighborhood." A picture of a Caucasian boy with blue eyes, wearing a rainbow colored wig. Must be from Halloween.
"Was he there by himself?" Elle asked.
JJ nodded. "It was ten o'clock at night. His foster parents say they thought he was tucked away in bed." She answered,
"The boy was in foster care?" Gideon asked.
"They all were." She said. "Last week, five-year-old Zeena Thompson was found in her living room. She had been smothered." A photo of an African-American girl with brown hair and brown eyes appeared on the screen.
"Where were her foster parents?" Morgan asked.
"They were at a party. They came home and found her." JJ sighed in frustration. What kind of adult leaves a small child that they are responsible for alone? "Yesterday, fifteen-year old Manuel Vega was found strangled behind Dee's Movie Rental." A picture of a Hispanic boy with jet black hair and brown eyes appeared on screen.
The agents looked through crime scene photos. "Are you sure these murders are connected. Other than being in foster care, these kids have nothing in common: Different age range, gender, race." Morgan asked.
"Six murders of children in six weeks is above the norm, but not by much." Reid added. "Washington DC is a big city. These particular area that the murders occurred are working class areas. Five out of the six neighborhoods are drug areas. The only difference is where Mariana Cortez lives. Her neighborhood would be considered the safe area." He continued.
Everyone in the room nodded. "Keep looking guys." JJ instructed as she clicked the remote and a picture of a note appeared.
The other agents each found a copy of the note. "I have freed her. She is no longer a throw away child." Hotch read aloud.
"That was the note found pinned to Nadine Glass. Everyone else had similar notes pinned to them, except Tyler Duncan. Since he was tossed in the pool, the unsub left his note beside the pool with a brick holding it down." JJ explained.
"Why did they wait until six kids died to called us in?" Hotch asked.
JJ sighed. "Locals thought they could handle it."
"Six kids are dead, how is that handling it?" Elle said, leaning back in her chair.
"Were all these kids having trouble with foster placements?" Reid asked.
JJ looked through her papers. "Yes, except for Tyler Duncan and Mariana Cortez. Their foster parents were trying to adopt them." She answered.
"The unsub was in the system." Morgan pointed out.
"Yea, but he doesn't seem to have a type. These kids were difference ages and races." Elle said.
"He seems to have a technique of his own. The kids were either strangled or smothered. And he goes in this order: white girl, black boy, hispanic girl, white boy, black girl, hispanic boy." Gideon added.
"So next is a white girl." Elle pointed out.
"And we have six days to find him before another child dies." Hotch said.
Longer than I planned, but longer is good! Not sure when I'm updating next. I have two stories to update, plus another story or two to add to my NCIS series, first. O well, catch ya later!