Title: Their Luck
Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds, Erica Messer, Mark Gordon and CBS do.
Author's Note: Starts between season 8 and 9.
Beta'd by: Marie2172
Chapter 1: A Few Years Earlier
-Four years earlier, summer 2013-
This can't be happening. This is not the way that Shauntelle Zhang had pictured dying. A few days earlier Elspeth Roquemore had taken her by force, made her miserable by torturing and injuring her. Now she had been dragged to the baseball stadium and was now sitting on the railing with a knife to her. As she was being held, there she had a few thoughts helped her stay calm. One was of JJ and her friends, and of course, Dave. In the past four years that she has known the team, she had formed a deep friendship with each member of the team including Dave. She remembered the first gathering had with the team.
-Flashback: September 2012-
Shauntelle had settled in nicely. Two months following her mother's death, she took time off from her studies. She moved from Pittsburg to DC where her former babysitter JJ who helped Shauntelle get a job with the FBI daycare center and an apartment. Pretty soon Shauntelle got to know JJ's team when she went to breakfast with the team and got to know them better.
During their breakfast, Hotch was the first to initiate the conversation. "So Shauntelle, tell us about yourself and how long have you known JJ."
With a nervous smile, Shauntelle began. "Well, I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I was the only child as were my parents. JJ was my babysitter until
I started high school. After that, we stayed in touched and she helped me through navigating the high school years."
Blake took the lead from Hotch and asked, "I heard you are bilingual. Which other languages can you speak?"
Shauntelle added, "Yes. Besides English, I can speak Mandarin, Portuguese, and Spanish. My parents taught me both Mandarin and Portuguese as soon as I could talk. I picked up on Spanish when I started grade school and learned a little bit of Italian in high school."
Dave took the lead and asked, "Quali sono i tuoi colori preferiti ?" What are your favorite colors?
Shauntelle replied as best she could, "I miei colori preferiti sono il blu , arancio, rosso , verde e viola." My favorite colors are blue, orange, red, green and purple.
The crew was impressed with her spot-on pronunciation. Dave commented. "Wow, I am impressed."
Nerves that Shauntelle had been experiencing had now subsided; now she was feeling at east. Right, then their food had arrived, which consisted of waffles, fruit, and yogurt, pancakes vegetarian scramble, hash browns, omelet, bagel and cream cheese and lastly oatmeal.
As they ate the question continue to come. Morgan asked, "Okay growing up who were you closer, your mom or dad?"
Shauntelle answered, "I was close to both. They both taught me the value of manners, being polite and honest and working hard. Dad taught me the value of working hard and saving money. My mom, it fostered my love for many things including spending time at an animal shelter, reading and learning new things."
Morgan said looking at his baby girl, "That is great that on keeping an open mind on new things."
Penelope took the cue and asked, "Have you tried your hand at coding?"
Shauntelle replied, "No that is something I have always wanted to learn but never know where to start."
Penelope added, "Great, come by sometime and I can teach you."
To which Shauntelle responded, "Thank you I would like that."
The conversation continued to flow and soon came upon babysitting experience and they were laughing at how toddlers love toilet paper.
The whole crew laughed especially JJ and Aaron. They knew what it was like to have a kid get into toilet paper at a young age.
A short while later Reid said, "You mentioned you love to read. Who is your favorite author?"
Shauntelle didn't even have to think about this when she replied, "I have many favorites. Three of my favorites are Jane Austen, Alexandre Dumas, and Charlotte Bronte. Any novel by them is a great read."
Following the breakfast, she had with the team Shauntelle formed close friendships everyone on the team. They had all encouraged her to continue her studies which she did. She transferred her previous credits earned at her prior university to George Washington University. There she switched her major from child development to computer science classes.
Everything was well, except for one thing. Lately, she was starting to feel something funny develop within her. Besides feeling all warm inside, she was feeling the classic symptoms of having a crush on someone: imagination go into overdrive, constantly restless, bouts of insomnia and overthinking a lot. The one symptom that was heightened when she was near Dave was her imagination going into overdrive.
She knew that didn't sound right; he is old enough to be her father and yet there was something about him that made her feel happy and confused at the same time. There was something about Dave that made Shauntelle all tingly. However, was something about Dave that drew Shauntelle in early on. As time went on she soon had developed a crush on Dave. Problem was, as time went on her crush grew. She recalled the time she talked to the JJ, Penelope, and Alex regarding her crush.
There was one way to figure things out and that was to talk with her friends. So she decided to invite JJ, Penelope, and Alex to girls' night out. They talked and caught up before Shauntelle asked, "Can I ask you guys I need to ask you something?"
With a drink in hand, Penelope asked, "What about, girlie?"
Shauntelle fidgeted a little and smiling a shy smile. "Well, lately I have been feeling, well I have been feeling warm and tingly all over and…"
Without missing a beat Alex jumped in. "I think to know what it is about."
JJ finished, "You, my girl, have a crush on David Rossi. Am I correct?"
All three looked at Shauntelle, waiting for her to answer. There was no turning back now and there was no denying it either. So, Shauntelle nodded her head and JJ, Penelope, and Alex all made loud squeals and Penelope added, "I knew it! I kind of saw it coming."
Shauntelle sipped her drink and asked, "You did? When?"
JJ added, "Well, at Christmas party I saw the two of you exchange subtle glances."
Alex added, "There is also something else I noticed recently."
Shauntelle looked at Alex and she said, "I saw him get nervous around you and zone out. There was this time during our recent case reviews, I saw he was in his own little world before coming back."
Alex paused for a second before continuing. "Oh and one time he walked into the glass door on the way, which has never happened."
Shauntelle winced; now she knew how the small bruise came about on his head. At least she had her feelings halfway confirmed. However, she was still wasn't sure if he liked her. Wait, what she is feeling can't go wrong because two profilers and one technical analyst have all noticed it as well. Right now, only time will tell.
Sensing her fears, Penelope said, "Yes, he has had three divorces. He also has a reputation that precedes him, but when he finds the right woman it could all go away. You never know Elle; you may very well be the one."
She had been planning on telling David but when she found out that he was already in a relationship with BAU Sections Chief, Erin Strauss, she decided it would be best to remain silent about her crush. She tried not show it but she knew that JJ, Penelope, and Alex saw through her and how she was crushed.
She was completely lost in thought until she felt the knife to her neck to tighten. It was tight enough to cause the sharp edge to cut the skin, which brought her back to her present situation of how her hostage situation came to be. She met Darren Roquemore shortly after Erin Strauss had been killed by The Replicator, John Curtis. While she still had a crush on Dave, she was there to support him through a tough time but kept her distance. It was her relationship with Darren that got her into this mess; long story short, Darren ended the relationships quickly and his father moved in on his exes, which pushed Elspeth into the deep end.
Somehow Mrs. Roquemore knew what Shauntelle was thinking and it angered her…big time.
Tightening her grip Elspeth asked menacingly, "What are you think about you, hussy?"
Breathing the best she could Shauntelle said haughtily, "Ha, like you would care."
Readjusting her sitting position on the railing she tightened the chokehold. Elspeth whispered threateningly, "Wrong answer. Your life will end today and here you little bimbo. This ought to teach you not to flirt and seduce men who are unavailable."
Pausing briefly Elspeth continued, spitting it out with disgust, "I know you like him even as he was in mourning. If this is the last thing I do I will make sure you will never see Agent Rossi ever again."
Shuantelle gulped. She didn't intend for this to happen. She hoped they would find her soon.
As this was all going on, Dave and the team were closing in on the location Penelope had given them. Everyone was on edge including Dave and JJ. Dave prayed that Shauntelle would be all right.
When they had arrived at the location where their suspect was holding Shauntelle, they had to hurry since they knew the suspect was delusional, armed and dangerous and that in itself is a lethal mix. As they exited the SUV, Hotch began giving orders. "Reid, you stay here and be ready to call for an ambulance; there is a chance Shauntelle will need one. Blake, you and Morgan go to the field and keep your eye on the suspect and the hostage. Rossi, JJ, come with me."
Everyone nodded and went their separate directions. As Rossi, Hotch and JJ made their way to the pinnacle of the stadium, they heard over the radio as Alex started to speak. "Hotch, we have a visual of Elspeth and Shauntelle at the very top. They are dangerously close to going over."
Hotch replied, "Copy that."
When Hotch. Rossi and JJ reached the top, Rossi yelled out, "FBI! Don't move."
With their weapons pointed at them, Hotch began, "It is over Elspeth—let Shauntelle go and no one gets hurt."
Tightening her grip, Elspeth said, "Let this wench go? Over my dead body, she is the reason I lost everything. This floozy is coming with me."
JJ stepped closer, her weapon trained at Elspeth and said, "Believe us, we know your pain, but taking an innocent life is not the answer. We know you killed your husband and every single one of your husband's mistresses. Your son already lost his father, do you think he wants to lose his mother as well? Think of your son."
Elspeth hesitated, but then said, "Yeah, right. Darren has said he wanted nothing to do with me."
David took his turn, "We talked with Darren and he said he wants you in his life despite what has happened. Now please, let Shauntelle go."
Elspeth wavered yet again this time to ponder. However, she was not going to fall for anything anymore, not even what the agents are telling her. She still decided to take Shauntelle with her.
Right before she decided to go over, Elspeth make eye contact with Dave and say, "Say goodbye to your precious Shauntelle, you will never see her again."
As she leaned over the railing and fell over, Hotch, JJ and Rossi yelled "No!" They holstered their guns and rush forward to help. They looked down and they all saw that Elspeth had fallen to her death, but Shauntelle was holding on to the edge just barely. As JJ, Dave and Hotch helped pull over Morgan radioed in saying, "Hotch, I have sent for coroners to come and pick up the deceased."
Hotch replied, "Copy that."
Dave then radioed Reid, "Reid you can send up to EMTs. Reid then radioed in and said, "Already did."
No sooner had JJ, Dave and Hotch pulled Shauntelle back over the railing, JJ was the first to say, "You're safe now Elle, you're safe. It is all over."
Shauntelle made eye contact with the three agents and then blacked out. David caught her before she hit the ground and Hotch radioed, "Send in the EMTs now!"
Everything happened in a blur; the medics came in quickly and David helped place Shauntelle on the stretcher as JJ gave them information on Elle. After the paramedics got her hooked up, when they were ready to go. The EMTs said to the agents, "We will have her taken to George Washington University Hospital."
JJ said, "I will go with Shauntelle."
They all nodded and got into the SUV and followed the ambulance. Once they arrived at the hospital JJ said they would have to wait for the doctor to come and give them updates.
Then everything seemed to slow down. As they sat and waited he looked around the hospital. As they waited Penelope had shown up at the hospital and asked, "How is she?"
JJ told Penelope what happened and Penelope then went to café to get everyone a drink. The minutes seemingly continued to drag by they were getting antsy—Reid had his eyes closed and quietly regurgitated random facts, Morgan was saying a quiet plea, Blake was talking with Hotch. JJ had made a quick to Will and Henry to let them know that Shauntelle had found. Right then was when Dave was beginning to notice how busy the staff was and how the prints on the wall were starting to show signs of wear along the edges where gurneys were and had been lined up. As he continued to wait he could also smell a strong scent of bleach.
Not able to take it anymore Dave got up and began pacing. He paced back and forth…pondering amongst many things. He just hoped Shauntelle would be all right after all she had been through. He was so deep in thought that he didn't hear JJ walk up to him and place her hand on his shoulder. When he did he turned around and saw a comforting smile.
Right, when Penelope came back with drinks when they heard, "Family of Shauntelle Zhang?"
JJ jumped out of her chair first. She showed her badge and asked, "I am Agent Jarreau. Shauntelle does not have any immediate family as her parents are deceased. My colleagues and I are her families now. How is she doing Doctor?"
The doctor replied, "Well the less severe of the injuries are the lack of liquids and food causing hunger and dehydration and the lack of sleep causing sleep deprivation. Her more severe injuries that she incurred are a bruised face, swollen eye and shallow knife wounds on her throat. She had also sustained numerous bruised ribs, fractured left tibia, and a broken right ankle. After all that, she is lucky to be alive."
Everyone let out a sigh of relief and they all hugged each other. They knew she would pull through. They also know that she had ways to go in order to heal.
The doctor then cleared his throat and continued, "We are going to keep her for a two days."
David asked, "Can we see her?"
The doctor replied, "She is heavily sedated so she will be out for the rest of the day. You can come by tomorrow to see her."
They all nodded, thanked the doctor, and walked out. JJ and Dave were the last to leave; there was something she needed to clear up. "Dave? I have something to tell you."
Dave turned around to face JJ and he asked, "What is it JJ?"
JJ sighed. "I know Elle will not be happy I said this but she has a crush on you for some time now but she choose not to say anything. What you do with this information is up to you."
A/N 2: Thanks for reading the first chapter! Please leave a review!