AN: Okay, so this' another really short chapter. I hope people are getting along fine with this because I received very little reviews from the last chapter, which tells me that nobody liked it and that people are getting bored. If that's not the case, then please review so I don't get the wrong idea. I don't want to write a story that I know nobody will read. If you don't like it I'll be able to tell if you don't review. I might be overreacting, but right now I'm kind of hurt. So, please let me know. Also, I won't be updating for a while because I need to study for this big standardized test in school that I delayed until the thirteenth. After this test I'll truly consider myself a Junior in high school. As always, please enjoy!
"Okay, so what do we know?" Rossi said.
He had taken over the investigation since Hotch was over-the-top angry and Reid was permanently comatose inside that head of his. Rossi and Jareau were standing in the lobby with a corkboard standing on an easel. And on the corkboard were pictures of the victims, and everything else they had found out. They also had a picture of Veronica Jennings- black curly hair, amber eyes, beauty and all.
"That's her," Reid had said- tears in his eyes.
Hotch had pulled him away before he could say anything else.
So now Hotch, Reid, and all the other agents were facing out of the lobby, while their corkboard was facing the lobby. Reid had suggested that they do it in one of their rooms, but Hotch told him there was not much room. Plus, if anyone passed by, Jareau could give him or her a flier to watch out for Jennings.
"If only the police station were open this early," Prentiss had said at six a.m.
Alas, the police station opened at eight, so the team commenced in the lobby, where no one else existed during that time of morning. And now, as the team yawned with circles under their eyes from lack of sleep and lack of coffee, Rossi made a good point: they already knew who their unsub was. Yet they knew Garcia not be in until later that morning, they were out of luck- unless they could think of something to do themselves.
And so they sat in the lobby whose color scheme was that of dark mahogany and dark pink mixed in with some crimson. The stone fireplace had been lighted for Jareau's pleasure. It was brilliant the nice places the bureau put them up in, as an alternative to placing them in some hole in the wall. Prentiss had stretched herself out on a chaise upholstered with pink velvet fabric, and decorated with square pillows in some sort of fake silk- unless it was real silk. Whatever it was, Prentiss was eating a container of roasted peanuts over them. Reid and Hotch were sitting on a loveseat also upholstered the same kind of fabric.
"We know who our killer is: Veronica Jennings. Now we just need to find her," Rossi stated simply.
Nobody looked at Reid when he said, "And Morgan!"
"Yes, Reid. And Morgan," Rossi stated. He took another deep breath, since this was a difficult subject to talk about. After a certain pause, he continued talking, "JJ is over there getting a phonebook. We'll look up Jennings' address in that and then see if she's there. If not, we'll need to call in reinforcements."
Nobody needed to say her name aloud- they all knew who she was.
Garcia.
Jareau headed straight for the coffee table as she knelt before it and placed the phonebook on the coffee table. Flipping it open, she began searching for the 'J' in Jennings. Everyone leaned over the coffee table, watching Jareau as she searched for the name. A smile appeared on her face when she eventually found it.
"Ah, there we are," Rossi stated.
Reid looked as though there was some hope in the world. He combed his fingers through his long brown hair, eyeing Rossi and Hotch with wide eyes.
Rossi scanned everyone with his eyes as he said, "24 Jefferson Street."
Hotch stood and said, "We're not waiting."
The agents just sat and watched Rossi and Hotch do some sort of staring contest. It was not a sort of staring as a disagreement. Instead it was that of a silent bond between the two- as if Hotch was saying to Rossi that he was glad it was not him. Reid saw the rest of the team reading this, watching it, drinking it in.
"Now I know why you two couldn't accept Reid and Morgan," Prentiss said, with some sort of expression on her face- it was almost like a smile.
Hotch jumped on her, "What're you talking about?"
"It's all right. We understand. We'll go suit up," Jareau replied for Prentiss as she got up to return the phonebook and head upstairs.
After Prentiss left, Hotch and Rossi were left dumbfounded. Reid raised his brows and his face slowly slid into a grin- one that was bright and full of life. It might have been a dull version of what it usually was, but the fact that he was grinning at all was something. And so after Rossi and Hotch stared, slightly aghast at each other, they both looked at Reid.
"Did we do something wrong?" Hotch inquired flatly, with his eyebrows furrowed.
Reid finally stood, creating a little frown before he replied, "You work with a team full of profilers. They were bound to figure it out eventually."
Hotch and Rossi just watched Reid walk away. There was a certain bounce in his step that was not there before. Both profilers knew that it was not purely the thought of getting Morgan back, but that he was also glad of Hotch and Rossi's newfound karma.
"I'm sorry Dave," Hotch said as he looked down to the floor.
Rossi almost scoffed, but it turned into some sort of a laugh. "Don't be sorry. This' what I wanted all along."