Chapter 10: Apart of a Team

"Pax, you need to let the team in… at least a little." Reid urged before leaving my apartment that morning after we spent the night getting to know a bit better. We didn't have sex, I told him that while I enjoyed his company I thought it better if we didn't jump ahead of ourselves again. "I know it will be hard but you did let me back in." He joked as we bumped around the kitchen making breakfast.

"I know you are right, but what if somehow it changes how someone looks at me? I mean Rossi looks at me like some badass who can fight well, not some hooligan who was a street criminal." I said pouring both of us coffee.

"That's ridiculous and you know it" Spencer said, calling me out on my comp out response. It felt as if we had known each other much longer than just over a month. We functioned so well almost as if we could read each others next actions. "Just trust in your team, Paxton. They will accept you."

"Shouldn't you be getting ready for work? Won't someone notice you going in with the same clothes on?"

"Nice change of subject, and I have a cardigan in my bag. Go get ready, I will clean up." Reid said with a grin on his face. That grin could make me do anything, I thought to myself.

As I walked toward my room my phone started to ring and so did Spencer's, we awkwardly looked at each other. I decided it was best to just close my door, then answer.

"Agent Harlow speaking"

"We have a case, Hotch would like you to the office as soon as possible. Also, I asked to call you so I could apologies again." Garcia quickly added at the end.

"Penelope, I am sorry I have been so hard on you. I forgive you, and I will talk to you when I get to the office more about it, okay?" She happily agreed. "Where is the case at?"

"Here, it isn't good Pax. I will see you when you get here." Garcia hung up.

I quickly threw on some clothes and headed out the room, "Spencer, are you ready to go?" 'Yikes' was all I could think; he was still on the phone. I really hope who ever called him did not just here me. He just nodded back and we were off, traveling in separate cars. No need in spreading rumors about something that wasn't true, despite how much I may want it.

"Alright, now that everyone is here we can get started. Five bodies have been found in the past two days and this morning, local authorities are asking for our assistance. All victims have been female, red hair, and ages 20-30..." Agent Hotchner looked up and made eye contact with me. My stomach hit the floor, this was what I had been worried about. "The killings take place one in the morning and one at night, it is likely this pattern will continue. All killings have been done execution style."

"This is my fault, isn't it?" I asked out, but it was more for the benefit of myself.

"Agent, this is not your fault. However, if you know anything you would like to share in helping solve this case…please." Hotch was allowing me to choose right now if I was going to tell everyone or if he was.

I nodded towards him, "I'm sorry everyone. Something from my past had been dug into and it alerted some very awful individuals. I am going to guess one in particular…" I got lost in my thoughts, shaking my head, "Anyways, when I was younger my parents were murdered and I was left on my own. I had no where to go, I became homeless and lost. I wandered into a bad group of people who took me in. I didn't realize at the time but they were going to use me to hurt others. They trained me, brainwashed me, and I became a ghost. The FBI got ahold of me when I was 20, and proved me with an out. I took it. The FBI offered me a job, and away to erase my past… I had hoped it wouldn't catch up with me."

"Harlow, you said you may know one individual in particular that maybe doing this. Who?" Hotchner asked, while the others just stared at me.

"His name is Carlos Mann." That was all I could manage to say, even though the truth was Carlos always had a thing for me. I never allowed him near me, but he always had a claim on me he would say. A chill went up my spine, I can't imagine what he would do if he got ahold of me.

"Garcia, go see what you can find on Carlos Mann. Paxton, go with Garcia and help track where he might go with what she finds. Reid, start setting up a geographical map, let's see if we can narrow down where he has been hunting. Morgan and JJ, go look over the bodies and see if you can see any other identifying markers that we may have missed. Rossi, Blake and I will go look over each crime scene."

"Paxton, I am so sorry I poked into your past. I had no idea that this is what you were hiding." Garcia had a sad puppy dog look on her face.

"It's really okay, the team needed to know. I just wish that you would have asked instead, this is awful what is happening." I shuttered a little.

"You don't think he will come after you do you?" Garcia questioned hesitantly.

"I really hope he doesn't, but something tells me he will."