Criminal Minds
.La Vie en Rose.
Chapter 11
. Giving Up.
.
"Everyone is quiet, what's up?" Garcia looked about the bullpen. "I smell a story."
Emily was looking miserable while Morgan looked pissed.
"Okay, no one?" Garcia continued her monologue. She sighed, "I'll...just go back to my lonely...office...all by my lonesome self." She pouted and hung her head down and began to walk slowly, hoping someone would stop her and began talking.
But, her plan failed as no one did anything. They were busy burying their heads into their work.
Instead of her office, Garcia decided to detour to JJ's office.
"What is going on with everyone? Is it the flu?"
"Oh!" JJ jerked her head as she turned with her cellphone to her ear. "Sorry, Pen...urgent call." She pointed at the phone. "It's a case." She gave her friend an apologetic look before she turned away from her and began to take notes on her notepad.
Garcia sighed as she left her office and almost bumped into Rossi, "Excuse me! Oh, hey, Agent Rossi, it's you."
He nodded at her, holding his cup of coffee from her, avoiding a near spill. "Excuse you, Garcia! Watch it here, this could be a disaster." He grinned as he indicated his almost full mug.
She glared at him, "No, what's a disaster is in the bullpen." She pointed in the direction.
Rossi arched his brow, "Oh? Something the matter?"
"Yeah, everything. Everyone in there is having a full blown major female hormonal menstrual cycle."
He almost spew his coffee through his nose but luckily it didn't happened as he managed to keep his composure; he was getting used to her dramatic flare for the language. "Major female hormonal menstrual cycle? Even the guys?"
She nodded impatiently, "Yes, yes...didn't I just say that?" She gave him the look as if he was the most idiotic man on the face of this earth.
Rossi frowned, "Did you take your girly pills this morning?"
"What?"
"Never mind...so, tell me, what did Morgan do?"
"How did...you knew?" She looked stunned. "Are you a mind reader or something?"
"Just tell Uncle Dave what nefarious deed he had done?" Rossi sighed.
"It's just not him...Emily too."
"Emily? What's she up to?" He frowned.
"That's just it, nothing."
"What?"
"Are you paying attention or not?" She sighed in exasperation. "It's what I've been trying to tell you...nothing. Everyone in there is in a bad mood, usually they're chatty but now?" She waved her hands above her in wild motions. "They are not talking to each other at all! It's like someone has turned on the mute button in there."
"And it's a bad thing?" He looked doubtfully.
"Yes! It is! Very!"
"I don't get it, I mean, I get it but I don't."
Garcia stared at him as if she was ready to strangle him, he began to take a step backwards. "It's not them...it's them but...they are like those people in the movie 'The Invasion of Body Snatchers.' The pods replaced them." The pitched in her voice was a getting higher and higher.
"Penelope, I think you're having a nightmare, or you've been watching too much TV. You really need more human contact..."
"No...no...I don't need to, I'm perfectly normal, and they're not normal." She pointed at the bullpen again in frustration. "I think Morgan and Emily had an argument or something."
"Oh? Really?" Dave almost smiled but managed to keep his composure until JJ interrupted them.
"Excuse me, guys, sorry to cut into your pow-wow, we have a case."
They stared at her, "But I thought we're on a stand-down?" Garcia stared at her. "Hotch is in a meeting with the Director in DC..." Garcia trailed off as she stared at her friend.
"I know, Pen," JJ began to open the double door leading to the bullpen. "And Team B is on a case out of town and we're all that's left, and I've left an urgent message to Hotch and Spence who will join us from his gun recertification...Hotch'll join us in Maine when he's done. Coming?" She smiled encouragingly.
Rossi followed, "Where she leads, we follow." He uttered as he waited for Garcia to enter the bullpen before he stepped in.
…...
In the jet on the way to Maine, Morgan was sitting far away from Emily which was unusual of him.
Emily gave him an occasional look but kept at her seat, the current case file before her.
"What's going on with you two?"
She looked up and saw Rossi staring across from her.
"Oh...nothing."
He shook his head, "Don't lie to me, kid. I can tell something happened. Usually, you two," He nodded to Morgan, "chat about the case before we get there but right now?" He shook his head.
She sighed and quickly related to him what happened the night before.
"And then what happened?" He prodded.
"Derek punched him." Emily revealed softly as she hung her head down, picking at her fingernails.
Rossi reached over and grabbed her hands, stopping her from harming those poor nubs. "They're hopeless and begging for you to leave them be." He smiled softly.
She chuckled. "Yeah, I abused them mercilessly." She unconsciously rubbed them within Rossi's large hands. "I can't help it when I'm nervous."
"Nervous? Why?"
She looked up at him, "Because I'm the one who's responsible for what happened to Hotch!"
"Did he hit him back?"
She shook her head, "No...he just apologized and left." She laughed softly. "Dave, I was the one who kissed him and he got punched in the face, and yet he apologized."
"He's just being a gentleman."
She slowly nodded, "Yeah, he always is. I realized that...and I'm slowly falling..."
They were interrupted by a call from Garcia on the jet conference line.
"Hey guys! Okay...here's what I have, and more, there's another body found, same M.O."
Rossi nodded. "Looks like we're gonna land and dash."
The team nodded.
"Morgan and Emily," The two frowned at each other but they didn't argue as they listened to what Dave had to say to the rest of the assignments. "You two will be going over the latest crime scene while JJ and I," He nodded to the blonde. "will be talking to the local Sheriff." JJ nodded.
"Hotch's on his way to the coroner's, Reid." Rossi looked down at his cell phone and looked up at the young doctor. "Any questions?"
They shook their heads.
Dave gave them a grim smile, "Okay...let's do this and get back in one piece."
"Yeah...we've got a wedding waiting ahead of us." Garcia reminded them on the screen. "Oh, by the way, the city of Reinville is rather small, so everyone's gonna know what's going on."
"Oh great." JJ rolled her eyes. "We're not able to hide or anything." already into her media role. "Still, that might help us."
Dave turned to her, "You think they will?"
She shrugged, "Small town, they might band together and weasel out the bad man. Small town likes their comfort and peace."
They nodded.
Just then, the light on the plane came on indicating for them to buckle their seat belts; they are approaching the airport.
…...
The ride to the next to the last crime scene was quiet; unlike their normal chatter previously, they found themselves that every conversation seemed to be awkward and Emily decided to keep to herself.
Derek sighed, "Okay, Emily...I owe you one, I am sorry about last night. I shouldn't have hit Hotch."
She didn't answer him but shrugged.
He glanced at her sideways and continued to drive. "Come on, Em...say something."
"Something." She muttered.
He almost smiled but immediately stopped, "Look, what do you want me to do? Beg on my knees for forgiveness?"
She sighed, "No...I don't expect you to do that...it's not you. But you were out of line." She stared out of her side of the window as she watched the scenery...the lines of lines of unending trees; they were in the country.
"I know but I can't take back what I did."
She nodded slowly but said nothing.
"Prentiss..."
"We're here." Was all she said as she saw a patrol car and a LEO standing by it.
Watching her in frustration, he parked the car.
Emily finally said, "This is not the time to talk about our personal problems, Morgan. Let's take care of this case, it's our priority now."
He looked at her and nodded, "You're right, Prentiss. Let's go."
She gave him an encouraging smile and hopped out of the car, and introduced themselves to the LEO.
"I'll take you into the house although there's not much there to see, forensics has pretty much took most of the evidences for processing."
"It's okay, we'll like to take a look anyway," Morgan removed his shades as they entered the living room. "We just want to get a feel of the scene."
Emily immediately moved from them, she was processing the scene, trying to get the feel of it. "Wow, it's so quiet, no pets?"
The deputy shook his head, "Naw...folks here generally don't feel the need to get one, it's a pretty safe neighborhood, we don't even install alarms either."
"Well, after this, most of them probably will be thinking twice." Morgan continued to look about him as he muttered. "I'll be, if I were them."
The deputy nodded, "Yeah, me too. That safety net is not so secure anymore."
Emily glanced up at him from her position, "That's a strange way of saying but how true."
She and Morgan exchanged odd looks before they continued their walk-through.
"Morgan, over here." Emily called out; she was in the bedroom, the site where the body was found.
"Yeah, what is it? Did you find something?" He entered the room and began to look about him, the deputy followed after him.
"I don't know...this mirror," She indicated the vanity mirror by the dresser across the bed. "Don't you think it's place in an awkward position?"
Derek walked toward the mirror and looked from the direction it was facing and turned around, "Yeah, I see what you mean," he glance down and saw the carpet did not look right, "Hey, Prentiss look at this," he pointed at the carpet across from the room near the closet. "There's depression marks on the carpet, four depression marks...just like the dresser."
Emily bent down for a closer look, "Looks like someone had moved the dresser."
"Maybe Sharon might have rearranged her room?" The deputy suggested.
Emily looked up and stared at him, Morgan did the same, "Yeah...it's possible." He nodded.
The deputy smiled, pleased that he made an excellent suggestion.
Emily stood up and nodded to Morgan, "I think we're done here."
Morgan nodded as well, "Yeah, we're ready to head back to the precinct, thank you deputy." He nodded to him.
Emily did likewise.
The deputy smiled and nodded at them, "Oh, no problem, glad to be of help with you folks." He waved to them happily.
…...
As Morgan drove, Emily got on the phone to Hotch, "I think we may have our first suspect."
Just as she uttered those words, she felt her whole body jerked to the right, hitting Morgan in the process, "What the...!" and the vehicle began to roll over and over as it tumbled into a deep ravine.
Emily? Emily? Talk to me! Emily!
…...
End of Chapter 11