I've finally begun another casefic sorta story. I said so from the beginning that I wouldn't do one for a while. But you know those stories that just beg you to write them? Well this is one of them. Anyways I've decided on using Will this time as he's like my second favorite character besides Morgan.
The Witching Hour
Anger is just anger. It isn't good. It isn't bad. It just is. What you do with it is what matters. It's like anything else. You can use it to build or to destroy. You just have to make the choice.
- Jim Butcher, White Night―Harry Dresden
Chapter 1: From Then to Now
There they were standing outside of the police department in Miami.
"You wanna break up?"
"Ye―" JJ cut herself mid sentence while a look of horror crossed his face.
"Y-You do?" Will asked in disbelief, hurt flashing in his eyes.
"Yeah." She finally willed herself to say it. "I mean are we supposed to hop on a plane every weekend? And it's not like any of us want to relocate either."
"When did we have this discussion?" Will replied slightly angered.
"Well do you?" JJ retorted.
"Maybe."
She eyed him incredulously. "You want to drop your career in New Orleans to live in Quantico, Virginia?"
"Well I'd at least like to have that option," Will said sounding more like a plea. "Look, all I want is an acknowledgement from you to your friends that you care about me."
"Why?!" She snapped. "Why is that so important to you?"
Will narrowed his eyes in disbelief. "Why?" He closed his eyes and sighed before walking past her. It pained him that she didn't understand his feelings for her. "Take care of yourself JJ."
The clarity didn't escape her as she turned to him, his form already walking away. "Will!" But he didn't turn.
And that was it.
Afterwards Detective Lopez had handed him his friend's badge and he was gone. There were no more phone calls, no more getting on planes during weekends, and no more dates. They had returned to their lives before meeting one another.
That was over a year ago.
JJ rose to the sound of her alarm before slamming the off switch. She rubbed her tired eyes and sighed. They had barely gotten any sleep till now and she was looking forward to enjoying that feeling just a bit longer. Although she couldn't deny the fact that it had actually been a long time since she'd been able to get a good night's sleep.
This night hadn't fully cut it either. Sleep had been a faraway goal that had yet to be accomplished. Not since... Deciding not to linger on those thoughts she quickly got ready for work.
It irritated her when she realized she was running slightly late. For goodness sake, she needed to get a grip on herself. Upon reaching the BAU building she noticed Reid rushing to the conference room.
"Hey Spence. What's the rush?"
"Oh, morning JJ. Hotch wants us in the BAU room."
The two made their way towards the conference room to find the rest of the team already there.
"The call was made by the head of the New Orleans Police Department." Hotch began once the team was assembled.
JJ's breath hitched. "New Orleans?"
"Yes." Hotch answered taking notice of her uneasy composure.
"What do we have?" Emily asked having also noticed her friend's discomfort.
"You're all familiar with the Colorado Condom Killer, right?" The Unit Chief continued.
"You mean the freak that'd leave condoms on his victims after he'd killed them?" Morgan replied.
"He kidnapped and killed nine women in the span of fifteen months." Reid stated. "Then suddenly disappeared afterwards and was never caught."
"He's been dormant for about two years now." Rossi added. "Hasn't he?"
"Yes," Hotch nodded. "But I've just gotten some new development that states otherwise." He gestured the screen. "Garcia."
The tech flipped the screen on. "The picture you see here is a victim found near an alley by the Meals From The Heart Cafe. Meet twenty-two year old Denise Gibbons. She was killed execution style and dumped in said alley but not before being reported missing by her parents. Like the others in Colorado an unopened condom was found at the scene next to her body."
"Same signature." Morgan stated.
"Next we have Abby Gomez who was found dead by a parking lot. She was reported missing by her roommate two weeks ago. She was also killed execution style and an unused condom was left by her body."
JJ furrowed her brows pensively. "You don't think this is a copycat?"
"Whether it is or isn't we're going to find out." Hotch said. "Wheels up in thirty."
"Be safe my angels." Garcia said as they bid her a quick goodbye.
"His MO is still the same," Rossi said as the team sat on the jet. "Targets have been brunettes and he leaves an unused condom postmortem."
"Well it's clear how he views women." Emily added with disgust.
"Leaving a condom on the scene symbolically shows that he believes women are only tools for pleasure." Reid added.
"This unsub is a classic narcissist." Hotch exclaimed. "He can feel no compassion or remorse for anyone but himself."
"Abby Gomez was found two weeks after her kidnapping and Denise Gibbons was found a month after hers, but there's no concrete evidence that states he had them for that amount of time." Morgan said "Same with his prior victims back in Colorado."
Everything about this guy points to being the Colorado Condom Killer." Reid exclaimed.
"Something tells me this isn't a coincidence." Rossi said. "I think this is our guy."
"But why choose now to come back?" JJ questioned.
"Something had to have set him off." Morgan replied.
"He waited two years to strike again," Emily pointed out. "That's one hell of a cooling off period."
"It doesn't make sense though," JJ exclaimed with a frown. "Guys like this can't wait to kill again... there's no way this unsub is patient like that."
"We'll work it like we always do." Hotch replied with a firm tone. "And he will be stopped this time."
The jet had landed and the team had boarded the SUVs towards the police station.
Throughout the entire ride JJ had been a mess. Her insides felt like they were burning. She found herself having to wipe her hands over her pants on more than one occasion. Mentally she had berated herself for being such a nervous wreck but deep down she knew it couldn't be helped.
This was the first time she'd see him in over a year.
"How you hanging in there?" Emily who was adjacent to her asked.
"Huh, me? I'm completely fine." She replied trying to appear it. "Why would you ask?"
"No reason."
Emily wasn't convinced at all but still, she nodded. She knew about how things had ended with Will. Even though JJ had attempted on keeping her relationship a secret the truth was she had not fooled anyone; the entire team knew about them. Unfortunately that meant they knew they weren't together anymore too.
The trip from point A to B had been a complete blur for JJ. It wasn't until Emily shook her that she realized they had arrived.
"We're here."
"Right, sorry. I was just thinking. Come on let's move it."
A middle aged man appeared by the entrance and eyed them with relief. "I'm glad you could make it Agent Hotchner."
"Of course Chief Adams." Hotch replied before beckoning the team. "These are agents Rossi, Prentiss, Morgan, Jareau, and Dr. Reid."
"Glad y'all could make it. Follow me inside." Adams said as he led them towards the rest of the officers. "I know you've already worked with one of my detectives."
"We have." Hotch confirmed and didn't notice how JJ flinched.
"Hey Detective LaMontagne," he called. "Get over here."
"I'm here Chief." Came the voice of the Southern man.
"You know the BAU right?"
"Yeah, they helped me with the case my father left me. It's definitely gonna help that they're here." Will exclaimed. His eyes scanned the team and he greeted them with a smile before he landed on JJ. He greeted her with a faint nod before immediately turning away.
For JJ it was as if time had frozen when her eyes landed on him. He was now sporting a stubble and looked slightly more muscular then before. She frowned slightly as she noticed a dark haired woman catching up to him.
Adams beckoned the woman. "This is Detective Navas, she's LaMontagne's partner."
"Partner," JJ thought feeling a slight jab in her gut.
"Rosemary is fine." The woman said with a smile.
"A pleasure." Hotch replied as he greeted her with a handshake. The team followed in suit.
JJ tried her best not to notice how close Rosemary stood next to Will; or how pretty she was.
Suddenly a man and woman barged in through the doors with the man balancing the woman whom was sobbing and looked like she'd fall any second.
"You have to help me!" The man said. "Our daughter... our daughter is missing!"
Author's Notes
And there you have the first bit. Hope you enjoyed it.
I promise to update Fanfiction Trauma as soon as the gears for that story get back on track. Lately they've been going haywire but fret not my friends as I'm on top of things.