I do not own Harry Potter, Criminal Minds, or NCIS

WARNING: Violence, bad language, blood.

A.N. I am considering finishing this story in two versions, one where she ends up with Gibbs, the other with Hotchner. Please let me know what you guys think.

Chapter 14

Almost a month had passed, and Ianthe was currently in Alabama with the BAU. They were working on a gruesome case, and it was taking it's tole on the group. Prentiss was no longer with them. She had fallen into a sink hole yesterday, breaking her foot. They had sent her back home to have surgery.

Ianthe had gladly taken her place, so was working as more of an FBI Agent, than a Forensic Specialist.

"My question is; What is happening to all of the blood? The victims have had their heads cut off. If that occured before death, there would be blood everywhere. However, the blood evidence at the crime scenes is minimal. That means they were either killed elsewhere, and dumped at the scenes, or they were decapitated after death. The problem is, there are no other discernible injuries, and the cause of death for the victims is exsanguination. Where is the blood going?" Ianthe exclaimed, frustrated.

"Guys! Garcia just got us video from a traffic light near where the last body turned up. It occured around the estimated time of death. I had her run it through the DMV database. It comes back to Virgil Cauffield. He is also the owner of the property where the first victim was found." Derek said.

"He fits the profile. White male, 40's, unmarried. Only a High School education. He even drives a truck simular to the one our drug-addled witness saw driving away." Spenser said, happy that they had a break.

That had been one of the problems of this case. The victims had all been drug addicted prostitutes, found in wooded areas that bordered seedy parts of town. There was only one witness (that was talking, anyway) who saw anything significant. If only she had not been high on heroin at the time.

"We need to visit Mr Cauffield, it seems. I want to take you with me, Ianthe. I want this to seem like a routine follow up questioning, nothing confrontational. Misogynists like our Unsub don't truly see women as a physical threat." Hotch said, gathering his things.

After setting the others up with other tasks, Aaron and Ianthe drove to Cauffield's property. The ten acres of rural property was next to an industial park on the outskirts of town.

The Unsub worked at a mechanic's garage three streets over. Finding out from the man's aging Mother that he was at work, they moved towards the site. They had just enough time to let the team know of the change of location, before they pulled into the lot.

Virgil Cauffield was bent over the hood of an old Mustang, replacing a hose. He straightened, and watched as Hotch and Ianthe got out of the car. Neither knew what he saw in their faces that set him off, but things quickly went to Hell in a hand basket.

"Mr Cauffield?" Ianthe started, about to introduce herself and Aaron as from being in the FBI.

Hotch saw in his eyes the second he decided to run. Ianthe must have too, as he saw her reach towards her gun. Quick as lightening, he flung a wrench towards them, and took off running at daunting pace.

"STOP! FBI! GET ON THE GROUND!" Hotch yelled, as they took off after the Unsub.

He could hear Ianthe giving their location over the radio, and the two patrol cars that they had requested in the area joined the pursuit. Aaron quickly reallised that Ianthe was much faster than him, and he fell behind.

Ianthe had chased the Unsub over two blocks, when he darted into an abandoned warehouse. She could hear the rattle of his heavy boots as they pounded up a metal staircase, and she slowed down cautiously. Slightly out of breath, she gave their location over the radio, and entered the building slowly.

Holding her weapon in front of her, she quietly made her way into the building. The hair on the back of her neck raised at the tension in the air, and she heard a slight rattle coming from a metal catwalk one floor above her. Turning in the direction of the noises, she noticed droplets of what appeared to be blood dripping from the open framework.

A prickle of apprehension racing down her spine was the only warning she received before a heavy weight landed on her from above. Pitching forward, an elbow landed a blow behind her ear, causing her head to snap forward, hitting the concrete floor so hard it bounced. Pain exploded across her forehead, and he she heard, as much as felt her nose break.

Only the feeling of Cauffield trying to wrestle the gun out of her hands snapped her back into attention. She screamed, trying to draw attention to her position.

"AAARGH! STOB OR I'LL SHOOT!" She yelled, her voice distorted by her nose injury.

Hotch was five feet from the ajar doorway of the warehouse, when he heard Ianthe screaming. He ran in, his heart in his throat, and the sight that greeted him made his blood run cold.

Ianthe was rolling on the ground with the Unsub, each trying to wrest control of the gun. He didn't have a clear shot at Cauffield, and he was unwilling to risk shooting her.

"FBI! BACK AWAY NOW, OR I'LL SHOOT!" Hotch yelled, causing the man to lurch in surprise.

Ianthe, sensing the upper hand, gripped her gun, pushing it into his shoulder and pulling the trigger.

Cauffield jerked, the burning pain of the gunshot causing him to clutch the injury in shock.

The Birmingham Police Department, accompanied by Morgan had run in right after the gunshot, and Cauffield was tackled off of her by the first Officer on scene.

"Ianthe! Are you ok?" Aaron asked, rushing to her side. Her nose was pouring blood, and she had a huge, egg-shaped welt on her forehead. It was almost black, and was also bleeding. Her once-white shirt was covered in blood and grime, and she grimaced in pain.

"Fucking Hell! I'b gonna be sick..." Ianthe said, then rolled over and vomited on the floor.

"Is EMS on the way? We have an Agent down!" Hotch yelled, awkwardly patting her on the back.

"There are two teams on standby, Hotch. As soon as we secure the scene, we'll let them onsite. You alright, Potter?" Morgan said, looking her injuries over.

"Fan-fucking-tastic, Borgan." Ianthe said dryly, collapsing back over onto her side.

The male agents shared a grin, relieved that she was going to be alright.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Over a thousand miles away, Gibbs was sitting at his desk when Fornell called him. Tobias had heard about Gibbs cheating on Ianthe with their ex, but he had not believed it. After Gibbs fessed up to his idiotic 'plan', he told Gibbs he deserved to lose her over it.

That didn't mean he thought Gibbs didn't have good intentions. Fornell felt obligated to let Gibbs know about Ianthe, before he found out some other way.

Maybe it would help him get his head out of his ass. Well, he could always hope.