A/N: Hulu! Sorry i haven't updated in forever, but i do have exams to worry about. I hope you like this chapter, full disclosure i do not own anything but story and OC, also i do not speak italian other than some basics and some swear words, so it is google translate.
I spent most of my time, even in the quad, reading the book Rossi had given me. It was very interesting reading about. The other inmates knew I was acting a little strange, I was usually the charmer of the quad. Normally if you needed contacts, I was who you went to. Mostly because I interacted with almost everyone without much trouble. That and the newbies would usually always talk to me since I was not so scary, or lesbian. That, and there was a rumour that I had over 10 million dollars stored away somewhere, that was never recovered. Maybe I did have that. Nobody knew and I liked having this mystery about my, gave me power to be left alone and not turn into lurd. God I hated these girls sometimes. I usually hung around with some of the smaller felons like cons. I had learned the first day to stay away from anyone who has blood on their hands.
I went back to the corner to continue reading, just like that a guard walked over to me and told me it was time to go. I nodded and got up from my seat following him. He got my anklet and a set of clothes. I changed in the bathroom and he put the anklet on me. I sighed and nodded at the guard who put cuffs on me and escorted me to the car. We drove into the city so we were starting at headquarters. That or more paperwork, which I sincerely hoped was not the case. I was escorted into the building and JJ came and picked me up making small talk on the way to the bullpen. She was really sweet always asking if I was well, and actually seemed to care about the answer she got. She walked in telling everyone we had a case. They all greeted me as we walked to a meeting room. We were handed a file which I opened and looked at the pictures and papers in it. Hotch started explaining.
"Kids are turning up in Seattle bruised and killed. They have been abducted for 3 days before they are killed and dumped. So far we have 3 victims." He said and Prentiss interrupted.
"No socio-economical connection." She said and Morgan interrupted her.
"Their parents didn't know each other, they didn't go to the same school, practise the same religion, nothing." He said and Reid interrupted.
"They were all abducted in daylight and while walking alone." He said Rossi interrupting.
"So he is confident and does not attract attention when abducting them." He said I interrupted.
"It's harder to pick kids off of the streets now, with parents being more careful, they must use some sort of ruse other than candy to get them to come." I said Reid interrupted.
"But there are signs of a struggle." He said I nodded and shrugged.
"Maybe they started struggling once they realised they had been kidnapped." I said and he shrugged lightly Hotch interrupted.
"We were called in because Amanda Sawyer did not come home from school yesterday. Giving us 1 day till her body shows up. Wheels up in 20" He said and got up from the table and I did too, following Hotch. I cleared my throat and followed him into his office.
"Sir, if we are going to be gone for more than a day, what am I going to do with clothes and stuff?" I asked and he put a bag on his desk pointing to it.
"The bureau provides this clothes for you. Go gather files and what else you need, and ask one of the agents for a ride to the jet." He said and I nodded taking the bag and walking out of his office.
I walked to the bullpen but didn't really know what to bring, I took the phone that had been left on my desk, which was the only thing I was allowed to carry. I sat down and did not know what else to bring. I looked over at Reid who was packing up his possessions.
"Hey Reid, could I ride with you to the airport." I asked and he looked up smiling.
"I am riding with Morgan ask him." He said and I nodded.
"Hey Derek, can I hitch a ride with you and Reid?" I asked and he just nodded.
"Just as long as my car don't end up smelling like con." He said cracking a smile and I rolled my eyes.
We drove to the airport not saying much to each other as we drove. Everyone seemed to be in deep thought when we were going to a case. Everyone except Reid who had his nose buried in a book like perusal.
"Reid how can you read in a moving car? Doesn't the movement bother you?" I asked, he didn't looked up and Morgan glared at me from the front.
"Don't tell him, I don't want puke all over my car." He said and I chuckled putting my hands up trying to look innocent, trying to suppress a smirk.
It had not been intentional to piss of Morgan, but since I had, it was very much amusing.
We arrived and walked to the jet, Reid finally looking up from his book. We got in the jet and sat beside him. I felt like we had connected a little that night so I figured I would try to make friends with him. Hotch came in and told us our assignments.
"Reid I want you to go look at the autopsy see what you can figure out with signature and victimology. Prentiss you and Morgan are going to go to the body dumpsite see what you can figure out there. Rossi and Lola, you will go to the streets see if you can figure out how they get these girls. I will start working with the police." He said and went back to reading up on the case.
I did the same looking at all of the facts. Reid had said kidnapping, which would make sense, but my gut kept telling me that they were using some kind of ruse. I searched my mind for every kind of ruse I used to use to trick people. When we landed Rossi and I headed to the streets where the girls were probably taken from. At first we stood on the street observing the behaviour of the streets. This would give us intel into how they were getting the girl. I got off the wall we were leaning against and looking at Rossi. I raised my hand wanting him to stay there.
"Okay, I am a serial killer, how do I get my victims." I asked and he furrowed his eyebrows.
"My first thought is kidnapping them. First I would stop the girl. Probably just talking to her, not with candy or anything but with something that seems harmless." He said and I cut him off.
"Like asking for directions or showing a card trick?" I asked and he nodded.
"Yes, then when she has answered I would grab her and go to my van, or drug her?" He said pausing, I bit my lip.
I took my phone out and dialled Reids number. After a few rings he answered.
"What's up?" He asked and I grinned.
"Hey was there any drugs found in their system, like chloroform or something?" I asked looking at Rossi.
"No, only one of the girls had drugs in her system but that was her ADHD medication." He answered and I nodded.
I thanked him and hung up looking over at Rossi.
"Sorry, no drugs. Then how does he get them to go without them alerting everyone?" I asked and he narrowed his eyes thinking.
"We had a case a while back where they held the kid into their chest so that it wouldn't make a noise and they could get away, could be the case." He said.
"But getting the kid close, on open street, and taking them, getting in a car and driving away. How come there are no witnesses? And it must happen in under 2 minutes. Do you think the unsub could be 2 unsubs?" I asked and Rossi nodded liking my theory.
We split up, he still needed to have eyes on me but we could cover more ground this way. He walked around asking normal looking people, I went to the closest alley way and stood against one of the walls.
"You have a lot of nerve coming here with a cop." I heard from the shadows, I smirked but did not look in the direction of the voice.
"It was this or the joint, but I am not here to catch up on the good old times. I need a favour" I said and the person came into view and nodded slightly.
"You know my magic comes with a price." He said smirking too.
I gave him a small hug and pulled away.
"I know. What do you want?" I asked and he smirked.
"Since you're in it with the police. One of my guys got caught red handed last night. His freedom for your favour. That is my price." He said. I sighed and bit my lip, I don't know how I would explain this to Hotch but it was worth a shot.
"Only if the info is what I need." I said and he nodded.
"Heard of the recent kids who were kidnapped then murdered? I need you to ask around see if you can figure out how they do it. I know you have boys on every corner so someone has seen something. Then you can get your boy back." I said and he nodded smirking.
He leaned in and we kissed each other cheeks, he returned to the shadows and I walked back to Rossi he looked at me suspicious.
"Planning your escape?" He asked jokingly with a hint of seriousness, I smirked.
"No, simply got an old friend to ask around on the streets, see if they had seen something. You aren't gonna send me to super-max for that are you?" I said and he narrowed his eyes trying to see if I was telling the truth. After a few seconds he shook his head and gave me a kind smile, I let out a breath I was holdning in in nervousness.
"And what did he want in return?" He asked seeing right through me I bit my lip and sighed.
"I might have promised to get his boy out of lock up." I said looking away. Rossi did not look disappointed but chuckled and pointed me towards the car.
"Good luck explaining that to Hotch." He said and chuckled at the thought. I rolled my eyes and shrugged.
We drove back to the precinct for a re-group. We were greeted by the police officer. I smiled kindly and shook his hand. He still looked at me suspiciously. Something I would probably have to get used to. Being a CI and all. We sat down in the room we had been assigned to and shared our findings.
"Rossi and I came to the conclusion that we are dealing with two unsubs. At least for the kidnapping. I have a theory that they are using a ruse, but Rossi disagrees thinking they just grabs the kids. I also asked around some people I know having them ask around on the streets." I said and Rossi nodded agreeing with what I had said.
We all got assigned new tasks for tomorrow, but it was pretty late and it seemed like there was nothing left to do today. I just prayed we would not have to wake up to another body tomorrow. I pulled Hotch aside and looked at him hoping to charm him into giving me what I wanted.
"Hotch, there is a little catch, if I get good intel from my guy, we might I have to ask the police to release one of their people in custody." I said and Hotch looked at me and sighed.
"Is it worth it?" He asked and I nodded.
"I worked very briefly with this guy, trust me, if something is happening on the streets he knows. Has guys on every corner." I said and he nodded.
"I will handle that if necessary then." He said and I nodded walking off.
That was surprisingly easy to pass through. I ran into Rossi who was on his way to our hotel and bragged. He smiled and congratulated me, I also asked him a favour for tomorrow, I wanted to prove a point and he agreed. We discussed the details briefly and he walked off. I walked back into the office, not really knowing how my jurisdiction was with sleeping accommodations and all of that.
All of the team besides JJ, Hotch and Rossi was there.
"Hey anyone know how our sleeping arrangements are or something?" I asked putting my feet up on the table studying to boards with the victims in front of me.
"I ain't sharing a room with you." Morgan said and I punched his shoulder lightly.
I looked over at Prentiss and she put her hands up.
"Sorry kid, already have JJ as a roomie." She said giving me a sad smile.
"Just tell me you don't like me, I can handle it." I said feigning hurt. I looked back on the board and sighed.
"I imagine I have to share with an agent but who has a space?" I asked.
I heard a much laugh from across the table, I glared in that direction as Morgan chuckled. He padded my shoulder lightly.
"Let's just say that there is a reason I share with Rossi and not the kid." He said and I huffed.
Reid it was apparently.
"I'm not that bad to room with am I?" He asked distressed looking at our two fellow agents Morgan chuckled.
"You either read all night or snore, there is no in-between." He said and Reid looked down.
"If it's any consolation I talk in my sleep." I said trying to comfort him he looked up smiling.
This was going to be eventful. All I wished was that I would at least get some sleep.
I had to wait around at the precinct for Reid to finish whatever he was doing, not having the authority to be alone. I was bored and thinking of what to do tomorrow, I would have to require some things for this to work, I was positive once proved that my theory was right. Then we would hopefully catch this bastard, I stole from people, but you don't hurt kids. Then again who was I to judge really? I had had no remorse for my victims, I just hurt them in another way. I may not have killed people but I did ruin peoples lives. That was probably just as bad. I was in my own thoughts looking at a picture of one of the girls when Reid cleared his throat. I turned my head looking at him.
"You ready to go?" He asked and I chuckled getting up picking my leather jacket up from the chair putting it on.
"I have been waiting for you, genius." I said walking towards him, giving his a playful nudge to his shoulder. He smiled at me and we walked to a car, driving us to our hotel.
He opened the door and threw his overnight bag on the foot of one of the beds. I threw myself onto one of the beds and groaned. It had been forever since I had laid in a comfortable bed. Oh this was heaven compared to those shit ones you get in the joint. Reid chuckled from beside me and I turned to him glaring.
"You would react the same if you had ever been in the joint. Not that you would ever end up there, you're too smart to get caught." I said smiling at the last part getting up booping his nose before walking towards the bathroom.
"Or too smart to even do something to begin with." He said from behind me, I shrugged and smiled.
"Eh, potato, potato" I said shrugging, before turning and walking into the bathroom.
I grabbed the provided toothbrush and brushed my teeth. I looked at myself in the mirror, really looked. I had grown older. I should have seen that coming with time and stuff but really. I looked different, not really like myself, maybe it is true what they say? That the joint changes you? That you come out changed. I seemed tougher, like you should not fuck with me, I was still myself but I seemed wrong, like I would do something truly bad to someone. I did not like the way that I looked right now so I turned away from it and went back to the room. I sat down on the bed a little startled. I had never thought lock up would change me that much. I looked over at Reid.
"Am I the bad guy?" I asked more to myself than to him.
He furrowed his eyebrows at me and shrugged.
"Why do you ask?" He said walking over to me seeming concerned.
"I just, I was thinking at the precinct how these people we catch are bad guys. Because they hurt people. But I also hurt people, I broke into their homes or museums and stole their stuff. Invading their privacy. I mean they might never feel safe in that home again. So therefore I must be like them, I must be a bad guy. It makes sense." I said starring into space but quietly freaking out.
"No, Charlie, no no no, these people they are psychopaths, they kill people, take their lives from them, you stole art, other material things, things that can be replaced. They steal everything from their victims." He said croutching down beside me. I looked at him distressed.
"Yeah but I still take from them. I am narcissistic, I am manipulative, I lure people into traps the only difference is the end result. That makes me a bad guy." I said and he sighed.
He seemed to question himself a little before he put his hand on my cheek and lifted it to make me look at him.
"There is good and bad in all of us. It is not just good people and bad people, some people have so much bad that it consumes them. But the fact that you are even questioning it, is a sign that there is still good in you. So you may have done some bad things, but they do not define you, but what you do afterwards that is what defines you. You're are helping put worse people away. That is good am I right?" He asked, I got some tears in my eyes and nodded.
"Thank you." I said barely above a whisper he smiled awkwardly and let go of me and went to the bathroom.
I laid down on the bed thinking about what he had said. I was not gonna be a bad guy anymore, I was gonna be a good one. A really good one, let that define me.
I fell asleep and luckily I did not hear reading nor snorring, and I am a light sleeper, you learn that in the joint.
However I did hate Reid the morning after, one of the good things about being outside was no one waking you up at 7 am every damn morning. However Spencer Fucking Reid thought that making noise at 7 am was a great idea. Of course he was a damn A person. I groaned and told him to stop being so loud, he did not answer probably not knowing how much noise he was making. After about 10 minutes of this I just gave in and got up. Well sat up, to glare at him.
"Maledetto" I mumbled to myself in italian.
It was the only thing I remember about my dad when I was 8 I was fluent in italien from just speaking it with him. Then he bailed but the swear words still stuck, mostly from cursing him out a lot.
I got up and got ready for another day. It was actually really nice, feeling like I had time to myself this morning. And oh how I had missed having a shower to myself. Well mostly, the genius, was too into his book to remember that I was in there, and walked in on me. For a genius he was sometimes not very smart.
I was ready to go but dug through Reids bag when I found what I was looking for I snatched it and sat up looking innocent. Boy genius noticed nothing on the ride to the precinct. The geographical profile was ready and the rest of the team stood around psychoanalysing him, I was not very good at that. I pulled Rossi off to the side and we planned it all out.
We were ready and I told Hotch that Rossi and I needed to do something important. I cleared a table and lifted it so I was able to put in the middle of the room while Hotch called everyone into the room. I pulled out the cards I had snatched from Reids bag. And asked one of them to pick a card, performing a trick I had mastered years ago. Giving me the extra time to get eye contact with Rossi and wink discreetly at him. I shuffled the cards maintaining some eye contact with Rossi and finished the trick to the timing of my finished card trick. While people were amazed Hotch furrowed his brow.
"What was this about? We do not have time to fool around like this with 8 hours left to find the girl." He asked seeming angry.
I smirked proud of myself and shrugged.
"Notice anything while I was doing this card trick?" I asked and he just shrugged, which made me slightly chuckle, I still had it.
"Well while I wowed you all with my amazing card trick, you detectives and agents, did not notice me cuing Rossi to take Reid out. Hence he is no longer in the room. If highly trained people do not notice, how are walking pedestrians going to?" I said smirking he nodded.
"So now I can tell you that we are looking for two people one of them very charming, street magician or some other showbusiness, he does a small performance while the other guy grabs the kid when magical Murdini is finished with the trick he runs off and he and his partner now have a kid to murder. The other guy blends in, since the kids are so young I would put him at mid 30s to 40s, looks like a parent but is still not someone you notice." I said smirking.
He nodded at me and told me that it was good work. The team started giving their profile, I called my guy on the streets and asked what he had for me, he told me something I already knew and I asked him to check any street magicians that his guys had seen.
Reid walked up to me and half smiled.
"Good card trick. Too bad I know you shuffle the card to get the pickers card fourth to the top, then show and push to magically reveal the card." He said standing beside me leaning on a counter as we watched the prescient work.
"I should have guessed you knew your way around a deck of cards." I said smirking at him he chuckled.
"Yeah, I love magic. Can I ask. Why did you out of everyone take me out of the room? Because I'm tallest? Or weakest? Or what?" He said and I chuckled padding his shoulder.
"A Magicians never reveals their secret." I said standing up and winked at him as I walked back to work.
My guy on the streets called me and told me he had a guy on the streets. He described him to me and he fit the profile the guys gave earlier. I asked what he knew and he gave me a name and a street corner where he usually hung out with his friend whom he also had the name of. I thanked him and hung up, I heard some protesting when I hung up, probably thinking I broke our deal. Please, I know better than to mess with King Pin. I walked into the precinct and told Hotch what I knew and he had Garcia run a search and give us an address. Me and Rossi were sent to check out the street while the rest of the team were sent to the two addresses of our suspects. We had stood there for a good half an hour, when the team called that they were in their house, it was five minutes away from where we were standing. I heard a gun fire off and I instinctually ran towards it thinking that one of us had been hit. Rossi followed me to the scene and I stopped when I saw one of the guys lying on the ground. He looked up at me and smiled then I saw the light fade from his eyes. I could not look away from it, all I could do was stare at this dead person I had just helped kill. The sound around me drowned out and I was only snapped out of it when someone shook me lightly.
"Hey you okay Lola?" I turned and saw Reid's one hand resting on my shoulder.
"Yeah. Yup, I'm good. The kid get out alright?" I said stunned, trying to hide my inner turmoil but probably failing. He nodded carefully dragging me away from where I stood.
We got to the precinct and I asked Hotch about that favour I owed, specifically saying that you do not wanna owe this guy one. He chuckled and told me that I could deliver it myself to which I happily obliged.
I told the guy to stay behind and walked to his corner. He pushed me up against the wall and I smirked.
"What the hell Charlotte! We have a deal. And you know better that to break a promise to me. You know what happens." He said and I chuckled and whistled.
The guy came into view and Pin let go of me and chuckled. I just shrugged and furrowed my eyebrows.
"Of course I do. But I needed to fry a bigger fish before I could repay you. I never break a promise." I said and he pulled me in for a hug which I happily obliged him with.
"See you around. And be safe without me alright?" He said.
"Yeah yeah. I won't make too much trouble." I said and he chuckled and we pulled away from the hug.
"I'm here if you need me alright Cat?" He said and I smiled walking away from him but turned around and nodded.
"I will call if I fall down the rabbit hole. Fino alla prossima volta Fratello." I said.
"Fino alla prossima volta Sorella." He said and disappeared into the shadows. I walked back to Rossi who had been watching and was smiling at me.
"What?" I asked as we walked to the car.
"Fratello?" he asked and I chuckled.
"On the street you're one big family." I said.
We were all sitting in the jet and I was finally freed from my chain around my leg. I was on the down side also handed a jumpsuit in a terrible colour which I did not enjoy that much. I got changed and sat down wanting to get some sleep. I slept all the way to DC as we got off the plain there was an officer ready to escort me back home. He was padding me down when Rossi stopped to give me a book.
"I have been wondering. How did you learn italian?" He asked and I smiled.
"My dad was from Napoli." I said and lifted my arms to let the officer search me there.
"Mine too, I thought I recognised that accent." He said and smiled at me as he walked off.
I was put in handcuff and about to be dragged to the car when I stopped and yelled out.
"Hey doc." I yelled, he turned and walked over to me in front of the prison car.
"You wanna know why I picked you to be dragged off?" I asked and he nodded biting his lip seeming excited.
"Out of all of them, you're the one that resembles a child the most." I said and he chuckled but furrowed his eyebrows.
"But I'm older than you." He said confused and I chuckled. I stood on my toes and kissed his cheek.
"What was that for?" He staggered out. I shrugged and smiled at him.
"A magician never reveals their secrets." I said and got into the car and we drove of back to the hell they called prison.
But I was smiling, I had done some good today. I was gonna keep being good.