Author's Notes: Here it is, guys. The final chapter of Change for the Better. Brace yourselves for a lot of angst in this one.


Chapter Eight: Bloodline Remastered

Annette had to fight the urge to throw up when Jordan pulled up pictures of the parents that were murdered in the comfort of their own home. To make it even worse, their ten year-old daughter was abducted from her bed, and considering the odds of her surviving, it was more than enough to strike a nerve. It also didn't help that the missing child made her think of a younger, frightened Anya as she was flashbacked to her abduction.

"Annette! Annette!"

She could hear Anya screaming her name in the back of her mind, and unable to really focus, excused herself, sitting off in the corner of the plane. Spencer saw the distressed look in her eyes, and he knew that she was fighting the urge to cry. Upon Hotch's announcement of how the team was going to split up, Spencer sat in the seat across from her.

"You okay?"

She turned to look at him. "I'm thinking of sitting this one out. You know how I get with cases involving kids."

"Are you having flashbacks?"

"Yeah, but it's not just the flashbacks I'm dealing with," Annette replied.

"Okay. What is it?"

"Anya. When I saw the picture of Cate, I saw the frightened expression she must have had on her face during the time I was missing. Now, I'm hearing her screaming for me, and I'm scared we won't find Cate alive, considering this tight race we have against the clock."

He reached over and took her hand, taking note of the shade of royal blue coating her nails this time.

"Then, for her sake and to stop that screaming, let's move quickly."

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, and following a brief moment of silence, Annette nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes with her free hand.


"Annette, you should be the one to talk to Cate," Hotch suggested following a brief chat with the receptionist on her current condition.

"You want me to interview her?"

"With your abduction experience, you can connect with her," Hotch replied.

"I think Hotch is right," Jordan interjected. "If she knows your story, she might be more willing to talk with you."

"Maybe so, but I haven't been in the right state of mind since the jet. Plus, I haven't really contributed much since we arrived. I'm not sure how useful I can be right now."

Jordan placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You'll come through, and believe me when I say that you're going to be great. You usually tend to find things that we miss, even when you're not in the right state of mind.

"You got this, Annette. You're a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for."

Annette looked at her for a moment and then turned towards Hotch, who nodded. With a deep breath, she walked towards the door of the room where Cate Hale was recovering.


"Shh. It's okay. You're okay. I'm right here."

Annette rubbed Cate's hand and squeezed it gently as she cooed the frightened, young girl. She had to fight the urge to cry, as Cate reminded her so much of Anya at her age. A part of her was surging with anger, especially upon discovery that the UnSubs were a family in which they were teaching their little boy how to commit murder. The word that the mother used to call her son rang a bell back to her college days, but as of this moment, she couldn't recall where.

"Cate, sweetheart, open your eyes."

She did, and Annette smiled at her.

"I just want to say that you did an excellent job. Thank you, and I swear to you that we will find these people."

Cate nodded.

"I'll ask your dad to come back in."

With a simple pat on her shoulder, Annette stood up from the chair she sat in and left, flagging her father.

"Mr. Scheuren, you have a very strong daughter."

"Did he touch her?"

"Oh no," she replied with a shake of her head. "God, no. Not in that way."

"Thank God."

He patted her arm and went back into the room. Taking a breath, Annette turned to face Hotch.

"You may want to sit down for this."


When Morgan and Rossi returned from investigating the trailer park the UnSubs stayed at with pieces of broken glass, Annette felt her memory being jogged again. She excused herself to one of the empty rooms in the station, and dialed a number.

"Hello. You've reached Sofia Radu. My apologies for missing your call, but leave me a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks. Bye."

"Ms. Sofia, this is Annette Lennox. It has been a while, but I hope you still remember me. I have some questions for you in regards to Romani culture, primarily the gypsies. As soon as you get the chance, call me back. Thanks."

When she ended the call, Annette set her phone down, rubbing her temples. It was going to be a long day.


Just after delivering the profile, Annette was called in with the guys on a huge hit that she was sure made her stomach churn violently. Garcia found many hits on ten year-old girls that went missing in the same manner for the past century. When a potential thought crossed her mind, she was sure her dinner was more than ready to come back up.

Luckily, the ringing of her phone snapped her out of the daze she was under. Shaking her head, she pulled her phone out of her back pocket and answered it, stepping away from the group.

"Agent Lennox."

"My dear Annette, it's Sofia. I'm returning the message you left me earlier."

"Ms. Sofia, hi. Thanks so much for calling me back. The reason why I called you is because of this case I'm working on."

"Is the killer twisting aspects of the culture?"

"Killers, actually. It's a family. Parents and a ten year-old boy. They're killing parents and kidnapping girls the same age, and based on that, you're probably thinking what I'm thinking from what I remember you telling me back when."

She heard Sofia breathe out a sigh, making her heart drop to the deepest pits of her stomach.

"Yes, and if what you're telling me is true, then you're dealing with a portion of the problem that has been going on for as long as I can recall it."

"Something tells me my team and I are going to have to sit down. Would it be alright if I put you on speaker?"

"Yes, my dear."

"Okay. Hold on."

She turned towards the boys.

"Guys, you may want to sit down and listen up. I have on the phone an acquaintance of mine who taught me about the Romani culture in depth when I was in college. Her knowledge pertains to the fact that she's a Romani gypsy herself."

Her words caught their attention, and she pushed the speaker button.

"Go ahead, Ms. Sofia. You're on speaker."


At the home of the Robillards, Annette had to lean back against the front of the SUV upon a shocking discovery. One of the UnSubs was one of the missing girls, and for her to survive, she developed a case of Stockholm Syndrome. Recalling what Sofia told her and the boys, she wondered how sick and depraved the starting generations were at the time to twist the culture.

"Are you okay, kiddo?"

Rossi's voice snapped her out of her trance.

"Honestly, I don't know. The deeper we get into this case, the more scared I get. I probably just need to toughen up."

"Hey. You don't need to do anything you're not comfortable with."

Looking at him, Annette nodded.

"Based on the facts, these people are using the girls to breed a new generation of killers. It's all about keeping the bloodline pure and going."

Her stomach churned violently.

"Son of a bitch. The girls are used as breeders. I swear to God, if I get my hands on these people…"

Rossi patted her shoulder.

"Come on. Let's find Lynn Robillard."


She wanted to slap the much older Kathy Gray after what she said to her son. Considering the warped ritual has been going on for a century, there probably would be no stopping them. Staring her down from the gate, Annette decided to try something.

"Sylvia."

When she turned her way, the two women stared each other down, and holding her head up, Annette spoke something in the Romanian language; one of a few that Sofia taught her. When she saw Kathy's eyes widen slightly, a sly smile formed on the corner of her lips. She stole a glance at her son from the corner of her eye, who also stared at her with concern. She then showed her a button that she managed to pull from the sweater she wore when she spoke with her son, and after speaking another Romanian line, blew on the button before making it disappear using a sleight of hand trick she had been practicing. Kathy then reached into her pocket, and pulled the button out, which added to Annette's growing smile.

"May God have mercy on you and your family."

She then turned and walked out the door just as Kathy lunged at the gate.

"You witch!"

Annette ignored her as she proceeded to leave with Hotch, Rossi, Prentiss and Jordan watching her in awe.

"Emily, do you know what she said?" Jordan asked, to which Prentiss shook her head.

"Whatever it was, I think the kiddo did it intentionally to strike a nerve with their superstitious beliefs," Rossi said. "I wonder if Ms. Sofia taught her something."

"Whatever it is, Annette has shown that she isn't someone to be messed with," Hotch said.

"I hope she becomes a permanent member of the team. She's proven to be exceptional with her sharp eyes and ability to see things from multiple angles," Jordan stated.

"That reminds me. I have to make a report in regards to her for the Director," Hotch announced. "Even if we both approve, the final decision is still on her."

"As long as she's happy, that's all I care about," Rossi said.


Annette plopped down on the sofa the second she and Spencer walked into the apartment. She rubbed her face and breathed out a sigh, the tension straining her shoulders and her back.

"You look like you could use a rub," Spencer announced as he put his satchel down on the floor and sat down next to her.

"This case really had me on edge. I hated it, and I really hate how generations of twisted minds warped a culture that usually isn't prone to violence. Ms. Sofia has had her share of being frowned upon because of who she is, and it angers me so much that it makes my blood boil."

Spencer placed a hand on her back and began rubbing it to comfort her.

"What did you say to Kathy Gray?"

She looked at him.

"I told her that she, her son and his brothers would eventually face their punishment. When she grabbed her son, I managed to snag a button from her sweater, made it disappear and appear in her pocket thanks to the sleight of hand trick I've been practicing. I made her believe that I was a witch capable of casting curses.

"I figured the only way for me to mess with a warped mind like hers would be through their superstition. I'm not the type to curse anyone, but for her and the rest of the warped, Romanian families that have killed and brainwashed those girls, I can make an exception."

Spencer chuckled, continuing to rub her back.

"So, I heard JJ plans on coming back," she announced, looking away and attempting to relax.

"Yeah, according to Hotch."

"Hmm…"

Spencer knew what she was contemplating without having to ask.

"You know I'd love it if you accepted the position full-time."

"I know."

She turned her head to look at him.

"Would you be willing to live with me full-time?"

"Yes. I'll start searching for a bigger apartment or even a house."

"What if you get sick of me in the long run?"

He touched her face with his free hand.

"I won't."

There was a moment of silence before she spoke.

"I would love to be on the team full-time and officially move here. I'm just not sure yet. Hotch still has to make a report to the Director, and even if they do give me the okay, the final decision is still on me."

"Well, considering we just got back, why don't you think it over and we can talk about it another time?"

She nodded, and with another look, Annette got up from her spot and sat on his lap, straddling him.

"I can do that, especially considering the mood I'm in right now."

His heart raced as she locked her lips with his, and his hands were mapping out her body once again.


Annette was getting ready to head out to the BAU headquarters following a shower and getting dressed. Having slept in an extra thirty minutes, Spencer went ahead of her at her insistence. Just as she was about to head out, her phone rang, and she felt her heart stop at the number.

"Agent Lennox."

"Annette, it's James. I really hope you're not on a case."

"No. Not that I know of. What is it?"

"I need you to come back to Albuquerque."

"What's wrong?"

"I would rather break the news to you in person than over the phone. How soon can you get back?"

"I'm going to catch the next earliest flight possible. I'll see you in a few hours."

With that, she ended the call and dialed Hotch's number.

"Annette?"

"Hi, Hotch. Is it possible for me to hold my final answer on whether or not I'll join the team? I just got summoned back to Albuquerque."

"Sure. Is everything okay?"

"I don't know. Detective Hawthorne said he wants to talk about it in person. I'll call and update once I know more."

"Okay. Have a safe trip."

"Thanks."

She then wrote a message to Spencer.

Sorry about this, but I got summoned back to Albuquerque. So, I won't be in to join you guys and see JJ after all this time. I've already informed Hotch, and I promise that I will explain everything once I know what's going on. I hope to see you soon. I love you, and thank you for everything these past several weeks. I had a wonderful time.

She then proceeded to pack her suitcase and the couple bags she brought with her, as she had a feeling that she wasn't going to be back for a while.


"James."

The middle-aged detective's eyes lit up at the sight of her as she walked into his office.

"Annette. Good to see you again. Sorry to have to do this of all times."

Annette shook her head.

"It's okay. So, what's going on that I had to fly back out here?"

"I just got off the phone with the governor right after I called you."

"And?"

"He's set an execution date for Michael Boudreaux."


End Notes: Dun-dun-DUN! That concludes Change for the Better. Sorry to have to end it on such an intense, suspenseful cliffhanger, but that was what I was aiming for. The next story will take place during the events of the episode "Cold Comfort" (Season Four, Episode Fourteen) as the team heads to Olympia, but will mostly follow Annette's perspective as she prepares for Michael's execution. There will also be a chapter involving Spencer and Annette's first official Valentine's date (since the relationship was fairly fresh at the time in addition to cases, they didn't get the opportunity to celebrate back then). However, Annette has a bit of a sad memory involving Valentine's Day, and this pertains back to her high school days. Still messing around with the concept, but that's my intended plot map. Hope you guys enjoyed the story, and check back for the next one!