I'll be posting the first few chapters to try to accumulate some interest so please review and let me know what you think. I'm currently on chapter 16 so there's definitely enough story to go around! However, I will most likely be changing the rating to M since this isn't exactly for the faint of heart.
Chapter 2
It didn't take long for the BAU's new addition to be taken aback by the irony of their case. Of course her first assignment with the FBI would be stopping a serial killer who targets homosexual women. She almost laughed aloud at the odds. She was unsure as to whether her sexuality was obvious to the group of profilers. Typically, people would not assume that she sometimes preferred the fairer sex. However, this was not a typical group of people. As the six got comfortable around the jet, Ava glanced from one face to another for any signs of discomfort or judgement. Looking especially hard at Agent Jareau, or JJ as she had been asked to be called, Ava discerned that they either did not know or simply didn't care. Speaking of Agent Jareau, her new teammate bore a strikingly uncomfortable resemblance to her fiancée, Kate. The almost platinum, blonde hair, stunning blue eyes, and petite frame were only a start. Both Kate and JJ possessed a knowing glint in their eyes as if they could see parts of you that weren't laid bare. When Ava had first met Katherine McGrath, it had been slightly difficult to make eye contact with the woman. The brunette was afraid that she could see into her very soul, her eyes an endless blue that you could almost fall into. Now, as she stole glance after glance at the only other woman on the plane, Ava felt the same uneasy feeling creep back into her. When the blonde almost caught her staring, Ava mentally admonished herself and instead, tried to focus on the upcoming case.
The team arrived in Dallas, Texas at around midnight. While everyone was tired, they agreed it would be best to meet with the local police department and set up before heading to their accommodations. The large building which held the precinct was fairly empty given the hour and the BAU quickly made their way to the bullpen.
"I'm looking for Sargent Edmonds." Hotch's voice seemed to echo, demanding the attention of everyone in the room.
"You must be Agent Hotchner." A large man with almost no hair approached them, hand extended. Hotch shook it briefly before introducing the rest of the team. Edmonds brought them to a room that had already been set up for them and ensured them that the entire precinct had been briefed before their arrival. While the larger man seemed slightly disappointed that they would not begin working tonight, he said nothing of the sort and bid them goodnight. Already tired from their trip, the BAU piled back into their SUVs without a word and began their brief drive to the hotel they would be staying at for the remainder of the case. As hotel key cards were being handed out, JJ was the first to speak in over an hour.
"They didn't have enough space for each of us to get our own rooms so they put us together." She told the new agent. "I hope you don't mind." Ava, somewhat distracted as she had just finished sending a goodnight text to Kate, nodded once.
"Of course not." The brunette swung her bag over a shoulder and followed her blonde companion to the seventh floor. The women unpacked what they needed for the night in silence, unsure as to what to say to one another, until JJ's curiosity got the better of her.
"So, if you don't mind me asking," Ava held her breath, "what's your fiancé's name?"
"Oh." Ava was both relieved and worried at the question JJ had chosen to ask.
"You don't have to tell me." JJ said quickly, sensing the woman's discomfort. "I didn't mean to pry, just-"
"No, no it's not that." Ava chuckled softly as she searched for her elusive toothbrush. "My fiancée's name is Kate. Well, it's Katherine but no one calls her that. You remind of her, actually."
"Oh." JJ took in the younger woman's red cheeks and fidgeting hands. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to assume…"
"Assume that I was straight?" Ava offered the blonde a grin, hoping to lighten the mood. "Don't worry, you're not the first. You're also not completely incorrect."
"So you're…bisexual." Ava rolled her wrist in order to get the woman to say the word, ensuring her that it was not an insult. The phrase, however, came out as more of a question than a statement.
"Yes," Ava said, "but Kate isn't." JJ nodded slowly, unsure as to what to say next. Ava misunderstood her reaction and crossed her arms protectively around herself. "I've made you uncomfortable." Another statement that sounded more like a question. JJ shot up immediately, waving her hands in the air.
"No, no!" she insisted. "I'm not uncomfortable."
"I can get another room." Ava made a move to reach for her bag, having only unpacked two or three things since their arrival. JJ was faster and caught the woman by the arm.
"No, don't." the blonde pressed. "Really, I'm not uncomfortable in the slightest. It's just that…well where I grew up, people weren't really free to be themselves."
"You've…never met someone who isn't straight?" Ava raised an eyebrow doubtfully.
"Well, no one who's felt the need to tell me." The blonde tried to defend herself. "But I'm nothing like them. Your sexuality means as much to me as the color of your hair." Ava chuckled at the analogy, satisfied that her new teammate didn't find her repulsive. She nodded and continued unpacking her things before another thought struck older agent.
"People have done that to you?" Ava threw the blonde a questioning look. "Asked you to leave places?"
"Yes." She said, matter-of-factly. "Not everyone's as accepting as you."
"That's…pretty messed up." JJ concluded with a single nod from the brunette at her side. She couldn't imagine being discriminated against over who she loved. "I'm sorry that's happened to you."
"It's really ok." Ava smiled, genuinely surprised at the depth of the woman's compassion. Ava didn't really have many friends growing up and the number decreased when she had started experimenting with her sexuality in college. It was strange to feel so welcomed and accepted with someone she had just met earlier that day. The blonde had a way of calming the people around her, ensuring that they felt safe and cared for regardless of how long she'd known them. Ava smiled at the woman once more, glad to be on the same team as someone like her, as the two finished their unpacking and eventually, fell into a brief but restful sleep.
Within an hour or so of arriving at the station, the team's only course of action was clear and Ava, once again, suppressed the urge to laugh at the circumstances.
"We should send in two of our own tonight under the guise of a couple." Edmonds suggested. Hotch nodded once, his eyes dancing towards the newest addition to their team. "They can draw him out and we'll catch him red-handed."
"I agree." Hotch said. "I'd like to send in Agent Thorne, if that's alright with you." Edmonds glanced at the youngest in the room and raised an eyebrow.
"Are you sure?" his voice was low as if Ava couldn't hear him if he whispered. Hotch crossed his arms and tilted his head slightly.
"Agent Thorne worked for the CIA for the past three years where she repeatedly infiltrated human trafficking rings by posing as a potential victim. I'm sure she can handle one man." Ava was slightly confounded by the way her new boss rose to her defense. She cast the man a sidelong glance and fought the urge to smile. Edmonds merely huffed as he walked away, presumably to find a partner for Ava to work with.
"If it's alright with you, Agent Hotchner, I'd like Agent Jareau to accompany me." The BAU turned to her, quizzical looks in their eyes.
"I'm not sure if that's the best idea." Hotch frowned. "JJ's never had to pose as someone else before."
"I'm sure she has more experience than the three other women in this precinct. Besides," Ava shifted her gaze to the blonde who seemed more like a fish out of a water than a federal agent, "I trust her."
"You only just met me yesterday." JJ said questioningly. Ava grinned.
"I'm a good judge of character." The brunette placed her hands on her hips. "You wouldn't have to be someone else, per say. Just…change one part of yourself. I'm sure you're more than capable."
"Capable of being attracted to women?" JJ asked, almost jokingly. Ava repressed another chuckle and instead settled for,
"There's a joke in there somewhere." The rest of the BAU watched the exchange with a mix of intrigue, confusion, and, in Morgan's case, interest.
"I vote yes." The dark skinned man felt the need to add his opinion only to earn a glare from the blonde at his side.
"I suppose," Hotch thought out loud, "it couldn't hurt to see how well the two of you work together."
"We'll need a change of clothes," Ava stated, "and I hope you brought more makeup than I did."
"What did you bring?" JJ asked as the two began to make their way out of the precinct in search of decent club wear.
"Nothing." The brunette shrugged. JJ scoffed aloud as she shook her head and said,
"Of course." The blonde caught the perplexed look on the younger agent's face and almost laughed at her perceived ignorance. The only thing that stopped her was the growing anxiety at the thought of what would transpire tonight. Ava might be confident in her abilities but that most certainly didn't mean that she was.
