Chapter 3
Several hours later and the women of the BAU were finally ready. Ava had purchased a pair of black skinny jeans, a red midriff top that showed a bit of her tanned stomach, a black leather jacket, and a pair of suede, black, heeled boots. Her hair had been straightened and now almost reached her hips. JJ had opted for- after much guidance from her partner- a pair of stiletto heels with a lacy, azure top, and a form-fitting pair of black jeans. She had tied her hair up into a high ponytail, the blonde trail swinging behind her as she walked. The two looked the parts they were trying to play enough for Morgan to make several comments and for Reid to avoid eye contact with either one of them until they left. Now, as they waited on line at a gay club situated in the center of their unsub's hunting ground, the two women glanced at one another uneasily. While this was certainly not Ava's first rodeo, the last thing she wanted was to make her new partner uneasy or wary of her. It was certainly not ideal to have their first assignment together be one of such personal nature. JJ, on the other hand, was more afraid of messing up the case than her future relationship with Ava. She doubted that this assignment would negatively affect them in the long run. The blonde even went as far as to surprise the newest BAU member by taking her hand in hers and holding it tightly against her hip. Ava, unsure as to how far the older agent was willing to go to convince people of their "relationship", offered her a tight lipped grin as they made their way into the boisterous club.
"Remember, the two of you are an established couple, not a pair of teenagers on your first date." Rossi's voice sounded in both ears, causing the women to smile as they approached the bar, hand in hand. "Try to be a little less awkward." The older man pinched the bridge of his nose as he watched the two on the surveillance cameras they had been given access to.
"Yes sir." Ava saluted jokingly causing JJ to bit her lip to keep from chuckling. The brunette pulled out the bar stool for her "girlfriend" and even gave the woman a quick kiss on the cheek as she sat down. Ignoring the blush that suddenly appeared on JJ's face as well as the "that's more like it" that echoed in their ears, Ava ordered their drinks and retook JJ's hand in hers.
"So," the blonde had to shout to be heard, "what kind of guy are we looking for?"
"Uh," Ava lifted an eyebrow, "any guy in here should automatically be considered." JJ took a quick scan of the room and almost slapped her own forehead.
"Right." She shook her head slightly. "What do we do when we see one?"
"We should probably hang back at first, make sure he's a potential target." Ava's gaze never left hers, the smoky makeup she had applied making her eyes that much more captivating. "If we think it could be him, we'll have to get his attention somehow."
"I don't think getting anyone's attention is going to be much of a problem." Morgan's voice chimed in. The women rolled their eyes, JJ opening her mouth to rebuke him until she realized that he wasn't trying to be coy. As the two studied the room, they noticed that they were, in fact, drawing quite a bit of attention. It made the blonde blush, as it always did, to have so many people look at her in such a way. Ava, however, seemed either oblivious or indifferent to the stares they were receiving. JJ found herself wondering just how often the younger woman frequented places such as this. The thought was dispelled as soon as Ava spoke again.
"Oh, Lord." The brunette rolled her eyes, as well as her entire head, as JJ frowned in confusion. It wasn't until a pair of cold hands found her waist that she realized what Ava was referring to.
"I'm sorry to interrupt," a singsong voice appeared as the person who owned it moved to stand beside both women. Her hand, however, had not left JJ's waist and the blonde raised an eyebrow at the thumb that stroked her skin. "I just saw the two of you and had to come tell you- you're easily the most attractive couple here."
"Why, thank you." Ava's voice was uncharacteristically sweet. JJ simply remained motionless, casting the occasional dubious glare at the woman who was still touching her.
"I was just wondering," JJ, who had never stepped foot inside a lesbian club, could already see where this was headed, "if you were interested in any additional company tonight?" Ava smiled at the woman as she stood. Believing this to be an affirmation of her interest in the proposal, the woman placed her other hand around Ava's waist and pulled her closer, a sly smile appearing on her heavily glossed lips. Ava, however, was well versed in speaking to- and rejecting- women like her. She slowly reached around, removed the woman's hand from JJ's side, and gave the woman a slight shoulder squeeze.
"If it was any other night, we'd take you up on that in a heartbeat." Ava lied. "But I'm afraid tonight is sort of a special night for us and we'd really just like to spend it together."
"Oh," the woman was clearly disappointed but had fallen for the pretense, "well then hopefully I'll see you here another time then."
"Yes, hopefully." Ava offered the shorter woman a smile only to receive a playful kiss on the corner of her lips in return. Ava waved goodbye to the woman as she turned and made a show of walking away before sitting back down and swiping a hand across her lips.
"Did that really just happen? Rossi, tell me that just happened." Morgan could be heard asking, seemingly unaware that they could still hear him. Rossi shushed him at once. JJ had to place a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing out loud.
"Some people can be so rude." Ava shook her head in disappointment. By then, their drinks had arrived and the brunette took a generous gulp of hers before handing JJ's over.
"Don't go getting drunk on me now." JJ joked. "We're lucky Hotch even let us order real drinks."
"I don't think ordering a seltzer water would go over too well if we're trying to blend in." Ava tapped her glass against JJ's and took another swing. JJ sipped hers, nose wrinkling at its potency, as she scanned the crowd once more in search of a man in a sea of women.
"What did you mean when you called that woman rude?" JJ asked curiously. Ava looked up at her from her glass.
"You've never encountered a guy who came up to you when you clearly didn't want to be approached?" JJ nodded. "It's pretty much the same thing. Walking up to a couple and asking to be invited into their bedroom is more than blunt- it's impolite. If they want you there, they'll ask."
"A field in which you have some experience, I gather?" the blonde practically mumbled as she took another sip of her gin. Ava laughed wholeheartedly.
"It'll take at least another four of these to get that conversation rolling." Ava sidestepped the question, much to JJ's amusement.
"You've got a blonde guy entering now from the south side of the building." Rossi's statement brought them both of out of the light-hearted nature of their conversation and back to the reason they were there. Ava knew better than to turn around and look at the man so instead she relied on JJ, who was already facing in that direction, to spot him. She offered her partner at slight nod when she caught sight of him, taking another small sip of her drink in the process. Several minutes passed in silence as both women made an effort to observe the newcomer.
"Another one just came in- same side." Rossi informed them. The two women had already noticed the second man and frowned slightly. What were the chances of two men entering a lesbian club in the same night?
"Don't worry," Ava said softly, "I'm sure one of them is just looking to become a unicorn."
"Unicorn?" JJ asked only to receive a raised eyebrow.
"I'll tell you when you're older." Ava finished her drink in one swallow before taking JJ's out of her hand and placing it on the bar along with a generous tip. "Come on. We're losing them." She stood, grabbed the blonde's hand, and led her towards the dancefloor.
"One's down by the table closest to the bathrooms." JJ said as soon as she caught sight of him. Ava nodded her acknowledgement as her eyes scoured the crowd for the second man. With her heels she was almost six feel tall and effortlessly towered over most of the gyrating bodies. Ava skidded to a stop, having found the man lounging on an armchair, and felt JJ's hands go to her waist to keep from barreling into her. Ava turned swiftly, purposely easing closer to the blonde to be able to speak without being overheard and to maintain their cover.
"The second one's hanging out by the exit, facing the dancefloor." Ava told her. JJ made an effort to look around her partner but saw nothing except dancing bodies.
"Which one do you think it is?" the blonde asked, following Ava's lead and beginning to sway to the music. Ava seemed to think for a moment, placing a hand on JJ's waist and almost retracting it when she felt skin instead of lace.
"I'd say the one by the exit." Securing her arm around JJ, the brunette pulled her as close as she could, feeling the blonde's pounding heart against her chest. "I'm going to try to get us a better view." As she spoke, she began easing their way through the crowd to where they knew their potential unsub would be watching, their bodies weaving as if they were one.
"Be careful. Don't get too close, you don't want him to make you." Rossi's instructions were both unnecessary and distracting. Ava made a face and JJ was sure that if she could, the brunette would've already removed the ear piece. As they neared the edge of the dancefloor, Ava turned JJ around so that both women could see the man if they turned their heads. Neither made a move to look at him though and Ava smiled at the blonde, knowing that she had the makings of a great undercover operative.
"You're better at this than you give yourself credit for." She said, feeling the blonde jump at the closeness of her voice. JJ chuckled. Ava, although keen to hear what JJ had to say, could almost feel the man's gaze on them. They had caught his attention like a mouse in a trap. Now all they had to do was snap it shut.
"I've danced with women before, Ava." The younger agent shook her head with a laugh.
"I meant the whole undercover thing," she offered her partner a sly look, "although I am willing to hear about these other women." JJ's blush was immediate and intense and Ava worried that she had crossed a line with the blonde. Thinking twice about it, what line could she be crossing with mere words when the two were, quite literally, pressed up against one another like actual lovers?
"I'm afraid there won't be much to those stories." JJ retorted with a shake of the head. Suddenly, the look in her blue gaze changed and Ava could tell that something was wrong. "He's leaving." Ava frowned, resisting the urge to turn her head and look.
"We've got to do something." She said in a hushed tone. "If he loses interest in us, there's no telling who he'll target next."
"What do we do?" JJ asked, unsure as to how to proceed given her inexperience. Ava threw the blonde a knowing look.
"We have to cause a scene." Ava concluded, much to JJ's surprise. "What did you think I was going to suggest?"
"Uh, nothing." Ava would've laughed out loud had the situation been less precarious. "What kind of scene?"
"Ever seen a movie where some girl loses her shit in a bar and the music stops and everyone stares?" JJ nodded slowly. "That kind of scene." As Ava waited for JJ to react, the man continued to get further and further away. "Now, JJ." Without another word the blonde reached out, grabbed a drink from the nearest cocktail waitress, and proceeded to throw the liquid straight into Ava's face. The brunette sputtered, more than slightly startled, and wiped the burning alcohol from her eyes.
"What the hell was that for?!" the brunette shouted, knowing full well what it was about. Her cry was loud enough to attract the attention of those around her, but not nearly dramatic enough to reach the ears of the rest.
"Do you think I can't see how you're looking at her?!" JJ yelled. "Are you honestly going to pretend like you haven't been checking out every other woman who looks in your general direction?!"
"We are not doing this again!" Ava demanded, eyes darting around in search of their target. "Stop causing a scene for no reason!"
"'No reason'?!" JJ scoffed. "How would you feel if I had the wandering hands of a teenage boy and a sex drive to match?!"
"Jennifer, you're being dramatic." Ava insisted, the crowd of people listening in on their argument growing by the second. "Would I be with you if I didn't love you?"
"You tell me!" JJ threw her arms up for emphasis, almost hitting the woman behind her and succeeding in attracting even more attention. "Were you thinking about how much you loved me when you grabbed that woman's ass before?!" Ava was trying her best to remain serious but the blonde's enthusiasm made it difficult. "Didn't think I noticed that, did you?!"
"This is exactly why I never want to go out with you!" Ava approached her, seemingly menacing. "Big deal, I look at other women! Would you prefer I gauge my eyes out instead?!"
"I'd prefer you keep it in your pants and not go around trying to screw everything that moves!" At this, and at seeing that almost the entire club was now focused on them, Ava grabbed JJ's arm as aggressively as she could without actually hurting the woman.
"That's enough!" Ava cried, her gaze narrowing. "We're leaving. Maybe when you calm down we can have an actual, rational discussion about this."
"Why, afraid that everyone here will learn just how much of a-" JJ's protest was cut off as a large, balding man stepped up to them, hand on each of their shoulders.
"Out." He said plainly. "Now." Already escorting the women towards the exit, Ava caught a glimpse of their potential unsub. He was staring, mouth wide open at their display. Almost positive that this was their man, Ava pretended to stumble as the much larger bouncer dragged her and JJ to the door. She tripped, falling straight into the unsub's arms. Instinctually, he caught her but as she looked up at his face, she could see the disgust at the thought of being touched by her. Shoving her off of him, Ava almost smiled. Why would a man who's disgusted by homosexuality be skulking in a lesbian club? He wouldn't…not unless he had ulterior motives.
After being forcefully shoved outside, Ava and JJ righted their clothes before looking at one another.
"Came pretty close to some dangerous waters there, huh?" Ava joked as a look of panic flashed across JJ's features.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to insult-"
"JJ," Ava said slowly, "I'm kidding. You were awesome." As the two heard the door at their backs open and close, Ava whispered, "but the show's not over yet." The two women began walking away from the club and into the street where they hoped the unsub would follow.
"The alley a block away." JJ mumbled. "Should be a safe enough place for him to want to attack us." Ava nodded, taking hold of JJ's arm once more.
"He'll be watching us the whole way. Don't break character." JJ immediately yanked her arm away violently and even gave Ava a shove on the shoulder. The two continued their walk several feet apart, maintain their guise, until the alley JJ had remembered came into view.
"Pull me into the alley." JJ instructed much to Ava's surprise. Ava did as instructed and the two stumbled as far back into the narrow passage as possible.
"See what you did," JJ raised her voice, "you got us kicked out."
"I got us kicked out?" Ava crossed her arms. "That's funny because I distinctly remember you throwing a bitch fit and attracting the attention of literally everyone in there!"
"I wouldn't have to throw a fit if you weren't such a slut!" JJ almost winced at the sentence but Ava didn't even blink.
"You didn't seem to care when it was you I was grabbing at clubs." Ava brought herself almost nose to nose with the blonde. "Or is it only acceptable when you're the one getting all the attention?" JJ, unable to think of an adequate reply, wound back a hand and slapped Ava slightly harder than she had intended across the face. The younger agent had seen it coming and even hoped that their argument would reach its natural progression. It didn't stop the blonde from cringing at the action. Ava, seemingly done arguing with her lover, turned on her heels to leave the alley only to come face to face with the man who had been following them. He was tall, at least six foot two, and wore an all black suit. His hair was rustled and jet black, his eyes narrow slits of gold. Both hands were in his pockets and the women were wary of them almost immediately.
"Can I help you?" Ava spat at the man. "Can't you see we're a little busy here?"
"All I see is two whores who need to be cleansed." The man's voice was low and menacing as he removed a knife from his left pocket. He began to toy with it, picking at his nails, as he turned to face the entrance of the alley. "Isn't that right, Matt?" Suddenly, a second man, somewhat familiar to the agents, turned the corner. JJ and Ava exchanged glances, neither of them anticipating a duo.
"Cleansed?" Ava asked innocently as she backed into JJ. The urge to protect the blonde wasn't entirely because of their cover.
"Yes, cleansed." The first man responded. "And the only way to do that is through blood." The second man, Matt, also drew a knife from his pocket. He tilted his head as he took in the two women before him and offered them a yellow smile. That was when they recognized him- the bartender who had served them their drinks.
"Just like the blood of Christ cleansed the earth of sin," Matt opened his arms in a welcoming manner, "so will your blood cleanse your souls of your sins."
"Blood?" JJ grabbed Ava's arm, seemingly afraid. "Wh-what are you going to do?"
"We're going to save you." The first man insisted. "We're going to make sure that you can never sin again. But first, we're going to teach you just how wrong it is to defy God in such a way."
"Yo-you're going to kill us?" Ava's voice shook intentionally, knowing that they needed outright proof before they could arrest the two. Both men grinned, approaching the women.
"Eventually." The first man nodded. "But what's a lesson without proper punishment?" The confirmation was more than enough and both women dropped their act and stood up straight.
"You're both under arrest." JJ said matter-of-factly, pulling her badge out of her purse as Ava did the same.
"FBI?!" Matt cried, casting a panicked look at his partner in crime. "You've got to be fucking joking."
"The only joke here, gentlemen, is you." Ava narrowed her eyes at the men. For JJ, this was just another arrest. For Ava, this was much more than that. Not only was it the first time she had worked with someone else so directly to catch an unsub, but this was personal. They had attacked and killed seven women just because of their sexuality- a sexuality that Ava shared.
"Put the knives down," JJ demanded, "our team is already on their way." The first man, presumably the alpha, took a large step towards the blonde.
"Then they can take what's left of you home in a box." He snarled and leapt forward. JJ, anticipating the move, sidestepped away from the man. Ava sprung forward, attacking the second without a moment's hesitation. She grabbed his knife hand and twisted as hard as she could. Although the arm moved, Matt was stronger than he looked and Ava realized too late that he was most likely ambidextrous. His left hand swung back and landed a solid punch to Ava's jaw, knocking out the ear wig just as she heard Rossi shouting at someone to drive faster. The woman stumbled back, releasing his hand. Jumping backward to avoid the slashing knife, Ava glanced back at JJ to see how she was fairing with the larger man.
The blonde had managed to somehow disarm the brute. However, he was still standing and angrier than ever. He lunged forward, hands out in search of JJ's neck. The blonde evaded him just in time, swung a fist back, and connected it with the side of his head. The man grunted as he fell to his knees but rose almost immediately. JJ was able to elude punch after punch until, finally, one caught her in the gut. The blonde doubled over, a single cough escaping her lips, before the man's hands were around her throat. Forcing her back against the wall of the alley, the man tightened his grip and JJ's vision quickly began to fail her. She reached out, clawing at the man's face and eyes, only to receive a knee to the same area he had previously hit. JJ opened her mouth wide in an attempt to draw more air into her lungs. Just as she felt her body going limp, a loud crack sounded above her and the man's hold on her was gone. As her knees gave out, JJ felt a pair of hands catch and hold her upright. When the coughing fit had passed, she looked up to see the slightly bloodied face of Ava Thorne gazing down at her with concern.
"Are you alright?" Ava asked, panting as she heard the sirens approaching. JJ nodded as she continued to suck in breath after breath of precious air.
"You?" she asked the brunette, taking in the bruised jaw, cut lip, and rapidly forming black eye. Ava scoffed.
"This?" she indicated to her face. "Just a scratch." Despite the pain in her ribs, JJ let out an animated laugh. As the men of the BAU raced to the end of the alleyway, they exchanged glances with one another. There were few women who would get into a fist fight with serial killers and be found laughing about it immediately after. Thankfully, the BAU had two of them.
Thanks for reading if you're still with me! I'll be posting more tomorrow. In the meantime, feel free to take a look at my other CM stories!
