Hi, sorry I haven't updated in so long! Its been crazy with classes, exams, and I haven't had time to put this chapter up. I can't thank my reviewers enough, especially CupCakes24, you really motivated me to get this chapter up. So on with it, and please read and review!

- Bibliobibuli1

P.s: I don't own Criminal Minds or any of the characters, except for Annabelle.

"In Seattle, we have a serial killer who seems to have no victimology whatsoever. The UNSUB has targeted men and women, different races, socio-economic backgrounds, and none of the victims have ever met. Seattle PD hasn't been able to find any connections."

"How many has the UNSUB killed?" Rossi asked from the front.

"Right now, we have found 25 bodies, but we believe that there are more that we haven't found."

"How come we're called in now? I mean, we have 25 bodies." Prentiss asked, and I nodded in her direction.

"Another team was called in, but they backed off." Backed off? That was unheard of. The others gave similar questions looks, and JJ supplied the answer.

"They couldn't solve the case, so we're being called in."

"What makes them think that we can solve the case?" I asked, causing a few heads to swivel around in my direction. After all, I wasn't exactly known for my participation skills.

"I don't know."

There was a very ominous pause, broken with Hotch's,

"Read the case file on the jet. Wheels up in thirty."

"Statistically, only 0.2% of killers can get up to 15 bodies without being caught, so this UNSUB is a rare one." I didn't even need to look up to see that it was Reid that had rattled off the statistic.

Lately, he had been strangely quiet, never speaking directly to me. He had taken the hint that I just wanted to be left alone, and actually obliged. Morgan had backed off too, really quickly. Quicker than I had expected. The team went out for dinner together, had girls nights out, they all went to Rossi's home for the occasional cooking lesson. They all interacted outside of work, like a family. While I stayed holed up in my apartment all day, doing over cases again and again. It got quite monotonous, but it was the way that things had to be.

"So no DNA or forensic evidence was found at any of the crime scenes?"

"None at all."

"These murders were planned out, meticulously. In not a single one did the UNSUB lose control. This doesn't look like a thrill killer." Hotch added.

"But then why would he kill so many people? The more you kill, the more chances there are to be caught. Why take the risk?" Prentiss asked, and was met with silence.

Everyone looked over their files once again, reviewing for something that they might have missed, but I just leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes, reading the file over in my head.

"Clifton, this isn't a good time to take a nap." Rossi nearly snapped.

"People with eidetic memory don't have to read things again, they can just see it in their mind whenever they wish." Reid interjected, and my I opened my eyes, ready to give the death glare that I was so famous for, but I was stopped by JJ.

"You have an eidetic memory?" And here it goes. It seemed that Morgan hadn't gotten around telling everyone about our conversation.

"Yeah."

"She's just downplaying it, aren't you Clifton?" Morgan said, a twinkle in his eyes.

"You-"

"Clifton here is even smarter than our resident genius. What was it? 191 IQ, reading OVER 20,000 words per minute?" And it was out.

I flicked my eyes over the team, getting precisely the reaction that I was expecting. Wide eyes, eager glances, too much attention. shifted in my seat. They weren't different at all.

"It's nothing." It was a feeble attempt to get the dreaded spotlight off of me, but it was an attempt nonetheless.

"What are the odds that TWO geniuses happen to be assigned to a single BAU team?" Prentiss asked.

The others murmured assent, and turned toward me once again.

"Even smarter than our Reid. This is a very weird day." Rossi muttered.

"We should get back to work." The aforementioned Reid suggested, sneaking in a glance at me. I gave small smile in response and then dropped my eyes and turned away. What was I doing? Conversing with the enemy? Why was I calling him an enemy now? And why was it this easy, too easy to lower my guard around him? Ugh, now I couldn't even think clearly!

My thoughts tangled up, I picked up the actual case file this time, pretending to read it, but really I just needed the feel of something real in my hands. I took a deep breath and went over what (little) we knew about the case. 25 found bodies, no forensic evidence, and all bodies displayed visible signs of torture. Whether it was burns or strangulation or drowning or enucleation, each of the victims had been brutally tortured. However, for some of the victims, notes from the UNSUB were found at their homes. The UNSUB seemed to be stalking some of his victims. There was no connection that we could find between them, but Garcia was digging.

"Prentiss, Morgan, and I will begin to look around some of the crime scenes. Rossi and JJ, start setting up at the station. Clifton and Reid, start interviewing the victims' families." Even before Hotch had closed his mouth, everyone shot him sceptical looks. Sending the socially-dumb genius and sociopathic newbie who clearly had issues toward each other to interview grieving families did not sound like a good idea. But Hotch was the team leader for a reason, and after he whipped out his trademark 'Hotch-Glare', everyone immediately agreed.

"Let's go." No need to make it even more awkward than it already, I had enough of it to last a lifetime.

"Where should we go first?" Which mourning family should we bother first? I picked off a name the list in the case file randomly.

"Sophie Walker?"

"Sure."

We both settled into the SUV, with me nestled in the driver's seat and Reid sitting shotgun.

"We need to talk." Dammit, I should have known that this was coming. It had been too peaceful these days, I had known it. I should have known better than to relax here. It was a miracle that he hadn't approached me before now.

"I wanted to apologize." Not exactly what I had been expecting, but it was just another game, to make me comfortable before he struck again. I gave no response.

"I understand that you're mad at me." He understands? What type of idiot did he think I was? I just pressed down harder on the pedal. The faster I could get out of this damn car, the better.

"Can't you answer me?" No, I will NOT.

"You're not making it any easier, you know. I been wanting to explain since I first saw you." Good for him.

"I left for a reason." I realized that, you dolt. Again with the stupid comments.

"It wasn't what you think, Anna." For a genius with an eidetic memory, he sure forgot a lot of things.

"Don't call me that." I kept my gaze forward, not making any eye contact, though I could feel his eyes burning into me.

"I didn't want to leave." Sure, he totally didn't just ditch me and skip off to his perfect life. I raised an eyebrow in his direction.

"I really didn't. I've always looked for you, even now." That was new. Like I was going to believe his lies.

"I know you don't have a reason to trust me, but I just want to have the full story. I don't expect us to be the same if I tell you, but at least you'll know the truth."

"How am I supposed to know that your supposed story is true?"

"You don't. You just have to try to trust me."

"I can't do that." No matter how much I try.

"Then just listen. Please." It was a tempting offer, to get back everything that I had ever really wanted back in the blink of an eye. I opened my mouth, to reply, and then immediately closed it. And then I began again.

"How do I know that this isn't a trick? You'll probably just leave again."

"This time, you have nothing to lose." It was true. I did have nothing to lose. But there was no way that I was handing my broken trust right back into his hands, the very hands that had smashed everything that I had been before. In all honesty, he had ruined my life. Why would I let him damage the tiny sliver of it that I had left? I wouldn't.

"N-"

"Just- Just think about it. Please. You don't have to tell me now." He was playing the 'please' card again. It wasn't going to work this time. I was stronger now. I pulled up in front of the house, quickly cutting off the engine and sloppily pulling the keys out. Almost out of the car, I looked back. Why wasn't Reid following me?

"Annabelle no-"

I turned away, tired of his pleading. And faced the jagged edge of a very long, very pointy knife.