A/N: Next chapter for everyone, sorry for the wait. No, we aren't there yet.

Disclaimer: Don't own it...

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Chapter Five

They were really cozy. Aaron put more of his weight on his left shoulder to get comfortable in the open doorway. To a passerby he most likely appeared to be watching the floor, which he was. His gaze had gone to the empty desk to find the object of his search not far away at Morgan's old one. The slender doctor was sitting on the edge of the surface but he wasn't alone. The blonde woman was laughing loud for it to echo in the large space. Whatever Reid had said had her giggling and turning red. What was in her hand?

Some kind of pastry was being lifted towards the dodging head. A moment later the bobbing hair stopped and she was feeding him. Garcia was feeding Reid and the genius wasn't protesting or shying away from it. This was the third time in as little as two weeks where he'd caught the two in some kind of moment. Three nights ago he had been behind the pair as they left for home. An arm had been placed around the woman's shoulders as they boarded the elevator. He had slowed his step and let them go down without him.

"Rather cozy, aren't they?" Dave came out of his office and walked over to the glaring male. The office really wasn't the place for that kind of thing but he wasn't the boss. It would seem off, if not for JJ deciding to join in on the fun of feeding the too thin profiler. Must be nice to be young and not have many worries. Scratch that, one of them did have a lot on her plate. "Are they?"

"No," they weren't dating because he said they weren't, that was rich. Aaron had no idea what they were doing. They could do what they wanted and he wouldn't begrudge either of them. Just because he was finding himself wishing more and more every day that the stranger was the pretty boy being fed pastries by a beautiful woman. He'd already gone on a date with one of the potential matches and it had been horrible. The man hadn't been anything like the person he had spent the evening with. Being cute was all the date had going for him. The voice was too deep, the body too manly, and the man had no lips. As soon as he'd shown up in person, Aaron had known.

After a bit of research on the other two, he was drawing a blank. One had dressed as batman to the party and the other was engaged to a female model. The list was gone, if he didn't count Reid's sample being in the list. All morning he had thought about it being possible, now he was convinced it didn't matter. Reid could have deposited a tissue after blowing his nose at any time since Dave had admitted that the person that did clean his house did the spare rooms once a mouth. There was no way of knowing how long those few pieces of trash had remained in that can. There was also no way for him to know for sure if the stranger had taken the time to clean up. Add in the chance that he could have gone to the bathroom to do the deed, the possibility of finding said person was very slim. It had been a long shot and it was either confront Reid or let it go. If it wasn't the doctor then he would look like a desperate ass.

"Get everyone together, we have a case." Sort of, Cruz wanted the team to go over the files to see if there was a connection to any of the victims so they would have a reason to go in. He stepped inside the office to pick up what they would need. The last twenty four hours he'd spent getting the case together since the town was still completely old school. They had nothing on the computer and it was a pain in his ass. The last thing he wanted to do was to go tracking through some back-ass end town that didn't want them there. He didn't want to keep replaying that scene in his head either. It meant nothing, the two were just close.

All were in the room with their game faces on by the time he stormed inside with his arms loaded down with the files. Things would be so much easier once he got more help. Lewis was considering returning fulltime and Cruz was working on bringing someone in. He cleared his throat and began passing the files out. "Alright team, we have exactly twenty-four hours to find our way into the case before the last crime scene is no longer viable."

"Sir, I could have done this." Penelope took what she'd been given in dismay. This was her job, had she done something to displease him?

"I know you could have but this isn't an official case, yet. Yesterday morning Cruz handed me my file and told me to go over it. If I thought there was something then to see that my team got it. You were busy at your doctor's appointment and I had the time. Don't worry, you will be spending the next few hours getting everything digital and into the system. Before you ask there is nothing to work with, this town does everything old school. Those in charge love paper." Aaron took a seat and loosened his tie. "And they refuse to update."

"Because they don't have electricity, Hotch," Spencer had already read the briefing report as the others were opening their files.

"Exactly," Which made it a pain in the ass for him. He wanted them to understand what they were getting into. "The town was completely converted into an Amish community forty-seven years ago. They keep up with the government regulations but due to their beliefs they do get by without being more modernized."

"This is going to suck," JJ did not want to go to a community that didn't believe in having a cell phone.

"That is if we can legitimize our reason for interfering. As you all probably suspect it is a tight community and they believe in taking care of their own. However, three days ago the body of a young lady was accidently discovered. She should have been a victim with answers but the trucker says she came running out too fast to prevent the impact." Aaron let them all take in the first few photos. "The coroner has confirmed that most of the wounds were done prior to being hit. The accident occurred only two miles from one of the farms."

"This wound on her abdomen had to be done minutes prior to being hit. A wound like that she wouldn't have made it far without bleeding out." Spencer wondered if the girl had realized that even if she had been picked up, she would have died long before help would have arrived.

"You are right but the driver was pretty shaken by it. His story was that the highway he normally travels was blocked off due to a sinkhole and he was running behind. He used his gps to plot out an alternate route that wouldn't have much traffic. Our luck it took him through the only highway in this town. If he hadn't, this case would have gone unnoticed once more. His accident made the state news because the month prior there had been a search for the missing girl."

"How did you get these files? One murder wouldn't warrant us prying," JJ frowned quickly scanning the many autopsy reports and photos.

"Normally but the local authority isn't too happy and didn't hesitate. He wants us to come in, but that is strictly off the record. Sheriff Adam Parks married into the community and has been the sheriff for seven years. He has converted to the lifestyle which makes his position in this case very tricky." Aaron felt for the man that wanted to go with his gut but couldn't because of the strife it would cause in his home.

Dave sighed, this was going to be a right pain in the ass to investigate. "You mean he is positive that these killing are connected, or most of them, but he can't ask for outside help because they don't want outsiders coming in. If he asks for help then that makes him the bad guy and he's no longer invited to Sunday dinner with the family."

"Exactly, it does help our case that two more bodies were found not far from where she was hit. Both were older and disposed of in different manners but it earned us the right to take a look at the case. As I said we have the unofficial invite but it would be best if we don't need it. So let's find what we need."

"Can't we just tell the Sheriff to man up and make it official?" Penelope asked taking the envelope with the negatives.

"No, we can't. He believes he's given us what we need to come in, so that is what we'll do. The town doesn't want us in and so he's in the position to claim that the three deaths aren't related. Stacey Keener's death pointed us in the right direction, let's follow, and see where it leads." Aaron wanted to get there before the crime scene was useless.

"Hey guys, I think we have multiple serials out there." Spencer quickly separated the files with attached photos and sorted out the ones that he couldn't make a connection with yet.

"If we all had that kind of talent no one would ever be murdered in this country," JJ closed her own. This saved her the trouble of looking at the photos and wracking her brain looking for clues.

"Thank you, but I'm serious." Spencer tossed the last unneeded file to the side. "This pile is of those that most likely died by a one-time assailant and most of them are pretty old. These three piles however are different; each pile has its own unique signature. If we look at the first pile; the first victim was found eighteen years ago. The sex and age aren't specific but one thing is, the hours leading up to death. Each victim had a stomach full of contents, sexually assaulted, and then hanged."

"One last meal before being sentenced to death, peachy." Dave twirled his pen and leaned back. "What about the other two?"

"The first death of these were around the same time as well. The middle is rather simple; they were all killed by a single stab wound to the throat. The one on the right is the thickest and hardest to spot. So unique I almost missed it," Spencer pushed the other two piles in order to place the glossy pictures of the victims out to be seen and waited for them to spot it.

"I'm not seeing it." JJ reached out to twist a photo of a dead cheerleader that had gotten pissed and ditched her boyfriend mid-drive down the highway, and had ended up dead. "We got a drowning, a beheading, strangulation, death by anal hemorrhaging, and even by a gunshot wound to the temple. I'm not seeing any connection, all of these victims died in various ways and there is no signature."

"The body itself is the signature," Aaron didn't bother opening his own matching files, he moved in closer to partially lean over the waiting doctor. He could have gone around to the other side of JJ, but no one called him out on it. A finger was used to turn one of the photos around to get a better look. "This one was found in a ditch, that one there in a corn field, and the others in some type of natural environment."

"Yeah, but who disposes of a body indoors?" Penelope tried not to smile, it wasn't the time or the place for it. It was just adorable watching the younger male squirm at how close the other man was.

"I see it," Dave reached over to snatch one of the files. "She's clean, too clean. When disposing of a body there are things to take in account. You got the weather, animals, and not to mention how long it might take for the body to be discovered. These pictures though, they had to be taken just shortly after the body was disposed of."

"Meaning that the unsub wanted them to be found in this condition." Spencer tried not to breathe in too deeply. His stomach was already knotting at the hint of aftershave and the heat he could feel radiating from the man. "That takes a lot of effort. Each body was found not long after death, so this unsub waits until the conditions are perfect before killing them. He knows when the weather will permit them not being affected. That means rain, strong winds, humidity, and the cold. He also has to make sure there won't be any natural predators to come bother them. All this to ensure that they will also be found immediately indicates that he knows the schedule and routines of every location a body was discovered."

"Wow, that is kind of scary. Now that you mention it, it is odd. These locations are remote and not one of these has been disturbed at all." JJ had seen many mutilated corpses that weren't from the unsub but hungry animals.

"He doesn't want anything to tarnish his work." Aaron concluded and placed a hand on the narrow shoulder. "Great work, Reid. What we don't know is which unsub was responsible for Stacey's death. There is a chance we are dealing with three locals competing or they could be working alone. Garcia, start with the three stacks Reid has supplied, and go from there. The rest of you, wheels up in thirty."

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"Why didn't someone mention it was going to be this cold?" JJ gave up on rubbing the feeling back in her arms. There wasn't any snow but she was positive the reason that old man kept gazing in her direction was because her nipples were trying to escape to a warmer climate.

"I did," Spencer frowned at the flimsy excuse of a jacket the blonde was wearing. He had quoted the weather conditions as they exited the meeting. No one paid attention to him, it wasn't his fault that he was the only one to dress properly. They had been put up at the local Inn that was currently abandoned. The town had stopped catering to tourists not long after they had all converted so the building was empty. The sheriff had put them up after Hotch had spoken to him. The community elders had been there to protest to their involvement and their presence. Most had been calm, with questions as to why they were there, only a select few had rose their voice. After having it explained that the tragic death of Stacey Keener had led to the discovery of a possible link to other murders did most nod and let it be. Whether they cared for the intrusion or not, they understood that they couldn't prevent it. Even now the locals were going about their daily lives, ignoring them. "Here, take my coat, or I'm not going to be able to live with myself."

"Spence," JJ grumbled as it was stripped off and shoved her way. She was cold but now he was going to be cold. He gave a look that said he wasn't taking it back so she slipped her arms inside. "Hm, you smell nice."

"Thanks," he shivered in the breeze. Hearing he smelt nice wouldn't prevent his balls from digging into his intestines. It was best to keep moving, "The report says she came from this direction. The highway should be on the other side of that patch of trees."

"I hope Hotch can get something from the family. You have to wonder how she managed to end up here." Their trek across the field couldn't be fast enough. "Is he still watching us?"

"Yes, he isn't going to like us on his property." Spencer didn't blame him. His gut was telling him that the old man wasn't the one responsible. The victim had been fleeing and fighting for her life. The cuts on the bottom of her feet indicated she had been running some time, before being hit, across harsh terrain without any shoes on. The unsub had chased her down and finished her off instead of allowing her to escape. "I'm pretty sure that is the head of the family. If she was killed on his farm then he might be worried that we will look at his family for the crime. That or he noticed your nipples."

"Cute," she closed the coat and playfully slapped at him. "Why did I get stuck with you again?"

"Because everyone else was busy." He was glad that he had been selected to join JJ. For a moment he had feared that Hotch would ask him to tag along to interview the local families. They would have to tread lightly to not piss off the locals. None would want to believe that someone in their family was capable of killing. Some of the victims had gone missing from nearby cities, which meant the unsubs were leaving to get their kills. The people kept a pretty tight schedule, their daily routines rarely changed, so it would make slipping away easier. It was just hard to conceive that a community that didn't believe in violence could be harboring three unsubs. "You know we may be looking at this entirely wrong."

"How so?" She asked while looking out for anything the previous officers may have missed. The trail of blood was where they said it would be, leading to the highway. She turned to go in the direction the victim would have ran from.

"Perhaps they aren't from this community at all but live nearby. I've been reading up on the culture and it would be fairly easy for someone to learn the routines. They wake up early, do their daily routines and then in bed at a certain time. All an unsub would have to do is study a family's routine for a few days and then return at night." He maneuvered around a drop of blood that was turning darker in the sun. "If we go with that logic then we can assume that Stacy is our third unsub's victim. He would have wanted to make the kill fresh."

"Maybe," she squatted at the scene. There was a large pool of blood on a nearby stump, "This is where she was attacked. Okay, so if she was the third unsub's victim then he would have been wanting to kill her then clean her up. The reports don't indicate any cleaning materials being used on the body."

"The lack of merely proves my theory. Most cleaning supplies leave a residue, odors, and if not removed completely would contaminate the message he is sending. He doesn't want his work tarnished by anything, he wants them to represent his sense of being clean. Clean without the use of chemicals," he stood to look around the area.

"Got something," JJ held up a thick, generic, light brown sponge. "It's kind of old but it could be used to clean someone."

"It can," he withdrew a bag for her to place it inside. The material wouldn't be useful for any kind of prints but they may not need it. "Let's get back to the others, I think I figured out what we're dealing with."

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"I'm just saying if I had to live like this I'd resort to murder also," Dave stirred his coffee and dared anyone to say a thing about the amount of sugar he was adding. He needed it after the day they had. He got family, but this was ridiculous, no one wanted to talk to them. All day they got the same answers, 'We got nothing to say.' How could they conduct an investigation when the community was exercising their right not to say a damn thing? "I hope JJ and the kid managed to find something."

"They should be back soon," Aaron raised a brow at the fourth pack of sugar being added to the black coffee. They were both stressed out after their time questioning those that didn't slam the door in their face. One woman had gone as far as to squirt milk on Dave's shoe while milking a cow. That interview had been ruined before making it to the mother because someone had used a few choice swear words after stepping in feces. "How are your shoes?"

"Ruined and my phone is going dead." How the hell was he to charge his phone overnight? He wasn't sitting out in the damn car just to charge it. Dave huffed seeing the three stepping inside, "Please, please, tell me you have a name. The boss won't let me go home."

"That bad, huh?" JJ rushed to the table seeing the pot with steam rising. She didn't care that it was instant or that she would have to drink it from a paper cup.

"Terrible, we didn't find out anything," Dave snatched back the container of sugar packs before it could be confiscated. "Save some for the rest of us."

"I'll take mine black, I don't mind." Spencer wanted something warm in his stomach. His fingers were long since numb and his toes were getting to that point. "Where are you going, Hotch?"

To take care of his team that was too irresponsible to it for themselves. Aaron walked over to stash of blankets they had been given to use. He wouldn't say anything about the missing coat that had found its way to JJ's small frame. To be safe he grabbed two and carried them back over to the table, "Put this on, and JJ will stay inside to help Dave tomorrow since she didn't bring a coat."

"Sorry," JJ felt horrible at taking the clothing. She took the offered blanket after helping Spencer drape the protection over himself. "I can go over the files myself, I'm sure I'll be fine alone."

"I agree but Dave refuses to go with me. It might help if I have someone that doesn't look threatening tomorrow," Aaron took the liberty of fixing the coffee and passing it over. "What did you two find at the scene?"

"I think I've discovered something about our third unsub," Spencer waited for the sheriff and community law enforcement to sit, the man was the only one interested in the profile. "I believe he used to be part of the community. At first we were thinking that they all might be but I don't think they are. In the short amount of time we have been here, everything is as we know of a traditional Amish community. I'm sure the sheriff can vouch for the fact that most of these people keep to their daily routines. If you take that into consideration, when would our unsubs have the time to search for a victim? The work they do isn't easy and I think their families would notice that they couldn't do their chores due to being tired. We have one unsub that actually takes the time to prepare the victim a last meal before killing them."

"No way they could do that in a home without being seen." Dave had stepped inside one of the farm houses and had to admit they had a quaint charm. The families stuck together, an outsider being brought into the home would be noticed eventually. "With that logic they aren't killing them on any of the farms."

"That would leave outsiders," Aaron nodded for Reid to continue with what else he had learned. His own mind was still trying to take in the many answers that weren't really answers. In total they had seventeen deaths to account for. Every authority figure had labeled the bodies to be dumped and unrelated.

"True but, I'm pretty sure that one of them used to be part of the community." Spencer knew that if he were correct, it would make the investigation tricky. "Our third unsub's signature dictates that he has an obsession with cleanliness. Not the normal standards for being clean, he doesn't use bleach, anti-bacterial soaps, or any type of manufactured product. We found a bath sponge in the spot where Stacey Keener was attacked. I'm sure if we ran it through the lab they wouldn't find anything but skin cells. Hotch, you were correct when you said he doesn't want anything to tarnish his work. He is killing because he sees his victims as unclean. The bathing ritual is his way of cleansing them."

"What makes you think he used to be part of our community?" The sheriff had to ask before he made any suggestions.

"Because if we go with the theory that the other two are outsiders and dumping their victims, that gives us three unsubs that have always managed to dump the bodies without being seen. That is still putting the odds against their being able to do so every time without being caught. Which means one of them knows how the community works, he has intimate details of the daily lives of the people here. Alan Sores was found exactly one year, five days, and sixteen hours ago. The report was your resident Tobias Fisher began his day with his usual routine of milking the cows, his mother was doing the wash, and the other males were in the field. In the time they started their days and in the time it took for him to take that first bucket inside, someone placed the body beside their well. That is a very narrow window of opportunity. This unsub knew how to get on the property without being seen and how much time he had. The other two unsubs are different because they don't care how long it takes for the victims to be found, but the fact that they have never been seen by anyone indicates that someone is telling them when and where."

"So it is possible we have three unsubs working together," Aaron agreed with the profile. "The profile would also suggest the third unsub was not only a member but he wouldn't have fit in. This man would have had difficulties with the lifestyle, anger issues, and a problem being around others."

"I don't know anyone like that," Adam shook his head. "I know being here is confusing for you all, it had to be difficult working on this case. I am the one to deal with any problems. I went to the Academy, I did my training, and as far as the state is concerned I am entitled to this badge. There isn't any daily crime in my community so I haven't been ordered to bring in any more man power. These are good people and they overlook that I'm required to carry because they trust that I have given up violence and I have the community's best interest in mind when I'm required to fulfill my role as sheriff."

"I understand, and none of us are judging how you or anyone else chooses to live. However, if our profile is correct then someone is trying to place blame on your community. Help us find who is responsible because if we are right then one of our unsubs is targeting this place specifically. He is very dangerous with the need to punish and cleanse those he believes are guilty of something. There is a chance the root of his obsession still lives in the community and one day he will get tired of substitutes and go after the one he really wants to punish."

"Okay," Adam took a deep breath, "You'll have to talk to the man that was in charge of the department when it was still an actual police station. He would have still been here during the first few murders. The station was the last thing to go and he went with it. He is at Brookside Retirement Home in the next town over. Visiting hours are over for the night but I can show you first thing in the morning."

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Please review for me. Also, I'm not Amish, obviously and I based my info on what I could find. So for this case just imagine a small town that once had a few businesses that no longer do because the few people that use to live in it either moved away or converted. And the one guy that remained in the law enforcement, married into the family and most of the time does not carry. Seeing as the small town has no 'owned vehicles' no need for traffic cops for the town, and with a community that has beliefs against violence, not that many bar fights would break out, so not much need for law enforcement. In case someone is reading that doesn't know much about the community, they don't have electricity, they don't own cars or modern technology. I made sure to look into it after seeing a couple that were Amish getting on the bus on my trip back home. They will ride in a vehicle but NOT own it, or so I'm lead to believe. Just go with my plot and I'll try to keep everything as IN character as I can. TY!