A/N – Ok so I'm not from the US so don't know entirely how the guidance counsellor system works over there so there may be a few inconsistencies, though I do work in a high school so hopefully it won't be too bad.

Chapter 8 –

Forty five minutes later he stopped the car, pulling up outside the imposing white wooden house which was far enough away from the road not to be seen, though they had also planted a row of conifer trees to hide their existence even further. He picked up the file as he climbed out of the car, throwing it onto the wood pile that would make a large bonfire later that evening, before he popped open the trunk and carefully lifted up his prize and carried her towards the house and to the woman he referred to as mom.

Emily felt exhausted as she pulled open the door to the bullpen, the emotional toll that had heaved itself onto her was now manifesting into a physical burden on her body. She quickly spied the rest of the team talking furiously in the conference room and headed straight towards them, she felt JJ's eyes turn to her as she entered the room as JJ whispered quietly to her.

"Did everything go ok with Zoe?"

"Yes thanks, what's going on?"

Emily smiled at JJ who frowned as she saw the tired black shadows underneath her friend's eyes, JJ pointed at the files on the table as she spoke.

"Remember when Zoe said that she had spoken to a guidance counsellor?"

JJ paused as she watched Emily nod before Morgan turned around and passed Emily a cup of coffee.

"Well we got Garcia to check the other victims and they all had different counsellors but..."

"All the counsellors phoned the same number a day after speaking to each victim. Garcia is running the number as we speak."

Emily smiled as Morgan finished off JJ's sentence as she left the room to answer her cell, Emily sat down next to her friend and looked hard at him.

"You look pissed Morgan."

"You look like shit Emily."

The friends laughed softly as they complemented each other, their minds briefly off of the case before Morgan's cell rang loudly, the ring tone announcing to everyone who was on the other end.

"Hey babygirl, speak nicely you're on speaker!"

"Oh so you want me to do groups now?"

Morgan put his head in his hands as Garcia spoke, Rossi was unable to stop the snigger come out of his mouth but as Hotch cleared his throat Garcia knew that it was time to get serious.

"Sorry...right that number you gave me lists to a Doctor Julia Franchetti, who works at Kendall College teaching the school counselling module. I checked out and all of the guidance counsellors attended her lectures or seminars at some point. I have sent her details to you, speak to you all later."

"Thank you Garcia."

Hotch nodded as Morgan finished the call and looked around the room.

"Ok Morgan and Rossi you go and see Doctor Franchetti."

Hotch paused as JJ re-entered the room, the look of despondency on her face told him that it wasn't good news.

"I think we've got another girl missing."

He went straight down the stairs, heading to the dark room where he placed her on the mattress before he checked that there was water and a bread roll waiting for her when she woke up. Locking the door behind him he heard another set of footsteps approaching him, he felt his heart rate increase slightly as he prepared himself for her voice.

"Were there any complications?"

"No ma'am."

"You were careful?"

"Yes ma'am, no marks, she looks good this one."

"Let's hope so we can't take too many more risks."

He nodded as he walked past her and headed back up the stairs, he wanted to light that bonfire and get rid of the evidence before she had a chance to remind him and take her wrath out on him once again.

Emily closed her eyes as JJ spoke, she heard Morgan sigh heavily next to her as they waited for JJ to continue.

"I put word out to the clinics in the area about the unsub and asked them to let me know if there were any teenage girls that didn't show up for abortion appointments. One of them just rang me back, Vanessa Rollins didn't turn up for her appointment yesterday, I checked with her school and she hasn't been there for two days."

"Ok Reid and I will go to the school, Emily you go with JJ and speak to the parents."

JJ smiled as she saw Emily's eyes shut once again before she walked over and sat next to her friend as the rest of the team filed out of the room.

"We'd better get going."

"Not so fast Em, the parent's aren't going anywhere and you and I both know that we won't gain anything from the interview, hell they haven't even reported their daughter missing yet."

JJ reached across and placed her hand on Emily's arm.

"Come on Em, I haven't seen you like this before, are you going to tell me what is going on in that head of yours?"

Emily turned around and looked at her friend.

"Haven't you guessed, you were the one that left me with Zoe?"

"You're hurting Emily and I want to help."

Emily sighed as she picked up the picture of Zoe that still lay on the table.

"I was her JJ. You know how much I moved around as a kid, well it wasn't easy having to make friends all the time especially when you had parents like mine. I was fifteen and we lived in Rome, I tried so hard to fit in and let's just say that I tried a little too hard."

Emily paused to take a breath as JJ moved her hand to take a hold of Emily's and squeezed it tight.

"You still blame yourself?"

Emily nodded her head as she swallowed hard fighting to keep the tears at bay.

"Emily you did what you had to do, like Zoe is trying to do, look I know that this case is hitting you hard but I think that you'll come out of it stronger."

"Thanks JJ."

Emily choked the words out as she felt a little easier having unburdened herself.

"Come on then, are you ok to do this?"

"Yes but you can do the questioning, I may not be able to hold my tongue if this goes like the other ones did."

Emily smiled as she watched JJ shake her head before her friend pulled her hand and helped Emily to stand up. All she had to do now was to shake her mind away from the past and concentrate on the current case so that they could catch the unsub.