Authors Note: Thank you for the amazing reviews that saved this story! I know this chapter is short but chapter 11 should be out by next week. Disclaimer: Still in chapter one I promise! :D
Seattle PD, Seattle, Washington
"Penelope we need to know what's in that file," Hotch said sternly though he wasn't really sure he was anywhere ready to know the extent of what his friend and coworker had been hiding.
"No, Boss man," Garcia said clutching the manila folder to her chest, "I gave you Jessica Merrick's file and that will have to be enough."
"Garcia there could be information in there to help us find the man who murdered J.J.'s sister and six other women," Morgan said from his seat in the makeshift office the police department had set up for Garcia to work her techy magic.
"I've read the file and there isn't brown sugar," Garcia said in an abnormally stern voice as she looked around at each member of the team that was still working the case, "My answer is no."
"Garcia please, all we want to do is help J.J. and get justice for her sister and the other women," Prentiss said softly patting Garcia gently on the arm like she would a distraught victim.
"There is nothing in this file that can help," Garcia sat silent for a moment trying to think of the right way to phrase what needed to be said, "This isn't like Chicago."
"Don't worry about Chicago, Baby Girl," Morgan smiled though she could clearly see the hurt hiding in the depths of his eyes.
"I do this can't be another Chicago, J.J. isn't in legal trouble," Garcia said quickly and huffed before continuing, "J.J. is my best friend, this team is like my family and I won't let her get hurt like we hurt you," She said looking at Morgan, tears threatening her to fill her eyes, "This is J.J.'s business and she'll tell us, I know she will."
"We have work to do," Hotch said as he turned to the door slight grateful for Garcia's stubbornness, in all honesty the last thing he wanted was a repeat of what they had been forced to bring up in Chicago.
"Hotch, we might need that file," Rossi said standing up and following his boss out the door and back to the conference room.
"We need to trust Garcia," Hotch said as the team minus Garcia filed in around the work table which was covered in boxes and maps, "Besides we're profilers the number one thing we need to crack this is a profile and that we've already got. Ok Morgan where are we on connecting threads?"
As the profilers were busy in the other room Garcia quickly shred the offensive file. With each paper that disappeared from the seemingly never ending file Garcia could feel the smile slowly returning to her face. It was as if by destroying the evidence of J.J.'S past life she could somehow make it untrue.
Beep Beep.
Garcia stopped shredding for a moment and stuck a large fuzzy pencil into her messy blonde hair-do as she checked the results for the search Morgan had her run.
Between the long flight and lack of sleep since getting to the police station, Garcia was surprised gravity and tiredness didn't trip her up as she ran to the room her team was in to share what she had found.
"Call me a tech savvy mastermind," She smiled slightly out of breath as she reached the room.
"What do you have for us Baby Girl?" Morgan asked before taking a sip of something similar to tar that only came from police station coffee pots.
"Hope for the Hopeless Homeless Shelter ring any bells?" Garcia asked her breath returning to normal.
"That's the shelter around the corner right?" Morgan asked amazed he was still on his feet after the amount of work they'd crammed in since they arrived the day before.
"Our seven victims all spent some time there over the last year," Garcia said matter-o-factly, "All seven had enrolled themselves in a program at the shelter to help the girls get clean and get off drugs."
"Your search pulled up all that?" Emily asked slightly afraid of what Garcia could find out about her if she really wanted to.
"They have testimonials posted online of the girls in the trial run of the program," Garcia said a slight frown gracing her features, "Unfortunately as it seems each girl returned to drugs and the street making the program a failure."
"Ok, Garcia I want you to run background checks on all the staff at the shelter, Emily I want you and Rossi to give the profile to some of the working girls and see if that sounds like anyone they know," Hotch looked over at Morgan who was already putting on his jacket, "Morgan and I are going to pay a little visit to the shelter."
With that the team scattered to their respective assignments.
Garcia sat playing with the rainbow hair of one of her trolls as her search engines processed all the information needed to find the baddie.
"Oracle of Quantico presently residing in Seattle, speak if you seek truth," Garcia smiled placing her troll down on the desk.
"Hey Pen," J.J. said from the other side of the phone.
"You have a lot of explaining to do missy," Garcia joked trying to make things a little less tense.
"It's a long story Garcia and I'm not really alone at the moment, I was just calling to um," J.J. paused tucking a strand of her lose blonde hair behind her ear, feeling more nervous now than she had in a very long time, "You didn't show the others did you?"
"Of course not J.J. you're my best friend," Garcia said with faux hurt in her voice.
"I don't need you to do me any big favors I understand," J.J. said with a bitter edge feeling a little bit of Shelby slip out.
"Don't be silly J.J. I've read the file and though I don't get it, I get it," Garcia said in a tone more serious than J.J. had heard out of her in a very long time, "Some times things happen, we make mistakes, we have to disappear, or be threatened, but some how we all end up at the BAU."
"You're right," J.J. laughed remembering the C.I.A. case they worked and how Garcia was on a "list" and could not enter the C.I.A. building.
"J.J. this doesn't change how I feel about you sugar booger," Garcia smiled realizing that it was the truth, "If anything I love you more now, you're so strong J.J."
"Just a dumb kid in a bad situation," J.J. said feeling more like herself.
"Don't sell…" Before Garcia could finish that statement her computer beeped with the first round of staff for the team to go through, "I think we have a lead I need to go."
"It's ok I'll talk to you soon," J.J. said and hung up the phone both frustrated and confused yet happy about Garcia's reaction.
Garcia typed so fast on her keyboard a few of her fuchsia nails were chipped in the process.
"Morgan," Morgan said as he answered his phone not bothering to look at the caller id.
"I've got something for you Chocolate Thunder," Garcia smiled as she stared at her computer screen almost certain she had found the monster that had murdered her best friend's sister.