Chapter Nineteen

(I mention that something happens in Emily's life five years before this story takes place—don't worry, I'll explain what happens in another story that is floating around the back of my mind. Hopefully I can start it after I finish this one.)

Emily felt disconcerted the entire time she was getting ready. She didn't know whether it was from the events of the day before or from the discussion with JJ and Garcia. She finished her shower—arm incased in a plastic bag—and dressed as best she could. JJ helped her slip a clean shirt over her shoulder and Emily buttoned it awkwardly. It was the softest cotton and she recognized the blue shirt as one Hotch wore on a regular basis.

It felt more than a little odd wearing his shirt. Not like wearing Morgan's at all. Morgan was a friend, she'd like to think he was a close one, but Hotch was something entirely different. He was always a sir to her. The chain of command ran strong in Hotch, he was always so separate from the rest of the team—he and Rossi—that even after all this time, she didn't know how to relate to him.

If she was entirely honest, she'd admit he was an attractive man, she'd always went for the cool, collected man. He fit it to a tee. But she'd been attracted to men before—even men she'd worked with.

But Emily Prentiss had drawn a line a long time ago—five years to be exact—that was very clear. She'd never date someone she worked with—ever.

That especially included her immediate supervisor. Her career meant too much to her—as did her reputation. No matter what feelings of attraction she held for the man—she'd never act on them.

Hotch's shirt hung well below her waist and she felt slightly dwarfed by the cotton. She managed to slip on the one pair of jeans she'd packed, though zipping them up was a trail. But she managed. She was determined that no one was going to have to help her fasten her own pants—it just wasn't going to happen.

Still, she was showered, dressed, and ready to leave when JJ and Garcia were, so she didn't do too half badly. Even if she did feel extremely under-dressed. Fastening her bra had proved more difficult then she could ever have imagined, but she'd done it. She never would have imagined a day when getting dressed by herself would seem like a giant accomplishment. But it was.

Once back at NCIS headquarters she settled in front of her desk and relaxed in her chair for a moment, waiting for the rest of the teams to arrive.

Today, she was going bastard hunting. Whoever had shot at her had experienced his last day as a free man.



DiNozzo was the first to arrive, a fact that shocked Emily, JJ, and Garcia. Until the bleary-eyed man pulled a toothbrush from his desk and sat there and groomed himself in front of them. It was several moments before he even realized he had an audience.

Emily was by far the most appalled. She'd never get 'ready' in the office, no matter how many days they'd been on a case. She'd always find a shower, someplace, somewhere. "Good morning, Agent DiNozzo."

"Oh. Hi." Tony said, face showing not the least little bit of awkwardness at being caught brushing his teeth by three women. "I, uh, didn't quite make it home last night. But don't worry, I keep extra shirts here. You never know when you'll get something on you in this job."

"So you always change in the middle of the bullpen?" Garcia asked enthusiastically. "Jinkies, things are much more relaxed at NCIS than the BAU."

"It's a great place to work." Tony agreed, before pulling a shirt from the bottom drawer of his desk. "You three don't mind, do you?"

"No, not at all." Garcia answered for the three of them.

"Ok, then." Tony unbuttoned his shirt before pausing, "Turn around, ladies! What kind of guy do you think I am?"

"Oh, I think we know exactly what kind of man you are, Agent DiNozzo." Emily snickered as she and her colleagues dutifully turned their backs to the now half naked man. "We are profilers, after all."

"Well, to be technical, my dear goddess of the strange, you're the only profiler here at the moment." Garcia pointed out.

"Good point, Pen." Emily said, "Can we turn around yet, DiNozzo?"

"Please do." A voice definitely not DiNozzo's drawled. The three women spun around in their chairs with identical guilty expressions on their faces to find Gibbs, Hotch, and Rossi standing behind DiNozzo.

"Don't we have a serial killer to catch, DiNozzo?" Gibbs continued.

"Uh, yes, boss. I was just, uh, making sure I was presentable. We have freebies in the building you know…thanks, boss." Tony rubbed the back of his head as the rest of the teams shuffled in and settled around the desks.

"What do we know?" Gibbs demanded. "And where the hell is Ziva and Abby?"

"We are here, Gibbs." Ziva said, standing behind the man.

"So we're all here?" Gibbs asked, drolly. "Hotchner, you wanna do roll call, or should I?"

"I don't think that will be necessary." Hotch said, completely devoid of emotion. "Let's review, shall we?"

"We know Franks is connected to the UNSUB." Reid began, sitting on top of McGee's desk next to Abby. "We've been checking into his relatives, coworkers, etc going back ten years. Someone has seen the UNSUB with Franks."

"After the second interrogation, I'm not sure the whole fanatic ideal for Franks is accurate. There's something sexual in the way he thinks." Morgan added. "But the UNSUB might be a different story."

"It's possible that if Franks was that highly influential his beliefs on a certain type of woman could have manifested in the UNSUB as a religious ideology that is warped." Rossi said, his first real contribution to the case since it had begun.

"So a certain typology, dark-haired and dark-eyed, obviously, first originated with Franks but was exacerbated in the UNSUB?" JJ asked, taking notes furiously. She didn't really need to, but not being a profiler made her want to doubly be sure she got everything right. "So wouldn't the UNSUB have to be some who at one time was some how subordinate to Franks?"

"Good point. He'd have to be," Hotch said, moving to stand directly behind Prentiss. "Someone younger, maybe in a pseudo-parent/child relationship. He was indoctrinated by Franks, but has taken the teachings of Franks to a whole new level."

"I think I got something!" McGee suddenly shouted, and everyone turned to look at the man. "Franks had a woman living with him for twelve years. She had two sons from a previous marriage. Todd and David."

"I want more, McGee." Gibbs ordered.

"Yes, boss. I'm working on it. Melissa Marks, now at 221 W Frankfort Blvd, Norfolk VA." McGee said.

"McGee—go see the woman. Find out what you can about her boys." Gibbs ordered. "DiNozzo, you and I will go talk to all of Franks' previous employers.

"Morgan, you and JJ go with Agent McGee." Hotchner said. "Call me if you find out anything. Reid, you and Rossi see what you can find out on either of the sons. Garcia—can you work your magic?"

"Of course!" Garcia said, as she and Abby headed to the elevators.

Emily watched the movement as everyone left a little envious. She hadn't even been acknowledged during the assignments. Soon it was just her, Ziva, and Hotch left.

"I believe I will go see Dr. Ducky." Ziva said, abruptly, noticing the odd tension between the two BAU agents. She didn't want to be a third wheel. "See if he maybe missed anything in autopsy."

Neither agent acknowledged her words and she shrugged, a half smile on her face. People were sometimes so amusing.

They'd been alone for nearly five minutes before Emily had had enough. She scooted the wheeled chair she was sitting in over to the desk beside hers. "And what can I do, Agent Hotchner?"

"Can you look into each of the victims, see if their might be a connection to either a Todd or David Marks or Franks?" Hotch said, looking up from the file he held. His dark eyes met hers. "I'll do the same with these here."

"Of course. Uh, thanks for the loan of the shirt. I'll get it back to you once we're back home." Emily said, awkwardly.

"No problem." Hotch said, feeling a slight blush touch his cheeks, which was completely ridiculous. He'd learned long ago to hide his emotions at all times. "I'd hope you'd know by now that if you ever need anything, all you have to do is ask."

"I know that."

"Do you?"