Garcia uses the remote to bring the pictures up on the big screen.

"Welcome to Wicked Wednesday. JJ, my dear, I apologize now for this one but it really needs our help," the analyst states.

"Uh, okay," JJ says nervously.

"Detroit, Michigan has had five deaths in the last 6 weeks committed by an unsub using, uh, dogs." She hands out the case files

"Oh, fuck," JJ mutters. She doesn't even open hers and refuses to look towards the screen.

"Based on bite patterns and canine DNA it's the same dogs."

"Could this be a gang thing?" Morgan asks.

"Sort of. All the dead are gangbangers, and before you ask the follow up, they are from different gangs so it's not a turf war."

"So it could be an avenging angel, cleaning up the streets," Emily offers from the speaker phone.

"That's what they thought. The victims had not been seen for up to 12 hours before their bodies were found. It is believed that at some point they were taken outside the city and secured in some way to make them easy prey for the dogs."

JJ is pinching the bridge of her nose. Of course their first case back would have to involve killer dogs. Couldn't be just a standard run of the mill psychopath it had to be one that would make her possibly have to face dogs willing to rip humans apart. If only she'd known before her appointment with Dr. Westfallen that morning. Things had been looking better before she got to work. Now things are-

"JJ!"

JJ jumps and realizes everyone is looking at her. Hotch stares at her with concern.

"You didn't hear me, did you?"

JJ blushes. "Um…no. Sort of…lost in my own thoughts. Sorry."

Hotch looks around the table. "Wheels up in 30. JJ, wait a moment. Emily, see if you can help Garcia weed through the connections where the victims may have crossed. As gang members it could be a large list of places."

"Yes, sir." Emily disconnects.

JJ stares at the table. "I'm sorry, Hotch. I'll be okay."

"JJ, we all remember what happened to you in Hankel's barn. Compound that with the PTSD you are working through after Afghanistan and no one would think less of you for sitting this one out."

JJ stares at him, hating that she is actually considering his offer. Finally she shakes her head. "No. Maybe I can't…can't go on the final take down but I can at least be there to help back at the office." She forces a smile to her face. "It hasn't been that long since I was a media liaison. I could always help that way."

Hotch stares at her and nods. "Okay. But if you need to step back at any time or call…the doctor you don't really see…do it. No questions asked."

JJ nods. "Thanks, Hotch."

They leave the conference room to get their things together for the trip to Detroit. As she gets to her desk, Reid walks up to JJ.

"No splitting up this time, right?" he says with an uneasy grin.

She manages a smile. "Right. Or I shoot you myself."

Reid chuckles and nods. "Understood."

JJ had felt her phone vibrate after Emily had signed off. She pulls up the text she had expected.

"Anytime, day or night, just call, Jen. I love you."

JJ sighs. The team needed her. She could do this. She types back. "Was a shock but I will be okay. But if I need you I promise to call. I love you."

On the plane, JJ finally opens the case files and starts by reading the police and coroner reports. Two distinct DNA strands had been found for the dogs. Though the breed was undetermined once they find the dogs a definitive match could be made. But the question still remains: why?

JJ looks up at Reid. "Why dogs?"

Reid stares at her. "Well, in ancient Rome people cheered as Christians were torn apart by lions, tigers, bears, and dogs. Throughout history dogs have been used to exact punishment, revenge, and torture."

"Yeah, I know all that. But why is thisunsub doing it? Is he avenging dogs, getting revenge for the death of his own dog or what?"

Rossi had been listening and tosses out a theory. "Gangs have been known to train dogs for fighting and for protection. Maybe this guy is a dog lover with a twisted sense of an eye for an eye. They get dogs killed so he lets dogs kill them."

JJ shrugs a shoulder. "That's as good a theory as any I can come up with."

"What are you thinking?"

JJ stands. "That there are too many sick fucks in the world with access to dogs."

She moves to the galley to make a cup of coffee. Reid looks at Rossi and nods.

"I actually concur with that theory."

Rossi grins. "Me, too, kid. Me, too."

As JJ stirs her coffee the thinks about Alaska. Even as a child she hadn't liked big dogs. She couldn't remember any bad incident with one but she was always terrified of their size and their teeth. After Hankel's barn she had sworn to herself she would never have a dog larger than a teacup poodle.

But then Emily had bought Alaska. And slowly but surely that dog had stolen her heart. She had been amazed at how much he had grown in 9 weeks. She was even more amazed that his size didn't bother her. Even over "there" (as she thinks of it) the working dogs hadn't bothered her. She knows her relationship with Alaska had fostered her ability to be around large dogs without being paralyzed by fear.

Now, in her first case back, she's going to be looking for someone using dogs as a weapon just like Hankel had. What were the fucking odds?

"If an author was writing this no one would believe the coincidence," she mutters.

"Going to share the coffee or drink it all yourself, Jareau?" Morgan teases.

JJ forces a smile and turns. "I'll share. For now. But if it runs low it's all mine."

He chuckles. "I remember the rules. I swear." He studies her a moment. "You going to be okay?"

JJ nods. "Yeah, I will. Hell, if I can handle people blowing themselves up I can handle dogs, right?"

Morgan nods. "I'd always bet on you."

She pats his arm as she walks back to her seat. "Thanks, Morgan."

Emily is charting the various hang outs, street corners, schools, and even times in juvenile or adult detention facilities. As she stares at the map she sees a lot of crossover. Too much crossover.

"They could have met the unsub in multiple places at multiple times. Not good. Okay, Prentiss, how about where they were dumped and where they were last scene." She hits a button to clear the computerized map and inputs the points she is considering now. She squints as she notices something interesting. She checks a couple faxes she had gotten. She enlarges one portion of the map and nods. "That's it."

She grabs her phone and calls Hotch. "I think I have something, Hotch."

"What is it?"

"There's a community park near the dump sites. At one point all of our victims had been arrested in that park. Three for vandalism and two for drunk in public."

"So the park is the key?"

Emily shrugs. "Maybe. I mean let's consider the fact that based on what I'm seeing the bodies could have been dumped inside there at less risk of the unsub being discovered. It may be thin but at least it's one angle to look at."

Hotch nods. "Good work. Keep working the geographic profile. Maybe something else will jump out at you."

"Will do. And, uh, Hotch…is Jen okay?"

Hotch smiles. "She will be. She's a Prentiss after all."

Emily chuckles. "You've been around my mother too long. You're turning into a pod person."

Hotch chuckles. "Call when you need us."

"Same to you, Hotch."

Hotch disconnects and considers the angle Emily had suggested. He calls Garcia.

"Garcia, do a run on the community park near the dump zones. Find out if there are any threats to it that could make an activist want to protect it at any cost."

"Okay. Shouldn't take long to-oh, freaky. Either you and Emily talked or you're all Vulcan mind-melded. She just emailed me to run the same search."

Hotch chuckles. "We talked."

"Ah, I see. Okay, well I'll get on that search."

"Thanks, Garcia." He pauses. "Live long and prosper."

Garcia giggles. "A closet Trekkie! Aaron Hotchner you're full of surprises. Garcia out!"

Hotch just laughs as he hangs up. He liked to throw her a bone every once in a while.