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Chapter3:

When they arrived at Little Rock Police Station, the team immediately met Captain Brandon Harville, responsible for the investigation, who gave to the BAU the latest details and informed them about what work has been done until their arrival.

They were in the middle of the meeting when Hotch's phone rang: evidently Garcia had found new information which could help them with victimology.

"Garcia, you're on speaker. Did you find anything in common between the victims?"

"Hmm...not really sir..."

"What do you mean baby-girl?"

"I mean that I found another five women with something in common with our victims...and with 'something in common' I intend the end that the poor ladies have done..."

"Five more victims? How is it possible, we didn't know it..." Captain Harville asked

"I don't know who belonged to the last voice I heard but Little Rock PD was not reasonably have known it because these cases weren't happened in Arkansas..."

"They didn't happen in Arkansas?" Prentiss repeated not sure to have fully understood

"Exactly. Three victims were found in Georgia, to Dalton. I already contacted the local responsible of investigation, Detective Roy Hart, he said that every help to solve the case is welcome"

"What about the other two victims?"

"Well, for the other two victims we have to do a different discourse because they are the only two women with something in common: a man. The case is in Mississippi, Grenada for the precision, where Lieutenant Antoinette Cady arrested Jeremy Banck, first victim's ex boyfriend, Ruby Dudek, and second victim's boyfriend, Jo Reinhold, when she was killed 5 months ago. However, my sweet peas, I haven't found anything which could connect him with the other murders, especially because, apparently, Jeremy Banck has never left the State. Oh, even for Grenada PD every help is more than welcome...by the way, if you check your tablet I already sent everything to you, including timeline and maps. If, for the moment, my work here is ended...over and out"

"Yes, Garcia. Thank you!"

"You're very welcome! As soon I'll find something else you'll be the first to know...at least, the first after me" Garcia said before hanging up.

"Agree. How we approach the case with the new information?" Rossi enquired

"The communication between the police is already difficult with neighboring counties, let alone between three different States..." Reid pointed out the obvious

"It is precisely why we must separate our works..." Hotch said getting doubters looks from his colleagues "...a pair of Agents in each State. JJ and I stay here, Reid and Rossi will move to Georgia, whereas Prentiss and Morgan will handle with the case in Mississippi"

"Such a lucky girl!" Prentiss muttered between her teeth

"Morgan, for the two of you it's a problem drive unto Grenada? It's a long drive, it's 4 hours away..."

"Sure, it's alright...we can alternate driving" Morgan answerd looking at Prentiss who don't return his gaze

"Is it ok with you, Prentiss?" Hotch asked

"Uhmm...yeah, yes, it's okay" she replied, not very sure about her own words

"It's decided, then. Rossi and Reid will use the jet, you have to call to know when you can leave. Well go to the hotel to take your stuff. Morgan and Prentiss, for you two should leave as soon as possible so you can arrive before dark. Oh...and, guys, I recommend, constant contact. That's all, let me know when you have reached your destination" Hotch asserted dismissing his colleagues.

After four hours of travel Morgan and Prentiss arrived at destination. Four hours which have seemed almost a decade: the use of words has been reduced to a minimum and the tension in that car could have been cut with a knife.

Once or twice Morgan has also tried to explain himself, to apologize for their conversation in the morning, but everytime Prentiss cut him out.

Derek was happy to enter the police station, even if they almost didn't know yet where to begin to solve the case, at least for work they had to talk to each other and, maybe, dissolve the tension between them.

After meeting Lieutenant Antoinette Cady, who gave them the dossier, the two Agents entered the room adjacent to where the interrogations took place.

"So, what we are gonna do?" Morgan asked "What about the old method of the good Agent and the evil one?"

"Old school? I like it!" Prentiss answered, giving him a smile that he had not seen for several hours and that he missed terribly, although it only lasted a few seconds, it changed Morgan's day

"Ladies first, which one you choose?" Morgan demanded the brunette profiler

"Well, as long as I'm a woman like the victims I choose the bad cop. It's this ok with you?"

"Ok. And I'll pretend to empathize. Ready to start?"

"Let's go" Prentiss said entering in the interrogation room

"Jeremy Banck? I'm Agent Prentiss and he is Agent Morgan, FBI"

"FBI? Wait, this is an error because I'm innocent" the guy sat in the room said visibly frightened

"Don't worry Jeremy, we do believe you...at least I do, you have to convince my colleague. Have they said your rights?"

"Yes, they did, but I don't need a lawyer, because I had nothing to do with this story"

"C'mon Banck..." Prentiss continued"...do you really expect us to believe you? Ruby Dudek broke up with you, you went back to her a few days later to try reconciliation but, when you saw she wasn't the same opinion, you raped her. Then, in the following weeks, you started stalking her and come into his house to rob her. When that wasn't enough anymore, you killed her. And you did the same when thing started to go in a bad way with Jo Reinhold"

"No, I would never have done that! Yeah, it's true, Ruby has broke up with me but she was totally right, I betrayed her, I betrayed her trust..." hearing those words, Derek sent an apologetic look towards Emily "...and about Jo...ok, we were having problems, but which couple doesn't?" this time was Prentiss' turn to send a clear look at Morgan, immediately before resuming her speech:

"Okay, If you didn't do it, you've got to help us make the guilty because the only thing that the victims had in common is...well, you"

"Wait, this isn't true! There's a certain Lloyd I-don't-remember-what...maybe Harrison or something like that, he is an Jo's old classmate, and I saw him talk with Ruby once".

At the sound of that name, Emily's blood freeze momentarily. "No, it's impossible..." she thought "...cannot be him".

Her strange behavior didn't pass unnoticed by Derek who, however, continued with the interrogatory:

"Alright, let's do one thing, let's forget for awhile the murders and let's talk about of robberies, it was taken away something important? Something of value?"

"For what I know, they stole a Ruby's necklace that had been donated by her sister...I cannot describe it in detail, there's a pendant and it's..." Jeremy looked around as if searching the words until his gaze fell on what Emily had around her neck "...here, it was similar to yours..." to Emily seemed as if they had removed all the air from the room "...and then, they took away from Jo a bracelet with the inscription 'you and me', it was a present from me".

That, for Prentiss, was really too much. Without say a word, she left the interrogation room to go into the next room, where she was only minutes before, when the biggest problem seemed to fight with Morgan. The dark Agent, after apologizing with Jeremy Banck, followed his colleague.

"Emily, what's up?" he immediately asked concerned

"It's Andrew! I can't believe, it was too good to be true..." Prentiss sputtered upset

"What do you mean with 'it's Andrew'? Emily, talk to me"

"The UNSUB is Andrew"

"Emily, what are you talking about?"

"Derek, which part of 'Andrew is the UNSUB' you don't understand?" she requested

"Ok, I got that. I meant, how do you say this?"

"Good. Therefore, first of all the States where the cases happened are the same where Andrew goes...and the dates coincide..."

"It could be a coincidence..." Morgan interrupted her

"Please Derek, even you don't believe in what you just said. It cannot be a coincidence...once maybe, twice it's hard even if not entirely impossible but three times? For all the victims?"

"Ok, you could be right. But you can't base your theories only on this..."

"Second proof: Lloyd Harrison is Andrew's partner as well as his best friend; third proof: the necklace and the bracelet. Do you need the fourth one? What you said about him!"

"Hey, Emily, wait a moment, I only said that he didn't look like a sincere person..."

"Well, this seems an excellent demonstration of 'insincere person' or I'm wrong?"

"Listen up, what do you say if we asked Garcia to check? But I don't believe that she will find something" he concluded lying shamelessly

"Okay" she agreed meanwhile Derek dialed the technical analyzer's phone number.

After a couple of rings, the eccentric woman answered the phone:

"Ask me everything, sexy Federal Agents"

"Garcia, you should do a check on Andrew" Emily spoke even before Derek could think what to say

"Alright, but I don't understand why..."

"We suspect that Andrew is our UNSUB" Emily said, increasingly determined to uncover the truth

"No, no way..."

"Garcia, please, stop -" Prentiss began to say angry before that Morgan stopped her.

The man, placing his hand on her shoulder, calmed her anger and then he continued the discourse with Garcia:

"Baby-girl, please, we have a serial killer to put under arrest: If Emily wants tell you something, she will do it when the investigation will be over. Now, get to work!"

"Yep, I do it now! Hang on..." Garcia said moving her hands on the keyboard, after few seconds "Oh, that's strange...there's nothing"

"What I told you?" Morgan said to Prentiss

"Nope, not that kind of 'nothing'...there's nothing in the true sense of the word. I've only found a website, patently false by the way, on his activity. Other than that, nothing, it's like he doesn't exist"

These words were like a boulder falls on Emily.

"W-what..." she stammered confused as soon as Derek ended the phone call.

"Emily..." the man said sweetly "...do you know that we we must warn Hotch, don't you?"

"Derek, I wanna solve this case like any other, don't matter if Andrew...well, turned out to be a huge son of a bitch! Now we need to release Jeremy Banck, he is innocent"

"Alright. But...are you sure?"

"I've never been so sure in my life!"

"In that case, you talk to Lieutenant Cady and I'll call Hotch".

Immediately after that Emily left the room, Derek released a sigh of anger and sadness. Since he has discovered the existence of Andrew in Emily's life, he had secretly hoped in the conclusion of their relationship but, that he never desired, was that Emily should have been to suffer the consequences, he didn't want to see her suffer.

After being back in 'super-professional-SSA-Morgan' mode, Derek called the unit chief:

"Hotchner?"

"Hotch..." Morgan didn't know how to start the conversation "...it's Andrew"

"It's Andrew what? The only Andrew that we know it's Emily's date"

"Exact. The UNSUB is Emily's boyfriend, Andrew...and Andrew it's not his real name. We have the proofs"

"What Prentiss said?"

"She said that she wanna close this case like all other ones"

"That's good. And how is she?"

"Hotch, you know her! Outwardly, she says that all is well but inside she's falling to pieces...or is about to do so"

"Agree. Listen, it's late and it was a long day. It's better that now we all go to sleep. Call for any news."

"Got it, Hotch. Bye"

M&P

Few hours later, Morgan was lying on the bed in his hotel room, trying to momentarily erase the events of the day from his mind to get some sleep, when someone has knocked on his door.

When he opened the door, he faced an embarrassed Prentiss with red eyes, clear indication that she had cried. For him was so weird see her so fragile and vulnerable, she that had always been like a rock.

"Hey, can't sleep huh? Me neither" Morgan said in a desperate attempt to make her feel more comfortable "Anyway, do you need something?"

"Uhmm..." she just didn't know how to ask that to him "...I know that I don't deserve it but...may you hold me for a while? I need to know that there's still someone I can trust on..."

"Don't be silly!"

"I knew it, I asked too much. I'll come back in my room, good-"

"Come here!" he said closing her in a close embrace which stopped her words "And then, you deserve a lot more than that!". Still holding her, tight, letting her come into the room, closing the door behind them with a slight kick. "Do you wanna to lie down for awhile? You need some rest..."

"Morgan..."

"Emily, you really, really need to sleep. But I will not give you the wrong impression, I'll sleep on the armchair."

"It isn't what I meant...are you sure that I'll not bother you?"

"Not at all. Wait here, I'll be right back".

A couple of minutes later, Derek emerged from the bathroom wearing a tank top which showed his perfect shape and a pair of sweatpants. The bathroom dim light allowed him to note that Emily was already lying on the bed but the darkness in the room prevented him out if he was already asleep.

As soon as she saw her colleague, she asked him, making it clear to him that she was still awake:

"Do you go to bed always in that way?"

"Uhmm...generally I go to bed with nothing on but my boxers, but it doesn't seem appropriate tonight..." he answered joined the woman under the covers.

As soon as he hugged her, as she had asked him shortly before, he felt her body tense for a short time to find, almost immediately after, a bit of peace when she leaned her head on his chest.

Despite the strong relationship of friendship and respect that binds the two profilers, there was still a bit of tension mixed with embarrassment between them. Morgan always dreamed a situation like that, but the reality had disappointed him, he shouldn't and couldn't enjoy this moment of complicity at the expense of the happiness of Emily. She, at the same time, was spending all her energies to not cry, she hated Andrew but she hated herself most for allowing him to transform the strong and independent Emily Prentiss in a woman looking for affection and security.

Derek, lied on his back with with Emily in his arms, caressing her back to calm her, was totally lost in imaginary world in his head, he was imagining to live that situation in other circumstances, more joyful...he was so immersed in his fantasies that he not even heard the protagonist of these thoughts talk:

"Uhmm...w-what?" he asked coming back to reality

"I said that you heart is beating very fast"

"This is the effect that you make to me..."

Emily, mentally, thanked the darkness that surrounded them which and that prevented Derek to see her blush.

"How could I be so stupid?" Emily suddenly questioned

"Hey, hey, no! Why you say so? It isn't true..."

"C'mon Derek, I can understand that you're trying to comfort me but you can't deny the truth, I was a stupid, I got fooled. How could I? I'm paid to notice the behaviour to understand if someone is lying and I got fooled by one like Andrew..."

"Okay. Em, everyone were fooled by Andrew, after the last night dinner none had suspicions on him, no one!"

"No one but you..." Prentiss corrected him

"Yeah, no one but me, but on this point the whole thing is kinda different...the point is that we have heard a lot of stories like this. How many wives, girlfriends or UNSUB's relatives we have talked with and they didn't ever suspect anything, even for years?"

"But no one was a profiler! The truth is that I'm doing a job in which I suck!" Prentiss said bitterly "I cannot even understand how can you be so kind to me, after how I have treated you..."

Derek, softly, put a finger under her chin, raising her head so she could know that, despite the darkness, he was watching her in the eyes while he said:

"It's about you, it's always about you! I go halfway around the world through the center of the earth if you ask me to do that. See you with another man hurt me, but see you so sad for a asshole like Andrew is killing me. The truth is that I care about you, more than anything else in the world and not as a mere friend or colleague, more than that...a lot more actually!".

Emily was deeply touched by his words, no man had ever said or done to understand these things, not even Andrew. She realized that the words, in that moment, were unnecessary so she poured them in one only and simple action: she stretched her neck and put her lips to Derek's ones, she didn't need to see where they were, her lips were attracted by his like the iron is attracted by the magnet.

Derek couldn't explain the feeling that sent that kiss not even in a billion of years, but he had not even wanted that Emily take refuge in what he hoped would become a relationship, to escape from her disappointments. With a huge effort, he broke the kiss and said:

"Emily, don't think that is not the thing that I wanted to do more in the last years but I don't want that you -"

"Derek, I haven't kissed you to run away from the disappointment of my relationship with Andrew...or whatever his name is actually..." she said, practically reading his mind, confirming her abilities like profiler "...I kissed you because seemed to me the truest response to what you said me, hoping that you haven't said that only to comfort me...". The next thing that Emily felt were Derek's lips on hers, like confirmation that what he just said came from his heart and not from his brain. The kiss was going deeper and deeper until one thing that Derek said few before came in Emily's mind, so she moved away slightly and asked him:

"Excuse me, what do you meant before when you said 'don't think that is not the thing that I wanted to do more in the last years'?"

"Uhm...nothing..." the man, said trying to pick up where they left off to not answer to her question

"Oh no, you will never get out of this room until I'll get an answer" she threatened him, returning the smile on her face, even if he couldn't see it he felt like her smile could light up the room

"I could start to value that option for real..."

"Derek!" she chided him playfully

"Okay, okay, I'm talking! They are years that my feelings for you are going well beyond friendship but I've never found the courage to tell you so, because I know that you think that I'm a little serious guy with the women, but it's only because I've never find the right one...until I met you! It sounds quite trivial..."

"No, absolutely no. Until it's the truth it's not banal..." she said moved "...but, Derek...how long has this been going?"

"From the case in Kansas city...case more, case less...why? Do you never noticed that?" Derek felt Emily shaking her head "Oh...so you were right, you are a really bad profiler" he joked, receiving another slap on his abs which made him change his mind "Ok, I'm sorry, I was just kidding"

"Well, I must conclude that either you are a good profiler, or you would have noticed before my feelings for you..."

"Oh, so you would have feelings for me, huh?" he asked rhetorically

"Stop it, you've heard me".

As long as he had wanted to extend that time, Morgan was perfectly conscious that both needed some sleep, it was been a long day, especially for Prentiss, so he was forced to break their third kiss in that night and hear Emily's protests.

"No, no, Em, we need to sleep, you need to sleep. Tomorrow will be another long day. Now, close you beautiful eyes, I'm here, right next to you".

Few seconds later that she closed her eyes, Emily added:

"Derek, thank you, for everything!"

"I've already told you, always" he answered putting a sweet kiss on the top of her head.

When Emily woke up, the following morning, she found herself in the same position where she had fallen asleep a few hours before, in Derek's arms.

Despite he wasn't in a comfortable position, he had not moved a millimeter and she knew the reason, she knew the he hadn't moved for fear she would wake up, or for fear she wouldn't find him in there, but what that Prentiss knew even more was that, for the first time in her life, she felt very protected and loved by someone, the same someone that she looked for in other relationships.

"Good morning princess!" he said as soon as he noticed that she was awake "Did you get some sleep?"

"Pretty much"

For Emily, fell asleep, wasn't easy. Although she had done all her best to minimize her movements to not bother Derek, but mostly to not make him regret his decision to console her, was difficult to relax, too many thoughts were in her mind but, when finally she found some peace, also thank to Morgan and his sweetness, the dreams have come easily...the good ones.

"Emily.." he began to speak again "...did you mind if I get up for a couple of minutes?"

"Uhmm, no...why are you ask me that?"

"Because it's about half an hour that I should...well, you know...go to the bathroom and I didn't want wake up you" he explained his self while he was going toilet

"Derek, you're an adult, there was no need to ask permission"

"Yeah, but I didn't want that you woke up and you couldn't find me there" Derek answered, in confirmation of her previous conjectures.

"Derek, can you come and sit next to me, for a moment? Please?" Emily invited him as soon as he left the bathroom

"Sure, baby. What's up?" he asked, sitting on the bed and caressing smoothly her hair

"I wanted to talk seriously about a couple of things. Ok, so..." she took a deep breath "...first of all, I really believe in what I said last night, and so you do, but the first thing that I want and I have to do is to close all this shit with Andrew. And then I wanna actively contribute to the arrest of that bastard. I wanna look him in the eyes in the moment in which someone handcuffs him, and I'd like that that someone is you. I know, it's a strange request, but -"

"Could you stop talking for a moment, please?"

"W-why?"

"So that I can do this!" the man said closing the space between them.

It wasn't the first time that they kissed but Derek couldn't help but thinking "About time...".

Unfortunately the fate wasn't on their side, in fact few after they were interrupted by the annoying sound of Morgan's cell:

"Who has this bad timing?" he complained against her lips, stretching to pick up his phone. "Hotch" he whispered after reading the ID caller

"Morning Morgan. How is Prentiss?" the unit chief asked on the other end of the phone

"Fine, she's fine. She's here now, is just arrived..." he winked "...I put you on speaker, so she can tell you"

"Yep, Hotch. I'm fine, thanks" she said immediately after that Morgan pressed the speakerphone's button

"Prentiss, if you want be exempted from the case I can understand, you only have to ask"

"No, Hotch, I will continue to be part of it"

"Right. In that case I want you both here as soon as possible. Also Reid and Rossi are on their way"

"Got it" they said in unison ending the phone call.

After Emily was dressed in the room that had been assigned to her, she came back with her go-bag in Derek's room, ready to go back in Arkansas. In the moment in which she entered the room, Morgan emerged from the bathroom shirtless making Prentiss blushing.

"Finally you saw it!" he joked to not make her feel embarrassed

"Saw what?"

"Me without my shirt. Don't think that I have not noticed you practically bare me with your eyes..."

"Derek..." she approached him sensual "...they are so many years that I'm doing this job and you should know by now...I see dead bodies every day, they don't make more impact on me"

"Ouch..." he said bringing his hands to his chest with pained face "...you've just killed my ego"

"Oh, poor kid! Allow me to apologize" she enounced giving him a soft but lovely kiss.

Retrieved all their belongings from the room, the couple began the return trip in an atmosphere much more favorable and relaxing, testimony that all their tensions were resolved.

Thanks for reading! :))