Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural
A/N: I'm glad people are giving this a chance. Thank you.
Derek was almost to Garcia's work station when she popped out the door, "Derek," she said, "there you are, Hotchner called, we need to be at the briefing room."
Derek spun and followed her back through the building to where everyone was gathering. "Morgan, Garcia," Hotchner said as they came in.
"Hotch," Derek replied, sliding into the seat between Reid and Campbell.
"Everyone, this is Special Agent Anna Campbell, our occult specialist," Hotchner said resting a hand on Anna's shoulder briefly. "I'm told she also has a Bachelors in criminal psychology."
Anna glanced around the table with a slight smile before turning to J.J., who was standing up with a stack of folders to pass around. She looked up just as he did and smiled at him, before turning away to get something off the floor on the other side of her. "Three weeks ago," J.J. said, "Michael Gehrig went missing in Layson, Missouri. He was found three days later. Then, Tyler Marks went missing, his body was also found a few days later. Finally we have Kyle Shovess, he was found yesterday."
"What are the marks on their bodies?" Reid asked, studying one of the pictures.
Campbell slid a pair of glasses on and picked up one of the pictures with a frown, "They're runes," she said finally, picking up a second picture, "they look familiar, but I can't place them. They aren't too clear either. I'd have to see them without all the blood." She glanced up at Reid, and then Hotchner. Derek noted that her face seemed utterly calm, as if she'd seen worse, her fingers trembled slightly as she tucked the photos back in the folder.
"Take it with you," Hotchner said, "wheels up in an hour."
Campbell nodded and reached beside her to pick up a back pack and sling it over her shoulder easily. "Hey, Campbell," Derek said, when she looked at him he smiled, "Welcome to the BAU."
"Thanks," Campbell replied, "although if you could find it in your heart to call me Anna, I'd appreciate it."
"No problem," Derek replied, "I'm Derek Morgan."
Campbell followed him from the conference room, "How are we getting to Missouri anyways?"
"The BAU has a private plane," Derek said.
"A plane?" Anna said, her voice shaking. "Wait, no one said anything about a plane."
Derek turned, took in the look of sheer terror on her face, and sighed, "It's the fastest way to get there, Anna."
"I don't fly," Anna replied, shaking her head, "I can't. A plane," she made a mewling noise as her breathe began to come faster and faster.
"Anna," Derek said sharply, he stepped closer and put his hand on her shoulder, "Calm down."
Hotchner stepped out of his office, "Is everything all right, Morgan?" He asked.
"Nobody said anything about a plane," Derek said, "and apparently she's afraid of them."
Hotchner walked over and studied Anna for a moment, but the girl was so lost in her panic attack that she didn't notice. At least, not until Hotchner slapped her once, hard. Anna gasped and looked up, "What?" She said.
"You were becoming hysterical," Hotchner told her calmly.
"Sorry," Anna said. She took a deep breath and pushed her hair out of her face. "I'll just, go get that book."
"What was that about?" J.J. asked as she came out of her office.
"Apparently," Hotchner said, "Agent Campbell is afraid of flying."
"This is going to be an interesting case, then," J.J. replied.
Derek sighed and headed down to get ready to go, but as he stepped out into the parking lot, he became aware of some creative swearing, "You impotent pus bucket of maggots!" He glanced around and spotted Anna glaring at a large, old fashioned SUV. "May you rust in the sea for a thousand years!"
Curious, Derek walked over to see what was wrong, but as he rounded the sedan she'd parked beside, he immediately saw the problem; she had a flat tire. "Need some help," Derek offered.
Anna spun, startled, "Um, I," she huffed a breath out and shook her head, "Not unless you can conjure me a spare tire, sir." She kicked the flat tire desolately.
"You don't have a spare?" Derek asked, surprised.
"That is my spare," Anna replied dryly. "I had to change out a flat this morning already."
"I could give you a ride," Derek offered, "I mean, it's not like we're all going to a different location."
Anna smiled, "Thank you, Agent Morgan. I appreciate that." She moved around to the back end of the SUV and unlocked it, "I just need to grab some things," she added.
Derek nodded, "So, why the BAU?"
"What?" Anna asked, then muttered something under her breath that sounded a lot like, "If I didn't know any better, I'd strip you down and search for hex bags."
"Why did you choose the BAU?" Derek said, leaning against her SUV, trying very hard not to turn his head and actually look into the back end as another thump shook the car.
A heavy box hit the ground, "Well," Anna said as she opened it, "when I was fifteen, we lived in Asher Falls, Colorado for six months. There was a serial killer up there at the time who liked young boys. The BAU was pretty much in its infancy back then, but they sent out these two guys, Agent David Rossi and Agent Henry Turner. When that bastard grabbed Sammy while Dad was away on business, I would go by the police station every day after school. I spent hours watching Rossi and Turner figure the bastard out. They got Sam back five days after he vanished because of Rossi and Turner's work." She shut the box up and shoved it back in the truck. "After that, all I ever wanted to be was a profiler like Rossi. I don't have the book with me, which means it's in one of the trunks at Uncle Bobby's place." She sighed.
"Then why have you studied the occult?" Derek asked.
"Didn't study it so much as grew up with it," Anna replied as she shut the SUV. "I'm a practicing Wiccan, Morgan, and a Huntress."
"What does that mean?" Derek asked.
Anna came around the side of the SUV carrying not only her backpack, but also a duffle bag and a rolling suitcase. She smiled at him, "It just means that I hunt monsters, the biggest differences between me and a paranoid schizophrenic with a religious complex? One is that I know that there is a seventy-eight percent chance that the creatures I study about aren't real, even if I do know how to kill them. Where is your car?"
"What?" Derek said, startled and not quite sure where the random question had come from.
"Your car," Anna said, "Where is it? If I have to ride the flying death trap, I'd like to do it right now, before I start thinking about it again."
"Right, it's over here," Derek said, heading for his car.
"The other big reason I'm different," Anna said as she walked beside him, "well, I don't suffer from Multiple Personality Disorder, in my mind, the more the merrier."
Derek actually walked into his car because he was too busy staring at her in shock. "Ok," he said, and unlocked the trunk. "Let's put your stuff in the trunk." Anna collapsed the handle on her suitcase and started to lift it with a grunt. "Let me," Derek offered, and Anna shrugged and let go with a soft smile.
Derek grabbed the handle and pulled, only to grunt, "Jesus," he said, using his other hand to steady the suitcase, "What did you pack, bricks?"
"Nope," Anna replied as she slung her duffle into the trunk, "Reference books. I'm not Sam, to have tons of knowledge about the occult packed away in my mind. Instead, I memorized the basics and I know which books are going to help me with the details." She stopped and opened her duffle and rifled through it a minute. "Brigit's corset," she muttered, "I forgot the salt I'll be right back."
Derek watched her run back across the parking lot to her truck wondering if they really needed an occult specialist like her. Then he shook his head and shut the trunk, she could put whatever it was in her bag at the airport. As he unlocked the doors and started to get in, she came back, sliding into the passenger seat easily. In her hands was a standard size container of table salt. "Salt," Derek said, "seriously?"
Anna grinned at him, "If we're ever attacked by ghosts or demons, you'll be thanking me. Not to mention the cold iron in the bottom of my duffle." She pulled out her cell phone, "I'm going to call my uncle and see if I get him to send me the book I need."
Derek raised an eyebrow at her, but pulled out of the parking lot. "Hi, Uncle Bobby, it's Anna," she said cheerfully. "Yes sir, everything's fine with the loft." She waved her hand as she listened into the phone. "I was wondering if you could do me a favor, actually. I'm on my first case and I left the book I need in the blue trunk in your basement. It's the spiral with the moon and dolphins on it, filled with ritual symbols and notes." Another pause and she huffed out a breath of air, "How was I to know I'd get dragged onto an occult case before we could get everything shipped? Look, I'll pay you back if you could message it to the police department in Layson, Missouri." Anna heaved an exceptionally put upon sigh, "No, Bobby, you don't have to send the boys…yes Bobby, I'm sure I can handle this…No Bobby, you don't have to drive it over yourself, I know you have work to do…Just send it via FedEx if you have to…If it's more than I can handle, I'll call you, ok, or if I have any questions…I promise Bobby. Look, just keep up your end of the deal and I'll call you if I even think I won't be able to handle something." She was quiet for a long time, "All right Bobby, I'll let you know what I can, when I can. I love you."
Derek refrained from saying anything as she looked at her phone. Finally, she sighed and slipped it into the front of her backpack. "Sorry," Anna said, "I'm really nervous about doing this right. I don't mean to come off like a crazy person."
"It's ok," Derek replied. "We were all new at this once upon a time."
Anna wrapped her arms over her stomach as she stared out the window, "I have to do this right," she said softly, Derek had to strain to hear her, "I don't have anywhere else to go."