No, I didn't fall off the face of the Earth... it just feels like I did with how long it's been since the last update. Real life can be a real... well you guys have lives of your own - so you know what I'm talking about. Now that things appear to be setting down, hopefully we can get back into a routine with the update.
I asked if they'd just give me Criminal Minds. In a shocking turn of events, they said no. So, sadly, I still do not own Criminal Minds.
Happy reading and enjoy :D
"It was unnecessary. There was too much blood and gore and guuuuuuuugh." Garcia said as they walked out of the movie theater's horror movie festival showing for that month.
"Garcia, it's a slasher film. How do you do a slasher film without violence?" Reid asked as the group walked out across the entry area to the theater.
"You imply it." Garcia replied.
"Baby, the movie is called 'Slice 6'. What were you expecting?" Morgan asked.
"A refreshing beverage with a twist of comedy." Garcia replied as she walked along beside Morgan. "And don't think just because I was horrified at what I saw on the screen Goldilocks that I didn't see you and gorgeous gray matter totally making-out out of the corner of my eye." She said as she quirked an eyebrow at JJ who was walking arm in arm with Reid.
JJ laughed at Garcia as she rested her head against Spence's shoulder. Her arms wrapped around Spence's as their fingers tangled together. "What can I say Pen, it was more entertaining than what was on screen. Besides isn't that sort of the point of going to a horror movie? To get scared and be held close?"
"Well I was paying attention to the movie and I'm going to have nightmares for a week." Garcia moaned with a pouty expression on her face.
Spence smiled as he glanced down and met JJ's smiling eyes with his own.
"With everything we see and do on a daily basis; that got to you?" Ashley joked as they continued their walk from the movie theater to the parking ramp.
"Listen noob, you may be all Sigourney Weaver ass kicking tough, which is awesome but the mystical mavens of innocence like myself, jump at things that go bump in the night." Garcia explained as she glanced down the line they were walking in to look at Ashley.
JJ snorted. "Innocence Pen, really?"
Garcia threw a sidelong glance JJ's way. "Things that go bump in the night aren't generally concerned about their existence on this earth being electronically eradicated forever and ever amen." She said with a quirk of her brow as she looked back at JJ.
JJ smiled at Garcia in understanding and nodded in understanding. They'd both been there before and that was something that after their years of history both working together and as friends that didn't need to be explained.
"Why are you worried? I'm sure Morgan will protect you." Reid teased, his voice cracking slightly. "As long as he's not jumping out of his chair like a pre-pubescent school girl." He said as he cast a grin at JJ and Ashley.
Morgan tipped his head back as he slightly rolled his eyes. "The only reason I jumped is because you guys woke me up." He replied as Garcia wrapped her arm around his.
"How could you sleep during that?" Garcia asked.
"Easy. You dragged me out after a twelve hour work day. For what?" Morgan asked as he turned to look at Reid over the top of Garcia's head. "You're telling me that girl didn't know the unsub was waiting for her upstairs? Come on now." He replied as he walked arm in arm with Garcia.
"Villian." Reid replied.
"What?" Morgan asked.
"In movies unsubs are called villains." Reid explained as the group continued to stroll towards the parking lot.
"My bad" Morgan replied.
"Anybody want to get something to eat?" Morgan asked as they approached their cars in the parking lot.
"Definitely" Garcia replied. "Ashley?" she asked looking at the youngest blonde.
Ashley looked around at the group and shrugged. "Sure".
"Jayje are you and junior G-man in?" Garcia said turning towards the couple in the groups midst.
JJ glanced at her watch. "Sorry Pen, we need to need to get home. It's a school night for the sitter." She said as she glanced up at Spence who nodded in agreement.
"Awww… well next time we'll totally do this on the weekend." Garcia replied. "Are we on for breakfast next Tuesday?"
"Wouldn't miss it." JJ responded with a smile as she stepped forward and hugged Pen goodbye for the night.
Ashley, Morgan, and Garcia watch as JJ pulled her car keys out of her purse and handed them to Spence. Then he opened the passenger side door for her and she slipped inside. He walked around to the driver's side and folded himself behind the wheel of JJ's car. They waved as they watched Reid drive off.
"Pretty boy is so getting lucky tonight." Morgan said with a chuckle as they watched JJ's car pull out of the parking lot.
Garcia grinned. "If I know my girl, probably more than once."
"Ewww" Ashley replied. "I don't need that image in my head. Thanks a lot."
Morgan and Garcia laughed as they turned to look at the rookie member of the team who was still getting used to the teasing and close nature of the group.
Now that Emily was… away for an indeterminate amount of time, Ashley felt most comfortable spending time with Rossi. Perhaps that was because their relationship filled the void in her life, the absence of a true father figure. She was still adjusting to what it felt like to be a part of something, to be included. She'd kept herself separate most of her life, always on the outside looking in, lest she made friends and then they find out just who and what her sperm donor was. She hadn't been able to call him her father, at least not since the day she watched Agent David Rossi lead him away in hand cuffs.
"So Chinese?" Morgan asked drawing Ashley out of her thoughts as he looked back and forth between the two beautiful blondes who stood on either side of him.
"Lucky bastard" A random stranger mumbled just barely audibly in Morgan's direction as he and his friends walked by the man standing talking with two blondes.
JJ's mind wandered as Spence drove them home. She and Spence weren't normally ones for public displays of affection… but to be honest she'd wanted to distract herself from what was happening on screen in the movie. Leaning her head on Spence's shoulder had led to burying her face in his neck at some of the more gore filled moments of the movie. Then he'd wrapped his arm around her shoulder when she jumped. She kissed his neck and he'd turned from the movie screen to look down at her. She couldn't honestly tell you what exactly had happened for most of the movie after that as Spence's lips had found hers. Her fingers had tangled in the hair at the nape of his neck as she pulled him closer as his tongue begged entrance to her lips. The only reason she could tell anybody what happened in any of the rest of the movie was because Morgan had jumped and screamed like a girl, pulling them out of their own little universe and back into the surroundings of the movie theater.
JJ squeezed her hand that held Spence's as she broke the comfortable silence that had surrounded them. "So do you really think that the best part of a horror movie is not knowing when the end is going to come?"
Spence glanced quickly at JJ and then returned his eyes to the road. "Well isn't the suspense of the unknown and the build-up sort of the best part?"
"Hmmm… so you're saying once the climax happens that it's all over?" JJ asked with a smirk on her face as she twisted in her seat, wondering how long it would take Spence to catch onto the double entendre.
"Not necessarily. A really well done film will have multiple plot points each with their own climax leading to a plot twist that you didn't see coming so that it culminates in one final climax to introduce the falling action of the film that then lead into the end of the movie." Spence explained.
JJ's grin grew on her face. "I couldn't agree more, but baby I don't think that just applies to movies." She replied with a laugh as she rested her hand on his thigh and trailed her fingernails briefly along the inseam of his pants and then once again grasped his hand in hers.
Spence's genius brain replayed their conversation in his head and then he turned to look at JJ with wide large eyes. "Why JJ, are you trying to seduce me?" he asked with a bit of humor in his voice as it cracked.
JJ laughed. "That depends. Do you want to be seduced?"
Spence grinned. "Very much so."
JJ grinned as she rested her cheek against the seat and she played with the fingers of his hand as she held it in hers. "So is my attempt at seducing you working?"
"Very much so." Spence replied again turning to look at JJ with a grin as he stopped at a stop sign. He shifted his legs, attempting to get more comfortable in his tightening pants.
"Good thing we're almost home then." She replied with a wink as she squeezed Spence's hand and shifted anxiously in her own seat.
Hotch sighed as he entered the briefing room from speaking with Strauss about the team's assessments. He knew what a stickler Strauss was for protocol and the finer details of following policy; however, she seemed especially concerned that they follow the outlined policy for a team that had lost an agent in the field. He didn't remember her being this exacting with the grief assessment process in the months following Boston. Those thoughts would have to be pushed aside for now however; they had a case. He'd have to figure out the best way to avoid more assessments for the team later.
"Let's get started" Hotch said as he rounded the doorway and headed to take a seat at the round table.
"Okay" Garcia said as she pointed the remote at the monitor. "Monica Shandley, Natalie Wallace, Amber Lasko" she said as three girls photos pulled up on the monitor. "Three college students killed in their off campus apartments in the last five days. Two were going to San Diego Coastal University; one was going to San Diego Tech."
"Well the unsub definitely has a type." Morgan said as he looked up at the photos of the three brunettes on the monitor. "They could all be related."
"Yeah, what he said." Garcia said as she prepared to give more details. "They're all in their early 20s, brunette, majoring in education and or child development."
Hotch knocked on the door to Strauss' office. "You wanted to see me?"
"Good job in San Diego." Strauss said as she pulled off her glasses while standing behind her desk.
"Thank you." Hotch answered solemnly, waiting for the other shoe to drop, as he was unused to compliments from his direct supervisor.
"Despite a challenging year, your team seems to be functioning surprisingly well." Strauss said in an understated manner as she prepared to tie up loose ends prior to her leave of absence.
Hotch gazed unwaveringly at Strauss, waiting whatever comment was coming next. "But?" he asked as she didn't continue.
"No, I agree with your assessment," she responded, gesturing to Agent Hotchner with the files in her hands, and then she turned to walk to the other side of the room where her briefcase sat on a side table, "and so does the director."
"Why, uh," Hotch paused, stumbling uncharacteristically over his words as he tucked his hands in his pockets, "Why the interest in the well-being of my team?" he asked as he pivoted on his heals to watch as Strauss stuff her files into her briefcase.
"The director has some concerns." Strauss said as she looked up at her subordinate. What she left unsaid is that the director's concerns were in regards to her and her drinking.
"What kind of concerns?" Hotch asked curious as well as concerned for what this could mean for his team.
Strauss swallowed thickly. "There's a chance that I might need your help and I want you to be in a position to assist." For all the grief she'd given Agent Hotchner over the years, she knew now, after everything he'd been through, that there was no one that she would trust more with her section of the bureau should she need to be away for an extended period of time.
Hotch studied Strauss with an analytical gaze as he sought evidence and attempted to determine just what it was that she wasn't saying. "What's going on?"
"I'm just dealing with a few things right now." Strauss replied as she worked on organizing things that were already organized in her briefcase so that she needn't meet her subordinate's gaze. He was after all a profiler. She worried about just what he would be able to see and read in her eyes.
"What is it?" Hotch asked.
Strauss took a deep breath and attempted to school her facial expression as she turned to look at Agent Hotchner, meeting his gaze. "I might have to be away for a few months." She glanced down, unable to bear maintaining eye contact with Agent Hotchner. "I'm not asking you to step away from your duties, but I might need you to supervise some departments." She said as she returned to organizing and filing items away in her briefcase.
Hotch couldn't be sure of what exactly was happening, but he hadn't missed the wavering breath Strauss had taken in just prior to turning to look at him. He hadn't missed her reluctance to maintain eye contact. "Whatever you need, of course." He replied softly.
Strauss gazed at him for a mere moment and then turned to grab her things. "I'll be available by phone."
Hotch swallowed. He couldn't say for certain just what he was witnessing, but he could certainly recognize a person struggling with something when he saw it. "Would you… do you want to talk about?" he asked, remembering all the times Prentiss had been there for him to talk to in the months during and after Foyet.
"So you can assess me?" Strauss asked as she met Hotch's gaze. After a long moment of them looking at each other, she picked up her briefcase. "I don't do that either." She replied referring to their phone conversation while the team had been in San Diego and his avoidance to having an assessment done. Then, she walked past Agent Hotchner out of her office.
Spence rubbed his forehead as he slid his key into the lock on the door of JJ's townhouse. It'd been a long flight back from San Diego. He'd tried, but sleep hadn't come on the jet. He'd stayed at the BAU long enough to finish the case file. Now he was looking forward to spending some time with his girlfriend and godson.
He was perplexed as he entered the house to the sound of silence. He glanced down at his watch as he hung up his messenger bag and jacket. It wasn't terribly late. He'd probably missed Henry going to bed, but given the lights on in the house, he assumed JJ was still up.
He entered the living room and paused, a smile hatching on his face as he leaned against the door jam and watched the scene before him while he stretched himself across the doorway. His feet rested against one side of the doorway, while his shoulder rested against the other.
JJ stood facing the couch folding clothes as she danced with her headphone of her iPod tucked in her ears. She was taking advantage of Henry being asleep to get some things done around the house. "Pretty, pretty please if you ever, ever feel like you're nothing, you're perfect to me." JJ sang along softly as she folded the clothes in the basket, her hips swaying in time with the music.
"Boy I think about every night and day" She sang, smiling as the next song came on and her head bobbed along to the beat as she put the folded clothes in the basket. Then she started dancing, her hips twitched in time with the music as the beat picked up. She closed her eyes, and raised her arms above her head, imagining Spence behind her as she rolled her hips and spun around. "I wouldn't want to have it any other way. I'm addicted and I just can't get enough."
JJ shrieked as her eyes opened to find Spence leaning against the doorway and pressed a hand to her chest. "How long have you been standing there?"
A smirk curled playfully along Spence's lips as he took in the blush rising on his girlfriend's cheeks. "Just a minute or so."
JJ smiled, having recovered from the surprise of Spence standing there, she walked over to him and took his hand and pulled him into the living room. "Were you enjoying yourself?" she asked as she stopped in the middle of the living room and wrapped her arms around his waist.
Spence looked down into JJ's eyes taking in the playfulness in her expression. "I was." He replied cautiously.
"You know, I can think of something you would enjoy even more." JJ replied, biting her lip as she looked up at Spence.
"What's that?" Spence asked.
"Dancing with me." JJ answered hopefully as she pulled one of her ear buds out and placed it in Spence's ear.
The beat and lyrics of The Black Eyed Peas invaded his ear. "JJ…" he began to protest.
JJ leaned up and brushed her lips against his other ear as her finger pressed against his lips, stopping whatever he was going to say next. "You should know that I was imagining dancing with you baby."
Spence swallowed, unsure of how to respond as JJ twisted in his arms so that her back was pressed against his chest.
JJ reached up and hit the rewind button on her iPod sending the current song back to the beginning. Her hands covered Spence's as she slid them down to rest on her hips. She guided one of his hands to rest low on her waist, leaving it covered with hers as she stretched her other arm up to rest her hand on the back of his neck, her fingers trailing along the collar of his shirt.
Spence groaned low in his throat as JJ started to move in time with the music. He'd never learned to dance, at least not like this. He could waltz; a proper gentleman knew these things his mother had told him as she taught him ballroom dancing. But the way JJ was moving against him, was far, far, far away from ballroom dancing.
JJ lost herself in the music as she rolled her hips back against her boyfriend. She turned her head to speak in Spence's ear as she let go of Spence's hand on her waist and moved her hand to grip Spence's thigh. "Just relax baby and move with the music."
"JJ" Spence moaned, burying his face in JJ blonde locks as he attempted to move his hips in time with JJ's and the music. He could feel her abs through the thin cotton of her t-shirt as she shimmied against him.
Spence had found the rhythm and was just starting to loosen up and enjoy dancing with JJ, when her cell phone rang.
JJ turned in Spence's arms to face him. She pulled the other ear bud out of her ear and the armband holding her iPod off her arm and handed them to Spence. "Hold that thought." She murmured against Spence's lips.
She walked across the room to the end table where her phone sat and glanced at the caller ID. "Jareau" she answered after seeing that it was a work call. She glanced at Spence as she stood with one hand on her waist listening to the caller on the other end.