Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith.
-Henry Ward Beecher
Each member of the BAU is trained to notice everything about another person. That's what makes them good profilers. So when Spencer showed up to work the next day, Morgan had already detailed for his colleagues the events of the night before. Everybody kind of looked upon Spencer as a kid brother, because in the BAU, each team member is part of the family.
"So," Garcia leaned against the wall as Spencer loaded his coffee up with sugar. "How was your night?"
Spencer clearly caught a wink, and let out a pronounced sigh. "Good. Fell asleep watching the History Channel. It's funny what comes on at midnight. Generally it's about the history of sex. Quite interesting, really. Not exactly a subject you learn about in school."
"Is that all?" Morgan snuck up behind the youngest member of their team.
"I hate to cut this moment of Reid torture short, but Hotch needs to see us." JJ called from across the office, papers clutched in her hands. She still glowed with that new-mother radiance, even though she wasn't quite over having to leave her baby alone.
The interruption was much appreciated for Spencer, who quickly hurried off to the conference room. Morgan followed closely, a wide grin still stuck to his face. Prentiss was not far behind, quite amused, as she'd heard the entire conversation. The day didn't begin if Morgan wasn't poking fun at somebody, or engaging in a friendly flirtation with Garcia.
"I have been on the phone with the Chief of Police in Chesapeake, Virginia." JJ stood in front of a large television screen, speaking only after each member of her team had sat down around the table. She sat a file in front of each member, dictating the latest crime they were to investigate. "Six days ago, Roberta Sisneros reported a rape to the police. She said after the man raped her, he attempted to kill her." Pictures of a Hispanic woman popped up on the screen behind her. Most of her skin was swollen and purple. "She is the third woman to be attacked with this MO within the last two months, and obviously the only one to survive."
JJ pointed the remote at the screen, clicked, and displayed four pictures. Two were of a woman half-buried beneath a tree; the other two were similar, except the unfortunate woman in these was buried in sand beneath a park swing.
"The first woman was 27-year-old Sofia Vega, the second 23-year-old Teresa Antonia. Each woman was attacked in a park at night, and left where she was murdered. Unfortunately, no DNA has been recovered from any of the crimes, and all forensic evidence was washed away by rain."
Hotch fidgeted with his pen in one hand, holding it between two fingers. His eyes squinted slightly as he looked at the pictures, absorbing the information of the case. "Each time?"
"Yes," JJ replied, folding her arms across her chest. "It rained either during the attack, or just after."
"The unsub is relying on rain to destroy any evidence." Prentiss looked through her file, holding one picture in each hand, closely studying the dead women. "He managed to kill the first two, but failed at killing the third."
"He used a kitchen knife to slit their wrists," Spencer began, leaning back in his chair, his copy of the police report in his hand. "He beat them badly enough that they couldn't move or cry for help, so they bled out. The rain would have only stimulated the outflow of blood. He didn't know the third victim was a martial arts student, which must be how she survived. She was used to beatings."
The conversation drew on as JJ continued to brief them on the subject. Morgan was the only person that did not speak, an action that Spencer did not fail to notice. But unlike the other members of the team, he did not take joy in butting into business that was not his own. Only if it seemed his problem was bad enough would the young genius ask about it. If his team members wished to speak to him, they would.
&&&&
Angie strode through the elevator and across the hall of cubicles and computers to her desk. She was a bit aloof due to the events of the night before. After all, it isn't often that you meet someone twice, once when you are sixteen, and once when you are 26, and then have an entertaining and insightful conversation with said person. This Dr. Spencer Reid was quite an odd fellow, and his intelligence was evident in every word he spoke. He was not, she gathered, a very social man, but she didn't mind.
Unfortunately, she did not manage to hide a smile from her co-workers. In fact, she wasn't even aware she was smiling until a certain overgrown Frat boy appeared at her side. "Who is it?"
Angie looked up to witness the quite disturbing death of a glazed donut as it was engulfed by Tony's mouth. "Who is what?"
"The smile."
"Smiles aren't people, Tony," she responded, pulling her mass of curls away from her face.
"Ah, yes, but your smile is due to a person. Trust me. I know smiles."
Anthony DiNozzo was quite the charming man, as she had discovered with she joined his team earlier that year. Even so, he was able to turn off his playful air when needed, and was quite the efficient NCIS Special Agent.
Fortunately for her, Angie never had to answer his question. Two more familiar faces showed up, one belonging to Ziva David, the other to Timothy McGee. "I'm sure if Angie has a reason to smile, she doesn't want to share it with you." Ziva tilted her head to one side, a playful twinkle in her eyes.
Tim took a seat at his desk, watching with a mixture of amusement and irritation. Angie looked over at him as Tony and Ziva began a friendly argument over whether or not Angie would tell why she was smiling. "How was your weekend?" She asked the geeky computer wiz. McGee was her favorite member of the team.
"Pretty good. Got a bit of writing done on my novel, but other than that I didn't do much."
"Sounds fun."
Each conversation was cut short as the head of the team, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, rounded the corner, his usual cup of coffee steaming in his hand. He was always very good at interrupting them when they were in the middle of something. "Petty Officer killed visiting family in Chesapeake, Virginia."
&&&&
The FBI wasted no time investigating crimes, especially if a serial killer was involved. As soon as the BAU arrived in Chesapeake, they went to work interviewing the families and friends of victims. And like the victims of most serial killers, they each ended up remarkably alike. They were all Hispanic, headed for success, and blonde. The living victim was, unfortunately, not very much help. Though she had seen the killer's face, she could not recall it for a sketch artist, and was too traumatized to give much information at all. All she could say was that she got off work late, and didn't want to miss out on her exercise, so decided to go to the park for a jog, since the gym was closed.
As their first day in the city came to an end, Spencer found it very hard to retire to his hotel room. Sleep was something that often eluded him, perhaps because of his job. Whatever the case, he often found himself up late, staring into nothing, or attempting to read a book slowly in order to make it last longer.
That day, however, there was nothing to read. The television in his room had cable, but unfortunately there was nothing on that interested him. Instead of waiting around to fall asleep, he ventured down to the hotel bar. Spencer was not one to drink often, especially since he was still recovering from his addiction, but there wasn't really anywhere else he could go. Chesapeake wasn't exactly known for a thriving nightlife.
He did not order anything with alcohol, and instead settled for a simple coke. He found himself lost in his own thoughts for a while, but was forced back to reality when something on the television above the bar caught his attention.
"Naval Petty Officer Veronica Lopez was found dead behind her parents home early this morning. She was in town to visit her grandmother in the hospital, but stayed home to care for her sister's baby as the rest of the family went out. She was not discovered until a neighbor woke the next morning and heard a baby crying from next door—"
A picture of the dead woman flashed on the screen. Spencer was a bit shocked to see she much resembled the victims in his case, and wondered why his team had not been informed of this new murder when they arrived. The reporter continued, saying the dead Petty Officer had been raped and beaten, but nothing was mentioned about slit wrists. Either they were withholding information from the media, and this was another victim, or another rapist had emerged with a similar MO. It was much more likely that it was the same killer of the other women.
Spencer pulled out his cell phone, his eyes still locked on the television screen, and dialed Hotch's cell. "Turn on channel five," he said quickly.
Though he got no immediate response, Spencer heard an echo of the report on the other end. Hotch said nothing until the newscast cut to commercials. "Do you think it is the same person?"
"Yes," Spencer responded, abandoning his soda and hurrying to the elevator. "The police probably didn't inform us because it didn't completely fit our MO."
Hotch's phone went dead, but Spencer was not offended. The elevator doors opened, revealing Spencer's supervisor. "I'll call the Police Chief, you go get the others." Hotch said, looking tired and ready for a good rest. But duty called.
&&&&
"We didn't inform you because this is not your case," Officer Burgess said, obviously very irritated to be woken up at ten PM. "The young woman was found at her parents' home, and her wrists were not cut."
Spencer drummed his fingers on his leg, wired from the coffee he got on the way to the police station. Per usual, he found himself exhausted when it was least convenient. "We have reason to believe it was the same unsub," he said, making eye contact with the policeman. He found that eye contact distracted others from how young he was, because his age often made others find him unreliable. "The setting is similar to the other crime scenes. She was found near a play set. The original victims were found at or near play sets, which makes us believe the unsub is targeting victims where children play. It is likely he was startled by the sound of the baby's crying from inside the house."
Burgess pressed his lips into a tight line, contemplating what the young agent was telling him. "Could that be why the third victim was left alive?"
"Possibly," Morgan interjected, stepping closer.
"Then why weren't her wrists slashed like the others? She was just found dead."
The BAU team stood silently for a moment, and it was Rossi that spoke first. "Do you have a copy of her autopsy report?"
Burgess nodded and turned, taking a file off the top of a chair behind him. Opening it, he handed it to Agent Rossi, who was silent as he read it. Finally, he spoke. "It says she was pregnant."
Burgess had obviously not had the opportunity to read the autopsy report, or had not found it relevant, as he appeared shocked. "So?"
"The cause of death was internal bleeding. The unsub delivered such a severe beating, it ruptured her Fallopian tube."
Spencer let out an audible "awe," his head tilting back slightly. "Ectopic pregnancy."
Officer Burgess had never been very knowledgeable when it came to anything medical, and was confused by this discovery. "And that is?"
"It's when a woman's egg is fertilized and implants anywhere other than the uterine wall, like the cervix or ovaries, and in this case," Spencer stood and leaned over Rossi's shoulder, much to the older agent's distaste, "the Fallopian tube. She must have been experiencing burning sensations and severe cramps. Do we know if she knew she was pregnant?"
JJ instinctively covered her stomach with one hand, the thought of having an embryo grow in the Fallopian tube was quite painful, even though she'd already given birth. "No, but whoever is working on her case would probably know right now. Do you know who that would be, Officer Burgess?"
"Yes." Sitting back down, he ran a hand over his shaven head, the stress of his job becoming very evident to him and everyone in the room. "NCIS Special Agent Leroy Gibbs and his team."
"Do you know where we can find Agent Gibbs?" Rossi stood, shooting the still hovering Spencer an aggravated glance.
"There is a Hilton two blocks east of here. His team is staying there until the investigation is finished."
&&&&
Before joining NCIS, Angie always turned her cell phone off at night. There were many things she disliked in life, and the sound of a phone ringing when she was fast asleep definitely ranked in the top ten. Ever since joining NCIS, her phone seemed to be going off at all hours of the night. She couldn't complain, though, because it usually meant somebody else was woken up in his or her sleep by a gun, or a hammer, or something else that caused death. She gladly chose an annoying ringtone over death.
"Yes boss," she said, attempting to make it sound like she hadn't been asleep at all.
"Get to the police station, and wake up Tony while you are at it."
The line was dead before she could respond.
She and Tony had been selected to ride along to investigate the crime scene, while McGee and Ziva were left in DC in case they were needed there. Tony was a good man to work with, Angie had to admit, but there were times she just wanted to smack him upside the head. She wasn't alone in this feeling.
Quickly she changed into what she had been wearing earlier that day and left her hotel room, wiping away at the oil that had built up on her face while she was sleeping with her sleeve. "Tony," she shouted, banging against his door. "Up and at 'em."
The door swung to reveal her fellow agent before she finished her sentence. "I figured we wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight."
"Why's that?"
"Because," they walked down the hall, meeting a very awake Gibbs in front of the elevator, "this always happens on the first night. You haven't been working out of DC long enough to figure that out yet."
Angie looked up at Gibbs, as if he was going to give some response to validate this claim. The only reply she got was his profile and a coffee cup at his lips. Averting her eyes quickly, she couldn't help but marvel at how good he looked for his age, given his occupation. Though his hair was the perfect salt and pepper mixture, his sharp face was only gently lined.
Actually, everyone in the team looked pretty good. That said, they weren't all that much older than her. Tony was the oldest, as he was on the team longest.
The ride to the station was short, but long enough for the newest member of the team to get a good number of yawns out in an attempt to wake up. She entered the building exhausted, but was soon wide awake when she found Spencer sitting in a chair in the office they were shuttled into.
The young Dr. Reid was especially surprised to see Angie arrive. He knew she worked for NCIS, but never would have guessed she would actually be there. What were the chances of that?
Morgan took notice of this as well, and a slight smirk flashed across his face, vanishing before anybody could notice. This was an interesting plot twist in the Reid/Angie case. His eyes swiveled away from the two head agents near him to the blonde woman sitting next to Spencer, then to his own team member. Spencer was very obviously avoiding eye contact with Angie, which Morgan found comical. Reid very rarely did not make eye contact with someone, which was kind of weird sometimes. But he was trying very, very hard not to look at the blonde NCIS agent next to him. How funny.
"Agent Hotchner, this is NCIS Special Agent Leroy Gibbs. Agent Gibbs, this is FBI Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner."
The two shook hands, though the introduction was not needed. They had met twice before, once while NCIS was investigating a homicide at Quantaco, the other when Hotchner was giving a speech in DC. It was back when Jenny Shepard was Director of NCIS. Gibbs hadn't actually attended the speech, mostly because he didn't feel the need, and he hated sitting through those things, but ran into him when looking for FBI Agent Fornell.
"Good to see you again, Agent Gibbs."
"You too, Agent Hotchner."
Angie took a seat next to Spencer, smirking at him while attempting to hide the fact that she felt embarrassed around him not wearing makeup. "This is odd," she remarked under her breath. Burgess was filling in both teams on the situation.
Spencer only nodded at turned his attention to the two agents in charge, pretending to be more interested in what was going on than running into her. The coffee shop was one thing, but on assignment? She was right, it was odd.
It was nearing daybreak before both teams reached a conclusion. The BAU suggested the case of the Petty Officer be handed over to them, while Gibbs' team was very much against the idea. Burgess, though inadequate at interpreting the medical lexicon, was adept at negotiating. The teams would work together and share information, since the cases were now within the jurisdiction of both.
Tony found himself looking around, wondering when Tobias Fornell was going to make an appearance, since it seemed that was always the case when inter-agency wars were occurring. It was silly, though, and he knew it. Fornell wouldn't be there if the BAU was.
"Okay guys." Burgess puffed out his chest, hoping to take control of the situation. "I'd suggest getting back to your rooms and getting some sleep. The investigation will continue later."
Everyone else in the room turned their heads in the detective's direction, eyebrows raised. Sleep? Nobody slept when there were possibly more lives at stake.
Angie leaned in to Spencer and smiled. "I've never worked a serial killer case before."
Note: Yeah, yeah, I know. NCIS/Criminal Minds crossover. Don't worry, though. If you're not familiar with NCIS, I'm writing it so that you don't HAVE to be. Just treat the NCIS characters as if they were any other original character I introduced. I wasn't originally going to do this… but… well, I couldn't help it. Enjoy!
