Title: Power Play
Rating: R
Fandom: Criminal Minds
Universe: Creatures of the Night (Part 1)
Pairing: Morgan/Prentiss; JJ/Hotch
Genre: Supernatural/Drama
Summary: Tensions are running high when a vampire joins the BAU, but all differences must be put aside as the team investigate a series of suspicious werewolf murders. AU.
Author's Notes: Betaed by Windy City Dreamer
Chapter Nineteen
Morgan leaves the office, pulling the door closed with his foot. As soon as the latch clicks into place, Hotch lets out a breath.
They've got someone.
No indication of whether or not he is actually the person that killed all of their victims, but it's much further than they were before. It's with some regret that he lifts the handset of his phone to call in the rest of the team. They'd closed up their last case just two days ago – a rogue witch harvesting body parts from her numerous victims. Rest wasn't exactly a commodity in plentitude.
'I can be there in fifteen,' is the greeting he gets, and he can't help but smile. Reading him over a phone line isn't the easiest thing in the world to do; the training is doing her well. She might be against reading people against their wills, but truth told, he doesn't mind. It's JJ, after all.
'Um…Hotch. I'm getting you really loud and clear, here.'
He stops, and tries to clear his mind, but he can't help but think what an idiot he is. That's right, Aaron, go ahead and think about how much you're in love with the psychic while she's-Shit.
'I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable there, JJ,' he says, his voice showing no signs of the embarrassment that he's feeling.
'I've started blocking, so feel free to think about whatever takes your fancy.' He's not sure if he's imagining it, but there almost sounds as though there's a certain smugness to her words. After all, it's not the first time this has happened. By now, Hotch is fairly sure that the media liaison is aware of his feelings for her; feelings that he hasn't acted on for fear of alienating a woman he highly respects, rather than any rule forbidding it. For some time, intimate relationships in the Bureau had been illicit, but after a rather nasty incident involving a succubus and an entire department, the rules had been loosened slightly. Should it be to both their liking, he is technically allowed to pursue a relationship, but it will be monitored by watchdogs within the Bureau. Some agents believe it's not worth the hassle, and take a vow of celibacy, rather than accept the thought of the government keeping an eye on their relationship. When it had been suggested that they simply date outside the Bureau, these agents had balked at the thought of taking any amount of time off work.
'Prentiss and Morgan went back to the crime scene,' he tells her, in spite of the fact that she almost definitely already knows. 'They were attacked by a vampire. He'll probably be out until morning at least, so take your time.'
'Are Morgan and Prentiss alright?'
'E-Prentiss took a knife wound, but she should be fine,' he says, adding, after a beat. 'Morgan might have strained something tackling.' It gets the desired laugh, and JJ reiterates her promise to be back at the office within fifteen minutes, with Garcia in tow.
***
It's not until after he's put her down on the hospital bed that he realizes just how much blood he's covered in.
'I'm fine,' he says, batting away the med Agent that's trying to examine him. 'It's not my blood.'
They're not the only ones in the medical office tonight; there's a wizard in with exhaustion, and another vamp that hasn't had the daily recommended dosage of blood, as well as a few other agents whose conditions he can't readily diagnose.
'It's healing pretty rapidly,' the med Agent who's examining Emily tells him. 'Usually it's the kind of healing you'd see in the vamps that are jacked up on human blood, but if they're old enough, that can cause it too.'
Morgan raises his eyebrows. 'How old exactly?' He knows that Emily's mother is fairly old – one of the oldest, not to mention one of the most feared – but he's not so sure about Emily herself. She doesn't really act like someone who's been around for centuries.
'Three hundred, at least,' the Agent tells him. 'I could give you a more accurate answer with a blood test, but that's-'
'In violation of law,' says Morgan. 'Got it.'
The Agent nods. 'With this level of healing, though, she should be fully functional in less than two hours, with a bit of transfusion. It's a good thing you got the magic into her straight away though, or it might have been a lot harder.'
He's not really listening any more, gaze fixed upon her pale form. The med Agent had removed the blanket to examine the wound, and he feels slightly voyeuristic staring at her so intently. In this light, the scar on her shoulder stands out against pale skin, and he finds his curiosity rising to the forefront.
How old is she? How many lives has she lived before this one? What secrets is she hiding?
A massive yawn overwhelms him, and he suddenly feels the exhaustion sinking in, even though it's not even that late by his standards.
The med Agent gives him a sympathetic smile. 'You can take the free bed next to hers if you wanted to stick around,' he offers. 'Though, if we end up needing it, we may have to kick you out.'
That, Morgan thinks, as he slips off his shoes and climbs onto the bed, is a chance that he's willing to take.