Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds
*thank you to everyone who has taken their time to read this story
BAU
"Ok everyone its close to 2:00 am, and we've gotten no where, lets take a break, head home, rest up and meet back here in the morning" Hotch stated looking at the weary team members. "But Hotch" Morgan began, before being interrupted by JJ, "Morgan, he's right were running on empty, we can't focus on anything in this state". "Fine, but if anything pops up we get a call right away" Morgan said, frustration burning in his eyes. Slowly each member piled out of the room, each glancing at the empty chair or empty desk where Reid usually sat. At the elevator Emily caught up with JJ, who stayed behind to ask Hotch something "hey you've had a rough day let me give you a ride," she offered. "Sure" JJ said, and Emily noticed just how bothered she was by this situation. In the car Emily dared to ask, "You really love him, huh?"
JJ's cheeks flushed red for a second, "I do" she replied looking down with a grin on her face. "Were going to get him back" Emily said, "oh, reach under the seat" she added. JJ did as she was asked and found the book on philosophy she bought earlier. "I didn't tell the team, I saw this and realized how deeply you cared for him," Emily said, her eyes never leaving the road. "Thank you" JJ said. "Emily can I ask you something?" JJ said staring at the floor of the car.
"Anything sure" Emily answered not liking where this was going. "Do you guys blame me for what happened to Reid, is it my fault that he's been taken again" JJ asked, and when Emily glanced at her she noticed JJ was crying. "Of course not, he could have easily taken me or Morgan and as for Reid, no one forced him to go he went because he loves you, he rather be hurt than you, a typical guy thing" Emily replied hoping that would help her broken friend. The rest of the car ride passed in silence until Emily stopped in front of the apartment. "Thank you Emily" JJ said stepping out of the car and into her apartment building.
JJ
"Thank you Emily" I said stepping out of the car, not waiting for a response back. I heard the car pull away as I entered my apartment building; it feels like ages since I've been home. I took the elevator to the fourth floor and unlocked the door to my room and stepped inside. I leaned my back against the door and cried, not bothering to stop until I couldn't cry anymore. I rubbed my eyes and got off the floor looking at the clock, it read 2:45 am. I walked into my kitchen and poured a glass of water, soothing my dry throat. "Well, I better try to sleep" I mumbled to myself.
It was then I realized that my clothes were actually quite filthy, from sitting on the ground in that basement. I walked into my bedroom and changed into my pair of pajamas. It was also then that I realized that was last meal was Mac and Cheese; I didn't bother eating the Chinese Hotch ordered for everyone. But how can I eat, knowing he's not safe? I thought. I walked back into the kitchen and opened my fridge, nothing appealing to me so I reached for my glass, poured some more water and headed into my bedroom to try and sleep.
"Its all your fault JJ, you've gotten my the one man I considered my brother kidnapped again, and this time he might die!" Morgan screamed at me, face red with anger. "You've got the man I consider a son kidnapped again JJ!" Hotch screamed joining Morgan. "How could you JJ, I trusted you and you did this, you know he loves you and this is how you pay him back!" Emily yelled. "This is all your fault" Rossi said in a lower voice than the others. "Why JJ?" Spencer asked, as a gun went off and Spencer fell back, blood seeping from his head.
"Noooooooo!" I screamed sitting straight up. It took a few minutes for my breathing and heartbeat to go down, "its just a dream" I told myself over and over. Once I calmed down enough I looked and the clock, 5:00 am. I got out of bed and walked to the kitchen on my still trembling legs. I poured myself some water and sat down on an island stool. There's no way I'm falling back to sleep, not after a nightmare like that. I headed back into my room, changed out of my pajamas and into a clean pair of clothes. I guess I'll head back to the BAU and start working, if Hotch asks I guess I'll lie I thought grabbing some money and headed towards my car and drove to the nearest coffee shop.
"Can I have an extra large coffee with some sugar and cream." I said to barista at the empty coffee shop. A minute and 2 dollars later, I exited the coffee shop and made my way to the BAU, hoping to find a lead, or something to take my mind off that nightmare. He'll be fine, he's strong I told myself as I entered the building and headed up the elevator and over into my office.
I sat at my desk and worked on files and paperwork, checked emails and tried looking for clues as to where I was taken. It was not until 8:00 am that someone came into the office spaces. "JJ what are you doing here this early" came the voice of Hotch from the doorway. You don't know early I thought, "Oh, well I just needed to work" I answered, not wanting to mention the nightmare. "JJ" Hotch started walking in and taking a seat, "if you need to talk I'm here to listen, as your boss and friend" he finished. Do I tell him? "Well Hotch" I started but the elevator door chimed, "uh thanks for the offer," I said going back to my paperwork.
BAU
Hotch left JJ in her office and noticed Rossi walking up the stairs "You're here early, you do realize you could have slept" Hotch said looking at him. "Well I couldn't sleep plus I got some work to do, probably like JJ" Rossi answered looking at JJ's office. It was another 10 minutes before Morgan walked in with Garcia and another 5 minutes after that Prentiss walked in and sat at her office.
Hotch walked out his office a few hours later, giving everyone time to do their own work and walked to JJ and Rossi's office and told them to come to the conference room in 10 minutes. He walked down to the stairs and announced the same thing to Morgan and Prentiss and told Morgan to bring Garcia as well. 10 minutes later they all assembled in the conference room, the lack of one member made more apparent by the empty seat. "Ok everyone listen, JJ and Garcia work on tracking down possible addresses" Hotch announced and the two women promptly left the room. "Morgan, Prentiss and Rossi work on a profile of Adam Brant, we need to know more about him," Hotch said standing up. "What about you" Rossi asked before Hotch left the room, "I need to tell Strauss about what's going on" he replied simply, leaving the room.
Morgan, Prentiss, Rossi
"Well most, actually all we really know about him came from his brother" Prentiss said pulling out Joseph Brant's file from her bag. "How do you have his file?" Rossi questioned, giving her a suspicious look. "I decided pretty much what Hotch said last night so I went to the records room, and pulled the file to re-read" Prentiss admitted glaring at him. "Well what's in there?" Morgan asked.
"Let's see," she said looking down at the folder, "ok he's 6 years younger than his brother making him 28 years old" she said glancing at Joseph's birth year. "The mother walked out two years after that, her husband was an abusive drunk who rarely worked, and Joseph was really the one who raised Adam." Prentiss added. "In the report Joseph stated he took the abuse so his brother wouldn't, it was until the father hit Adam for the first time that they left." She mentioned looking up from the report. "Joseph said that after that he dropped out of school he took care of his brother and helped him through school" Prentiss added.
"So it's obvious that Adam looked up to his brother and saw him as a protector." Morgan said after listening to what Emily said. "And once he was gone, something inside him snapped" Rossi added. "Then he went after the one person who he felt was responsible for taking his brother away," Prentiss remarked. "So now he's completely unpredictable, he could kill Reid or anyone else and he is very unstable, he can seem nice and charming and the next second he can snap and hurt somebody" Morgan said trying not picture the worst possible scenario for Reid.
Garcia and JJ
"Welcome to my lair" Garcia said pulling up another chair for JJ in her multi-computer room. "I'm going to continue looking for security cameras at the park, if you can pull up a map and try to guess how long the car ride was and draw a perimeter then we'll combine our work after" Garcia said to JJ with a cheery simile. "Sounds good" JJ said sound more confident that she could help. All that could be heard for an hour was Garcia's typing and JJ's mumbling. "I'm going to grab coffee, want some" Garcia offered, "yes please" JJ answered stretching. Garcia returned 10 minutes later and noticed JJ had dozed off, "I'll leave her" Garcia said sitting back down and continued searching. Soon Garcia heard mumbling coming from JJ "no please, don't shoot, no please shoot me". "Hey JJ wake up" Garcia said shaking her friend. Slowly JJ came around, "sorry must have dozed off thanks for the coffee" JJ added not seeming to remember what she as dreaming.
Before Garcia could ask JJ, her computer started beeping wildly. She rolled back to her computer and saw on the screen Reid walking with another man towards a red Mini Cooper, "gotcha" Garcia said dancing in her chair. She then made another couple of clicks and a license plate number popped up. "I'll get Hotch" JJ said running out the room.
BAU
Garcia and JJ joined Morgan, Prentiss and Rossi in the conference room, with Hotch coming in minutes later. "What do you have baby cakes" Morgan asked looking from an overly excited Garcia to a happier looking JJ. "Ok I looked at the surveillance tapes and found the car that Adam used to transport Reid, than I cross referenced the license plate and got the old address but I followed the car with street cameras and narrowed it down to 2 streets Pine and Gate each street has 10 houses, sorry that's best I could do" Garcia admitted. "That's better than nothing," Morgan said giving Garcia a sympathetic look. "Ok everyone we have a general idea of where Reid is, now I know you want him back but by looking at everyone your all dead tired" Hotch stated, "go home rest up and meet back here at 8:00 am" he finished.
"But Hotch," Morgan started, "but what? What if you can't think fast enough, or miss your target, or you get injured or you get in the way," Hotch said louder than he wanted to. "This is hard for me to but think about it we'll be more ready to help him if were in top shape" Hotch added walking out of the room, followed reluctantly by the rest of the team, no one wanting to leave Reid to a dangerous and unstable kid.