JJ stumbled into her house at noon that day dog tired and thouroghly ticked.
How could she break down so easily infront of everyone? Especially after only passing out?
But it had been Reid... the real Reid... He'd seemed so close... So real...
She didn't know whether to kick herself or just stab the inside of her cheek a few hundred times while brushing. Both would be painful enough to maybe take the edge off her cringe when she thought back to earlier that morning.
"Hi Sweetheart." Will smiled, walking in and kissing her forehead. He grabbed the shoulder bag on her shoulder and slung it up onto his own. He looked at her face for the first time. He wouldn't see it, but it could have aged ten years for all he knew.
"Rough night?" He smiled, "Did you find anything?"
JJ shook her head and sat down, "We got alot closer but we didn't find him Will. And before I left we learned a teenage girl went missing."
"Oh, thats too bad." Will sighed, sitting next to her.
"She was abducted by the same person. Same way. Her parents went in to wake her up for school and she was gone."
"Well, what are they gonna do?" Will asked.
"I don't know yet. They sent me home to rest. Im supposed to go back in tonight." Will nodded and took her hand in his.
"You'll find them dear. I promise."
Prentiss stepped through Julie's room with a sort of reverance. It was just like when they'd been in Reid's apartment. Everything was eerily normal. The only thing upturned the bed sheets like they'd slept before leaving.
"She doesn't have a reason to leave. In fact she has a reason to stay." Julie's mother croaked from the doorway, "The boy she'd been crushing on for the past couple years finally asked her to homecoming. She was so alive that day. She told me when she was standing where you are now."
Prentiss smiled sweetly at her, "We'll find her Miss. We're doing everything we can."
Julie's mom just looked solemn as she nodded. Prentiss couldn't tell if she believed her.
"So, you came home, ate a light dinner, then went to bed. When was this?" Prentiss asked.
"About one a.m."
"Did anything happen during the night that made you thought was weird?"
"Umm... she came into our room around two when she said she heard a weird thumping noise. Like someone was banging on the wall or the floor outside her door."
"How many times?"
"Twice. The first time I sent Matt to check it out. He said there was nothing. Then she came back in tears awhile later. We both checked the whole house, even outside, but there was nothing. Then I came in this morning and... she... was..." Julie's mom broke down again.
"Okay, okay." Prentiss said encouragingly.
"I... I didn't even know this was an FBI case until you and your partner showed up!" she cried, wiping her eyes.
Then Prentiss thought of something. Julie had been the one to do the interactive part of the show last night.
"Umm, did she recieve anything at the Circus?"
Julie's mom stopped crying, drying into deep thought.
"She got a little gold coin- a medallion! It had a bunny in a tutu on a tightrope or walking some sort of line. She thought it was really cool."
"Okay, lets find it. Maybe we can see if the Circus has a connection."
"She ran away and joined the Circus?"
"No... maybe?"
The two women searched the teenage girl's room like mad, but came up empty.
"MATT! Search everywhere for that little coin Julie brought home!"
So the parents and the FBI all searched for the coin. But it was gone, mysteriously vanished like its owner.
"Did you get a picture?" Morgan asked breathlessly. Even for a fit guy even he had to fight for breath after supporting the middle aged man that was Julie's father.
Matt nodded, pulling out his phone and searching through the pictures.
He showed them one of Julie holding the little coin triumphantly and smiling wide.
"Wait a minute..." Prentiss muttered, looking close.
"What?" Morgan asked.
"Sir, could you send this to my phone?" Matt nodded and Prentiss gave him the number.
"Garcia, Im sending you a picture." Prentiss said over the phone a few minutes later.
"Ooh, family memories." Garcia said, sitting down in her office chair and opening her email.
"Aww, she looks so pretty." Garcia grinned.
"Yeah," Prentiss smiled, "But look behind her, near the coin. In the background."
"Ooh, a scavenger hunt." Garcia said, typing the keys on her keyboard. In the back was a pair of shining eyes attached to a old, scragled head. the head was sitting atop an old woman.
The Witch!
"Shoot." Garcia gasped. This was getting weirder and weirder.
