JJ in Wonderland – Chapter 6

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"Whose ghost?" JJ looked at Dave in fear.

"Who is she? Where did all these images come from?"

She frowned as she continued to look at the eerie image before them and as the moon rose higher, the images began to look even more transparent.

"JJ..." Dave said as the woman turned to stare at them and shook her head in fear as she began to scream!

It was loud and echoed throughout the building.

They noticed a dark figure approaching her and raising a long blade and hacked her neck.

"Oh my god!" JJ gasped. "I can't believe we're standing here watching this…it's as if we are watching a movie but bigger than a screen. And we can't help her."

"It happened a long time ago."

The woman continued to scream in agony as the figure continued his horrific slaughter of her.

Soon the screaming stopped as she died while the figure completely removed her head from her body and turning around, JJ almost scream as she clutched onto Dave even tighter as the figure began to approach them directly.

"JJ!" Dave held on to her hands, "It's just a memory, it's not real."

Breathing hard, she nodded, "Yeah…yeah… I remember."

The figure continued to walk holding the head of the woman whose jaw was slacked and bloody as well as the where the edge of the neck, the blood was dripping along leaving a trail.

"Where is he going with the head?" JJ wondered as they moved away, avoiding the ethereal figure.

"I think he's going to bury it over there." Dave indicated where the photo was taken.

"Why? Why is he doing it?" JJ wondered as they continued to watch the diabolical scene before them.

"Why do people commit murder? Why do people kill?"

"And from the looks of it, he's getting away with it."

The figure turned and walked back to the bed frame.

As he passed JJ, she gasped, "Dave! That's Sheriff Dougherty! Or a younger him!"

Dave leaned in for a closer look, "Yes, he looks like Sheriff Dougherty. Or maybe what he looked like a few years ago." He watched the figure unchain the body and hefting it over his shoulder, he walked out of the building and disappeared.

"That's great," JJ uttered as she followed the figure. "Now we won't know where the body is buried."

"Or if it is buried out here, I mean he could be taking the body for some use." Dave shrugged.

"Let's hope not. I'd hate to think he used the body for some sadistic gain."

"Once again, it goes back to why we're here. Who put these photos on our cars and most importantly, who knew beside only a few knew you were coming back to the BAU?"

JJ shook her head, "I don't know. If Reid is here, he might offer a few suggestions."

"Yeah right, Reid will be spending the rest of the night explaining about what we just saw." He ran his hand over his hair and blinked a few times. "God! I'm tired."

"Yeah, me too."

"Well, come and sit here and rest." He walked back to the area they were sitting earlier.

She nodded in defeat and exhaustion and sat by him, this time she was sitting right next to him, their thighs touching but she didn't care at this point.

"You gonna be okay?" He asked after a few minutes.

"Yeah, I'm just tired and ...I miss Henry. And I can't even make a phone call."

"Hey, tomorrow at day break, we're going to get out of here. We'll walk and figure out where to go. I'm sure once we're out of this forsaken place, we'll be able to make a phone call or two. Besides, Hotch will be wondering why we haven't checked in with him and who knows, he might call the police station and they'll launch a search."

"I hope not. I'm convinced the Sheriff has something to do with what went on."

"By the way, the truck in the photo," Dave began as he pointed at t he folder. "Garcia said William Pruitt died five years ago but the Sheriff had said Pruitt reported his truck stolen six months ago."

"Looks like the Sheriff has a lot of explaining to do."JJ pointed out.

Dave nodded, "Yes, he does when we meet with him again."

JJ yawned again as she leaned against Rossi's shoulder and promptly fell asleep.

But Dave Rossi couldn't sleep. It certainly was not because of the hard floor because as Marine, he had done his share of rough condition.

The reason was the warm body sleeping next to him; yes, she felt cozy and warm and he could think of many scenarios he'd like to be intimate with her…very intimate.

Signing inwardly, he tried to close his eyes and relaxed.

"Dave," He suddenly jerked in surprise as he realized it was JJ. "Will you please relax and go to sleep?"

"I'm sorry, Jennifer." He leaned his head back against the wall. "I'm just too tense."

Grabbing his hand that was on his lap, JJ began to stroke the back of it.

"What are you doing?" He whispered.

"I'm trying to help you relax. Henry sometimes has a hard time falling asleep and stroking his hand always helped him." She continued to rub gently.

But it was having an opposite effect on him as he turned her wrist around and held her hand, marveling at the softness of her skin.

"Dave…"

"Sh…this is actually helping me"

"But it's not helping me now." She frowned and tried to snatch her hand back but he held firm to it.

"Dave, please…"

"JJ, I'm not your son. I am a man as you well know it and…"

JJ moved quickly to lean close to him, "No! Don't say it Dave!" She shook her head.

"Say what, JJ?" He was mesmerized by her closeness; he could smell her slight perfume, that sweet faint floral scent that was never over-powering and he felt as if he was intoxicated. "That I'm deeply attracted to you?"

She frowned.

"Jennifer, don't you know how I feel for you? Since I first met you, I couldn't help feeling this deep strong attraction for you and it's not lust."

Placing a finger on his lips, she stared at his eyes, "Dave, I feel the same thing but I couldn't…"

"Why not? You are not with Will anymore or is that what you're hoping to go back to?"

JJ sat back against the wall and sighed, "It's not about Will, he and I are done. It's your record with women, I don't want to be a one-night stand, I don't want to be a score for you to notch on your bedpost."

He smiled, "Jennifer, I don't have a bedpost on my bed."

"You know what I mean, Dave Rossi."

He turned to face her and placing his hand under her chin, he lifted it up so her eyes were leveled with his, "This attraction, you feel it as deeply as I do and I think we should move further."

She began to breathe rapidly as he leaned closer to her and then his lips touched hers.

She gasped slightly before she was drowned in his kiss. "Dave…"

"JJ…so lovely, so beautiful…" He deepened his kiss and she responded to him eagerly.

"We shouldn't be doing this…" She continued their frenzied kisses as their hands began to roam about each other's body, each eager to explore their bodies.

"I know but I don't want to stop unless you're not feeling this." He pressed his lips as she opened hers and allowed him entry which he tasted her hungrily.

"I'm feeling it and I shouldn't but I want…"

They stopped suddenly as they separated and listened.

"It's a car." Dave said.

…..

End of Chapter 6