Author's Notes: Here it is, folks! The final chapter of Annette and Anya's Penance! Enjoy!
"Damn it. I have lost sleep thanks to this UnSub," Anya muttered as she plopped down in a chair, still half-asleep. She and Annette were at the station early, thanks to their UnSub claiming another victim late last night.
"Welcome to what I've had to endure for the past two years," Annette said with a chuckle, patting Anya on the shoulder.
"I'm still surprised the Director allowed me to work the case," Anya said. "I thought he wouldn't allow it because of my personal connection to Zoe and you.
"How is it you're always able to persuade him?"
"I think he's been under my thumb since closing so many cases on my own," Annette replied. "He respects me, my decisions, and the way I work."
"You're a lot more valuable than you give yourself credit for, Annette," Anya stated. "The Director values your abilities so much that he wants a team to benefit from them, and I think that's why he's been on your ass to get you on a team."
"And I think he will not take no for an answer this time, especially with the knowledge of this case," Annette said.
"Worry about giving your definitive answer after we catch this bastard," Anya said.
"Good morning, ladies," Spencer greeted, handing each of them a cup of coffee and then giving Annette a kiss on her cheek.
"Morning, babe," Annette greeted back, leaning into the contact. "Thanks for the coffee."
"Yeah. Thanks. I know I need it," Anya muttered as Hotch and Rossi walked in.
Once the coffee kicked in for the sisters, they spent the next hour going over the files and Zoe's notes, with Spencer joining in and helping them.
As Anya looked over a file, she paused midway through.
"What is it, little kiddo?" Rossi asked.
"Zoe couldn't have known every homicide in the city if she was getting her information from the newspapers and from Paula McConnell's column," Anya replied.
"Well, not every homicide is reported in the papers," Hotch said.
"So, how do we know there aren't any other homicides than what she noted?" Anya asked.
"We don't," Rossi replied.
"Why don't we check missing person's reports?" Annette suggested. "We can find out if anyone was last seen in the UnSub's comfort zone."
She and Spencer each grabbed a file and looked through them.
"Hmm." Rossi said as he observed the trio.
"What?" Spencer asked, looking up at him.
"Well, a young person's mind is so active," Rossi replied. "Yours, the kiddos, Zoe's, and I imagine this UnSub's, too."
"I think when we get him, he'll be curious," Hotch said. "He'll ask questions."
"Rossi."
JJ then suddenly walked in, a warning look on her face.
Annette and Anya took notice of a woman around their mother's age, on the verge of tears as she leaned in the doorway, holding a copy of a handwritten receipt in her hand.
"Did you do this?"
Rossi didn't say a word, his voice getting caught in his throat when he tried to answer.
"I don't need or want your money. I have taken care of my daughter for twenty-two years, and she is still my responsibility. I don't need any help from you!"
Annette and Anya exchanged looks when they realized this woman was Sheila Hawks, Zoe's mother, and Annette was about to say something when Anya stood up.
"Agent Rossi had nothing to do with that. I did, with the help of my sister. She had been investigating the spike in homicides, and I agreed to help her and give her my insight. This became our project per our respective criminology classes."
It was then that Annette decided she needed to speak up, and she stood up as well, standing beside Anya.
"Did Zoe mention meeting Agent Rossi's protégé and her younger sister?"
Sheila had a shocked look on her face as she nodded.
"You're looking at the ladies in question. I'm Supervisory Special Agent Annette Lennox of the FBI Field Office in Albuquerque, New Mexico."
She then glanced at Anya.
"This is my sister, student and Forensic Science major, Anya Lennox."
Anya took advantage of the moment to pull out the canvas she and Annette made for Zoe, handing it over.
"Before you even say that we didn't know Zoe, we did, and this is our proof."
Sheila was on the verge of crying again upon seeing the picture glued to the canvas.
"If our generosity has offended you, it was not our intention, and we are sorry for that. This was out of the goodness of our hearts because Zoe was my partner in this assignment we were working on, and I was the last one she talked to before the UnSub killed her.
"For Annette and myself, this is personal."
Sheila turned and left the office without another word, taking the canvas with her. Anya looked at Annette, the two sharing tense looks as Anya placed a hand on her brow.
"Hey. This will not stop us from solving the case," Annette said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Zoe would have wanted us to keep going, and we will keep going for her sake."
Detective Brady then entered the room.
"Another body just turned up. East Cleveland. Strangulation marks on the victim's neck."
The sisters felt their hearts sink as Hotch and Spencer prepared to follow Detective Brady.
Annette found Anya sitting on a bench outside in the back of the station, and she went to sit down next to her.
"You okay?" she asked.
"Something's triggering his frenzy, and I fear he might have found his M.O.," Anya replied.
"That's what I'm thinking too. He gained control of it, and he's probably practicing with it."
"Are we going to catch him before he kills again?" Anya asked.
"We will," Annette replied.
She then pulled out her iPod and her wired speaker.
"What are you doing?" Anya asked.
"It's not what I'll be doing, Anya," Annette replied. "It's what we'll be doing."
When Anya gave her a look, Annette simply chuckled.
"We're going to dance out our frustrations and put together what we know so far on the profile," she explained. "We'll dance with the devil himself as we put together what we have, and I know just the head-banging song to dance to, considering this band originated here in Cleveland."
Anya's eyes lit up in recognition.
"Nine Inch Nails?"
"The Hand That Feeds. Come on," Annette said, taking her by the hand and getting her on her feet.
"Whoa. What the hell were you two doing?" Morgan asked as he, Prentiss, and Rossi saw Annette and Anya walking in, huffing.
"We did some dancing out in the back of the station to clear our heads," Annette replied.
"Feeling better?" Rossi asked with a side smirk.
"I think so," Anya replied as she took a deep breath. "Annette and I concluded the UnSub's finally found his style as strangulation, and this frenzy he's on means he's practicing to perfect it."
"We came to the same conclusion," Prentiss said with a nod.
"Guys," JJ called, walking into the room. "The coroner found acetyl alcohol on the homeless woman's forehead."
"Damn it! He sterilized the spot!" Anya said.
"Why would he do that?" JJ asked.
"To get rid of evidence. He had to have done something to her forehead. Left behind his DNA," Morgan replied.
"Maybe it was part of his signature," Prentiss said.
"What about the other victims?" Anya asked.
"Any evidence that was on the last victim was washed away in the water," JJ replied.
"And all the other victims were either buried or cremated," Morgan said.
"Except for one," Annette said, looking at Zoe's picture.
"I'll take you and Anya with me, kiddo," Rossi announced. "At the very least, I can act as a buffer."
Anya was a nervous wreck as Annette rang the doorbell of the Hawkes household. By placing both hands on her shoulders and giving them a squeeze, Rossi silently assured her that things would be okay. When Sheila answered the door, Anya took a deep breath before speaking.
"I understand you're going through a lot already, but I am asking you to please hear me out. Zoe's body needs to go back to the coroner's office. Her killer left a clue on her body, and there's a chance we'll nab him with that clue, but she needs to be examined one more time."
Sheila shook her head.
"All I want to do is finally lay her to rest."
"Zoe chose to study criminology, out of the belief of bringing the bad guys to justice," Anya said. "If I fail in catching her killer, I will never forgive myself, nor will Zoe rest in peace. She started this, I offered my help, and I want to finish it for both our sakes and Annette's."
Seeing the determination in the eyes of both sisters, Sheila breathed out a sigh, which they knew was her way of conceding.
"I can't guarantee the evidence hasn't been compromised," the coroner said after using a swab to extract the evidence from Zoe's forehead.
"The mortician had yet to touch her," Anya said.
"Even so, she's been transported more times than I prefer," the coroner said. "I just don't want anyone to get their hopes up."
"Expedite the evidence to our lab in Quantico," Annette announced.
Rossi held both their hands as they looked at Zoe, the three of them hoping she would pull through and give them the lead they needed.
Annette and Anya waited in their hotel room, antsy as ever, as they waited for Garcia to call Annette. Annette's phone vibrated, and she saw she had a new message from Spencer.
How are you and Anya holding up?
She was quick to reply.
We'll feel better once Garcia calls back with the results. We've been restless.
Everything will work out. I promise. I love you, baby.
I love you, too.
"Spencer?" Anya asked.
"Yeah," Annette replied. "He's worried about the both of us, is all."
Anya nodded.
"You know he loves you, right?"
Annette looked at her.
"Yeah. I know."
"And you know he wants to be with you?"
"Where is this coming from, Anya?" Annette asked.
"I know you said you would decide on joining the team permanently after we solved the case, but it's clear you're still hesitant," Anya replied.
Annette chuckled, not saying a word as she looked at the person who knew her inside and out.
"You and Spencer love each other," Anya stated. "This is the first time I have ever seen you so crazy about a guy. If your love and desire to be with him doesn't convince you to take the position, I don't know what will.
"You've spent a good majority of your time worrying about others, and you've never allowed yourself a moment to chase after what you want. Regardless of how far apart we are, I know you're just a phone call away if I need you. You don't need to worry about me. I'll be okay.
"The only thing I want more than anything in this life is for you to be happy, and that's what I want for my birthday this year. I want nothing else other than that."
She reached out to hold her hand, giving it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. Annette was on the verge of tears as she squeezed her hand back, and unable to hold it in any longer, she lunged at her, giving her the tightest hug she could muster.
"You are the best sister and the best friend I could ever ask for, Annette Renee Lennox. So, allow yourself to be happy, and be with Spencer."
Annette sniffled as she tried to find her voice.
"And I am so blessed to have you as my younger sister, Anya Marie Lennox. You know how to lift me up whenever I'm doubtful about something."
"That's what I'm here for," Anya assured.
The ringing of Annette's cell phone interrupted the moment, and Annette pulled away from Anya to answer it.
"Garcia, you're on speakerphone."
"Hey, my beloved baby dolls. We got a hit," replied Garcia's bubbly voice on the other end. "The boys at the lab got enough saliva off of Zoe's forehead for a DNA sample. Coda's match is on an Eric Ryan Olson, twenty-three. Spent three-and-a-half years in prison for attempted sexual assault and was paroled six months ago."
"We were right about him being young, but we thought he would be a student," Anya said.
"That's because he was, my miniature baby doll," Garcia said. "When he was in the slammer, he took independent college courses in Criminology and Forensic Science from an out-of-state school."
"Call the team so we can get a search warrant," Annette announced, ending the call before looking at Anya.
"Hope you're ready for a takedown and maybe kicking a door open, because that's our next goal. It's a good thing I thought to bring your nine millimeter handgun. Let's just hope you won't have to use it."
Annette pounded on the door with her fist as she, Anya, Hotch, Rossi, Spencer, Detective Brady, and a couple of SWAT officers approached the door of Olson's apartment.
"Eric Olson! FBI!"
When there was no answer, she turned to Hotch, who nodded at her, and she nodded to Anya. The two of them took a deep breath before they kicked the door in unison. The door flung open, and with their guns drawn (Annette with her revolver, Anya with her handgun), they led the way, with the others following them.
"Clear!" Anya called.
"Clear!" Detective Brady called.
"Clear!" Annette called.
"Reid, check the computer," Hotch announced. "Comb every bit of this place and also talk to the neighbors. Let's find out where he goes, where he likes to hang out on a weeknight."
"Hotch. He's reading my books," Rossi said, holding up one of them.
As Spencer sat down on the couch and opened up the laptop, Annette and Anya sat on either side of him as he combed through the laptop. Eventually, he came across a schedule, and with the Finder Spyder search page, stumbled across the location of a bar.
"Al's Alehouse," Anya said.
"That's a bar about five miles away from here," Detective Brady said.
"It's on the schedule for tonight," Spencer said.
"You three stay here and comb through the computer. The rest of us will head to the bar," Hotch announced.
"Anya, you ready?" Annette asked.
She nodded.
"Okay. Let's get to work."
Spencer combed through the laptop, Annette looked through all of Rossi's books, and Anya examined the apartment in full. Hotch wanted some solid evidence to convict Olson, and Anya was determined to find something to seal his fate. She'd rip the foundation apart if that was what it took to find what they needed.
Just as she returned to the main living area, Anya paused at the sight of multiple scenic pictures hanging on the wall.
"Annette!"
There was shuffling in the other room before she appeared.
"What's up?"
"Something about these pictures is screaming at me. It's this gut feeling I have," Anya replied.
Annette tilted her head to the side as she studied each of the pictures before taking one of them down.
"Spencer, we might have something. See if he has a folder specifically created for scenic places around Cleveland. If I'm right about this, we found his little pornography database."
Anya breathed out a sigh of relief when she stapled her freshly printed, completed report for her class. Thanks to her gut feeling about the pictures hanging on Olson's wall, Spencer found the folder Annette mentioned, and in combination with a statement from Olson's girlfriend, Linda Jones, Olson didn't have a card to play. Not only did she complete the goal of her assignment, she also provided closure for herself, Zoe, and Sheila. While she wasn't happy with the fact Zoe died, she knew Zoe would be pleased and proud of her for catching Olson.
"Are you done?"
Annette's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and she turned to see she looked up from her laptop.
"Yes. It's ready to go. What about you?"
"I just submitted the report to the Director and Chief Strauss," Annette replied with a nod. "For your help on the case, you'll receive on-the-field credit. From what I was told, you should be able to graduate come May."
Anya couldn't help the smile forming on her lips, which made Annette smile back.
"Thanks for allowing me the hands-on experience, and for helping me get the closure I was looking for."
Annette nodded at her.
"Always."
"Have you decided yet?"
Annette didn't say a word, but based on the look in her eyes, Anya knew she decided, and her smile widened.
"Better inform Rossi before he leaves back to Quantico," Anya announced. "Once we get home, we have a lot of packing to do."
Annette, Anya, and Rossi spent a moment in the cemetery where they buried Zoe, encountering Sheila and letting her know they caught her daughter's killer. When they neared the parking area, Annette stopped in front of Rossi and turned around, making him and Anya pause in their walk.
"Okay. You're giving me the look that says you want to talk. I'm all ears," Rossi said.
Annette shared a glance with Anya, who nodded at her before she spoke up.
"I won't need those additional two weeks to arrive at a final decision of joining the team full time. My answer is yes," she announced. "I have already informed the Director and Strauss, and once I get back to Albuquerque, I have a lot of packing to do and a long road trip ahead of me."
He nodded at her, tears forming behind his eyes as he smiled at her.
"Welcome aboard, kiddo."
She smiled back at him before giving him a hug, resting her cheek on his shoulder. He patted her back with one hand, and glanced at Anya, holding his arm out to her. She smiled and walked straight into him, and he relished the closeness of both his "daughters", knowing it would be a while before he could hug the both of them again.
"Agent Hotchner, this is for you," Agent Anderson announced, handing Hotch a sealed manila envelope just as he and the team walked in their bullpen. Setting down his go-bag, Hotch tore into the envelope, pulling out a stapled pack of paperwork.
"What is it?" Morgan asked.
"It's paperwork for transferring an agent," Hotch replied.
Upon realizing what this meant, the team all looked at Rossi, who could not hide his smile as he chuckled.
"The kiddo said yes. She's coming this way."
End Notes: And that concludes Annette and Anya's Penance! I had this idea of including Annette's sister, Anya, for the past year during my sabbatical from this series, and I'm so happy to be able to bring it to life. I'm going to give this story some time to sink to (about a week at most), before I start posting Part Nine, which begins Annette's journey as an official member of the team! As in the story, Change for the Better, certain episodes will be featured and highlighted, as well as certain, original plot points with Annette! Keep an eye out, and check back!