Disclaimer: I don't own the CM Originals, but I do own the Next Generation.
Author's Note: It's a long chapter – get ready! The creative juices just kept flowing and flowing! Thank you to everybody for reading, liking, following, and commenting.
((Writer's Guilt: I actually haven't decided who Ashleigh's Dad is going to be yet, so please feel free to leave some love notes in the comments. ))
Love Amber x
Chapter Three: Chicago
It was late, and dark outside.
The trees outside the thick window created murky shadows on the white curtains.
Ashleigh flicked on the hotel room light.
She threw her bag down, kicked off her shoes, and collapsed face-first on the queen-sized bed like a teenager. She bundled herself up in the blankets completely exhausted, so tired in fact, that she was still in her jeans and belt.
She had just spent the last twenty-eight hours with the team, working through their case in Chicago.
It was a carjacker turned serial killer case with eight victims and a saved hostage in the end. It was over just as quickly as it had started.
In whatever spare time Ashleigh had, Olivia talked her through cataloguing evidence on the laptop.
Ashleigh had so many new passwords and details in her head, she could barely remember her own name.
Like Jill, she had invested in a small notebook when she could scribble down any important documentation or head-clearing mind maps.
It wasn't a professional notebook; it was made just for personal use.
With her head against the pillow, Ashleigh flipped through her sketches.
The first page had the victim's names and their time of deaths.
The second page had details about the crime scenes.
The third page had doodles of cartoon cats. Zanthe had drawn three of them. Ashleigh, the rest.
The fourth page had Ashleigh's computer password. It was written out backwards and in riddle clues because Ashleigh felt that way it was harder for wandering eyes to recognise.
The fifth page had more details about the case.
The sixth had more doodles.
With her head resting on the pillows against the headboard, Ashleigh grabbed a pen out of her bag, and began journaling.
"Today, the case is over. I don't know what I can expect out of tomorrow. But I never want to forget the look of Margot Sabrina Moore. The sixteen-year-old girl we were able to rescue from the clutches of the carjacker killer, Donald Murray, yesterday. We reunited Margot with her parents, and I remember watching her embrace her family knowing that we played a part in making that happen. As an FBI agent, I am here to make a difference and save lives. Fidelity Bravery Integrity. And family is everything".
KNOCK – KNOCK – KNOCK.
Ashleigh threw her notebook in her bag grumpily, and yawned as she jumped out of bed.
She stiffened and straightened when she saw Jill at the door.
"Ma'am? It's late, is everything okay?"
Jill smiled, "I know it's late, and I apologise. I just wanted to check with you after your first case with us and see how you are doing".
"I'm well, thank you. I feel like I worked really hard today and I hope it shows. Actually, if you don't mind my asking, do you have any feedback for me of how I can improve?"
"You did well. I'm especially impressed with how quickly you girls handle the admin side of things".
She was referring to Olivia and Zanthe, and Ashleigh smiled.
"Stop stressing so much. You're doing fine" Jill assured her in which Ashleigh responded with an utmost sigh of relief.
"I'm just really grateful that we could save a life in the end" Ashleigh explained, "I am also really grateful to have such a strong team look after me today on my first case".
"Not every case ends as well as this one did" Jill assured, "so I want you to know, that if you ever have a bad day, I would like you to be able to come to me and talk about it".
Jill lingered in the doorway in a way that let Ashleigh know this conversation wasn't over yet.
"Thank you. Are you okay?"
Jill grimaced, her face turning pale, "I have a confession, actually. I have a health issue that I really need taking care of. I am taking a regular flight home back to D.C this evening. Everyone else is still staying the night here. You can all have some breakfast together and fly home together in the jet tomorrow morning".
Ashleigh was concerned, "Can I help in anyway?".
Jill smiled, "I'll be alright. I just want you to call me when you all get back to D.C., please?".
Jill's voice was soft but dictatorial. Without wanting to pry any further about what was going on, Ashleigh promised her that she would call.
"Good night, Ashleigh".
"Good night, Jill".
Jill quickly left and Ashleigh took a few steps back towards her hotel bed.
She didn't feel sleepy anymore, she was very alert and awake.
Many thoughts came to her mind: should she follow Jill? Should she go to sleep? Should she call her mom? Should she find Hunter, or Jack, or...?
She paced back and forth around the room trying to figure out her next move.
KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.
"Jill?"
It was Olivia with a bottle of wine and two glasses spinning between her fingers.
"Do you like shiraz?" Olivia unscrewed the cork in the hallway and started pouring a glass immediately, "Zanthe and I are about to have a bottle and we wanted to know if you would like to join us. For girl talk".
Ashleigh was bewildered by Olivia's enthusiasm at the midnight hour.
"You can say, no. It's okay" Olivia promised, "I know it's late and everyone's tired. Zanthe and I just wanted to toast your first case with us".
Ashleigh yawned, "I'm actually really tired. I am so sorry".
Olivia did a twirl and a bow the same way she did when she introduced herself only yesterday, "Perfectly understandable. We'll take a rain-check, okay? They do buffet breakfast here so perhaps we can grab a mimosa in the morning".
"Hey, Olivia?" Ashleigh stopped her from walking away.
"Yeah?"
"Is Jill okay? She came to my door a moment ago and told me she was going back to D.C. because she is unwell".
Olivia took a deep breath, "About a year ago, Jill was injured in a bomb blast in Missouri. Since then, she has had a few fainting spells, and about a month ago, she had a seizure while working on a case".
"Oh no. Poor Jill. Are they going to take her out of the field?"
"Eventually, but she doesn't want to. At least, I think she even lied on her medical clearance so she could stay in the field right now. We are all trying our best to look out for her but she might have to step down soon to take care of her health".
Ashleigh looked at the bottle of wine in Olivia's hand again, "One glass, okay. I think we need it".
Olivia assured her they weren't going to drink too much.
"I promise" Olivia said, "I know it's not protocol. But we have nothing to do until we get back to D.C".
(How foreshadowing this statement would be).
Ashleigh grabbed a coat and ensured she grab her hotel keys before following Olivia down the hallway.
Olivia led her to Zanthe's room, where Zanthe was watching a comedy on the television whilst munching on some pretzels from the snack drawer in the mini bar.
"Ash told me that Jill left to go home" Olivia explained to Zanthe, "She's sick again".
Zanthe turned off the TV, "Oh no, poor Jill".
Meanwhile, Ashleigh sat herself down on the other hotel sofa chair where Zanthe passed her a blanket which she accepted politely.
Olivia grabbed another empty wine glass from the kitchen cupboard before she poured everyone a portion of the St Hugo Signature shiraz. It was an enormous bottle and they each had two glasses of wine.
Together, they sipped at their sneaky and inappropriate beverages while they discussed everything from Jill's situation, to the case, to the weather.
Ashleigh was quickly privy to another private discussion that Jack Hotchner and Jill were an item.
"No way!" she gasped.
"It's a little bit cliché, Jack and Jill, like the nursery rhyme" Zanthe trailed, "But even though she's a little bit older, he is so sweet and thoughtful to her".
Olivia added, "And they are really professional about it. You would never guess it otherwise".
When they ran out of wine, they started drinking tiny bottles of gin from the mini bar.
"Good luck trying to find someone in this job" Zanthe trailed off, wondering about any possible pending romance.
"Forgive me" Ashleigh chimed in, "But I was under the impression that perhaps you and Hunter were together or just really close? His tie matched your rainbow hair yesterday".
"Completely coincidence" Zanthe assured, "We're all single pringles. Except for Jack and Jill who are the most exciting romantic drama around here".
"Pringles aren't single though, because they spoon" Olivia joked. She laughed as wine flew out of her mouth, and she nearly fell out of her chair. She delicately cleaned herself up with a nearby tissue.
"Are you seeing anybody at the moment, Ashleigh?" Zanthe asked.
Ashleigh curled her feet further up under her comfy blanket. Her back arched against the back of the sofa chair as she stretched her tired muscles before she answered.
"No, I'm not seeing anyone. I always put work first" Ashleigh explained, "I wanted to be an FBI agent more than anything in the world".
"You must've been a shoe-in because of your mom at the academy".
"Actually, I feel like I had to work twice as hard because of who my parents are" Ashleigh confessed.
"Imagine Emily Prentiss, the BAU Legacy, being your mom" Olivia trailed, "She must've been really supportive you wanted to be an agent too".
"My Dad was an agent too, and I think that was really hard on their relationship. I honestly think they wanted a different life for me. Honestly, I think they will always be looking over their shoulders worrying about me now that I am in the BAU".
"Did your mom ever write about you in her books?"
"Umm…." Ashleigh felt like a lot of questions were all about her all of a sudden.
She loved her parents, and she was proud of where she came from, but she didn't want to make this first night with her new team about her mom and dad.
Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Oh my gosh, it's so late" Olivia answered the door even though it was Zanthe's room.
It was Michael and Hunter.
Even though, at this point it was nearly 3AM, they were both ready to go like they were heading to the office for the day.
"I know it's late, and you are all going to hate this, but we have an emergency case" Hunter explained.
Michael, who was standing beside Hunter, was covering one ear with one of his hands while he got details about the case through a phone call.
"Damn it!" Zanthe threw her blanket off in a hurry and headed to the washroom so she could change out of her pajamas.
Olivia headed back to her own room to grab her own things, and to guzzle a bottle of mouthwash to cover the alcohol on her breath.
Meanwhile, Ashleigh stood up, practically ready to go, just like Michael and Hunter were.
"What's the case?" she asked.
Michael, who covered the mouthpiece with his hand, passed the phone to Ashleigh.
"He wants to talk to you"
Ashleigh accepted the phone and held it up to her ear.
"Hey, is this Ashleigh Prentiss?"
"Yes, this is she" Ashleigh answered.
"My name is Detective John Wales, I am calling from the address of 618 Westingham Road Zipcode 60623 Chicago Illinois. One victim found deceased. Is that address familiar to you? "
Ashleigh racked her brain trying to think if she knew anybody who lived in Chicago. She didn't think she did.
"I'm here at the scene with Detective Hank Morgan, he says he knows you".
The cogwheels began to spin in Ashleigh's head.
Meanwhile, her personal mobile phone started buzzing and ringing.
Was she ready for her next big case?
She was going to have to be.
Her mom was about to call her to say that everyone was on their way to Chicago.
Her mom, her dad, the Hotchners, the Jareaus, everybody… was coming to Chicago.
There was a murder at Derek Morgan's house, and Ashleigh and the team were going to have to solve it.