Cruel - Criminal minds enemies to lovers

Professional

"How are the injuries?" 

A question that Athena was dreading more than usual, considering she often was on the recovering end of one, came from behind as she strolled into the office with Reid in tow. 

"Surprisingly, bodies don't seem to love being thrown out of windows" she laughed as they walked side by side into the elevator, hiding her limp as best she could, "did you have a good long weekend?" 

"I did actually" Reid smiled with a brightness she hadn't seen on his cheeks in a while, "I caught up on some paper work and started on this week's work and then had time to read a few of the classics again."

"Woah- you sure know how to party hard" she teased, following him as he opened the doors for her into the briefing room.

"What did you get up to? It better have been resting your injuries."

"I liked it better when you guys didn't care about my wellbeing" Athena laughed, slumping down in her usual spot across from Emily who smiled at her.

"No you don't, you love us."

"Ignoring that" she chuckled, turning back to Reid, "I got some more furniture and decorations for my apartment, I even managed to fix my shower like a proper adult! But then my heating tank blew up so it's been a cold shower kinda vibe the last few day."

"In this weather? That couldn't have been fun" Rossi took his place next to Emily, shivering just imagining the cold shower.

"Not fun, fresh or funky" Athena added which made him laugh; always finding it amusing how Rossi reacted to some of the, as he put it, 'young people' language she used.

"We have a case in New York; Garcia" Hotch put a quick halt to the conversation as he marched in with Penelope in tow, signalling for her to begin as the  majority of the rest of the group quickly took their seats.

"There have been a number of prostitutes found dead in a small area of the city in the last few weeks which unfortunately isn't strange for New York but is strange for this up and coming city block where mostly students, families and young couples live" she explained, clicking through the powerpoint that made her gag to put together.

"Wow, this place is bougie" Athena flipped through the pictures in her file, "I'd be down to be murdered here."

"I get the location may be odd, but why are we being called in?" JJ asked, ignoring Athena's tone-deaf comments like usual with a small head shake.

"I'm glad you asked, my lovely JJ; so the reason the NYPD have reluctantly called us in is because these women weren't prostitutes until a few weeks before they died, before that they were either hardworking college students, wealthy young mothers, business women- nothing that would lead to them becoming prostitutes."

"Were there any indications that they had been made to work as prostitutes? Or was it that they were just dressed up that way by the killer?"

"Unfortunately there were internal signs that they had been made to work in the weeks before their deaths..."

"Hold on a minute- go back to that last slide" Athena leaned closer to the projector, pointing to the symbols on the girl's wrists and ankles, "there- look at that tattoo and now go to the next slide."

"It's the same one" Hotch looked closer at his file, "Garcia, analyse the other bodies photos for the same tattoo and see if you can send us a clear picture of what it is."

"They look pretty fresh as well- maybe a few weeks old given the fresh scabbing" Athena noted, "whoever did must have had some professional tattoo experience given the lack of infection and somehow good healing, ya know besides that whole being on a dead body thing."