wasted times- s.r

TEN

The team boards the jet and all take their usual seats as Hotch continues the briefing on the plane. The ride wasn't too long, maybe two hours or so, so everyone had some time to kill before the jet touches down on the tarmac.

"Well, logically speaking, water symbolizes purity, freedom, rebirth, and cleansing. To some people, flowing water represents a flow of life, or a passing of time, signifying change." Reid chimes in from the seat across from you, prompting the discussion of the possibility of an unsub motivated by religion. You notice Reid occasionally pulling out his phone and glancing at the screen quickly, often with a smile on his face, and it causes you to narrow your eyes unconsciously. The team continues discussing on the plane while Garcia deep-dives into the lives of the victims in hopes of finding some sort of connection between them since there have been no obvious ones thus far. 

"When we land, I want JJ and Morgan at the ME, Reid and Y/L/N at the scene, and Rossi and I will head to the station." You inhale sharply at the idea of being paired up with Reid yet again, but don't voice any objections since you know Hotch won't switch you, since your pleas would fall upon deaf ears. Hotch insists that the two of you need to learn to work together, something about being on the same team and needing to work together, or so he put it. In other words, it was his way of basically telling you to suck it up. You're surprised when no objections come from Reid, especially since he's usually not afraid to voice his dislike for you, and his objections to being paired up with you, but he's too preoccupied to care, smiling softly down at his phone. If having a girlfriend-- or whatever she is-- is making him a smaller pain in your ass, then you'll seriously have to thank her if you ever see her again. (a/n: no, it's not maeve, if anyone's wondering)

You take the keys from Hotch as you approach the SUV, Reid hopping in the passenger seat without a word spoken between the two of you. He buckles in his seatbelt and leans his back against the door so his body is turned toward you slightly as you fiddle with the settings of the radio. You're half expecting him to tell you to shut off the radio, but it never comes, and you're pleasantly surprised. You pull over onto the side of the dirt road just before the small river where the latest body was found.

You duck under the police tape, letting it fall down and hitting Reid in the head. He mumbles something under his breath and follows you down the small incline to where a few local officers were already gathered, as well as a few technicians. There's a hiking trail that dips into the woods right along the river, and it was a hiker that found the body early yesterday morning while going for a morning jog.

"It's secluded, but still out in the open where people can easily find the bodies," you remark to no one in particular. "The unsub would have to be fairly strong physically in order to hold someone under for so long, especially with a struggle." Spencer chimed in, adding to your thoughts. "He also probably wanted these bodies to be found, or he would have done it in a more secluded place."

"Maybe the unsub frequents the trails here. It would help them to blend in better, and they could probably revisit the crime scenes whenever they want." You glance around the wooded area that's been cleared no, with no one passing through the area since it was all closed off now. You don't stay at the crime scene much longer, both of you walking back to the car and driving back to the station once you've got all the information you could possibly get from the scene.

When you park in front of the station, you also see JJ and Derek pulling into the spot beside you as you and Reid make your way into the building. The four of you walk in together and meet Hotch and Rossi in the conference room that the local officers leant you guys while you work on the case.

"The ME told us that the latest victim, Nicolina Shaw, was pregnant when she died," JJ adds. "Has anyone talked to her boyfriend?"

Hotch shakes his head, "Maybe we should bring him in and find out if she was in contact with anyone before she died." He's already on the phone with Garcia to get his phone number and address by the time he's finished speaking. "I'll have those sent over to you in a blink, sir." Garcia hangs up the phone, and Hotch sends Rossi and one of the local officers to go and bring her boyfriend in while everyone else speculates.