the girl who lost things

part forty-two

— jessie's pov
we all make a quick stop at the bau; me, Derek, and Penelope. It was the first time visiting Emily; London was too fun. I thought this long-distance stuff was gonna be challenging, but Emily told me it was just like having a mom in the military.

I called her anytime that I could, but recently she's been working on a case which means no calls. We exit the elevator and walk into the unit. A lady was supposed to be here to replace her.

I scan the area, nobody new. JJ and spencer give us hugs, and then a hear a slight sound of heels. It wasn't familiar; I turn my head. A brown-haired lady around her late 30's early 40's comes through the door.

" that's Alex."  spencer signals her to come over. " your mom's replacement." I look at him, a great way to word it, spencer; great way.

" Hello," She gives handshakes to Penelope and Derek. Penelope checks her up and down. She doesn't like to change. It took her a while to accept Emily's departure even longer than me.

" and you must be the mini Spencer Reid." she comes towards me. I like my own name. But I guess I let it slide. I don't want to be treated like a five-year-old.

" and you must be Alex." I put my hands toward her first. Which takes her by surprise; she seems authoritative. But she still shakes it.

" I've heard so many good things about you and your mom." I smile; what good things could they have talked about? my life has been literal hell. 

" oh! how is Emily?" spencer says with a smile across his face; he was practicing chess moves. I joined him; it was so weird how we could silently play chess so swiftly.

"she's great; she got assigned to a case. That's why we had to leave early," Derek says. I could feel spencers eyes on me. But I just stared at the game board. I hear hotch's shoes from behind me.

" welcome, back" a tiny smile wiped his face, followed with a thick file, ah another case.  he mouths the word sorry, and we all walk to the round-table room. Alex was behind me, but I could feel her glare. She was shocked that I was going with them. What's a fifteen-year-old doing looking at dismembered bodies when she should be outgoing to the mall and talking about boys.

Where did it all go wrong?

Everybody takes a seat; I got to the back where the couch was. that couch held so many memories. Garcia goes up to the front and clicks her remote. 

" three bodies found in Bethesda, Maryland." I hear the rustling of papers while the team flips through them. "30-year-old Macy Owens, 24-year-old Jennifer Montego, and 29-year-old Ashley Lewis were found in their homes with their n-neck slit open."  I look at the board; all the victims looked like dirty-blonde hair and petite; they also have similar ages.

" victimology seems the same," Rossi says, flipping through the case files. I look closer at the picture. At their dead bodies. There was something on their face.

" Penelope, can you zoom in on their faces." Penelope looks at me with the " why aren't you a normal teenager" face. She clicks her remote, and it reveals a beauty mark on the girl's face; she clicks again to the next lady, the same thing. Then again, the same thing.

Alex turns to look at me, probably surprised. " what's the likelihood of them having a beauty mark in the same place." JJ says.

" almost impossible, but in such a small area; it is impossible." spencer responds. I was waiting for him to spew facts about beauty marks through the ages, but he says nothing.

" Garcia, call the medical examiner and let her find out if those are real or not." Garcia nods as everybody closes the case-file.  " Bethesdas about a thirty-minute drive, everybody in your cars in thirty." hotch leaves. Following everybody except Alex. 

" This doesn't scare you?" she askes; we both walk out of the door together.

" I've been through and seen worse," I say, walking away into Garcia's office. I don't know how I feel about her yet. 

Garcia turns off the phone and calls me over, " remember how I was teaching you to run background checks." I nod. " well, I have to go get Sergio from the vet. he had a tummy ache. Can you run the background checks?" my heart paces; I've never done it unsupervised. But I still nod. She pats my back and leaves.

I sit on the chair and start clicking buttons, the right ones. first, go through their socials.

-- derek's pov

I was riding with Alex and JJ; there was traffic. " Jessie surprised me." I hear Alex say; I turn to the back where she was sitting. 

" yea, it's kinda her specialty,"  I say, smiling and looking at my phone; this seemed like a quick case; for some reason. I would be able to make it back to show savannah her surprise.  I dial Garcias' number. " what do you get, mama?" 

"it's Jessie," she says, clearing her throat. I laugh, and I could hear everybody else laughing. " Penelope had to go do something, but a ran your background checks."

" go on..."

" they are squeaky clean on the enemies' side like they are your definition of pretty, nice blonde girls." JJ turns her face towards me. 

" but-"

" but, they were knee-deep into online dating. like it was the center of their world, and with some small help of over the phone Penelope, I was able to find a guy that all the girls had rejected." 

" now, your talking. give us a name?"

" Justin Wainright." 

-- jessie's pov

" Jessie is defiantly a serious matter. He's 28 and lives at 834 Westchester lane. and I think I know what the beauty mark is about." I wait for dramatic effect. " his ex-girlfriend Vanessa Charles has one just like it. " 

" you did great, Jessie. ok! and stay up cause I have a surprise for you and savannah." I smile. " bye, love you." 

"bye." I hang up the phone. What could the surprise be? I walk into the break room. There were pop tarts on the counter a. Take a pack and open them. Emily should be off her case now.

I dial her number; it rings and rings. No answer. 

It's fine. She's probably still working.