Mo Grá| Derek Morgan

chapter four

"Who's the guy?" Reid asked, striding toward us.

"Charles," I replied, rolling my rings between my fingers.

"And what is Charles doing here?" Reid inquired, now standing beside me.

"He wanted a vacation, what do you think Reid?" I snapped, passing the case back to Hotch as I headed into the interrogation room.

"Back so soon, sweetie?" Charles smirked as I rolled my eyes and took a seat at the table.

"Piper Hartlynn," I began, carefully watching his reaction. "Is that the name of the girl you attacked?" I leaned back, a hint of challenge in my tone.

"Leave the situation alone," he muttered, scratching at his handcuffs in a futile attempt to free himself. "Touchy subject." A smirk tugged at my lips as I watched him struggle. I turned away, but he lunged at me.

"Ooh, close," I laughed, quickly pinning him against the wall. "Is this what you did to Piper, huh? Waited for her to turn around and then attacked?" I hissed, releasing him as I exited the room.

I walked into the conference room, sinking into a chair and contemplating the case.

"You okay?" Emily asked, settling beside me. I ignored her and picked up the case file, flipping through it.

"We have to let him go," Morgan stated.

"Why the hell would we do that?" I snapped, drawing confused stares from everyone.

"Agents, another body has come in," a police officer announced.

"JJ and Emily, you go," Hotch ordered, and they promptly departed. "Sloan, stay in here and figure out whatever the hell is going on with you," Hotch added, leading the rest of the team out.

An hour later, JJ and Emily returned with the rest of the team.

"What did you find out?" I asked, with Emily taking a seat next to me.

"She wasn't killed there," JJ revealed, sitting on my other side.

"Her name is Milliea Black," Emily shared, and we all absorbed the information.

"There's no obvious connection between the victims," Rossi remarked, and we nodded in agreement.

"His comfort zone is right here," Reid said, drawing a circle on the geographical profile. "A two-mile radius."

"Millie's family needs to be notified," I suggested, and Reid and Morgan volunteered to handle it. Morgan gave Reid a reassuring pat on the shoulder as they left.

When Morgan and Reid finally returned, we were brainstorming ideas in the conference room. "He's selecting his victims; it's not random," Emily asserted.

"He's stalking them," I added, and the team nodded in solidarity.

"I would bet he isn't employed, which allows him to do that," Morgan theorized, deciding to call Garcia for help.

"Hey, baby girl, we need your help," Morgan said, eliciting laughter from the group at his familiar nickname.

"Look for the unemployed within a two-mile radius," Rossi instructed.

"I need more specifics; there are too many names," Garcia replied, awaiting further details.

"He's narcissistic and believes he's a god. Look for someone who posts about wanting to eliminate the weak," I said, spinning in my chair.

"Got it—ten names. More," Garcia joked.

"He has access to high-class drugs," Reid noted, referencing the autopsy report.

"I've got him!" Garcia exclaimed.

"Name is Max Herram," the information and a photo appeared on the screen.

"Twenty-two, unemployed. He attended class with Hope, and there's a history of stalking charges against him," Garcia read.

"Addresses are on your phones now," she instructed, and we all received notifications.

"Let's go," Rossi said, and we rushed out of the room, quickly piling into the SUVs.

It took us twenty minutes to reach Max's address. Once there, we donned our FBI vests and discussed our plan.

"Sloan, Morgan, and JJ take the front. The rest of us will cover the back," Hotch directed, and we complied.

< 𝑀𝑜 𝒢𝓇𝒶 >

We successfully apprehended the unsub, but I had to shoot him in the leg since he was holding a hostage.

"That looks nasty," I chuckled, pointing at his injury as we led him to the ambulance, then into a SUV.

"Better hope it doesn't get infected," I added, making Emily laugh as Rossi drove off, with me in the passenger seat and Emily in the back with Max.

"Shut the hell up," he grumbled, staring out the window.

"I could, but I don't want to," I replied, distracted by my phone as Rossi parked the SUV.

"I'll take him," Emily said, helping him out of the SUV and into the station while Rossi and I remained outside.

"What's going on today?" he asked, looking down at me.

"Nothing much, just can't stand these guys," I admitted, making Rossi laugh.

"You know you can tell me anything, right?" he said, nudging my shoulder.

"I know," I smiled.

"I'm ready to go to sleep," I confessed as the rest of the team exited the station.

< 𝑀𝑜 𝒢𝓇𝒶 >

The plane settled into its cruise, as they sat side by side, Derek always made her feel comfortable, but also... a little more alive than usual. Leah glanced over at him, her smile playful. "So, Derek Morgan," she said, her voice light, "how does it feel to have me as your seat mate for the next few hours?"

Derek shot her a sideways grin, his eyes glinting with amusement. "I'm not complaining," he replied with a shrug. "Could be worse. I could be stuck next to someone who talks the whole time."

Leah laughed, rolling her eyes. "Oh, I'm not *that* bad," she teased, nudging him gently with her elbow. "Besides, you know you love it."

Derek leaned back in his seat, giving her a mock-serious look. "You're right. I do kind of enjoy the company." He paused for a moment, his smirk growing. "But I've got to admit, I'm a little distracted. You're just so... charming."

Leah raised an eyebrow, a playful glint in her eyes. "Is that what we're calling it now? Charm?" she said, leaning in slightly. "Or is there more to it?"

He chuckled, clearly enjoying the back-and-forth. "I don't know, Sloan," he said, his voice dropping just slightly. "I'm starting to think you're the one keeping me on my toes."

Leah smirked, her eyes never leaving his. "You'd be surprised how much I can keep you guessing."

Derek grinned, leaning in just a little closer, the playful banter between them making the hours fly by. "Oh, I'm counting on it," he said, his voice light but laced with a hint of challenge.