magnetic ◊ criminal minds

lvi.

lvi. hanley waters
( season six, episode twenty )

THINGS at the BAU were not the same. Since Emily Prentiss had died, no one had been themselves. It was increasingly difficult to cope with the loss they suffered. This was different than when Elle and Gideon left. This time, it was death who was the culprit.

Lyra sat on the couch in Hotch's office. He was sitting on the chair beside her. "We didn't do this when I died," she signed. She was staring at her feet, refusing to look elsewhere. She was sitting how she would in a meeting she was forced to attend, which echoed how she viewed this. She knew she was not there as a friend, but as an employee.

"We would have," Hotch answered, voice soft. He expected her, like the rest of the team, to talk about losing Prentiss. A routine assessment. Lyra was not interested. She could deal with her grief on her own. She always did.

"What do you want me to say? That I've accepted what happened and moved on?" she signed. "But if any of us had accepted what happened, this wouldn't be happening." She shook her head and looked down. "No, you want to know if I can keep my anger in check." She looked at her boss.

"I need to know how you're coping," he said.

"The same way I always do. On my own. And yeah, I'm angry. I was too slow. Fine. But don't worry, my anger will be kept in check. I've been doing that all my life. Why would that change? Because a friend died?" She scoffed, standing up. "This assessment is pointless."

Hotch said nothing, allowing her to leave the room. His eyes followed her until the door slammed behind her.

♢

In the briefing room, Hotch played a news clip. The reported was talking about a shooting that took place not even an hour prior, leaving four people dead in its wake.

Seaver shifted in her seat. "A woman went in there and just shot up the place?" she said questioningly.

"Yeah, witnesses heard gunshots and saw a woman leaving the store," Garcia confirmed.

"Is there enough for a sketch?" Morgan asked.

"Family-owned business. No cameras," Hotch answered.

"The only thing of value the witnesses said was that she seemed really calm," Garcia said.

"Like an office or school shooter," Seaver said.

"Did she work there?" Rossi asked.

"No, local police have already ruled that out," Garcia said.

"Then she must've known one of the victims," Seaver said. "I doubt this was random."

"You know, Klebold and Harris documented their hatred of the athletes at Columbine. But on the day, they targeted the cafeteria instead of the gymnasium because they were only interested in obtaining the highest possible body count," Reid stated.

"These offenders usually hole up in one location and eventually commit suicide," Rossi said, "either by their own hand or in a shootout with the police."

"But she left before the police arrived," Lyra signed.

"She's probably not finished," Hotch said.

♢

During the days following Prentiss' death, Lyra had been getting many messages. From Ororo, from her father, and from of her siblings, and a few from her friends as well. It made her want to take time off, for once. However, she knew she had to continue what she started: saving people, stopping killers.