Soulmates

Chapter 23-Highways and Home Invasions

Based on 4x05 "Catching Out"

Ever since what happened in the cult case, Ryan had kept an eye on Emily. Not strictly but he had been staying close to her in order to make sure she didn't get into anymore danger. Emily found the whole thing kinda cute and didn't stop him. The team had noticed his protectiveness of her and naturally gossiped about it. Not that Ryan and Emily paid very much attention to it. 

Besides there were other topics to gossip about. Including a run in Morgan apparently with a woman who knew his name. "So wait a minute, she knew you're name?" Reid asked. "I don't know how I could forget a face like hers." Morgan said, baffled. "Maybe you were too drunk to remember." Ryan suggested. 

Morgan shook his head, "I'm always sober enough to enjoy the experience." He replied. Ryan didn't really believe him but didn't press it. "So you've been with how many girls?" Reid asked. Morgan shrugged, "A lot." "And you can't remember all their names?" Reid asked again. "Oh come on are you surprised?" Emily playfully asked. "I know I'm not." Ryan said, as they started going up to the conference room. They had gotten told earlier they had a case. 

"This has never happened to me before." Morgan said defensively. "It hasn't happened to me before either." Reid said. "Reid I ask this with all due respect but have you ever been on a date?" Ryan asked. "Once." Reid shrugged. "I rest my case." Ryan said. "Besides you have an eidetic memory even if you were a player, you could never forget." Emily made the point while laughing. 

Ryan pointed at Emily, agreeing with her point. "Okay Christensen, so you're telling me you remember every girl you've been with?" Morgan challenged. "Susan Campbell, Tracey Bunker, and of course Linda." Ryan listed off as they went into the conference room. Morgan looked at him with a face, "That's only three woman." 

Ryan looked back at him, "I know." He shrugged. "Wait a minute, you've only been with 3 girls in you're whole life?" Morgan asked. Ryan shrugged as they sat down, "Remember when I told you in high school my priorities were set. I didn't even start dating Susan until my senior year and we were together for 2 years and then Tracey was a college relationship that didn't last past graduation soon after that I met Linda we dated for 2 years and then were married for 12." Ryan surmised. 

Everybody looked at him a little bit like he was crazy except for JJ. Rossi and Hotch who arrived moments before just took a look at the files, though Rossi was giving Ryan an impressed look. "Why does everybody look surprised at that?" Ryan asked confused. 

"Have you seen you?" Emily asked. She then apparently realized she said it out loud, as she looked up and noticed everyone staring at her. Even Hotch had an eyebrow raised over that. Rossi, JJ, Morgan, and Reid had smirks on their face. Ryan just seemed to be a little surprised at that. Emily blushing quietly said, "JJ can you start the briefing please." 

"Okay, six victims have been killed in a series of burglar/homicides all over central California. In order...Bakersfield, Fresno, Chico, and two nights ago, Alan and Brenda Paisley in Sacramento." JJ explained. 

"Big area. are we sure it's the same unsub?" Rossi asked. Ryan hummed, "And they're all different cities, so what's the connection?" He asked. "His DNA was found in all the homes." JJ informed. "Like you said Christensen, they didn't connect it at first because it crossed state lines." Hotch said.

"The head of the Sacramento field office has established a multi-agency task force and he wants us to run point." "Looks like we got a lot of investigators on this one." Morgan noted. "That's gonna cause some complications." Ryan said. "We'll streamline it if we need to." Hotch assured. 

"You should know they've already named him the highway 99 killer." JJ informed. Ryan groaned, "The media or the field office?" He asked JJ. "The field office." She replied. Ryan shook his head at the stupidity of it.