Are You Profiling Me?

-3-

You didn't waste time. You went back to the house and told Taylor you would take care of everything financially and she could have his house. She nodded but she was still numb, crying. Her mother offered to plan the funeral and said she wanted to bury him in Virginia. Where you were. You nodded and for the first time you let a tear fall. You were back at Quantico by 11:30, completely put together. You could do this. Sometimes playing pretend was fun but not this time.

"Dani, Dani. You can't mix your colors." Derek was talking about alcohol. Which you did throw up five times on the plane but that was different.

"Still look better than you, Morgan." He put a coffee on your desk and sat on his own. You got your phone out to look at the texts. Hotch's name looked back at you. Unread.

Hotch: Let me know if you need anything, feel better.

The text read. The time stamp showed ten minutes later. Another text.

Thank you for inviting me, I really needed that.

You. You wanted him to say he really needed you. Because right now you need him. You wrote back that you just saw this and you were glad he took you up on your offer. You saw he began typing but then the bubbles went away. A second later he walked into the offer, looking impeccable of course.

That was two weeks ago.

The funeral was over the top to say the least, it was nice though. The Lennox's honored his memory perfectly. Taylor tried to stay strong but she cried the whole time. She really loved him. You were just happy that he had someone in his life that loved him so much. Had. Everyone should have that. Thankfully there was not a case on that day. Work never stopped and no one knew about your brother. You wanted it that way. It kept the world's separate. Nothing had happened between you and Hotch. Everyone was too busy. This next case was tough.

"The unsub is killing these men by cutting them in half?" Emily asked. The pictures showed the victims to be roughly cut from the top of their head right down the center of their body.

"It looks like a saw at some point, the edges are rough and a little uneven. The unsub has to be doing this by hand." You added as you flipped through the pictures.

"So it's a male." Derek pointed out.

"Or a really angry woman." JJ said.

"The body was posed though, this unsub shows remorse." Rossi adds.

"I don't think so. Look at the symmetry. If the unsub wanted to pose the bodies wouldn't he at least put them back together. The halves represent something. Spencer?" I ask.

"I think you're right. I can't place my finger on it but it has to represent something." Spencer looks deep in thought.

"Okay wheels up in 10. It's a long flight. When we get there JJ and Reid, go to the Washington Police Department, Morgan and Prentiss will go to the first Crime scene, Rossi, Lindsey, and I will head to the latest victim." Hotch said. He was so serious. You were glad he was the leader of the team, no one else could do this.

When you got to the plane you sat in your regular seat near Hotch. Not directly next to him but closer to him than anyone else. Rossi also sat near you both. This all felt like a game to you. You were so far in your head that every thought was that you were playing house. This is a family and you're an imposter. You can't get reassurance because you are your own double agent.

"Danielle." Hotch.

"Hm." You were pulled from your thoughts. Everyone was asleep except for the two of you and Rossi had moved to the front or back of the plane. Everyone seated facing away from you.