her fathers daughter - criminal minds

Chapter 37: sentenced to death

Weeks later all the teams leads had run dry on the case and hotch sent everyone open early to catch up on sleep they missed, pushing themselves to find this unsub. However he then called them all in for a meeting first thing the next morning.

"So as you guys know we have been working the cyber-reaper case for nearly seven weeks now and not only have we ran out of leads but our killer has gone from killing up to six people per week to zero victims in two and a half weeks..."

"So if he planning something big? Should we expect and prepare for a terrorist attack?" Derek wondered.

"I doubt it. That would mean a complete shift in MO and victimology" rossi said still just as lost as the others.

"So hotch, what are you getting at?"

"We have to put the investigation on hold. At least till we uncover more evidence" he spoke very carefully knowing that not a single person in the conference room would like it. Including himself.

"You mean until he kills again" Ethan scoffed.

"Ethan we don't have a choice" Jess said softly, she hated it just as much as Ethan, she knew this case was really getting to him and the fact that they were going to have to leave it in the back burner for now wasn't going to helping.

"I don't care life that will be lost because of this psychopath!"

"...sociopath—actually. But— that's... not important." Jess trailed off quickly realising it wasn't helping the situation.

"I'm with ethan in this one, if we stop trying to catch this son of a bitch then he's just going to kill again. We can't let him get away with it" Derek added passionately.

"I don't like this either but we have no choice—"

"there's always a choice hotch" Ethan spat before getting up and storming out.

Jess sighed as she watched him leave "let me talk to him" she quickly got up chasing after Ethan. "Ethan wait what are you doing?" She said grabbing his hand in the corridor.

"How are you so okay with this?"

"I'm not, none of us are but we don't have a choice!"

"Theres always a choice Jess!" he paused rubbing his face. " what if his next victim is someone close to you?"

"What?"

He looked at her, clearly exhausted and worn out from the case "what if when he resurfaces he kills someone you know? One of the team? Or your dad? Or me even? If god forbid that happened, would you ever forgive yourself for walking away from the case?"

"That's not fair Ethan and you know it"

"I know but it's true! The next victim is going to be someone's child, someone's brother or sister, someone's best friend, someone's husband or wife! They are a person out there and we've just sentenced them to death!"

Jess just looked at him with sadness, she knew where he was coming from but didn't know what to say or how to help him. This was also the first case ethan has been involved with that they had to leave behind. It didn't happen very often but it never got easier for the team. She cupped his face slightly, running her fingers through his hair "Ethan you have the biggest heart and I love that about you, that's why it's so hard to do this and I hate it just as much as you, We all do." She could see the wall he built, crumbling behind his eyes and hugged him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Tell me how I can help, what can I do to make things a little better"

He pulled back to look at her "help me go over the case again"

"Ethan we've read it cover to cover 39 times now we—"

"I know I know but maybe if we just go over it again then maybe we will find something we missed"

"Your grasping at straws. I can recite everything there is to know about the case I really think you should try le tit go"

"Please once more then I'll let it go" Jess thought for a moment before reluctantly nodding her head "okay once more then you drop this okay?" Ethan nodded She started to worry Ethan might become obsessed with the case. "Okay come over to mine after work we'll do it then"

—

That evening, As soon as they got home they set up in the living room reading through the case file. Going through every fine detail again. It was nearly 11pm and by now Ethan had fallen asleep and Jess was laying on the couch on her back, laying her legs over his lap, still rifling through the case when the doorbell rang.

Quietly, she got up and tiptoed to the door and opening it slowly. "Hotch? What are you doing here?" looking a little confused seeing Aaron stood at her doorstep.

"Can I come in?"

She nodded quickly stepping aside to let him in and walking into the kitchen "of course, whats this about?" she started to get a little worried about whatever he was about to say.

Hotch seemed very hesitant and almost soft as they stood there in silence for a minute "Are we alone?"

"No my dads upstairs and ethans asleep in the living room.

"Hotch? whats going on.... Is everyone okay?"

"Yes" he sounded really nervous.

She studied his face looking for clues "Is it Emily?" he nodded.

"I need your help" alarm bells ringing through her head as she listened to him.

"Let me get my gun,Where are we going and who am I killing?" she asked grabbing her keys.

"What? No no. She isn't hurt, she's safe at home" he said quickly realising how it sounded to jess and laughed "also please remember your job jessica"

She sighed as she relaxing her shoulders. "Okay... then what is it?"

He leant back on the counter, folding his arms. Her stayed silent for a minute, the nerves returning a little. "I... uh— I want to propose..."

Jessica's jaw dropped. Her eyes immediately lit up with joy "we're going to have a wedding—" she exclaimed a little loud quickly hushed by hotch. "Sorry!" she whispered bringing a hand to her mouth.

"I don't want anyone else to know yet" he said with a smile growing on his face.

"Wait but you told... me?" she looked a little shocked. Jess figured that if he was going to tell anyone it would be David, Derek or spencer.

"Well your one of emilys best friends and you were the first to find out about our relationship"

Jess couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in knowing he came to her first "so when are you planning on doing it?"

"well its Christmas in three weeks and so I was thought in two months time?" he looked to Jess as if he wanted approval but she was just over the moon at the idea, grinning ear to ear. "Do you think its a bad idea?"

"are you kidding! I think its the greatest idea, the best thing I've heard all year!" she giggled excitedly, quietly clapping her hands together.

"But you can't tell a soul"

"You have my word sir" she jokingly saluted him, he chuckled a little more before she ran round the kitchen island to hug him. "Awhhh! Im so happy for you guys!"

He pulled back and he sat down "Well she hasn't said 'yes' yet"

"But she will hotch, I just know it" she beamed kindly at him.

"Okay well I need you to help me plan it. I need to get this right"