Psycho (ON HOLD)

|Seventeen|

The hot, bitter liquid slides down my parched throat smoothly. A unique, acquired after taste I'm quite fond of. First it's bitter, then rather smooth, very distinctive. The art of making this drink alone is quite an art in itself. Though not a real art, it's more of a skill you need to exercise regularly.

I feel my jaw clench subconsciously as a pretty blonde makes her way to my small coffee table. "JJ." I address bitterly through gritted teeth.

"Listen. I don't want to be here either, Reid." JJ hissed, blue eyes narrowing to slits filled with anger. "We don't need to let our silly personal problems come in the way of our job. And if that's the case then we're pretty much done, we may also quit. There are lives out there that needs our saving, so we need stop acting like children and get our crap together."

I had given JJ the cold treatment, I would ignore her. Brush her off, be somewhat rude and closed off to her. She had attempted to apologize but then soon after realized I wasn't going to budge. My mom always said I was stubborn.

Under the table my tight fist unfurled. JJ was right, she always was. It might take her awhile to confront someone, but she takes time to consider everything before speaking. She'll be brutally honest in the kindest voice with tricky words, JJ has a way with words and people.

I shrug. "Fine. Whatever."

JJ studies me with her icy orbs. "I'm not so sure you understand, Mason. We both know this is an area you lack knowledge in." She challenges, hands clasped together and placed on the table.

"Your point being?" My teeth grit together in annoyance. JJ really knows how to get me going.

A small victorious smirk is playing on JJ's lips. "Let's just solve this case first okay? We can find a solution to our problems later."

"Fine." I say with a shrug after a moment of consideration. I wouldn't mind a temporary cease fire.

"Good. Now come on, let's head back to the station and figure some things out. That sound good to you?" JJ confirmed with a satisfied smile.

I get up abruptly, stuffing my phone into my pocket and quickly downing the rest of my cup of coffee. I place a big confident smile on my face, erasing our troubles from my mind at the moment.

"So are there any new leads, anything for suspect pool?" I ask, opening the glass door and letting JJ waltz out first. The cool California air is at bay today, nothing to intensely humid nor nothing cold or powerful. Today was alright.

JJ shakes her hand, blonde waves bobbing along with her. "No, Grace is just running some back ground checks on all victims and anything school related. Derek is thinking that maybe the precise stab wounds aren't a ritual, it's part of something else. Possibly like a substitution of some sort."

That would make sense. The kills may not be in the name of some sort of ritual, it could be as simple as a substitution. Substitution for what? That was the next big question to tackle. Maybe someone within the UnSub's circle of comfort was killed in the same way, or he witnessed something horrific like this at a young age. The smallest of things could be picked up and filed away only to be used in the future.

"Makes sense." I look up from the floor and spot the Police Department not far ahead from our current place. "No one on the suspect list, correct?"

JJ nods. "Adam and Derek have been working on finding a link between all victims. I think there's something to do with interaction between the victim and their social life. I don't know for sure, maybe it has to do with school, a possible secret life. It's just an intuition, nothing serious."

I reach the glass doors first, pulling them wide open for an elderly man to go in first with a smile, then Jen.

"I think you might be on to something." JJ chuckles, veering left after a series of turns into the conference room. Derek and Adam look up from the big table, freezing half way through flipping numerous case files. David peers at us with sceptical eyes.