JJ (Criminal Minds)

Chapter One: Dr. Spencer Reid

 Dr. Spencer Reid was reading. Quickly. One of his many quirks, according to the rest of his BAU team. Of course, the FBI liked his quirks. They helped him solve cases. He could read 20,000 words per minute, just what he was doing now. The book was long, by normal standards, but Spencer would finish it by the end of the day. Unless he got a case.

“We have a case, kid” SSA Derek Morgan said, striding past his desk. Of course. Spencer put the book down, not even bothering to find a bookmark. He would remember exactly what page he was on.

Everyone on the team was in the briefing room except one. Agent Jennifer Jareau, JJ to her friends, was missing. She wasn't the type to be late, Spencer thought, but she did have a family, and he knew they would always come first to her.

“Home invasions. We have three victims so far” began SSA Aaron Hotchner, the team leader. Pictures flew up on the screen behind him. Three women. Each one very dead.

“That's some crazy overkill, man” Morgan said, leaning back in his chair.

“Each one was stabbed, strangled and shot” Hotch replied.

“Which one killed them?” asked SSA Emily Prentiss, squinting at the screen.

“The shot. He wanted them to suffer” Hotch replied. Morgan whistled.

“Where's JJ?” asked Spencer, looking directly at Hotch.

“She hasn't called yet. This case is local, she can join us when she's ready” he said, and Spencer got the feeling that Hotch was worried about her. She had been acting a little bit odd the past week. Spencer had assumed it was her son, Henry. The four-year-old was always causing trouble, it seemed.

“You said it was local?” asked Prentiss.

“Washington” Hotch said. “We should probably get going. Rossi, I want you and Morgan at the crime scene of the latest victim. Reid, work victimology with Prentiss from here.” Prentiss started to object, but Hotch cut her off. “Emily, I need you here. I'll go talk to the family of the most recent victim, and I'll send you the other two.”

SSA David Rossi and Morgan left, and Spencer picked up the remote for the screen.

“How can he make us work victimology from here?” asked Prentiss, when everyone else was gone. “We need to go to the crime scene.” Spencer said nothing, just kept clicking through the pictures. “And he wants me to talk to the families of the other victims? That's JJ's job.”

“JJ's not here yet. I'm sure she'll take over when she is. And he didn't say you, necessarily. I could talk to them” Spencer pointed out. Prentiss snorted. Spencer hit a button on the remote with so much force, it almost broke. “I can be comforting, you know” he mumbled. She didn't hear him, which was entirely his intention.

“Why are they all blond?” asked Prentiss a moment later.

“He has a type” Spencer replied.

“Did Morgan and Rossi know that?”

“Probably.”

They sat in silence for a moment.

“Okay, so they're blond, and they all had families. Kids and husbands. Why did he pick them?” Prentiss closed her eyes.

“Past lover? Maybe he had a family, and they got divorced, or she died. All the women have a son, so maybe he did too.”

“What if he still has a son? Maybe his wife died, or left him, and he kills these women as a surrogate for the wife that made him angry. Maybe he wants to make the families feel the way he did.”

“Maybe his mother? She died, left him and his dad alone, he's getting revenge on her? Wants to make the kids end up like him.”

“Maybe he just has a thing for blonds. We don't know.”

“Agent Prentiss?” asked someone from the doorway to the briefing room. Prentiss jumped up.

“Hi, I'm Emily. Are you Lilian Cann's husband?”

“Yes, this is our son, Andrew.” The man gestured to the kid with him, and Prentiss led them out.

Spencer hit a button on the remote. Looking for more clues.

–

“What do we have?” asked Hotch an hour later, in the briefing room. Spencer knew that he was out of leads, and maybe together the team could compile information.

“Nothing new from the families. The women were all different, except for physical things” Prentiss reported.

“They're all blond, with a husband and son” Spencer said. He carefully watched the expressions of the other members of the team. He wanted to know if his sneaking suspicion was unfounded. Morgan seemed to be thinking something over, but he didn't speak. Spencer was afraid.

“The crime scene suggests a disorganized killer. He didn't particularly care about the women. They were quickly killed and tossed aside, and he didn't care how messy the scene became” Rossi reported.

“He doesn't make sense” Morgan said quietly, almost as if he didn't know he said it aloud. Spencer opened his mouth, to say something, but the phone rang.

“Agent Hotchner” said Hotch, answering it. A moment later, all of the blood drained out of his face. “What?” he asked. The other side talked for a moment. “Okay” he said, and he dropped the phone.

“What was it?” asked Prentiss.

“JJ's missing.”