✓ 𝐑𝐄𝐈𝐃'𝐒 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋, 𝘴. 𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘥

n i n e t e e n

"Find the place inside where there's joy, and the joy will burn out the pain." - Joesph Campbell

Tessa's POV

"You're kidding!" My friend, Marci, exclaims gripping my hand in a very uncomfortable way.

"No," I smile goofily.

It's been a month and a half since I have moved and began my job at the BAU now. I met Marci at a coffee shop one morning, and we immediately hit it off.

We were at our favorite coffee shop, the one where we met, enjoying ourselves. It's my day off, and this is how I want to spend it. It's quite spectacular actually, we were sitting at a table with two chairs next to a window. It was still early, around eight am, so the sun was shining amazingly in the café.

I take a sip of my light coffee, and wait for her to get over her stunned reaction.

I had just mentioned Spencer to her, and she decided to flip out. Of course, she's got the personality of a high schooler, so it makes sense.

Marci is a year and eight months older than I, but she looks younger than any mid twenty year old women I've met. She's got her black hair cut real short in a bob, and was wearing a green sweater with a black skirt that showed off her tan skin.

"I see it already! Tessa Reid, it has a nice ring to it!"

"Oh my gosh," I try to hold in a laugh, but fail. "I've known him for a month and a half, Marci!"

"What're your kids names gonna be?"

"Take a breather," I shake my head, playfully.

She's still chuckling to herself as she takes a drink of her coffee, and sets it back on the napkin.

"But seriously, do you think you like him?"

I was wearing a black and white striped shirt with black jeans, and my fawn hair was tied in a messy bun. My old-framed glasses hung on my nose, usually I wore contacts but I much prefer these.

"I don't know," I admit, biting the inside of my cheek as a nervous tick.

"I'd say talk to him," Marci says gargling, taking some coffee in her mouth. "I want to become an aunt!"

She's got a bright personality, doesn't she?

I was about to reply, but then I hear my phone ring, and when I dig it out of my purse, it's a text from Garcia.

Garcia : Avengers assemble!

"Marci, I'm so sorry it's the-"

"-Job, I get it. Don't worry, sweets, I got this one covered," Marci flashes her famous white teeth smile.

"You're a life-saver!" I yell, already walking out the door.

⌘

"I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news about your days off," Garcia frowns as I enter the conference room.

Everyone was already here except for Hotch, in their usual attire, while I had the same outfit on as earlier. Not my usual attire, if I do say so.

"Did we interrupt something?" Morgan teases, obviously taking note of my outfit. "Morning date?"

I take my seat down at the table, in between Rossi and JJ, and I feel my cheeks start to heat up.

I look over to Spencer who looks a little tense, and I furrow my eyebrows as I wonder what could be wrong.

"No, a friend, I assure," I say, looking towards Garcia who was standing in front of our screens.

Hotch walks in, and excuses himself for being a few minutes late. We all nevermind, and pay our attention back to a working Garcia.

"We have two deaths, kids, I'm afraid. One, Johnny Arch, fourteen years old. Son of Jim and Carol Arch. He played soccer on a travel team and was number one if you look at all of his medals, honor roll kid, and participated in a few clubs. The other, Kara Perry, sixteen. Daughter of David and Kim Perry. She was on the volleyball team, was also honor roll, and was in a ton of clubs," Garcia explains, showing the two kids in school pictures. And when she looks away, I prepare for the worst pictures of their lives.

As always, you can never really prepare for a child's pale face and broken bones to appear in front of you.

"Both died the same way, injection. Heroine."

"What?" I question. "It makes no sense."

"They've also got broken knuckles if you can't tell," Garcia gulps. "They were held for fourty-eight hours before their bodies were found."

"Well, we know that he has a type," Hotch speaks up.

"How? One's a boy and the others a girl. One's got brown hair and the others got blonde," JJ inquires.

"But they're the same. In a sport, all good grades, they participated in school," I say. "They're the perfect kids next door."

a/n: short + pathetic chap aw. also, 600 reads ??? thanks guys :')