Birthday Gift

chapter 3

-------Authors note-------

this is going to be a sucky introduction so bare with me. I know I just keep calling the director, the director. I did that because his name...his first name is the same as Bella's Uncle James. the director's full name is James Mathew Riddle. so I will be calling him JMR from now on. a few might call him James now and then, however, I will be referring him to JMR.

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the ride back to the office was a quiet one. Bella kept her mind on the road and shut down any attempts at a conversation made by JJ. "look JJ I know what you are trying to do just...I can't concentrate on two things at once right now" Bella explained as they made their way into the building. Once again JJ was trying to find out who sent the Fox Kit, that was currently laying in Bella's arms, to her. just as they entered the office they were greeted by the director. his eyes immediately moved to the kit in her hands.

Bella groaned inwardly.

"What's this little one's name?" he asked surprising her.

"what...oh...Zorro. his name is Zorro" Bella replied quickly recovering from her shock.

"my son used to have a fox when he was a child. he took good care of her just as she took good care of him." the director, JMR, replied.

Bella looked startled. "he...he did?" she asked.

"Oh yes she was a handful, but she was fiercely loyal and protective over him and the rest of my kids. she acted like she was their mother and not their real mother." JMR replied.

"well female animals...well some of them have that instinct" Bella replied.

"of course. but I think it had a lot to do with my son having saved her from a bear attack." JMR explained.

"a bear?" JJ asked alarmed.

JMR nods. "we had quite a few attacks that year, you see my family lived near the forest" he explained. "if you would like i can take care of him while you are working" he added.

"you don't mind?" Bella asked hesitantly.

"of course not. after Bella I have found I too have grown to like Foxes" JMR replied.

"Bella?" JJ asked confused.

"that's what My son called his fox. he was...obsessed with the name. he swore that if he ever had a daughter he would name her Bella." JMR replied.

"where did that come from? if you don't mind me asking" JJ asked.

"you know I'm not truly sure. he swore he had a guardian angel looking out for him. he said that's what her name had been" JMR explained.

"well if that was the case I'd be obsessed too" JJ replied.

Bella scoffed inwardly. "I was named after an angel ironic" she mumbled.

"oh yeah you're name is Bella...wait...you're not" JJ trailed off.

Bella turned and looked at her. "look my father is Cordell Walker Texas Ranger. and as far as I know, he doesn't have an obsession with angels named Bella." Bella replied. "if you are....still willing...that would be great if you could just watch him for a little bit" she added as she handed Zorro over to JMR who took him just as gently as she had handed him over.

"he will be safe and sound with me" JMR reassured her.

"thank you well we really need to get to work JJ this case isn't going to solve its self.. by zorro ill see you later," she said petting Zorro on the head before following JJ away.

"hey mind if I ask.....Why Zorro?" JJ asked as they sat down at their desks.

Bella bit her lip a little. "well...why not...He's a fox. I just...you know thought it would be fitting" she replied.

"does it mean something?" JJ asked.

"Yeah," Bella replied.

"well...what does it mean?" JJ asked.

"it means fox," Bella said shrugging keeping her head down and her eyes on her work as she was researching what she could about the families.

JJ had a look of stumped on her face. "that's it nothing else?" she asked.

"why would there be?" Bella asked trying to keep the worry from her voice.

"I don't know I just...I just thought there would be more to it. I mean...I thought there would be a story behind why you named him Zorro...like the director's son." JJ explained.

"well there is not" Bella replied shortly.

JJ looked at her startled at the cool tone in her voice and nods a bit as she looked down at her own desk and got to work on looking up what she could.

Bella sighed a bit shaking her head.

"I don't see anything that connects the families," Bella said loudly and stood up. "I'm going to go see if Garcia has anything," she said as she walked away from her desk wanting to be anywhere but at her desk at that moment.

she made her way to the tech's office and knocked on the door before entering. "hey got anything remotely interesting?" she asked.

"ugh, nothing. the only thing these families have in common is there are two males two females all with dark hair except the older male" Penelope replied.

Bella made a face at that "yeah me too. ok, what about the Spanish clothing" she asked.

"ah there are a few shops in town that make Spanish clothing but not those time period clothes and only one of them does something similar Emily and Reid are headed that way right now.

Bella ran a hand over her face, her mind going several miles a minute. "ok how could he be finding his targets. what's his pattern. three are brutally murdered yet one is killed swiftly. but there is four at both crime scenes. neither family is Spanish yet he puts them in Spanish clothing" Bella lists off while thinking.

"so he had more of an issue with the men," Penelope said.

"I'm not sure. the only wounds on the men were cuts to the throat...the one female had cuts all up and down her arms. I didn't check anything else just the most obvious wounds. we will know more about the wounds when they send the results over." Bella replied. "you know maybe he is trying to recreate something. or something he wanted to do to someone." Bella said.

"that's disgusting and morbid," Penelope said as she typed furiously on her computer.

"I'm not sorry and people are asses" Bella replied.

"Hey, when can I see the little cutie you received today?" Penelope asked.

"how do you know about him?" Bella asked looking at her weirdly.

"uh hunny I know everything...plus I heard someone talking about it in passing" Penelope replied.

Bella rolled her eyes a bit. "In other words, Derek told you," she said with a scowl. "the director has him until we are done with this case" she replied.

they turned around quickly and looked around as they heard something metal move.

"what was that?" Penelope asked sounding frightened.

"I'm not sure" Bella replied. they then both yelped as the trash can suddenly fell over. "ok that was weird" she said standing up straight.

Penelope looked around freaked out as she stood up and walked over to the trash can.

Bella let out a slow breath. "ok...enough scary shows before bed" she said shaking her head trying to make light of the situation.

"yeah, no kidding" Penelope said with a hesitant laugh setting the trash can upright and then walked back over to her seat.

"alright um...im just going to go...see what I can dig up," Bella said quickly walking out of the office.