Beauty and the Genius

Chapter 4

Penelope ran into Gwen as she was coming into the building.

"Oh my god! You're never going to believe what happened at the coffee shop this morning!" Penelope ranted. She told Gwen all about her encounter on the elevator ride up.

They entered the bullpen.

Derek walked up and said, "Good morning, princess."

Gwen laughed. "I really hope you're talking to Penelope and not me."

"Oh I wouldn't want to step on lover boy's territory."

Gwen's cheeks burned as she quickly walked over to Spencer. She set his coffee down.

Spencer looked up and said, "Buongiorno (Good morning)."

Gwen smiled. "Molto bene (Very good)."

Spencer chuckled. "It's the only thing I know how to say."

Gwen patted his shoulder. "Don't worry. You'll learn in no time."

JJ walked over to them. "Guys, we've got a bad one."

"Duty calls," Spencer said, standing up, "Thanks for the coffee."

Gwen started to walk to her desk when Hotch said, "Gwen, we need you for this one."

"Me? But..." She'd just started. How could they need her this soon?

Spencer touched her lower back, causing her jump. "Hey, it'll be okay," he reassured her.

Gwen nodded and followed everyone to the conference room. She sat down at the round table next to Spencer and JJ started the presentation.

"Bridgewater, Florida. Local girl, Abby Kelton, 19, left her parents' home to go to the local junior college. She never came home. 3 days later, joggers found her...part of her...in a nearby park."

A picture popped up. The girl's lower half was missing.

"What did that to her?" Emily asked.

"Bridgewater's off I-75, which is often referred to as Alligator Alley for reasons that are now apparent. Everything below the waist had been eaten."

"Ah, the circle of life," Rossi commented.

"Suddenly, I don't feel so guilty about my alligator wallet," Emily added.

"I fail to see why I'm needed," Gwen said.

"Alligator's didn't cut off her fingers, slit her throat, or carve this into her chest," Hotch said, handing a picture to Gwen.

It was an upside down pentagram.

"What?" Gwen muttered.

"Locals believe the killing was committed by a Satanic cult," JJ told them.

Gwen scoffed. "They don't exist. Most Satanic cults don't kill people."

"Most?" Morgan asked.

"There are some outliers in every sect of course, just like with everything. But most of them don't go around killing people. That's just something that came out of the Satanic Panic." Gwen looked at her father.

"Gwen's right. Some things never change."

"They were debunked right? As a Suburban myth," Emily said and Rossi nodded. "What?" she asked, seeing the look on Spencer, Rossi, Gwen, and Hotch's face.

"Rossi's the one who debunked them," Spencer supplied.

"Oh, right. Thanks."

"Cult or not, the killing was ritualized. This will turn serial if it hasn't already," Rossi said.

"So killer Satanic cults don't exist, but Satanic serial killers do?" JJ asked.

"Lasciate ogni speranza ch'entrate." Rossi threw his file on the table and got up.

"Thanks for clearing that up."

"Uh, it's from Dante's Inferno..." Spencer started.

"...Abandon hope all ye who enter here," Gwen finished.

"So that was yes," JJ said.

"A big yes," Hotch told her.

"Well, have fun," Gwen said, standing up.

"Uh, Gwen. I'd actually like you to come with us."

"W-w-with you?" Hotch nodded.

"You're our occult expert."

"But I have no experience in catching serial killers!"

"Welcome to the team."

"My father will never go for it."

"Let me deal with him."

True to Gwen's word, Rossi was not pleased to hear his only daughter was coming along.

"Absolutely not, Aaron!"

"We need her."

"So she can stay here with Garcia and we'll call her if we need her."

"And we'll be calling her every five minutes."

"Papa," Gwen said.

Rossi turned to her.

Hotch stepped back and let the father/daughter duo work it out between themselves. If Rossi would listen to anyone, it was his own daughter.

"Ho detto di no (I said no)."

"Non e per questo che sono qui? Per aiutare? (Isn't this why I'm here? To help?)"

"Si. Dalla sicurezza dell'edificio dell'FBI. Non ho mai pensato che tu andassi a fare casi con noi (Yes. From the safety of the FBI building. I never intended for you to go on cases with us)."

"Ma saro al sicuro. Lo ho te e Hotch (But I will be safe. I have you and Hotch)."

"La risposta e no (The answer is no)."

"E se Spencer o Morgan agissero come guardiano personale. Morgan impone abbastanza e sa che Spencer non mi farebbe mai succedermi niente (What if Spencer or Morgan acts as my personal bodyguard? Morgan is imposing enough and you know Spencer would never let anything happen to me)."

Rossi sighed.

"Fine. But you don't leave Spencer or Morgan's side. Understood?" Gwen nodded.

"Crystal."