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put the fun in funerals
Aya had been to a few funerals in her life, but mostly for various leaders from around the globe. She had been to her grandfather's funeral, of course, but she was only five at the time and was too busy wailing over her grandfather's death to remember any of it.
Haley Hotchner's funeral was uncharted territory for Aya and she was to be in attendance. She had offered to "handle" Jack during the events — hold his hand during the burial, make sure he had something to eat, no one was making him uncomfortable, the like.
Until Derek came up to her and gave her a miserable look. They had a case.
"Really?" she asked in a hushed voice.
"Look, I wish things were different," he told her. "But they don't have any other team. I asked."
Aya nodded solemnly and turned towards Jack. "Shall we go find your Aunt Jessica?"
Jack gave a hesitant nod and said his goodbyes to Derek before accompanying Aya to find his mother's sister. Once they found her, the two woman exchanged a hug and Aya apologized one last time for her loss. She gave Jack a quick hug and kiss atop the head. She then made her way towards her team.
"There's really no one else?" she asked a final time.
Derek looked over his shoulder at Hotch, Jessica, and Jack. He shook his head again and the team made their way to their cars.
Spencer and Aya had ridden with Dan, who had waited in the car, claiming it felt inappropriate to crash a funeral. As they climbed back into the car, this time with Emily, Dan took one look at their faces and drove off in the direction of Emily's apartment.
Emily had quickly grabbed a go-bag, then they stopped at Spencer's apartment and he did the same. Aya hadn't repacked hers, so she took a few minutes to throw together a bag. She didn't change, unlike the other two in the car, as, by the time her bag was packed, she was running behind. Crime scenes in funeral garb it was.
♕ ♕ ♕
It took a lot for Aya to be disgusted by a crime scene. But a dead dog? Who wouldn't be upset?
"How the hell did he get in?" she asked.
"Pardon?" Emily said, looking at her friend.
"There's no fingerprints on doors, windows, the garage. Nada. How'd he get in?"
"Don't know yet," Derek told her. "She had all the tools to prevent a home invasion, but she didn't use them properly."
Aya crinkled her nose. "I'm getting a dog."
"Ask Dan first," Emily replied off handedly.
♕ ♕ ♕
Aya was officially frustrated. There were no connections between the women. There was little forensic evidence for her to look over and she was feeling a little useless.
She felt hands on her shoulders and immediately jumped.
"Sorry; sorry, just me," Spencer said, his hands up. "I didn't mean to startle you."
Aya gave a tight smile. "Just a little jumpy. These women kind of look like me."
"You're way more beautiful," he told her with a gentle kiss to her cheek as he sat down next to her. "What's wrong? You look upset."
"I just don't know how to help. There's not exactly much I can get beyond what we already have."
Before Spencer could respond, Emily popped her head in. "We're going to deliver the profile."
Aya sat and watched as her team delivered a profile:
• The unsub is believed to be already with his next victim • He drives the right car and wears the right clothes to fit into the areas he's killing in. • He likely comes from a place of status. • He seems endearing and sociable. You would never suspect him of murder. • The fantasy is the most important thing to him. The romantic evening with the victim. • He likely had a relationship recently taken from him. • He believes he is in a relationship with these women, regardless of how brief the initial interaction is.
♕ ♕ ♕
It's not long before there's another crime scene — this time with two bodies.
Aya came in from the kitchen. "The boyfriend interrupted. There's breakfast dishes out, but the dinner dishes from the past crime scenes are already put away."
"Whatever was next, he's going to be desperate to finish," Spencer told her.
"He's going to strike again. And soon," Derek stated.
As usual, they were right. But JJ and Spencer had figured out it was the valet that connected the victims — and gave the unsub the opportunity to duplicate keys and find their home addresses.
Aya and Spencer were waiting at the station when Derek pushed in Joe Belser, the unsub.
Aya clasped her hands together, glad a woman's life could be spared, but couldn't bring herself to smile as Emily walked in Ann Herron, the shaken victim, who would likely be scarred forever from this experience.
The couple fell asleep immediately on the flight home. Aya's head on Spencer's shoulder and his head atop hers.
"Do you think they're ever going to tell us?" JJ asked the rest of the team with a nod over to the sleeping duo.
Rossi chuckled. "Young love."
Derek shook his head. "Pretty boy had game."
"He knew before the kidnapping," Emily stated. "He was too calm with everything going on. But you, Rossi, you call the Queen by her first name?"
"I am a man of many secrets," Rossi said, his hands up.
Aya was awake now and gently laid Spencer down before moving across from Rossi. "He and my grandmama secretly dated for a handful of years. Press made a mess of the whole ordeal and ruined it."
Emily gasped, "No way!"
Rossi gave the princess a look and she responded with a toothy grin.
