CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE: DUTY CALLS !
5x10
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THE FUNERAL HAPPENED QUICKLY, JUST DAYS FROM THE DAY HALEY DIED. Casey walked amongst the agents, sticking close to Reid and circling her arm around his.
Casey had known Haley since she was young. Before she was close with anyone, she was close with Haley. To see her go was a shock for the girl. But she died protecting Jack... and that was all that mattered.
The girl stood as Hotch had begun his eulogy for Haley. "W.S. Gilbert wrote, 'It's love that makes the world go 'round.' And if that's true, then the world spun a little faster with Haley in it."
"Haley was my best friend since we were in high school. We certainly had our struggles, but if there's one thing we agreed on unconditionally, it was our love and commitment to our son, Jack. Haley's love for Jack was joyous and fierce. That fierceness is why she isn't here today."
"A mother's love is an unrivaled force of nature. And we can all learn much from the way Haley lived her life. Haley's death causes each of us to stop and take stock of our lives. To measure who we are and what we've become."
Hotch looked up for a moment before continuing to read from the paper he was looking down on. "I don't have all those answers for myself, but I know who Haley was. She was the woman who died protecting the child we brought into this world together. And I will make sure that Jack grows up knowing who his mother was and how she loved and protected him and how much I loved her."
As Hotch spoke, Casey laid her head on Reid's shoulder, letting her tears fall as she did. Reid put an arm around Casey and rubbed her shoulder soothingly. "If Haley were with us today, she would ask us not to mourn her death but to celebrate her life. She would tell us..." Hotch was beginning to choke up. "She would tell us to love our families unconditionally... and to hold them close, because in the end, they are all that matter."
"I met Haley at the tryouts of our high school's production of The Pirates of Penzance. I found our copy of the play and was looking through it the other night and I came upon a passage that seemed... appropriate for this moment. 'Oh, dry the glistening tear that dews that martial cheek. Thy loving children hear, in them thy comfort seek. With sympathetic care, their arms around thee creep. For, oh, they cannot bear To see their father weep."
At the end, everyone had been giving their condolences to Hotch. Casey had placed a flower on top of Haley's casket and kissed her fingers and placed her hand on top of the casket. She walked off but not before giving Hotch her condolences and patting him on the back in comfort.
The reception had followed and Casey sat with her co-workers, staring at her cup of tea as she had taken only a few sips from it. She had sat herself with Reid, resting her knuckle on her temple on the armrest she was currently leaning towards. She felt helpless as she watched Hotch pass by with Rossi. Maybe she could've done more to help. But she did all she could, right?
"What do we do?" Emily spoke and Morgan shook his head. "There's nothing we can do. We just gotta wait him out." Morgan assured.
"You think he'll ever come back?" Reid asked. "Would you?" Casey raised her eyebrows. "I mean, if I were in that situation... I wouldn't." She admitted.
"He'll come back," Morgan told. "I just don't what he's gonna look like when he does." JJ spoke up next. "We just need to be there for him when he's ready."
They knew it was gonna be a minute before Hotch could come back as leader and they all realized that they needed to be patient with him as he was healing. And Casey knew that the scars that were invisible would take the longest to heal.
Morgan's cell began to ring and Casey visibly groaned. "God, not tonight." She muttered. "They can't be calling us in, not tonight." Morgan says, hanging up. JJ checks her phone next. "I'm on it."
"We can't go." Emily stated as Morgan closes up his phone. "We have to. I'll get Rossi." He stands up and walks away.
Reid looks over at JJ. "Talk to Strauss, tell her to send another team." He tells. "Yeah, we can't go. Not like this. There has to be someone else who can take over." Casey continued but JJ checked her phone and spoke, "There's no other team available."
"Nashville's calling us in. Second body in two weeks, both killed on consecutive Friday nights. They realize they're up against the clock and they're hoping we might find something they didn't." JJ explained.
Casey sighs, "Duty calls."
The team all collectively stood up in their seats and watched as Rossi had walked towards them with Morgan and Hotch had been standing by himself. Casey had to believe he was okay. He could get through anything. That's all she could go on. She would just have to wait until he would come back.
The team had met up on the jet with the exception of Garcia being back at the BAU. The team had now been going over the case. Casey was seated next to Reid and Emily and JJ were seated with one another as well as Rossi and Morgan sitting on the couch.
"Two women dead in two weeks, both killed in their own homes and no sign of forced entry. Floors were covered in rose petals." JJ explained as Garcia showed the pictures.
"Quite the romantic." Rossi commented. "Evidence of sexual assault?" JJ shook her head. "None," She said. "Both women were last seen leaving their offices on a Friday and never showed up to work on a Monday."
"It's Thursday. why are we only being called in now?" Morgan asks. "The second body was only found yesterday." JJ informs. "There may be a socio-economic pattern emerging. The first victim, Bethany Heminger, lived in Belle Meade, Melissa Johnson in Brentwood. Both are affluent neighborhoods."
"Yet there was nothing missing from either home." Rossi says. "What did these women do for a living?" Morgan asks. "Bethany was a defense attorney, Melissa a corporate executive." JJ tells. "Two brunettes with similar features in high-powered professions? That's not a coincidence." Emily speaks.
"These women most likely represent someone he knows." Rossi tells. "All right, so we need to figure out where this unsub is meeting his victims and how he's gaining access to their homes." Morgan tells.
"And if he's staying on a pattern, most likely this guy has picked out his next target." Casey tells. "We should check gardeners, housekeeping staff, pool attendants, floral shops, see if anyone worked both homes." Rossi tells.
"Start working up a paper trail, Garcia. Find out where these women were in the days leading up to each murder." Morgan tells. "Like a genie in a bottle--poof!" Garcia hangs up.
"All right," Morgan starts. "Prentiss, you and I are gonna go check out the Johnson crime scene. Rossi, you and Reid talk to the coroner, start working up victimology. JJ, Willows, talk to the families and staff and find a connection we can use." Morgan takes a look at everyone.
"I understand that all of our thoughts are with Hotch. But right now, I need us all to focus on this case. We have less than a day before this unsub will strike again. Let's finish this thing fast."
So, Casey and JJ head to the station and all had discussed the mean of the case. Like it always was, the team had ended up being successful in finding their murderer and Emily had gotten the opportunity to spit in his face. Casey most definitely applauded that.
After the case, Casey had decided to go and visit Hotch and Jack to see how they were doing. Casey had gotten to spend a little time with Jack and Hotch had gone down to the cemetery to visit Haley as she watched Jack. Rossi had gone down to visit him since Casey had called him up to check in on him there. Casey knew that Hotch would be okay in the end... it would just take some time to heal.
hey, lovelies!
i hope you guys enjoyed this, ik it was short but oh well reid looked good here-
alsoo sorry casey hasn't gotten a lot of dialogue butttt in the next episode, she definitely will!!
i'm actually pretty excited lol
thank you for reading and ily all
-mya <3
p.s. happy thanksgiving :)