"Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime." - Ernest Hemingway
We arrived at the crime scene not much afterwards, there was an awkward tension between JJ and I, and I couldn't exactly place what it was.
I had denied any feelings towards Spencer, although it was quite the opposite, I couldn't get the feeling of me and him out of my head.
"I'm Jennifer, from the BAU, and this is Tessa, we're here to check out the crime scene?"
I snap my head from watching my feet as I hadn't noticed we were heading towards the house of the latest crime scene.
There were police officers everywhere, some were talking, some were just standing, and then some were examining evidence. Yellow police tape blocked every entrance to the crime scene.
JJ shows off her badge towards two male officers who were trying to stop us, and I immediately had a bad vibe about both.
"Since when did they have pretty princesses in the FBI?"
JJ and I share a look, both annoyance and amusement. And I fold my arms as JJ places both of her hand are her hips.
"We're not princesses, and we're about to be the women who are gonna solve this case. So if you could so kindly move away from our crime scene that'd be amazing," I grit through my teeth, flashing a fake smile between shoving myself between the two of them.
They both seemed to slightly gasp at my reply, obviously not expecting it. They don't do anything else except make way so JJ can follow me.
"Whoa, impressed once again, Carter," JJ replies, slightly stunned, a small smirk on her face.
We step into the house, it was a modern beautiful home that would forever be stained with this blood. It was a two-story, two bedrooms and one bathroom upstairs, while it was a one bedroom and half bath downstairs. Along with a family room, kitchen, and a dining room.
It reminded me of my childhood home, and a sudden rush of memories flood my brain, and I try to shake them away.
"You good, Tessa?"
"Yeah, just a headache," I reassure.
JJ nods, and narrows her eyes at the family room, where in the report, had been where the family had discovered their poor boy.
"What I don't understand," I begin, following JJ into the room. Obviously, the body was gone, but the blood would forever be there. "Is that these kids, went missing for 2 days, but somehow ended back home?"
"The unsub must have a strange fantasy that forces him to return the kids back home," JJ finishes, giving me a frightened look.
"We're dealing with a psychopath who kills these children, breaks into their home, and puts their dead bodies in the family room," I shudder at the thought of how the parents must feel.
Your child disappears, and in two days, they find them in their family room?
"That's it."
"What's it?" JJ questions, tilting her head in a sudden confusion.
"The family room. It means something."
I dig my phone out of my pocket, and I dial Garcia. After two rings, I hear her pick up the phone.
"Magical Garcia speaking, what can I help you with?"
"Garcia, was the girl found in the family room?"
"Hmm," Garcia says quickly, and I can hear her chew on her lip and the quick typing of her computer echoed through the phone. "Yeah, she was, why?"
"Garcia you're a savior!"
And with that, I hang up, surely leaving Garcia in a fit of confusion and maybe happiness with the compliment.
I put my phone away, and turn back towards a waiting patiently JJ, she even had her foot tapping.
"The family room. It means something to our unsub. Look at the walls, there's pictures upon pictures of this family. Most of them are of their little boy, but not of his brother. They're proud of one son, but not the other. Family rooms represent the family as a whole, and this unsub see's them as apart. That's why he puts the kids in here, right in the middle of the room."
JJ's face lights up as she recognizes I'm right, and her mouth is slightly ajar.
"You are one hell of a profiler, Carter."
a/n: whoa !!! i actually updated ?? it's actually been months since i updated but you guys have been so active and i'm so surprised this book made it to 2 K aww :)) i'll try to update a lot more often now but no promises because i'm literally so stressed with school ://