SEVEN; EYES CLOSED HEAD FIRST
They all sit calmly on the jet, Aurora looks around in awe not yet believing they had
their own jet, as she sits alone drinking coffee and reading her book. Spence sits down opposite me "what're you reading?"
she looks up at him fighting the blush off her cheeks "this is my absolute favourite book ever, it's called 'words in deep blue' by Cath Crowley, an Australian author"
he nods slowly
"what's it about?" she is almost stumped, no-one had ever been interested enough to ask before "um its a romance, this girl Rachel is in love with her best friend but she has to move away, she leaves him a letter but his bitchy on again off girlfriend hides it so he never finds it. then her brother dies and she fails out of school and then moves back to her old town where he lives, but she thinks he is just ignoring her letter but he never got it and just thinks she hates him for no reason, it's basically about her coming back to herself and him after her brother's death pulling her into depression."
He sits alert during the whole spiel about her favourite book, "wow that sounds so good, any chance I could give it a read?"
she was gobsmacked he had actually listened let alone wanted to read it "yeah sure just give it back when you're done"
I close the worn cover and pass it over to him. "thanks, I'll be finished by the time we land.''
smiling at him as he starts to read the blurb at the back of the book. pulling out one of the other books she had packed, Aurora sits across from him and they sit together, reading at the very same pace in a comfortable silence.
--
"Hotch I have some information for you guys" hearing Penelope's voice coming from the screen where Hotch was sitting. Spence and Rory both close their books and go over to sit on the couch opposite Hotch "what've you got Garcia?"
Em asks "well we have an ID on our two most recent victims, Mary-Anne Thomas and Katie Daniels both were blonde, 22 year old college students from different colleges in Florida."
Rory's thoughts race 'ok so he's not travelling far, maybe he doesn't have a job that can facilitate travel?'
"maybe he's not travelling far because he had a job that does not permit that kind of free time?"
everyone nods "The kid's right serial killers usually will travel far and wide to pick up victims because they know it's harder for us to trace it back to them, but if he has a job that won't let him leave for long periods of time, then that would force him to stay within his comfort zone."
smiling at Rossi's words. she was still in awe that he even knew who she was "I'll get started on a geographical profile, if we're right about this I should be able to come up with a relative area for his home and work"
"Alright when we land, I want Reid and JJ to set up at the local PD, Reid I want you working the geographical profile. Hearst, Rossi, to the ME's office I wanna know exactly what happened to all nine victims. Prentiss, Morgan you're with me, we're meeting officers at the dump site."
Hotch dolled out the tasks one by one, she was with Dave. Rory closes her eyes making a quick prayer that she wouldn't embarrass herself in front of the man she had idolised for so many years.
Two minutes before they land Spence taps Rory on the shoulder and hands her back the soft, worn book, "I might have to buy myself a copy of that one it was so good!"
She smiles, embarrassed by how sweet he had been "that's so good I'm glad you liked it, thoughts?"
He ponders for a second "I hated Amy so much she was so annoying and strung henry along for the absolute longest time, Henry and Rachel were obviously meant for each other, Henry was super annoying at the start when he keep going back to her when he clearly had a better option, and when he ditched her on valentine's day I got so mad. But I love the idea of a letter library, I've always preferred letter writing than texting or calls. It is just so much better you know?" Every word he spoke resonated with Aurora "I couldn't agree more, Amy was a little bitch I hated her so much for stringing Henry along for so long and like when she just let her boyfriend grab them off the road and throw them in the trunk and did not do anything about it I was like what the hell why would you stay with her after that! But yes I definitely agree texting is a lot more convenient but letter writing is just so romantic, the idea of a letter library is so nice to think about but nowadays it just seems like people would destroy it you know?"
He nods "yeah I agree, like how he didn't just block her number and never speak to her again after that I guess I'll never know. Letter writing is old fashioned but I love it, yeah I think if we had one person would just vandalise it and steal the books"
She nods understandingly "yes I definitely agree like he got duct taped to a pole naked how didn't he hate her? And yeah like people would just vandalise it and no one would appreciate the beauty of the letter library from the book."
Spence just nods in understanding "oh and-"
Morgan interrupts him "you can hold book club later lovebirds we're landing" both Rory and Spence go a dark shade of pink as they scramble to get their things together.
The team gets off the plane and Rossi and Rory get into a black SUV on rout to the MEs office, "so how are you liking the states so far kid"
David Rossi was talking to her she had to withhold a squeal "um yeah so far so good, you guys drive on the wrong side of the road and my accent has given me a bunch of fucking weird looks but other than that pretty good."
He chuckles "I don't mind but you might wanna watch your language around Hotch he tends to go dad mode."
She blushes and smiles "you got it"
he sends the younger woman a knowing look "sooo what's going on between you and your fellow genius"
Rory rolls her eyes, profilers, she thought to herself, they were all the fucking same "not you toooooooo"
He laughs "what? who else said it!"
'too many people' she mutters "first Pen then Em then Morgan on the jet and now you!" he laughs loudly as Rory huffs "well then take it as a sign"
she rolls her eyes "bloody profilers I swear" he chuckles and keeps driving.
--
"JJ I swear there's nothing going on!" Spencer huffs in frustration, A flurry of thoughts spin through his head 'she is gorgeous, and smart, and she reads, but no no NO I don't like her like that I barely even know her' "Hmmm sureee Spence sure"
He shoots her a look and draw another dot on the map "come on Spence admit it you think she's pretty"
The yes jumps to the forefront of his mind like a reflex "no! I barely know her" he did barely know her, the other bit didnt matter, "come onnn spence just admit it, you seemed like you'd known each other for years when you were talking about that book back there on the jet!"
she was right "we were discussing a book jj let it go" she rolls her eyes at him and sends a pointed look in his direction "I swear to god when you two get married I'm including this conversation in my speech"
his face and neck flushed a bright shade of red as he pushes the final pin into the map completing the geographical profile " grab Hotch I'm done" she stands there eyebrows raised for a moment before walking off to find him. The look on her face when he had asked to read her favourite book permanently etched into his mind like a painting.
--
The team all sit around the table in the conference room as Spence goes through his Geographical profile. Rory completely understands now why Hotch gets him to do these, with the ME's findings she had a new understanding of their unsub. The geographical profile shows that he works in the triangulated area surrounding the state forest that the lake resides in, " Hey Pen you there? "
She had an idea, everyone looks over at her "could you see if there are any people who work in or around the state forests? Both of the recent victims studied some form of biology meaning they may have met our unsub in the state park either asking for information or directions"
Turning to the team with apprehension attempting to gage their reactions "and Garcia, he is probably a white make between the ages of 35-45" Emily adds to make Pen's job just a small amount easier, "that's great and all but this list of names is astronomically long." An idea jumped into her head
" hold on, we thought these victims would have be surrogates for someone right? Pen, check for males with restraining orders against them from ex partners." She sits there in anticipation, barely able to hold onto her seat "ooo girl genius you are good there are eight"
"any of them blonde and 22?" 'please please please please' she repeats in her head like a mantra "got him, Nathaniel Bridgers 40, works as a park ranger for the Florida state national park, home and work addresses have been sent to your phones" she lets out a deep breath of relief, she had done her job, "good job kid, not bad for your first day on the job" Rossi pats her on the back as they follow the rest of the team out.
"now let's bring him in"