"The truth is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution." ~ Dumbledore.
The Doctor
Hotch and I got into the SUV and I sighed.
"She's doing good, huh?" I began, clearing my throat whilst fiddling with my scarf.
"Pardon?" Hotch asked as we pulled away from the crime scene.
"Joyner. It's been a month and she's adapted the quickest out of all the agents we've had in this team." Hotch shrugged his shoulders.
"I suppose you could say that."
"She contributes significantly to the team." There was a definite pause as Hotch considered my words.
"Prentiss' transfer should be cleared in a few weeks."
"You're still transferring her back?"
"We need her."
"We also need Joy."
"Why do you call her that? Her name is Agent Joyner."
"She told us to call us that on her first day. Everybody calls her that." Hotch rolled his eyes at my defensive tone.
"Just like her mother." He mumbled under his breath.
"I didn't know Kate that well... Is Joy like her?" I was trying to fish without being obvious; something I wasn't entirely good at.
"It's quite scary how much." Hotch nodded.
"What was she like?" Hotch shook his head and sighed.
"She was headstrong and determined... She had big ambitions and sometimes they got in the way of everything else. She didn't get along well with a lot of people because she always put herself first."
"But that didn't keep you apart."
"We were together once, Spencer," Hotch said in a firm tone. "I hadn't seen Hayley for years, I didn't think I was going to either. And at that time... Kate was... Well... She was just there."
"They were alike..." I said matter-of-factly.
"Who? Kate and Hayley?" The air between us was palpable at the mention of Hotch's late wife.
"JJ thought they were the same person when we first met her in New York." Hotch sighed as he got closer to the airport. The memory of meeting Kate Joyner all those years ago was a different one. The entire team felt like we'd seen a ghost when we laid eyes on Kate. So similar to Hayley... Now, it really was no surprise that Hotch and Kate had had a brief relationship that had ended with a child.
"Physically they were similar, but mentally... They couldn't have been more different." I nodded my head; feeling Hotch's sadness as he climbed out of the car, signalling the end of the conversation.
It was clear he still missed and loved Hayley more than he could ever love Kate, but I could tell he was still shocked by Kate's death as if it had happened only yesterday.
After all, Kate's death and that whole night were scarring enough for all of us.
On the plane, I sat down at the table opposite Joyner and smiled warmly at her.
"Well done on today." I told her happily.
"It was nothing." She insisted.
"Holding a repeat rapist at gun-point and not shooting him as he tried to touch you is a serious feat, kid, you should be proud." Morgan said, sliding into the seat next to her.
"Oh no, don't get me wrong, I am... It's just, knowing what he's done to all those women," She shivered and shook her head. "Makes me feel sick." JJ sat down next to me and nodded in agreement with Joyner.
"It is still horrible what he's done, but he'll pay for it now we've got him. And the women he pained are getting help and have the best support." JJ explained.
"But I get that it still doesn't help the fact that it happened in the first place." I sympathised and Joyner smiled at me.
"This is a great team." She admitted and Morgan laughed.
"It's only been a month, kid, give it time."
*
The following day I entered the BAU and after putting my jacket and bag at my desk, walked to the countertops to make some coffee. Ten and a sixth seconds later, Joyner approached the countertops and sat her mug down next to mine with a clink.
"Good morning." I smiled broadly at her, realising her hair was pulled back from her face today.
My breath was temporarily stolen from me as I saw the resemblance Hotch had been talking about. Although I couldn't see any of Kate in Joy; all I could see was Hayley.
After all, I'd known Hayley a whole lot better than I'd known Kate.
"Morning," She answered, and travelled to her desk to place her bag and jacket there. "So, tell me what you know." She said as I poured us both some coffee.
"W-what?" I stuttered self-consciously.
"About Kate," She laughed. "It's obvious you found some stuff out from Hotch yesterday on the way to the airport. What was it?" I nervously slurped at my coffee and she narrowed her beautiful blue eyes at me; clearly analysing my every move.
"Kate who?" I said dumbly, hurriedly stalking to my desk in the hopes of her dropping it. But instead, she just followed me there and sat down on my desk, directly onto the papers I'd been about to read.
"No you don't want to read them anyway," She laughed shortly. "Another serial killer, butchering old men in Texas," She rolled her eyes and turned them on me. "Now, Kate, spill." I chuckled nervously, licking my lips and avoiding her gaze.
"I didn't find out anything yesterday and I don't know what you mean."
She gave a short laugh and leaned forward, ruffling my hair and sighing,
"Spencer, Spencer, Spencer," I frowned as she did this as it did actually kinda hurt. "I know how much you hate germs," She said smartly in her wonderfully buttery English accent. "Please do not make me cough all over your keyboard."
"That's okay, I don't mind if you do that, I've only used that computer a couple of times and-"
"Don't make me shake your hand." She said, her face inches from mine.
I gulped and cleared my throat, feeling her warm breath on my cheeks.
"All Hotch told me was that he was only with your mom once and how she was too selfish to hold down a relationship with him or any form of friendship. She was a lot like his ex-wife." I gulped when I finished, hoping that I'd spoken too quickly for her to properly understand what I'd said.
"Ex-wife?" She questioned and I cursed myself for mentioning Hayley and groaned.
"That's all I'm saying on the matter. You wanted to know what he said to me and that's all. If you want to find out more, you should ask Hotch yourself."
A moment passed as we sat there looking at each other before she got to her feet and sat her coffee down on my desk, hurrying from the bullpen to the corridor where Garcia's office was located.
Oh God; what had I done?
The Daughter
"Garcia!" I chimed as I knocked on her office door and entered.
"Ah my little blonde beauty, what can I do you for on this lovely fine Friday morning?" I smiled at her contagious happiness and leaned against the wall next to the desk of computers she was sat at.
"I need you to do me a massive favour..." Garcia smiled up at me through her orange glasses.
"Anything my little furry friend."
"I need you to pull me anything you can find on Kate Joyner." Garcia was typing before she came to a furious halt and turned immediately to glare at me.
"Kate Joyner?" She echoed and I nodded. "But... Isn't that your... Mother?" I nodded my head.
"She was indeed. But I didn't know a lot about her, and I don't know what happened to her..."
"Which is where I come in?" I nodded my head and smiled sweetly.
"You'd be doing me a massive massive favour..." She grinned and nodded her head excitedly.
"Not a problem my love, you shall have everything there is to know on Agent Kate Joyner by the end of the afternoon."
"Garcia...?" I paused, biting my lip, a little unsure if I really wanted to ask her to do this.
"I'm not pulling anything on Hotch. If you want to know, ask him," I was surprised by her words and my mouth fell open a little.
"I may not be a profiler, hun, but it doesn't take a Spencer Reid to put two and two together and come up with four and figure out you were going to reluctantly ask me to dig dirt on your daddy too." She blurted so quickly it took me a few seconds longer than usual to process her words.
"But... He's not willing to even acknowledge the fact that I'm his daughter, even with the DNA test. He can barely hold a conversation down with me; even when it's about a case. He can't look me in the eye, or more specifically in my general direction. He can barely work with me let alone tell me about himself as a father."
"Oh sweet-pea, I sympathise I really do, but I can't dig the dirt on my boss. He's my boss for a reason, I love him like family, please don't ask me to do this." I nodded my head, completely understanding.
"No," I nodded. "No you're right, I'm sorry, I completely understand," I sighed and pushed off the wall. "As long as I get to know some more about the woman who gave birth to me... you'd be doing me a real solid. You have no idea how much this means to me." I told her truthfully as I reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. She placed her hands over mine with a ringed, chipped-polished hand.
"Oh believe me petal, I do."
The Doctor
We were travelling to Texas in the obliterating sun and it was sweltering the second we stepped off the plane.
"Man I'll never get used to American weather." Joy whistled, fanning her face with her file as we all made our way across the tarmac to the SUV's.
"We'll head to the hotel to freshen up and meet at the station in twenty," Hotch said helpfully as he climbed into the driver's seat of the first SUV.
This suggestion I was thankful for; Texan heat was no place for long-sleeved shirts, ties and woollen cardigans. I was thankful I'd packed a couple of short-sleeves.
I literally only had enough time to dump my bag on the bed and change shirt before it was time to leave again, but that was alright; in this job, we were used to rushing around.
Down in the lobby, I met JJ who was in loose pants and short-sleeved blouse, her hair pinned back and her sunglasses at the ready.
"This is gonna be a tough one, Spence I can feel it." She said to me, passing a bottle of water.
"Thanks," I took a chug of the water and nodded. "Well, we're just going to have to do our best and try to close it quickly so we can get out of this ungodly heat..." I said matter-of-factly.
"Okay, remind me to tell you that when we're struggling with a lead hours from now."
"Wow what a way to be encouraging, thank you, Jennifer." She smirked and patted my arm before Joy approached.
"I'm not late am I?" She had a habit of doing that; panicking that what she'd said or done was wrong just because it wasn't on par with everyone else, or panicking that she was late just because people were there before her.
That was a dead sign of insecurity, but she needn't be insecure about anything; she was the definition of secure.
It made a change to see Joy in something that was a little more informal than her skirt-suits and cigarette pants. She actually suited the t-shirt and slacks.
*
"If it was this cool in the daytime we'd get a Hell of a lot more work done a Hell of a lot faster." Joy said, relaxing her head back as the majority of our team relaxed on the back porch of a restaurant awaiting our eleven-o'clock dinner.
"If only." JJ laughed. The girls had changed into thin light dresses when we'd gotten back to the hotel, and it was a miracle I was able to keep myself sane sitting at the table eating next to Joy.
I think Morgan could pick up on my feelings as he held the conversation most of the time. It was only the four of us at dinner while Hotch and Rossi followed up on some leads on the other side of town.
When dinner was finished I politely said goodnight and excused myself from the table, claiming there was something I had to check up on about the case before I went to sleep. This wasn't a pressing nor an urgent one. The police department had kept the killer at bay for the past week and nobody knew about the two previous murders besides the killer, the police and the families. There was no hurry, despite having only a few more days until another victim would be chosen.
"Hey kid, wait up." Morgan called to me and I stopped at the top of the stairs, waiting on him catching up to me before continuing up them.
"What's up?" I asked conversationally like I didn't know what he was about to say.
"Nothing, I just wanted to check on how you were holding up."
"Holding up?" I laughed. "I don't know what I'd have to not be fine about." I said matter-of-factly.
"Kid, c'mon. It doesn't take a genius to see you like Joyner." I frowned and nodded my head.
"Of course I like her; she's a good person and she's a great agent, she's a part of the team Morgan." Morgan gripped my elbow to get me to stop as I turned off onto our corridor.
"C'mon man we both know I didn't mean it like that," He smiled and let go of my elbow, shrugging. "It's good," He told me. "That you like her. She's a real pretty girl, she's funny and she gets you, which is always a bonus." I frowned and licked my lips, blinking rapidly as I tried to comprehend what Morgan was saying to me.
"Morgan, she's a part of this team. Would you like it if I turned around and tried to imply that you have feelings for Garcia?"
"I do have feelings for Garcia, I love that girl to bits."
If I were a child I'd probably stamp my foot.
"Okay, so what is it you're implying?"
"I'm not implying anything. But think about it Reid, I think you just did." Morgan shrugged as though he'd done nothing before clamping a gentle hand down on my shoulder and retreating back downstairs.
The Daughter
When I was alone in my room I was finally able to call Garcia.
"Speak and be spoken to."
"Hey Garcia, I wasn't sure if you'd still be up."
"Oh child, if only you were aware of the time zones," She laughed. "Anyhoo, what can I do you for?" I gained the distinct impression that Garcia's chirpiness wasn't anything to do with time zones at all, and instead a lot more to do with caffeine.
"I haven't really had any time to go over the files you sent me." I said honestly and she chuckled.
"I had a feeling that would be the case, okay, so," I heard her typing and braced myself for whatever she was about to say.
"Katherine Mary-Anne Joyner was born in Oxford, London, England, on July fourteenth nineteen sixty-three to mom Brenda-Anne Schiffer and Kenneth Joyner. I suppose you already know all there is to know about your mother's parents so we'll skip that part... So...
"Kate was brought up in Oxford by her two parents; an only child. She went to ballet class and martial arts and then in later years was a budding actress in school.
"After leaving school aged sixteen, she joined the police academy and immediately started training. She worked her way up through the ranks of the Metropolitan police until she liaised with Aaron Hotchner at the ripe age of twenty-three.
"Nine months later she had her first child, around about the same time she'd been offered a position in the FBI for which she jumped at the opportunity.
"For years she devoted her entire life to the FBI, working her way up until she was promoted to run the New York City office. Seven years later she was shot badly in the stomach and it was pretty much touch-and-go. But, she didn't let that hold her back and a fortnight later she was back in the office.
"Fourteen years later she became reunited with Aaron Hotchner and the BAU team when several shootings had taken place on seemingly random victims at different subway stations in New York City.
"Now, this is when Kate's career seemed to hang in the balance because she was heavily under the thumb by bosses. Nobody was happy with her stepping on people to get to the top, and the people at the top were finally beginning to hear whispers of her antics. They had their eyes on my beautiful one-and-only love Mr Agent Derek Morgan, but she had other ideas. She'd worked solidly for years to get to run that office and there was no way she'd go down without a fight.
"She was pretty horrible to my chocolate man by all accounts, but that's not important. She seemed to meet her terrible end when the terrorist group responsible for the shootings across the city planted a bomb underneath the car she and Hotch were supposed to get into. It exploded and she took most of the hit.
"Because of the terrorist protocol, emergency services couldn't get to her or Hotch until a terrorist ambulance - totally unbeknownst to her or your fa- sorry Hotch. Anyhoo, they got her to the hospital and they operated to try and repair the damage done to her spine, but unfortunately, it was too late and there was nothing they could do and she bled out.
"Cause of death was a major amount of blood loss but it would've been sudden, so she didn't suffer my tricky-dick." I sighed at the end of Garcia's wonderfully bright and yet horrifyingly dark story.
"That's all in those files you sent me?" I inquired in surprise.
"All of it's there my love, in much more, horrifically gruesome detail but of course I'm not a pryer and that's totally not something you want me to be reading out directly over the phone." I nodded my head; she was of course correct.
"And what about Hotch?" There was a long and silent pause.
"Brenda... Honey... I'm not about to do a background search on my boss. I'm sorry. I think you're wonderful, but I wouldn't even do something like that for my chocolate thunder... and I love him, like, lots... so that's really saying something." She tripped over her words trying to justify why she wouldn't do what I was asking and I swallowed the guilt.
"It's okay Garcia..." I laughed in an emotional voice, blinking tears out of my eyes. "I was just chancing my arm, really, it's okay," I sniffed. "Could you maybe just... I don't know... Tell me a bit about him?"
"Hotch?" Garcia gulped in a high-pitched tone. "Oh my precious flower petal, aren't you better asking him directly?"
"Garcia, he can barely look me in the eye, avoids being around me at all costs, and is clearly rejecting having anything to do with me or my mother, which, in all fairness I can't exactly blame him, she wasn't the most charming woman, but..." I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose.
"I just want to know what he's like," I said in a small voice.
"I don't need his date of birth or his social security information... Just..." I sighed. "What's he like? Really? As a person? When he isn't scowling across the plane at us all."
Garcia's laugh cracked down the phone and I smiled, allowing the warmth of her laughter to fill inside my cold hotel room.
"Ah my little pumpkin seed..." She sighed.
"Hopefully one day you can sit across the table from Hotch, father-to-daughter, and he'll tell you all about his life, about the childhood sweetheart he lost to a serial killer, and the beautiful little boy he's had to raise-" I didn't hear anything else Penelope had to say, I was to caught on that word "boy"...
"I have a brother?" I whispered, more to myself than to Penelope.
"Oh-" She stopped mid-sentence and there was an unearthly silence as we both came to terms with the revelation.
"I... Have... a brother?" I whispered again, tears rolling down my cheeks.
"Oh... Brenda... Brenda honey I'm so sorry, I didn't realise! Of course, you wouldn't have known! I'm so sorry, I should never have opened my mouth!"
"No..." I mumbled. "No Penny that's not your fault. I-I-I asked you... And... Wow." I gushed, sweeping the tears from my cheeks and sniffling. "I have a brother!" I laughed through my tears. "A real brother..."
Whilst questions roamed my mind; how old was he? Was he younger or older? Did he play sports? Did he have many friends? Was he good in school? Did he favour mum or dad?
I didn't bother to ask Garcia any of those questions, I knew they had to come from Hotch himself... If... If he would only look at me first.
"Thank you so much for this, Garcia."
The Doctor
Alone in my room, I was able to think about what Morgan had said, and what he had meant. I came to the conclusion that he was delusional.
I did not have any feelings for Joy. She was a valid member of our team and I valued her contribution very much, just as much as Morgan's and JJ's, and Prentiss' before her.
What Morgan was insinuating was out of the question and completely unprofessional; he didn't know what he was talking about.
*
"I have it!" I exclaimed with the marker pen in my hand. My team behind me all jumped slightly at my sudden outburst.
"Last night when I got back to my room I began working on the geographical profile. It was a little tough to determine, as it always is, but what's really interesting is this section here... See?" I began drawing on the map.
"So, if we take this point and bounce it back to here, and then bring it back to where he dumped the last victim, it'll help us to determine the area in which he resides, which is most likely in this dark patch here, considering he has never abducted nor dumped in that area."
Joy was nodding enthusiastically, her mouth upturned at the corners in an excited smile as she removed her cell from her belt and dialled a number.
"Speak and ye shall be spoken to all bright and innocent ones!"
"Garci, I need you to pull up all white males in their forties who come from the Tytoon area who visited the hospital frequently as a child."
"Oh come on sugar-cake, can't you challenge me?"
"If you find us this guy I'll be home tonight baby girl, I'll challenge you all you like," Morgan said jokingly from Joy's side.
"I cannot wait my Prince..." There was a pause and more typing before, "Bryan Jacobs, forty-seven, lives at Rochdale house, Tytoon, sending the address to your GPS now." It was all pretty much go from there.
*
"Morgan, Rossi and I will take the front, Reid and Joyner you take the back," Hotch said. "JJ stay in the car in case he tries to make a run for it."
"Got it." JJ climbed back into one of the SUV's as Joy lead the way round to the back of the house, her lips pouted in irritation of Hotch's words.
"He'll get used to it soon you know." I mumbled and almost instantly regretted it.
"He needs to get used to it now, it's affecting the team." She hissed in irritation, her gun aimed low as we made our way around the side of the house to the back yard.
We were just coming out of the side alley when a figure dressed in dark blue jogging pants and a zipper came running out of the house.
"Stop, FBI!" Joy shrieked. The figure stopped before bolting for the back fence. Groaning in ager Joy took off at a full run.
"Joy wait for Morgan!" I called stupidly; watching as the figure jumped over the back fence, closely followed by Joy who effortlessly volleyed herself over the fence in hot pursuit of the figure.
"Hotch a guy just fled out the back of the house, Joy's in pursuit." I said through my comms.
"JJ try double round the block and block him off." Came Hotch's reply.
With a feeling of nothing but dread and worry working its way through my stomach, I took to the back door, stepping through the open entryway and into the kitchen.
I continued to make sure all downstairs rooms were cleared before a gunshot was fired upstairs.
Hurrying in search for Morgan and Hotch I heard the sirens of the paramedics in the distance and a figure groaning on the floor, holding his leg.
"He's fine, he'd have hurt himself more if he did jump out that window," Morgan said matter-of-factly, pushing out of the bedroom the Unsub had been in.
"You didn't go after Joy?" Morgan asked, snatching his gun from his belt and rushing downstairs.
"I didn't think she'd need the help, she was pretty fast."
"For God's sake kid." Morgan groaned as we both ran out of the house and down the street.
I had no idea which direction the guy had run in, or which direction Joy had followed him in, so we both split up and took a direction each.
Truth is, I didn't want to follow Joy over that fence in pursuit of the Unsub because I knew I'd only embarrass myself. If I'd tried to "jump" that fence, I'd still be trying now.
The Daughter
My lungs burned as I chased him through three gardens and over six fences, through the kid's park at the end of the block and snatched his ankle as he tried to make a leap for the back fence.
A black SUV zoomed past the street we were in before reversing back desperately.
I pulled the guy down from the fence and threw him on the ground.
"What you running for?" I demanded, my chest rising and falling rapidly as I sat on his back and brought his arms around to cuff him.
"I thought I'd shake you." He whined as I clicked the cuffs into place.
"You thought you could shake me?!" I laughed breathlessly. "I ran five miles and jumped fifty hurdles in training and was the last one standing and you think you can shake me? No one can shake me."
I got to my feet and yanked him up desperately behind me, just as JJ was entering the park.
"Don't let that son of a bitch go." I said breathlessly, my chest contracting in desperation.
I rested my hands on my knees and bent over slightly, sweat pouring down my face and back. I hated Texas.
"You okay, kid?" Morgan's voice came from beside me and a hand rested on my back.
"I'm fine." I snapped, straightening up and seeing Reid a few feet away.
"You're bleeding." Reid pointed out, pointing to his lip. I touched it and felt blood and frowned; how did that happen? I completely ignored the fact that my lip was bleeding and he'd pointed it out and instead brushed past him snapping,
"Thanks for the help."
The Doctor
Morgan gave me a 'I told you so' look, but how could I reply to that?
Joy climbed into the driver's seat of the SUV, nodding to JJ with a smile as she accepted the bottle of water JJ passed her.
Looking like this; all hot and bothered and flustered and angry; I could see why Morgan thought I was attracted to her. She was sort of beautiful.
I shook that thought from my mind and climbed into one side of the SUV, Morgan in the other.
"Move over," He snapped to the young guy. "Why'd you run huh? You were clearly gon' get caught." He told the guy as JJ climbed into the passenger's seat and Joy took us back to the station.
The guy didn't answer Morgan, but he didn't have to; it was obvious that guy had been a decoy to distract us from his father who was still in the house.
*
"Garcia how could you miss this?" Hotch said down the phone.
"I'm sorry sir, but there's no record of Jacobs having a son, or even adopting a kid." She said defensively on the other line.
"Well, we need to find out who he is and what he's got to do with Jacobs and these murders." Hotch said, ending the call without hearing Garcia's reply. I followed him into the room with the one-way mirror partition where Joy was staring at the young guy in the other room.
"He had nothing to do with this, all he was was a distraction." I said matter-of-factly, looking at his skinny frame.
"No, he definitely had something to do with this. That's why he won't answer whenever we ask him why he ran." She said coldly.
"I'm going to go in there, see what I can find out." Hotch said matter-of-factly.
"No," Joy blurted and Hotch stopped in his tracks, his face a mask of question. "I'd like to do that if you don't mind. He ran away from me, I arrested him, I'd like to be the one to interrogate him." Hotch looked at the guy and then at Joy.
"And you're ready?" He asked sourly. Her expression faltered for a second - a split second, which made me think that if it were anyone else asking her that - she would've absolutely lost it.
"Yes." She said politely even though her eyes told us she was irritated by this question. She'd been in interrogations before; she'd worked with the FBI for two years before transferring here; it was obvious she was ready for the interrogation process of the guy she'd just arrested.
"Alright." Hotch said coldly, slapping the file down on the table before leaving the room.
Saying nothing by means of reply, Joy picked up the file and left the room. My stomach soared with anticipation, nerves and excitement as I watched her leave. Was she really going to do this and defy her boss and father?
As soon as she entered the interrogation room, the guy squirmed in his seat uneasily.
"They told me to be nice to you," Joy said in a cold tone as she shut the door and crossed to the table, slapping down the file. "But that's not going to happen."
"I haven't done anything, I want a lawyer!" Joy smirked and pushed her hands into the pockets of her trousers.
He was lawyering up already? That certainly didn't take long.
"Don't worry, son, he's on his way," She said manipulatively. Despite her tone, the guy noticeably relaxed. "Just like Santa," Joy then added after seeing how much the guy relaxed. I sniggered and watched as the young guy tensed up again. "Now you'll get a lawyer, don't worry about that. But a fat lot of good he's going to be after everything you've done."
"I haven't done anything!" He insisted. Joy scoffed and shook his head.
"You're a persistent little one, aren't you?" She rhetorically asked before leaning over the desk for the folder.
This motion seemed to have him distracted as he stared at her with his mouth slightly open.
"Chantelle Davis, Chloe Moore, Kylie Gliffen," Joy rhymed off, slamming the crime scene photos in front of him. "Three women abducted, three women killed, with you fleeing and resisting arrest!"
"I didn't do that!" He shrieked, beginning to cry and whimper at the sight of the photos. "I swear to God I didn't do that," He cried. "It wasn't me, it was him, it was him, he done it all, I swear to you I wouldn't do that!"
"Really? I don't believe you."
"I swear it wasn't me."
"I don't believe you!" Joy said in a voice just as loud.
My phone began ringing as she said this and I quickly answered it to Garcia.
"Joy's interviewing the kid, yes?" She asked rapidly with no smart greeting.
"Yes...?"
"He's called Scott Quwhaley. Was orphaned when he was two when mum Danielle Quwhaley was killed, car accident apparently, the other driver was drunk at the time. Scott was put into a foster home until the age of seven when the driver of the accident was cleared to adopt him. He's been living there ever since."
"His adopted father is our Unsub?" I reiterated.
"Yep, it was the same guy, he just kept changing surname..." Garcia said.
"Thanks Garcia." I said rapidly, tapping on the glass and leaving the room.
Joy came out of the interrogation room moments later and closed the door behind her. Rapidly I relayed all this information to her and she nodded, re-entering the room without a word. I sighed and headed back in to see what her plan of action would be.
"How could you live with a murderer?" She prodded, leaning on the table only making Scott squirm more. "He killed your mother when you were just a baby. How could you live with him? How could you live with yourself?"
"It was an accident, he didn't mean it."
"He was drunk!"
"It was a mistake!"
"Just like you killing those women was a mistake?"
"How's it going?" Morgan asked, entering the room with JJ.
"Pretty well, she's making him sweat alright." I said without taking my eyes off the back of Joy's head.
"Leaning over the table like that is gonna make any guy sweat." Morgan chuckled. JJ sniggered but I ignored the comment as Joy continued,
"You raped them, didn't you?"
Scott was sobbing significantly now, the tears soaking up his dark blue zipper. "You raped them and then you strangled them with your own bare hands. D'you know what they do in prison to guys like you?"
"It wasn't me, I didn't do that!"
"Well what did you do then?!" She shrieked.
"I only caught them, I didn't kill them, I didn't lay a finger on them I swear!" There was a brief moment of pause as we all gathered this information.
"So you were the bait?" She said in a small voice. The kid nodded and sighed, sniffing his tears away.
"He made me go out at night at the weekends and find them. He said he couldn't do it anymore because they wouldn't trust him. But I was still young and could do it for him."
"And you did? Just like that, no questions asked?"
"He said he wasn't going to hurt them. And I swear I didn't know that's what he was going to do until this last one."
We all looked at each other and Joy slowly lowered herself into a chair.
"What happened with Kylie?" She asked in a soft voice, the act from before slowly stripping away.
"He hadn't tied her as tight, said he'd kept her loose because his arthritis was playing up with his wrists. She'd managed to break out of the bonds when he was away, and when he got back there was a struggle and she attacked him with the lamp. I came home from work early that day because of the curfew you'd put on us. I heard the screaming and broke in on him raping her."
"Why didn't you contact the police?" She asked gently.
With the hand that wasn't handcuffed to the table Scott pulled the sleeve of his zipper up his arm and winced as he saw the cigarette burns and scars on his left forearm over what appeared to be old scars cutting along his wrists...
"He said if I ever told he'd know about it and he'd do a lot worse than that. That he'd make sure the next time those scars cut open, they wouldn't close over again..." Joy sighed and looked behind her at the screen where she knew we'd be.
She got up and left the room with the file, in complete silence.
The Daughter
On the plane back home JJ was curled on the sofa asleep and Hotch was at the lone table at the back doing paperwork with Rossi. I was sat at the two-seat table staring out of the window with Morgan asleep listening to music behind me at the four-seat table with Reid. It'd been a long day, and I myself was exhausted. I couldn't wait for a long hot bubble bath and my bed.
"Hey," Reid's voice sounded next to me and he slid into the seat opposite me with a small and nervous smile.
"Hi." I said in a hoarse voice and immediately cleared my throat bashfully.
"I thought you'd be asleep after the impressive chase today." He said quietly. I smiled and shook my head.
"Listen, about today... I shouldn't have let you go after Scott on your own." I smiled at him and shook my head.
"Don't worry about it, really, I understand. It would've been pointless two of us running after him when Jacobs was still in the house." Reid nodded his head and licked his lips, blinking at me as he said,
"I suppose but I still shouldn't have let you do it on your own, we were together out there and I'm sorry." I smiled and leaned forward, resting on the table.
"Reid, stop worrying about it, it's fine." I told him reassuringly. He nodded and smiled at me slightly, to which I mirrored before resting back in my seat again to look back out of the window.
The Doctor
I watched her subtly as she watched the sky and took in every little thing about her.
Her plump rosy lip was cut at the bottom, she said she'd been scraped by a tree branch in Jacobs' back yard while jumping the fence and that's probably how it'd cut.
I realised how truly beautiful she was and as I realised this I lowered my head, blushing and tried to build a wall between us. If I didn't look at her, there'd be no reason to notice her beauty and know how much I was attracted to her.
*
"Oh my Princess what happened?" Garcia gasped as we entered the BAU, seeing Joy's cut lip.
"She pretended to be Usain Bolt and chased after Scott Quwhaley." Morgan explained with a chuckle.
"Actually, if Joy was going to represent an olympic runner, due to her accent and upbringing she'd be more Mo Fara than Usain Bolt." Everyone turned to look at me and smile and Joy even gave a small laugh.
"Oh my, see, this is why I stick to my little safe room with all the computers and the colours, less drama and danger." Garcia said quickly with a nod.
"I'm fine, it's a cut lip, and he didn't even do it, a tree branch did," Joy explained calmly as we entered the unit. "If only you could see my real scars." She chuckled and Garcia's eyes went wide. This officially piqued my curiosity and I peered at Joy a little curiously, wondering what wild stories she had to tell.
"Well my little ducklings I shall leave you to rest, I have files to print and nails to paint!" Garcia said excitedly after a long pause, leaving the unit after a short conversation.
"Oh, Garcia!" I called, following her down the corridor and into her office.
"Yes my little genius friend?" She said happily, lowering herself into her desk chair.
"I need you to do me a favour..."
*
That night I sat on my bed with the file in my hand, chewing on my bottom lip.
Would it be worth it?
Is this the right thing to do?
Am I a horrible person for doing this?
With a sigh and a shake of my head I opened the file; I needed to know who I was working with after all.
Brenda Melanie Joyner was born in Oxford, London on May twenty second nineteen eighty six. She was then adopted by grandparents Brenda-Anne and Kenneth Joyner and they moved to Hertfordshire, England-
I slapped the file shut and threw it down onto the bed, running my hands over my face desperately. I'd had to beg Garcia for this file, and she'd gulped and reluctantly agreed - on the condition that I tell Brenda I'd snooped on her. I agreed, but only if I could tell her in my own time... did that really count if I didn't actually read her file?
I held her it in my hands, chewing my lip. There wasn't going to be anything personal in here; well, nothing more personal than boyfriends and favourite school subjects anyway...
It was difficult to find out personal information for nothing other than formal databases...
I quickly glazed over the three sheets of A4 paper and gulped. She was squeaky clean, intelligent and fit, as well as healthy and extremely beautiful. I didn't know what to think and immediately after reading her file a wave of guilt came washing over me.
I stared at her FBI Identity photo on the front page and felt a little sick.
Who was I to read her file without any form of permission?
*
I was at the countertops making coffee when ten point eight seconds later Joy approached and clinked my mug with her own.
"Good morning." She said sweetly and I gulped.
"G-g-good morning." I stuttered. I was aware she'd paused just behind me on her way to her desk to dump her bag and jacket. I knew she'd stopped because I was stuttering and I knew she knew something was wrong.
"How are you?" She asked conversationally with only a hint of suspicion.
"I'm g-good how're y-you?" I stuttered, and cursed myself for doing so.
"Okay," She answered super slowly. There were a few moments of silence as she dumped her bags and I poured the coffee. "Alright, spill." She demanded as I slurped my coffee.
"What d'you mean, I've just made it?" I said innocently, acting like I didn't know what she meant.
She narrowed her eyes with a small pouted smile before chuckling and shaking her head.
"What?" I enquired, self-conscious.
"On a scale of one to ten, how interesting was my file?" My eyes flew wide and my mouth parted.
I blinked rapidly and licked my lips, my genius brain trying to come up with a smart reply.
"I-I-I don't know what you're talking about." I stuttered consciously.
"Oh come off it, Reid, I know you read my file... So tell me, what was your favourite part?" I blinked at her, blushing and she smiled.
"Garcia told me, Reid. I'm not angry, honest. I'm just a little hurt that you felt like you couldn't come and just ask me about me, that you felt you had to sneak behind my back to find things out."
"I don't know what you mean." I persisted, my cheeks flushing at Garcia blabbing.
She shook her head and her smile fell ever-so-slightly.
"Okay, but if you keep up the 'I know nothing' act, I will get mad." She promised with a small smile, her voice void of any anger. I watched her back as she walked to her desk and I sighed; what really was the problem with her knowing I read her file anyway?