𝗗𝗢𝗡'𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗚𝗘𝗧 𝗠𝗘 | 𝘼. 𝙃𝙊𝙏𝘾𝙃𝙉𝙀𝙍

eleven

'Good morning,' you chimed, 'Morning. Morning!' you greeted everyone, receiving bizarre looks as you never usually did this. Spencer waddled up to you with a grin on his face, clearly, he wanted to know it all. JJ followed shortly behind him and placed a hand on his back as you walked towards the briefing room.

'You're going to tell us everything, right?'

'Maybe,' you began, feeling those butterflies again, 'Well, we wined & dined and rode a Ferris wheel to the stars!' you poetically & quite sarcastically spoke, smiling and giggling like you were seven. Spencer looked at JJ who you swore was tearing up, happy. They were happy for you. Not once during that day had you taken any of your medication. Wrapping an arm around both, you thanked the pair for advising Hotch on how to make the night so perfect as you reached the briefing room. To your immediate surprise, there were only six profilers in the room including you.

'Someone's in a good mood,' Rossi judged, knowing something was going on.

'Where's Hotch?' Morgan asked, noticing that you were looking down smiling to yourself. Every single person in the room was staring at you; their eyes burned cavities in your body as you attempted to ignore them.

'So, are you gonna tell us or not?' Morgan gestured his hand.

'Maybe the wine we had didn't agree with him,' you suggested, claiming innocence. Emily and JJ smirked under their breath and Garcia noticed how happy you were- she smiled, then remembering there were serial killers at large.

'Right,' she said, 'Thankfully, this one is on the other side of the city. No jet today, my friends. We have two bartenders, both killed in the same way with the same bottle in their hand,' her voice faded as Rossi leaned in next to you.

'Tell me on the way over, kiddo,' he whispered, and you nodded in agreement.

'It. Was. Perfect!' you paused between each word.

'Aaron was always the romantic type, he just never showed it to anyone but Haley. You're an incredibly lucky woman, Beck,' the older man gestured. As Aaron's oldest friend (literally) he knew the him inside out and could probably figure out that the chief had been wanting to ask you for a while. It was now around 11am, and not once had your phone buzzed from him. Strange, you thought, rolling towards the second crime scene.

'He's got the same bottle inside his hand,' you examined, bending down to peel back the bartender's fingers.

'Same M.O, and look at the stab wounds,' Rossi pointed, 'Aggressive, remorseless. This unsub is full of withheld rage. Clearly he has something against bartenders. Maybe alcohol related trauma?' he hinted.

'Possibly, maybe that was the brand he was drinking if said trauma was related,' you agreed, checking your phone again for any word from your boss.

'Anything?' Rossi saw you were growing more concerned.

'No,' you squinted, putting the mobile away. Thinking of beginning to build the profile, you headed back to the station with Rossi and met the rest of the team.

'Same bottle, same brand. The wounds were consistent, so I think we're looking at the same unsub,' Emily conducted, JJ nodding her head with Prentiss' words. Naturally, you had taken the role of leader whilst Hotch was gone. Your next decision was something to be considered debatable, but going with your gut, you made the call.

'Rossi, Morgan you should go to the first victim's family and see if there was anyone who had a particular altercation with him. Emily and JJ stay here and work out for definite what our unsub has against these men and their careers and I'll take Reid to the bars,' and the team dissipated.