CHAPTER EIGHTY-ONE: LEADING LADIES ARE BACK !

11x19

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THE TEAM HAD STILL BEEN GETTING USED TO MORGAN BEING GONE. It was a fresh few weeks since he had been gone and everyone was still reeling with it. And if anything, Spencer seemed to be dealing with it the most. It was understandable, Morgan has been Spencer's best friend since the day he started working at the BAU. And Casey understood that he had to have time to get used to it.

The woman looked ahead at her husband. He was staring at the empty seat next to her, a seat Morgan used took on the jet. She noticed that he had been staring at that empty space for about fifteen minutes. He was reading a book and he hadn't turned the page in about fifteen minutes. Usually, it took him less than ten to finish a book.

        "Are you ever going to turn that page?" JJ notices beside him and Spencer had blinked and cleared his throat as he looked back down at his book. "I haven't finished it yet." Spencer spoke, sadness riddled in his voice.

        "You miss him, huh?" JJ asked the man beside her and he slightly nods a bit. "Yeah, me, too." Rossi passes by the three sitting in the seats. "Me three." He chirped in. "I think we all do." Casey comments as she looks at the empty seat beside her.

          It was still taking time to process that Derek Morgan had finally left the BAU. And it was a toll on everyone and they knew they eventually had to get used to it.

           Meanwhile, Hotch had been talking with Emily via FaceTime and she had wanted to discuss a case she had about an unsub that got away. The unsub had been copying murders of past serial killers. And Emily had been so sure that this was all the same guy.

           Hotch had shared what Emily had shared with him to the rest of the team. Hotch sat beside Casey eventually as Rossi sat on the arm of the couch and Vivian had sat on the couch. 

          "What makes us so sure it's all the same guy?" Rossi decides to ask after Hotch explains the case. "Well, Emily believes it's how precisely he's mimicking each crime." Hotch tells.

          Garcia's lovely face then appears on the monitors. "Go ahead, Garcia." Hotch tells. "Okay. This is all streaming to your tablets. Feel free to follow along. I give you Andrei Chikatilo. His first victim was in 1978. It was a 9-year-old girl whose body was discovered in the Russian city of Rostov. She was sexually assaulted, strangled, and mutilated."

       "He also took eyeballs as trophies and ate some of his victims' organs." Spencer stated as Casey groaned, "Blegh, lovely." She comments.

       "Ugh. I now give you 10-year-old Natasha Dudechenko. Her body was discovered two years ago, also in Rostov, roughly a mile away from where the original body was found, and tragically in much the same condition." Garcia explained.

       "The Russian police apparently spotted a suspect near the crime scene, but he eluded capture in the crowded train station." Hotch told. "Chikatilo actually confessed to 56 murders committed between 1978 and 1990." Spencer stated.

        "Well, the timeline and the body count probably don't matter as much as geography and the copying of the MO. It was the same last year in London." Hotch told, which led Garcia to say: "It was, indeed. Three women were discovered in Whitechapel, which is a district in East London, all within a month, and all eviscerated a la Mr. Ripper."

       "The third victim was Scotland Yard. And that's when Emily almost got him in that undercover operation." JJ told. "If this is the same unsub, he would be incredibly rare. He's both criminally and forensically sophisticated, and the fact that he's been able to function and evade caption in 3 countries means that he's highly intelligent and almost certainly multilingual." Spencer explained.

        "And he's got some money in his pocket, too. Travel takes financing." Vivian said. "Meaning he may have a business or he's stealing." Casey added.

       "Lewis is flying in from an assignment in Atlanta. And we'll all connect with Emily in New York." Hotch told.

       "Well, it'll be good to see her again," JJ comments. "Too bad it's gotta be like this."

         When they had landed and had taken SUVs to the NYPD, Casey was the first to book it towards the building. When her eyes landed on the conference room office, she immediately spotted Tara Lewis and Emily Prentiss having a conversation.

          "Emily Prentiss, you are looking better than ever." Casey starts as the woman turns around to spot the young woman at the doorway. "Oh, Casey! Hi!" The woman immediately walks over to Casey and engulfs her into a big hug. "It's so good to see you!" Casey smiles. "It's good to see you, too!" Emily says back and they immediately pull away from one another.

            "Where's the rest of the team?" Emily asks, looking outside the conference room. "Oh, they're here. I just wanted to beat them so I get the first hug." Casey chuckled as Emily hugs the woman again.

           "Alright, Willows. Save some for the rest of us." Rossi comments as the two pull away once more and Rossi throws his hands up towards Emily. "There she is." He starts as he places two hands on her face and gives her welcoming kisses on her cheeks.

          JJ and Spencer are next on the reunion train and even Hotch has a big smile on his face. "Hi!" JJ smiles as she goes in for a hug next. "We missed you. How are you?"

        "Good. Good. It's so great to see you guys." Emily then makes her way over to Spencer and gives him a big hug next. "Oh, brainiac, I love the do." Emily comments, ruffling Spencer's hair. "Casey, you lucky woman." Emily says and Casey nods, "Believe me, I know." Spencer blushes and then Emily makes her way to Hotch, giving him a big hug.

         "Thank you for coming." Emily tells. "Of course." Emily then turns towards Vivian. "Agent Vivian Hudson, good to see you again!" Vivian smiled as the two women shook hands. "Likewise, Agent Prentiss."

         Hotch speaks up again. "Casey and JJ are headed to the crime scene. I'm assuming you want to join?" Emily immediately nods, "You assume right."

         With that, Casey, JJ and Emily head off to the latest crime scene. Casey had decided to drive, she promised she wouldn't be too reckless since no one was in imminent danger yet. JJ had taken the front seat and Emily sat in the back.

         Once they arrived, Casey spoke as she got out of the car. "You know, I can't believe it. The whole ride here, you didn't mention the guy once. I'm just saying."

         Emily is confused. "What? Morgan?" Casey wasn't talking about him, but, she'll let Emily talk. "Okay, guys, I'm sorry. I was going to. I was just giving you space. I mean, he just left. You must still be raw. I remember leaving you guys both times. I was heartbroken. I'm sure he's gonna be okay. He's with his family, and he's... Morgan."

        Emily then turns to both women beside her. "How are you guys doing? You holding up?" She asks. "Yeah. I mean, some days are better than others." JJ shrugs. "Yeah, Spencer, I think, is going through it more than I am, which is understandable. But he knows I'm there." Casey tells.

       "But that wasn't the guy I was talking about. I was actually talking about your new London boyfriend, Mark." Casey said to Emily, who has a shocked and confused look on her face. "Wait -- how do you know about Mark?" Emily questions.

       "Oh, come on, I'll give you one guess." JJ spoke, pausing and soon enough, Emily figured it out. "Garcia." She said. JJ laughed as Casey nods, "You know, you can't hide a thing from that woman."

        Two car doors close and here come two detectives who are also on the case. "You must be the Feds." One of them speaks. "I'm McCleary. This is Rollins." The introduced themselves.

      "I'm Agent Willows. This is my colleague, Agent Jareau, Agent Prentiss here is with Interpol." Casey introduces and for a slight moment, Emily takes a pause and realizes how much Casey has truly grown up.

      "This is it right over here." McCleary points over to the car where the victims were found in. "What can you tell us about the victim?" Casey decides to ask as she makes her way over to the car.

      "Her name was Camille Harrison," Rollins tells. "Twenty-six-year-old bartender from Yonkers. Cause of death was a single gunshot wound to the head." Emily bends forward to look inside the car. "There was someone else in here. See the blood spatter shadow on the passenger seat?"

      "Yeah, we picked up on that," McCleary tells. "Figured the shooter was standing right here outside the driver's side window while Ms. Harrison was at the wheel."

     "You guys find any blood trails?" Emily asks as she makes her way towards the sidewalk. "No. But it rained last night. It compromised the scene." McCleary told. "If someone else was here, that matches the MO of the Son of Sam murders. As I recall from college and training, Berkowitz's first victims were two girls he shot in a car, correct?" Casey wonders.

      "Yes, but one of them was only hit in the leg and survived." Emily nods. "But you're assuming there was a second victim. We only got one stiff." McCleary points out. "Okay, but let's say somebody else was shot. What would they do?" Emily questions.

       "I'd get the hell out of the car and run." JJ spoke. "Yeah. And I'd go this way." Emily points ahead to where she's standing. "That's where the closest busy street is." The group takes a walk around the corner. "So if I'm hurt, maybe I stumble." Emily finds a pole with blood on it. "Hello. I've got something here. Do you have an evidence collection kit in your car?" Emily asks the detectives. "Yeah. Yeah, I do." McCleary nods and the women collect the evidence and eventually head back to the PD to tell the team what they had found.

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           Hours passed and Emily decided to take a small coffee run for the team. "Oh, buddy, I remember why I missed you so much." JJ spoke as Emily walked back in. "Emily, you are seriously a lifesaver." Casey comments, taking a cup for herself.

         "Guys, I noticed a pattern." Spencer spoke, standing up from beside Casey. "The unsub only kills between the months of March and September." Hotch's cell phone rings and he checks the caller ID.
        "Makes sense. It's easier to move around in the summer months." Emily spoke.
        "Go ahead, Garcia." Hotch orders.

       "I have got absolutely nothing on my passport search. I've been trying to pinpoint travelers who were in America, the UK, and Russia at the time of the murders. I have zero matches." Garcia told.

       "Hey, we should also look at diplomats." Emily adds and suddenly, Garcia gasps, "Oh, my God. Oh, my God, it's you, hi!" Casey smiles at Garcia's surprise and she notices Hotch's small smile. "Hey, you." Emily said.

      "Oh, my God! You're here! You're not here here, but you're in the country here. I miss you. How are you?" Hotch's face changes and he speaks. "Garcia."

       "Oh! Yes, sorry. Uh... diplomats. Explain." Garcia tells. "Well, what if he's part of some kind of diplomatic envoy? Someone attached to an embassy would have money and could travel with ease." Emily tells. Hotch nods along, "Not to mention diplomatic immunity."

        "It would also explain being multi-lingual." Spencer adds, leaning over Casey's chair. "Still would have to go through customs, though." JJ added as well.

       "I got a match. It's not really a match." Garcia says. Casey furrows her brows, "Why not?"

        "Because I don't think our unsub is his excellency Dr. Sanjay Shah, 61-year-old Indian ambassador to the UK. He was in London at the right time, but he's currently speaking at a climate control conference in Miami." Garcia explains.

         Detective Rollins comes into the room with news. "Guys, we got a woman who was shot in the leg in the Bronx. Claims she was mugged, but she was in the area at the right time." With that, JJ, Emily and Casey all exchange a look and decide to go and talk to the woman.

After talking to the woman that was shot in the leg, they were informed of a man who looked like the unsub that was spotted in Queens. Unfortunately, they were too late and he'd already killed a couple in their car. Rossi, Spencer and Hotch stayed at the PD while Tara, Emily, Vivian, JJ and Casey were at the crime scene.

         JJ and Casey had finished identifying the victims. "Victims are Trent and Rhonda Klein, both 46. Trent was a corporate lawyer, Rhonda was an Ad exec. Survived by their two daughters." JJ explained as Tara and Vivian had walked over to them.
        "How old?" Emily asks.
        "Twelve and ten." Casey says somberly.

       ".44 caliber." Tara says as she walks up to them with a fragment of the bullet. "But he uses a Bulldog revolver." JJ says. "It doesn't eject shells, and it only holds five rounds."

         "Okay, I know we need to wait for the ME's report, but I count seven different entry wounds." Emily tells. "She's got at least six. So he had to reload twice." Vivian stated as she leaned down to look at the bodies in the car.

         "But Berkowitz didn't do that." Casey comments. "And he was a misogynist," Emily added. "The only man he shot was a guy with long hair that he thought was a woman."

        "This unsub's out of control, and this is overkill." Tara tells. "So what was it about these two that made him lose it?" JJ wonders. "Well, he could be evolving, finally figuring out what it is he really likes." Casey figures.

         As Vivian examines the body in the car seat, she can't help but notice something. "Prentiss?" She speaks. "You got a flashlight on you by any chance?" Emily doesn't say a word as she points a flashlight towards Trent Klein and Vivian puts a glove on and Emily finally sees it. "What is that?"

        Vivian reaches into Trent's mouth and makes a face once she realizes what she had pulled out. JJ calls over McCleary. "That is a Rolex." JJ comments. "Oh, really? I thought it was a plane." Vivian comments as she placed the Rolex into a plastic bag for evidence.

       "Why so angry all of a sudden?" Tara questions. "You know, this is an expensive car," Emily points out. "And those Princess-cut diamonds in her ears are at least a carat each, but he didn't take any of it."

      "But we profiled that he has money. He doesn't need those things." Casey shrugged. "Yeah, but these are the first victims that actually had money. Look what he did." Emily looks towards the car.

      "He punished them." JJ said. "So maybe it's some kind of self-loathing thing." Emily tells. "Or maybe we got it wrong," Tara assumes. "I mean, just because the guy's educated and multi-lingual doesn't mean he comes from money. Maybe it's exactly the opposite. Maybe he hates people with money." Tara explained.

        "But why?" Casey wonders.

        "I think we should deliver the profile." Vivian says.

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       After delivering the profile, they had pinpointed exactly where the unsub was gonna strike next with Spencer's help with seeing where previous and infamous serial killers struck. The team had concluded that the unsub would be heading to Chicago next, since it was closest.

The team had currently been flying to Chicago on the jet and were about to debrief when they realized Emily was still asleep from the nap she had taken. The team could help but notice the words coming out of her mouth as she muttered them in her sleep. "JJ... no... I'm sorry..."

"Emily," JJ decides to wake Emily up from her nightmare. "Emily. Emily!" The woman's eyes widened as she had finally woken up. JJ moved back to where she was sitting as Emily sighed, "I'm up. I'm up."

Everyone had looked at the woman and Emily seemed to noticed that she was being gawked at. "Why are you guys all staring?" She asks.

"You were dreaming." Rossi tells. "The same one?"

Emily nods, "Yeah," She looks down at the ground. "Only JJ was in it this time." JJ furrowed her brows as Emily says this.

Casey looks at Emily as tears form in her eyes. "Tara, remember when you asked me if I was close to the inspector who was killed?" Tara nods, "Yeah."

"I lied," Emily told. "Her name was Louise Holland, and I was the one who suggested she volunteer to go undercover. I told her it would be good for her career. And we needed more women in power positions." Emily looks down. Louise was young, Casey's age. It would be like sending her out on that mission. And sometimes, when she wasn't dreaming on JJ on that mattress, dying in front of her, it was Casey. And it frightened her to think of that.

"Emily, it's--it's okay." Tara tells. "But it was my profile." Emily says. "The whole operation, it was my idea." JJ speaks up next, "You never told us that." Emily sighed as she looks JJ's way. "Well, I'm telling you now. She's dead because of me." Emily spoke sadly.

"Emily, she volunteered. You have to remember that." Hotch tells the woman. "It wasn't your fault. You didn't know it was gonna have that outcome." Casey added.

"But I talked her into it," Emily's eyes filled with even more tears as she spoke. "The Chief Inspector hated the idea. He thought it was too risky. And I went above his head to push it through. I just... I thought we'd catch him."

"You almost did." Spencer stated. Emily sighed as she shook her head. "Almost." She said. "Well, it's our job to get him now. And we're gonna take him down." Vivian spoke finally as Emily straightened herself up and got it together for when they flew to Chicago.

Garcia had ended up finding their unsub and he was flying back to his hometown — which was Chicago. His father was an armed robber and he died two years ago, right around the murders in Russia started. The father served time in Stateville Penitentiary, where serial killers Richard Speck and John Wayne Gacy were both incarcerated there, leaving them to figure out who Michael Lee Peterson was about to copy.

The team landed in Chicago and gone in separate SUVs when Garcia had informed the team of a 911 call coming from a student at Northeast State University that spotted Peterson. The team had been sent in that direction and they parked their SUVs, going into the building when shots were heard. Rossi, JJ, Casey and Emily had made their way into the building and realized they were going the right way once they heard clatter in one of the dorms.

A girl had come running out of one of the dorm rooms and screamed for help. They had gotten the girl out of the building as Emily entered the room she came out of. "Michael Lee Peterson, FBI." She says, pointing her gun towards the man, who's holding a gun to a student's head.

"Get back. I swear to God I'll blow her head off." Michael warned. "Okay, okay. It's all good." Emily said as she goes into the room. "Back up!" He warns. "Sorry, I can't do that." Emily says as both Casey and Rossi hold their guns up to the man.

"Please!" The girl he's holding cries. "Shut up." Michael tells.

"You don't remember me, do you, Michael?" Emily questions. "We met in London." Michael looks at the woman and scoffs. "You followed me all the way here. I must be a big deal."

"You're already going to be the man when you get to prison." JJ tells. "Just let her go, you'll be on the news at 10:00." Rossi added. "You'll be respected. Like you think your father should've been." Casey added on, making Michael hold his gun towards Casey. "You shut up! You know nothing about my father!"

Sirens are suddenly heard outside and Emily nudged her head towards the window. "Look outside. Half the cops in the city are out there just for you. Go ahead, see for yourself. You're the best ever. Police all over the world have been looking for you."

Michael smirks, "They're gonna write books about me. I'm even gonna make you famous." He says, looking at Emily.
"Look outside." Emily urges.
"See all those people out there? Hah! They're all gonna know my--"

Emily takes the shot and kills Michael Lee Peterson. JJ had ushered the girl out of the room as Emily took Michael's gun and looked down at his body. Casey comes behind her and looks down as well.

"You got him, Emily." Casey speaks and Emily nods, holding Casey's bicep as Casey holds hers in support.

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Emily had decided to go and surprise Garcia by flying back with the team to the BAU. After finishing up what they needed to, Casey and JJ had tried finding Garcia and Emily and had come across them in Morgan's old office, laughing.

"Whoa. Whoa, whoa." JJ says as both her and Casey walk in the room. "You guys are having a party and you didn't invite us? How rude!" Casey comments.

"You want to come to dinner with us?" Garcia asks the women. "Um... yeah." JJ tells. "Yeah. I'll let Will know." Casey nods, "Yeah, I'll let Spence know, too."

"Oh, my God. We're gonna have a girls night." Garcia says and Casey smiles, "It looks like the leading ladies are back." Noting that when she first joined the BAU, it was always Garcia, JJ, Emily and herself and that's how it was for a few years and it was like old times.

"Did somebody say girls night?" Rossi pops into the room and Emily nods, "Yes, but we'll make an exception for you."

Behind him, Spencer appears with a smile on his face. "Me, too?" He asks.
"Not a chance." Emily says.
Spencer's big and bright smile turns into a frown and Casey interferes, "Baby, she was kidding! She was kidding!" She laughs.

"Well, let's do it," Rossi decides. "I'm starving and I'm buying. And bring the bottle." He points to the tequila bottle that Emily had pulled out from one of Morgan's cabinets.

"Oh, my God. This is, uh, this is-- this is the best." Garcia comments as JJ pulls her out of the room and Garcia pulls Casey.

Casey rejoices with her husband and texts Leah that her and Spencer were gonna be home a little later. Spencer has an arm wrapped around Casey's shoulder as they walk together.

"Okay, so, Hotch and  Vivian are debriefing, Lewis is finishing up paperwork but I'll text them and tell them where to meet us." JJ informed. "Where are we going?"

"Mexican?" Emily suggests. "Burritos in London no bueno."
"I'm not opposed," Casey responds. "Mexican it is?" Everyone nods in agreement.

"Speak of the devils." Rossi starts as the team spots Hotch and Vivian. Their stances are similar to Casey's and Spencer's, holding hands as they walk out of the bullpen. Tara exiting the doors beside them.

Tara notices the bottle in Emily's hand. "Oh, I see Tequila." Garcia chirps up, "We're having family dinner. Are you in?" She asks.

Hotch nods and looks towards Vivian. "I've got some time." He says and the woman beside him nods, "I am... absolutely famished, yes. What are we having?"

"Mexican!" Casey cheers as the team all head towards the elevator.

"You had me at Tequila." Tara speaks.

Garcia cheers, "Yes! Vamanos! This is happening." She then looks at Emily. "You can tell us everything about Mark. By everything, I mean everything about Mark. I want all the details."

Casey laughs as she rolls her eyes at Garcia's nosiness and presses the button to the elevator over and over. "I, however, do not." Rossi speaks up.

"Well, you won't get any. I'll save that for a real girls night." Emily tells as Spencer holds the elevator doors open for the team to walk through first. "And we will be having that night, by the way. And soon!" Casey adds.

The team enters the elevator and Casey pulls Spencer by his tie into the elevator. "Get in here, you."

Per Emily's request, they, of course, went to a Mexican restaurant. The team had talked and talked and talked the night away, drinking margaritas and laughing about God knows what. It had been moments like these that Casey never felt alone, knowing she had her team and family here with her.

Casey smiles as she notices Vivian and Hotch clung together like glue, Tara drinking and telling the funniest stories she knew to Emily, Garcia's rambling and sipping of her margarita, riddled with giggles, JJ chuckled at Tara's stories as she drinks, Rossi's careless money spending and old man laughter and last but certainly not least, her husband's true laugh. Something she hadn't heard in a long time.

Casey had clung onto Spencer towards the end of the night, acting like she was gonna lose him the next day. She took in her surroundings, wanting to be here, in this moment, forever and ever.

hey, lovelies!

me bc the team should've had more happier moments that were shown on the show😕

that's enough to make a grown woman bawl

anywayssss
two more chapters and s11 is finito!
so excited yet so so so so scared

i love you all
thank you so much for reading
i am so so so sorry for the many many updates every single day ik i'm doing it too much lmao
-mya </333