Chapter Ten / Bad Neighbour

Season One / Episode Twelve

Life in the BAU was put on extreme with Monica moving during cases and reports being due. It was like whatever pressure she felt already while working for the FBI was heightened, and it did nothing but make her life a misery for a fortnight. Luckily her team was supportive. Morgan and Elle offered to help move items over from her old apartment, each taking their own cars to carry the boxes she had packed. Hotch offered to give her a couple days off to ease the pressure, but when Monica's eyebrows pinched, he realised he said the wrong thing and simply excused her from work for the rest of the day. Little did she know that meant he stayed later in his office to finish off her paperwork, but Monica cared minimal as she carried boxes half her weight up flights of stairs for six hours straight. Anderson was nothing but supportive in the first week she moved in; cooking dinner, cleaning the apartment, and offering to buy anything she needed to make the apartment feel more homely. It was not until two weeks had passed where they fell into a routine. Monica would cook their food; he would clean up after her then Fridays they would get fast food. He would wake up early due to his shift hours and have breakfast premade for her, and today was no different.

It had been nearly three weeks of her living as Anderson's roommate, and by now the pressure of work and a new environment had disappeared. So, the singular poached egg broken and spread across two toasts buttered with avocado was simply expected but so loved. It was a favourite breakfast of the pair, another common trait they learnt since living together. Monica ate while listening to the news on the radio, using her spare hand to scribble numbers in patterns for her daily Sudoku in the newspaper Anderson would get but never use. When she finished her mind puzzle and washing up her breakfast plates, she found herself outside on the apartment's balcony after putting in a CD into the radio. With a cigarette in one hand, the other tapped along the barrier to the ABBA music blasted in the apartment. Monica was sure those living across the floor from them would consider her a bad neighbour, but after what she has heard coming from their side of the apartment late at night? She could give a shit about what they thought!

Snuffing the cigarette bud against the metal barrier, Monica swayed her way inside as Waterloo began playing. Dancing while getting dressed for work proved quite difficult, but after months of doing this, she still hadn't learnt and instead chose to suffer while having fun. She wore her black slacks as usual, this time pairing it with a navy-blue blouse that shined like it was silk though it was not close. As she turned off the radio, the apartment suddenly alarming quiet, she realised that the temperature might change. Frowning, she rummaged through her washing pile to get her favourite leather jacket where she piled all her personal items that would no longer fit inside the Go-Bag in the trunk of her car.

The drive to work meant having another cigarette, a habit that Monica knew was bad, but she was unable to find a way to stop. The rush to her head was relieving for such an intense job, at least that is what she told herself as she hung her arm out the open car window while tapping the remaining ashes away. When she pulled into Quantico's carpark, she snubbed the lit bud underneath the heel of her left boot while she took two strips of spearmint gum to mask the smell of smoke on her. The perfume in the back pocket of the driver's seat also proved helpful. The elevator to the sixth floor felt like it went on forever as she chewed on the ball of gum in her mouth, but the moment the doors slid open she found herself being ushered into the conference room without a consultation.

Child kidnapping was always a situation that put the entirety of the FBI on edge, and with the BAU's team being led by a man who was now a father? There was an added stress onto their group. Monica noticed that Hotch's voice was tighter than usual as he informed them of the abduction that took place twenty hours to their current time. It was a period of time that put them at a massive disadvantage. The girl, Billie Copeland, had been kidnapped from her soccer practice where it was originally assumed that the father had been the one to take her due to the argument between the mother and daughter. However, as time passed, they realised their mistake as no evidence led to that being the truth. This is where the late arrival of the BAU came into place, Delaware luckily being only a half hour flight from Washington D.C. Reid, with his seriously depressing stats about Billie's chance of survival, was sent away with JJ, Elle, and Gideon to do their own investigation for the estimated four hours they had to find her alive. Herself, Morgan, and Hotch went to the last place where Billie Copeland was seen as they met with the lead detective, Charlotte Russet, on the soccer field.

     "I've put out a citywide alert. We've got multi-agency law enforcement running canvass. Body and evidence grid search is up and running on foot with canine units." Russet explained to the agents, pocketing her hands into the brown leather jacket she wore. Underneath was an orange turtleneck which made her stand out, but Monica knew now was not the time to critique anyone's fashion, "Talked to the press twice, gave them a description of the SUV and the suspect and formed a round-the-clock volunteer-manned hotline service."

     Morgan walked aside Monica, a frown on his face that still wasn't masked as he put sunglasses on and gave the detective a good look before questioning, "Did you run a background check on these volunteers?"

     "Ongoing, but no red flags yet." Morgan nodded his head in confirmation that there was nothing else she could do. It did not stop Russet from faltering in her steps, her voice falling quiet as she informed the trio, "I had to make a call on this one, you know? It looked like a family thing."

     Whatever guilt Monica felt for the detective had to be dismissed, and so she awkwardly cleared her throat as she asked, "Are there any witnesses we can talk to?"

     Luckily her question snapped Russet back into her work persona. She nodded her head, running a hand over her hair, "Witnesses have her talking to a white male, mid-30s, carrying a leash right about there. They can't give us anything else."

     "Just a leash? No dog?" Hotch frowned, adjusting his own sunglasses from the opposite side to his two team members.

     "No dog."

     Morgan hummed thoughtfully, looking across to Monica as if seeing if she thought that same as he did. When she gave light frown as she nodded her head slowly, Morgan continued, "Lost dog is a common ruse. Especially with children."

     "A short time later, a green SUV sped out of the parking lot over there." Russet stopped in her tracks to turn around, pointing to the carpark where they had just come from. Monica scanned the environment, wondering how no-one noticed the daylight kidnapping of an eleven-year-old girl, "We have an Amber Alert on it."

     "According to preliminary reports, mother and daughter had an argument during soccer practice?" Morgan stated, though it nearly came off as a question as if he was wanting to confirm this information.

     Russet nodded her head, biting the inside of her cheeks as if it was a touching situation. Monica assumed it was, it was the main bases for their justification around the father's involvement with the case, "Billie wants to spend more time with her father. It's a pretty fresh divorce. I get the impression that our victim is in the middle of it."

     "UnSub could've been hunting during practice." Hotch grumbled, offering it as an alternative idea to the one given to the group. The detective sent the man a look of confusion, though he paid no attention as he studied every minuscule detail, he could from the soccer field, "A crowded park at 4pm's a target-rich environment."

     "Angry, upset little girl needs someone to talk to." The tone underneath Morgan's mumble was laced with disgust, not bothering to hide his emotions regarding the case. Monica gave him a look of reassurance, though did not pressure him to talk anymore.

     Russet did not to seem to understand the silent agreement between the BAU agents. She furrowed her eyebrows, sharing a look with the doctor, "How would he know she was upset?"

     "Kids don't hide their emotions as well as adults do, means finding vulnerable kids is easier and UnSubs just happen to be especially good at finding them." Monica explained to the detective, shrugging her shoulders as if it was a casual conversation to have. Her hand reached for her sunglasses.

     Any further conversation was put on hold as Russet's phone began ringing the moment Monica found her sunglasses. Hotch and Morgan shared a look as Monica put them on as the detective answered the call and put the mobile phone to her hear, "Russet. Yeah. Where? We will be right there."

     "Everything alright?"

     She frowned at Hotch's simple question, "Uniforms just located another kid who might have talked to the suspect yesterday. It's a couple blocks from here."

     Russet's officers gave the group a lift to the address, not forcing their guests to walk for an extra ten minutes. As they got out of the car, Monica could hear the thudding of a basketball against the pavement before the echoing of plastic being knocked as wild and cheerful screams broke out into the street. A smile found its way onto her face despite the situation they were in, and as they drew closer to the kids and their team hugs, that smile disappeared. She could almost see herself, her twin and older brother playing street-basketball together like they did. Her heart ached, and whatever emotion she felt she was unable to hide well from her team. Morgan gave her a look of concern, putting a handout to grasp her bicep and comfort her but Monica ignored him and headed to the children with a relaxed posture and wide smile on her face.

     When she reached the edge of the street, a few of the kids noticed a new arrival but Monica paid no attention to their concerned looks, "Good afternoon, my name is Dr Monica Choung with the FBI. These are my agent friends; Aaron Hotchner, Derek Morgan and Charlotte Russet."

     Monica could sense Russet's posture change from aside her at the association of being FBI, but she paid little attention. One of the kids who had been bouncing the basketball suddenly held it close to his chest as he gasped, a giddy look on his face as he exclaimed, "Can I see your gun?!"

     "This used to be a good neighbourhood." A mother said out of the blue, making the smile disappear of Hotch's face as he adverted his gaze away from the child. The mother's tone was harsh as she hissed, covering her son's ears with her hands as if it was going to silence their conversation for him, "But this is what happens when you let pedophiles and sex freaks live wherever they want."

     "Ma'am we-"

     Russet was unable to get another word in, "No, I have been searching for the sex offender registry. Two of them live close. Not that you can tell exactly where from the map on the Internet. Are you talking to them?"

     "Yes, ma'am." Russet spoke fast before she was able to be cut off again. The mother took a moment to breathe in, clearly satisfied with the answer from the detective.

     Her son, however, had clearly been paying attention to whatever conversation his mother was happening with the FBI because he asked with a voice of innocence, "What's a pedophile sex freak?"

     Monica moved first, almost on instinct, "That's nothing for you to worry about right now. But you know what would be amazing? If one of you guys can help us on our case." Monica squatted down so she was a closer height to the children. They crowded around her as they all raised their hands, participating for her offer. Monica chuckled as she stabilized herself by placing a hand on the pavement, giving them a certain look as if taking into consideration all their personalities and appearance. After a moment of humming a thought, she finally asked, "Hmm, is there a Connie here? I think I need her help the most."

     A girl who was hiding behind her mother's legs stepped out, raising her hand as if afraid of what was going to happen. Other children who were hoping for a chance to help the FBI let out loud groans, but the blonde girl with pigtails gave them a gentle smile. Her mother spared a look to Morgan, who asked, "Ma'am, do you mind if we ask your daughter just a couple of questions?"

     When the mother nodded her head, following the man away from the group, Monica found herself being stopped from following. A little boy of Asian descent had grabbed her hand, tugging on it to keep her in place. His eyes were twinkling with pride, as if being in the close proximity of an agent was thrilling. He looked back over to his friends who gave him a thumbs up, before he looked up to her and pleaded, "Can you play with us?"

     Monica could only see her brother in the little boy. She squeezed his hand, "After this case is over, okay? If we aren't too busy, of course."

     He seemed satisfied with that answer, bouncing with joy as he went back to his friends to tell them about the good news before, they returned to their game of street-basketball. When she arrived at the conversation, Hotch had placed his hands on his hips while jutting it out, giving him a stance of authority. He looked down towards Connie, "Did you talk to a man yesterday about finding his dog?"

     "Yeah, he said her name was Candy and that she was old, but I told him I couldn't help him cause I had to go home and have lunch. And if I'm late, I get grounded." Connie explained, glancing back over to her mother as if she just committed a sin. The mother's grasp tightened on her daughter's shoulders, giving the agents an apologetic look but Hotch just smiled lightly in her direction as he joked:

     "Yeah, well, moms are like that."

     Connie then added on with a simple shrug, "And then when he came back, I was already late for soccer practice."

     Monica's mouth dried up at her words while Morgan did a double-take and stared at the little girl in confusion, "Connie, he came back?"

     "Yeah, after lunch. He said his dog was still lost." Connie explained, not understanding what was wrong with this. She looked confused between the agents, trying to piece together what the grownups were thinking but failed.

     "Do you think you'd recognize him if you saw him again?" Hotch asked the girl.

     "I don't know."

     "Would you like to go down to the police department and have a look at a book with some men's faces in it? Might help you recognize him?" Russet offered. Connie looked over her shoulders to her mother, asking for confirmation. The pair have a silent conversation, before agreeing. Russet offered to take the pair back to the station, allowing the trio of FBI agents to stay doing their job. While none of them verbally said thank you, Monica could tell that they all wanted to, but their brains were racing with possibilities instead.

     "He came back to the same neighborhood twice in one day." Morgan voiced, reinstating the fact. Hotch looked to the man with concern though it was concealed by his sunglasses. Monica had remained staring at a crack in the pavement, her frown deep and arms folded.

     "Either Connie is his type, or he is comfortable in the area." Monica stated, not realising how wrong her words sounded. She was simply voicing what she thought, "Asking the same child twice to help is bold, especially in a neighbourhood where it seems all the kids get along. Someone would notice."

     The Copeland's house had a large front yard. Monica frowned at its size as they exited the car that Morgan had driven to the house, the ride in utter silence as they thought over their own theories. It was almost like Gideon could sense that his team was arriving, because before Monica could even slam shut the car door, he was rushing out of the house with his arms swaying aggressively at his side, snapping a harsh, "What do we know?"

     Hotch spoke in a slow tone, hoping it would ease the nerves of the senior agent, "We talked to a kid who had contact with the UnSub."

     "He came back to the same street more than once." Morgan added, looking over his shoulder to the car as if that was where the street was located. Monica nodded her head in agreement, confirming the information being spread, "He lured Billie with the story of a lost dog."

     Gideon pulled out a dog ball from his back pocket, one that was covered in fluff and dirt. It was old, and clearly used often which he confirmed as he murmured, "Yeah, she recently lost one of her own."

     "That indicates previous knowledge of the victim." Reid added from aside Gideon, and Monica realised she did not even notice his arrival. However, she could spot the anxious twitching of his fingers on his legs as if it was an attempt to keep his mouth from rambling. When Monica looked at his lips, she could see they were quivering. He wanted to speak.

     Hotch frowned at the younger boy's words, folding his arms, "Yeah, but it doesn't mean she necessarily knew him personally only that he's aware."

     "It's not uncommon for predators like these to know kids that live around his area." Reid rebutted his boss's statement, raising a finger as if he was a student questioning a teacher. Monica furrowed her eyebrows as she looked over to him, processing his words before saying:

     "So, he's from this neighbourhood."

     When Reid nodded his head to the doctor's words, Russet's mouth was pulled into a thin line. She looked angry, and Monica nearly was surprised by the rage when she hissed, "Then we go door-to-door and ask for voluntary searches."

     "The neighbourhood is already crawling with uniforms." Reid stated, not exactly justifying the reason of this message to the detective. The rest of the BAU nodded their heads to the young man's words, "They're everywhere."

     "Look, so far you have followed the Child Abduction Response Plan to the letter?" Gideon questioned Russet, noticing the look of extreme confusion and growing frustration with the detective. Russet agreed with the senior agent's statement, so he continued, "So, now we need to move past the guidelines. Change tactics. If we don't, Billie isn't going to make it past the next 24 hours."

     Monica looked to Gideon as she rose the sunglasses from off her nose, perching them on the top of her head where her hair was tied into a high ponytail, "What do you want us to do?"

     "I want you to corell these clowns." He told her, pointing between Morgan and herself. The two nodded their heads, their postures straightening with pride at the task given to them, "We're going to need them. All of them."

     They found themselves in a separate office room away from the main station, Morgan's cellphone opened so that the pair could hear the sweet statistics from the blonde tech genius. Despite the continuous questioning by Morgan regarding the list, Garcia came up with nothing that would actually prove one of these sex offenders would be their UnSub. Monica could feel her anxiety growing, manifesting in frustration as she slammed down a file against the desk. Morgan murmured a concerned goodbye to Garcia, before asking if she was okay. Before Monica had the chance to do anything, Hotch came rushing into the office with a pair of car keys in his hands. He did not have to say anything to the two other agents, who rushed after him into the nearest car and let their boss drive them to a location while he briefed them on what was happening.

     As they pulled up to Dennis Jones's location (who Monica and Morgan had just been told was a low-leveled sex offender by Garcia moments before), Monica understood just how severe the situation was. William Copeland, Billie's father, held an item posed as a weapon in his hand, threatening Jones with it. Monica opened the door of the SUV, unbuckling herself from the car seat as she jumped out before it came to a complete stop. Hotch shouted a curse at her as she slammed the car door shut, bolting in the direction of Jones as she could see Morgan in the corner of her eyes with Copeland as his main focus.

     Monica crashed into Jones who was attempting to fight back for his own protection. The man grunted at the blunt force, and within seconds he was being shoved backwards as she hissed, "Go inside, now!"

     "He's got my kid!" Copeland shouted; his arms restrained behind his back with the makeshift weapon of a wrench rested on the floor.

     Jones looked furious, moving himself forward to snap back, "I got no kid!"

     "You will have to stay in there until this whole matter is sorted, sir. Now stay inside." Monica informed him, her arm out to stop him from going any further. Hotch made his way over to the doctor, his usual frown on his face. Jones paused for a beat, before grumbling under his breath as he walked inside the trailer-house. Hotch spared a look to his co-worker, but she paid no attention to him as she helped Copeland into the back of the SUV.

     Before Monica got into the back of the SUV aside Copeland, Morgan nudged her, "Good tackle."

     "He weighs nothing compared to stretchers with patients on them." Monica replied simply, shrugging her shoulders. Copeland spared her a look as she sat aside him, noticing the handcuffs. Morgan drove them back to the station, Hotch staying behind with Jones to discuss legal issues. And so, they waited. Mary Copeland arrived before the man did, sitting a comfortable distance away from her ex-husband but enough to show she had some sympathy for him.

     When Hotch walked into the room, Monica looked at him. He was still frowning, folding his hands together as he said, "Mr. Jones isn't interested in pressing charges."

     "Oh, oh, am I supposed to be grateful?" William Copeland sarcastically scoffed, rolling his eyes. When none of the agent's answered, their silence being a yes, the father looked furious as he exclaimed, "That bastard's a pedophile!"

     "Actually, Mr. Copeland, he isn't." Monica responded harshly; eyes narrowed. Morgan studied her, realising that she had not yet de-stressed since their conversation with Garcia about the list of sex offenders. He noticed that Hotch also had a look upon his face as he stared at the doctor, but it quickly shifted when William kept talking.

     "Did you check up on him? Did you even check his house?"

     "His sex offense was soliciting a prostitute." Morgan informed William, his voice monotone. He gave nothing but said the most confusion piece of information for the father, "It had nothing to do with children."

     William's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, his mouth opening and closing for a few seconds as he attempted to find any words that would work. Finally, he stuttered out weak; "But he's registered on-"

     "Mr. Copeland, there are a lot of ways to get on that list." Morgan explained. William looked a mixture between rage and confusion, "That's why accessing that type of information is supposed to be left up to law enforcement."

     "We understand your frustration, and your anger. But you're jeopardizing our efforts to save your daughter's life. Every minute spent chasing you is time we're not spending on Billie." Mary Copeland looked towards her ex-husband, her eyes watering. William blinked, shrinking into a shell as he hunched over. Monica knew the words were harsh to the parents, but it was the only way they would end up listening to the BAU, "So, either get control of yourself and follow our directions or stay out of our way."

     Mary finally spoke up, "What would you like us to do?"

     "We need you to make a public appeal for information regarding a witness driving a dark green SUV, our Communications Liaison will help you." Monica explained, pointing through the window to where JJ waited patiently for the parents once again. The blonde looked on edge as she made small talk to the rest of the station.

     "Isn't he supposed to be the suspect?" William quizzed, eyeing the doctor.

     "He is our suspect, but when people hear that word they imagine a monster, not your average working man." Monica agreed as she nodded her head, linking her hands together in front of her as she leant on the wall, "They aren't able to imagine their neighbour being able to do this."

     "If he's a witness, he might be a hero." Elle Greenaway added from behind their boss, and Monica had completely forgotten she was in the room. Sparing a look with the woman, the two gave a small reassuring smile to one another before focusing on the Copelands.

     Mary Copeland did not seem to like this idea, "Okay but what if he thinks it's a trick? What if he panics, or thinks it's too risky and then he-"

     "It's not just him that you'll be speaking to. It's his neighbours as well." Elle explained gently, moving to the couch where Mary sat. She put a gentle touch on the mother's arm, rubbing her thumb in comforting circles.

     "We've done everything we can to relieve the pressure on this man. We've taken the cops off the street. You won't have any standing with you on the dais. Only a local minister." Morgan said.

     "Hearing he isn't a suspect might calm him down as well." Hotch added, folding his arms as he moved to stand next to the doctor. Monica looked up at him, her lips brought downward to mimic his facial expression, "Right now he is under enormous stress, and we need him to believe, even if it's just for a little while, that we're way off the mark. That we are not close to arresting him."

     "Are you?" William interrogated, rising to his feet. Monica removed herself off the wall at the sudden movement, taking a brief step forward so she was in front of Hotch. William glared at her, "Are you close to arresting him?"

     Hotch moved, taking his place aside Monica once again though this time for support. William looked between the pair of them, the rage he felt for Monica melting away as he was told, "We need the public's help."

     Their plan did not work as well as they had hoped. The Copelands stood on the platform, addressing the audience of reporters with hesitated answers and shaky breaths while the local Minister stood aside him with his head hung in remembrance. Mary Copeland spoke words that hurt, her eyes brimming with tears as she asked for help — portraying her daughter's kidnapper as a hero rather than what he was. Monica could tell it hurt, and she did not blame for it. Morgan stood shoulder to shoulder with her, the pair both suffering in their own memories over their situation and neither one speaking because the touch was enough. However, when the Copelands were leaving the platform, a journalist asked the one question that tipped everything off. The body.

     Unknown to the Copelands (and Monica until she was walking into the room), they had discovered a body underneath a bridge in the water. Regarding the situation, there was an intense fear it would be Billie Copeland, but Gideon was certain it could not be her. The age, time of death and cause of death was too far off to be the little girl. Yet, the BAU had not mentioned it to the parents before their talk. So, when the question was asked if the body was Billie's, whatever wall the Copelands had to protect themselves crumbled. William resulted to anger, while Mary went into a state of paranoia. Monica and Elle moved to the mother, ushering her away from the reporters while Morgan beelined for the father. In a separate room, away from the cameras trying to catch the grieving parents, the team updated them regarding the body. JJ, with a look of guilt on her face because she seemed to have a past with the reporter, comforted the parents as much as she could while the rest of the team went into searching mode.

     Morgan, Reid, Hotch and herself were in the side office she was in before. She sat on the floor of the room, her folders and papers surrounding her in a circle that only she seemed to understand the routine too. Yet, she had given herself a break. It was now 3pm, and they had arrived around 10am. She was starved, and the station had given her a lunch from Subway when she asked. Morgan and Reid were on the small desk shoved against the window, their folders in two piles of: Likely and Unlikely. Morgan had focused on answering the Hotline Tips, his voice bored after the thirtieth one that was just someone grabbing for attention. Hotch sat on the couch; his own files spread across it messily as he lent back into the cushions. Monica could tell he was trying not to fall asleep.

     Suddenly an officer knocked on the door, causing Hotch to sit upright and look at the man, "A Mr. Lomax has a neighbour with a green SUV, but he hasn't seen him all day. Says that's unusual. Thought he might have been just out of town, but now he sees some lights on over there."

     "1106 Springfield?" Reid asked. The officer nodded his head, watching in surprise as the man scrambled over the piles for something, "Where's our canvass sheets?"

     Monica looked around her circle of information, moving papers to the side until she found what Reid was looking for and handed it to him. He scanned the paper, his mouth whispering the number to himself before he said louder, "1106? No answer."

     "Let's go have a wee chat with Mr. Lomax then, huh?" Monica grinned, looking towards the group in the office.

     "Nice call." Morgan said to the officer who had watched the teamwork. He gave a wary nod of his head before leaving them alone. Monica scoffed lightly at the interaction.

     When they arrived at the house, Lomax was raking his leaves in his backyard. He must have heard the clicking of Monica's boots against the pavement because he looked up in surprise, a light smile on his face. Their message about the suspect being a helper was clearly the correct way to go. Morgan was the first to speak as the trio pulled out their credentials, "Mr. Lomax? Agent Morgan, and Doctors Reid and Choung with the FBI."

     "Holy smokes, that was fast." Lomax joked, his voice deep when he laughed.

     Reid ignored the humour, raising a hand to block out the setting sun as he asked, "Did you call in a tip about your neighbour, Don Curtis?"

     "Lives down the street." Lomax explained, pointing with his elbow in the vague direction. Monica could see Reid turn around to look, "I saw the news thing, you know? I was thinking, Don drives a dark green Explorer and he's at the park all the time. I figured, like they said on the television, maybe he knows something, but he doesn't know that he knows it. Know what I mean?"

     "Do you know where the Explorer is now?" Monica questioned, placing hands on her hips as she looked him up and down. Lomax thought for a moment.

     "It's usually in the driveway, but I haven't seen it today. Haven't seen Don either, which is kind of weird." He trailed off, looking at his feet. For a moment they thought he had stopped, but Lomax looked up and rambled on, "We're always out-front talking about the lawns. He never has any crabgrass. I don't know how he does it."

     Morgan, clearly frustrated with the tangents the older man was going on, inhaled deeply, "Do you know if he has a dog?"

     "Used to. A big golden retriever. Her name was Candy. I think she died like, six months ago." Monica shared a brief look with Reid, and the younger boy nodded his head in understanding. Don Curtis was clearly their UnSub.

     "Thank you, Mr. Lomax, you have been a humongous help." Monica told the old man, extending her hand to shake it. Lomax grinned at her gratitude, returning to his raking as the trio made their way down the street to the corner where Don Curtis lived.

     Morgan called Hotch on their walk, updating him on the information they had received, and the fact Curtis had to be their UnSub. It didn't take long for the rest of the team plus Russet to arrive after Reid and Monica had knocked on the house's door. Gideon was on high alert as Morgan said, "Third house on the right. We knocked on the door, but nobody's answering."

     "His neighbour said he's definitely in there." Reid added.

     Monica frowned as she looked over her shoulder in the direction of the house, "He also has a dark green Explorer parked in the garage."

     "Break down the door."

     Russet blinked in confusion at Gideon's statement, "We don't have probable cause."

     "He's got a green SUV, has a dog who has died recently and spends time in the park." Morgan explained to the detective.

     Hotch shrugged his shoulders, "And he's pretending to not be home."

     "None of which are illegal." Russet snapped, glaring at their boss, "No judge is gonna sign a warrant based on that information."

     "You're weighing the life of a child against the price of a door?!" Gideon accused; his face pinched as if he was trying to hold back his anger, yet it was seeping through. Monica wanted to do something, anything, to defuse the situation.

     "I am weighing the law against the price of a door!" Russet retaliated.

     "The girl's in the house right now, and the longer we stand here and wait, the longer he has to finish her off." Gideon hissed, his rage bursting at the seams. Monica moved to him, placing a hand on his bicep to tug him away from the detective. He spared her a look; eyes wide as he thought over every possible outcome. Monica swore she could see images of them in the whites of his eyes.

     "I will call a judge. If we go in there without a warrant, all that evidence will get thrown-"

     Hotch cut Russet off, "We're aware of the rules of evidence. What do you propose that we do?"

     Yet, they could not discuss no further. Gideon stepped out of Monica's touch, bolting in the direction of the Curtis residential. Monica cursed under her breath, being the first to follow the man as she called after him, "You know she is right, Gideon! If we are wrong, all of this was for nothing."

     "But I know we are right." Gideon told her, voice not nearly as harsh as it was to the detective as he gestured between the pair aggressively. He slowed down as they reached the doorway, him turning to her, "You want me to do nothing for what? To risk the life of a little girl. What do you want me to do?"

     Monica stared at him and realised that Gideon was pleading with her to have his back — he just wouldn't verbalise it. She nodded her head firmly as she said, "At least let us back you up. The judge would not be able to complain about us all."

     Gideon smiled lightly at the doctor's statement as the rest of the team joined them. Hotch was trying to say something to the senior agent, probably to calm him down, but Gideon had found himself a pot plant. Without a second thought he smashed it into the window, shattering glass all around. When there was enough room for him to climb through, he did so — ignoring the pain the glass brought him as he had pulled down his sleeves to protect his palms. Monica looked towards Hotch, who gestured for her to follow him as Morgan attempted to rattle the locked door. The doctor grumbled under her breath as she climbed through the window, not as smart as Gideon was to protect her hands. Shards of glass dug deep into her palms, tearing many small cuts into them that bled as she rid the glass from her skin. She made her way to the front door, unlocking it for the team as she pulled out her gun.

     Gideon was already searching the rooms, hoping to either find the UnSub or the victim. It felt like minutes had passed before anything was caught. A man rushed out of the room, attempting to avoid being caught but Gideon pounced within seconds. He shoved the man against the wall, aiming the barrel of the handgun directly to the centre of his forehead. The man trembled as Gideon demanded, "Where is she?!"

     "I don't know what you're talking about." Don Curtis shouted back, squeezing his eyes shut when he spotted Monica drawing near with her own gun.

     "Where's Billie Copeland?"

     "Please don't hurt me." Curtis begged, "Please put the gun down."

     "Gideon, give him to us." Monica told the agent. She could see him pause, his body tense before he threw Curtis behind him towards the team. Monica was quick to put his hands together, taking Morgan's handcuffs to lock him up. Hotch then took him to the living room, waiting for a police car to travel him to the station for interrogation.

     They spent what would have been hours deeply searching Don Curtis's house. The sun had set, his shitty lamps providing the minimal light that the team needed in order to continue working. Monica found herself irritated, much like the senior agent. Gideon and herself knew they were right, knew that Curtis was their UnSub but aside from his intense video history there was nothing to link him to the kidnapping of Billie Copeland. Monica found herself ridding any form of tiredness from her face as she splashed ice cold water onto her skin in the bathroom, stray drips rolling down her neck into the collar of her shirt, but she couldn't care. They had him. But if they turned out wrong? They had lost both the case and more than likely, Billie Copeland. That was a thought Monica did not want to hyperfixate on.

     She had already thrown up. Something she had yet to do since joining the FBI. As a surgeon, Monica was used to see disgusting damage done to the body, but this was different. Morgan had found a collection of home videos from their UnSub, nothing too bad but definitely creepy. Then he stumbled across Billie's kidnapping. Monica excused herself from the team, locking herself in the bathroom and threw up every overwhelming emotion she felt. The terror in Billie's eyes, the pleas for her mother. Not her father, the one she had called when everything turned sour. Her mother. As if the guilt of leaving her mother alone with the memories of her hatred was too much. Billie simply wanted her mother, and Monica hated that they were unable to find the child.

     There was suddenly a knock on the bathroom door, urgent and frantic. Monica jumped away from the sink, opening the door to see a dishevelled looking Hotch. One look and she understood. Someone knew where Billie Copeland was.

     Rushing after her boss down the hallway, she stumbled across the sight of Gideon attempting to climb up a hole in the wall which must have led to an attic. Hope swirled in Monica's chest as she grabbed a chair from the dining table, giving Gideon the extra height, he needed in order to enter the attic. When his head was inside, he called a confirmation. Billie Copeland was alive. Monica felt everything break down in her, her shoulders sagging with relief as she let out a light chuckle while placing a hand on her chest. Charlotte Russet shook her shoulder in enjoyment, while Hotch merely stood with a faint smile on his face. Gideon called for Monica to assist him, and she soon found herself at the bottom of the hole with one leg on the chair, so she was able to grab Billie. The girl saw the woman, and simply broke. Her arms wrapped tightly around Monica's neck, the dog ball she had seen Gideon with hours ago digging into her neck uncomfortably, as she broke down into sobs that dribbled onto the doctor's shirt. She cared little, adjusting her grip on the little girl who buried herself into the comfort of the woman much like a koala to a Eucalyptus tree.

     Gideon spared her a look, his cheeks flushed but eyes narrowed. Monica gave him a light smile, and the senior simply nodded his head. They did good today.

     Monica wasn't able to keep her promise to the little kids, granting them a game of street basketball. By the time the case was completely over it was nearing midnight, and the entire team just wanted to go home instead. She, however, found a collection of basketballs off the street and in the lost-and-found, forcing the BAU to sign them — reminding the kids that they did have an interaction with FBI agents. While Morgan scoffed and said it would mean nothing to them, Monica was quick to inform it would mean the world. He just clearly didn't understand. He seemed not to care as he ushered them to the plane at 1am, one arm wrapped around Monica and the other around Elle as they chatted about nonsense. Anything to distract their minds from their successful case. Perhaps that is how they ended up playing rounds of poker on the half-hour flight back.

     JJ and Reid sat aside each other, Morgan on a separate seat by his lonesome diagonal to them while Hotch sat in the double seats opposite the youngsters. Gideon sat by himself, lost in thought as he stared out the window. Monica had spent a couple minutes across from him, applying an ointment to the very scarce cuts from the window glass that resided on his hands. For herself she applied a stronger percentage, wrapping her hands in bandages to prevent infections. It wasn't until she was holding her Go-Bag that she realised how deep her wounds were from the glass, and Gideon murmured an absent apology in her direction when he noticed. She cared little about the lack of interest from the senior, Monica knew that this case impacted him just as much as it did her. She was just younger and newer, meaning it was easier for her to disconnect from the case. That's why she stood behind JJ, attempting to help her win.

     "I got absolutely nothing." Morgan huffed, throwing down his cards onto the table.

     JJ mimicked his actions, a playful frown on her face, "Neither do I, and Monica is no help at all."

     "Fuck off!" Monica exclaimed, shoving the blonde lightly with one hand. JJ burst into laughter, holding her stomach to contain her glee which triggered Elle to smile from her placement in the kitchenette where she made herself a cup of tea.

     "Come help me, maybe your bad luck is actually just JJ's terrible gambling skills." Morgan teased, wiggling his eyebrows in the direction of JJ.

     Reid grimaced, "Doesn't matter. I have two pairs... Of Aces!"

     Those participating in the game of poker broke into shouts of nonsense at Reid's cocky brag, clearly just as confused as Monica was at this. JJ looked at the man aside him, glaring as she called, "Oh, shut up."

     "Get out of town!" Morgan scoffed, crossing his arms, and pouting like a child, "See, why you always winning?"

     "Because he cheats!" JJ answered, waving an arm in the genius's direction.

     "Poker, it's mathematics, it's statistics." Reid retaliated, though clearly confused with everyone's anguish but aware enough to understand that he could get away with spinning the truth slightly. Monica blank-faced him, and Reid had to bite the inside of his cheek to prevent his lips from spreading in a wide grin.

     Hotch, putting down his cards gently, explained, "He's from Vegas."

     Monica snapped her fingers, pointing at their boss as she exclaimed, "House rules!"

     "There's that, too." Reid laughed sheepishly, causing JJ to knock herself into him playfully. As the group argued with one another, laughter the undertone of every sentence, Monica found herself at peace with today despite the overwhelming emotional impact it had on her. While she was glad, she was about to land and be able to go to her new apartment with one of her closest friends in the universe, she was also incredibly thankful that the BAU team was made of people like her. People who liked to forget, for just a moment.

     "Hey, Hotch?" Gideon suddenly called, silencing the group. Everyone turned to look at the senior agent, Monica sinking onto the armrest of Morgan's seat where he wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her stable. When Hotch turned around to look at him, nodding his head, Gideon continued, "Did you send flowers to that tech room girl, Garcia, and say they were from me?"

     "Yeah."

     Gideon looked Hotch dead in the eye, his hand pulling away from his face as he asked softly, "Why?"

     "Jason, people need to know that they're important, and sometimes you forget that." Hotch explained lightly. Monica shared a look with JJ, who raised her eyebrows in amusement but adverted her gaze from the older men.

     "Well, I already sent her a gift. An MP3 player." The entire team was silent for a split moment as they processed Gideon's words, before Morgan let out a half-assed chuckle, "They last longer unless you drop them or the battery dies, whichever comes first."

     Monica scoffed in a teasing manner, looking between Hotch and Gideon, "So, she got two gifts from her seniors? Jealous."

    "What if she thinks I'm sweet on her?" Gideon questioned all of a sudden. Elle, returning from the kitchenette, made direct eye contact with Monica. The pair paused for a moment, before bursting into fits of laughter. Morgan buried his face into Monica's side, hiding the tears that leaked fromhis eyes while Hotch let out a smile that the team rarely saw. Reid began setting up another game of poker before JJ cut him off, making some claim about how he was cheating. Gideon simply watched the team interact with each other from a distance, the faint remains of a smile on his face.

Kai's Notes !

I nearly missed the monthly moni updates this month and that was the most stressful time of my life. i am so sorry if this chapter is a complete mess like how i think it is, i dont know what came over me but i feel like it just is wordy or doesnt make a sense but i cant find ways to fix it and its irritating me so much!! i ended up just giving up, or this chapter would be well over 8k and you dont deserve that torture again. next two chapters will be one episode, so shorter-ish chapters again!! also getting gifs from the episode is so hard, but ive always managed to make it work and i'm proud of that