"So, is Horatio settling in well? Is he eating?" Reid asked quickly.

Elijah had practically just walked out of the elevator as Reid approached him, already asking about his cat.

Elijah chuckled,"Don't worry, Horatio is doing just fine. He's such a vocal boy."

"Well, that's good." Reid smiled as the pair walked,"Could I, well, would it be possible for me to, uh.. Maybe-"

"Reid, you can visit him if you want." Elijah told him.

"Really?" Reid looked at him, the joy clearly visible in his eyes.

"Of course." He nodded as they reached their desks,"I'd love to hang out with you outside of work."

"Hey, you two." Fleur hummed as she looked up from her desk,"I heard that we might be getting a new member."

"Ooh, I like the sound of that." Elijah smiled,"It has felt emptier around here recently."

"I hope Elle's okay." Morgan sighed.

"Well, she hasn't answered any of my calls." Fleur shook her head,"I just.. I think she wants to be alone for now."

"She'll come back and talk to us when she's ready to." Reid nodded.

"Oh, look." Fleur whispered, pointing behind Elijah.

He turned and watched as a woman with dark hair walked past them with a box, heading for Hotch's office.

"That must be the new girl." She shrugged.

"She's pretty." Elijah hummed as he sat down, leaning back in his chair.

"Case." Gideon clapped as he walked past them.

"It is always when I get comfortable in this chair." Elijah muttered.

"Get comfy in another chair, kid." Morgan laughed.

Elijah sighed,"I'll bring one from home."

The four of them soon walked into the Conference Room, Hotch and Gideon following soon after with no sign of the new girl.

"St. Louis is in trouble." JJ began.

"They've got two serial killers." Hotch nodded.

"This killer abducts his victims from public places, dumps them in the woods." Gideon walked up to the board,"They consulted us months ago after the third murder."

"Well now it might be up to six." JJ showed a woman on the screen,"Ellen Carroll's been missing since yesterday. The first two victims were found near Mills Creek in Mark Twain National Forest."

"No wonder it takes days to find the bodies. The forest is 1.5 million acres and seventy-eight thousand of that is wilderness." Reid pointed out.

"What's the story for the women?" Fleur asked.

"Eight women, all prostitutes. The latest is Marcy Mitchell. She was killed last night with a .44 magnum." JJ told her as another woman was shown on the screen,"All are tied to a single shooter, taking responsibility. He's contacted Jim Meyers, a reporter the Missouri Herald."

"So he thinks he's not getting the attention he thinks he deserves. He signs it the Hollow Man, names himself for the press." Hotch pointed.

"Why Hollow Man?" Elijah asked,"What? Does he feel empty inside or something?"

"He used Hollow point bullets. No one even knew this guy existed until he sent this letter." JJ sighed.

"Well, he's killed more victims but look who he's chosen." Hotch crossed his arms,"Hundreds of victims go unnoticed because they're social outcasts that don't make the front page."

"When Mill Creek kills the Hollow Man shoots another prostitute." Reid nodded.

"So one doesn't want to be outdone by the other, sounds like sibling rivalry to me." Morgan pointed.

"They've been killing independently of each other for a year now." Hotch told Morgan.

"With each killer learning something from the other." Gideon sighed.

*********************************

JJ began handing files out to everyone. Elijah and Reid were sitting on the couch together but Elijah could notice Reid fidgeting.

"What's wrong?" Elijah asked him.

"Even though there are roughly thirty serial killers at large in the US at any given time, it's an incredibly rare occurrence to have them operating in the same city." Reid sighed.

"How many times has it actually happened?" Elijah questioned.

"To my knowledge, three times. There was a guy killing at the same time as the Son of Sam, again in New Orleans and most recently with the Phoenix murders." Reid explained.

"Serial shooters are typically loners and this guy likes to kill at night." Hotch spoke up,"His victims are prostitutes so he may lack confidence with women or have poor social skills."

"There's no rape, maybe this guy's impotent." Fleur suggested.

"He's a wannabe tough guy." Gideon shook his head.

"It's not hard to be tough holding a .44." Fleur shrugged.

"The gun gives him power and lets him maintain distance from the kill." Reid nodded slowly,"This guy doesn't want to touch the bodies with his hands."

"The Mill Creek Killer hunts during the day and targets educated, middle class women. He'd have to look and act like they do." Gideon placed the crime scene photos down.

"These women died from blunt force head trauma. This guy wanted to be close, he wants to feel the life leave their bodies." Elijah shook his head,"These two are polar opposites."

"Just like their victims. They live in the same city but they're worlds apart. I'm going to see if the shooter's victims have families I can talk to." Hotch nodded.

"That's a good idea, I'm already familiar with the Mill Creek case." Gideon agreed.

"Reid, can you look at the letter for handwriting analysis and psycholinguistics?" Hotch turned to Reid.

"Of course." Reid nodded.

"Looks like I'm with you. Fleur and I can go talk to Ellen Carroll's husband." Morgan told Gideon.

"I'm meeting with Jim Meyers, the reporter from the Missouri Herald." JJ spoke up.

"Tell him not to write about the Hollow Man. We want to draw the shooter out. Best way to do that is to act like he doesn't exist." Gideon sighed.

*********************************

While Morgan and Fleur headed to the home of Ellen Carroll and her family, Hotch, Reid and Elijah headed to a.. Well, it was more of a run-down apartment building to speak with the mother of Marci Mitchell, Betty Mitchell. She was one of the Hollow Man's victims.

"Agents Hotchner, Reid and Dean with the FBI." Hotch held up his badge after knocking on the door.

"What do you want?" An older woman, Betty Mitchell, answered the door.

"We'd like to talk to you." Hotch told her.

"Hold that badge up again."

Hotch did so and the woman shut the door before unlocking and opening it fully to allow them inside. Inside were two children, a child and a toddler, both boys.

"We're here to talk to you about Marci Mitchell." Hotch turned to her.

"I'm her mother." Betty crossed her arms.

"We're sorry for your loss, Ma'am." Elijah nodded to her.

The oldest boy then walked over,"Who's this?"

"They're for me, take your brother inside." Betty shook her head.

"Is this about mom?"

"I said inside." She pointed.

The boy took his crying younger brother into the bedroom and closed the door. Elijah's eyes wandered, landing on the nearly finished glass of alcohol on the table.

"Are you here to judge me or ask me questions?" Betty sighed.

"Is there anyone that can help you with the kids?" Reid looked at the bedroom.

"Is that what you came here for?"

"Ma'am, we've just been assigned your daughters case. We're in the process of gathering information, but so far no witnesses have come forward." Hotch explained.

"Well, around here, guns go off like those car alarms every fifteen minutes." She shook her head,"Nobody's stupid enough to talk, nobody cares."

"We do." Reid gave a small smile.

"You wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for them." The woman picked up a newspaper and started reading,"Heinous crimes against upstanding members of the community. Nobody writes about prostitutes getting shot 'cause the won't admit they think they're cleaning up the place."

"You're right. Cases like your daughter's usually go unsolved. The problem is, people aren't looking for them because they don't know that they're missing. Part of her job was to stay below the radar. It doesn't mean that she was any less important." Hotch explained.

"She made bad choices, but she was a good person. She loved those boys. Whoever shot her should pay for what they did so don't come in here and say you're sorry, do something about it." Betty pointed.

"We will, Ma'am. That's a promise." Elijah assured her.

*********************************

The three men were next sent to the Hollow Man's most recent crime scene. This time, two prostitutes had been shot and left at the side of the road.

"Two victims at once, that's a first for him." Reid commented as they walked around the crime scene,"Do you think he went out looking to kill more than one woman or was it just happenstance?"

"Well, he chose a different hunting ground. Yes, we're in an alley, but we're behind an expensive hotel in a nice neighbourhood. You get a different class of prostitute. Ones that don't walk the street alone." Hotch shrugged.

"He was looking for a challenge." Elijah sighed.

"The question is, what gave him the confidence to stray out of his comfort zone? Make sure to run that for prints." Hotch pointed at an officer as he picked up a newspaper.

"He displayed the newspaper between them. He took the time when he could've just tossed it aside." Reid nodded.

"It's deliberate. He wants us to know that he's angry." Hotch shrugged.

"Angry enough to change his MO." Elijah crossed his arms.

*********************************

Back at the station, Elijah was sent to get Reid and JJ so they could deliver the profile. When he found them, Reid was seemingly explaining something to her about the case so Elijah hovered in the doorframe just.. Watching.

"Too bad we couldn't trace any prints from any newspapers. What have you got?" JJ turned to Reid.

Reid pressed a button and showed the letter on screen,"He only sent this to an individual, which shows he's not confident enough to communicate with the masses. Emotional indicators are analyzed through slants. The shooter maintains vertical, narrow-lettered writing, both signs of repression. And the pressure, if you look carefully, is excessively heavy which shows that he's uptight and can easily overreact." He explained.

"You got all that from his handwriting?" JJ blinked.

"Graphology is a reliable and accurate indicator of personality and behavior." Reid nodded.

"My writing's always different." JJ shrugged.

"That's because it reflects your emotions at that given time, just like how you facial expressions parallel the way you're feeling while you're speaking." Reid explained.

"I'm suprised this guy writes in cursive. His message is so clear, I would've thought he'd print everything."

"Actually, his connected writing shows that he deals with situations in a practical and direct manner." Reid told her.

"Like... Shooting someone." JJ sighed.

"Exactly." Reid nodded before looking up, noticing Elijah,"Oh- Elijah. Hi."

"Hey." Elijah smiled softly,"It's time to deliver the profile."

Reid nodded and began grabbing his things as Elijah slowly turned and headed back to the others.

*********************************

"The Hollow Man uses simple statements. All first person. For example, 'I won't be ignored', he's obviously tired of feeling this way. It's quite possible he has a job in solitude or one that he feels strips him of his identity. His job might require wearing a uniform, something that shows absolutely no individuality. Or he may be overqualified for his menial job and feels he doesn't get the respect that he necessary deserves." Reid explained to the officers in the room.

"But today he killed two woman which tells us he's getting confident. This makes him unpredictable and dangerous." Hotch continued,"And because he has no physical contact with his victims, it's going to make him that much harder to catch."

"We have more information on the Mill Creek Killer because he spends a lot of time with his victims before and after his kills." Morgan leaned back.

"Because his victims willingly follow him in broad daylight, he appears harmless. He may be handsome." Gideon shrugged.

"Handsome?" Sherdian asked.

"Yes, these women wouldn't follow an unattractive man. They just wouldn't." Elijah shook his head.

"He's handsome and he has the social skills to trick his victims. Those who know him well, they'd be shocked to learn that this is the man we're after." Fleur nodded.

"He's been able to get his victims away from family, friends. Obviously this makes him feel powerful." Gideon crossed his arms.

"If this guy is so smart, why would he risk driving his victims from the abduction site to the woods?" Sheridan sighed.

"Because of the ritual. It's become the most important thing to him. It dominates his thoughts." Gideon answered,"The woods give him the privacy he needs."

"The Hollow Man is motivated by external pressures. This is a guy who simply wants attention. The Mill Creek Killer on the other hand, he's driven by internal forces. He's a sexually motivated offender, now this makes him a lot more predicable, but don't think for a second that he's easier to catch." Morgan pointed.

*********************************

"So our plan to catch the Mill Creek Killer was ruined by the Hollow Man?" Reid asked.

"And now the Hollow Man is on a high. He hasn't pulled the trigger since the two victims yesterday. Is he satisfied or just getting started?" Hotch sighed.

"We'll find out." JJ told him as she walked in, handing Hotch a newspaper.

"Hollow Man helps FBI find the Mill Creek Killer's victim." Hotch read out before placing the paper down.

"Nice, he's alerted the media and injected himself into our investigation." Elijah leaned back in his chair.

"And he's getting the attention he's been craving." Fleur sighed.

"But if the shooter really wants to get the other guy arrested, he would've called us and not the media." Hotch pointed out.

"He must know the Mill Creek Killer needs to revisit the body." Morgan stood up.

"If he can't defile the woman again, the need will become so strong it could push him into a frenzy." Gideon sighed.

"And if that happens then this guy is a ticking time bomb waiting to explode." Fleur shook her head.

*********************************

"Great. Thanks, Morgan." Hotch hung up,"The witness got a clear look at the Mill Creek Killer. If it's the Hollow Man's intentions to force him into a frenzy, he's getting what he wants. He knew exactly where to find Meredith Dale's body, he figured out his way to the dump site just like we did."

"We always say serial killers make the best profilers." Reid shrugged.

"Yeah, but this guy's dead-on." Hotch began looking through a box.

"What are we looking for?" Elijah peered inside the box of files as Hotch pulled out the newspaper from before.

"The headline doesn't mention the shooter at all." Fleur realised.

"We talked to Jim Meyers, the reporter, asked him not to respond to the letter. He doesn't then the guy goes out and shoots two more women." Hotch added.

"From a better part of town." Reid nodded.

"Yeah, but what gives him his confidence? And what's the significance of the paper at the scene? We know he wants to be newsworthy. He could've just tossed it aside. Instead he displayed it. There's something he wants us to look at, there's something in the paper."

After scanning the newspapers, Reid looked up,"Hey, I've figured it out."

"What is it?" Elijah asked.

"They're talking in the classifieds." Reid pointed.

*********************************

"Classifieds. Code names. This feels like an old spy movie." Sheridan shook his head.

"It's low-tech, simple but very effective. They've been doing this for months and no one even knew." Morgan sighed.

"This is the first one I found. The references are what made me suspicious." Reid told them, showing an image of the newspaper on the screen,"Sunny: Are you an artist too? I'd love to see your work some time. Holden."

"Sunny? Holden?" Sheridan asked.

"They're characters from Catcher in the Rye." Hotch explained.

"Widely accepted as a loved book by sociopaths. Mark David Chapman quoted it after killing John Lennon." Reid continued.

"Deranged minds identify with Holden's alienation and detachment." Hotch nodded.

"I found the initial contact. It ran in the paper for months, unchanged. 'We have different tastes but I appreciate your art, Sunny." Reid read out.

"Sunny is the Hollow Man, he initiated contact." Elijah turned to Sheridan.

"So what's he getting out of it?" Sheridan looked at Elijah.

"A mentor, offered admiration and respect." Elijah shruged,"In return, he gets encouragement and confidence."

"But when the Hollow Man remained unnoticed by the press, he resented his mentor and turned it into a rivalry." Fleur sighed.

"Hollow Man became jealous. They were both killers but they weren't seen on the same playing field." Morgan shook his head.

"What else did you find?" Hotch asked Reid.

"An overwhelming area and you never get lost? Then the answer to this question, I do my research, it's not so random when you know the area. I like Cottonwood in SGC." Reid read of the screen.

"SGC?" Sheridan raised a brow.

"He's talking about Saltgrass Cove. He told him where to him Meredith Dale." Morgan pointed.

"Why?"

"Teaching his student a lesson." Fleur nodded.

"We understand their relationship, let's use it against them." Elijah crossed his arms.

Morgan walked off to call Garcia before coming back shortly after.

"Garcia says these guys covered their tracks, how's it going in here?"

"Reid's imitating the Hollow Man's language patterns to send a message to the Mill Creek Killer." Elijah hummed,"He's offering condolences on losing Meredith Dale."

"Well, if he can't get to Meredith Dale, he's going to need a body. He's going to need it real soon." Morgan nodded, handing Elijah and Fleur a coffee.

"Oh, thank you." Elijah took a sip of coffee.

"You guys worried the Hollow Man might ruin our plan again?" Sheridan asked.

"He wants the Mill Creek Killer to get caught. The pupil's trying to kill the teacher." Fleur shrugged.

"I hope you're close, Reid." JJ sighed as she walked in with Jim Meyers.

"You've got less than an hour to meet the deadline." Jim shook his head.

Reid nodded and went back to writing.

*********************************

"He looks too smug." Fleur sighed.

"They all do, hun." Elijah took a sip of his coffee.

"I hate that look on his face, I'd rather slap it off of him." Fleur muttered.

"Easy, babygirl." Morgan leaned against the wall,"He can't hurt anyone anymore."

"We just need one more." Reid spoke,"He'll show up soon."

"What? Is he just going to burst through the door and threaten us?" Elijah shook his head.

That's when a cop and a man walked though, the man pointing the gun at the cop.

"Where is he? I wanna see him right now, you tell him the Hollow Man is here." He yelled.

"I was kidding, jesus." Elijah muttered, nearly dropping his cup.

"Thanks, Elijah." Fleur rolled her eyes.

"Get down, call SWAT." Sheridan ordered.

"He told you to say those things about me, didn't he? He told you to use those words." He asked while everyone drew their guns.

That's when the Hollow Man made eye contact with the Mill Creek Killer through the window and he slowly lowered his gun. Morgan took that moment, he put his gun away before running over to the Hollow Man and cuffing him.

"Get him out of here." Hotch nodded.

"I'm no less elegant than he is. I'm no copycat." The Hollow Man fought.

"Shut your mouth." Morgan continued to drag him off with two other cops.

"I left you the newspaper. I gave you the Mill Creek Killer! What else do I have to do?"

"Go! Get him out of here!" Morgan pushed him out of the room.

*********************************

After everyone was back, Hotch was in his office talking to the new girl once again as they all began to pack up.

"Do you think he'll let her stay?" Elijah asked.

"He looks confused. Like she wasn't meant to be here." Morgan watched.

"Maybe she's a surprise?" Elijah suggested.

"Maybe." Reid shrugged.

"When she comes out I'll need to ask her name, because I'm going to make sure I remember this one." Elijah pointed.

Reid handed Elijah a notebook and pen.

"Thank you, darling." Elijah hummed.

Reid smiled and leaned back in his chair. The woman then walked out of Hotch's office, holding a box and placed it on an empty desk.

"Ah, excuse me, dear." Elijah walked up to her,"Is it alright if I ask your name?"

"Oh, hi." She smiled,"I'm Emily-"

"Emily Prentiss?" Fleur blinked.

"Yeah, that's-" Emily turned,"Fleur? It's been so long!"

"The hell are you doing here?" Fleur laughed, hugging her.

"I got a transfer here." Emily chuckled,"Tell me, how much have I missed out on?"

"Oh, a lot." Fleur nodded,"Guys, this is Emily Prentiss. She worked at Interpol, we met on an undercover case years ago." Fleur pulled away.

Elijah wrote Emily's name down on his notepad before sitting it down,"The pleasure is all mine, Emily."

"You're from England?" Emily hummed.

"I am, how could you tell?" Elijah sat on Reid's desk.

"Just a hunch." Emily chuckled.

"That's Elijah, Spencer and Derek. JJ is elsewhere." Fleur shrugged.

"We're all happy to have you on the team, Prentiss." Morgan told her.

"Thank you, I feel welcomed already."

"We're breaking you in gently before the peace is inevitably broken." Elijah took a sip of his coffee,"Also, you are automatically invited to Ladies' Night."

"Ladies night consists of all the ladies in the department... Plus Elijah." Reid explained.

"We all go out and have fun." Elijah smiled,"Don't we, Fleur?"

"We do." Fleur chuckled.

"Well, I'll make sure my calendar is free so I can make it." Emily told them.

"Good." Fleur pointed,"We'll help you unpack."

"Who said anything about 'we'?" Elijah asked.

"She did, now get to it." Morgan pointed, taking Elijah's coffee.

Fleur stuck her middle finger up at Elijah,"Ha."

"Oh, shut up." Elijah slid off the desk.

"We can make it fun." Reid shrugged.

"If you say so." Elijah sighed.