VIOLENT DELIGHTS, aaron hotchner

only in utter solitude

In the days leading up to the run, Juliette and Hotch can only hope that a case doesn't put their training to waste. Hotch seems more anxious of this possibility, but Juliette can't bring herself to regale stories of the marathons Griffin had to run alone because she had to work.

She can, however, do anything else to calm his nerves. So eating muffins in Hotch's office before the rest of the team arrives becomes a daily occurrence, along with their never-ending stack of paperwork. How Strauss managed to fill all of it out alone is beyond them.

Unfortunately, two days before the marathon, Garcia interrupts their breakfast with a possible case. After they both review the file, to ensure it's actually important, she rounds up the team to present.

"We have a killing in Enid, Oklahoma, and not the capital punishment one you're thinking of. I'm talking about a woman named Cara Smith, who was murdered in her apartment minutes after the execution of Rodney Garrett. Neighbors saw her front door open and discovered the body." She starts, presenting photos of the woman on the screen. "Look familer?"

"Young, pretty, short blonde hair, and stabbed directly thought the heart." Juliette says, disdain evident in her voice.

"That's the exact way Garrett killed his victims." Emily looks up from her file. "Are we looking at a copycat? Or someone creating doubt the right person was executed?"

"In Garrett's case there was no doubt. His guilt was the slam dunk of all slam dunks." Rossi replies. "Prints, DNA, a confession, he even led police to where he buried who of his victims."

"Garrett killed 25 women before he was caught. If this UnSub is a copycat, the body count's just started, which is why we can't waste time. Wheels up in 30." Hotch says, leaving the room.

The jet is filled with disappointment, everyone can feel it. Juliette and Hotch over their marathon, while the other woman had their ladies night out squashed by a lack of babysitters for Henry.

But they can only pout for so long, because soon Garcia's on the screen relaying more information. "I just got the transcript of Rodney Garrett's last words hot off the press, and gold star to the first person who can identify the source of this. 'She comes like the fullest moon on a happy night, taper of waist...'"

Spencer goes to speak, but Juliette beats him to it. "'With the shape of magic might.' It's from The Thousand and One Nights."

The team looks surprised, but Rossi only furrows his brow. "Garrett was a sixth grade dropout, an unlikely guy to be quoting from a Harvard Classic."

"It makes sense, though. The book is about how Scheherazade regaled the king with stories until he fell in love and decided not to execute her."

"Not a strategy likely to work with the Oklahoma Department of Corrections." Rossi quips.

"Another body's been found half a mile from the first victim, MO's the same." Garcia interrupts, her voice wavering.

"Prentiss, you and JJ talk to Garrett's widow. Leroux and Reid go to the latest crime scene. Morgan, Dave and I'll go to the prison." Hotch orders, signaling the group to disperse. 

Juliette's sat in her usual spot with Hotch and Rossi, reading a book once she's practically memorized the case file. When he's done with his review, Hotch looks up to Juliette. "How'd you know that line from the book?"

Juliette meets his gaze, smiling softly. "My mother's obsessed with classic literature, she used to read them to me as I fell asleep."

"You're mom read The Thousand and One Nights as a bedtime story?" He asks, almost laughing.