Ever after

Chapter 20- behavioral shifts

Her phone buzzed. "Hi Spence," she said walking out of Connor's office. They had just filmed the season finale where she killed herself to join her true love. Aside from a gloomy exit from the show she had never been so happy, she felt free. "Hi, I'm leaving soon so I should be home in twenty minutes or so." She could hear indistinguishable conversations around him but none of the voices particularly sounded like his team. "Sure I'm leaving now but I'm going to the cookie place on tenth do you want one?" There was a pause for a moment while he decided which flavor he wanted. "Can I have the s'more stuffed one" She could practically see his smile over the phone just thinking about it. Izz Just Cookies was a small shop that Issey, Sal's old waitress, had opened up early last year. She sold all different kinds of cookies from plane chocolate chip to creams cheese stuffed red velvet cookies, and every one just as delectable as the last. She drove from Connor, her now ex, director's office to the shop and ordered a few cookies. She got Spencer the s'more one which was a cookie with chocolate chunks and marshmallow flush inside. She ordered half a dozen frosted sugar cookies a white chocolate and caramel cookie for herself and a triple chocolate cookie, which really was tripple it had white milk and dark chocolate, for grace. By the time she got back home, Spencer's dinged-up Beatle was parked outside. She walked inside putting her keys in the little tray by the door. She took her shoes off and walked into the living room Spencer was sitting on the sofa flicking through his book. "Your hair!" In the six years she had known him he had had so many hairstyles it was hard to count but this one stood out it was short shorter than any other hair he had ever had. He put his book down and scrambled to his feet "Do you not like it" he said brushing his fingers through it a red tinge staining his face. She gave him a sweet smile and walked towards him "I love it and you look very handsome, it was just a surprise I've never seen you with such short hair" she said wrapping Her arms around his neck and giving him a sweet kiss. "Wait here I got you something." He said walking into the bedroom. A few moments later he came back out with a bouquet of orange Dahlia's "Spencer my favorites thank you"
"did you know that there are over thirty species of dahlias "
"I did not" She gave him a peck on the cheek and ran over to the sink to fill a vase with water. " so you really like my hair it doesn't look bad right" he gave her a sheep smile "It looks lovely spence it really does, hey I was thinking since you don't have work and well, I don't have a job we could go to that new art exhibition you were talking about?" He gave her a nod and sat back down before she joined him she put her head on his shoulder watching him rapidly flip through the pages of his book. Most people would find this boring but these simple moments sitting on the couch the sunlight masking him in a heavenly glow, he was blissfully unaware, a small smile pulling at his lips just because she was there.  An hour later they had just arrived at the art exhibition. All the art was by unknown artists and it had only opened two days ago so even Spencer knew nothing about it. They started walking looking at every piece Spencer would tell her what he thought about all of them. Neither of them were very metaphorical, Evelyn had barely scraped together a pass on her English and Spencer preferred to look at the factual side of life, exams they didn't think about the feeling or the message behind the paint and the dyes. They just looked and enjoyed. Spencer's phone buzzed he let out a disappointed sigh looking at the caller ID. "Case?" She heard Dave's voice over the phone which was unusual considering JJ usually called the team about cases "Ev I am so sorry it-" she gave him a sweet smile and a little laugh "I know go be a hero i love you We can always look at the rest when you get back" he leaned down and placed a kiss on her lips before they walked to the exit. She dropped him off at work before driving over to Grace's new house. She parked her car and got out before walking up to the red door at the front of the house and knocking. She waited a moment before the door swung open. "Ev hi, I've missed you" Grace squealed wrapping her in a tight hug. They walked inside and she sat on the sofa while Grace made tea.
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"What's going what are you looking at?" Spencer said walking up to Emily who was sitting at his desk "JJ Hotch and Strauss are in his office and have been for the last 20 minutes," Emily said staring at Hotch's office. A few minutes later Penelope came to see everyone "JJ still in there" she said sadly "And Strauss" Emily said her gaze unmoving from the office. Spencer leaned across his desk to pick up a bottle of vitamins "Again with the dairy" Emily sighed
"I can't help it I love dairy," he said taking the lid off the bottle. The door opened and Strauss left the office followed by JJ. They went to review the case and 10 minutes later they were on the jet to Maryland. JJ was in the bathroom on the jet. She had declined a promotion to the Pentagon twice and Strauss had found out and was asking her to take it. "Hey JJ are you okay" she opened the door "Yeah are you?" She asked concerned. His skin was more tanned than usual but he had dark bags under and around his eyes "Yeah I just, I feel a bit sick do you mind" he said as she stepped out of the bathroom he shut the door and JJ sat down Emily and Derek gave her a questioning look and she caved "I got a job offer from the pentagon but I turned it down twice Strauss wanted me to take it" Emily and Derek accepted JJ's answer and got briefed with the case. The team landed in Maryland thirty minutes later and went straight to the precinct. Derek and Emily spoke to the boys separately while JJ talked to Kate Joyce's parents. Their daughter had been missing for three days and they hadn't left the precinct since. They used different techniques for each boy Emily spoke to James Barret she tried to get him to tell them about Sydney his snobby privileged friend. Derek in the other room tried to fracture Sydney's ego by talking about his failure and how people let him down. It wasn't working their stories matched then they asked for a polygraph test. JJ went to inform mr and Mrs. Joyce and urged them to go back to their hotel room to eat and sleep. James and Sydney took the polygraph test and both passed. Emily and Derek weren't getting anything so Rossi went to speak to Sydney and Reid was sent to James. Nothing worked. It was seven-thirty they couldn't hold them much longer and they had no leads to where Katie was. Hotch left to take a call "Ma'am with all due respect its a mistake to make her leave" he said firmly "Aaron you don't understand they aren't asking for permission it's already done they want her back in dc now" Strauss said firmly before he hung up and went back to the team. Emily was watching Barrett on the CCTV Rossi and Morgan were watching Sydney. " where's Reid?" Hotch inquired as he shut the door Morgan looked back up "I think he went to the bathroom" Morgan said with a smirk before looking back at the screen "That's code for I'm going to call Evelyn dont tell Hotch" Emily said her eyes not wavering from the screen "He always talks about the inlet he never says the word water, and he never says her name. He's fidgety he looks submissive but he's not entirely weak" Hotch said peering over at the screen of Barrett "he doesn't have the looks or confidence to pull this off so he calls Sydney to help" Rossi interjected looking back at the video of Sydney " we saw the pictures Kate rejected Barrett" Morgan agreed. JJ looked puzzled "What pictures?" Morgan handed her Sydney's phone with pictures of Kate and Sydney but left' Barrett alone. She showed no interest. "The phone in the backseat that's Kate. Mrs Joyce has that now they recovered it from her room" JJ said pointing at the photo. Kate had made it back to her room. They went to inform the lead detective. Most of their story was true that's why they never changed it and they had taken Kate back to her hotel but because Kate rejected Barrett he went back to her room to get revenge. She let him in as he had her phone. He was obsessed with the inlet he had drugged her taken her on his boat and thrown her in the water it was shark prime at that time of night. He hadn't killed her, at least not by his own hands he didn't know where her body was. They confronted Barret and Sydney. They went to the beach to search for Kate coast guard was seventy miles out and still no sight of her. A few moments later the helicopter found her on a buoy. She was alive. They got her out of the sea and back to the coast. An hour later they were back at Quantico. "When do I leave" JJ said her head hung "At the end of the week" JJ looked up in shock "What no I can't I have to train someone" Hotch looked at her sadly "I'm not replacing you, Strauss wanted you to fill this out" he gave her a heartbreaking look his eyes glossy he looked like he was about to cry. He rarely ever showed any emotion, at least not at work. He walked back to his office and JJ filled out the form she walked back out to the team, they already knew.