Tainted (Criminal Minds / One Chicago FanFic)

Chapter 8 (Edited)

Firehouse 51, Chicago Illinois 

Alexa made her way down the hall to the common room after changing into her uniform, 15 minutes before her shift started. The ginger made her way into the common room and straight towards the coffee maker noticing Gabby and Matt having a cup of coffee at the large table while her partner Brett was having her coffee at the small round table next to Cruz and Otis. 

"Hotchner, is it true your dad's a fed?" Otis asked her from the smaller round table. Alexa looked up to meet his gaze and noticed everyone's eyes were on her including Lieutenant Severide, Herrman, and Mouch. Alexa looked at Brett who instantly glared at Otis, the ginger nodded her head yes. "He is," was all she said as she hovered near the counter. "That's really cool, what's he do for the FBI?" Otis asked. "He's a profiler, so he looks at crime scenes differently than most, looks into how and why people behave the way they do at crime scenes or in general, if the crime scenes are caused by 1 person or multiple, what makes them kill" Alexa replied. 

"And that works?" Cruz said more than asked, Alexa nodded. "It's how they caught the Boston Marathon bomber, the Zodiac Killer, and many others," Alexa replied. "The zodiac killer? as in the serial killer?" Herrmann asked stunned. Alexa nodded, "Your dad works on serial killer cases for the FBI?" Lieutenant Casey asked surprised. "What does your dad think of Derek?" Gabby asked causing Alexa to nearly choke on her coffee. 

"Well considering Derek and my dad have been working together for the last 6 years now. I'd say he likes him," Alexa said. "Whoa, what?" Brett said shocked. "Hold on, Derek works with your dad, who's a fed?" Gabby asked her. "Doesn't your dad run a unit in the FBI?" Brett asked earning a nod from Alexa. "Derek works with the Behavioural Analysis Unit and Derek works on his team," Alexa replied. "Wow," Herrman said stunned, "So your dad and boyfriend caught the Zodiac killer?" Cruz asked. "Their entire team did, but yeah," She replied. 

The shift went on as usual and calls started coming in making the start of the shift steady with runs to Med. Alexa spent the day thinking over what her dad said about talking about what she was feeling and going through. After dinner, Alexa messaged her dad asking him how his day was going, and called Derek before she settled into the bunks for the night, or at least until they got called out by dispatch. 

2 Weeks Later... 

Firehouse 51, Chicago Illinois

Alexa walked out of the locker room making her way to the common room to make a cup of coffee like she did at the beginning of every shift. Over the last few weeks, she got closer to everyone here even going out for a drink after shift at a small local bar in Bucktown called Molly's. It was a blue bar as well as a firefighter bar owned by Otis, Gabby, and Herrman. 

In the almost 3 weeks she'd been in Chicago it was starting to feel like home already. After shift, she was planning to head back to Virginia to visit her little brother, dad, and Derek. "Alexa, can I have a word with you?" Chief Boden asked her. Alexa followed him into the morning briefing room where Lieutenant Severide and Casey were standing. 

Chief Boden shut the door and looked at her, "Alexa I'm really sorry to hear about what happened to your mom," he said causing confusion to wash over her. "We take training courses with other battalion chiefs across the country. Helps incorporate different training exercises, anyways I spoke to Battalion Chief Archer yesterday," Chief Boden said. 

Alexa stayed quiet, "I just wanna check in, ask how you're doing?" Chief Boden asked. "I'm good," she replied. The room was quiet, "Why didn't you say something?" Lieutenant Casey asked her. "It's not exactly a conversation starter and Because I didn't want to get told I was unfit for duty," Alexa replied. "Are you? fit for duty?" Chief Boden asked her. 

Alexa nodded, "I'm good, honestly." she replied. Chief and both Lieutenants sent her an unsure look. "I swear I'm good, I can do my job and, if I need to talk or something surfaces, I'll let you know," she said looking at Chief Boden. 

He nodded, "Please do, If you or your family need anything just let us know," Chief said. "Thank you chief," Alexa replied going to head to the door but paused going to say something but no words came out. "I mean it Alexa, anything at all," he said again, "thank you," was all she said before she made her way to the coffee maker in the common room. 

The day was pretty steady for the most part, something she'd gotten used to after transferring from Virginia. Chicago always had something going on from shootings, gang wars, fires, car accidents, and accidents in general. It was way busier than a year at 22, but Alexa liked keeping busy it gave her less time to be alone with her thoughts. 

It was later in the afternoon when dispatch called over the PA speakers in the firehouse. "Ambulance 61, man down from unknown causes. 128 South Pulaski" Dispatch called. Alexa and Brett got up from the back of the rig where they were doing inventory and climbed up front before they took off down the driveway with lights flashing and sirens blaring. 

"Is everything okay?" Brett asked as they drove toward the scene. Alexa looked at the blonde, "I'm great, why?" she replied.  "I saw Boden pull you aside with Severide and Casey this morning," her partner replied. Alexa sighed already knowing it wouldn't be long before everyone at 51 knew what happened. There were no secrets in the house, everyone knew everything about everyone and they were very close. Like a family, it reminded Alexa of the BAU. 

"He was just checking in, making sure everything was running smoothly on Ambo," Alexa replied not wanting to go into the details of her mom's murder right now. That's a conversation that's gonna need a few shots before. 

128 South Pulaski, Chicago Illinois 

The ambo pulled up to the address and Alexa and Brett hopped out of the rig as a middle age woman with brown hair walked over to them. Alexa took the jump bag from the back of the rig as Brett walked over to the woman. "Fire department, need help?" Brett asked her as Alexa walked over. "Not me, Some man went crawling through the back. Pretty busted up," the woman said pointing to a trail of blood that led down the alley under one of the many train bridges throughout the city. "You get him out of here. I don't want any trouble," the woman said before she walked back into her house. 

Alexa and Brett began following the blood trail down the alley, halfway down the alley off to the right was a man groaning on the ground in pain holding his leg. His hands were covered in blood spilling from his leg. "What happened?" Alexa asked him rushing over along with Brett. "Just fix me up," the man groaned in pain. "All right let's see," Alexa said moving his hand slightly. "Gunshot wound, okay I'm gonna wrap up the leg. You get a stretcher and call dispatch. Let them know this is a crime scene," Alexa told Brett. "I'm on it," the blonde said before taking off back down the alley towards the rig calling dispatch. 

"Oh god, Oh god," the man groaned on the ground, Alexa began packing the open wound on the man's leg with gauze and tape when a man walked up with his hood up. He pointed a gun at the man on the ground, everything felt like it was moving in slow motion. "No, no, NO, No, NO- BANG! The man shot him in the chest. 

BANG! BANG! BANG!