Not as I Do (Criminal Minds, Hotch/JJ)

[stars123]

this is so great!! maybe jj will get sick too...hmm. can't wait for another update

[24Me]

Wow, this is awesome-not sure where to start!!!!

your spellings make me melt-they are amazing and sound so ticklish!

JJ feeling awkward while caretaking and Hotch being sort of out of it, while keeping them both in character? That's really hard to do and you do it perfectly!

Many thoughts, none coherent! I'm so glad that you updated-I love this story so much!!! Your writing is flawless!!!

[jezebel215]

Part 14

The bed felt like heaven but Hotch was troubled. Based on the supplies Hotch knew there was at least one other person on the team who knew he was sick. He decided it was Rossi but even as he tried to come up with a plan for tomorrow’s deception his eyes closed and he was asleep.

~.~.~.~.~

The couch was actually pretty comfortable but JJ struggled to get to sleep. She knew there was no way Hotch would stay in tomorrow and the thought of him outside in the cold, wet, Minnesota fall nagged at her. She finally fell asleep sometime in the early hours of the morning, grateful to sleep at all.

~.~.~.~.~

JJ woke to the sound of muffled sneezing. She sat up, taking a moment to get her bearings - 5:20am, nearly an hour until the briefing. For the sake of privacy she ignored the noises coming from Hotch’s bedroom and got quickly out of bed. She made the bed (couch really) back up as nicely as possible and grabbed her toiletries bag out of her suitcase. The bathroom was situated in the hallway between her room and Hotch’s so she put her stuff in the bathroom then peeked her head into the larger room.

“I’m going to take a shower, is there anything you need?” she asked. The light was dim in the room but she could see evidence of a long night - crumpled tissues, emptied water bottle and what looked like at least 2 doses of cough medicine gone.

“I’b fide. I’ll shower afder you.” Hotch’s voice was croaky and JJ winced at the sound of it. It didn’t sound like a night of rest had done him much good.

JJ showered and dressed quickly. Once she was out of the bathroom Hotch took his turn, also showering and dressing in an efficient fashion. He seemed more ‘with it’ than the night before but JJ couldn’t tell exactly.

Hotch’s head felt somehow solid and liquid at the same time. He couldn’t take a breath through his nose but he needed to blow or wipe it every minute or so to prevent it from leaking down over his upper lip. He felt achy and drained and was pretty sure he was running a fever.

“Enough,” he thought as he was cataloging his complaints. “You can work, you will work, end of discussion.” Knowing that the plan for the day was going through the orchard he selected a pair of khaki’s, an undershirt, collared shirt and wool v-neck sweater along with his most weather-proof shoes. He pulled his coat on over the outfit and went out to meet JJ.

JJ had dressed warmly but was still startled to see Hotch wearing more layers than she had ever seen on him plus his winter coat.

“Ah, I was going to eat something, unless you’re ready to go,” she offered.

“No I was just,” Hotch paused, unsure of how to explain himself. “I was just getting ready,” he offered lamely. Reluctantly he slid off his thick outer jacket and shivered as the warm room air hit his well clothed body. JJ didn’t miss the shiver nor did she miss the red flush across his cheeks, highlighting his general pallor.

She grabbed two containers of orange juice from the mini fridge and pulled a power bar out of her go-bag. She offered one container to Hotch and then gestured at the power bar. He started to shake his head then decided it might be a good way to get some calories in him. He took a bar but only broke off a small piece, chewing deliberately.

JJ thought he looked miserable but wasn’t quite sure how to bring it up. She thought they had reached a sort of detente the night before and maybe she was ‘allowed’ to ask. She decided to risk it.

“How are you feeling?” she asked, looking up after the question and meeting his eyes briefly.

“OK.” It came out as a squeak and Hotch cleared his throat which lead into a coughing fit. The cough sounded worse than the night before - chesty, productive and painful. Once he caught his breath he looked back up at her. “Really,” he insisted with a half smile. “I sound worse than I feel. I’ll take some of the Dayquil and be good.”

JJ nodded, pleased he was willing to take medication but not really trusting his assessment of himself. On the other hand, there really wasn’t much else she could do. She unwrapped two orange liquid-gels and handed them over to Hotch who swallowed them with his juice.

“Do you want any cough syrup?” she asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

“No, I think it might make me drowsy. I’ll take some of the cough drops though, I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

The clock showed 5:58 and even though it was early they headed down to the lobby. Hotch put back on his heavy coat and JJ watched unobtrusively to make sure he also brought his hat, scarf and gloves. She grabbed two more doses of dayquil, some ibuprofen (after checking to make sure Dayquil had acetaminophen and not ibuprofen in it - she was right), a few travel packs of tissues, a bag of cough drops and a travel size bottle of cough medicine, even though Hotch said he didn’t want any. She ended up neglecting her own cold weather gear, forgetting everything except her scarf in the process but Hotch was taken care of. The elevator ride downstairs was quiet except for Hotch’s sniffling. His breath started to hitch but then stopped and he took a measured breath, careful not to set off a fit of coughing or a sneeze.

In the lobby JJ walked over to a set of chairs, vacant at the early hour. Normally they would stand and the briefing would be short but she wanted Hotch to have the option of sitting. In a move that surprised both of them Hotch sunk gratefully into the first chair he reached, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. JJ sat down and they waiting in silence until the rest of the team joined them.

~.~.~.~.~

“I don’t know how that couch is supposed to support spontaneous romantic coupling. It seems poorly supported for sleeping, I can’t imagine it it could handle any rapid movements or shift in weight distribution. One study suggests that up to a third of adults experience a sex-related injury each year. I would have expected the honeymoon suite to be better prepared to support such - ” Reid was cut of by a wave of Rossi’s hand.

“It’s a big bed Kid, we’ll put up a line of pillows tonight and there will still be room for both of us. I think that couch squeaked every time you changed position.”

Reid said nothing but looked both embarrassed and pleased.

Morgan and Emily were the last to join the group, still arriving early at 6:12. They both looked a bit haggard but neither said anything.

“Sleep well?,” Rossi asked, a hint of a smile fighting its way across his face.

Morgan and Emily answered at the same time.

“He snores.”

“She talks.”

They glared at each other and Morgan was the first to break the silence.

“I do not snore! The pillows were not the most supportive and it’s possible my breathing was louder than usual but at least I don’t argue about my pumpernickel bagel with an imaginary baker at 2 in the morning.”

“It was not an argument!” Emily replied, only to realize her rebuttal was a bit lacking. In a quieter tone she continued, “it was just a discussion of toppings.”

As soon as the rest of the team had arrived Hotch had perked up, sitting up on the edge of the chair, no sign of the weariness he had shown a moment earlier.

“Today is going to be a long day. We have 8 teams of cadaver dogs - Five teams from Minnesota plus three from Wisconsin. Even still, we have a lot of ground to cover. We’re going to start in the undeveloped area of the orchard and winery. If this Unsub is getting bolder it’s possible his earlier kills will be in an area that gets less attention. We’ll start with the undeveloped land and then work our way through the planted areas, starting with the out-of-season apples. The coroner is finishing the post-mortem and then the forensic pathologist is going to help strip the bones so we can try to recover tool marks.”

Hotch paused, a look of discomfort flitting briefly across his face before he ducked his head into his elbow.

“Ea-Gnkxt..heh..hh-Eksht..hhh-hush’Etsch.” Hotch took a moment to make sure he was finished sneezing and sniffed cautiously. Thankfully he didn’t need to blow his nose at the moment. He continued, trying to ignore his uncharacteristic outburst.

“And we need to identify the victim.” As he spoke he was dialing his cell phone.

“Font of all wisdom, speak and be heard,” a feminine voice chirped out of the phone.

“Garcia, we deed a lisdt of all bissing wobid in the surrouding coundies. Go bagk a few bodths if you have too, we’re dot sure how log he’s keepig theb. We’re dot going to have dedal records to cobpare so we’re goig to have to try for D Ed A.”

There was an unusually long pause at the other end before Garcia answered, sounding somewhat subdued. “Your wish is my command. It will be done before I hang up the phone. Over and out.”

Hotch had used the time for her reply to pull out a tissue and blow his nose softly.

Hotch faced the team. “JJ, Reid, you go to the police station to coordinate and work through the missing people files. Rossi, Emily, you follow up with the forensic pathologist. Morgan and I will head out to the Orchard to coordinate the search teams and cadaver dogs.”

Rossi:

“Hotch, I think Reid would like to follow up with the forensic pathologist. I can help out in the field and call you if we find anything. You and JJ already have a rapport with the local cops, why don’t you keep working with them.”

Any other time Rossi’s suggestion would have been out of place but as Hotch looked at his team it seemed like every one of them was hanging on Rossi’s words with a look of desperation.

“Ah, that will be fine. If we find anything at the Orchard I want everyone there to assess the scene and guide recovery.”

Rossi nodded. They broke up into two groups - JJ and Hotch going to the police station, Morgan and Rossi going to the Orchard and Reid and Emily riding along with them to be dropped off at the morgue.

In the car Reid started up, “I could see it this morning. Hotch is very congested and his voice is hoarse. He’s pale and flushed which suggests he is running a fever. He may have a simple rhinovirus but it could be influenza or a secondary bacterial infection. It was good you got him to go to the police station.”

“I do my best,” Rossi replied, shrugging. “We can only help him as much as he’ll let us but he seems to be working with us for the moment. Let’s hope it continues.”

~.~.~.~.~

[stars123]

I love it so much!!! please continue

[jezebel215]

Part 15

The air was cold and damp. The blinking sign on the hotel advertised a morning starting at 33 degrees and windy. The clouds were sheets of steel cotton rolling in over a periwinkle sky, the last reds and oranges of sunrise quickly lost to the growing cloud cover.

JJ and Hotch walked toward their SUV. Hotch could feel himself start shivering as soon as they opened the door and only hoped his layers disguised the muscle tremors he couldn’t control. The cold air hit his nose and it started to run, necessitating an awkward attempt to open a travel pack of tissues wearing gloves. He succeeded in time to prevent disaster but it only reinforced his earlier prediction - it was going to be a long day.

Without discussion Hotch handed JJ the keys and she drove then the 20 minutes or so it took to get to the police station. On the way they stopped for coffee and although JJ would have loved to get Hotch tea it just really wasn’t an option.

Hotch held the warm cup of coffee but didn’t drink it, unsure how it would react with the two bites of power bar in his stomach. He wasn’t nauseated but he wasn’t sure how much food he could handle. Maybe he could find some oatmeal at the station.

“Hotch, we’re going to pass a McDonalds, they have oatmeal in their breakfast menu.”

Hotch turned sharply, unclear on how JJ was reading his mind.

“It seemed like it would be soft on your throat. Maybe we can get some applesauce too. No dairy - it worsens congestion.”

Hotch glared at JJ, trying for her stern “Hotch Face” but failing miserably.

“Actually, oatmeal sounds good.”

They swung through drive through and Hotch got a large oatmeal and some single serve apple sauces for later (technically those were on the Kids menu and JJ may have shown her badge to get them but…)

At the station JJ got Hotch settled back in his temporary office and went back to trying to decipher the information coming at them from all angles. Her phone beeped.

“Yeah Garcia, do you have something, should I get Hotch?” JJ asked.

“NO! I mean, no, I have something but don’t get Hotch, I wanted to talk about him. He doesn’t sound … “ she paused, uncertain. “He doesn’t sound healthy.”

“He’s got some kind of virus. We’re all trying to pretend we don’t notice but at the same time help him as much as possible.”

Garcia sighed. That was a hard task JJ had assigned the team.

“Anyway, I have a list of 8 missing women in the near-by counties going back 24 months. Most were low-risk victims and with a robust case file. In all cases, these women vanished in-between errands and haven’t been seen since.”

“Their cars?” asked JJ.

“Left where they were last seen. The records are being faxed to you. I’ll keep working on DNA for all 8 pending the analysis of the current victim. Relay my findings to our wounded warrior. Garcia out.”

JJ went to the copier and waited for the records to start coming out. They’d get the hard copies in a day or so but there wasn’t time to wait for them. A xerox would have to do for today. When they were all through she brought the stack back to Hotch.

Hotch was struggling to keep his eyes open. His head ached and his throat was on fire. He didn’t bother putting away his travel pack of tissues since he needed one every few moments and he was a little nervous the pack was running dry.

“These are case reports Garcia has found of missing women in near-by counties. It hasn’t gone statewide or surrounding states and it only goes back 18 months but it is somewhere to start.”

Hotch sniffed and started, “Our victim is caucasian, appears to be in her late twenties to early thirties, dark hair. Her body is so decayed it’s difficult to determine a body type or eye color at this point.”

JJ nodded. “I’ll start going through these at once. Is there anything you need, Sir?” She asked, adding the Sir more out of habit than anything else.

Hotch hesitated before asking, somewhat sheepishly, “could I have more tissues?”

JJ said nothing, simply went to her back and got 3 more packs and a handful of cough drops. She knew this was hard for Hotch but she was going to do the best she could to make it easy on him.

~.~.~.~.~

“Dr. Reid, since you were last here we have done a more thorough examination of the bruising the victim sustained to her torso and inguinal area.”

Reid interrupted “Inguinal area? That wasn’t noted yesterday.”

“An oversight, we were still in the preliminary stages. But as I was saying, a more thorough examination and the use of UV photography has allowed us to hazard a guess at what made the marks.”

“Despite the decay?” Reid asked, more curious than confrontational.

“I’m not sure it would hold up in court but using a variety of filters the best we can determine is a roughly elliptical wound with nearly symmetric dorsal and ventral crescent shaped edges.” She paused and passed Reid the pictures.

The pictures were blurry, various UV filters overlaid to attempt to visualize the wound to the decaying flesh. Despite their quality a recognizable shape emerged. Reid looked up urgently:

“These are tooth marks.”

~.~.~.~.~

The command post at the Orchard looked like a cheap party rental tent with additional tarps hung down from from three sides to block the wind and rain. “Well,” Rossi mused, “that’s probably exactly what it is.” Inside there was a table and a few chairs, a thermos of hot coffee and a detailed list of searching assignments.

The lead search pair was Jan Hyland and his chocolate lab “Rigger.” They were the top HRD (Human Remains Detection) Team in Minnesota although they preferred search and rescue work. With Jan were four other teams - two men, two women, each with their own dog, another lab (yellow), two German Shepherds and a Bloodhound. The other three teams were traveling a longer distance and would be arriving mid-day with plans to extend the search into evening hours.

“OK. We’re going to start with these 20 acres,” Morgan gestured to a map hung up behind him, indicating the ground still in development and not yet producing crops. “I don’t know what we’ll find but if you do alerts you, stop immediately and call us on the radio. We’ll be out with forensics to see is we have a body or a dead raccoon.” Derek meant to lighten the mood but saw some discomfiture on the faces of the searchers.

Finally Jan spoke up. “Our dogs are better than that. They won’t alert for a raccoon. They hone in on a mix of volatile chemicals so complex scientists haven’t adequately described them but they are specific for human remains. Putrescine and Cadaverine are the major ones but the mix and the minor components help separate animal from human remains. It’s not a party trick, Agent. These dogs are trained experts and they will find you what you want, even if it’s not pretty.”

Rossi spoke up, “We appreciate you being here in this awful weather on a search where we do not expect any live bodies. I know that is hard on you and hard on you dogs. But don’t for one moment think we don’t appreciate the skill and raw ability your dogs possess. We may not fully understand it but we can see that it works. In that way, it’s a little like profiling. Maybe they are Scent Profilers.”

This earned a smile from most of the handlers and lightened the tension in the room. Once the mood had lightened Rossi started handing out acre assignments. Usually the dogs worked in wooded areas and the hope was that in searching the Orchard they would be able to go faster since there were existing trails and a plan to follow.

“We’ve broken the orchard, winery and associated land into grids. Jan, I want you and Rigger in the furthest section, A1. Brian, Samantha and Jennifer, we are going to have you cover the rest of the uncultivated land. Nick, you and Hooch are going to start in the undeveloped Winery and then move on to the out-of-season parts of the orchard. I know this is a big task and mother nature is not helping us at all.” Rossi paused to gesture outside the tent. “I know your dogs can track in the rain but it’s going to be cold. I want everyone suited up appropriately and reachable on the radio at all times. I want you back in this tent or inside every 2 hours to warm up and recharge. We don’t want any casualties in this search.”

Rossi’s words were firm but kind. The HRD teams broke into handler-dog pairs and joined up with an orchard employee to bring them to the right spot. Once the tent was emptied out Morgan approached Rossi.

“So what do we do now?”

“We profile.”

“OK. White male, late twenties to early thirties. Some connection to the orchard or this ground. Possible victim type but we’re going to need to see the reconstruction and sadly, more bodies to pin down anything specific. Knowing if these are low risk victims will help but we need to know why he dumped her here, why now and why take her teeth.

~.~.~.~.~

[stars123]

this is so great thank you! I can't wait for more

[ToothTen]

Ahhhh!! Another installment

I can't express how happy seeing this updated makes me!!

[matilda3948]

He had to ask for more tissues??! It's too sweet

[PetalPunk]

This is just fantastic!!! The subtle caretaking kit ignites my fantasies! I'd definitely be that awkward I want to take care of you but don't know if I should kind of person.

[jezebel215]

Part 16

Hotch’s head felt like clay. He had let himself rest his head on his hand for just a moment and the next thing he knew JJ was knocking at the door.

“Come in.”

“Sir, they think they’ve found a body.”

Hotch was instantly alert, his cold symptoms fading away as the adrenalin surged through his system.

“Where?”

“Unplanted part of the orchard, one of the first search zones. The teams are still out there looking. This body,” she paused. “we found it pretty fast. Do you think - ” she left the question hanging.

Hotch was already rising, pulling on his coat as he walked out of the room.

“We need to see the scene. Tell no one to touch anything until our team has evaluated it.”

JJ’s stomach sank at the though of Hotch outside. The rain that had been a threat in the morning was now coming down steadily and it didn’t seem like it had gotten any warmer. She called Rossi to relay Hotch’s message.

Rossi: “Already done. As soon as the team has evaluated the site we’re going to put up a tarp before doing any excavation. And JJ,” he paused, “it’s nasty out here. See if there is any additional Search and Rescue gear at the precinct before you leave.”

Hotch was buttoning up the last of his wool overcoat when JJ walked into the main room. Making her way to the lead officer she asked if there was any available cold weather gear.

“Sure, we’ll see what we have available.”

Hotch looked at JJ and raised an eyebrow.

“It was Rossi’s suggestion, he says its miserable outside and well,” she gestured to herself and Hotch, “we have city clothes.”

A storeroom provided a bounty of warm jackets, boots in various sizes as well as full body rain gear. JJ and Hotch grabbed clothing and boots for themselves as well as the rest of the team. They also took long underwear, t-shirts and sweats in case anyone needed to change into dry clothes. After stowing the gear in the back of the SUV Hotch climbed into the drivers seat. JJ slid in beside him, not saying anything. The news of another body seemed to have improved Hotch’s symptoms but she was sure that once the initial adrenalin faded he would be the same or worse than he had been earlier.

The drive to the orchard was about 20 minutes.

“JJ, call Reid and have him meet us at the Orchard. We’ll look at the site, assess the burial and regroup.”

“Rossi already called him, he’s on his way,” JJ answered. Hotch nodded, a slight frown creasing his brow. JJ snuck a glance at him, unsure if he was annoyed that Rossi was semi-running the team or if the frown was the start of a headache.

They parked in a gravel lot and put on the boots and warmer coats. No one at the site was wearing rain gear so they left it in the car in case anyone needed it. It was a short walk to to the staging area but they were still wet by the time they reached it.

Morgan and Rossi looked damp but not too worse for wear. They hadn’t gone out to the site yet.

“We have foul weather gear in the SUV for anyone who wants it,” JJ said, gesturing at the car. “Wouldn’t want you to ruin your fancy shoes,” she said to Morgan, smiling.

“You know it,” Morgan laughed back and ran to the SUV to change. Rossi followed close behind. They had changed by the time Reid had arrived from the coroner and he too was sent to suit up. Once everyone was ready they grouped together in the tent.

“We’re going out to assess the burial site and once they start excavating, to look at the burial ritual.” Hotch sniffed and rubbed his nose on his wrist. “Does anyone have anything to contribute?”

Reid answered. “The coroner thinks the bruising might be teeth marks. It’s hard to tell because there’s so much decay but the rough shape is consistent with human dentition.”

“He’s biting them?” Morgan sounded disgusted. “And pulling out their teeth? Something really messed this guy up.” He turned away, shaking his head.

Hotch took the news quietly, trying to incorporate the new information into his growing profile of the Unsub but it just made his head hurt. The body had been found in the far corner of the Orchard in land that had been cleared but not yet planted. The Orchard had provided a couple of small golf carts (with drivers) for getting around and they climbed in, Emily, Reid and Morgan in one, JJ, Hotch and Rossi in the other. JJ was next to Hotch in the back bench seat while Rossi sat up front with the driver.

“It’s not too long, only about a 10 minute drive,” the driver said. “Damn rain though.”

Hotch could feel the adrenalin draining out of him and with it his burst of energy. The cold snuck in through his thick jackets and he could feel rain trickling down the inside of his collar. He started to shiver but caught himself. His nose was starting to run, both from the cold and from illness. He fished in his pocket and pulled out a tissue just fast enough to catch a set of three harsh sneezes.

“hck’Gishoo..AHP-Gnkxt..ISZH-Gischue.”

The sound of the motor partially covered the sneezes. Hotch had turned away from JJ but she could feel him flinch, feel the quick gasp of breath and explosive release. Hotch wiped at his nose and then turned to face forward.

“Bless you,” JJ offered quietly. Hotch turned to meet her eyes and she was shocked at how much worse he looked than he had 10 minutes ago at the briefing.

“Thank-you JJ.” He sniffed suddenly, his brow furrowing and eyes closing. He held up one finger and turned away from her again, ducking his face into his elbow.

“Heht-Gxt…HCK-Epft"

JJ bit her tongue but didn’t say anything. Rossi kept quiet but Aaron’s sneezing and general decline had not escaped his attention. Hotch leaned his head back and closed his eyes - just for a minute. The next thing he new JJ was gently touching his arm.

“Sir, we’re here,” she said, worry written plainly across her face.

Hotch steeled himself and stood up slowly, holding the side of the cart until his head stopped spinning. The ground was damp and he was grateful for the boots he was wearing. Walking over to the scene he found Jan standing silently a few feet from his dog. Rigger was in a ‘down’ position but totally alert, turning every few minutes to check with his handler.

“That’s how he marks a find,” Jan said. “We haven’t done anything to disturb the scene.”

“Thank-you,” Hotch answered. His voice was rough but carried authority. Turning to face his team he continued, “Why here, what do you see?”

“Fairly private but easily accessed. The Unsub could have an ATV or something similar to cart the body here. Better buried than the victim that brought us here.” Morgan gestured to the full ground cover.

“Forensics has taken pictures of everything, I think we need to see what Rigger found,” Rossi added and Hotch nodded his assent.

A quick tent was erected over the suspected burial site and the crime scene technicians began excavation. It was cold just standing there but Hotch needed to see the burial. Despite the activity around them the clearing felt unnaturally still. Rossi broke the silence.

“So he’s biting them.”

Reid:

“Odaxelagnia is a paraphilia in which sexual release is achieved through biting. It is independent of the vampire subculture although sometimes associated with them. Wayne Boden, a Canadian serial killer active in the late sixties was called the “Vampire Rapist” because he bit the breasts of the women he attacked. Initially the FBI was contacted because there had never been a prosecution using forensic odontology in Canada at that time. The FBI referred him to England and he was eventually convicted with forensic odontologic evidence - 29 points of similarity between his teeth and the bite wounds to his last victim. It was the first conviction in North America based primarily on forensic Odontology. Ted Bundy was also convicted using a dental casting of his teeth compared to a bite mark left on one of his Sorority House victims.”

Morgan:

“But he’s also taking their teeth. Something doesn’t add up here. Is it about power - I have teeth, I bite you, you have no teeth, you are powerless?”

Emily:

“And it’s not easy to pull out healthy teeth. Teeth are usually removed if they are dead, decaying or otherwise beyond repair. In that case the periodontal ligament is already compromised. These were healthy teeth. To take them all out… that’s a big job.”

Hotch listened but didn’t say anything, both for fear his voice would betray him but also because a wooziness was permeating his thoughts, preventing any useful insight. He shivered under his multiple layers and turned away from the group, coughing roughly into his elbow. Turning back JJ thought he looked paler than before but his cheeks were flushed and eyes seemed glazed. Before she could intervene one of the crime scene techs shouted, “We’ve got something here” and the moment had passed.

~.~.~.~.~

[stars123]

eep can't wait to read more I love this story so much

[jezebel215]

Part 17

The body was now partially exposed but seemed similar to the previous one. It was a shallow grave but deep enough that she was fully covered and wouldn’t have been found without effort. Her remains were mostly skeletal with thin shreds of connective tissue hanging over discolored bones. She had remnants of medium length dark brown hair framing her toothless skull.

“Any idea how long she’s been here?” Morgan asked.

“Based on the decay sometime between a few months and a year,” Reid answered. “I’ll need more information about temperature conditions to determine the rate of decay more closely. We’re lucky predation doesn’t seem to have been a big issue, the skeleton is nearly intact.”

“The Orchard is enclosed with two electrified fences about 6 feet apart to prevent deer from damaging the trees and the harvest. Of course, there are plenty of gates our Unsub could use to get past the fence.” Rossi added.

The forensics team worked at unearthing what was left of the body for the next few hours. After the first hour the general layout of the grave was apparent. The body was buried simply and there was no appreciable posing after death. There were no obvious personal effects and a few strands of decayed cotton was likely all that remained of her clothing. It was consistent with the long underwear the first body had been found wearing but too small a fragment to allow identification or make any further interpretations.

Hotch’s skin was forming goose bumps under his jacket and he could feel rain dripping down the inside of his collar. He concentrated mostly on keeping himself standing and refusing to shiver although occasionally he lost that battle. JJ watched him nervously but said nothing as Hotch turned away from the group to stifle four sneezes into his elbow. He was too far away for her to hear anything but based on the way he swayed forward they seemed powerful.

“How about we head back to the command post?” Rossi asked, interrupting the nervous silence. “We’ve seen the basic layout here and we can be easily alerted if any other bodies are found. Standing around staring isn’t going to make the excavation go any faster,” he added that last bit while turning to smile at the forensics team.

“We’ll call you as soon as we get anything,” the woman leading the excavation promised.

The ride back to the command center seemed to take twice as long and despite the extra layers the team was pretty thoroughly damp. They gathered under the tent around a small gas powered space heater unit. Reid took off his hat and shook out his wet hair, only to look up at everyone staring at him.

“What?” he asked.

“Nothing, that was just a very …” Emily trailed off.

“A very Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition hair toss,” Morgan finished. Reid flushed and put his hat back on.

JJ grabbed a few folding chairs and brought them around the heating unit.

“So what do we know?” Rossi started. “Victim profile is limited at this point. We can call the coroner and see if they know anything more but at this point we have a young female, probably two based on the hair associated with the second body. Hopefully the autopsy will give us something to work with and we can compare them to Garcia’s list of missing women.”

Emily:

“There must be something that links the extraction of the teeth with the biting. It could be predator/prey pathology or something more complex.”

Reid took a moment to call the coroner, listened for a few minute then hung up.

“What is it Reid?” Hotch asked, sensing concern in the young genius.

“They don’t have an ID yet but closer examination of the first victim’s oral cavity showed that she was missing her right upper second premolar - there was no associated bruising with the empty site. While trying to better characterize the bruising on her torso and inguinal area they took pictures of the wound using various UV filters and one of them gave them a pretty good image, consistent with a dental arcade.” Reid paused.

“And?” Rossi asked.

“And based on the bruising pattern, the teeth which bit her were also missing a right upper second premolar.” Reid finished, looking slightly puzzled. “It’s possible he’s biting them with their own teeth.”

Morgan:

“Now how do you bite someone with their own teeth?”

Emily:

“Actually, this may make sense with the extractions. If he is removing their own teeth to make a set of ….” she trailed off.

“Of what, Attack Dentures?” Rossi’s tone was slightly sarcastic.

“Well, yeah, I guess Attack Dentures is as good a name as any,” Emily added. “It explains why he takes the teeth and maybe what kind of trophy he is making.”

Hotch stayed quiet, trying to process the information. Finally he added, “If he is taking the teeth to make something out of them, then using that product to bite or approximate biting them, why do the extraction sites look so fresh?”

“I think I might know the answer to that,” Reid answered. “The coroner said the bruising we were able to see on gross exam was actually more complex - newer bruising and bleeding on top of older wounds. If he allowed the victim to eat anything or put anything in her mouth that could have reinjured the sockets, it could make the extractions appear newer.”

“Put something in her mouth?” Emily asked, an expression of distaste crossing her face. “Like a set of dentures made out of her own teeth?”

“Well, that would do it.” Reid answered.

Morgan:

“Now let me get this straight. You think this Unsub pulls out their teeth, makes them into dentures then gives them back to his victims to wear? What’s the point? And are you telling me they bit themselves?”

Hotch:

“We need a detailed list of all bite wounds and if possible, analysis to determine the amount of force used to generate these wounds. I don’t think the victim is the only one doing the biting, some of that bruising was on the side of the rib cage, she physically couldn’t have done it. Perhaps they take turns? Let’s see if we can get all of this information to a forensic odontologist, maybe Garcia can find one in the area.”

Reid called the Coroner’s office back with a request for a detailed examination of the bite wounds. JJ called Garcia, quickly relaying the request.

“Not a problem, already done. I can have the Bureau’s top Forensic Odontologist on a plane in three hours, ready to meet you by tomorrow morning. But more importantly, how is Hotch holding up?”

JJ glanced at her boss. As the group had broken apart to pursue various avenues of discussion he had pulled his chair slightly closer to the space heater and was sitting in it, his body rigid as if trying not to shiver. He coughed into his elbow, a short spasm that got worse as she watched.

“He’s…” JJ hesitated. “I think he’s pretty sick but he’s putting on a good front for now. I’ve got to go, keep me updated on the the expert. Also, check in with the Coroner’s office. They are preparing to strip the bones and may have some identifiers you can use to match to the missing women.”

As she talked to Garcia she was already walking toward the refreshment cart. She poured a paper cup full of hot water and emptied a packet of Theraflu into the cup, stirring as she brought the mixture to Hotch.

Hotch’s chest burned and the tickle in his throat was turning into a fire. He was trying to unwrap a cough drop but his hands were so cold he couldn’t grasp the paper to open it. He thought about pulling off his gloves but it seemed like too much of a hurdle. As he pulled desperately on the edges he lost his grip on the cough drop but before it could fall it was caught in a much smaller hand.

JJ caught the cough drop and knelt down in front of Hotch, her arm on his bicep, resisting the urge to rub his back. “Here,” she said, offering the Theraflu. “It’s hot so breathe in the steam first then take a few sips.” She handed him the small cup and he wrapped his hands around it, relishing the warmth seeping into his fingers. She unwrapped the cough drop easily and held it until Hotch had taken a few sips of the beverage.

“How are you feeling,” she asked quietly, out of earshot of the rest of the team (although they were no doubt all watching closely).

“I’b okay. I just,” Hotch paused and took another drink of the Theraflu and grimaced. “What is this?” he asked.

“Theraflu. Drink all of it and then I’ll give you the cough drop.”

Hotch looked at the cup as if it contained poison but dutifully swallowed the last half a cup in three big gulps. JJ handed him the cough drop and a bottle of water. She hesitated then asked, “Sir, what are we doing here? The HRD teams can handle the sweep of the orchard. Does the whole team need to be here?” She paused, nervous Hotch would be upset she was overstepping her bounds but instead he sighed.

“No, we probably don’t all need to be here. Why don’t you take Reid and Rossi and go back to the station, touch base with the coroner and start going through the files Garcia sent over. I’ll stay here with Morgan and Emily.”

JJ was momentarily taken aback at the suggestion as it was so close to what she wanted but missed the point entirely - the point being to get Hotch out of the cold rain. She didn’t say anything and Hotch looked up at her to see if she had heard him.

“Is there a problem, Agent Jureau?” he asked. The formality hurt her, told her this was going to be a battle. She took a breath, thinking how best to respond to the suggestion, how to rearrange the team that ended with Hotch being someplace warm and with someone to look after him. It didn’t have to be her, Rossi could watch him too.

“Hotch,” she said his voice softly, pleadingly and looked into his eyes. The strength of her gaze both unsettled him and made him feel slightly ashamed. “I want you out of the cold. You can do as much good from the precinct as from here but you’re not going to do anyone much good when you’re hospitalized with pneumonia.” She tried to lighten her tone at the end of the statement but she was hoping Hotch would take the hint.

Hotch flushed but hoped his scarf would hide it. He thought he had been doing a good job this morning of seeming healthy despite the weather conditions and he had been preparing himself to tough it out for another few hours. As he looked over at JJ then glanced at his team he realized he was fooling no one but himself. No one but Rossi would meet his gaze, they were all suddenly very interested in the scenery or available hot beverages. Rossi fixed him with a dead glare then mouthed silently “rest.”

Hotch sighed which turned into a cough, quickly stopped with a drink of water.

“OK. We’ll head back to the police station to coordinate with Garcia and work on identifying the victims. Morgan, Emily, Rossi - you stay here and call us if they find anything else. JJ, Reid and I are going back to the police station to work through victimology and interface with the Coroner’s office.”

The team nodded and broke up into two groups. JJ, Reid and Hotch headed toward one of the SUVs. Hotch again handed JJ the keys and started to climb into the front, hesitated, looked at the backseat, then resolutely climbed into the front seat.

“Did you know that oral disease has been an issue for what appears to be all of human history?” Reid asked, perching on the edge of his back seat and speaking quickly and nervously. “Skulls of Cro-Magnon people from 25,000 years ago show evidence of tooth decay. As early as 5000 BC there is reference to “tooth worms” in a Sumerian text and later, records of using acupuncture to treat tooth pain in China as early as 2700 BC. There is a manuscript from Egypt, the Ebers Papyrus, which was written down in 1700-1500 BC but contains records dating back to 3700 BC that describe prescriptions for tooth pain including olive oil, dates, onions, beans, and green lead to be applied to the Bennut blisters to relieve pain. Of course, Bennut blisters are believed to be primarily gingival abscesses. There is another word “Uxedo” which occurs more than 35 times in the Ebers papyrus which we have best translated as meaning “a painful swelling” although other interpretations describe “growth of the Uxedo in the teeth, meaning more specifically alveolar abscesses and associated soft tissue swelling.” Reid’s voice trailed off into the quiet of the car.

Hotch sat stiffly in the front seat, his eyes closed and head resting on seat behind him. He had pulled out a tissue and was using it to pinch off his nose which had taken the warmer air of the car as a signal to start running. JJ was focussed on driving and trying to surreptitiously observe Hotch and frankly, neither were paying much attention to Reid.

“There are some scholars who contend that dental disease was rare in early civilized peoples but more evidence supports a system in which dental pathology was incorporated but treated no differently than pain and swelling in other parts of the body.”

JJ struggled to pay attention to Reid and form an appropriate response.

“So how did we end up with dentists?” she asked.

Reid brightened and continued. “Not in the Ebers Papyrus but in the writings of Herodotus nearly a thousand years later he describes the doctors of Egypt as having broken into specialities including ‘those for the teeth.”

Hotch’s head was swimming. Reid’s rambling had served to magnify his headache but also to remind him of the psychosocial impact of teeth. In herbivores with finite dentition, erosion of the teeth to the gum line heralded death. What component did dental pathology play in this Unsub’s fantasy? Why was he taking the teeth and, if the bruise analysis was to be believed, what need did biting the victim with her own teeth satisfy? He tried to think through the possibilities but whenever he stopped concentrating on controlling his own reactions he found himself hunched over and shivering.

~.~.~.~.~

[ToothTen]

Not only am I really liking wonderful, sick hotch, I'm also really getting into the case now too!! Lovin' these quick updates too

[stars123]

I agree with tooth ten!!

[matilda3948]

This is brilliant! I love "overdo it until you pass out" Hotch. One of many favorite things.

[jezebel215]

Part 18

‘Why the teeth?’

The question pounded in Hotch’s brain as they drove to the station. Reid had settled in the back seat after giving a brief history on early dental disease and JJ had managed to answer Reid and keep driving.

“Why the teeth?” Hotch’s question came out as a rasp. His throat burned and he regretted speaking.

“Do you think teeth are more significant that fingernails? Or even fingers?” JJ asked, glancing quickly at Hotch while she drove.

Hotch closed his eyes, rubbing his face with his hands. “I don’t know. It’s a lot harder to pull out teeth than it is to pull off fingernails or cut off digits. Teeth are permanent, you only get one set of adult teeth-” his voice broke and he stopped talking.

Reid:

“Also, the Oral Stage in Freudian development is the first stage of Psychosexual development. It lasts from birth to around 21 months and characterizes the infant’s first biological (nutritive) and psychological (emotional) development.”

Hotch:

“But he takes the teeth and then the victim or the Unsub or both bites the victim, with their own teeth possibly. That seems more complex than the Freudian Oral Stage.”

Reid nodded. “It was just a thought. We’ll see what we get from victimology and if we can identify these two victims I can start a geographical profile.”

Hotch nodded and closed his eyes, resting his head on the seat. He dabbed at his nose, pinching it when it threatened a sneeze and allowing himself, for the rest of the drive at least, to feel miserable.

~.~.~.~.~

Back at the station Reid headed off to the Coroner’s Office and JJ and Hotch set up in their makeshift office. Hotch called Garcia.

“Have you identified the current victims?” He asked, his voice hoarse across the phone line.

“Have ye no faith?” Garcia asked, half joking. “We still don’t have appropriate identifiers from the first body and the second body has no information for me to go off of but I decided to reference the missing women with their dental records and look for anyone missing a right upper second premolar.” She paused.

“And?” Hotch’s voice was husky and barely audible.

“And we have a match. Anabeth Giring, 28, worked as a preschool attendant while she was getting her masters in education. Last seen about 3 weeks ago, reported missing by her employer when she had missed two days of school. Car was found outside a grocery store she was known to stop at on her way home. No boyfriend in the picture. Nearest relative is a sister in Iowa, last contact was more than 4 weeks ago but they weren’t especially close.”

“Excellent work Garcia. Have the rest of the file waiting for us at the station.” Hotch hung up and glanced over at JJ. “We have a preliminary ID on the first victim.”

~.~.~.~.~

It was only an hour or two before evening and darkness swept over the orchard. The site was secured and the rest of the BAU team headed back to the station. Conversation in the SUV switched uneasily between a discussion of the UnSub’s motivation and Hotch’s declining health. The lights of the police station were a welcome beacon in the unforgiving darkness.

~.~.~.~.~

Reid:

“Lacking any additional information I’ve used Victim One’s home, work, abduction site and disposal site to come up with a preliminary profile. Basing the profile on one victim, however, leaves serious gaps. Identifying the new body would be very helpful.”

Rossi:

“I’m sure it would.” He pulled out his phone and called the Coroner’s office. “Any information on the newest body?”

“Well, a full autopsy will take at least a day but she does have some identifying markers. It looks like she sustained some type of trauma to her pelvis, car accident most likely, and there is some hardware left in place. Once we trace the serial numbers we should have a positive ID.”

Rossi:

“Great, let’s get on that,” he said, hanging up the phone.

The team broke up into groups to discuss various aspects of the profile. Reid fine tuned the geographical profile while Rossi, Morgan and Emily discussed the pathology associated with tooth extraction. Hotch had retreated to his temporary office, his head pounding with the question “Why the teeth?” The dry heat of the room did little to dispel the cold that had sunk into his bones at the crime scene and he found himself shivering despite layers of clothing. Promising himself it was just for a moment he closed his eyes and rested his head on his hand, grimacing at the building headache.

Hotch’s absence had not escaped notice by anyone on the team. JJ found herself torn between caring for Hotch (even if he didn’t want it) and coordinating the local LEOs. Knowing he was safely ensconced in a warm office allayed her concern a bit and she focussed on coordinating the various law enforcement officers into producing helpful back ground information on the victim, the orchard and the area in general.

After a couple hours the team was feeling a bit frayed. Reid had exhausted the information available with scant geographic identifiers and the rest of the team felt they had considered every permutation on tooth extraction available based on one autopsy. The sun had set and evening crept over the squad room. A call from the coroner interrupted the growing stillness.

“Pauline Scottsfield. She broke her pelvis in three places in a bad car accident about ten years ago. The plates and screws in her pelvis trace back to her and the rest of her general height and conformation is consistent with the body we have.” The Coroner’s voice held a whisper of excitement.

At the first mention of the name a flurry of activity overtook the room.

Morgan:

“I’ll do background information,” he was dialing Garcia as he spoke. “Baby girl, we’ve got a name for you.”

“Is it Mistress of all things Good and Beautiful,” the flirtatious voice asked from the other end of the line.

“Sadly not today. Pauline Scottsfield. Can you find us everything on her - employment, family and friends, site she was reported missing and anything about her car?”

“Consider it done. Garcia out.”

Reid:

“A second victim will enhance the geographic profile immensely. I can’t say exactly what but there is something funny about the locations we have. I can’t tell you where but I think there was a previous dump site we haven’t found yet. Why the Unsub moved the to the Orchard I can’t tell you and really, I can’t say anything concrete based on the current data but it’s just a feeling.”

Emily:
“Your feeling is as good as fact in my book.”

Reid blushed and hurried back to his maps. With the rest of the team engaged JJ decided to check on Hotch. Knocking softly at the door to his office elicited to response. After a moment of indecision she pushed the door open gently and knocked again.

Hotch was sitting at the desk, fast asleep on the case files. It looked like he had been reading them and then drifted off. JJ shut the door softly and crossed the room. She knelt down and gently touched his arm.

“Hotch?” No response. “Hotch, we have an ID on the new victim.” No response. Concerned JJ laid the back of her hand against Hotch’s forehead and grimaced at the dry heat emanating from his pale skin. Almost against her will she found herself stroking his forehead gently, pushing back the damp locks of dark hair that clung to his hairline and running her fingers gently through his hair.

“Hotch?”

It was barely audible, a whisper through a thousand miles of fog but he couldn’t ignore it. It took a moment before he was ready to begin waking up and as sensations flowed into his consciousness he found himself wishing for the oblivion he had enjoyed moments before. The room was half dark and the air stale and he was…

Hotch sat up abruptly and surveyed the scene. He had been asleep on a pile of open case files. Shame curdled in his gut as he tried desperately to will his body awake.

“Jayje.” It was a croak, barely above a whisper and her heart ached at the longing in that one syllable.

“They identified the second body.” She decided to proceed as if she hadn’t found him passed out in a dead sleep. “26 year old secretary, missing 5 months.”

Hotch tried to process what JJ was saying but the words were garbled, flowing like syrup through his addled brain. “How?”

“Pelvic fractures, traced her through the implants.”

Hotch scrubbed at his eyes, opening them slowly. “Has Reid..” he trailed off.

“He’s working on an updated geographical profile. Garcia is putting together background information and trying to find any intersection between the first and second victims. Tomorrow Morgan and Emily will go talk to her coworkers, try to figure out if there is anything missing from the official report.”

Hotch nodded, pleased and, if he could admit it to himself, a little perturbed that his team was functioning without him. “Bring me background information on the new victim as soon as it’s available. We can start adjusting the profile based on new data.”

JJ stood, slightly annoyed. She looked at Hotch, looked at his glassy eyes, flushed cheeks and pale skin. His hands gripped the desk a bit too tightly as if looking for support and he was still wearing his heavy winter jacket.

“The background information can wait.” JJ’s voice carried a hint of finality. She stared at Hotch, waiting for him to meet her eyes. It took a moment but he did and she saw in them a deep weariness, deeper than exhaustion and illness alone.

“Hotch.” She said his name softly and yet it was as authoritative as if she had been yelling. “You need to rest.”

“I’m— ”

“If you say you’re fine, so help me god.” JJ smiled as she spoke but there was no lightness in her words.

He looked up at her, seeing her blond hair as a pale halo around her head, able to focus on nothing but her blue eyes. Hotch met her gaze briefly then turned away as his nose rebelled.

“Hez-Eshu…eh..heh..ehh-Chiew..Ack-Hapt’choo.” He sniffed cautiously and turned back to face JJ.

“What are you suggesting?” Hotch’s voice was congested but stronger, carrying a hint of the authority he normally conveyed. JJ hesitated, afraid to overstep her bounds but also concerned that if she didn’t her boss, her friend, would work himself straight into the hospital.

“It’s ten o’clock. The team is hungry. They’re tired. It’s been a long cold day and they need to rest.” JJ had trouble meeting Hotch’s eyes. “They need food and sleep in a warm bed.”

Hotch nodded. He wanted to keep working but his body was betraying him An afternoon that should have been spent gaining insight into victimology and MO had been spent, he shuddered, asleep over those very same files.

“We’ll meet at 7am tomorrow in the lobby.” His voice was like gravel, each syllable ground out painfully, but he ignored it. “We’ll continue the search of the orchard and any additional ground that Reid thinks should examined.”

JJ nodded and left to relay the news to the team before Hotch could change his mind.

[stars123]

yay!! love the update!! I can't wait for more

[24Me]

^{this is literal perfection! I adore your writing and this story, and I love your portrayal of Hotch! I'm so glad you decided to continue this! You're an amazing author and a huge, huge inspiration of mine-you're one of the best writers, especially of CM, on this forum! Fantastic job-there aren't words for how flawless this is!}

[jezebel215]

Part 19

They split into two groups- Hotch, JJ and Rossi in one SUV; Morgan, Reid and Prentiss in the other. There was no discussion of a group dinner tonight, only grim determination warring with exhaustion. Hotch had spoken to the team briefly, outlining the plan for the next day and the 7am meeting time. Once in the SUV JJ found herself next to Hotch in the back seat at Rossi guided the driver back to the AmericInn. Although he hadn’t taken off his coat inside Hotch had removed his hat, scarf and gloves which he had replaced prior to leaving. With the heat blasting and the smooth motion of the car he found himself struggling to keep his eyes open.

Rossi’s voice cut through the quiet of the car. “Soup, tea and a good night’s sleep.”

Aaron was only half aware of Rossi’s pronouncement but caught the second half. If it was possible for him to blush given the already unnaturally rosy hue of his cheeks he did so.

“If we were in DC I’d cook you my grandmother’s chicken soup but alas, that will have to wait until we’re home.” Rossi’s tone was light but held some warning in it. “There’s chicken noodle on the room service menu, no doubt a poor substitute for Grandma Rossi’s recipe but it’s better than nothing.”

Hotch nodded groggily. His nose had started to run and he wiped at it with a sodden tissue, succeeding only in irritating his tender nostrils.

“Heht-Gxt..heh..Eesh-Chiew…eh..Eah’Hischue.”

He caught the sneezes in the same damp tissue, feeling the moisture leaking through the worn fabric. Before he could process what was happening he also felt a handful of fresh tissues pressed into his hand. He started to wipe his nose but a growing tickle had him burying his nose deep into the fresh layers.

“HEZ-Esschu…heh..ISZH-Gischue…hhh-hush’Etsch.”

Hotch pitched forward with each sneeze. When it was over he allowed himself a slight sigh and blew his nose softly. The silence that followed his outburst was deafening. The rest of the ride to the hotel was short and punctuated only by occasional sniffs and coughs from Hotch. They got out and caught the elevator together, separating as JJ and Hotch got off at their floor and Rossi continued up to the Honeymoon Suite. JJ swiped the card key and Hotch stumbled in behind her. He made it only as far as the couch before he collapsed. JJ set her bags down and slipped out of her heavy jacket. She grabbed the thermometer and went over to Hotch. His eyes were closed but she could tell he was awake.

“Hotch, I’m going to take your temperature. It should only take a minute but leave it alone while it’s in there.” Hotch opened his mouth to argue and JJ slipped the thermometer neatly beneath his tongue. He opened his eyes and tried to glare at her but he wasn’t sure how effective it was given that he was seeing two of JJ wandering around the room.

“102.9. That’s pretty high.” JJ’s voice was quiet and worried. “Hotch, I think- ”

“No doctor. It’s a cold. Probably what Reid had or what’s floating around Jack’s school. They survived and so will I.” It would have been more convincing if he hadn't finished his grand pronouncement with a fit of coughing that had him bent over and clutching at his sides. JJ handed him a glass of water and eventually the fit subsided.

“OK. What do you want from room service?”

Truthfully Hotch’s appetite was long gone but he knew admitting that would only make JJ more concerned. “Let’s try the chicken noodle soup,” he said, meeting her eyes with a faint grin tracing his weathered cheeks. JJ half rolled her eyes but quickly ordered the soup along with a grilled cheese sandwich for herself.

The food arrived quickly and JJ lit into her sandwich, surprising herself with her appetite. Aaron picked at his soup, spooning the broth into his mouth and avoiding the meat and noodles. He pushed it away when it was still two thirds full. JJ eyed the bowl then looked at her boss. He was sitting on the couch, his head back and eyes fluttering. As she watched they closed and didn’t open again but intermittently a shiver would shake his whole body. She sighed and packed up the left over food.

“Hotch?” He opened his eyes. “Do you think you could take a quick shower? I think it would help warm you up.”

Hotch opened his mouth to ask why she thought he needed warming up but before he could phrase the question a full body shiver hit him. He nodded and stood up and headed to his room. He stripped off the day’s clothes quickly, shivering as the air hit his skin. He laid the coat and outerwear out on a chair to dry and wrapped a towel around his waist before venturing into the shared hallway.

“I’ll be in the shower,” he called down the hallway. JJ glanced up in time to see her half naked boss stepping into the bathroom. Even pale and shaking her breath caught as her gaze skimmed across his broad shoulders, toned muscles and slim hips. She shook her head as if to break the image and set about making her bed for the night. She covered the couch with the sheet and blankets and stripped off her damp outerwear until she was wearing only her suit pants and tank top that comprised her bottom layer. The sound of the shower faded as she finished with her bed.

In the shower Aaron leaned against the wall, waiting for the hot stream of water to drive out the cold that seemed to have settled in his bones. He tried to take a deep breath of the steam but that only resulted in a coughing fit that had him nearly bent at the waist, gasping for air. After that he took only measured, cautious breaths. He washed his hair and body quickly then stood facing the stream of water, enjoying the feeling of it pelting him.

After a few minutes he reluctantly turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. He wrapped a towel around his waist and another around his shoulders before venturing out into the hall. He stepped into his room and closed the door before drying himself off quickly and slipping into the sweats he had slept in the night before. A knock at the door startled him but he went over and opened it.

“I’m going to take a quick shower, shout if you need anything.” JJ’s voice was quiet and worried. “I put the Nyquil out on the counter and you should still have the cough medicine in your room. There’s some Vicks but I don’t know if that will help,” her voice trailed off and she met his eyes for a moment then turned away.

Hotch started for the kitchen and eagerly swallowed the two teal capsules of Nyquil. He looked at the instructions on the back of the bottle of cough medicine then simply removed the cap and took a generous swig of the syrupy liquid. It was terrible and he fought his stomach to keep it down. Worse, he took another swig and played out the same argument, winning again. He took the Vicks Vaporub but frankly wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do with it. He had seen cops use it in autopsy to mask the smell of a rotting corpse but he wasn’t sure how he was supposed to use in a medicinal fashion. He elected to leave it on the bedside table, trusting that if he needed it JJ would show him what to do.

His thoughts stilled as he slid into bed. It wasn’t JJ’s job to show him how to use Vicks Vaporub or to tuck him into bed or to do any of the things she had been doing to watch over his well being. He flushed slightly then tried to be objective. Had the situation been reversed would he be as attentive? He hoped so but wasn’t sure. He had done his best to take care of Reid on the last case but had he been there with clean tissues and warm clothes before Reid could even ask? He didn’t think so. JJ was everywhere and yet unobtrusive, caring for him and at the same time making it seem effortless. His eyes closed and he was asleep.

~.~.~.~.~

JJ took a leisurely shower and allowed the hot water to leach the day’s coldness out of her bones. She could feel a headache building but suspected it was due to dehydration and exhaustion. She stepped out of the shower, dried herself quickly and slipped into a set of FBI sweats nearly identical to the ones Hotch was wearing. Letting herself out of the bathroom quietly she walked to the kitchen and grabbed two advil and a bottle of water before setting her alarm and sliding into bed.

~.~.~.~.~

The faces were following him. Looking back he saw a sea of dead eyes and empty mouths. They gaped at him showing only pink gums where there should be teeth. He tried to run but couldn’t move his legs and suddenly they were on him, open mouths soft against his flesh like deep sea fish, mouthing, mouthing…

JJ woke up, not sure what had startled her until she heard the low moan from Hotch’s bedroom. She slid off the couch and ran the few steps that separated their rooms. Hotch lay on the bed, half covered with blankets, thrashing as the dream taunted him. His hair was stuck to his forehead and JJ could see a V of sweat on his t-shirt. It looked like he had taken off the sweatshirt at some point in the night but she couldn’t see it.

“Hotch.” Her voice was strong in the dark room but he made no sign of waking. Not thinking to consider the consequences JJ slid into the bed next Hotch, perching on the edge as she gently stroked his forehead.

“Wake up. It’s only a dream, wake up.”

The sea of empty mouths began to recede and Hotch fought his way back to consciousness. As he opened his eyes into the dark hotel room he became suddenly aware of his damp t-shirt sticking to his skin and the slick feeling of his hair against his brow. He shivered convulsively, stopping only when he felt a small hand warm against his forehead.

“Come on, let’s get you into dry clothes.” JJ’s voice carried none of the turmoil rolling through her. Hotch sat up in bed and stripped off his shirt, his actions oddly mechanical. JJ glanced around franticly for the sweatshirt and found it tossed to the corner of the bed. Rummaging through Hotch’s go-bag she found a dry t-shirt and handed them both to Hotch. He dressed quickly, seemingly unaware of his surroundings.

Once he was dressed JJ stepped away to grab the thermometer and another dose of Nyquil. Returning she showed both to Hotch and gestured for him to open his mouth. He did so with a placid obedience that scared her.

“103.1” The numbers on the LED display taunted her. “That’s not good Hotch.”

Hotch held out his hand for the Nyquil and then swallowed them quickly with a gulp of water from the bottle on his bedside table.

“What about the mouths?” His voice was a whisper. “We’ve been so focused on the teeth, what about the mouths? What if that’s the point?” He met her eyes and saw in them a frantic worry that matched his own.

“Hotch, you’ve got to sleep. I really think we should find a doctor tomorrow.” Before she could get the words out Hotch was shaking his head violently.

“I’ll be fine. We need to meet with the forensic odontologist tomorrow.”

JJ’s heart sank but she tried to keep her face placid. “OK, do you think you can go back to sleep now?”

Hotch nodded and closed his eyes. JJ stayed for a moment sitting on the edge of his bed but as his breathing evened out she stood up to walk to her room. Before she had taken more than a few steps she heard movement. Turning she saw Hotch writhing under the blankets, breathing heavily, nearly gasping.

She crossed the distance without thinking and climbed into bed beside Hotch. “It’s a dream, it’s a dream, it’s a dream,” she murmured, gently stroking his hair. He quieted for a moment and she started to slide back out of the bed. Before her feet touched the ground he started to thrash again.

JJ was torn. She wanted nothing more than to slide into bed beside Hotch and keep the nightmares away but she wasn’t sure what he would do when he woke up and found them in that position.

“Hotch.” No response. “Hotch.” Louder this time. “Aaron Hotchner.” At the sound of his full name Hotch’s eyes snapped blearily to attention. “You’re having a nightmare,” she said softly. He nodded, started to say something then stopped.

“Can you sleep?” JJ asked.

Hotch yearned for sleep. His head felt thick, his muscles ached and he could feel the fever crawling through his bones. He meant to nod yes, he truly did but found himself instead shaking his head ‘no.’

“The mouths..” His voice was a croak and the effort of talking sparked a coughing fit. Without thinking JJ helped him sit up and supported him, handed him the bottle of water and rubbed his back until he could breathe again.

Hotch’s fever bright eyes turned to meet JJ’s. “I keep seeing their mouths. It’s like they’re … coming for me.” It wasn’t as if this was the most horrific crime they had worked - sadly far from it - but Hotch’s illness and exhaustion had broken down his boundaries.

JJ’s mouth felt dry. She couldn’t leave Hotch in this state and as she ran through the possible repercussions she realized none of them mattered. She couldn’t leave Hotch in this state. It really was as simple as that. “Do you want me to stay?” she asked softly, meeting his eyes.

Hotch’s head throbbed, his nasal passages were on fire and his throat and lungs protested every breath. Despite the blankets he felt tendrils of cold snaking up his body, ready to grasp him at any moment. He felt terrible but at the same time -

“Yes.” The voice was his but it came out before he could consider what he was saying.

“You’re sure?” JJ’s voice sounded small in the darkness and before he knew what he was doing Aaron had turned to face her, grabbing her small hand in his.

“Yes.”

~.~.~.~.~

[stars123]

I love it!!!! hoping that JJ's headache is her getting sick

[24Me]

^^^^seconded, ^^^^

This gave me literal chills-holy crow it's amazing! You write so perfectly-teach me your secrets!!!!! Anyway, this is flawless and I am deeply, deeply in love!

Also, your updates have come at the best times-I have a stomach virus off and on for three weeks, and this story cheers me up!

[PetalPunk]

Holy moly that gave me chills! Just like the above comment, teach me your secrets!!!

Do I sense foreshadowing with JJ? Hm.....

Edited March 22, 2015 by flowerpower67

[jezebel215]

Part 20

In the silence that followed Aaron’s affirmation JJ could feel her heart pounding. She pulled back the covers and slid beneath them. Hotch had lain down as soon as she agreed to stay and she could hear his steady breathing. She started to situate herself on the far side of the bed, staying as close to what could be considered appropriate (given the circumstances) as possible. As she pulled the blankets around her she felt Hotch begin to thrash.

She didn’t think, she just rolled over toward him, cradling his body against hers.

“Shhhh. It’s just a dream, just a dream,” she murmured, rubbing his back and shoulders, her hands acting on their own accord to trace the outline of his chest and arm muscles. He shuddered and then collapsed into her and she wrapped her arms around him, tucked her body into his blank space and did her best to give him solace.

~.~.~.~.~

The sound of the alarm woke JJ the next morning. It took her a moment to figure out where she was and what she was curled up against. The events of the previous night returned to her in flashes and she realized she was in Hotch’s bed, snuggled tightly against him. While they slept he had turned and now ensconced her smaller body, his arm draped possessively across her midsection.

The alarm continued buzzing and JJ eased out from Hotch’s grip to hit the ‘snooze’ button. Her movement startled him and he half sat up, trying to rub the sleep from his eyes. Deciding that a semi-detached approach would be the best JJ said only, “It’s 6:15, team meeting at 7am.” She slid out of the bed softly and turned once at the door - I’m going to get dressed. I’ll be right next door.”

Hotch nodded at her then sat staring at the closed door. The events of the previous night were blurrier for him but he remembered a nightmare, more than one to be exact and then… He struggled to put them into focus. He remembered finding the body at the orchard, the bone-chilling cold and then falling asleep at the police station. He remembered going to bed and then- he groped through his memory banks and what emerged was a hazy recollection of toothless mouths chasing him. The memory awakened a spark of fear and the fear brought the rest of the memory - JJ soothing him, talking him through the dream and then, at his request, staying with him.

Hotch flushed, both embarrassed at the memory and at the same time feeling cared for in a way he couldn’t remember happening in a long time. As he became more aware of the day facing him he was suddenly also aware of his various discomforts. His throat burned and he hesitated to take a deep breath based on the soreness in his chest. He was completely congested but worse than anything was the aching fatigue that tore through him. He shuddered as memories of the case flooded his consciousness, reminding him of the tasks they faced today. He didn’t have time to lay in bed and so, with grim determination he pushed himself up to a sitting position. The room swayed but came back into focus the longer he stared at the wall.

He could hear JJ’s light steps in the adjoining room and then caught a faint wisp of coffee through his congested nasal passages. The smell encouraged him and he took a deeper sniff, regretting it as the night’s congestion seemed to shift position and decide on an abrupt exit. His breath hitching he grabbed for a handful of tissues and buried his nose in them.


“HUHP’Aeischo..eh..heh.. iht’Aeischo.. Aei-Gischue.. EHH-Arishoo”

The sneezes were wet and he blew his nose thoroughly, trying to empty the seemingly endless supply of mucus his body insisted on making. There was a moment he was able to breathe through his nose (at least a little) and again the coffee enticed him before his sinuses were completely clogged.

Hotch dressed as quickly as he could, his muscles protesting any movement or attempt at speed. He pulled on his warmest clothes and layered as many as he could without looking ridiculous. His boots were out in the main room, drying near the heater, so he walked into the next room in his socks.

JJ turned at the sound of soft steps in the doorway. She had been dressed for a few minutes and had made a pot of hotel coffee and two packets of instant oatmeal. Hotch stood in the doorway wearing, if she was right, about four shirts and maybe two pairs of pants. “Well, at least he’s trying to stay warm,” she through wryly.

“I made coffee and oatmeal,”

JJ gestured to the table and Hotch took a seat. “Normally I would not give coffee to a sick person but..” her voice trailed off and she caught Hotch’s eyes, “desperate times call for desperate measures.”

She couldn’t be sure but she thought the creases at the corners of his mouth deepened as if fighting off a smile. Hotch took the cup of coffee and noticed it was much milkier than his normal black.

“There’s sugar in there too. I don’t think your stomach can take a day of advil and black coffee.”

Hotch looked somewhat appalled at his corrupted coffee but wanted the caffeine. He took a long drink and was surprised to find that the sugar and cream made it smoother but not cloying, at least with his senses damped by his cold. His stomach accepted the offering and he smiled up at JJ.

“Thank-you. It’s good.”

JJ half smiled and put a small bowl of oat meal in front of him. She said nothing, poured herself a glass of coffee and sat next to him with an identical bowl of oatmeal. They ate in comfortable silence. When Hotch’s coffee was gone he hoped for another cup but the hotel coffee maker only made two cups at a time.

“Would you like another cup of coffee?” he asked JJ, flinching as he heard his own croaking voice.

“No. And no for you too. There’s orange juice in the fridge.” She spoke without looking up from her oatmeal and Hotch found himself trekking to the fridge and resolutely pouring himself a glass of juice before considering how easily he had complied with her instructions.

JJ finished her oatmeal and quickly gathered the dirty cups and bowls. She put them in the sink and opened the drawer she had put the assortment of medicine in. She pulled out two orange DayQuils and then hesitated.

“Did the cough medicine make you feel groggy?” she asked, turning to meet Hotch’s gaze.

“I’m not sure. I took it and went to bed. I don’t want to chance it.” He was already at her side, eagerly popping the capsules out of the foil backing and swallowing them with the last of his orange juice. JJ nodded, looked through the cabinet and pulled out another dose of dayquil, two packets of Theraflu and some cough drops. She dropped them into her purse and saw Hotch watching her, a trace of amusement on his face. JJ blushed but didn’t stop her preparations. She grabbed a few travel packs of tissues, handed one to Hotch and put the rest in her purse. Hotch said nothing and slipped it into the pocket of his jacket.

“It’s 6:50, we should head downstairs.” JJ’s voice broke the companionable silence. Hotch nodded and they made their way to the elevators.

~.~.~.~.~

The mood was subdued as the team gathered in the lobby. The banter of the previous morning was gone and it seemed that exhaustion had made for quiet roommates.

“We have two victims. Morgan, Emily - I want you to map out these women’s lives. I’ve set up for you to interview family and coworkers and to go to their homes. Work with Garcia and see if you can find any overlap where they may have crossed paths with our Unsub. Rossi you’ll stay with the search at the orchard. Reid, the forensic odontologist will be here this morning. Work with him on identifying signature components in the dental extraction. JJ and I will be at the PD headquarters.”

As the team broke apart into their assignments it occurred to JJ that Hotch had paired them together. A memory of waking up in bed, his arm wrapped around her waist with their bodies intertwined flashed into her head.

“No. It’s just about practicality and damage control. Don’t read anything into this,” she thought firmly.

~.~.~.~.~

[stars123]

wow I love this

[Glimmer]

I loved this in 2012 and I love it now oh wow thank you for picking this back up!!