Criminal Minds 1. Chapter 1

Carrying the Shadow

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds

Hands shaking, shallow, fearful breaths, and blood. Dark red, once warm blood soaked her clothes and her hands stained red, the blood drying and caking on her skin. Her jaw worked up and down, uncontrollably chattering against the traumatic images blinking across her vision. A whimper fell from her mouth, her head throbbing in time with her heart. Fear, pain, and sorrow. It was a deep, penetrating sorrow that burned down to her core and tore at her chest, causing her to struggle for oxygen. Tears streamed down her cheeks, leaving trails down her petrified face. Every inch of her being was numb, her limbs shaking despite her efforts at keeping her horror at bay. She pulled her trembling legs to her chest, letting her head lay on her knees. Her eyes were wide, horrified, and red with more tears at the brink of spilling over. Her back was against the wall of a building…she wasn't really sure where her feet had taken her, but anywhere was better than where she was before. The air outside was chilling and bit at her exposed skin, but she didn't really notice. She didn't know how long she had sat there, it could've been minutes or hours, but it was dark and the moonless night filled the city air, making it hard to see anything farther than a few feet away. She heard the click of heels on concrete to her right, a tired sigh with an audible level of weariness, and the beeping of a car being unlocked. She heard the woman stop walking; something must have made her turn back. Then, she heard the clicking get louder and faster. It seemed like the woman was jogging toward her.

"Hey! Are you alright?" A concerned voice floated above her head, urgency piercing through the woman's calm. Emily Prentiss' brows drew together as she knelt down next to the small, trembling figure and put a kind hand on her shoulder. The young girl looked up, the fear in her eyes startling Emily, taking her aback. The girl was shaking, clearly in shock and Emily looked at her fully now. Blood covered her clothes and skin and Emily's heart pounded wildly in her chest.

"Hey, is this your blood?" Emily's shaky voice softened, worry deep in her eyes. She got no response, which didn't surprise Emily but she needed to rule out serious injury. Emily noticed a head wound and put her hand under the young girl's chin to look into her eyes. "Can you tell me your name, sweetie?" The girl's traumatized face smoothed for a second and she seemed to remember something. Recognition of why she was sitting outside this particular building sparked in her eyes. The girl opened her mouth and Emily paid her full attention to her, noticing every expression on her face. A small, frightened voice came from the girl's mouth, but Emily heard an edge that resembled something like strength and resilience.

"Andi Blake….I…I need to find JJ…" She paused, breathing hard. "Agent Jennifer Jareau…I need to find her…." She struggled to get the words out, but they were clear and Emily's eyes widened as she nodded, swallowing back the shock of the situation. Andi squeezed her eyes shut, tears sliding down slowly.

"Okay…I'll get her for you, alright? But I need to know if you're hurt." Emily gave Andi a sad smile and put a comforting hand on her arm. Andi swallowed and tried to stop herself from shaking, visibly rebuking herself for showing this much weakness. It was like she had no control over her body.

"I'm fine…I…I just need JJ." Emily narrowed her eyes skeptically at her and nodded, knowing that Andi probably needed medical attention but right now she needed JJ more. Emily wondered fiercely what had happened to this girl and prayed that it wasn't as bad as the scenarios that were running through her mind.

"Okay. We need to get you inside. She's still in her office. Can you stand up and walk?" Emily helped Andi up slowly once she nodded and pulled her own coat off, draping it over the young girl's shoulders. "Easy…Alright, let's go." Emily kept her grip on Andi's arm, letting the terrified girl lean on her as they moved inside the BAU. Andi continued to shake and Emily figured that the girl wasn't even aware how much she was trembling. "Almost there. She's just up these stairs." Emily gritted her teeth angrily at whatever person had made this girl so afraid and assisted her up the stairs. Emily knocked on the door and waited to open it until she heard JJ's bored voice telling whoever it was to come in. Andi stood outside, absently staring at the floor. Emily opened the door, peeking her head in for a second and gesturing for Andi to wait there. Andi wasn't even paying attention so Emily walked inside, moving to JJ's desk.

JJ looked up at Emily with her tired expression and noticed Emily's urgent, worried eyes. "Emily?" JJ knew that Emily had already left to go home and it was weird that she would be back already. Something must be wrong, JJ thought.

"JJ…do you know an Andi Blake?" Emily held her breath for a second and let it out slowly, calming herself; her heart was still racing.

"Yeah...um. How do you know her?" JJ was starting to get worried and she pushed her chair back from her desk a bit.

"She's looking for you. Look, JJ, something bad happened to her. She has blood all over her and she's definitely in shock. She wouldn't tell me if she was hurt…all she wanted was to find you." Emily hesitated, not sure how this news would affect her friend. JJ's eyes widened and she stood up, anger and dread in her eyes.

"Where is she?" Emily gestured to the door and JJ followed her quickly.

"Andi?" Emily put a caring hand on her arm and Andi looked up into Emily's eyes. "JJ's right here, sweetie." Andi's eyes brightened and she looked through the door, searching for JJ.

"JJ?" Her voice was frantic. JJ walked to the doorway, her hair falling into her face.

"Andi…" JJ let her eyes drink in the scene and there was horror in her eyes. "Oh my gosh, Andi. What happened to you?" JJ's brows drew together and moisture gathered in her eyes. Andi opened her mouth and all that came out was a whimper as she began to cry. JJ took a long stride to Andi and pulled her into a strong embrace, whispering encouraging words to her. Emily stood aside and wondered how they knew each other.

"Shhh…It's okay, Andi. I'm right here. You're okay." JJ repeated the words softly in her ear and put a hand to the back of her head, flattening her hair gently. They stayed like this for a few minutes until JJ pulled back a little, leading her inside her office, gesturing for Emily to follow them. Emily closed the door and frowned, knowing their long day was not over. JJ sat Andi down and took her shaking hand that stopped moving once JJ held it, a protective move like that of a big sister or a mother.

"Andi, are you hurt? Are you okay?" JJ glanced worriedly at Emily for a second before looking back to Andi again. Andi's right hand started shaking once more and the fear that had been blanketed in her eyes came back. "Andi, you're okay. I'm right here." JJ saw the panic in her eyes and quickly brought her back to reality. "I just need to know if you're hurt. Can you tell me what happened? I want to help you, but I need to know what happened." Emily saw JJ's silent plea for the terrified girl to be okay. Getting the story out of her seemed the only way to know if Andi was hurt.

"I…I was at my house with Mom and Dad…Then there was a man…I didn't recognize him. He came to the door…" It seemed that Andi was picking up confidence, erasing the fear from every feature of her body. "My dad opened the door." Andi looked down at the ground as she relived whatever horror had happened to her. "The man had a tranquilizer gun…he also had a .45 with him. He had extra magazines in his pocket…he was prepared. He used the tranquilizer on my dad and mom….and me. When I woke up, we were all tied up. It seemed like he was waiting on me to wake up because as soon as I did, he started hurting my mom. My dad was screaming…because the man was…"

Andi stopped and her eyes widened. It seemed like she couldn't go on. Emily closed her eyes as she guessed what Andi was struggling to say. JJ shook her head, willing it to not be true. "He raped her…." Those three words hung in the air, pressing down on Andi's lungs, making it harder to breathe. Tears fell silently and she went on. "My mom was crying and screaming…then he…he shot her in the head." JJ squeezed Andi's hand tight, letting her know that she was there and Emily put a hand on her shoulder. "He moved on to my dad…he was beating him…like he was angry at him for something…it was like it was personal and he kept looking back at me like he was getting my approval. He seemed confused when I screamed at him to stop. My dad begged him to stop, so he shot him like he did to my mom. By that time, I was crying and screaming at him. He came after me next, but he untied me first. I guess he didn't think I was a threat…" Andi chuckled without humor and then closed her eyes. "He tried to….touch me." She stopped again, and JJ was trying to hide her tears to be strong for Andi. Emily didn't hide her tears, only listened intently to Andi's story.

"I fought him…and I hurt him. I think he got a few hits in…but I got him. He laughed…at me. He was having fun. He got the gun back somehow and holstered it. Then…" Andi paused again. "He left. He said that he'd be seeing me and he left. Just left me there with my dead parents. All the blood…I tried to save them…" Andi fell silent and shook her head. She couldn't cry anymore. She only blinked and gritted her teeth.

"Andi…I'm so sorry…" JJ wrapped Andi in a hug, breathless.

"I'm alone, JJ…I have no one." JJ gritted her teeth and shook her head.

"You've got me, Andi. I'm not going anywhere, sweetie." JJ pulled away and sighed, gently wiping Andi's tears. "Alright. I'm gonna take you to the hospital and Emily is going to go talk to Hotch, my boss." JJ gave Emily a look and she nodded, giving her a sad smile. Emily was more than happy to help.

"No. I don't need to go to the hospital. I'm fine." Andi sat up straighter and Emily saw a stubbornness in her disposition.

"Andi…You're going to the hospital. You're not going to win this argument." JJ's eyes were intense and Emily knew that you didn't argue with JJ…If you did, you didn't get far.

"I'll go talk to Hotch. He's still here, right?" Emily stood.

"Yeah. He's always here." She paused and looked up again. "Thanks, Emily." JJ looked at her meaningfully and Emily nodded, leaving the room.

"Okay…let's get you to the hospital." JJ stood and helped Andi up, despite her protests.

_Tell me what you think and if I should keep going! :D Thanks for taking the time to read this! –mlw217_


	2. Chapter 2

Carrying the Shadow

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds

Ross Donahue stared at his bruised and swollen reflection, his eyes boring a hole into his own black soul. His pulse was still racing, and his blood boiled with anger for the way he'd left things at the Blake house. The only thing keeping him going was his desire to see her again. It was a burning desire that he couldn't control…something he had no intention of controlling. He didn't want to control this and he wouldn't rest until he found her.

….

Everything can change in one second…It just takes a second for an event to change your entire life. JJ knew this better than most people. As Andi sat with a doctor in an exam room, JJ stood outside in perfect view so Andi would know she was there. JJ couldn't imagine what Andi was going through. Why did Andi have to go through this….again? Andi's eyes were haunted and wide open, still in shock. She would stay strong of course…JJ knew that. Andi was perhaps the strongest girl she knew and this situation would be no exception. JJ closed her eyes, remembering…

_JJ was laughing, smiling, and happy, her eyes full of life, not having seen the devastation that was to come. Her face was bright and lit with glee. She hung lovingly on the arm of a young man with blue eyes deeper than the clearest ocean and strong arms she knew she could always trust. Collin Blake was the best boyfriend she had ever had and could see herself settling down with a guy just like him. He had a wonderful, loving family and JJ loved them. She grinned, making a joke at her boyfriend's expense, and chuckling at the mock-hurt look on his face that melted into a loving grin. JJ walked into his house and kissed him goodbye. She was babysitting his sister who was the smartest nine-year-old in the state while he went off to a class he was taking. JJ loved babysitting Andi. She definitely wasn't a baby, and it wasn't like JJ had to do anything but hang out with the girl. Even though Andi was nine years old, she was smart enough to pass as an above average high school student by intelligence. JJ loved her like she was her own sister. Andi was a genius and JJ even learned things from her on a daily basis. JJ sometimes forgot that Andi was nine, but what happened that day made her remember…_

_ Collin came home a few hours later, his bad mood blanketed by JJ's and his sister's laughter. They all went to the park to have a picnic. Then something changed in the air…the wind picked up and whistled through the leaves, picking up their trash and carrying it through the air. A storm was rolling in and they packed up their things, ready to go home before it started to rain…but rain was the least of their worries. It started with a violent, sudden bang and a little girl's heart-wrenching scream…something JJ would never forget. She would never forget a lot of things from that night: The killer's malevolent grin as he took wallets and jewelry ,the blood and life spilling from her love's chest, the terror in Andi Blake's nine year old, tear-filled eyes as she watched her best friend and big brother die, and her heart….breaking; shattering into a million pieces. This tragedy seemed to last forever. The rain fell…first only a few drops, then a torrent of rain barraged the murder scene, washing the blood away, and mixing in with the tears and sorrow….This was the worst day of Andi's life…until now. _

…_._

Emily Prentiss took a deep breath, settling herself down a bit before knocking on Hotch's door. Her eyes were red and worn out from the case they had just finished, but she knew that now, they had a whole new disaster to deal with. She knocked three times and waited for an answer. Hotch's uptight, professional voice answered, telling her to come in. When she walked in she saw that his face was marred with exhaustion and stress; he definitely didn't need the news that was coming to him, but she had no choice but to inform him of the most recent act of human malevolence.

"Prentiss, I thought you went home already." Hotch looked surprised and gestured for her to sit in one of the chairs in front of his desk.

"I did. But, Hotch, we have a situation." The tenor of her voice described the seriousness of the situation and Hotch sat up straighter, listening intently.

"What happened, Prentiss?" Hotch didn't really want to hear what was coming next.

"I was walking out to my car to go home, and I saw a girl huddled by the building. It's freezing outside, Hotch, so I was worried about her. I got to her and she was in shock, covered in blood, and shaking. She wouldn't talk to me at first and wouldn't tell me if she was hurt or not, so I asked her what her name was. She told me and then said she needed JJ. I brought her in and she told us what happened." Emily proceeded to tell Hotch the same heart-wrenching story that Andi told her and JJ. Hotch's eyes were intense as he listened to all of the details. Once she was finished with the story, she spoke again. "She was very observant of the killer. She noticed details that you would expect from someone who's had some sort of profiling training. And I have no idea how JJ knows her; I didn't get the chance to ask." Emily stopped and let all the information sink in. Hotch took a deep breath, his stressed face scrunched in thought.

"Okay…I'll take care of the crime scene when I get an address and you go to the hospital and talk to JJ. Figure out how she knows her and then we'll go from there." Hotch took a breath and let it out. "Looks like we're in for another grueling case…we need to find out more about Andi, so whatever you can get from JJ could help. Just call me with the details…" Hotch smiled sadly and Emily stood, nodding. She left the office and Hotch let himself lay back in his chair, his exhaustion taking over. They were going to be up all night and Hotch hadn't been to sleep in almost 24 hours. Emily and JJ hadn't either…this was going to be a long night.

….

"JJ?" Emily's friendly hand grazed JJ's arm as she walked up next her.

"Hey…" JJ sighed and glanced back into the exam room for a second, running her hand down her face.

"How is she?" Emily's gaze was worried and attentive, her brows pulled together.

"She's still pretty scared. She suffered a few bruises and a minor concussion." JJ frowned.

"She doesn't even look scared…She's tough." Emily's brows rose, impressed.

"Yeah…She's always been able to compartmentalize things." JJ's voice was sad and thoughtful as her mind went back to the night Collin Blake was killed.

"How old is she?"

"19…I've known her since she was little. I dated her brother in college for a couple of years." JJ leaned against the wall, still making her presence seen from the exam room.

"Yeah?" Emily nodded and waited for JJ to go on.

"She's been through a lot, Emily. She shouldn't have to deal with any of this…This shouldn't have happened to her…" JJ proceeded to tell Emily the story of Collin Blake's murder, keeping her own feelings completely out of it. JJ told her that she had gone to Andi's house every day for at least a year after Collin died. She'd been around for Andi for everything, like she was her big sister. And she might as well have been Andi's big sister. JJ had made sure that she helped Andi through everything; especially getting into a good enough college for her future. She had done everything for her just like she thought Collin would've done.

"Wow…" Emily's eyes were wide and she was shocked that this girl had been through so much. This really intelligent 19 year old girl, who now had no blood relatives and had watched everyone in her family get murdered now sat, almost calmly, in an exam room without an ounce of fear in her eyes for her own safety. Instead, there was anger. Emily saw Andi's fiery eyes and her balled-up fists. Andi wanted revenge…and JJ noticed too.

"I can't keep her out of this investigation…and I won't." Her voice was steady and unmoving; she had no doubts about what she just said. JJ's eyes filled with moisture, but she refused to let any tears fall as she looked up at Emily, shaking her head.

_Wow! Thank you guys for all of the wonderful reviews! And thank you for reading! Reviews definitely brighten my day so keep them coming! Hope you enjoyed! R&R!-mlw217_


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Criminal Minds, Drama, Tragedy