Hello! This is my first multi chapter fic for Criminal Minds, I have written a one-shot story before this, for the Criminal Minds Genre. *coughshamlessplugcough*. anyway, I hope you enjoy this sotry! Also; I would like to send out a huge thank you to flashpenguin for editing this, she does a fantastic job.

"It's choice, not chance that determines your destiny"- Jean Nidtch

Emily Prentiss sighed and leaned back in her chair. It had been nearly a week since they had gone out on a case and by some miracle, she had finished all her backed up paper work the day before.

"Bored?" A deep voice asked. Emily looked up to see Rossi.

"Yeah," she said throwing a pen down on her desk and straightened up in her chair. "I think it's terrible that I actually want a case." she stated. "Just to break up the monotony."

Rossi opened his mouth to say something (Emily figured he was about to agree with her) but JJ interrupted them from behind. "Your wish is my command." Rossi and Emily turned to look at the media liaison, who continued with an apologetic smile. "We've got a live case in Maryland."

"Great," Emily muttered.

"I thought you wanted a case?" David reminded in a whisper. Her reply was a glare as she got up and followed him and JJ into the round table room.

Once they were all seated in their usual spots, JJ got right down to business. "The latest victim is Annalise Sinatra. Keeping the press down to a minimum is going to be hard."

"Annalise Sinatra?" Penelope obviously recognized name of the young socialite, her parents were philanthropists and their daughter was taking full advantage of her family's notoriety - she lived and went to school in Bethesda Maryland and partied with celebrities.

JJ nodded and kept talking. "Alexandria PD actually got this case six weeks ago. They were concerned when the local office realized a victim of theirs had the same wounds that a stabbing in Roanoke had earlier this year." She clicked on the victim photo. "The stabbings were all over the state in different counties - which is why Virginia LEOs didn't catch it until now. But they were unable to proceed on this case until this morning when there was another stabbing in Bethesda Maryland. That's when Alexandria's H.D. turned it over to the FBI office. After running a quick search to see if there were victims that they didn't know about, it turned up 30 additional victims from Maryland and Virginia."

"30 additional victims?" Morgan asked from his chair.

"How did we not get this before he injured so many women?" Hotchner asked, his eyes scanning the report rapidly.

"Because it hasn't been in a very predictable pattern. Just this year there's been three in Virginia, one in Maryland, and one in California. The stabbings in Virginia were in different counties which could be why law enforcement didn't notice the pattern until six weeks ago, and the last one - early this morning - was in Maryland. That's when they asked for us to be brought in. There was a broadcast this morning in the National News asking for victims of unsolved stabbings to please come forward and contact their local FBI office."

"Jayje," Penelope said from her perch on a chair, "that could be multiple unsolved stabbings!"

JJ looked to Penelope and nodded in agreement. "I know, but the local FBI offices have descriptions of the stabbings. Unless the evidence from the crime scenes match up will the case files be sent here. I know it's a lot of work but it's the only way to narrow down what this guy's preference is." She clicked the remote and continued.

"Out of the 30 victims so far, ten of them were in the 18-25 age range. While 19 were older. The oldest was nearly fifty. The victims are white collar workers, blue collars, stay at home moms, University students." JJ looked up at the group. "Maryland FBI couldn't find anything in common with any of the victims other than that they are all females."

"How do we know that this is the same guy who's stabbing all of these girls?" Morgan asked.

"It's the same MO. The victims from Virginia said the unsub who stabbed them looked to be the same height and weight."

"They were all in agreement?" Emily asked, surprised. The agents knew that if there were multiple victims that could speak they weren't usually in agreement.

"The officer I talked to said that they each had the same vague description, about five foot ten, ski mask and about one hundred and seventy five pounds. Also, he or she was polite when our Unsub approached them," JJ supplied.

"He was polite?" Emily asked as Rossi spoke up.

"He or she?"

"Yes. Some of the victims reported that they were jogging and the unsub stopped them by calling out to them politely. They didn't know anything was wrong until it was too late." She turned so she was facing Rossi, "And some of our victims have said that it sounded like a male who was stabbing them, and some of them said it sounded like a woman."

"Could there be two UNSUBs?" Hotch asked.

"Possibly, but from the testimonies we've gotten so far it doesn't sound like it," JJ answered.

"We can't rule out that there may be two or more UNSUBs working in tandem, or worse…"

"A copy cat," David finished in grim tone.

There was a hesitant knock on the door. "Excuse me." The team turned to see Agent Adams from another unit. "There have been a few calls from California, Oregon and Maine offices. They're reporting unsolved stabbings."

"Reid, Prentiss, you go get the phones so Agent Adams can go back to her job," Hotchner ordered. The pair got up and left.

A couple of minutes later, Emily was back after speaking to the Maine office. "I've got six unsolved stabbings in Maine. So, that's thirty six victims."

"Fifty!" Reid reported. "California has fourteen stabbings that match our guy. Oregon reported fifty seven," he said without preamble.

"Fifty seven?" Emily asked. "How did we not get this guy before now?"

"We shouldn't dwell on that," Hotch griped. "Let's just get this guy before he hurts another woman." He scanned the report plus the numbers Prentiss and Reid reported. "There are several victims in the Virginia-Maryland area so let's split up and question them about what happened."

Hotch turned to his team. "JJ, have the local FBI offices question the victims in California, Maine and Oregon. Have the reports sent here afterwards." JJ nodded in agreement. "We should get an agent to Annalise, which hospital is she in?"

"Suburban Hospital in Bethesda," JJ said.

"Okay. Rossi, Morgan, I want you to go to Bethesda and see Annalise." Hotch started to hand out assignments. "Reid, Prentiss, go interview the survivors in Maryland. JJ I'm going to need your help with interviewing the victims in Virginia. Let's see if we can't narrow down our unsub pool." He glanced at Penelope. "Garcia, you go back and try to find out when this guy started stabbing women. Because there are multiple states involved, make it a nationwide search." Penelope nodded and all the agents started to leave the round table room, but they were stopped by a commanding presence in the doorway.

"Director Strauss," Hotchner acknowledged. "What can we help you with?"

"I wanted to hand out assignments for this case, I don't want anyone messing it up; I just got a call that the stabber has seventy two victims," she replied coldly.

"Seventy-two?" Several of the agents were surprised at how quickly the number had grown.

"We just heard from the California, Oregon and Maine offices …." JJ started to speak, but Strauss interrupted her.

"There was one in Hawaii last year, and five in Montana and seven in Wisconsin." She turned to the rest of the group. "Now, on to our assignments."

A flicker of annoyance crossed Hotch's face but he remained calm. "I already handed out assignments but if you feel that there should be changes made go ahead and make them."

"Morgan and Hotchner, I want you to go to the Hospital in Maryland where the latest victim is being held. Rossi and Prentiss you interview the victims in Virginia and Maryland. All thirty of them."

Emily mouthed 'all thirty?' as Strauss kept talking. "You'll be gone for a couple of days so be prepared. Reid, you and Garcia stay here and get the case files from the other states. I want constant communication between us during this case; I don't want this guy to go free."

Hotch raised an eyebrow. "I will be glad to go to meet with Annalise Sinatra, Strauss, but I will need to go home after five o'clock."

The look she gave him was unreadable but she relented. "All right Agent." She turned and walked away, as the rest of the team started to break off as well.

"Why does she do that?" Emily asked as she gathered her paper work and started to leave.

Without looking up from her stack of files, JJ answered instantly, "The same reason cats and dogs lick themselves; because she can."

"Split up," Hotch said the look on his face clearly telling the rest of the team he didn't like being ordered around by Strauss any more than the rest of them. Emily went to her desk, digging out her go bag.

"Do you want to drive or should I?" David asked from behind her.

Emily turned, he had his own go bag as well; apparently he kept one in his office. "I don't care if you drive or not. Just as long as I get to pick the music," she grinned. "Is there a certain kind of music you don't like?" she asked.

"I don't care what kind of music you bring along, I like it all," David replied smoothly.

"I can't believe you like all types of music; there must be one kind of music you don't like," she challenged.

"Want to bet?" David grinned.

"You're on."

"I need to go get Mudgie to his Kennel so once we hit the road I can prove you wrong."

Emily smiled. "I need to go back to my place as well. If I'm going to be gone for the next couple days I'll need to get the girl next door to feed my cat and get a couple more changes of clothes."

"Bring something nice." Dave suggested. Emily raised an eyebrow. "One of the victims lives in Virginia Beach; there's a little restaurant down there my agent suggested to me, but it's got a dress code." Emily's eyebrow arched higher. "I'd like to take you as my friend." There was a pause. "I suppose you could not go with me, but my momma would skin me alive if she found out that I didn't take a lady to a nice restaurant. Even if we are just friends."

Emily shrugged, a friendly date couldn't hurt. "Sure."

"How about I meet you at your place in an hour?" David asked.

Emily nodded in agreement, grabbed her bag and left the FBI office.

"There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature." Jane Austen