This is my first Hotch/Prentiss fanfic, and I really hope you enjoy! I love this pairing and I know a lot of you do too, soooo… H/P forever =)

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or any of its characters =(

Penelope Garcia tapped a pink pen on her desk in time with the clock on her wall. She stared at three case files, wondering how J.J. possibly did this. How she chose who to help.

Alright, one case with one murder, probably not a serial, so goodbye.

She slid the folder over to the side, creating tightness in her stomach, which happened whenever she decided to turn a case away. She felt as though she was giving up on them and saying to a grieving mother, "Oh well your daughter isn't important enough, so we won't bother to find her killer." Thinking about this made her want to snatch the folder back. This was so hard.

Penelope sighed a deep frustrating sigh, then grabbed the folders, putting them in a pile in front of her. She stood up and left her cave with the cases clutched to her chest, and her heels clicking. She traveled down the catwalk, down to the bullpen, and to Derek Morgan's desk with a determined, and slightly impatient stride. To her dismay, her love and life was not there. Glancing over the cubicle divider, she saw Emily Prentiss, the dark haired, bad ass agent she had come to love through the years.

"Hey, Em, have you seen Morgan?"

"Yeah, he went out to get something from his car, he should be back soon. Can I help with anything?"

Desperate, Garcia shuffle over to Emily's desk, and tossed the case files in front of her.

"Help.", she said giving a distressed look.

Prentiss smiled and began rifling through the mass of papers.

"Well, this one has only one murder, and the wounds point it to it being personal, so it was probably revenge, or anger, and it probably won't happen again, and this one does have three murders, but all of the victims are in the same gang, so I am guessing initiation or just your run of the mill gang violence, but this one, four murders, two couples, from different areas, both wives tortured and mutilated, and the husband were just shot, I believe the unsub gets off by seeing the husbands react to the wives being hurt, and since that's the only was he gets off, he will continue killing, and that means we should go with this one."

"How do you do that?"

"What?"

"What you just did, decide so easily? It takes me all day to figure it out."

"You'll get better, you just have to look at it like a profiler"

"But I'm not a profiler, you are"

"And I'm here to help, PG you are doing a fantastic job, more that anyone ever expected from you, don't get down on yourself."

Derek Morgan then walked on to the conversation.

"Hey baby girl, do you need anything?"

"Nope, Prentiss helped me, it's all good my sweet." She placed a manicured hand on Derek's tense shoulder, "Conference room in five."

She confidently strutted out of the bullpen, leaving Morgan with a little Garcia whiplash. He looked at Prentiss who was gathering her things for the briefing.

"What did she need?"

Prentiss stared up at the confused agent, "oh, just a little help deciding on the next case."

"Oh." He piped, as he traveled back to his desk.

Penelope, back to her uppity and enthusiastic self, stood in front of the large table. She looked at the agents surrounding the table. The neat, clean and poker straight, Agent Hotchner, who was already reviewing the case file, stoned- faced. Next to him was Agent Rossi, who seemed in his usual, relaxed- but- professional mood. Then came a disheveled Agent Reid who was fumbling with a pen that he had taken apart for whatever reason. Then Agent Prentiss who sat glaring at the unopened case file, but looked up to give Penelope a warm smile. And lastly, the handsome Agent Morgan who's thick eyebrows were furled, creating a harsh scowl as he read the file.

"Alright!" Garcia began the briefing, as everyone's head snapped up an attention.

"Two married couples were kidnapped and murdered in two different cities in Ohio. Doris and Lionel Savage were taken from their home in Shaker Heights, and found eleven days later in Bentleyville, Ohio. Doris was covered in bruises, scrapes, and various defensive wounds, and there were signs of sexual assault, cause of death was a stab to the chest. The husband on the other hand only had bruises around the wrists and ankles, and one gunshot wound to the head."

Garcia winced at the thought, and moved on to the next details.

"Three days after the Savages were dumped, Richard and Kathleen Morris were abducted in a sports bar parking lot, in Sever Hills, late Sunday night after watching the game. They also lived in Sever Hills and worked there. Their bodies turned up with the same wounds and causes of death in Mayfield Heights thirteen days later."

"Well he's keeping them a long time." Rossi illuminated.

"Enough time for the husband to break down from the wife's battery." Prentiss added, going with her theory.

"I agree with Prentiss" stated Agent Morgan.

Hotchner simply said, "Let's not jump to conclusions. Be on the jet in fifteen." without even glancing up.

He fled the room, as did the team, to tell the truth a little muddled by Hotch's actions.

They all made it on the jet, with the absence of Penelope Garcia, who was happily tucked in her cave again. The team was surprisingly silent, Reid, obviously flipping through some obscure book that no one had heard of, Morgan, listening to his iPod, dazed in some other place, Rossi, playing with something on his new, fancy, smart phone, Hotch staring straight ahead, and Prentiss, staring at Hotch.

"We should be there soon" supplied Reid, closing his book, and shattering the silence. The team began breaking from their trances and started prepared to land.

When the jet had landed and all the members of the team strode toward their black SUV's. Hotch walked toward the first car, Prentiss following behind, until he called,

"Morgan, ride with me and Reid, Rossi, and Prentiss, ride in the other car."

Prentiss stopped, confused, but obeyed her leader. She then climbed into the second car, next to Rossi, leaving Reid in the back. She thought about why Hotch was acting this way toward her. It wasn't the first time it happened either, just the other day she had walked up next to him as he was making coffee, and he left his half-made cup in the counter, and just left without a word. Then after that she walked by him on the catwalk, greeting him with a "good morning" but he picked up his pace and walked away, passing his destination, again without a word.

"Hey, Prentiss, you alright?", Rossi had kindly asked, as she was thinking.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just um, tired I guess" she stuttered, blinking rapidly.

He nodded and continued to drive as Reid looked at both of them, sensing the undeniable awkwardness, that he actually wasn't the cause of.

In the other car, Hotch remained silent.

"You okay?" Morgan prompted.

"Yeah. Fine."

"Your just seem a little-"

"I'm fine Morgan." He cut him off sternly.

Derek quickly shut up and stared at the road ahead. This was going to be a long ride.