Chapter 7

My eyes slowly open, and I feel my arm pinned under something warm. I glance over and see JJ, still fast asleep, her head resting against my shoulder.

I can’t help but smile, but I don’t move—didn’t want to wake her. She’s out cold, her breathing slow and steady. I just lie there for a moment, taking in the quiet before I slowly shift, trying not to disturb her. After a couple of minutes, I checked the time *6:30*; I realized my body would not allow me to go back to bed. I slowly moved my arm from underneath her; I got dressed for a jog, down a Red Bull and headed out.

I get back and the penthouse was still quiet. I make my way back to my bedroom and slowly open the door trying not to wake JJ up. As soon as it opened I saw her scrolling on her phone.

“Good morning! How are you feeling?” I ask in a low voice while I take off my shoes.

I notice her glance at my body, then quickly look away. “Good morning, Y/N. I have a slight headache, but I should be fine.”

“Aspirin’s in the drawer on my side of the bed,” I say, nodding toward the nightstand. “Take some, and I’m going to shower. I’m assuming our two sleeping beauties are going to sleep a little longer, but I’ll make us breakfast when I’m done.”

JJ smiles a little. “You’re a lifesaver, as always.”

I give her a wink before heading to the bathroom. I get out of the shower feeling more awake. I get back into bed and we both scroll on our phones.

“So,” I begin, glancing over at her. “I meant to ask you last night while we were on the balcony—what’s the deal with your love life? Any boyfriends, husband, or are you playing the field?”

She looks over at me, a small laugh escaping her lips. “You’re really curious, huh?” She smirks, clearly entertained by the question.

I shrug playfully. “I mean, I’m just trying to keep up with your mysterious side.”

“Well, if you must know, I went through a divorce two years ago. It was mutual and easy, but we just fell out of love. We got married so young and we didn’t know what we wanted.”

I pause for a moment, the weight of her words settling between us. “I’m sorry to hear that,” I say softly. “I know it couldn’t have been easy, even if it was mutual. Breakups like that… they’re never simple, even when both people know it’s time.”

She gives a small, almost imperceptible nod, her expression softening. “Yeah, it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be, but it still left me with some stuff to sort through. But I’m doing better now.”

I nod, offering her a reassuring smile. “I’m glad to hear that. It’s good to know you’re in a better place now. And hey, at least you’re taking care of yourself, right?”

She returns the smile, a hint of relief in her eyes. “I’m trying. Thanks for asking, though. It’s… nice to talk about it.”

“Of course,” I nod, offering her a warm smile. “If you ever want to talk more, my door is always open—at work or here.”

She looks at me for a moment, her expression soft. “Thanks, Y/N. That means a lot.”

I smile back before getting up from the bed, stretching my arms over my head. “Alright, well, I’m going to start on breakfast. You stay comfy, I’ve got this covered.”

I head toward the kitchen, the sound of my footsteps echoing through the quiet apartment. I pull out bacon, stuff for French toast, and fruit to make a quick meal. The smell of the bacon draws two trolls from my guest bedroom.

I turn to Peneolpe and Prentiss, “Are you guys actually ok?”

Penelope yawns dramatically, rubbing her eyes as she stumbles into the kitchen. “Mmm, I’m alive, but the bacon… that’s the only reason I’m out here.” She flashes me a sleepy smile as she reaches for a coffee mug, clearly still half-dazed.

Prentiss follows closely behind, clearly more awake but still moving like she’s in slow motion. “Coffee first, food second,” she mutters, grabbing a cup and heading to the counter. “I might actually need two cups to get the caffeine to hit.”

I chuckle and glance at the stove, where the bacon is starting to crisp perfectly. “You two are ridiculous, you know that?”

Penelope shrugs, already pouring coffee into her mug. “Hey, we need our caffeine fix to keep up with you and your culinary skills.”

Prentiss turns around, raising an eyebrow. “Yeah, you really didn’t have to cook for us, Y/N. We could’ve just grabbed some breakfast on the way back from… whatever insane thing we did last night.”

I laugh, shaking my head. “Nah, it’s fine. I wanted to. Besides, you guys got me out of my head last night, so this is my way of saying thanks. Plus, I’m pretty sure the bacon is my gift to all of us.”

Penelope laughs, leaning against the counter with her coffee. “You’re a keeper, Y/N. Seriously, I think I’ll move in with you just for the breakfast alone.”

Prentiss nods sagely. “Yeah, you definitely have a gift. And I’m never turning down a free meal, especially after last night.”

I roll my eyes, flipping the French toast. “You’re both welcome anytime, as long as you promise not to raid my fridge in the middle of the night.”

Penelope grins mischievously. “No promises.”

I shake my head at her, finishing off the French toast. “Alright, breakfast is ready. You two better eat while it’s still warm.”

Just as I place the food on the table, I hear the bedroom door creak open. JJ enters, still looking a little sleepy but smiling as she spots the food. “Is that bacon I smell?” she says, her voice rough from just waking up.

“Yep, and it’s all yours if you’re hungry,” I reply, as I clean up the dirty dishes.

My phone buzzes, and I glance at the screen, seeing Olivia Benson’s name flashing back at me.

“Y/N L/N,” I answer,

“Hey Y/N, it’s Liv,” she replies, her voice laced with stress.

“Oh my God, hey Liv, what do I owe the pleasure?” I say, a smile involuntarily crossing my face. It’s been years since I’ve heard from her, since my time in New York, and hearing her voice again brings back memories of late nights, high-pressure cases, and shared victories. But this call isn’t a friendly check-in.

“Well, I heard that you’re back and with the FBI. I tried calling your office, but it went to voicemail,” she begins, and I can hear the strain in her voice. “I have a case that I need help on. I have five rape victims—one in the ICU and the rest didn’t make it. The city’s in full-blown panic, and I need all the help I can get.

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. Five victims. One still fighting for her life. This wasn’t just another case—it’s something that’s already caused real damage. I feel my jaw tighten as I walk over to my laptop, my mind immediately shifting gears into work mode.

“Okay, Benson, slow down,” I say, trying to keep my voice calm and methodical, though I can feel the tension building. “I’m looking at flights now. It’ll take me a few hours to get everything in motion, but I’m on it.” I open a new tab and start searching for the next available flight to New York. I feel like I’m already mentally there—on the ground, processing evidence, analyzing the pattern. “But, listen, while I’m making arrangements, send me everything you’ve got on the case. I need to know exactly what we’re walking into.”

She responds with a low exhale, the stress in her voice palpable. “Just sent the profile to your email. If you could bring two more people with you, that would be great, but if it’s just you, we’ll manage. We just need to catch this son of a bitch before he spirals even further.”

Her frustration is clear, and I can understand it. When a case like this hits the public, there’s an immediate ripple effect—panic spreads, rumors fly, and law enforcement has to move fast or risk losing control of the narrative. But we don’t just want to catch him; we need to stop him before he does even more damage.

“Don’t worry,” I say, trying to reassure her even though I know things are only going to get harder from here. “We’ll catch him, Liv. I’m going to call my boss, and try and get someone to come up with me. I will arrive hopefully by 3 p.m, whether it be by car or plane.”

The phone goes dead, and I quickly dial Hotch again. This time, it rings only once before he picks up.

“Hey, L/N, what’s up?” Hotch’s voice is groggy, like he’s just woken up.

“Hey, Hotch,” I start, keeping my voice steady. “I just sent a case over to you. I got a call from my old coworker in New York—Lieutenant Olivia Benson. She’s with the SVU. She needs help with a case, and she’s asking if I can bring some agents with me.”

“SVU?” Hotch asks, his voice now fully alert. “What’s going on?”

I give him a quick rundown. “Five victims, one in the ICU, the others didn’t make it. The city’s in full panic mode, and they don’t have the resources to handle it. Olivia wants me to come out and help with the investigation. She’s asking for two more agents, but if you can’t spare them, I can handle it with just me.”

There’s a pause on the other end. I can almost hear him processing the information. “Alright. I just checked and saw that we have nothing. You can pick out your team and head out. I’ll have a car waiting for you if you fly. You can obviously use Garcia, and keep me updated.”

I nod, feeling the weight of the situation settle into my chest. “Thanks, Hotch. I’ll send out a text to see if anyone is ok to come with me.”

“Good. Be careful, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything,” he adds as he hangs up the phone.

I look over at the girls who had just finished their breakfast. I sent a message out in the group chat to see if anyone was willing to come to New York with me. They slowly walked over to the couch while I was focused on finding flights.

“What do you need from us, pumpkin?” Penelope said while sipping her coffee.

“Em and JJ do you mind coming up with me? I found a flight that leaves in less than an hour. If you’re too hungover I understand, just the more the merrier.” I say while still staring at my computer.

“I would be more than willing to come up with you Y/N, but I think Emily may need a day to recover from that whiskey you gave her last night.”

“You’re right,” I say looking at Emily who looks like she’s going to vomit all over my carpet. “I’m going to pack, and we’ll be on the way. P, if you can keep your laptop on standby, that would be great, I know that as soon as we land we are in work mode.”

“I can do that, my dear.” She says giving me a warm smile that immediately calmed me down.

“Thanks, P. I’ll make sure we’re ready to hit the ground running.”

I go into my bedroom to grab my bag, tossing in a few essentials—laptop, phone, charger, some quick snacks. JJ followed in behind me and started to get dressed. I head into the living room to check on the others. Emily is slumped on the couch, a greenish hue to her face, her hair in disarray. She looks like she might actually die on the spot, but she still manages a weak smile when she sees me.

“You guys are more than welcome to stay here and recover,” I say, my voice soft but practical. “I’ve got aspirin and Tylenol in my bathroom if you need it. You’re not on a tight schedule today—just relax. I’ll update you guys once JJ and I land.”

Penelope raises an eyebrow, a playful smirk curling on her lips. “Don’t worry about us, darling,” she teases, but her tone softens when she adds, “You just go and do your thing. We’ll keep the fort secure here.”

Emily looks a little less confident as she slowly sinks back onto the couch, still holding her head. “Yeah, we’ll be good here,” she mumbles, and starts dozing off.

JJ and I leave my apartment and head towards my car. It was a quiet drive to the airport, my mind going over the things that I read in the file Benson sent to me. I park the car in the parking garage, and we make our way to security. We show our badges so we can get through without waiting in line. We board our flight and take off.

I dial Olivia’s number as we make our way to the car. It rings a couple of times before she picks up.

“Y/N,” she answers, her voice sounding a bit more strained than usual. “You made it. How’s the flight?”

“Smooth. We’re heading to the car now,” I reply, looking over at JJ, who’s already pulling out the case file again. “I just wanted to let you know we’re here, and we’re ready to get started.”

“Good to hear. I’m at the precinct, waiting for you,” Olivia says. “I’ll have the file ready and our task force on standby. We’ve been working the scene all morning, but we really need a fresh set of eyes on this.”

“We’ll be there soon. Are there any leads I should know about before we get there?”

Olivia’s voice grows more serious. “Nothing solid yet. The victims were all found in different locations, but there’s a pattern we’re still trying to trace. We’re going over surveillance footage from nearby cameras, but it’s all a little fragmented.”

“I’ll be there soon, Liv,” I say, hanging up the phone. I look over at JJ again. “You ready for this?”

“Always,” she replies, her voice calm but with a certain edge that tells me she’s as focused as I am.

We pull into the precinct’s parking garage. We’re met by Olivia in the lobby, and her expression softens slightly when she sees us.

“Thanks for coming so quickly, it’s great to see you after all this time,” she says, giving me a hug and leading us toward the elevators.

“No problem,” I reply, glancing over at JJ, who’s already taking in the layout of the building. “Let’s just get to work.”