After my phone call with Hotch I felt like I was on cloud nine. Something about moving back home and getting a place and a potential job offer all in the span of a day was absolutely mind blowing. I wondered maybe if Prentiss was wrong. Maybe I wasn't cursed.

"What was that about?" Issac asked, peeling his eyes away from the screen in front of him.

"Job offer," I responded, smiling wide. I walked over to the kitchen table and plopped down on the seat next to him.

"Already?"

I nodded. "They need a pathologist to fill in for a while."

"Where at?"

"Uh," I looked away, "the BAU."

"You sure that's a good idea?"

"Not really," I shrugged, "but I got a couple of days to think about it."

Issac rolled his eyes. It was obvious he didn't necessarily agree with the decision. I really didn't blame him. No normal person would voluntarily return to their old place of work where they were fired for fraternizing with their now recently ex boyfriend.

"When's Maggie off work?"

"In about an hour," Issac looked back at his phone, letting out a heavy sigh. "I took the liberty of texting Luke already. He said he's gonna meet us there."

"Where are we going?"

"Sams Inn," he replied.

He kept staring at his phone, which made me realize he wasn't really in the mood to talk. I got up from the kitchen chair and wandered over to the couch. I flopped down and grabbed my own phone. I reread some of the texts, smiling to myself. As much as I thought I wanted to avoid everyone I knew deep down that was a lie. Despite being a complete and utter asshole I knew they'd forgive me. They understood what being an adult was like and how hard it was sometimes. Sure, I'd probably have to work a bit to gain their trust back, but it wasn't the end of the world.

After rereading everything I switched over to Instagram. It'd been a while since I checked it, so when I did I was surprised at how many notifications I had. I stared at my phone, slightly confused as I looked through. I hadn't posted anything in months, but a couple of people had mentioned me in comments and tagged me in photos. I went to the photos, smiling as I scrolled through the list. Most of the pictures were from Garcia's account. Out of everyone she was obviously the most tech savvy so her addiction to social media only made sense. According to the date, she posted a photo of me a couple of weeks ago. It was from that girl's night at the bar. The picture itself was pretty blurry, but from what I could see it looked like an image of Prentiss and I feeding each other shots. I laughed slightly, trying to rack through my brain on when exactly the picture was taken, but obviously due to how drunk I was that night, nothing came up. I liked the picture and kept scrolling

Eventually I felt Issac smack me on leg. I looked up towards the back of the couch, narrowing my eyes grumpily in his direction. "What?"

"We gotta go."

I looked at the time on my phone, surprised at how quickly it passed. I blinked a couple of times, adjusting my eyes to something other than my phone screen, and stood up. I unplugged my phone and shoved it my back pocket before grabbing my wallet out of my purse and doing the same. After that I grabbed my favourite pair of boots and slipped them on.

When I was ready we left. We hopped in Issac's car and drove straight to the bar, parking out front. He paid for parking, while I leaned against the car and looked around. I'd been to this area of town a couple of times, but I wasn't totally familiar with it.

"C'mon," I guess I zoned out again, because the next thing I knew Issac was waving his hand in front of my face. I bit my lip and followed him towards the entrance of the building embarrassingly. The second we got inside Issac spotted his girlfriend. Her and Luke were sitting at a table in the corner. The two of them raised their arms at us, waving excitedly as we walked over and sat down. I smiled at Luke, watching as he raised a huge pint of beer to his lips and raised his brow in my direction.

"Hey baby," Issac leaned over and kissed his girlfriend. When they separated he leaned back in his chair and grabbed the beer in front of her and took a sip. He let out a sigh and gave it back, smiling over at her. "How was work?"

She groaned and rolled her eyes. "The worst."

"What happened?" Luke asked.

She closed her eyes, shaking her head. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay," he looked over at me and rolled his eyes.

"What I want to talk about is you," she pointed in my direction, a smirk forming across her face, "I want you to tell me every single little embarrassing thing about this big beautiful boy." She poked Issac's chest repeatedly, staring into his eyes.

I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms over my chest, eyeing Issac who rolled his eyes. I could tell he wasn't the biggest fan of the idea, but since it was Maggie's he didn't protest. "Where do I start?"

"At the beginning, obviously," she giggled.

After that I went off. I told her every embarrassing story I could think of. Issac sat there patiently, closing his eyes in frustration. I told them about his first kiss and how his braces got caught on neighbours' and how one time he shit his pants on a camping trip. I even told them about the story of how he lost his virginity to his swim coach. By the end of my rambling the whole table was laughing hysterically. At one point Luke wiped his eyes and had to excuse himself from the table in order to be able to breathe again. I clutched my chest and turned to Issac who surprisingly enough was laughing along with us.

"You're literally the most embarrassing person I've ever met," Maggie howled. She reached over and clutched his hand, smiling from ear to ear.

"Yeah, well, just wait until I meet your sister. You won't be laughing as hard then." Issac threatened.

Luke returned not long after, holding a beer in each hand. He dropped them off in front of Issac and I, smiling as he sat down. "Figured you could use those."

"Thanks." I nodded. I took a sip and smiled.

"So, uh, Isla, now that I know way too much about your brother, tell me about you." Maggie leaned into the table, an excited look spreading across her face.

"Well, uh, what do you want to know?"

Her face twisted curiously as she pressed her lips together and thought for a moment. When an idea sprung to mind her face softened. "Any boys?"

I stared at the table wide eyed. Apparently Issac hadn't told her, because the next thing I knew he was having a coughing fit right next to me. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him place a hand on her arm and move closer. I assumed he was telling her something so I looked up and bit my lip.

"Ooh, sorry, bad timing?" She asked.

"Sort of, yeah," I responded.

"We don't have to talk about that," she chuckled nervously.

"No, no, it's okay." I felt bad for making her uncomfortable. I looked over at Issac who sighed. I figured he was probably sick of hearing about Reid by now. I couldn't blame him. I was annoyed too when him and his wife broke up. "I'm sorry for making that weird, I just, it's fresh and stuff." I explained.

"I get it. Breakups fucking suck." She frowned.

"Yeah," I mumbled, forcing out a smile.

"Isla got a job offer." Issac blurted out.

"Really?" Luke smiled. "Where at?"

After bringing up the ex boyfriend thing I felt weird about bringing up work, even though I knew they wouldn't connect the two. "An old friend offered me a job as a forensic pathologist," I smiled awkwardly, "it's only temporary, but it's something."

"You gonna take it?" Maggie asked.

"I think so," I nodded. Even though I hadn't given it much thought I knew in the end I'd take it. Sure, the cons definitely outweighed the pros, but I didn't care. A sense of familiarity was something I really needed in my life right now and I knew taking this job would give me that.

Issac looked surprised, but didn't say anything.

"New roommate and job all in one day," Maggie smiled, "you must be excited."

"Yeah, I am." I looked over at Luke who smiled. I smiled back and glanced over at the bar. A couple of people sat huddled together, talking amongst themselves as they ordered a couple of shots. When the bartender handed them over they cheered excitedly, raising them in the air before throwing them back. Watching them made me miss the team. I tried not frown as I continued to stare, but apparently I didn't do a very good job because the next thing I knew Maggie was reaching her hand across the table to grab mine. I jumped slightly and made eye contact with her.

"Want to do some shots?" She grinned mischievously.

Obviously I knew it wasn't the greatest idea to drink while I was sad, but I did it anyway. I nodded my head and without hesitation she leapt from her seat and wandered over. She ordered a couple of rounds, bringing a full tray back to the table. As she sat down she wiggled her brows, looking at each of us as she nodded her head.

"You're lucky we don't work tomorrow," Issac sighed, grabbing one of the glasses.

"And that I work from home." Luke grabbed a shot of his own.

I laughed slightly, grabbing one too. "Well, I'm unemployed so, uh, bottoms up I suppose." We clinked our glasses together and threw our heads back.

At some point during the night I'd slipped into the drunkest state I'd ever been in. Maggie and I clutched onto each other, trying to stay warm as we stood outside the club. It was nearly midnight and Luke had already chosen to go home. After he left, Maggie had the genius idea to go dancing, which normally I would've objected, but given how many drinks I'd consumed at this point I was down for anything.

Issac danced to the beat of the music behind us. Every so often he'd grind up against his girlfriend and the two of them will giggle. At one point she swatted him away, claiming she no longer loved him, but loved me instead. I laughed at the idea. Maggie was definitely cute, but she wasn't Reid, so I knew deep down our love could never be.

When we got to the front of the line we gave the bouncer out ID's, all of us trying to act as sober as possible. He gave us all a quick once over, comparing us to the cards in his hands a couple of times before handing them back and collecting our cover money. Maggie handed him a twenty, telling him to keep the change as we wandered into the dimly lit entrance. We walked through a small hallway, eventually pushing through a set of doors that erupted in a chorus of loud pounding beats and flashing lights. All of us opened our mouths in drunken awe.

Maggie scanned the building, grabbing Issac with one of her hands as she dragged us out to the edge of the dance floor. Without wasting any time she started moving, wiggling our arms to get us to join her. Both of us accepted her offer, throwing our hands in the air as we danced to the beat of the music. I closed my eyes, smiling as I felt the bodies of strangers press up against me. I ran my fingers through my hair, throwing my head back as I shimmed my hips back and forth as seductively as possible. I heard Maggie yell in my direction, so I opened my eyes and looked over. The second we made eye contact we started laughing.

Eventually, a pair of hands found their way to my waist, which startled me at first. I turned around to see the person behind me. It was hard to get a good look with all the lights flashing, so I narrowed my eyes. He was quite tall with short blonde hair and a clean shaven face. His smile was devilish, curling up at the corners unnervingly. I turned back around, feeling slightly awkward about staring. I felt him get closer. His breath hit the back of my neck and I swallowed hard. I tried to moved away, but his grip on my hips tighten. Suddenly, I started to panic. I tired moving away again, but the amount of alcohol I'd consumed made it hard for me to do much of anything. I scanned the crowd of people, trying to find Maggie or Issac.

Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a security guard scanning the area. I waved my arms in his direction and thankfully he spotted me and came over. Just seeing him walk over must have scared the guy, because before I knew it his grip on me loosened and he disappeared. I let out a sigh of relief, watching the guard continue his way over through the crowd. He leaned into me, placing his hand gently on my shoulder. "You okay?"

"Yes, thank-you!" I yelled.

He nodded his head and wandered off.

I felt my throat tighten as I looked around the dance floor again. Maggie and Issac were nowhere to be seen, which sent my mind into a frenzy of worst case scenarios. I clutched my stomach and pushed through the vast group of bodies that danced around me. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a couple people give me strange looks, moving slightly away as I kept moving forward.

"Isla!"

I turned around to see Maggie reaching out to me. I smiled, a sense of relief washing over me as I grabbed her hand and walked towards her. She wrapped her arms around my neck, pressing her cheek against mine. "Where were you?" I yelled.

"We went out for a smoke!"

"Oh!" I nodded my head.

She nodded back and dragged me towards the side of the club. She pushed us through a set of double doors that led out to an alleyway. I saw Issac leaning against the wall, a half smoked joint placed between his fingers. He looked over at me, smiling wide. "She found you!"

"She did," I replied. I stood next to him, pressing my back against the wall. It felt cool against my overheating body. I closed my eyes, feeling my head spin. "Do you think we can go home?" I asked.

"Awe why?" Maggie pouted and leaned her head on my shoulder. "Aren't you having fun?"

I nodded, "yeah, but-"

"One more song," she suggested.

I shook my head, fanning myself with my hand as I took a couple more breaths. "You guys go ahead. I'll wait here."

"Suit yourself loser," Issac laughed in my face as put out his joint on the side of the building and stuck what was left in his pocket. He brushed past me, grabbing his girlfriend's hand as she pulled him inside.

Once they were gone I stared feeling sick. I leaned over, resting my hands on my knees. I was definitely going to throw up. I closed my eyes, readying myself. Before I could do it though, I heard the voice of a woman screaming from down the alley. I half opened my eyes, cocking my head as I looked down towards a set of dumpsters. A small woman threw up her hands, but the guy in front of her grabbed her wrists before she could do anything else. She cried loudly, struggling to break free. I blinked a couple of times, taking a step forward to try and get a better look. My head spun again, causing me to stumble back against the wall. Without warning I started vomiting. I bent forward, placing my hands back on my knees as I emptied the contents of my stomach.

By the time I had nothing left I groaned, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. I stood up straight again, wobbling slightly as I looked up to see the same guy from inside the club running past me. I tried to focus on his face as he bolted and turned onto the street.

When he was gone I brought my hand to my head. I could feel my brain pounding against my skull. What was I doing before I was vomiting? I couldn't remember. I stumbled down the alleyway a bit, trying to focus. Everything was blurry. I blinked a couple of times. When I finally regained my vision I scanned the area, taking a couple more drunken steps forward until I saw the girl from earlier. She was laying on the ground, her limbs sprawled out around her. At that moment the panic settled in again. Without even thinking I shakily pulled out my phone and ran to her side. I tripped over my own feet, falling onto the pavement a couple of feet away. I groaned and slowly crawled over to her. When I arrived at her side I covered my mouth with my hand, knowing she was most likely dead. I placed my fingers against her wrist just in case, closing my eyes as I tried to find a pulse. When there wasn't one, I felt tears pool at the corner of my eyes. I wiped them away and let out a heavy breath as I dialled 911.

"Nine-one-one, what's your emergency?"

"I've got a body," I slurred, "I mean," I cleared my throat, "I found a body."

"Where are you?"

"Downtown, uh," I closed my eyes, tracking to remember the name of where we were, "that nightclub on fifth. We're in the alleyway next to it."

"Which side?"

"I-I don't know."

"What's your name ma'am?"

"Isla Rafferty."

"Okay, we're sending someone now. Can you stay on the line?"

"Yeah," I sniffed. I looked down at the girl beside me, holding back the urge to cry. 

"Isla, are you hurt at all?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Do you know who did this?"

"I don't know his name," I swallowed hard, "I saw him at the club earlier."

"Can you tell me what he looked like?"

I tried to remember. I closed my eyes, rocking back and forth as I imagined his face. "He's got, uh, blonde hair. It's short. He's white. He's got a scary smile." I tried to remember more, but nothing else came up. I felt stupid. I literally caught killers for a living and now I could barely remember what one looked like.

The dispatcher on the other end talked at me after that, telling me everything was going to be okay. I didn't really listen. By now I was beginning to sober up thanks to the shock and because of that I wasn't scared anymore. Now I was just mad. I could've caught that guy when I had the chance, but I didn't.

Eventually I heard the sound of sirens rushing towards us. A set of vehicles stopped in front of the alleyway and couple of people got out. I stood up from the ground and backed up. I ran my fingers through my hair, watching as they made their way over and started inspecting her.

"Ma'am, do you mind if we ask you a few questions?" I glanced over at the officer in front of me. I nodded my head, feeling him place his hand on the small of my back.

I nodded. "I'm just gonna text my brother first if that's okay."

"No problem, ma'am." I followed him towards the other police cars as I sent Issac a quick text. I told him I threw up in the alley and took a cab home, figuring it was probably easier than explaining what was actually happening. After I sent it, I threw my phone in my pocket and glanced over at the officer again. "Mind if we head to the station?"

I shook my head.

He led me to one of the cruisers, opening up the passenger side door. I got inside and threw on my seatbelt, watching as her circled around the front of the car to join me. Once inside, he buckled in and drove off. The whole ride there I couldn't stop shaking.

"You look familiar."

I turned to face him and nodded. "I used to work at the BAU." I responded.

"Oh," he gave me a surprised look, "don't anymore?"

I shook my head.

"Well, I'm sorry you had to see that. Once you've left the field you shouldn't have to deal with that anymore," he sighed.

"It's fine. I worked with bodies before that anyways, so dead people don't freak me out much."

He snorted.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Detective Benson."

"I'm Isla."

"Nice to meet you," he nodded his head in my direction cracking a small smile.

We sat in the silence the rest of the way to the station. When we arrived I instantly recognized the exterior. I remember coming here once on a case. It was a pretty standard one. Some guy was killing woman who cheated on their husbands. I remember working with Reid for two days straight on the geographical profile.

Benson and I hopped out of the vehicle and walked towards the entrance. He opened the door for me, ushering me inside. I followed his instructions, blinking rapidly as I let my eyes adjust to the fluorescent lights that lined the roof. "This way." We walked down a couple of hallways towards the bullpen. Now that I was inside I realized how vividly I remembered this place.

I sighed and continued walking, trying not to let my mind get too distracted. Eventually, we ended up at a closed door near the back of the station. Benson rapped his knuckles against it, turning to face me. "I'm not too sure if you've been watching the news, but..."

At that point I stopped listened. I looked over at the door, watching it quickly swing open to reveal a tall, lanky man with long messy hair and big brown eyes. He looked down at Benson curiously and then over at me. The second he saw me his eyes widened. He opened his mouth to say something, but ultimately closed it and pressed his lips together tightly.