F I F T E E N

SCOUT GLANCED DOWN at the small bundle of fur tugging on her shoelace.

"Sumo, seriously?"

She laughed as she grabbed the young Saint Bernard and scraped behind his ears. The pup fell into her hand, pressing even hard into her fingernails.

Sumo yapped and jumped at her legs.

"Oh, do you want-" And pulled out a yellow tennis ball from her backpack, "-this?"

The puppy tapped again.

"Okay, go," Scout threw it towards the empty field. "Get it, Sumo!"

The park was quiet since it being an early Sunday morning. People were either sleeping in or going to church, both options Scout wasn't interested in participating. Instead, she took the excitable pup to the park to get some fresh air and get her mind off of everything.

She smiled as Sumo got to the ball but instead of grabbing it, opted to barking at it with his tail wagging intensely.

This was the only thing that felt right.

At this point, there was nothing or nowhere she could find comfort in.

'Home's a mess with Mom pestering me if I was following orders. And sooner or later, Xander'll
show up and demand a training session. And I can't even go back to the fucking mailroom.' Scout thought to herself.

'Wish I could just go back to intercepting mail, or anything else but this. Xander even had a way of abusing my dream job, and now I have nothing but this stupid mission.'

Scout perked up as she saw Sumo running towards her with the tennis ball in his mouth. "Good job, buddy. And I thought you're mouth was too small! You're practically at the same level as a porn star!"

"Scout?" She heard behind her.

Turning around, she was face to face with the tall and lean blonde. Scout's heart race, "How long have you been there?"

JJ laughed, "Long enough to know that you act the same way at work as you do out in public."

"Hey, I thought you were a mormon for second there so you should be proud I didn't say any more."

"I saw a nun selling religion on my way here, I could still grab her if you want."

"Selling religion? No thanks, I bought some Islam yesterday." Scout smirked.

She glanced down as saw a small boy ready to pounce at Sumo, letting out a high pitched laugh. JJ grabbed his hand and pulled him away from the puppy.

"Sorry," She picked him up and rested him on her hip. "He's at the age where he's so grabby."

Scout laughed, "No worries, Sumo's friendly. He's just the kissing type."

"Sumo, huh? Cute name."

"Thanks, what's his? I can't see his collar."

JJ chuckled and pulled the hair away from the boy's face, "This is Henry. Henry, can you say hi?"

The boy shyly looked at Scout before pressing his face in his mom's neck. His gave a quick wave and peered at the dog on the ground.

"Hi Henry, you're much cuter than Sumo but promise you won't tell him that?"

Scout raised her pinky finger at the small boy and sent a sweet smile his way. Henry glanced up and grabbed the finger with his hold hand before clutching his mother once more.

"Close enough," Scout shrugged.

JJ looked around, wondering if the girl was alone. "Here by yourself?"

"Yeah," Scout nodded. "I thought I needed some alone time after that case. Is it always like that?"

The two agents started to walk together towards the parking lot, Henry in his mother's arms and Sumo trailing behind because of his short legs.

"Only the docile cases, sometimes we get a hard one and it kind of stays with you. It's hard to shake them of, some of them you can't even forget the details." JJ sighed out the cold air.

"I figured it would be like that."

"Yeah, but you'll learn."

"Like muscle memory?" Scout inquired.

JJ smiled sadly, "More. Also like-"

"Instinct?"

But JJ didn't nod, she only glanced down at the boy in her arms and pressed him closer to her. Whatever smile that was on Scout's lips faded and stretched to a thin white line.

Another cool breeze forced against the two women, rustling the dried leaves on the floor. They both stopped and they reached their cars, which only were to spots away from each other.

"JJ," Scout stuttered, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean you bring down on your day off. It's just- I guess I don't really know what I'm doing anymore."

"I dreamed off joining the BAU and getting out of that mailroom for so long and planned out how it was going to go. But, the minute this all happened, it's like all my plans didn't matter anymore. And I'm struggling to even catch my breath since I'm drowning by myself."

JJ smiled and opened the car door, setting Henry down in his chair and fastening him in. Scout took this as a sign and opened her own car, allowing Sumo to jump in.

"Scout." She turned and glanced at the blonde.

"Your plans? They aren't supposed to go the way you wanted them to. Mine didn't," She nodded towards Henry.

"And you're not alone, that's the whole point of the team." JJ smiled and got inside her car.

Scout leaned against her car and sent a small smile to her. Her words weren't the kind of comfort she was seeking, but it did help. She was alone, it was just that the team didn't understand why.

It's not like they could help her out of the mess.

"Do you want to," JJ paused, "go to the office with me? Sometimes I bring Henry there to check it out. Maybe it'll give you a new perspective on this whole thing?"

Scout nodded, "You lead the way."

***

"Do think anyone will say anything?" Scout glanced down at Sumo, who she had placed on a leash.

JJ chuckled, "Well, if they can't say anything about Henry then I doubt they can something about this cute fur ball."

The blonde crouched down and scratched behind the ear of the Saint Bernard with Henry holding on to her leg. The boy was greatly attached to his mom, something. that was obvious to anyone who saw the two.

Once they got off the elevator, Scout could tell that the office was as calm as she thought it would be during the weekend. There were still people bustling around and the smell of coffee was potent, something Scout could never get over.

"Why are there still people here?"

"Evil never rests?" JJ chuckled. "No, we never have a set schedule. It's all just time that comes between cases, we're lucky if we ever have a determined vacation but that comes with the job."

Scout nodded and pulled open the door for the BAU before she heard the loud clicking of heels.

"Garcia?" Scout questioned.

"What are you guys doing here already? I didn't send the text yet?" The platinum blonde questioned anxiously.

She dawned the bright color pattern of yellow and black stripes, along with a deep red lipstick. Scout could see the stain in her coffee mug, which was already half empty.

"Bee! Bee!" Henry pointed at her.

"What do you mean by yet?" Scout raised her eyebrow.

The elevator dinged and opened the door, revealing Hotch. His face stern and yet forgiving at the same time, "Sorry to cut your weekend short but we got a call from California."

"They invited us?" JJ questioner.

"It sounded urgent. I just texted the rest of the team, they should be here soon."

Scout nodded and picked up Sumo, "Guess we'll have to cut this visit short, I should go and take him home."

JJ nodded, "Yeah, I'll call Will to pick him up now."

Scout figured Will was her husband by the sound of it and nodded. She rode the elevator down by herself, feeling nervous that the next case was dropped on her so quickly.

Sumo and her jogged to the parking lot, feeling lucky that she had repacked her go-bag the day after their last case.

"Wiley?"

"Oh hey- S-Reid." Scout stuttered.

Standing before her, Spencer Reid stood at the edge of her car. He was pulling out his bag from the vehicle next to him with a curious look on his face.

Scout kicked herself, wondering why she felt like she couldn't call him Spencer since he had called her from her last name. It was obvious she at stutter but the genius didn't pay any attention to her words.

"YAP! GR YAP!" Sumo barked at Spencer.

He took a step back, eyes wide at the puppy, "Uhh, what-what are you doing h-here?"

"Same reason as you."

"Rig-ht. Sorry, but I meant why is it here?"

Scout glanced at Sumo and shushed him, "What, are you scared of a a little puppy?"

She giggled softly before Spencer sent her a stern look and yet still frantic, "Dogs carry 400 kinds of oral bacteria-"

"And humans carry 1,000 to 100,000 bacteria living on each tooth." Scout interrupted.

Spencer's eyes widened again.

"Yes, but people don't randomly lick each other as a greeting."

"True, but you should look into those people that lick when it's not a greeting."

Spencer couched, cleaning his throat. As Scout opened her car door and let the puppy inside once more, he played with the strands of his hair. Tucking and tugging them behind his ears, he could feel his face burn even though it wasn't as hot out as it felt against his cheeks.

With the slam of her door, Scout glanced back at Spencer.

"Ted Bundy?" He questioned.

"I'm sorry?" Her eyebrow clenched.

He glanced around and rugged at another hair, "You have the same car as Ted Bundy, tan 1968 Volkswagen Beetle."

"Yeah but Spence," Scout got inside and turned on the ignition, "You shouldn't a call out a serial killer's name to girls, especially with our kind of job."

And drove away, sending small glanced through the rear view mirror. She could feel a small smirk playing on her lips as the lanky genius stood there.

She could see him open his mouth, say a few things, before nodding to himself and walking inside the building.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:
a special thanks to readers who comment:
@deborahsellis
@concernedperson
@gabriella_green203
@cyn161
@tic_teen
@brody-chase
@tearsthatrain037

Reminder, comments are love and motivation.

- JJ/Scout dynamic for the win, I love those two together and they way they act around their kids :)
-Are Scout and Spencer flirting? I can never tell tbh and I'm the one writing holy hell
-What's gonna happen next? Got any ideas cause I've got a few, let me know and maybe I might just take you up on them ;)
-I'm hoping to finish this book before in February but let's be honest, I can't get enough of Scout and her sarcasm. Do she remind you of any character?
-Also, did you guys see the new aesthetics I made for every chapter, go and look back to see your favorite!

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