The Air I Would Kill to Breathe

“Good choice.” Alex smiled at the look of delight on Jacks face.
“We’ll follow them home tonight.” Alex whispered while taking a sip of his drink.

Meanwhile in Quantico, Virginia
Leaning back Rian sighed, all around him where the case files from Rochester, New York killings. There had been eleven families killed in Rochester as of last year, the murders had stopped until recently, there was another murder, in another town in New York. All eleven families had been killed nearly the same way, the parents, violently beaten, then brutally strangled while the children were handled with care, they’d inject them with barbiturate and then they’d tuck them into bed.
Rian put his head into his hands, he absolutely hated cases which involved children, but this case, this case really hit home for him. Just then Zack came bursting into the room with a smile that literally put the stars to shame. But when he saw the case files sprawled across his desk, Zack’s smile faded quickly.
“Still working on that case, huh?” Zack’s voice was laced with something Rian didn’t quite pick up. “Of course. And, I’m going to continue to work on it, until it’s solved. You‘ve got no idea what it‘s like when your family has been murdered, and you still after a whole year, haven’t caught the killer. ” Rian’s voice broke towards the end and he wiped his eyes with his sleeve, and Zack has never wanted to pull Rian into him as badly as right now. He looked so broken, guilt written all over his face.

Rian’s family had been visiting Rochester for one of their cousin’s weddings. Rian would’ve gone too, but he was piled high with reports from old case files, plus, it was his and Zack’s one year anniversary, so he stayed back, only to get a call at 2:30 a.m. that his parents had been practically slaughtered, and his little brother and sister had been tucked into bed, never to be awaken again.
Zack quickly walked over towards the oak door preceding the entrance of Rian’s office that was hung open, beckoning anyone in the BAU team to be able to come in. Zack shut the door, then closed the blinds, he then made his way towards Rian. Zack knelt on the floor in front of Rian, wrapping his arms around his waist he kissed his forehead, “It’s not your fault, ya‘know.” Rian only shook his head, “It is though, had I gone with them that day, they would still be here. It’s my fault they’re dead.” Rian was now on the verge of tears. “Hey, hey, don’t think like that. It is not by any means your fault. Okay? Look at me.” Zack hated this, he absolutely hated how Rian blamed himself.
Seeing Rian teary-eyed like this made Zack’s stomach churn and his nerves spasm out of control. Zack looked Rian straight in the eyes then, “Rian, it’s those killers fault, not yours. I’m sure you’re family’s looking down at you right now wanting to hit you because you’re blaming yourself. It’s not your fault.” And for the first time in a while, Rian laughs, and it’s half-heartedly but it’s still a laugh, and that’s the first time in a really, really long time that Rian‘s actually laughed.