TIES THAT BIND, Jay Halstead

002.

And Jay knew that if he wanted to survive here, if he wanted to prove himself, he would have to keep up with her every step of the way.

The next few days were a blur of files, phone calls, and late nights spent analyzing the evidence. Jay had settled into the rhythm of the BAU, though he couldn’t quite shake the feeling that he was constantly being tested by Alba. She had a way of pushing him to his limits without ever showing a hint of approval. It was clear that she wasn’t interested in making him feel comfortable. She wanted results.

The team was gathered around the table again, the case files spread out before them like a puzzle that had yet to be solved. Jay sat across from Alba, watching as she flipped through the pages with the same cold, calculated precision she always displayed. Her sharp eyes scanned each detail, her mind already working to connect the dots that everyone else was missing.

“Nothing’s adding up,” Hotch said, rubbing his temples as he looked over the case notes. “We’re missing something, but we don’t know what.”

Alba’s gaze flicked to him, her expression unreadable. “It’s not about what we’re missing,” she replied, her voice as cold as ever. “It’s about what we’re overlooking.”

Jay frowned, trying to make sense of her words. He had been in the field long enough to know that sometimes the answers were right in front of you, but you had to look at the bigger picture to see them. But Alba... she was different. She didn’t just look at the surface. She dug deeper, into the dark recesses of the case, the things most people were too afraid to confront.

“We need to think like the unsub,” she continued, her voice low but commanding. “Why are they choosing these victims? What’s the connection?”

Jay leaned forward, his eyes scanning the case notes again. The victims were all seemingly unrelated—different ages, different backgrounds, different locations. But there had to be something that tied them together.

“We’re missing the common denominator,” he said, his voice firm. “Maybe It’s not about the victims themselves. It’s about the locations. They’re all places where the victims felt safe—homes, schools, even hospitals."

Alba’s eyes narrowed, a flicker of something—approval, maybe—passing through them. “Interesting,” she murmured, her gaze still fixed on him. “You’re on the right track. Keep going.”

Jay felt a surge of adrenaline. For the first time since joining the BAU, he felt like he was starting to get a glimpse of the mind behind the cases. Alba’s approval, though rare, was something he wanted more than anything. But he couldn’t let that distract him. He had a job to do.

“We need to dig deeper into the victims’ backgrounds,” he said, his mind racing. “There’s got to be something in their past that connects them. Maybe they’ve all been victims of something before. Maybe the unsub is targeting them for a reason they don’t even know.”

Alba nodded slowly, her expression still unreadable. “I’ll assign the team to dig into their pasts,” she said, her voice steady. “But we’re running out of time. We need to catch this unsub before they strike again.”

The room fell silent as everyone absorbed the gravity of her words. Jay could feel the weight of the case pressing down on him, but he wasn’t about to back down. He had worked too hard to get here, and he wasn’t going to let Alba or anyone else doubt him.