Author's Note: Members of the BAU in this fic - Aaron Hotchner, Derek Morgan, JJ, Emily Prentiss, David Rossi, Spencer Reid, Penelope Garcia. I know it's not the current team, but it's my favorite so I'm using it. PJO crew are all grown up with their own families. No specific timeline. Not Beta. Any mistakes are mine alone. This is a Criminal Minds fic and they're on a case so reader's discretion advised.

Disclaimer: I do not own any aspects of Criminal Minds or PJO. All copyrights go to their respective companies and entities. All OCs, thoughts, and musings, when not quoted, are mine though.

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"As much money and life as you could want! The two things most human beings would choose above all - the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things that are worst for them."

― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Chapter 1

It took for the third teen to go missing in as many weeks before the NYPD called on the BAU to consult the case. The decision was met with mixed reactions from the officers of the 19th Precinct. There were staunch oppositions from a few detectives, yet also a general feeling of relief from others.

"Look Jackson, I hate this as much as you do, but we got another missing kid and still no lead. You know how it is with the brass upstairs whenever kids are involved. There are also added pressures that we find this one alive and that he doesn't turn up dead like the other two. You're still the lead detective. Just work with them to get this solve." Captain Thatchner was annoyed. Jackson might be his best detective, but he was a damn pain in the ass, especially on this case that was giving him major headaches.

"Come on, Captain, but the Feds?! Don't you trust me?" Jackson whined. (Okay, maybe he didn't whine, but it sure sounded like it to Thatchner.)

Slamming the manila folder in front of him shut, Thatchner put his foot down. "The Feds are being called in, and that is the end of the discussion, Jackson! The last boy, Liam Kearney, went missing in the Midtown South area, and the only reason we even have the case at all is because Captain Craigson thought it might be connected to the other two cases you caught and threw the hot potato our way!" He loosened the linen noose around his neck and ran a hand through his hair before continuing in a more controlled voice. "Now, One PP wants answers. I'm just looking out for you and making sure we cover all of our bases and using all of the resources available to us for this case. I don't want to hear another word out of you." Thatchner gave his watch a glance before adding, "Last I spoke with them, the BAU team had just landed so they should be here within the next 15 minutes or so. Use that time to get your head out of your ass and off your high horse. When they get here, I expect full cooperation from you. The faster this is solve, the better."

The only response he got was slight nod and a quiet "yes sir" before Jackson was out of his office faster than a speeding bullet. Thatchner gave a grunt of disapproval before he went about getting ready for the newcomers' arrival.

xxxxxx

He was screwed. When it was just him as the lead detective on the case, he could direct the flow of investigation, omit certain details without too much suspicion. No one questioned him; hell, no one even suspected anything was up. With the Feds on the case, that wouldn't work anymore. He couldn't be everywhere at once to make sure they didn't find something they shouldn't. This was going to be mess; he could feel it vibrating in his bones.

The BAU team was going to arrive soon, and he so didn't want to be here when they show up. Grabbing his shield and gun, he decided to head out and give Ms. Kearney a head's up and to remind her to keep the whole "Greek Mythology is real" deal on the down low when the Feds pay her a visit.

xxxxxx

Rossi and JJ were greeted by a middle-aged redhead woman when they knocked on the doors of the Kearneys' apartment. "Hello," Rossi began as he and JJ showed the woman their badges. "Kelly Kearney? We're with the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit, and we're here about your missing son."

When Rossi had met with mothers of missing children in the past, they generally appeared a lot more distress and usually in tears, but Ms. Kearney's clenched fist and narrowed eyes at their introductions were the only signs of her discomfort. Filing that piece of information to the back of his mind for another time, Rossi followed the woman and JJ into the apartment and to the Kearneys' living room. It seemed he and JJ weren't Ms. Kearney's only visitors. Another middle-aged woman, this one blonde with a very familiar face that Rossi couldn't place at the moment, and two men, one with sandy colored hair and a face that was also familiar and the other younger in dress shirt and pants with a golden badge hanging on his belt, were talking quietly on the couch. The three abruptly stopped their conversation and stood up when the two FBI agents stepped into the living room.

"These are Agents Rossi and Jareau from the FBI. They're here about Liam," said Ms. Kearney to her other three guests as she gestured at Rossi and JJ. Turning back to the agents, she said, "And these are James Granger, Bodie Koeman, and Per-Detective Jackson."

"Mr. Granger, Ms. Koeman, Detective Jackson," greeted JJ as Rossi was finally able to put some names to those familiar faces.

"You're George Granger and Barrett Koeman's parents. I didn't realize the three of you knew each other." Rossi directed his statement at the three parents.

The three traded a subtle look with Detective Jackson that Rossi almost missed before Ms. Kearney said, "James and Bodie heard what happened to Liam on the news, and they came by to offer their support." A perfect sidestep to Rossi's implicit question. Gesturing to the couch, she continued, "Please, everyone, have a seat."

Once they all sat down, Ms. Kearney turned to him and JJ and said, "Detective Jackson was just telling us about your recent addition to the investigation. Do you have any new information about my son?"

While JJ informed Ms. Kearney that they sadly didn't have any new information to add to her son's investigation as of yet and took the opportunity to also interview Mr. Granger and Ms. Koeman about their children, Rossi observed the dynamics of the group. The grieving parents didn't behave like three people who had just met for the first time that afternoon. They appeared very at ease with one another, offering small touches of comfort to each other throughout JJ's inquiry. At certain questions about their children's extracurricular activities or if they'd known whether anyone wanted to see their children harm though, each parent unconsciously deferred to Detective Jackson for an answer before hesitantly providing one of their own. In fact, as Rossi continued to observe the group, he saw that the three parents had a trusting and familiar camaraderie with the detective. Their familiarity went beyond the fact that Detective Jackson was the lead detective handling their children's investigations. Hadn't Ms Kearney intended to introduce Detective Jackson by his first name earlier?

As they bid their good-byes, Rossi casted one last look around the room, noting the framed pictures of Ms. Kearney and her son on the nearby wall. One in particular, a group of teenagers with matching orange t-shirts sitting around a campfire, caught his eyes for a brief moment before Rossi followed JJ out. Detective Jackson left the Kearney's apartment with them, and Rossi and JJ followed his unmarked car to the 19th Precinct where the rest of their team was regrouping.

The detective, who so far had displayed a standoffish attitude to the two, showed Rossi and JJ to the empty conference room Hotch and Reid were setting up in before he left the BAU to their own devices. Hotch and Reid had already put up all the photos of the victims and abduction and dump sites along with timelines for each teen on the two glass dry-erase boards provided. Morgan and Prentiss also arrived from the morgue soon after Rossi and JJ took a seat at their proverbial round table with Hotch and Reid.

"All right," Hotch began, "what do we have?"

"The bodies of the two teens found, George and Barrett, showed signs of major physical trauma. Their wrists and ankles were rubbed raw from rope burn, and they were electrocuted to death," said Morgan.

"Were there signs of sexual assault?" asked Rossi. The two were just kids, he thought, only fourteen and sixteen. The worst thing they should have had to worry about was high school, not being kidnapped and killed.

"No, thankfully, neither of the victims were sexually assaulted," replied Prentiss. "Both of their stomach content came up empty though. Only water was found."

"Wait, no signs of sexual assault. Mixed victimology. Victims were held for an extended period of time before they were killed. They were starved and electrocuted. Guys, I think the Unsub is torturing these kids for some kind information!" exclaimed Reid as he jerked his head up from the file he was reading, his eyes white and wide staring at his team.

"What kind of information would two teenagers have that someone is willing to torture and kill them for?" asked Hotch. The unanswerable question hung in the air, bearing down on the BAU.

Tapping his pen on his notepad in front of him, Rossi racked his brain for something he might have missed. His roaming eyes caught sight of an innocent-looking picture JJ was gazing at, Barrett Koeman posing with her arms around her mother. He, like the rest of his team, had seen the picture before when they first went through Barrett Koeman's file, but this time, the orange t-shirt with the black outline of a Pegasus the teen was wearing sparked the memory of another picture Rossi had seen earlier that day.

"JJ, can I have a look at that for a moment?" Rossi asked as he gestured at the picture in her hands.

"Uh, yeah, sure." Her tone surprised and curious as she handed over the picture. No doubt wondering why it had claimed his interest.

"There's something going on here," Rossi said at last. Turning the picture of the Koemans over to his team, Rossi continued, "I've seen this shirt before; Liam Kearney was wearing an exact replica of it in one of the pictures framed on his wall. Now, it might just be a coincidence and it's a common t-shirt they could have bought anywhere…"

"Or it could be the link we're missing," JJ completed his thought. "There's something else too. George Granger's father and Barrett Koeman's mother were with Ms. Kearney when Rossi and I went to her apartment, and they were very comfortable with one another. Not the behavior of three people who just met, not even if they happened to share a common grief."

"If the victims knew each other, why wouldn't that be mentioned in the files?" asked Reid.

"Are we saying that the NYPD is deliberately leaving out evidence of this case?"

Hotch's solemn and cautious tone was enough for Rossi to deliberate with himself for a moment before forging on with his next statement. With an eye on the glass conference door that led to the rest of the precinct, Rossi said, "Maybe not the whole of NYPD, but very likely Detective Jackson is."

"Jackson? The lead detective on this case?" asked Morgan.

"Yes," answered JJ before Rossi could. "He was with the parents when we arrived, and again, they definitely knew each other. Whether they knew it or not, the parents practically turned to him for directions every time Rossi and I asked them a question about their children." While Rossi hadn't discussed his suspicion with JJ earlier, he was glad that she had come to similar conclusions and was backing his play.

Rossi maintained eye contact with Hotch as his colleague looked between Rossi and JJ. "Covering up evidence, that's a serious accusation."

The tension in the room was stifling as Rossi felt the eyes of the rest of his team on him. Rossi could see JJ unconsciously shifting in her seat under the same questioning stares.

Whatever Hotch was thinking about, he seemed to have made up his mind as he broke eye contact with Rossi and tapped the call button on the speakerphone system in front him.

Perhaps she was somehow aware of the tense atmosphere in their room from hundreds of miles away, Garcia greeted the group with one of her less flamboyant salutations. "This is Penelope Garcia. Ask and you shall receive."

"Garcia, you're on speaker," replied Hotch in lieu of a greeting. "We need you to look up an orange t-shirt with a black Pegasus outline, the one Barrett Koeman is wearing in the picture we have on file of her and her mother. Find out its origin and where it can be bought."

"A t-shirt, sir?"

"Yes, and see if there is any connection between the three victims' families...as well as if they have any connection with a Detective Percy Jackson of the NYPD."

"...Are we thinking that an NYPD detective is the Unsub?" asked Garcia.

Hotch looked at Rossi and JJ again before he answered, "We don't know yet. Just get back to us with what you find."

"I will let you know when I find something," said Garcia before she ended the call with a click.

xxxxxx

They'd agreed with each other that there would be no discussion about either of their work during dinner after Annabeth's long and passionate answers to his question of "how was work" early on in both of their careers led to one too many uneaten dinners. During particularly tough cases, Percy also appreciated their policy because it meant he had a good half hour or so to unplug and not think about his investigations. A lot of good that was doing at the moment, though. Despite having only a hotdog for lunch around eleven that morning, Percy was spending more time moving the pasta in front of him around his plate than eating them. He didn't even realize how deep in thoughts he was until he felt a slight kick against his leg from Annabeth.

"You know, if you thought my cooking was that bad, we could have ordered take-out," said Annabeth, her voice light and teasing.

Percy set his fork down and let out a sigh as he looked up into Annabeth's concerned, grey eyes. "I'm sorry; it's just - "

"I know," she interrupted softly. Pushing back her chair, she stood up and gathered the dirty dishes from the table. "Come. Help me clean up and then we can move this conversation to the couch."

Percy followed Annabeth to the sink with the rest of the dishes, and the two quickly washed and rinsed their dishes in silence. As Percy placed their last plate onto the drying rack, Annabeth dried her hands and handed him the towel she had used. He accepted it and gave her a light peck on her lips in thanks. He hung the towel up to dry and took Annabeth's waiting hand as they moved to the living room and their worn-in couch.

As a habit since Annabeth's promotion that led to more opening galas and high heels than she would like, Percy took her feet onto his lap and started massaging her right foot. With her other foot, she gave him a soft nudge and asked, "Well?"

Letting out another sigh, Percy began. "After George and Barrett, I put out an alert to all families with demigods in the city that if demigods aren't where they said they are going to be, don't automatically assume they had received a quest or gone to camp. Call them to check, and if they can't be reach, call it in. A call came in today."

"No," Annabeth whispered.

"A son of Ares, Liam Kearney, 16 years old," Percy continued as he switched to Annabeth's left foot. "His mom called it in when he didn't come home from school. He had a half day so she was expecting him home early, but he never returned. The captain of the 14th Precinct passed it off to us because he thinks it might be related to the other two cases - he doesn't how right he is. The Feds are called in as well. It's just a mess, and I'm still as clueless as when George's body was found."

"Hey, now that's not true. We know whoever took them is not a monster, no traces of monster dusts anywhere. They want some sort of information, why George and Barrett were tortured. Whatever it is, they didn't get it from George and Barrett, which is why Liam was taken," said Annabeth as she ticked each clue off her fingers.

"And we know whoever is doing this knows about demigods because only demigods were taken so far and George and Barrett were found without any of their preferred weapons on them so whoever it is knew enough to confiscate their weapons," added Percy.

Talking the case over with Annabeth sparked newfound energy in him. It also reminded him that he had an amazingly intelligent daughter of Athena for a wife that he could be asking for assistance instead of feeling sorry for himself. Feeling slightly more optimistic, Percy leaned over to give Annabeth another kiss.

The two of them stayed like that for a moment before Annabeth slowly pulled back. She gave Percy a quick peck on his cheek before she got up and headed for the kitchen. She came back with a bowl of blueberries. "So, look what I got today from the market," Annabeth said as she sat back down with the bowl still between her hands.

"Ah, my favorites," said Percy with a smile. He brushed his lips against Annabeth's tenderly before munching on a few blueberries.

"So, what sort of information do you think whoever is behind the attacks want?" asked Percy.

Annabeth took the blueberries he fed her and thought for a moment before she answered. "Well, with their focus being here in Manhattan, they might be looking for Olympus itself."

"That makes sense," said Percy, nodding in agreement. "Maybe we should give Olympus a visit ourselves tomorrow. See if the gods have any ideas what's going." Running a hand through his hair, Percy let out a frustrated groan. "I should have gone up to Olympus earlier."

Annabeth placed a gentle hand on his cheek, drawing his troubled sea-green eyes to hers. "Hey, we're going up there tomorrow. Not everything is your fault, Seaweed Brain. You don't always have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders."

She touched a tuft of hair by his temple, now black and dark, but once upon a time, they were white. She had had matching ones, too, a reminder from a time long ago when they'd both took the place of Atlas beneath the heavy sky.

Percy kissed her graciously for that. Annabeth laid her head on his shoulder, and with a bowl of his favorite fruit between them, they spent the remainder of the evening enjoying each other's company and the newest episode of American Ninja Warrior.

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AN: So guys, what do you think? This is my first PJO X Criminal Minds crossover so any reviews, comments, and criticisms are welcomed. Thank you all for reading this! :)

originally posted 4/11/2017