A/N: My first attempt at a Criminal Minds fanfic. Of course it is yaoi, so if you clicked I hope you like boy x boy love.

A few things to be aware of, story takes place after season 11, Morgan has left and is still gone as well as everyone else. So yes, Hotch still dated Beth and Reid lost Maeve, and so forth. I'll try to keep everyone in character as best as I can but I am already playing with them making a Hotch x Reid pairing. Any creative critisicm is appreciated.

Disclaimer: Don't own it or make any money from writing this fanfic...

Warnings: Will come with each chapter but just mentioning of death in this chapter.

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Chapter One

The crisp, refreshing scent of apples tickled Spender Reid's nostrils for the seventh time since he had taken a seat. Not that he didn't like the aroma, it was actually a lot more tolerable than the heavy cologne that the male opposite of them had bathed in. He much preferred the softness that came from the hardened man sitting to his right. Smells, that was what his delusions had reduced him to these days. He knew that it wasn't his brain that was constantly aware of his boss but another organ that refused to listen to the part of him that knew what was best.

The jet was already in the air, heading towards the lovely city of Miami, Florida. The hot, sweltering, over-crowded, flamboyant populace of Miami was their destination after leaving from their latest case in Wyoming. Before he had time to finish in the bathroom, Cruz had been ordering a change in plans. A call had come in and then without any warning, they had another case.

"Is this all we have?" Spencer tapped on the screen to open up the file that had just been sent to them all via Garcia. This was what she had been working on for the last week? The normally cheerful eyes were dull from being overworked and tired, he wasn't the only one that was exhausted.

"For now and this is because I've had her compiling what information she could. We weren't officially invited in until twenty minutes ago." Matt Cruz was glad he had tagged along on the last case in the hopes that his team would get the invitation to help the local authorities with the case. Officially they had been 'invited' but only now because they had proof that it was most likely the work of a serial. The senator was an old friend and lover whose son had gone missing but he hadn't been able to force their intervention. As of an hour ago, three more victims had been found with the same signature. "Last week they only had the first two victims."

"Am I reading this right?" JJ crinkled her brow at the text inside the coroner's report. The findings were very detailed and how could they wait until five victims before asking for help? "I'm not going to look at the pictures, I can't."

"It really can't be that bad," David smirked and clicked on the link to bring up the photographs of the recent dump site. Three male vics were on display, each bare of any clothing with a fist-sized hole in their chest cavity. Nothing too horrible about that, but what was that inside the vic's mouth? "Did the victim have something placed inside his mouth?"

"You should really read before you look," JJ almost laughed when the older man hastily flipped back to glance at the report to answer his own question. The pallor faded from the Italian, "Yep, that is why I'm not looking."

"Alright," Aaron didn't want to seem as if he was taking his time before looking at the photos but just reading the reports was making his stomach ache. They had seen many things since being in the BAU but this was more disturbing than most. "The local authorities called us in when they realized it was a serial. Each male was found deceased, their hearts removed by the use of a dull object, and each had another male's genitals placed inside the mouth shortly after death."

"The first two had each other's genitals placed but the report shows that we have a potential sixth victim out there." Spencer flipped hastily through the photos and leaned over slightly to show his neighbor what was there for anyone that was familiar with the male genitals to see. "Look, do you see the difference in number three?"

"Garcia, did we receive any of the lab results yet?" Aaron shifted in the chair eyeing the enlarged picture of the phallus. All five of the victims were Caucasian, early twenties, blonde or brunette, and each with light complexions. The phallus found in Jason Holmes mouth couldn't belong to any of the other victims.

"I'd say African American or Indian descent," Spencer heard the blonde female's grunt of amusement. He was basing his assumption on the coloration near the circumcision. The base was torn, jagged from being removed and each had some amount of decay. The head had been the part lodged down the throat and less exposed to the outside elements. It clearly belonged to someone other than the five victims.

"The Senator will be wanting something as soon as we land, what can we give her?" Matt wanted to give the woman something, anything to reassure her that the one responsible would be found.

"The unsub is a male, in good physical health, and he's unraveling." Aaron spoke softly, his mind absorbing the file on Jason Holmes. The male had soft features, a noticeable pretty-boy as Morgan would call them. "The first victim, Terrance Wilkson was beaten and from the marks they weren't done by any definite tool."

"The bruising looks like one would get from a fist, so he fought back. That would explain why the rest were drugged," Spencer squirmed in his chair as another thought came to him. Would the others agree? "I think he's homo-sexual."

"Reasons?" Matt asked, seeing nothing that would suggest the unsub's sexuality.

Because he knew how most straight men felt, especially if they were homophobic. Spencer swallowed nervously, even though he knew that answer wouldn't in anyway indicate the confusion he'd been dealing with recently. "The cuts are all unprofessional, whoever did remove them isn't skilled. That indicates no medical training of any kind and how many straight men wouldn't get squeamish about touching another male's penis? The unsub not only handles them but it takes some amount of patience to forcibly push a lopped off soft penis into a dead man's throat."

"He's right, if this was a hate crime against homosexuals it'd be easier just to place it inside the mouth, but this unsub takes the time to get it down the throat. He's meticulous, he wants to make it appear that the victim is trying to eh deepthroat." JJ flipped to the next file. "Even though they were removed they aren't damaged in any other way so he took great care with them."

"What about victomology?" Aaron paused feeling the slight touch against his knee and frowned at how fast the leg jerked away in response. It wasn't the first or the second time, it was starting to happen daily. The first few times he had brushed it aside assuming that the genius was in a mood. That was until a month ago, JJ had been drawn them all into a conversation about Henry wanting to attend camp during summer break. Trying to relax he had leaned back for the flight and his knee had come in contact with Reid's. To make sure he wasn't imagining the haste retreat, he repeated the action. Whenever he got too close or accidently came in contact the younger profiler would move away.

Spencer inhaled deeply, wishing this wasn't his given seat. Every time they all took a seat, he'd always be left to take the one next to Hotch. The team had no idea what he was dealing with and he wouldn't be rude by asking JJ to swap seats with him. Part of him enjoyed sitting next to the brunette, "A bank clerk, a college student, a stripper, a store clerk, and unemployed but rich. They didn't run in the same circles and only one of them attended church."

"At some point all of them came in contact with the unsub," JJ added. "At least we know he has a type: young, slender, and pretty."

"When we land, JJ, you and Reid will go speak to the families, and see what you can find out." Matt wanted to be the one to speak to the Senator. "Hotch, you and Rossi head to the dump site. I'm going to speak to the Senator, and assure her that I'm personally overseeing the case."

"What about me, sir?" Penelope had remained silent, not wanting to think about what each victim had been put through. It was horrible and would need therapy if they forced her to actually look at the photos.

"See what you can find out," Aaron purposely widened his knees to come in contact with the slender part just above the doctor's own. "Search financial records, recent purchases, and any information to possibly tell of us if any of them were dating or has recently ended a relationship. Since the crimes are of a sexual nature, this could be about jealousy or the unsub could have been rejected. Until we land everyone go over the files."

Was he doing that on purpose? Spencer looked at the position the grey-clad legs were in. It probably wasn't noticeable by anyone else since Hotch was sitting slanted in the seat but he could feel the heat. The files were in his lap, he'd already read over them six times, and his brain refused to focus on what he had read. How long before the others began to notice? When would they realize that he was becoming distracted and that the root of his problem was their boss?

Perhaps his mother was right, he was lonely. During their last visit she had suggested that he finally find someone nice to settle down with, that nothing else could make her happier. The conversation had begun after her mentioning another patient having had a nice visit from her family. The hints of grandchildren were brushed aside with a smile. He wasn't sure how to tell his mother that he was questioning his sexuality. How could he inform anyone that he was having improper sexual urges towards their boss? Over a decade ago he had experimented with another student briefly to realize that he was bi-sexual.

Spencer remembered telling Blake that it didn't matter what Maeve looked like, it was about who she was. He had come to love who she was, not her physical appearance. That was the kind of love he had looked for, what he was still looking for. What he was feeling had nothing to do with finding a compatible soul or someone he could have long, meaningful conversations with. The attraction was completely physical and he had no idea when it had begun. It didn't just strike him one day that he found Hotch to be attractive, anyone with eyes could see that. Just the smaller thing had begun to add up for the last two years. The slightest touches, the few times they had hugged, and the emotional closeness that came from years of working together. His attraction had nothing to do with noticing that Hotch looked amazing in denim jeans. It wasn't because some lucky lady had caused the lead profiler to sport an erection during JJ's barbeque last month. The swimming trunks had outlined the hardness and he hadn't been the only one to notice.

A few of Will's female co-workers had been watching their Unit Chief with undisguised appreciation, and even Garcia had remarked that he was 'looking good'. Spencer had used the ruse of trying to wipe the wet hair from his eyes to cover up the fact that he too was staring. What he wanted to know was which one had been the one to cause the man's predicament. All of them had been in the pool horsing around and trying to dunk the other. How long before JJ was able to convince Hotch to give of the obviously invited blind dates a chance?

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"Do you wanna talk about it?" JJ reached out to place a hand on the narrow elbow to slow their walk. A deputy had driven them to the home of the third victim and she had been waiting to say something since the plane. The others had appointed her the 'Find Out What Was Bothering Reid' person the other morning before they had left for their initial case. This was the first time since then that they had been alone so she wanted to ask before they got surrounded by strangers again.

"About what?" He knew that tone, that motherly tone that made him want to bare his soul because he knew that she would be there for him. It was hard to not blurt out what was bothering him. A part of him wanted to yell, to insist that she not constantly try to set up their Unit Chief. He had no right being jealous or to judge every woman that JJ brought to Hotch's attention. They all wanted him to be happy and to find someone, except him. He hadn't really cared for his latest fling, a blonde that had been found at a club. That had only lasted a few dates and Spencer had been relieved when Hotch casually told the team that they were no longer dating.

"The lack of sleep, the moodiness," JJ stopped their advance completely, needing to say this in complete privacy. "I thought I was over-imagining your issues with Hotch until the other day. Do you wanna tell me when you took up the habit of eye rolling?"

"I don't roll my eyes," Rarely did he express annoyance by doing so. Spencer wanted to ask what exactly had she caught onto and was she the only one? "And I don't an issue with Hotch."

"You rolled your eyes at me four days ago when I informed Hotch that Karen wanted to know if he was single. You did it before you slapped the book you were reading closed and excused yourself." JJ hadn't imagined it and Rossi had asked what was his problem. "If you need someone to talk to, you know I'm always here for you, Spence."

"I know, and I don't have a problem with you or Hotch." What could he tell her that wouldn't alert her to why it pissed him off when she made suggestions for another man? "I guess I'm getting agitated, especially with all the talk of dating."

"Why? Is it because I've been asking Hotch? Spence, they asked about you as well but I assumed that you were already interested in someone so I told them that you were off the market."

"Why would you assume that I'm already interested in someone?" Spencer saw the woman peeking from behind the curtain, possibly wondering why they were standing in the yard talking. Not every professional but they could be discussing the case, and that was the reason the officer was standing next to the parked vehicle.

"The spacing out, the long sighs, and you completely blew off April at the barbeque when she spent half the day trying to flirt." She just didn't know who it was, yet. "Are you dating?"

"To save us some time because we need to focus on this case, I'm still single." Spencer shoved both hands into his pocket to maintain some control of his actions. He wanted to rant about how unfair life was. Of all the people he had to start having feelings for. It would be different if it had happened suddenly, then he would have known it was happening. Instead it had slowly began long before he realized what it was. Every little moment had him creeping down that plunge and before he knew it he was at the bottom and unable to prevent anything. "I have feelings for someone that will never return them."

"Oh, are you sure?" JJ didn't want to pry, seeing how admitting that much was causing the expression to fall. Now wasn't the time to dig into the reasons. "Alright, we can talk about this later if you want."

"Thanks but I'll be fine," he had to be. "Let's go."

By the time they reached the door it was already opening. Robert James' mother didn't appear happy to see them but she wasn't immediately slamming the door. The woman looked annoyed as she spoke, "FBI I take it, they said you'd be coming. May as well come inside."

"Thank you, Mrs. James." JJ politely gave their names to the woman's back. "We just have a few questions that we'd like to ask if it is alright."

"I've told the police all I know and they didn't seem to give a shit about what I had to say so why are you any different?" Lisa James was a heavy set female, the once blonde hair streaked with gray and bound in curlers.

"Because we want to find who did this to your son. I'm a mother myself and I can only imagine how you must feel right now. Please, what can you tell us about your son?" JJ stopped short of the fire mantle that was overcrowded with family photos. In each Robert James was smiling, seemingly content with home life.

"He was such a sweet boy, always thought of others." Mrs. James continued without being asked. "I warned him but he wouldn't listen. My boy wanted to believe that there was good in everyone. I told him that it didn't matter to me because I'm his mother."

"What didn't matter, Mrs. James?" Spencer had a feeling that they knew what she was going to say but the woman needed to say it.

"That he once like a young boy he went to school with. I didn't care, you love who you love."

"Are you saying that your son was homosexual?" JJ wanted it confirmed.

"Yes, and he wanted to come out." Mrs. James was appeased when neither agent looked disgusted at the announcement. The two police officers that had shown to inform her of her son's death and to ask questions hadn't been friendly. Both had sneered at the information that her boy had decided that he liked the same sex. Because of that she had refused to tell them anything.

"And did your son come out?" JJ wanted to ask about a possible boyfriend or a lover.

"Yes and no," she paused. "He told me that it'd be alright and I wanted to support him."

"Do you know if he had a boyfriend?" Spencer didn't see any pictures of another male. If Robert had been open then he wouldn't have kept a lover hidden.

"Not yet."

"Do you know if he was talking to someone before he went missing?" JJ asked. "Did he meet anyone?"

"Actually, he did." Mrs. James walked over to the nearby coffee and pulled open the hidden drawer. "I kept this, I'm not sure why. Robert came to me because he was trying to find someone special. He gave me this brochure to look at, we went over it. It looked harmless at the time so I gave him the money to go."

Spencer took the brochure and quickly read over the brief description. A cruise ship that catered to those with homosexual preferences, "Did your son attend one of these functions?"

"Yes, it seemed ideal at the time. He wanted to try to meet someone and I wanted him to be happy. He got passage for their thirty-two day trip to Australia. It's on their site."

JJ nodded, mentally calculating how much it would have cost. Not many could afford a seven day cruise without feeling guilty, but a month vacation that was used as a dating service. "So he went on one of their tours. Did he tell you about it?"

"We spoke almost every day he was out on the computer. He'd check in so I'd know that he was alright, he couldn't swim you know. He told me he met the most amazing man on the ship. No, he didn't give me a name."

"Mrs. James, it is important and any information about this man he met would greatly assist us." Spencer tried to stress the importance of any information without telling her that this amazing man could possibly be their unsub.

"No, he wouldn't tell me anything about him. He said he wanted me to get to know him once they got back." The older woman took a seat down on the couch. "Wait, there is something. One evening he had me set up that video chat so we could see each other. We spoke like that several times but one time I saw someone. As we were about to end the call, there was an arm."

"An arm?" An arm on a ship full of men, that wasn't much to go on. JJ tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before squatting in front of the mother. "Is there anything else you can recall, anything at all?"

"Yes, he was black, I think." Mrs. James quickly frowned and hurried to explain. "I mean African American, I believe is the correct term. I think that is why he was hesitant to tell me much about him. Robert's father was very hateful at times, to certain types of people."

"A racist?" Spencer spoke boldly, asking straight out if the father would have had a problem with their son's choices.

"Yes, we were only married for ten years, and I tried not to let him influence our son, and he didn't. But I think he was still worried about how I'd take it. I wouldn't have cared, as long as my son was happy."

"I believe you," JJ placed a comforting hand on her knee. "What else can you tell us? You said you saw the arm, what made you think of it now? What was it doing?"

"It touched him, on the shoulder. The man walked behind Robert and I'm sure it caressed the back of his shoulders but I didn't see a face."

"Thank you, Mrs. James. You've been a great help."

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"What do we have so far?" Aaron scooted closer to the table and reached for the cup of coffee that had been handed out by Garcia. The trip out to the dump site had been hectic and they hadn't found out anything new to help them get closer to discovering who their unsub might be. The only one missing was Cruz, who was still tending to the senator. He wasn't going to ask, it wasn't his business. The team had been set up inside one the senator's rental properties for the duration of the case. A four bedroom, three bath home that was cheaper than putting them up in a hotel. Aaron preferred it, it gave more privacy than being inside a bustling hotel that was full of tourists.

"We can conclude that all five victims were homosexual, only three were out." Dave ran a hand over his face, feeling exhausted from lack of sleep and jumping right into another case.

"They were all from different cities in the lower Florida area and didn't travel in the same circles. The only common link was that they were all gay and looking for love." Penelope tapped her computer screen sending each the forms she had found. "Now my loves, I may have found something, you can praise me later. If you'll look on your tablets."

Aaron clicked on the copy of the last victim's back account, what was he looking for? The sun had all but drained him and they weren't close to delivering the profile. "What are we looking for, Garcia?"

"Well, when JJ called and told me about Robert James going on a cruise before he disappeared I took the liberty of investigating this company. They are completely legal, they are actually really good, but way expensive. They offer several different packages that leave from different ports, and all different destinations. Now, depending on the package you purchase, you may lose a year's salary. Point, right, Mrs. James admitted to paying for her son's cruise. You can see the cleared check made out to the company on her statement. What I found was that two of our other victims did not make an actual purchase to the company but they did take out a large amount of cash that coincides around the time they went missing. Like weeks prior to their disappearing and my amazing self did a search and what do you know, the website has departure dates that match. So it is very likely that they also bought ticket and went on a cruise."

"There is no paper trail?" Aaron didn't like it. The company had to report their profits so how could they do so without having actual documentation of tickets being sold. This wasn't an amusement park fair that costs thirty bucks for entry.

"I know what you're thinking, how do they get away with such large cash amounts and not reporting it. The thing is they do, Sir." Penelope brought up the link on her laptop for them to see. "The website offers anonymity when purchasing a package. To make it legal all they need is a receipt showing that it was paid for and a name. All their records are legit and most of their clients pay cash."

"We need that list, Garcia. There is a chance they all purchased tickets at some point." Aaron blinked at the amount Mrs. James had paid for the little trip.

"I spoke with Cruz earlier and he already spoke with the owner. Sir, it didn't turn out well. I went over their log in information on the dates the victims may have purchased the tickets. There were no records of them, but I was told that sometimes their clients use fake names. Robert James was the only one that went on a trip that required a passport"

"And we can't do anything because they don't check to make sure their clients give their correct names." Rossi leaned back in the chair. They wouldn't even be able to get them for the false information. It would be just as easy to press charges against an airline that sold tickets to people with false identifications. It was too common and employees weren't trained to spot them. "What about employees or other passengers that were on board at the same time?"

"Employees, there is a list of ninety-two, sixty-six are male. Sadly, none of the passengers have shown up twice during those specified times. What I can tell you is that The Blooming Star has been in port for the last two weeks and according to their website the next cruise is scheduled to depart this week." Penelope waited to add the last bit of news, "the next cruise is one to Australia, much like the one Robert James went on, and is a forty-five day vacation."

"Shit," Aaron ran a hand through his hair. What could they do? "We don't have enough for a profile, not yet."

"We also don't have enough evidence to tie the company to any of the victims. We have no proof that this is where they went missing from. A cruise ship that large, they can simply claim that the victims did not remain onboard once they docked. They can't be held liable for what happens to their passengers once they leave the ship." Dave could see the frustration growing, the emotion growing thick as the obvious set in. At most we can prove that one of our victims was on that ship but we can't prove that the unsub is tied to it."

"Yes, but we know that at least two of our victims were still hiding so if they did buy a ticket, they would have hid their identity. We know that Robert James began seeing someone that was black while on the ship and it so happens that we have a penis that belongs to an unknown victim that is also black." JJ had learned to trust her hunches years ago and they all knew that there was a connection. "We can't offer a profile yet and there is a chance that our unsub is an employee or a regular passenger. Can we stall their departure?"

"I'll call Cruz but I doubt it, we don't have enough evidence." Aaron wanted to get some rest. He had to figure out how to prevent another victim. "If Cruz can't stall the cruise then we have to think of something. There is a chance our unsub will be on it."

"Why don't we send someone?" JJ suggested, it wouldn't be the first time one of them had gone undercover to catch an unsub. "If the unsub is going to be on that ship we need someone there. If we can get eyes onboard we might be able to figure out how he is selecting his victims and also eliminate some of the crew."

"Great idea but I'll sit this one out, if you don't mind." Dave loved being a profiler but he didn't think he'd be able to go undercover as a passenger for a cruise that catered to gay males.

"I'll go," Spencer offered to be the one to go undercover. It made the most sense, "If we have to send some I'll go. It would have to be a male and I don't have any responsibilities here."

"Will that work?" Penelope didn't like it. One of theirs would be out there alone with a possible killer with no backup. "You can't go, what if you get into trouble? How are you going to pass for someone looking to hookup? Don't you think they'll notice something is wrong?"

"I'll be going with him," Aaron came to the decision easily. If they couldn't stop the cruise from departing then two of them could depart with it. They could inspect the crew, watch for anyone that stood out while the others handle things from here. "If the unsub is one of the crew then he will soon have plenty of victims to choose from."

"We get that, Hotch, but how do you and Reid propose to get on the ship?" Penelope quickly brought up the website to point out the one flaw in their plan. "This is the link to reserve tickets, the ones that are left. There is a reason all of the cheaper packages are taken. There are a few suites left to book and to get both of you on, we'd have to purchase two. They are over one hundred grand a piece. Do keep in mind that covers fare, food, drinks, card for all the fine shops, the five day trip to see the many beautiful sites of Australia, and complete access to all of their accommodations."

"I think we should be more concerned about them being able to blend in once on the ship. They got to pretend to be looking for a date. How are you going to mingle when you're supposed to be gay? Don't you think they'll notice that some of their passengers are straight?" Dave had to point out what being on the ship meant. "You'll have other men hitting on you. Are you going to be able to pretend that you're okay with it and pass off being interest so you can have a valid reason to be roaming the ship?"

"Why not meet each other on the cruise?" JJ knew that they wouldn't be able to talk Hotch out of it once he had decided to go. They needed at least two on there just in case the unsub was on board. If they could start eliminating some names it would help. "If you are both set on going, you'll be going as single men looking to meet someone. Give it a couple days and pretend to mingle, then meet each other. The entire purpose is to meet someone else so that will be your cover. You two will meet and spend the remainder of the trip together. That way no will suspect the time you will be together while you work the case."

"Sounds good, that will give us a cover." Aaron pushed the chilled cup away. He would have to check on getting the funds to cover the trip from the agency.

"You aren't seriously considering going through with this," Dave semi-shouted at their Unit Chief. "Reid might be able to get by being a shy pretty boy but not you Hotch. How are you going to make it a month pretending to be gay? You can't do it."

Spencer agreed completely, but was thankful that it was Rossi to point it out. He would go but he didn't think he could pretend to start dating Hotch. He'd rather flirt and spend time with strangers.

"I'll be fine." Aaron waved off the concern. They would only have to pretend to be courting while not in their rooms. They were already close so pretending to be getting to know each other was plausible.

"Really?" Dave didn't believe it, he'd prove that this was a horrible idea. "Hotch, since we know that the agency will most likely stall on giving you the money to pay for the trip, I'll front you the money up front to pay for it, but only if you can prove me wrong."

"And how am I to do that?" Aaron wasn't sure if he'd get the approval in time to get on the cruise. There was a great chance that it wouldn't be approved at all because there wasn't enough proof but they were short on time.

Dave shrugged but his gaze swept from his boss to land on the quiet doctor. "Kiss Reid."

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Please review and I do my own editing so sorry if there were any mistakes...