Page 13 of Jagged

"Still."

"Yeah. Someone from the BAU is going to meet us at her apartment on Thursday morning."

"What was it like when you spoke to her?" he asked, his tone gentle.

"Unnerving a bit. I'm asking her questions about her dead mother and the trauma she suffered. She seems well-rounded though. She's in medical school," I said, then tossed the pizza crust back onto my plate. "The pineapple was too sweet, by the way."

"There's no such thing as a too sweet pineapple." He scoffed, rolling his eyes. "You know what is too sweet though? Those stupid energy drinks and pops you guzzle."

"Yeah, well, deal with it. You and your forty coffees a day. How is it any different?" I snatched the slice of pizza from his plate and held it in my mouth before saluting him. "Later."

"Where are you going?"

"Home."

I didn't actually go home though, per usual. I ended up right back where I started, at the tattoo shop.

During the day, only Frankie lingered about as appointments were always slower. She let the music blast while she sanitized some equipment. Lady Gaga's tunes pumped her up and she mouthed the lyrics to Born This Way, still holding its value nearly twenty years later. That song was the first anthem of Pride for me as a kid, and probably her as well.

She nodded in my direction when I pushed myself up to sit on the table beside her while her gloved hands cleaned stuff. I smirked when she waved a newly unboxed needle at me.

"You know you want some," she teased when the song ended.

"When don't I want new ink?" I chuckled. "No appointments?"

"Just Dax. Still working on her phoenix. Almost done though."

"So many hours." I smiled fondly while I thought of the huge piece that covered the woman's thigh. While I didn't know Dax that well, other than from work on occasion, I'd seen Frankie working on her over the years and to me, it was one of her best pieces.

"So many. It's a portfolio piece for sure."

"Yeah."

"Here for ink, the mural, or moral support?" she asked, continuing to fill the supply bins.

"Moral support from you?" I laughed at that. "C'mon."

She grinned and lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "Resident bitch, at your service," she said and pretended to bow. "I'm redeemable though. Like Narcissa Malfoy."

"Ugh. She was not redeemable." I rolled my eyes. "Neither is her creator."

"Shh. Don't spoil it." She waved me off.

"Too late." I let my skateboard drop on the floor and set my feet on it. "We should build the ramp out back still like Alex said."

"Ah, I miss Alex." She let out a dramatic sigh. "She was such a good—"

"Don't even say it, you asshole. The two of you were toxic as fuck." I snapped at her, the way I often did when she broached this subject. "She's happy now. Leave her alone."

"C'mon—"

"No, Frankie. Don't even play around. You hurt her." I shook my head and let my hands fly in front of me in a harsh stopping motion. "She didn't deserve it."

"She hurt me just the same." She tossed me a glare before shifting to unbox more supplies.

"No, she didn't. It was all you." I remained steadfast in my opinion as I often did during the course of Frankie's relationships. "Literally everyone shares the same mantra. 'Stay away from Frankie.' The same way they say stay away from Kari."

"It's biphobic—"

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