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Criminal Minds Fanfiction

The FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit profiling and catching serial killers.

62,000 works
3 popular ships

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What is Criminal Minds fanfiction?

Criminal Minds fanfiction is fan-created stories set in the Criminal Minds universe. With over 62,000 works on Archive of Our Own, Criminal Minds is one of the most popular fandoms in the fanfiction community.

These stories explore beloved characters like Spencer Reid, Derek Morgan, Aaron Hotchner, Emily Prentiss, and many more. Writers create everything from short one-shots to epic novel-length adventures, exploring relationships, alternate universes, and "what if" scenarios.

Most Popular Criminal Minds Fanfics

These are the highest-rated Criminal Minds stories on AO3, ranked by kudos from readers.

1

Gold Star

by Sunshine_and_peaches

Gold star was a government program, designed to create human weapons. It created highly trained serial killers. Jade and Damien are both alphas who found out they were mates back in Stuart House, completed their bond but felt something missing - an omega. Not any omega but their omega. Adeline is th

0 kudos 13,227 words 23/? chapters Mature
Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics Omegaverse Polyamory
2

Repainted Dreams

by Enthusemily

"Her hug was almost unconscious; weak, tender, and cold.Like in her dreams, Emily was too afraid to touch him, to embrace him as she had always wished she could- afraid of him dissolving slowly with her hands still lingering in the air and her desperate fingers trying to grasp any remnants of his fa

251 kudos 127,976 words 28/? chapters Mature
The BAU Team as Family (Criminal Minds) Emotional Hurt/Comfort Angst and Hurt/Comfort
3

Nyctophilia | unsub!reader

by marcidstars

FAUSTIAN PACT — a pact whereby a person trades something of supreme moral or spiritual importance, such as personal values or the soul, for some worldly or material benefit, such as knowledge, power, or riches. When Spencer Reid strikes a deal with an unsub in a moment of desperation, he fails to fo

44 kudos 18,922 words 5/? chapters Explicit
Unsub Reader (Criminal Minds) Deal with a Devil (metaphorically)
4

Don't Delete the Kisses

by Exsanguinator

Emily has been with the team for eight months when a casual text message from JJ tilts the world on its axis. Emily's cousin Mack (and his dog Midas) are there to try and restore order. Content warning for a homophobic slur in this chapter.

44 kudos 6,270 words 4/? chapters Mature
Songfic Title From a Wolf Alice Song Song: Don't Delete the Kisses (Wolf Alice)
5

Angel of Mercy

by Prongslet

When the weight of loss becomes a calling, you end up with seven victims and a twisted sense of mercy. Called in to assist the LAPD, the BAU uncovers a ritual of devotion, guilt, and death. Each life ended quietly and tragically, yet with a chilling sense of purpose. As the agents race against time

4 kudos 19,952 words 4/8 chapters Mature
The BAU Team as Family (Criminal Minds) Case Fic Original Character Death(s)
6

living the curse

by JustASilhouette

JJ's life had never quite been average. Still, there were three moments in particular that made the leap to straight-up absurd. Then again, mundanity was a fleeting thing where Sam and Dean Winchester were involved. Or, three times Jennifer Jareau encountered the Winchester boys over the course of h

57 kudos 10,307 words 2/4 chapters Teen And Up Audiences
BAMF Jennifer "JJ" Jareau Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con Angst
7

Grew Up Too Quick

by tkzxexo

To: [email protected]From: [email protected]Subject: Likely Serial Killer in California - URGENT Good morning, My name is Noah Stilinski. I’m currently the sheriff of a county in central California called Beacon Hills. In the past week, we’ve had three deaths due to nearly-identical and ritualistic

5 kudos 1,419 words 1/? chapters Teen And Up Audiences
POV Outsider Case Fic Canon Compliant
8

My Dearest Emily

by RegalVee

JJ is gone. Killed in the field. A week after it happens a letter turns up for Emily which changes everything.

6 kudos 2,365 words 1/1 chapters General Audiences
Angst Character Death Sad
9

Bad Moon Rising

by volchitsa70

The BAU are 99% sure that Peter Hale is the unsub they've been looking for. The only fly in the ointment is that his girlfriend(?) Lydia Martin, is an FBI agent and the newest member of the team.

3 kudos 2,228 words 1/5 chapters General Audiences
Banshee Lydia Martin Lydia Martin is a member of the BAU Peter Hale is a Little Shit
10

Fading past

by Dylan (Chelsea08)

Years ago, two agents crossed paths unknowingly while deep undercover, their worlds colliding in a high-stakes mission that forged a fragile bond between them. When fate pulls them back together months later, buried memories and hidden truths threaten to unravel the trust they once built. As they na

125 kudos 72,416 words 31/31 chapters Not Rated
Lesbian Emily Prentiss Emily Prentiss Needs a Hug Emily Prentiss - Freeform
11

Murder Referrals III

by elysia_snape

Magic is rising in the United States, with strange deaths that make it impossible for the FBI to ignore. Can the B.A.U and the Men of Letters reunite to face a new threat? With Emily and Dean Winchester still trapped in the hellish landscape of purgatory battling monsters and distrust in equal mea

15 kudos 21,565 words 8/? chapters Teen And Up Audiences
12

Aural

by audioletter

Emily learns Dave narrated his own audiobooks, and decides to take a listen.

3 kudos 1,136 words 1/1 chapters Explicit
Masturbation Evolution Era Vibrators
13

Under my authority

by QuanticoChronicles

Jennifer Jareau had worked hard to build a cohesive team, the last thing she wanted was a wildcard joining without her approval. Older than Emily Prentiss by several years, JJ had seen enough to know the dangers of impulsive decisions and big personalities. Emily Prentiss entered the BAU, she was sm

100 kudos 7,829 words 8/? chapters Explicit
Enemies to Friends to Lovers Protective Jennifer "JJ" Jareau Bottom Emily Prentiss
14

If you were easy to kill, I would've done it already

by AmazonWorrier

"He walks into JJ’s life quietly. While Emily and the others are focusing on stopping the existing infrastructure from collapsing, he sets up new scaffolding. By the time any of them notice, he has become a permanent fixture. A parasite, steadily gnawing away at the foundation. "CM Evolution era. Fo

541 kudos 67,819 words 40/? chapters Mature
vague depictions of domestic violence/toxic relationship CM evolution era Will is dead
15

Autumn Rain

by fxllinallinu

Spencer Reid is used to being the smartest person on the room. He wears his intelligence like a badge of pride over everything that happens to him, a shield from reality, a quiet claim of superiority he rarely admits. Until she comes along. Doctor Autumn Rhodes is hated by him since before she even

168 kudos 85,440 words 17/? chapters Explicit
Enemies to Lovers Enemies With Benefits Hate to Love
16

With Her Last Breath

by Enbious1888

The BAU always believed they knew everything about Emily Prentiss.They were wrong.When Emily is critically injured on a case, she believes she might not survive.In a desperate moment she reveals the secret she has spent over a year protecting. This is an alternative universe fanfic based roughly aro

8 kudos 34,082 words 45/45 chapters Teen And Up Audiences
Past Violence Injury Blood and Injury
17

She Used To Be Mine

by teammaddison

AU STORY:This is a twist on the day Emily Prentiss died 6x18, “Lauren,” and 7x01, “It Takes A Village.” Everything happens the way it did in canon: Emily is captured, tortured, and forced into hiding after faking her death. The BAU believes she’s gone. Only Hotch and JJ know the truth. But there’s o

13 kudos 11,421 words 4/? chapters Mature
Protective JJ Jareau Emotionally Guarded Emily Prentiss Team Reactions Hurt Emily Prentiss Soft JJ Jareau Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence Alternate Universe
18

follow me between the jaws of fate

by baunitchief (emeryazure)

Long before the Successors and Charlottesville, JJ and Emily had a bigger secret to protect. It started as one mistake between cases—and turned into a habit: stolen hours, locked doors, and the choice to keep choosing each other anyway.

100 kudos 87,628 words 9/? chapters Explicit
Trans Female Character Emily Prentiss Has a Penis G!P
19

from afar

by filander

Spencer's addiction keeps returning. With Sam twelve hundred miles away, they reach out for help to Emily. They work together to support him through this. (set roughly after s7 of each show, some canon divergence in timeline)

2 kudos 5,167 words 1/1 chapters General Audiences
Drug Addiction Past Drug Use Cravings
20

The Ghost of Lauren Reynolds

by Tiredgazelle890

When a chilling message dredges up Emily’s past, she spirals into old habits—hiding, deflecting, pretending. JJ won’t let her go without a fight. But some ghosts refuse to stay buried.

387 kudos 97,080 words 28/? chapters Explicit
The BAU Team as Family (Criminal Minds) Ian Doyle Arc (Criminal Minds) Post-Episode: s06e18 Lauren (Criminal Minds)

Common Criminal Minds Tropes

Popular Characters

Spencer Reid Derek Morgan Aaron Hotchner Emily Prentiss JJ

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Criminal Minds fanfics are on AO3?

There are over 62,000 Criminal Minds fanfiction works on Archive of Our Own, making it one of the platform's largest fandoms.

What are the best Criminal Minds ships?

Popular Criminal Minds pairings include ReidMorgan, HotchReid, Jemily. Each ship has thousands of dedicated stories exploring their relationship.

How can I read Criminal Minds fanfiction on my phone?

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