Disclaimer – I own nothing CM related!
So, this is just a little drabble based on the hints that perhaps the writers might want to pursue a storyline for JJ going undercover.
I'm on the fence about the idea of JJ going undercover. On one hand it could be great character development especially if there are lasting effects of her going undercover and AJ could shine, but on the other hand, the show isn't great with continuity and there should be a real reason for JJ going undercover and not some crappy excuse, forced, out of nowhere or a superspy, a la Prentiss, reason. After all, Morgan's the one with the undercover background (apparently, we once were told but never really followed up on) and JJ has been the face of the BAU for many years with no undercover experience that we know of.
So here's my little take on the potential Season 9 storyline that may yet not even happen.
Let me know what you think.
...
The Unit Chief stared at the report in front of him.
He'd been on the same page for the last hour and a half but if someone had asked him what the case was about the distracted agent would have no answer.
He'd been in his office all morning, which he knew would not go unnoticed by his teammates. If any of them had bothered to check the building log, they'd realise their supervisor hadn't gone home in two days.
He knew he'd been in a funk these last few weeks, and he knew his colleague's were confused and concerned, but he had a job to do and that sometimes meant being their boss and not their friend.
The single father had been snappy and even more stern than usual, although he knew it was a manifestation of his worry and guilt, all the team knew was that he was grumpy.
"Hotch." Blake stood in the office doorway, her eyes wide in uncertainty.
"Yes." He greeted tersely.
She pointed behind her jerkily. "We're all gathered around the roundtable. Are you ready?"
"For what?" Hotch asked shortly.
"It's 10 a.m." Blake frowned as he continued to stare at her indifferently. "It's time for the team briefing."
"Give me five minutes." He replied gruffly, before focusing back on the report in front of him.
The team were needed in Atlanta for this case, but the Unit Chief's mind was elsewhere.
He could lie to himself all he wanted, but things were bad and he had no idea what to do.
After all, Blake was wrong. Not all the team were gathered in the bullpen. Excluding him, their former media liaison turned profiler was also absent.
Erin Strauss' replacement, Quantico's new Section Chief Bryan Mackenzie had reinitiated JJ's contract with the DOD, weeks into his new position. Surprisingly, JJ hadn't objected and was currently alternatively working with the BAU one week and the DOD the next.
In the meeting about JJ's new responsibilities, Hotch was again surprised to find out that JJ and Mackenzie apparently knew each other from her early days in the Bureau and had already been in discussion about JJ returning temporarily to the DOD. Hotch had negotiated the new alternative timetable, worrying that JJ's role would become more permanent if she spent long intervals with the Department of Defence.
That was the story he had relayed to the team four months ago.
But there was more to the story than he had let on.
What he kept from the group was that, JJ was looking into a leak in her former unit on behalf of the State Department and Mackenzie was only one of the point people for the investigation. The politics and complexity of the operation was way above his rank and pay grade.
Three days earlier, the politics hungry Section Chief had approached Hotch and had informed him that JJ hadn't checked in as usual.
Hotch phoned Will to dig around about his partner's whereabouts, but sensing he was clueless, the seasoned profiler made up a story about a case that JJ was being sent on and would be out of touch for a little while. Once Will seemed convinced, Hotch marched back up to the Section Chief's office and demanded to be briefed.
Mackenzie agreed to bring Hotch onto the case, but Hotch wasn't allowed out of building until JJ was found.
Looking at the box next to his desk, Hotch groaned in frustration.
The case JJ had been working on was deceiving. It looked straightforward, but the deeper JJ got, the clearer it became how dangerous the situation was. There was no one she could truly trust and the leak of information seemed to be the least important part of the investigation, considering how many people JJ was monitoring.
Now the mother of one was out of contact and considered missing. No-one had seen or heard from her in seventy two hours and the last thing she had been looking into was bank accounts of high ranking government officials.
JJ was probably in some serious trouble and Hotch couldn't do anything about it.
The team needed to be in Atlanta, tomorrow.
But JJ was missing and he was ordered to not leave his department.
Taking a fortifying breath, Hotch closed the Atlanta case file and reached for the box.
Screw Mackenzie.
They had twenty four hours to find their missing friend.
...
There may be a follow up some time in the future. Thanks for reading!