Comeuppance

A Criminal Minds Story

Ten months before the BAU

"Agent Jennifer, will I ever see my daddy again?" the soft, shaking voice of a young girl plead as she wrapped her small arms around the agent's waist. Her chipped, bitten fingernails dug into the woman's suit jacket as the young girl refused to let go. She had just said goodbye to her dad for the last time this morning.

"It's okay Sweetie. It's going to be okay," Twenty three year old Special Agent Jennifer Jareau uttered smoothly, but she wasn't sure if she believed it. Her mind and emotions were playing an intense tug of war game. One side pulling with her nagging sense that this was not the best way to handle the situation. That tearing this girl and her mother from the father wasn't right even though he was a bad man. The other side pulled with a growing swell of pride in herself for having successfully coordinated a search and rescue for the girl and her mother after the criminal father hid them away in the far reaches of the northwestern Oklahoma woods.

That was three weeks ago.

She had gotten them both out safely and arrested the high-profile international illegal arms dealer that has been wanted by the FBI for seven years. Agent Jareau had taken him down, and she herself had only been a special agent for two years. It was something she should be proud of, right? It could be the event that got her transferred to New York or Los Angeles.

But then as she looked down into the young girls large brown eyes JJ didn't have the heart to tell her that no, no she would never see her dad again. He would be going away for a long, long time. Her mother was at that very moment testifying against him and then the little girl and her mom would be put into witness protection where they would likely stay for the rest of their lives.

No, JJ couldn't tell the young girl all of that, but she couldn't lie either, so she knelt down to be eye-level with the small seven year old. Pushing a strand of light brown hair back, JJ shook her head, "Listen carefully okay? The next few months are going to be different and hard especially for your mom. She's made a big decision, and she is going to need you. Can I count on you to be her big, strong baby girl and help her?"

Using her whole palm the young girl wiped the coming tears from ever reaching her cheeks as she shook her head, "But I'm not big or strong."

"Size and strength don't matter. It is what is inside you heart that matters. Do you love your mom?" JJ smiled as the young girl nodded quickly, "Then tell me, can I count on you to help your her?"

"I can," The girl nodded though her small body still trembled, "I can."

"Bailey!" A tired, hunched over young women called out. JJ looked over to see the mother's red stained eyes. She was escorted by two officers the two that would be taking them away soon.

"Mommy!" Bailey ran over, her long hair flying behind her as she reached her mother's legs and looked up, "Mom, you don't have to be sad anymore. I'm going to take care of you. You can count on me."

JJ watched as the mother reached a hand to her heart looking at her child with such love and devotion. It made the agent wonder if she would ever look at her own future child that way. If she could sacrifice what this mother did, for her child's safety.

She was practically giving up her whole life.

"Hey Kid," JJ quickly ran a finger under her eyes, sucking in a deep breath and brushing back her blonde hair before turning around to see her supervising agent and partner walking towards her. He was an older agent nearing his retirement. His hair was fading to a light grey, his wrinkles were prominent and telling of the life he has lead, and he had a slight limp, but he still held the same burning fire in his eyes each day he went to work. JJ hoped she would be just like him in twenty years, still loving every minute of the job.

"Lenny, how did it go?" JJ asked, she had been asked to stay outside with the daughter and was unable to see the close of the trial.

"As expected. He is getting twenty-five to life without parole. Slimebag is spending the rest of his life in prison. I'm sorry you couldn't see it through. It is because of you that he is in there," Her mentor clapped a hand on her shoulder. His blue eyes twinkling, "I'm proud of you Kid."

JJ felt the swell of pride, once again, winning over her inner emotional turmoil. She, Jennifer Jareau, a rookie, had been an essential part of taking down Aiden Macady and putting him in prison.

Then she looked back to the mother and daughter still holding onto each other tightly, "What will happen to them?"

"They'll be given a new name. A new home. They'll have no contact with their family and with any luck they won't be bothered ever again," Lenny told her, but then he turned his head his light eyes staring right into her soul, "Listen Kid, you have a big heart, but it's going to get you into trouble down the line. There are those that will exploit that weakness in the bureau and outside of it. Trust yourself and your instincts, but don't get too invested."

JJ stared back at him as he stared at her. It was as though he was seeing right into her future, seeing her fate. Her lips parted as though to say something, but she was stopped as an energetic mass ran right into her legs.

"Agent Jennifer! I'm going to go to a new home with new toys and new everything!" Bailey, the young daughter jumped up and down, "I'll make new friends and go to school and the park. Mommy says it is all because of you. Thank you!"

JJ looked over at the young mother who still held her hand over her heart, tapping it twice before mouthing a tearful thank you. With a single nod JJ smiled in acceptance thinking that maybe she had done the right thing after all.

"My mommy said to give this to you. She doesn't want it anymore," JJ looked back down to see a small chain with a silver heart on it hanging from her small hand, "Will I see you again Agent Jennifer?"

The mother called out to her child as the two of them waved goodbye to the agent who had changed their lives forever before being led out the door by two agents. As JJ flipped the necklace over, she ran her thumb over the inscribed message, Julie, you will always be mine. - Aiden.

"Maybe some day," Young JJ answered as she watched them dissappear through the crowded court halls.

Suddenly there was a flurry of activity as JJ whipped around to see Aiden Macady himself being led out the courtroom surrounded by reporters from as far as New York and California. Spouting questions and shoving microphones into the recently convicted man's face. He spoke no answers, but growled constantly with his face plastered in a permanent sneer.

"It is days like these that make this job worth it. Remember them JJ because there will be days when you'll wonder if this job even makes the slightest bit of difference," JJ looked over, that was the first time Lenny has called her anything but Kid since he met her two and a half years ago.

"Sounds like you're getting rid of me," JJ laughed as she continued to watch the man that was growing ever closer towards them.

"It's the other way around Kid. You're getting rid of me. I just heard that there is an opening for the media liaison position at the BAU in Quantico, Virginia. This is your shot JJ. You've got yourself ticket out of here."

Her and Lenny stepped to the side as Macady was lead past them and out the building. If JJ wasn't so distracted at hearing the news she had been waiting to hear for so long then she would have seen it. She would have seen Macady's cold eyes fall upon the chain in her hand with recognition. She would have seen the anger that flared in his soul.

She would have seen his hate.

If she had seen it maybe she wouldn't have been so shocked to find that eight years later Macady would find her and want revenge. But she didn't see it. All she saw was a different future for her. A future away from Oklahoma. A future in one of the most prestigious and well-known teams in the FBI. A future in the Behavioral Analysis Unit.

And just like that pride won.

However it would be just eight years later that this day would come back to greet her. That Macady would enact his revenge after having been accidentally released from prison. He would search for her while rebuilding his illegal arms trade. Then by a stroke of luck he would find that she and another agent were being held captive by an old business associate of his. To him it was a sign. However it wasn't the right time as she was ripped from his grasp by mere meters and saved by her team.

So he waited and has been waiting for six months, but now the time has come.

He could feel it.

Sitting in the shadows of his car he watched through his rearview mirror as Agent Jennifer Jareau waved a goodbye to her husband and young son. They were going to grandma's house for the weekend.

Macady laughed at their beaming joy and sickening show of love. He laughed some more because when her two boys returned home she would be nowhere to be found and Jennifer Jareau would know exactly how he felt. He would make sure she felt every moment of pain and loss and suffering that he went through.

It was only fair as she had taken his family from him.

She had caused him so much pain.

It's simply karma after all.

Okay! So this is a sequel to my last story Presentiment, but it can be read alone. Sorry about this first chapter. I just wanted to set a background kind of, of how this whole event came about. The next chapter should be more interesting. Please let me know what you think. I've been excited to write this and finish this story line up. Any comments or suggestions or criticisms are highly appreciated. I apologize now for the many grammatical errors that I know are in there somewhere. Thank you so much for reading. It does mean a lot.

Thanks!

-HCB