This was by far the worst part of her job and thankfully she didn't have to do it very often but whenever she had to she HATED it. If she was morbid about it, the actual telling of the news didn't bother her as much as the reaction that her news got. Usually there was a crumpling of a happy face followed by tears and LOTS of screaming but sometimes there was anger. She hated that the most- she never knew how to handle the anger. Well yes your loved one was hurt/ killed in an accident (or maybe sometimes not so much of an accident) but you know what accidents happen and good people get hurt (killed) so if they are still alive you should be at the hospital by their side or at the morgue claiming the body. But the absolute worst news by far was the one where she had to tell the family that their loved one was missing. That they were looking but they didn't really know they were; whether they were alive or not.
But the news that she was going to deliver today was going to be different to say the least. First of all, she had been ordered by her boss to go and deliver the news in person. And she was not going to deliver the news to a distraught spouse/ parent/ sibling she was going to talk to ex-colleagues. Yeah EX- COLLEAGUES! She didn't understand why she was being sent on this errand. Well she had heard the stories that the members of the BAU were closer than most families but this was ridiculous. If she was completely honest with herself she was actually very, VERY afraid of the reaction that her news would garner and she was (deep down inside) worried for her safety. Surely, they would not shoot the messenger would they? She was just like them- a small cog in the great American federal system.
With these thoughts running through her mind, the diminutive blonde woman made her way to the floor of the FBI Building that housed the BAU. She could feel her breathing becoming shorter and shorter as she was escorted to the office of the Unit Chief, a SSA Aaron Hotchner. She did not know too many things about him but what she did know was that NOBODY wanted to switch positions with her even if they were coming to tell the man good news much less bad news.
Her news was greeted with complete and utter silence and the glare that she was receiving from the man across from her had effectively stopped her heart from beating. She could not breathe- it seemed like time itself had stopped and she wanted nothing more than to run out of the tiny office which seemed to be growing smaller with each passing second. That being said she knew that she could not bring her legs to move even if her life depended on it so there she was frozen like a Grecian statue staring into the eyes of the scariest man she had ever seen.
"What do you mean "missing"? the words were spoken so softly but there was no sound to drown them and in her ears they resounded as if he had screamed them.
"Umm actually.. you see SIR.. I mean SSA… there was a routine meeting with some visiting foreign ministers and we were just wrapping up… and we were like riding separately because…"
"Wait! You mean to tell me that she was ALONE? That you knew about the possible threat and yet she was ALONE?" Now his voice was actually starting to rise.
"Well you see.. it was routine.. it wasn't anything serious…."
"There is NOTHING routine when the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI informs you of the THREAT on a member of your team. You are SUPPOSED to take such information SERIOUSLY and PROTECT such member of the team!"
Now he was just being nasty and she didn't think before speaking up "Well if the THREAT was so serious Mr. Hotchner then said member of the team would have known about it! And she would have taken all precautions! We are NOT responsible when the members of our teams don't care for their own safety and security!"
The minute the words were out of her lips she knew that she had said the wrong thing and she was in BIG trouble with the man opposite her. His face became thunderous and (a bit) purple and he glared at her and then in a very low voice told her to get out and to inform her bosses that the BAU would handle this case and they would provide EVERY POSSIBLE help and assistance that they required.
Not wanting to be told twice she shot out of the seat and ran out of the office and the building. She knew that she would get into trouble with her boss with the way that she handled the situation and she was praying against hope that Aaron Hotchner was not already on the phone with her boss but she knew that she would probably be updating her CV soon. She had heard enough of the man that she had managed to royally piss off that he knew people in a LOT of high places and if he wanted he could make sure that you never worked in Washington ever again!
Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner had sat in his chair for a mere 5 seconds after the girl had shot out of room before he was out as well; running as fast as he could to the office of his Technical Analyst. There was no time to lose and he was sure that the hour that it had taken the State Department to arrange an incompetent git to run across to the FBI Building and inform him "in person" of the events of the evening, his team had lost precious moments. Running to the bullpen he yelled to his team to gather in Garcia's tiny office so as to not waste another minute in tracking the missing woman's vehicle.
Hotch hated to admit it but his team had envisioned this possibility when they had first discovered a mad man's obsession with their former media liaison and friend. They had a list of possible location mapped out depending on when he was able to grab her. Hotch himself had called JJ several times over the last few days telling her to stay with people ALL THE TIME and keeping her appraised of the progress of the case. She had assured him that she was taking all precautions but he knew that since HE was not there to protect her there was a real possibility that this day would come. JJ had been taken somewhere between the building where the meeting was held and her office which was about 10 minutes away. Well the distance was ten minutes with a normal person behind the wheel with JJ it probably took less than 5 which meant that the Unsub was already either waiting in her car for her or got in at the same time as she did. They had run a quick video surveillance and there was nothing of anyone getting into the car after it left the building and when it disappeared off the grid; although JJ did drive exceptionally slow.
Hotch was starting to panic now because after almost 3 hours they still had no idea of where that man had taken JJ. They had located her car on a highway rest stop leading out of the city but nobody could remember the tiny woman who was driving it. There was nothing in the vehicle which could them any clue as to where he had taken her which was the reason why Unit Chief was standing staring at the case board in the hope of something new striking him. He looked over the profile of the blonde women that their newest Unsub had taken and murdered all over the city. He looked at the small pieces of a photograph that he had left with each victim. The small pieces that had culminated in a partial photograph of their former colleague and Hotch knew that it was JJ and not some random blonde, blue eyed woman because this was a picture that JJ had put up in her office during her time at the BAU. It was taken during Garcia's obsessive photography phase and she had taken this picture of an unknowing JJ on one of their slow days. Garcia had said something grossly inappropriate and JJ had spun around with a huge smile on her face when the Tech had snapped the picture. JJ was relaxed and her entire face was smiling and it was Hotch's favourite picture of the liaison.
He and JJ had started spending a lot of time together after she left the BAU and while the team constantly teased him about being smitten with the tiny blonde, they were still officially NOT dating. Not that he didn't want to cross that line with JJ, he was just too afraid to lose her friendship to even think of trying anything. The women of the BAU had declared him to be an idiot but right now it was taking every ounce of his self control to not freak out and completely break down. He just NEEDED to get her back! All these thoughts were jumbled with the moments that he had spent with JJ in his head and he was having a hard time concentrating on the board in front of him. He KNEW that they were missing something important and that it was right there staring him in the face but he just could not see it. He was too distracted by his thoughts of JJ and his desperation for getting her back safe and sound (and in his arms). He made himself a solemn promise that no matter what happened he would tell JJ how he felt about her and if by some miracle she felt similarly about him he vowed NEVER to let her go. Trying to refocus his attention to the Board in front of him, Hotch realized one thing. The Unsub didn't seem to be interested in JJ because she was JJ but more because she was the object of HIS affection. The picture that he had chosen was one that was Hotch's favourite's and it was taken here from the BAU which is where JJ and Hotch had met and spent most of their time. In fact he had even left the bodies close (if not at) to the places where JJ and Hotch had met recently. There was the park where they took the kids a few weeks ago and the restaurant where they had lunch after visiting the zoo was just around the corner from the latest body drop. This man seemed too well in tuned with the feelings and emotions of the Unit Chief for it to just be a coincidence.
Hotch quickly called Reid and Rossi and informed him of his idea. The Unsub was not obsessed with JJ but with him. He must have been following the Unit Chief around for a few weeks to know where all the 2 of them had gone. Rossi suggested that the Unsub must also be working at the BAU because he must have realized Hotch's growing feelings for JJ by all the teasing that the team had been doing recently. Rossi yelled for Garcia to cross check the staff for the BAU floor with the profile. Within 10 minutes Garcia was back with a name and a picture. A young man by the name of Robert Huntely had been assigned to the BAU floor to distribute mail. He was absent from work today and on opening his locker at work the agents had discovered small items like pens, pencils and papers which had consistently been disappearing from the Unit Chief's office.
With this new bit of information the team searched the Unsub's small apartment and discovered hundreds of photographs of Hotch- with his son, with the team, with JJ and obviously alone. The man was clearly obsessed with the Unit Chief so now the question was where would he take the woman who he considered a threat to any possible chance that he had of gaining Aaron Hotchner's affections? Morgan surmised that the Unsub would want to take JJ to a place that would be significant to Hotch to show her that she (JJ) didn't stand a chance of ever gaining Hotch's love which in the man's twisted mind belonged to him. As soon as the words left Morgan's mouth, Reid responded that the most significant place for such a show would be the place where the first woman that Hotch loved was. If he was truly destroy Hotch and make him vulnerable enough to accept the Unsub's advances JJ would have to be found at the same place as Hailey.
Arriving at Hotch's old house the team noticed that the light was on the upstairs bedroom. They entered the house quietly and made their way up the stairs. Hotch was assailed by the memories of the last time that he was in that house when another mad man was holding another woman that he loved hostage and as he made his way up he couldn't help but pray for a different end result. Losing JJ was something that he could not bear to deal with and he had no idea how he could go on after such a thing. Opening the bedroom door quietly, the team saw JJ tied and lying on the bed. She had some bruises and her clothes were slightly ripped but on the whole she seemed to be ok. The Unsub was pacing near the foot of the bed ranting about how she did not deserve Hotch's love and how HE was the only one who truly understood the stoic man.
JJ was smart enough not to say anything to further aggravate the man as she had no idea IF and when the tea would find her. With her back to the door she had no idea that the cavalry was right behind her. Suddenly there was a loud bang and people came streaming into the bedroom, JJ recognized Morgan and Rossi overpowering the Unsub and then she saw only one face. The face of the man who she had been dreaming about for the 7 years that she had known him and now his face was etched with worry. JJ thought that she saw some tears in his eyes but she was too busy rubbing her sore wrists which had finally been untied to notice things in too much detail. Then Hotch had grabbed her and pulled her tight to his chest, he kept whispering how sorry he was and how this was all his fault and that it was also his fault that it took them so long for them to realize that the Unsub had been obsessed with him and not with her. JJ heard his apologies for a minute or so before pulling back and putting a finger to his lips.
"This is NOT your fault Aaron! You hear me? That man had fallen in love with you and he was willing to do whatever was needed and take out whoever was needed in order to get you for himself and while I would NEVER EVER support such acts of violence I have to agree with him on something.. You are DEFINITELY someone worth fighting for and anyone lucky enough to get your love would do anything and everything to hang on to it!"
Anything further that she may have wanted to say was cut off by Aaron's lips landing securely on hers. The rest of the members of the BAU watched in amused silence as their esteemed leader finally got what he wanted in life and they hoped that he never had to give it up.
The news that Jennifer Jareau had been found safe and for the most part sound had been a welcome relief to her ears. She didn't know how the members of the BAU would have reacted if something had happened to her. She was also rather pleased to hear about the romantic connection between the Unit Chief and his former media liaison. The news of their couple-dom had taken the law enforcement community by storm and the gossip surrounding the reunion in Aaron Hotchner's former home ranged from romantic to downright impossible but at least the agents from across the community seemed to be enjoying this latest development. Thankfully the reputations of both persons involved in these stories were strong enough to prevent anyone from saying anything to their face so the stories grew and grew.