Chapter two
Previously...
"Emily!" JJ couldn't hide the shock as she opened her back door to find Emily standing there, looking worried.
"Hi." Was all Emily could manage to say, now a little unsure what she was going to do.
"Come on in." JJ moved back slightly in to her kitchen, opening the door wider, allowing Emily access.
Moving without further comment, they both began to sit down at the kitchen table.
"Well, this is an unexpected surprise." JJ said, with a slight smile, feeling bemused as to why Emily was there particularly as she has come to the back door.
"Sorry about that." Emily took a deep breath. "Look, I know this is going to sound completely weird, but..."
"But what?" JJ probed gently when Emily's words faltered.
"I need your help." Emily admitted.
JJ couldn't stop the look of surprise that crossed her face. She couldn't ever remember hearing Emily ask for help in this way. Sure, she'd asked for advice and help at work and had even spoken to them about some of her personal life, but JJ thought back, and just couldn't remember anything like this. JJ knew immediately, this wasn't just a request about something simple and that whatever the help was about, it was serious.
Sensing JJ's hesitation, Emily began to stand up.
"Look, I'm sorry... I shouldn't have imposed..." Emily didn't get any further as JJ stood up quickly.
"No... of course I'll help you." JJ said immediately recognizing her lack of reply was being wrongly interpreted. To enforce this, she put her hand out, and her fingers rested lightly on Emily's forearm.
Emily looked down at JJ's fingers, sighed and sat back down, suddenly feeling the weight of the events of the last few days on her shoulders.
"How have you been?" Emily then asked, as she suddenly realized the house seemed quiet.
"Good." JJ said, knowing this was a stalling tactic on Emily's part, and she was happy enough to go along with it. For now.
"Where's Will?"
"In New Orleans." JJ admitted, but she didn't elaborate. "Henry's already asleep."
Emily just nodded in response.
"So..." JJ said, trying to prompt Emily.
"Jesus. I don't even know where to begin on this one." Emily said, before she steeled herself and began to talk further. "I know you will have more ability here than the rest of the team. I know you can get the help I need. My past has come back to haunt me."
JJ looked shocked, and immediately knew her initial thoughts about how serious this all was were spot on. Using her training, she suppressed the fear that began to creep up.
"The CIA work?" JJ said.
"Yeah." Emily admitted. "I was... deep undercover. We were a team detailed to capture someone called Doyle and he has escaped." As she spoke, Emily pulled the bag she'd brought in with her, where she snatched a file out. "This details a lot of my involvement."
JJ took the file, trying not to show that her hands were shaking.
"Why me? Why not the team?" JJ asked.
"Because, I know Doyle. He will want to hurt people close to me. I don't..." Emily hesitated, the truth catching in her throat. "I don't have close family. The team are my family. If they know, he'll go after them in a flash, it's what he does. This is why I'm also saying now, if you don't want to help me, I'd understand. By helping me, you have to know, you are putting yourself, and those around you in danger. But I am asking you because I know Doyle only knows of my current team. He doesn't yet know of you, and you have access to stuff that the others can't get to..." Emily paused slightly, and a slight smile crossed her face. "Well, except Garcia."
JJ smiled at the last comment and nodded before she began to read some of the file that Emily had given her.
"He knows where I live. I'm using a trail that I set up some time ago for this sort of eventuality." Emily couldn't help letting out a strangled laugh, feeling the hysteria was closer to the surface than she had dared to admit. "I had a car stored in a name Doyle won't know about to get here."
JJ glanced up from her reading.
"So you think you're safe from a tail?" JJ had to ask the question that had begun to nag her.
"Yeah, for now at least. I've also got one other big favour to ask." Emily admitted.
"Oh?" JJ couldn't think what else might be coming.
"Can you..." Emily even managed to look slightly embarrassed. "Could you look after Sergio for me? He's in the car."
JJ almost laughed at the question, but stopped herself when she saw how much this meant to Emily.
"Of course." JJ didn't hesitate to answer.
Emily finally began to feel better. She was beginning to put things in motion, and it felt good after all the surprises to be on the front foot for a change.
A little while later, once Sergio had been rescued from the car, which had also now been parked some distance away, Emily and JJ sat down in the sitting room, glasses of wine in hand. They sat opposite ends of the sofa, facing each other with their legs curled up underneath them.
"So."
Emily and JJ couldn't help but laugh lightly as they both came out with the same thing.
"So..." Emily picked the conversation up once the laughter died down. "How's life at the Pentagon?"
"Okay." JJ admitted, "The job itself is just what most people in my position would love."
"But." Sensing JJ's hesitation Emily pressed the question.
"But... I was forced there. I miss the BAU. Badly." JJ said. "I've been looking at ways to get back there, and I know Hotch has as well."
"Hows that going?" Emily wanted to know.
"We have some irons in the fire." Was as much as JJ would divulge.
"Good to hear."
A comfortable silence hung for a few more minutes as they both sat with their own thoughts.
"So, what do you want from me?" JJ then asked, needing to move the conversation forward.
As she stretched out on her hotel bed, JJ remembered the day where Emily had stopped by asking for her help. It was the day where the whole world shifted axis in so many ways, and she still marvelled at how she'd manage to get to where they were now. JJ then rolled on to her side, pulled the newspaper off the bedside table, and began to look through the classified section. She didn't even realize she'd begun to cry until the tears fell down on to the paper.
