Week 3

Updated: April 18th, 2018 Corrected grammar/spelling mistakes, etc. Also changed JJ's speech pattern.


Weather on this day:

High Temp.: 84°
Low Temp.: 57.9/58°
Precipitation: 0 inches

Disclaimers: I do not own Criminal or its characters. I own all characters not associated with the show.
Spoilers: None.
Rating; T to be safe.

A/N: Once again, I will be changing JJ's speech. When she does speak with words, I will put the sentence in italics to better understand what she said. :)

Words in bold and italic are words in sign language.
Words in bold, italic, and underline are words spoken and signed.

Here is the next chapter! Enjoy!


Tuesday, June 15th, 1982


*June 15th. Jareau household*

Two weeks later Emily heads over to the Jareaus' house for Rosaline's tenth birthday party. Rosa is having a pink and black themed party with a chocolate and white cake. She also has light pink and black balloons with hot pink streamers and a big banner displaying "Happy 10th Birthday, Rosaline!" in zebra-striped hot and light pink and black colors.

When she arrives and enters the house, Emily is immediately bombarded once again by a blur of blonde curls. She smiles as she greets the little girl with a kiss on her head. "Hi, Babydoll. How are you?"

"Hi. Emmy!" JJ greets as she hugs Emily's legs and then asks to be picked up. "Me good! 'Ess what!"

"What?"

"Ess!" JJ smiles as she leans her head in the crook of Emily's neck and plays with her necklace again.

"Hmm…," Emily pretends to think for a moment. "Is it your birthday?" She asks.

"No, Emmy! 'Ess uh'in!" Guess again!

"Well, is it your bubba's birthday?" Emily guesses again. JJ sighs dramatically while rolling her eyes.

"Emmy, you'a not-not, um…not'uh bad sayer." She says in a very dramatic voice causing Emily to giggle. Emily has also noticed that JJ has trouble with opposites as well as calling one thing a different word. Here, she uses "not a bad sayer" when she meant "not a good guesser."

"Well, I'm sorry you think that, baby. But you know what?"

"What, Emmy?"

"I was just messing with you. I know whose birthday it is. It's your sissy's birthday. But I can't seem to remember how old she is. Can you help me remember?" She asks and JJ beams as she nods really fast.

"Yes! Sissy's 'is meh-ee!" She thinks very hard, not being able to remember what number her mom told her earlier. Yes! Sissy's this many!

"Um…'is?" She holds up all ten fingers. Emily beams at the younger girl. Um…this?

"That's right, Jay! Rosie is turning ten years old today." She sets the younger girl down and takes her hand. "Where is everyone anyway?"

"Dey's da woom. Dey's makin' stuff!"

"They're making stuff?" JJ nods. "What are they making?"

JJ lifts her shoulders up and down with her hands palms up.

"Well, why don't we go find out? Let's go to the kitchen, okay? And tell your mommy that I'm here." The two go into the kitchen where they find it to be in the middle of a mess.

Rosaline and six of her other friends, plus some other kids Emily has never seen before, are all set up with markers, glitter, glue, and every other crafty item along with what looks like kid-sized aprons.

Emily lets JJ tug her over to where the adults are, watching the kids and having conversations among themselves.

"Hello, Emily. It's nice of you to come. Why don't you go get an apron from Maria and then just take a seat anywhere you'd like?" She points to a woman a couple of feet away and then adds, "Jenny, will you show Emily who Aunt Maria is?" when Emily looks confused.

JJ nods and the two go over to Maria.

"Aun' M'ia! 'Is'iz Emmy-lee!" Aunt Maria! This is Emmy-lee!

"Well, hello, Emily," Maria greets. "It's nice to finally meet you. JJ has spoken so much about you. My name is Maria and this is my husband Caleb Scott." She points to a man standing next to her. "Honey, this is Emily, Jenny's friend from the park."

Caleb smiles as he is finally able to put a name to a face. "Hello, Emily."

Maria then points out the kids Emily has yet to meet. "The set of twins over there with their hair pulled back are our daughters, Elizabeth and Margaret."

Maria points to a set of twins at the next table. "The youngest set of twins at the next table is Leslie and Natalie. And the little girl next to them is their sister, Madeline. Their parents are Jack and Amber Jareau." She points to another woman and man.

Amber and Jack walk over to them. "Hello, you must be Emily. It's nice to finally put a name to the person that JJ is constantly talking about." Amber tells her.

Jack rests his hand on JJ's shoulder. The little preschooler tenses up and her bright smile dims just a tiny bit. Emily notices this but as it seems no one else does, she decides not to bring it up right away.

"It's so nice to finally meet you, Emily," The man greets and his voice sends chills down Emily's back. She tightens her hold on the preschooler's hand and notices that JJ returns with the same strong grip.

She glances up and Emily can see the tiniest bit of fear in her blue eyes. Emily picks her up and holds her on the hip furthest away from Jack.

"Jenny, why don't you go with Uncle Jack and let him help you guys with your aprons?" Amber suggests. Jack smiles and nods in agreement and as he tries to take Jenny from Emily's arms, the little blonde tightens her grip on Emily's neck.

Her eyes widen just the tiniest bit and she shakes her head. "No, Emmy do it. 'Ay Emmy?"

She turns her frightened eyes to Emily and the brunette nods. "Yeah, okay. I'll help you with your apron. Why don't you go get your apron and pick out a spot at one of the tables for us? All right?" She goes to put the preschooler down and as soon she does JJ moves closer to her.

Emily bends down and whispers, "It's O.K., baby. Just get an apron and go sit down."

"Emily, why don't you let me help JJ with her apron?" Jack offers as he steps toward JJ.

"No, Mr. Jareau," Emily stops him. "That's okay. I can help JJ with her apron." Emily grabs a folded up apron and goes over to the table.

"Okay, Babydoll. Let's start decorating."

JJ beams, the fear she was showing around her uncle seeming to just disappear. But she suddenly becomes shy and leans her face on Emily's arms.

"What are you doing, silly girl?" Emily asks. It makes JJ giggle and peak out at Emily. "Are you playing peek-a-boo? You silly girl, I see you!" JJ ducks back down and Emily acts like she has disappeared, glancing around as she says,

"*gasp* Where did little JJ go? I don't see her anywhere! I guess that means I will do this apron all by myself." JJ pops back up then, giggling.

"Me hewe, Emmy!" She says, throwing her hands up.

Emily acts surprised and like she is relieved that JJ is no longer "missing." "There you are! I was so worried!" She lifts JJ up onto her lap and then says, "Now, you wanna do your apron, Love?"

JJ nods eagerly.

"Okay, which color do you want?" JJ thinks for a moment before she hands Emily a tube of pink glitter glue.

"All right. Do you want to do yourself?" She's met with the little girl shaking her head and then JJ points to Emily. "You want me to help?" Again, JJ just nods. Emily guesses she has decided she doesn't want to speak much anymore today.

"Okay. Come here." Emily places her hand over JJ's.

"All right, baby. Just follow me and squeeze the tube whenever you get to the spot that you want the glitter glue on. Okay?" JJ's nods and tries to squeeze the tube gently but instead squeezes the tube too tight causing it squirt a bunch out.

JJ frowns and turns to Emily with big, tear-filled, blue eyes. "I may a mess." She says, her lips quivering. Emily frowns also and turns the preschooler so she is facing Emily fully. "Now Im'ma geh in t'ouble."

"Hey," She whispers. "you're not in trouble, sweetie. It's okay. Don't cry, all right? We'll clean it up and then choose a different color. Okay?" Emily gently wipes away JJ's tears and then kisses the preschooler's nose.

JJ nods, rubbing her eyes a little bit.

"Good. Go ask Aunt Maria for a paper towel, all right?" JJ hops down and goes over to Maria. A few seconds later, she comes skipping back with a paper towel and hands it to Emily. Once Emily has the glue cleaned up, she lets JJ choose a different color, and then they begin decorating the apron.

After they get JJ's name written, Emily turns to the preschooler and asks, "What else do you want to put on your apron?"

"Please, suh, um…suh of 'ose 'at fie!" JJ answers. Please, some um…some of those that fly.

"Some of what?"

"Um, um…suh dat does 'is!" JJ repeats, doing little hand gestures. Um, um…some of those that does this!

"You want something that flies?"

"Yeah!"

"Ok, do you want ladybugs, bumble bees, or butterflies?" Emily lists off what she knows to be JJ's favorite bugs, and notices the younger girl perks up at the last one. "You want some butterflies, Love?" JJ nods eagerly.

"All right, what colors do you want them to be?"

JJ picks the colors out and hands them to Emily.

"Okay." Emily picks the colors up that JJ pointed too. "Do you know what colors these are?" She asks.

"Um…no." She replies and Emily frowns. Being almost four, the preschooler should know at least some of her colors. "Well, this one is blue." She holds up a sky blue glitter pen. "Can you say that?" JJ just looks immensely confused at Emily's question.

"Can you say it, bug? Buh-llll-ooo." Emily slowly pronouncing each syllable as she begins to draw the blue butterflies. "Buh-lll-ooo." She slowly pronounces the word again.

"Duh-lll-ooo." JJ tries to copy Emily. The older girl smiles encouragingly.

"Almost, Love. Watch this:" She puts her lips together. "Buh, buh, buh. A 'B' makes the 'buh' sound."

JJ copies Emily, putting her lips together also. "Mmm…buh, buh, buh!"

"Good job!" JJ beams as she is praised. "Now, try this:" Emily puts her tongue to the roof of her mouth. "Lllluhlllluh. The letter 'L' makes the sound 'luh, luh, luh."

"Llllluh!" Jenny drags the sound out and Emily nods encouragingly. "Llllluh!"

"Great job, baby. Now, for the last part: the 'ooo (ue)' part. Can you make your lips like this?" She purses her lips and Jenny copies her. "Good, now make this sound: ooooo, ooooo, ooooo. The letters 'ue' make the sound, 'ooo'."

"ooo…"

"Good! Now, put them together. Buh-lll-ue." JJ does so and is praised again. Emily repeats this for each color she uses to make the 'grassy hills', butterflies, and the sun.

By the end, JJ has learned blue, green and yellow, although being around her cousins and watching them, Emily knows they'll have to go over it the next time she and Jenny are coloring with her crayons or around any colors at all.

About halfway through Sandy calls a break. The kids disperse for lunch and then presents and ice cream.

"Hey, Jay," Emily gets the preschooler's attention. "Why don't you go upstairs and use the potty before lunchtime. Okay?" She's making sure all the glitter pens have the caps back on them.

"'Ay, Emmy." JJ climbs the stairs to the second floor and enters the bathroom. She doesn't know that Jack followed her in there.

"Okay, JJ," Jack closes and locks the bathroom door. "Be a good little girl." He walks closer to the little girl.

"Come on, baby," He says. "You know what to do." He says in a creepy whisper as he watches the preschooler back away from him and up against the tub as she is cornered between it and him.


*Twenty minutes later. (JJ is back downstairs)*

After lunch, Rosaline sits on the couch and begins opening her presents.

The first one is from Sandy and Michael. They get her a set of books that she has really been wanting.

"Cool!" Rosaline exclaims. "Thanks, Mom! Thank you, Dad!" Next are Jack and Amber. They also get her a book along with a pair of jeans the little girl had been wanting. Caleb and Maria get her a couple of movies and an outfit of jean shorts, new sandals, and a shirt.

Natalie and Leslie bought her a new soccer ball. They also get her some more books and a sketchpad while Madeline pitched in with her allowance and got her some pencils and markers.

"Wow! Thanks, guys!"

"You're welcome, Rosie!" Maddie beams. Next are Eliza and Maggie. They get her gloves and soccer shoes. Her friends each get her clothes or homemade friendship bracelets.

"Okay, baby," Sandy says. "This one is from sissy and bubba." She hands her one last present. Rosaline opens it and pulls out a pretty blue Sunday dress with matching shoes.

"Oh, it's so pretty! Thank you!"

"Sissy oh-en mine!" JJ says and hands her a bag. Rosaline opens it and finds a card with 'Happy Birthday, Rosie' in JJ's three-year-old handwriting, (with a few letters backward or missing), and a stick figure drawing of their family.

"I um, uh…um me did'ih all by my'elf, Sissy," JJ says, proud of herself. "Emmy heh-ed me suh dough." I um, uh...um, me did it all by myself, Sissy. Emmy helped me some, though.

"Thank you, JJ. I like it very much. It's very pretty." Rosaline says and the preschooler beams at her sister.

"Okay is everyone ready for cake and ice cream?" Sandy is met with enthusiastic 'yeses' and 'yeahs'.

"All right, come gather around." Sandy lights the candle on the cake and then says, "The birthday girl needs to be front and center." Rosaline comes to the front of the circle and then everyone begins to sing.

Happy Birthday to you.
Happy Birthday to you.
Happy Birthday, dear Rosaline.
Happy Birthday to you.

After Rosaline blows out the candles, everybody cheers. Then Sandy cuts the cake and starts handing out the pieces.


Here it is! You all got a glimpse into something that is going on with JJ. Can you figure out what it is? Please review and let me know what you thought! :)