Holy goodness! Thank you SO much to everyone who has reviewed. You guys seriously inflate my ego. I'm glad everyone is enjoying this. That makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. Sorry, I've had a lot of coffee today and I'm kind of cracked out at the moment. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter!
It was around 8:30 when the team finally made it back to the precinct to compare notes and discuss what they had found. Emily and JJ were the last to arrive, and they found everyone else seated around the table with food. There were things splayed out over the table, and pictures hung up on the boards. Around the mouthfuls of burgers, the team was discussing what they had found.
"We got food for you guys." Reid smiled and pointed at the unopened burger wrappers on the table.
"Thanks, Spence." JJ smiled gratefully and grabbed a burger before sitting down.
"I'm going to hand this over and see if they can pull anything off of it before we put it up." Emily held up the evidence bag and turned around to find the local detective on the case.
Morgan watched the way JJ's gaze lingered on the brunette as she walked away. "You ok?" He asked, making JJ jump and blush slightly.
"I'll be better after I eat this." JJ sent him a disarming smile as she took a giant bite of her burger.
"Did you find anything at the Reynolds?" Rossi asked the blonde, not bothering to hide the look of disgust on his face at how much food she just shoved in her mouth.
JJ swallowed and took a sip of her soda, shaking her head. "No. But it was like the others in that it looked way too clean. Find anything at the Overton's?"
Rossi sighed. "Nope. Same as you." He glanced at the photos spread out on the table and boards. "We're missing something."
JJ nodded. "I know. I still feel like we're combing right over something." She turned to look at Reid and Hotch. "What about the bodies? Anything significant?"
Emily chose this moment to walk back in and sit down next to JJ, reaching over her to grab the only burger left on the table. "God, I'm starving." JJ cleared her throat at Emily's close proximity and took another sip of her soda. Emily smirked at JJ's obvious discomfort and unwrapped her burger. "What did I miss?"
"Nothing. We were just about to go over what we found." Reid spoke up. "The bodies were all covered with injuries. Some of the same nature, some not. All four had bruising, cuts, ligature marks, and gunshot wounds. One of the men and one of the women had some broken ribs, the other man and other woman had other broken bones."
"They also had defensive wounds, which made us believe that they possibly fought each other. Their injury patterns line up with that theory." Hotch jumped in. "They all had marks around their wrists consistent with fighting against restraints."
"Did we ever figure out about the ligature marks?" Rossi wondered.
Reid hopped up and made his way to the board and grabbed a dry erase marker. "I was trying to think of that earlier, but didn't have a chance to work it out." He started to draw four stick figures at different heights. "If you line the four victims up and calculate their heights, it's possible that because of the different angles of the marks that they weren't strangled by the unsub, but by each other."
Emily raised a brow. "I don't know about you, but something drastic would have to happen to make me turn on my spouse or my best friend. Especially to the point that I would beat the shit out of them or strangle them."
Rossi smirked. "I don't know, there were times I would have liked to do that to my ex wives."
Hotch chuckled. "Prentiss is right. Something would have had to make these people turn on each other." He sighed and glanced at the clock on the wall. "There was nothing on the bodies that gave us any type of clue. It's too late to begin interviews with people, so why don't we finish this up and head to the hotel. Get a good nights sleep and get a fresh start tomorrow."
Reid finished his drawing and stood back to look at it. "Guys, I think I have something. I was right. The unsub wasn't the one who strangled the victims. They did do it to each other." He pointed at the stick figures. "The women did it to each other, and so did the men."
JJ scrunched her nose up and bit her lip. "I agree with Emily. Something horrible would have to happen to make me do that to my best friend."
Morgan got up to look closer at Reid's drawing and the pictures of the bodies. "What is this?" He pointed to the neck of one of the victims. "I noticed this earlier and just remembered."
Reid sighed. "It's a puncture wound."
"We're waiting on the toxicology report to come back to confirm if they were drugged." Hotch added.
Morgan rubbed his head. "Man, this is fucked up."
"I still don't like this case." JJ muttered under her breath.
"And you like the others we work?" Emily raised a brow at the blonde.
JJ glared at Emily. "Of course not. But this one feels different."
Hotch and Rossi shared a look and both stood up. "We're done here." Hotch announced. "Everyone go get some rest."
"I need a drink." Morgan sighed. "Reid, you want to grab a drink with me?"
Reid glanced at his watch. "I don't know. I was going to go read and go to bed early."
Morgan clapped his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "We're getting a drink. You can read later." He laughed.
"Well ok then." Reid smiled as he and Morgan walked out of the room.
"JJ, Prentiss." Hotch called out as the women smiled at Morgan and Reid and began to leave. "Whatever is going on between you two, figure it out or put it aside until we're don't this case. Do you understand me?"
JJ shot Rossi a scowl. "Yes sir." She answered Hotch and stormed out of the room.
Emily sighed and shot her boss a small smile. "Yes sir. We apologize."
"It's alright. I just need everyone focused on this case." Hotch nodded as a dismissal.
As Emily followed JJ out of the room, Hotch turned to Rossi. "I have no idea what to do about those two."
"Maybe we should stick them in a locked room together for an extended period of time and see what happens." Rossi shook his head with a laugh. "Do you think they'll ever admit they're in love with each other?"
"God I hope so." Hotch smiled.
"Jayje, wait up." Emily called out to the younger woman as she walked out of the precinct.
"What?" JJ turned around and snapped.
"Ok, I don't know what the fuck your issue is, but this ends now." Emily growled as she caught up to JJ. "Let's go." She grabbed her elbow and dragged her to one of the SUVs.
"Let go of me, Prentiss." JJ yanked her arm away. "I really don't feel like dealing with you right now."
"I don't care if you feel like it or now." Emily raised her voice. "I'm done playing by your rules. I'm so sick of your bull shit Jennifer."
JJ raised her eyebrows. "My bull shit?" She scoffed, her voice also rising in volume.
"Yes. You're so fucking full of it. You think the whole fucking world revolves around you. I hate to break it to you Princess, but you're not all you're cracked up to be." Emily took a step close to JJ and got in her face.
"You better get out of my face before I make you." JJ narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists at her side.
"I'm about two seconds away from telling you to fuck off completely." Emily spat.
"You know what, that's fine by me. I'm tired of you following me around and acting like we're something more than just fuck buddies." JJ put her hands on Emily's shoulders and gave her a push.
Emily opened her mouth to respond when she was grabbed by the shoulder and pulled back. "Get in the car and go. Now." Morgan hissed in her ear.
"Get off me, Derek." Emily shoved him aside and got in JJ's face again. "You won't have to worry about that anymore, because as of right now, you mean absolutely nothing to me. " Morgan tried to pull Emily back again and she turned and got in his face. "Back the fuck up before I hurt you." She snarled.
Morgan backed away with his hands in the air and watched as Emily got in the SUV, slammed the door, and peeled out of the parking lot. Shaking his head, he turned to JJ. "JJ, I-"
JJ held up a hand, her face red as she realized that they had gained the attention of the local police officers. "Please." She whispered, her voice failing her. "Please, Derek. don't." She closed her eyes and put a hand to her forehead.
Hotch stormed out of the precinct and immediately walked up to the group. "Agent Jareau, a word please?"
"Hotch, I'm sorry." JJ tried to slyly wipe a tear from her cheek before turning to her boss. "It won't happen again. I promise."
Rossi and Reid joined the small group and look at Morgan and Hotch for answers as to what was going on. "Is there a problem?" Rossi asked.
"Jesus Christ. Can you people please just butt out of it?" JJ hissed, trying to keep her voice quiet as not to gain an audience again.
"Go to the hotel and stay there. That is an order." Hotch gave JJ a hard look. "And go ahead and stay there until I call you tomorrow. I don't want you on this case with the way you're acting."
JJ went wide-eyed. "Hotch-"
"Now, Agent Jareau." Hotch snapped and walked away.
JJ ran a hand through her hair and looked at Morgan, Reid, and Rossi. "I guess I'll see you all later." She whispered and began walking away.
The three men shared a look and sighed. Morgan pulled out his phone and walked away and Reid went to follow JJ.
"JJ, wait." Reid chased after her. "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine, Spence." JJ tried to smile. "I just need some sleep."
"Can I take you back to the hotel at least?"
"I think I'm just going to walk. Clear my head." JJ put a hand on his arm. "Thank you though."
Reid nodded and watched as she walked away. Morgan and Rossi came up behind him and watched her retreating form.
"Now I need a drink." Rossi mumbled.
Emily had just made it to the hotel when her phone rang. She ignored it, not wanting to deal with anyone. Hopping out of the SUV, she immediately made her way to the hotel bar. Sitting down on one of the barstools, she signaled for the bartender.
"What can I get for you?" The young man asked and looked her up and down, blatantly checking her out.
Emily scoffed. "Your finest scotch. Neat. And my eyes are up here, you little fuck." She snapped her fingers and pointed to her eyes.
The kid had the decency to blush as he met her eyes and he cleared his throat. "Yes ma'am." He turned and began to make her drink.
Emily's phone rang again, and she answered it without looking at the ID. "Prentiss." She took a sip of her drink as it was set in front of her, and then downed it. She signaled for another.
"Princess, you are in a heap of trouble with Boss Man." Garcia's voice came across the line. "What the hell are you thinking?"
"Penelope, I love you, but now is NOT the time for this." Emily groaned.
"It's never a good time, so you're just going to have to deal with it." Garcia snapped, catching Emily's attention. "You need to get your act together. JJ is already pulled off this case for an indefinite amount of time, and I have a feeling that Hotch will be telling you the same thing any minute."
"What?" Emily ran a hand through her hair. "Are you serious?"
"You caused a scene in front of the entire police department. There are reasons there are rules about fraternization amongst agents, and you two are proving why. You're jeopardizing this case and you don't even realize it."
"That wasn't my fault." Emily said, knowing as soon as it was out of her mouth that it was a lame excuse.
"Unless one of you is looking to be transferred out of the BAU, I suggest you both get a fucking grip. Talk it out, fuck it out, I don't really care, but deal with it." Garcia hung up.
Emily pulled the phone away from her ear and gave it a shocked look. Not used to hearing Garcia so frustrated and blunt, she shook her head as she swirled her drink and took a sip. Setting the phone down, she sat in thought for a few moments, lost in her own little world.
She was broken out of her thoughts as the bartender set another drink in front of her. "I didn't order another." She raised a brow
The bartender pointed down the bar. "It's from him."
Emily followed the young mans finger to find an attractive man sitting at the end of the bar. Sending Emily a dazzling smile, the man gave her a little wave of acknowledgment.
Emily turned to the bartender. "Can you please tell him that as appreciative I am, I'm definitely not interested."
"Tell him yourself." He muttered under his breath and nodded his head behind her.
Emily inwardly groaned and turned around, coming face to face with the man. "Hi. I'm Robert." He held his hand out.
Emily conjured up a half smile. "Thank you for the drink, but I'm not interested."
Smile not faltering, Robert sat down next to her. "Just like that? You haven't even given me a chance."
Emily had to refrain from rolling her eyes. "No offense, but I can tell you right now that you're only wasting your breath." Before Robert could respond, the brunette's phone rang. "Excuse me." She said and quickly reached for her phone, thankful for the interruption. "Prentiss."
"You're off this case until further notice." Hotch immediately said.
"Hotch-"
"There is absolutely no excuse for what transpired between you and Agent Jareau tonight, especially in front of the local police. I will not have the members of my team ruining the BAU's reputation over a lover's spat." Hotch interrupted in a hard tone. "I will let you know if I decide to put you back on this case or send you home."
Emily rubbed her temple to try to fend off the oncoming headache and took a deep breath. "Yes sir, I understand." She said quietly. "For the record, I apologize for my earlier actions."
"Fix this, Emily. Fix it before it costs you both your jobs." Hotch said, tone lightening up a little before he hung up.
Emily sighed and set her phone down again. Putting her head in her hands, the profiler took a couple deep breaths.
"Are you ok?" Robert asked from beside her.
Completely forgetting about the man, Emily slightly jumped when she felt his hand on her shoulder.
"She's not interested." A voice came from behind them.
Emily spun around with an incredulous look to find a seething JJ with her arms crossed. "What the hell are you doing here." Emily asked.
"Beat it." JJ growled at the man.
Robert looked between the two women. "Ah, I understand now." He shook his head and walked away.
JJ took his vacated seat and look at the bartender. "I need a shot of something strong. I don't care what it is." She ran a hand through her hair. "Better yet, make it three."
The bartender scrambled to make the blonde her shots, not wanting to incur the wrath that was radiating off of her in waves.
"What are you doing here?" Emily repeated her earlier question.
"Drinking. Same as you." JJ didn't look at the brunette as she watched her shots being poured.
"Did you purposely come looking for me?"
JJ turned to face Emily. "You do realize that I am staying in this hotel also, right?"
"That doesn't answer my question."
JJ took the three shots back to back as they were set down in front of her. "God." She made a disgusted face and grabbed the lime that was also set in front of her. Wiping her mouth, she turned to face Emily. "I got pulled off of this case."
"So did I." Emily signaled the bartender for another round of shots.
"I figured since I don't have to work in the morning, I might as well get as fucked up as possible."
Emily only grunted in response and both women fell silent while they drank. Not paying attention to the clock as they continued to order round after round, the tension in the air thickened with each drink they consumed.
"Sorry ladies, but we're about to close up." The bartender quietly said with an apologetic smile.
Emily looked at her watch. "It's only 11."
The kid shrugged. "Hotel policy. There's a bar down the street that's open until 2 if you want to continue."
JJ's phone rang, startling her. "Jareau." She answered without looking at the caller ID. Blue eyes widened as the caller talked, and JJ stood up. Wobbling slightly, she threw her card on the bar top. "Excuse me, I have to take this." She covered the phone and apologized to Emily and the bartender. "Put hers on my card." She nodded at Emily and walked away.
Emily grit her teeth and pulled her own card out of her wallet. "There's no need for that. Just split it." She handed both cards to the young man after picking JJ's card up off of the bar.
Emily couldn't help but turn to watch the blonde as she quietly spoke into the phone outside the doors of the hotel bar. The array of emotions displayed on the younger woman's face made Emily frown in concern. JJ started pacing back and forth and alternated between pinching the bridge of her nose and playing with her earring. Emily tried to look away to give JJ some privacy and to convince herself that she didn't care, but when JJ's stopped pacing and her eyes started filling with tears, Emily couldn't ignore it any longer. As much as she fought it, she cared too much about the blonde to act like she didn't.
Quickly signing both of the credit card receipts, Emily threw the papers down. "Thank you very much for everything."
Picking up the signed copies, the bartenders eyes went wide. "Umm… Miss? Not to sound ungrateful, but-"
"Take it and go have fun." Emily interrupted, knowing the boy was talking about the large tip she left him. "Thank you again." She smiled at him.
"Thank you." He returned the smile. Nodding his head toward JJ, he rubbed the back of his neck. "Not to get involved and not to make assumptions, but I think she really cares about you."
Turning to look at the blonde, Emily sighed. "We'll see about that." Hopping off her barstool, she slowly made her way to JJ. Coming up next to her, Emily put a hand on her shoulder to let her know she was there since JJ's back was to her.
JJ immediately tensed at the touch. "I umm, I have to go. I'll call you later." She hung up the phone and spun around to face Emily.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt." Emily took a step back and shoved her hands in her pockets. "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine." JJ cleared her throat and began walking away. "I'll see you later."
"JJ, wait." Emily fell into step beside her. "If you need to talk, I'm here."
JJ stopped walking and scoffed. "Seriously? You're going to pull the concerned friend card right now?"
Emily gave her a sad smile. "I'm not trying to pull anything. I know things have been tense between us, and as much as I don't want to care, I do."
JJ shook her head. "This is nothing you can help with. But thanks for the concern." She bit out sarcastically.
Anger bubbling back to the top, Emily turned in the opposite direction of JJ. "Fuck you too." She muttered under her breath.
"What did you just say?" JJ's anger was also evident in her voice.
"Nothing. I'm going to that bar down the street." Emily threw out over her shoulder.
JJ threw her hands up in frustration and made her way to the elevator as Emily stormed out of the doors of the hotel.
It was 1:30 in the morning when JJ was woken up by knocking at her door. Groaning she slowly opened her eyes and glanced at the clock. "What in the hell." She grumbled to herself and threw the covers off of her. She had only fallen asleep 30 minutes earlier after consuming the liquor that was in her mini-fridge and she stumbled as she tried to make her way to the door. Flinging it open, she was not expecting someone to barge right in.
"Emily! What in the world-"
JJ was cut off as she was roughly shoved up against the door she had just closed and lips crashed onto hers. Without a second though, the blonde returned the searing kiss and wrapped her arms around the brunette's neck, pulling their bodies closer. As tongues battled for dominance, Emily leaned down to grip JJ behind her legs and lifted her up, JJ immediately wrapping her legs around Emily's waist. Oxygen quickly becoming an issue, Emily pulled away from JJ and sucked in a few deep breaths before turning her attention to JJ's neck.
JJ tilted her head back and wound her hands in long brown hair as Emily placed a mix of kisses and bites along her neck. Moaning when Emily sucked and bit down on her pulse point, JJ grabbed Emily's face and brought their lips back together. Pushing Emily back, JJ put her feet back on the ground and pushed the brunette toward the bed.
As soon as the bed hit the back of her knees, Emily fell back, pulling JJ on top of her. JJ then began her own assault on Emily's neck and entwined their legs, pressing her thigh roughly in-between Emily's legs and rocking forward.
Emily let out a gasp at the feeling and pulled JJ closer to her trying to create more friction. JJ pulled back and placed her hands on either side of the brunettes head to hold herself up as she looked into Emily's eyes.
"What are you doing here?" JJ asked breathlessly
Emily smirked and raised her brows. "I thought that was pretty damn obvious, Jennifer."
JJ involuntarily shuddered at the seductive tone in Emily's voice. "After everything that's happened, I just-"
"Will you, for once today, just shut up and let me fuck you?" Emily growled before leaning up and catching JJ's lips again.
Moaning as Emily rolled them over and trailed her hand down JJ's stomach, the blonde gripped the bottom of Emily's shirt and pulled it over Emily's head. Emily rid JJ of her pajama bottoms as JJ worked the button on her jeans. As soon as the rest of their clothing had been discarded, JJ rolled them back over and gasped at the feeling of skin on skin. Emily's thigh found it's way between her legs, and JJ ground herself against it as Emily did the same to her thigh. Falling into a rhythm, the women shared a passionate kiss, swallowing each others moans.
When Emily got tired of the teasing, she sat up and flipped them over so that she was hovering over the blonde, one hand on the mattress beside JJ's head so that she could brace her weight on it as she used her other hand to shove two fingers into JJ.
JJ let out a guttural groan at the intrusion and gripped Emily's back as the brunette began to pump in and out of her. As Emily's thumb flicked JJ's clit, the blonde gasped and reached down to return the favor.
Not expecting it, Emily moaned as JJ entered her. Leaning down, Emily kissed JJ, biting her bottom lips as they found a rhythm again.
JJ felt Emily curl her fingers, her body instantly tensing in pleasure. Not wanting to be outdone, the blonde entered another finger into Emily and used her thumb to tease the brunette's clit.
Both women came hard and fast at the same time, Emily falling onto JJ as they gasped for air. JJ wrapped her arms around the brunette, holding her close as she closed her eyes.
When Emily pulled back to look the blonde in the eye, she was shocked to find tears. "JJ?"
JJ smiled a watery smile at the other woman. "I'm sorry."
Emily tried to roll off of JJ but JJ held her in place. "Did I hurt you?"
"No." JJ shook her head. "I umm…" She closed her eyes before initiation eye contact again. "I need to tell you something."
"Ok?"
JJ leaned up to capture Emily's lips in a soft kiss. "Em, I've been lying to you. To everyone."
"About what? Are you ok?"
JJ nodded. "I need you to know that I'm not just saying this because I'm drunk. Because to be honest, I'm really not that drunk anymore."
"Jennifer, what's going on."
JJ took a deep breath. "I can't keep lying to you. You're right, Em. You've been right this whole time. This isn't just about sex between us."
Emily furrowed her brow. "Why are you saying this now? What about Will?"
JJ smiled. "I'm not with Will, Emily. I haven't been for a long time."
Emily could only stare at the blonde, words escaping her. "Huh?" Was the only thing that came out of her mouth.
So... Was anyone expecting that little tidbit of information? Haha