Thanks again for the comments. Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. I hope it doesn't disappoint.
Chapter eleven
Emily hissed through her teeth as JJ cleaned the cut above her eye, and her body automatically jerked back.
"Hold still woman!" JJ admonished, shaking her head. "I can't put the strips across otherwise."
"Since when did you become so bossy." Emily muttered.
"Since you're the worst patient in the world to deal with." JJ said with a slight smile. "Right, done." Emily's fingers automatically came up and traced around where JJ had just been, closing her eyes trying not to allow the headache that was beginning to develop take hold. Opening her eyes again, she looked at JJ as she put the first aid kit back together. Emily then stood up delicately, and she walked through to the showers, with JJ following. They both stripped down, and got clean, neither in the frame of mind to do anything other than what was needed, much less look at each other and therefore having to face the damage they had inflicted. The post mortem and self recriminations could come later in the privacy of the apartment. Equally, neither tried to dwell on the bruising and grazes they saw on their own skin. Apart from eye contact, neither spoke until they were finally dressed.
"You're moving too stiffly for my liking." JJ said as she threw the sweats she had been wearing on the floor on top of Emily's.
"I'll be fine, honestly." Emily said quietly. "It's mostly bruising." Emily then wished she hadn't said anything as she saw a flash of guilt cross JJ's face. "Hey," Emily moved closer and put two fingers under JJ's chin, and lifted her head gently, aware of JJ's facial injuries and trying not to fall in to the same guilt trap. "I'm fine, a couple of days and I will be well on the way to mending. We both will."
Fighting back the emotion, JJ nodded. "Can we get out of here, please." she almost pleaded. Emily smiled and grabbed JJ's hand carefully because they both had bruised and grazed knuckles and walked out in to the hallway. At the far end, they saw Rebecca in conversation with George. Seeing Emily and JJ, Rebecca instantly dismissed George, who disappeared through a door, and waiting for them to join her.
"If you'd like to follow me." Rebecca gestured to a side door and they entered an office. "Please, take a seat." Rebecca sat behind one of two desks there. Still without saying a word, Emily and JJ sat down carefully.
"Before we start," Rebecca reached down in to a desk drawer and pulled out JJ and Emily's Glocks, which they both took and quickly attached the gun and holster to their hips.
"So?" Emily left the question hanging.
"We still wish to do some checks on job skills, but overall, we don't envisage a problem. However, I do want to ask about another person you seem to work with."
Emily nodded ever so slightly. "I'm assuming you're talking about Peggy."
Rebecca acknowledged Emily with a tilt of her head. "Your assumption is correct. We find her aspect of work interesting, and wonder; how good is she?"
"Is your computer on?" Emily pointed to the monitor on the desk. Rebecca nodded. "Knock it out of standby mode." and watched as Rebecca moved a mouse. At the same time, she pulled out her cell, and dialled in to a number that was to show Garcia they were in immediate contact with someone of interest, and to assume her cover ID.
"Hello sweetheart, how may I help you today?" Garcia answered the phone.
"Hey Pegs, I'm going to put you on speaker." which she promptly did. "Remember our little discussion this morning?"
"Of course my lovely, how could I forget your luscious voice." Garcia virtually purred down the phone. Emily couldn't help the smile forming. "Behave, Jude is sitting here."
"Oh but a girl can dream."
Rebecca interrupted the conversation. "While this might be appealing for you, I wanted to know how good..." she didn't get any further as Emily put her hand up.
"You'll see."
At which point Garcia came back in to the conversation. "Ma'am, I don't know your name, not that it is important, but if you would look at your computer right about now and watch the cursor." Rebecca glanced at the screen, and for the first time, JJ and Emily both saw shock registering across her face, albeit faintly before her training came to the fore, and became neutral again. "This, is me hacking in to your computer system." Garcia continued. "And while I'm not going in to anything else, since it is for demonstration purposes only, I can do that if further proof were needed. Good security by the way, just not good enough against me."
Rebecca looked back across her desk. "The demonstration is perfectly acceptable."
"Thanks P, you can cut it now." Emily said, her voice full of satisfaction, and she watched as Rebecca visibly relaxed ever so slightly as Garcia left the system. "I think this answers the question, she is very good. Indeed." Emily said.
"Anything else I can help you with?" Garcia asked. Emily looked across and saw Rebecca shake her head. "No, we're good. Thanks P."
"Whenever you need me my darlings." and Garcia signed off. Picking up the phone, Emily put it back in her pocket.
"I can't give anything away at this stage, but if we asked you in for a mission, would Peggy be available to us?" Rebecca asked as she leant forward, resting her elbows on the desk, linking her fingers together.
"It will depend." Emily replied. "Price is a consideration, and we don't control Peggy, she is able to come in to a job on her own terms. We always plan something that might involve her with the scenario that we have to do it without her, in case she decides to decline for any reason."
"Fees for services rendered would not be a problem and we fully accept her independence."
"Good."
"I wish to report back to my superior. How may we contact you?"
Emily pulled out a business card, almost identical to the one Rebecca had given them in the parking garage. "Both our cell numbers are on there." Emily then pushed the card across the desk.
Without picking it up, Rebecca rose from her seat. "I'll show you out."
Once back out in the truck, Emily dialled Garcia. "Hey P, nice show there."
"My pleasure kitten." Garcia replied.
"Listen do you want to pop around tonight for a girls night in?" Emily asked effectively letting Garcia know she needed to get a record to the Hotch and the team via Garcia.
"Sure, I can be there for around eight."
"Eight is good. See you later." And ending the call, Emily looked across at JJ as she started the engine.
Before pulling off, she lent in a carefully placed a kiss on JJ's cheek. "We can't be sure they haven't planted surveillance in the truck." she whispered. JJ smiled, showing she understood what Emily was saying to her.
"I love you." Was all JJ said, as she settled down in to the seat.
A short time later, Emily parked up and motioned for JJ to come out with her. "I don't know about you, but I need a coffee."
"You know me, coffee and I go hand in hand." JJ smiled, genuinely happy to get some, but also knowing it was a ruse to get out of the truck and talk freely.
"I'll put a call in later to arrange for me to meet with some technicians away from the apartment." Emily spoke quietly as they stood in the coffee shop queue. "The truck was parked up unattended for more than enough time and while it wouldn't have been easy it could have been compromised, and I'm not taking any chances."
"I never would have thought of that." JJ admitted. Emily felt the self loathing she carried in situations like this begin to rise.
You wouldn't think like that, Emily thought to herself, I hate that I can, that I think like the monsters we try and catch.
Emily fought the doubts back almost as soon as they began, but not soon enough, as JJ sensed a change in Emily's mood.
"Are you okay?" JJ asked softly.
Emily sighed, and deflected the question. "Yeah, just thinking about getting home." JJ seemed to accept the answer as they were asked for their order, the barista trying not to stare at their battered faces.
Once they were back home, the nanny looked horrified.
"Oh my god, what happened to you, are you okay?" she asked.
"We're fine." JJ assured her.
"We had a zealous arrest." Emily explained, and since they had said they both worked as as police officers knowing they might have to cover a scenario such as this as well as their carrying weapons, it seemed to satisfy the nanny.
JJ walked through to the living area, where Henry was sitting on the floor watching cartoons. Hearing JJ, he looked around and his eyes widened seeing her face.
"Hey." JJ said softly, "I've been catching bad men." she explained as she swept him up in to a hug.
"Mom's got a big boo boo." Henry said looking worried.
"Mom's okay." JJ assured him. "Meme and I got in to a little fight, but the bad man lost." Henry buried his head in to JJ's shoulder, and despite feeling sore, she didn't stop him.
Emily meanwhile had told the nanny she could go home, and was walking back in the room, after locking the front door. She saw JJ had moved to sit on the couch, Henry still in her arms. Leaving them, she took the chance to quickly change in to some sweats and an oversized t-shirt. She came back through, and frowned when she saw Henry was still clinging to JJ, so she walked across and sat down next to them.
"Meme got a boo boo as well." Henry gasped.
"Yes, it was the same bad man." JJ explained softly. Henry pulled away slightly, looking at Emily intently.
"When I have a boo boo, Mom kisses it better." He said sincerely.
"Can you kiss mine better?" Emily asked and was answered by Henry leaning across and planting a sloppy kiss on her lips. "I feel better already." Emily said with a wide smile. Henry looked back at JJ. "Kiss Mom better." and he planted another kiss on her lips.
"Much better." JJ said, also smiling. Looking satisfied he had fixed Mom and Meme, Henry clambered down and settled in front of the television as if nothing had happened.
"Guess I'm going to have ask Mom to kiss me better later." Emily said in a low voice.
"Em!" JJ exclaimed, "Behave."
"Now that's just boring." Emily said with a grin as she settled down on the couch more, and immediately regretted it as she caught her bruised ribs. "Damn." she muttered.
JJ shook her head. "Boring it might be, but we're both in no fit state for anything else."