Aaaaaaand we back! Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and thank you to each and every one of my readers for being so patient and continuing to read!
"I'm fine." Hotch exclaims before anyone can comment on his appearance as he walks into the kitchen and lays eyes on his team. He brings his hands up in a mock surrender gesture.
Derek walks into the kitchen after him and immediately makes his way to the coffee pot.
"Hotch oh my god what happened?" JJ jumps from where she sat on the countertop next to Robert. She rushes to her boss and gently places a hand on each cheek to examine the injuries. With careful hands she tilts his head down to get a better look at the injuries.
Dark bruises pepper his eyes while his lip is split and his nose is slightly crooked- something you would never notice if you hadn't seen him before the fight.
The other occupants of the room get up from their various places around the room and make their way to the unit chief.
"JJ, I'm fine" Hotch grabs onto her hands and brings them down from his face "Derek took me to the hospital and I was given the all clear. My nose is broken but that'll heal in time, other than that I'm alright. It looks worse than it is.
"What happened?" There is no emotion in Roberts voice, no emotion etched onto his face. The older man is possibly wishing he had been the one to give Hotchner the marred face after the comments he made about the relationship he has with his daughter.
"I ran into the unsub in the woods."
Elizabeth's eyes instantly widen and she subconsciously steps closer to Hotch "you found him? Where's Emily?" The older woman looks behind Hotch as if her daughter was somehow hiding behind him.
Hotch hesitates.
"He got away, and we were unable to find Emily." Derek walks back to the small group with his coffee in his hand. He could sense Hotch's hesitance from across the room.
"He what? How in the hell did he get past two trained agents?" Robert takes a threatening step closer and JJ instantly pushes him back the same distance.
If anyone else dared to push him like that Robert would take their heads off. But because it was JJ, he allowed it.
"Man if you couldn't tell by our soaking wet clothes it's a fucking monsoon out there. It was dark. We could hardly see a foot in front of us let alone a man who wanted to hide." Dereks tone is sharp and leaves no room for discussion.
Normally the deputy director would fire back, but Penelope's sudden appearance has everyone quieting down.
"they're back, he's got her."
Hotch learns in that moment that it only takes five words to break his heart.
Everyone piles into the monitor room as quickly as possible. No one comments on the fact that Reid was surprisingly already there with Rossi, or that Emily's parents are here. Robert and Elizabeth couldn't be kept out of the room if the whole team tried.
However, it was still weird to watch Emily being tortured with her parents in the same room. Shielding the victims family from the harsh truth it usually one of their top priorities.
The unsub carries Emily bridal style back into the barn. Her head and arms hang limply and her tattered dress is barley clinging to her body.
Everyone is thinking the same thing- is she alive?
"Dear god." Elizabeth brings her right hand up to her face and pinches the bridge of her nose. The longer she stands here watching her daughter with that man the more she feels her composure slipping.
Robert places a hand on her shoulder and rubs it up and down to soothe her nerves. It doesn't help.
Instead of placing her on the floor as they suspected he brings her to the metal table in the corner of the room.
Silently, they all watch as he sets her down on the table gently.
Emotions run rampant in his eyes as her sets her down and begins to tie the leather straps. Guilt, anger, betrayal, confusion.
Trying to decipher what he was feeling was easy, trying to predict his future actions was the hard part.
The unsub finishes tightening the last strap at her right arm and stills. With nimble fingers he moves up her right arm to in-between her breasts. He walks his fingers down lower and lower.
JJ has to turn away from the monitor. She can't bare to see him touch her so intimately.
Hotch can feel anger coursing through his veins, can see red beginning to taint his vision. Derek feels the same anger.
"He's escalating quickly. He isn't supposed to begin electrocution until the third day. He's devolving." Somehow Rossi manages to look past what is happening and see straight to the facts.
JJ blinks away tears that are quickly threatening to break free "He shows a sexual magnetism to her that we could not physically see in the others, I think this means we know what happens on day ten. With the rate he's devolving at it could happen by tomorrow, maybe the next day."
"What happens on day ten?" Robert looks back and forth between JJ's turned figure and Hotch's obviously angry one.
JJ had forgotten her parents were in the room, too caught up in the moment to remember.
Reid steps closer to the deputy director "we can't say for sure, it's merely speculation."
"What happens on day ten?" His voice carries an angrier tone.
"Robert" JJ turns back to the older man and shakes her head slightly. She doesn't want to say it out loud, doesn't even want to think it. And she knows damn well that he doesn't want to hear it.
It takes a few seconds for the older man to get it, for it to truly sink in. He undoubtedly would have understood the agents train of thought earlier if it had not been his daughter in question. "He's going to rape her?" The word tastes acidic on his tongue.
Reid is quick to try and reassure the man "we don't know that for sure."
"Jesus christ!" Robert lifts his hands into the air in an angry manner "what in the hell do you people know?"
"Robert" Elizabeth chastises lightly. She doesn't have it in her to argue more, she just found out that her only child is likely to be sexually assaulted.
"JJ he stopped, you can turn around." It is the only thing that Hotch contributes to the conversation. Too focused on the screen to rip his attention away from it, too angry.
The blonde wordlessly turns back to the screen. Without moving her eyes from the monitors she shoots her hand out next to her to try and reassure Derek. Shockingly she feels nothing, and when she looks to her right she sees Derek had moved from his spot next to her. He now stands several feet closer to the door comforting a slightly shaking Penelope.
The unsub turns his attention away from Emily and leaves the barn for mere minutes before he returns with a new piece of drywall. Effortlessly he stands on a ladder and replaces the piece Emily had ripped off.
Emily begins to stir.
As she opens her eyes Hotch release a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. She was awake, she was alive. Yes she was hurt and incredibly traumatized but she was alive, and he could work with that.
Confusion clouds her face as she looks around a begins to strain herself against the leather cuffs.
"It's possible the concussion has affected her short term memory." Reid states, though everyone had been thinking the same thing.
Emily strains harder against the cuffs until she locks eyes with the unsub who had been watching her from the corner, and then all of the fight leaves her in an instant.
"Good morning, Emily."
"Morning?"
"Just barley but yes, it is morning."
"What time?"
"Around three."
Hotch curses under breath, he didn't realize it was that late. Time meant nothing in their windowless working areas.
"yes, we've been together for around a day now. Time flies when you're having fun." The unsub steps up next to her and caresses her face.
"Sick freak." Robert grits out through his teeth.
The slap he delivers to Emily's face echoes throughout the small room.
Everyone winces at the sound, Penelope lets out a surprised cry at the contact.
"Give up, Emily."
"No."
A tear streaks down her face. A mirrored one falls down her mothers face.
The unsub wipes her tear and walks over to the silver machine and grabs a pile of clear items off of it.
"What are those?" JJ eyes them warily and hugs herself tight.
"Electrodes. The current flows through them." Reid states as he looks down at the floor, the scene in front of him slowly becoming too much. He won't leave though, he needs to step up and start helping Emily. She would do it for him, therefore he must do it for her.
With strengthened resolve Reid brings his hardened eyes back up to the monitors.
Emily begins to strain away from him and the electrodes he places on each side of her head.
"God damnit Emily stay still."
He grabs onto her face and stills her fighting. The fighting begins again as he attaches wires to each electrode.
Derek can't help but let a cruel smile form on his face. She's still fighting- thats a good sign. However, it does nothing for his upset stomach that continues to worsen as the scene in front of him unfolds.
"Get the FUCK off of me."
Robert lets out a dark chuckle "that's my girl."
The unsub grabs a large black board from the corner and begins to try and shove it under the brunette.
"Man what the hell is that thing?"
Emily lets out a similar "what the fuck?" from the other side of the camera.
"it's to lessen the shock, if he turned on that machine right now it would kill her instantly because she's on a metal table." Rossi beats Reid to the explanation this time, seeing the genius struggle to keep answering the questions.
Reid shoots him a nod of appreciation.
Emily presses herself against the table to try and keep the board from going under her.
"God DAMNIT Emily."
"What the fuck is that for?"
"If I turned that machine on without the cushion you would be fried to a crisp. Now where's the fun in that?"
"Give up."
"No
The unsub flips the switch and Penelope turns her body into Derek, unable to look any longer. She couldn't leave, felt that she had to be in this room as if she was supporting her friend.
A whirring sound from the machine is the only sound that can be heard in the monitor room.
The unsub positions himself inches away from a bright red button that the team can only guess triggers the electric shock.
"Give up, Emily."
"No"
It is loud and it is strong, and everyone cant help but feel a little bit of pride. That pride is quickly replaced with horror when the unsubs slams his head against the button.
Emily doesn't scream, god how is she not screaming? Her body lifts and shakes slightly off of the table due to the strong electric currents. Her jaw is clenched and the sound of the electricity flowing through her body can be heard.
When the unsubs hand leaves the button Emily falls back down to the table. She is sweaty and shaking and in incredible pain but she is alive, and that's all that matters.
JJ feels like she's going to throw up.
"Give up."
"J'abandonne"
"сдаваться"
"me doy por vencido"
"mi arrendo"
"أستسلم"
"What is she saying?"
Elizabeth sniffles "she's saying give up in every other language that she knows except for English." The woman grabs onto Robert and holds on for dear life.
Hotch notices the action and turns to the pair "Ambassador, deputy director, are you sure you want to see what is about to happen?"
Elizabeth looks at Hotch with wide eyes, and then looks up at her husband. "I'm sorry Robert I can't."
A softness takes hold of Roberts facial features and he brings his ex wife's hand up to his lips. "It's okay, Lizzie. Let's go get a cup of coffee."
Robert leads Elizabeth towards the exit quickly.
What?"
"NO."
The unsub turns up the dial and pushes the button just as Elizabeth and Robert reach the door.
Emily's scream fills the tiny space. It is loud and high pitched and animal like and filled with pain. Goosebumps run down every occupants body.
Garcia lets out a strangled cry and tucks herself into Derek more.
Elizabeth falters forward and Robert steadies her just in time to practically drag her out of the door.
The only sound heard in the room is Garcias quiet cries.
Without warning JJ bolts out of the room towards the woman's room.
Emily sinks down against the cushion with silent tears streaking down her face, until he slams his hand against the button again.
JJ leans over the toilet emptying the contents of her stomach. She vomits again and again and again until there is absolutely nothing left in her stomach.
The door opens and JJ can feel someone open the stall door and draw up her hair in in their hands.
A hand rubs softly against her back as she continues to dry heave in the face of the toilet. There was absolutely nothing left in her stomach, but that didn't stop the need to throw up.
The image of his hands on Emily replays over and over again in her head, until it is all she can see.
She dry heaves again.
JJ flushes the toilet and turns around, surprised to see Hotch is the one holding her hair.
"You do realize this is the girls bathroom, right?" She tries to smile up at her boss but it isn't convincing in the slightest. There is pain behind those blue eyes.
Without a word Hotch holds out a bottle of water and a stick of gum.
JJ takes it with a more genuine smile and turns away from the toilet completely. With little strength left she sits on the ground.
Hotch follows her lead and sits against the stall door. "Rossi took Garcia with him to get food hoping it would calm her nerves. Derek and Reid left with some canine officers to try and pick up Emily's scent, though it's probably all washed out from the rain. That left me." He gives her a comforting smile as he repositions his body to get more comfortable.
It is hard to fit two grown adults in a regular sized bathroom stall.
JJ puts her head in head hands and her shoulders begin to shake. "What if we don't find her in time?" JJ looks over her shoulder at her boss, tears streaking down her face.
The thought of never finding Emily has his stomach twisting in pain. It was too hard to think about, it was impossible to think about it.
A silence settles over the stall, it isn't uncomftorable in any sense of the word. JJ recognizes that Hotch is thinking about what to say to her.
"I think I love her." He says it so quiet that JJ wasn't sure he had said it at all.
Shock lights up JJ's face as she whips her head to look him in the eyes. She had known he had felt something for her, but she didn't think he loved her. And she didn't think he would proclaim his feelings of Emily to her. Hotch was the most private person she knew, well except for Emily. Maybe they were perfect for each other.
"Oh Hotch, I'm so sorry." Her voice is soft as she moves her hand to rest gently on his shoulder.
Hotch brings his hand to rest on top of hers in a comforting manor.
Without warning Hotch begins to laugh. It starts quiet and before long it fills the entire bathroom.
JJ looks at him as if he's lost his mind.
He can't stop laughing. After a few minutes he finally is able to speak through his laughter. "I eluded to a sexual relationship with Emily in front of her mother and father." He laughs again and brings his head into his hands, the laughter causing his shoulders to shake.
JJ lets out a snort of a laughter and before long the pair are on the floor of the stall laughing hysterically.
"He's going to kill you" JJ manages to spit out between shrieks of laughter.
Hotch shakes his head and begins to laugh harder "Not before Emily will after she finds out what I said."
The pair continue to laugh for several minutes until they cannot laugh anymore. Just as quickly as the laughter had come it stops, leaving the two agents alone with their thoughts.
Where tears of sorrow had just been, tears of laughter are instead.
Both sit up at the same time.
"We will find her in time, JJ." Hotch stands from his uncomfortable position and shoots out his hand.
The blonde takes it and with his help she stands up, never breaking eye contact. "I know."
Hotch opens the stall door and holds it open for JJ.
Before leaving the bathroom Hotch turns back to the blonde. "I need you to call another press conference for an update at the twenty four hour mark."
JJ nods, a frown marring her pretty features "I know."
Instead of having to set up a press conference in the room dedicated to just that in the precinct, all JJ has to do is go outside.
Over the past few hours press vans and reporters had started to congregate outside of the police station. When news stations began to pick up who Emily's mother was and her important status the story spread like wildfire.
As soon as she steps outside of the precinct, an hour after her and Hotch's chat in the bathroom, cameras begin to flash and reporters begin yelling her name.
JJ is a public figure that practically every reporter knows in the nearby states surrounding D.C. and Virginia.
JJ looks around the sea of cameras and instantly locks eyes on the podium she is supposed to stand at. As she begins to move so do the reporters, and it is quite easy to make her way to the podium when the reporters move out of her way.
Each person falls silent as JJ steps up to the podium and places the papers she has in her hand against against the wood.
The papers are mute, she knows exactly what she has to say.
"Good morning. Again my name is Jennifer Jareau and I'm the media liaison with the behavioral analysis unit. Twenty-four hours ago supervisory special agent Emily Prentiss was taken hostage during an undercover operation by the man responsible for the recent murders in downtown Frederick, Maryland."
JJ pauses as she knows that Emily's picture is being flashed across television screens across the world.
"Agent Prentiss is suspected to be held captive in a secluded barn in Adamstown, Maryland. We suspect that she is alive. If anyone has any information about her current location we ask that you call the number on the screen. We also ask that everyone stays alert and contacts us if you have any information, thank you."
Before she can finish the last word of her speech cameras are already flashing and reporters begin to shout her name again.
JJ nods her head toward a male reporter with fiery red hair as he yells her name and looks like he may die if he doesn't get his question answered.
"How do you know that she is alive?"
Because we're forced to watch her on camera as she's being tortured, jackass.
"The average time each woman was kept before her body was found is around four and a half days. Because of Special Agent Prentiss's training it is likely that she can figure out a way to survive longer than the other victims can."
A male reporter with dark hair and eyes catches her eye as he steps forward to ask a question. "Agent Jareau, do you want to comment on the rumor that the reason you know agent Prentiss is alive is because there is a camera that is pointed right at agent Prentiss as we speak?"
Mother fucker
The crowd of journalists goes absolutely crazy with this new question asked. They yell louder than she previously thought possible.
JJ has to bite her tongue and control her facial features before they contort into something truly cruel. She absolutely hates reporters. She absolutely hates when the have the upper hand.
However, there was something oddly familiar about his voice and his features, he must be a regular reporter.
"As you know I can't comment on ongoing investigations. I cannot confirm or deny that rumor. Next question."
An overzealous female reporter that looks hauntingly just like Emily elbows her way to the front of the crowd. "Agent Jareau, are the women in this town safe?"
All of them expect for Emily
JJ felt for the girl, she really did. There was no way that that journalist wasn't drawing similarities between her appearance and Emily's.
"We believe that as of now his attention is solely focused on agent Prentiss and there is no need for the women of this town to fear for their life. That does not mean that anyone should let their guard down, he is still out there. There will be no more questions."
JJ walks into the precinct absolutely fuming. She turns to the closest uniform and grabs his attention. "Find detective Richardson and tell him to meet me in the kitchen. Now."
Without waiting for confirmation JJ walks into the kitchen and angrily starts the coffee pot, paying no attention to the kitchens occupants.
"Jennifer darling, what's wrong? Is Emily okay?" Robert quickly stands from his place at the kitchen table.
Robert and JJ had always had a special bond from the minute they met. He reminded her of her father, only far more important and intimidating than her own.
The pair had seen each other several times a year; whenever Elizabeth had a social function JJ always accompanied Emily as her date. It gave the girls time to have a fun night out and basically get roaring drunk. Emily was required to be there and JJ loved to help out her friend….. and get drunk.
JJ slams the buttons on the pot "She's fine, Robert. Well fine given the circumstances."
"Then what's wrong?" Elizabeth stands and makes her way closer to the girl. Elizabeth never approved of JJ and her husbands relationship. In her heart she knew it was strictly platonic but she never quite understood why they were so close. Too her an affair wasn't that far fetched. Jennifer was a beautiful girl and Robert was a very handsome man- but the logical side of her knew it would never happen.
"I…."
"You wanted to see me, agent Jareau?" Detective Richardson walks into the kitchen and stills just by the entrance. He wrings his hands subtly, a clear indication of his nervousness to talk to the blonde.
JJ whips her attention from the coffee maker to the older man. As she takes in his nervous appearance the flame of anger she had felt goes out slightly, but not all the way.
"What is your status on determining which of your officers is leaking information about Emily's case to the press?"
The older man shakes his head "we haven't found proof that any of my officers is the source of the leak, agent."
As she hears his words her anger comes back full force and she brings her left hand to her hip and her right hand points harshly against the table.
"That isn't good enough, detective. I was just sandbagged during my press conference because someone in this office can't keep their damn mouth shut!" She slams her pointed finger against the table and leans forward aggressively.
"It isn't any of my people that means it's one of yours" she gestures to the bullpen outside of the room "so you go and you find out who is the leak and you fire him or her. Emily's life depends on us to solve this case and we don't need a nuisance distracting us. Thank you."
Detective Richardson merely nods and leaves the kitchen. He understands why she's so angry, and holds nothing against her.
JJ looks as if she'd just killed a man. She brings her hands up to her face and leans down against the countertop. She had never yelled at a detective who was just trying to help and work the case with them before.
"Jennifer you need sleep." Robert grabs her arms gently and pulls her up from the counter top. "None of you have slept in at least two days, go take a few hours. It's okay."
JJ begins to shake her head until Hotch walks into the room, he had seen the entire exchange.
"He's right, JJ. We're all running on low. After you eat the food Rossi and Garcia brought back have Rossi drive you back to the hotel. You, Garcia, and Rossi can sleep for a few hours and Derek, Reid, and I will take the first shift."
"But Hotch."
"Jennifer, that's an order."
Hotch holds her gaze until she eventually nods in defeat.
"Good. Now go get food from Rossi and Garcia, they've set up camp in the monitor room. Let me know before you leave."
JJ leaves the room without a word, feeling very much like a chastised child.
"There's food in there for you two as well." Hotch meets Roberts eye and the deputy director nods his gratitude. Maybe the storm between the two was calming.
So that's that. Next chapter we will get a better look at Emily because I feel like I've neglected the team for a bit and I needed to touch base with them. REVIEW PLS :)!