Something No One Expected
Updated: April 18th, 2018 Corrected grammar/spelling mistakes, etc.
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Shoutout to Kensi1997. She gave the inspiration to this chapter.
Disclaimers: I do not own Criminal Minds or the characters. I own Emily/JJ's extended family.
Spoilers: None as of yet.
Rating: T
Note: I decided to put this chapter up in place of Christmas pt. 1. You are all going to get a big shock out of this, but it was needed because of what Jackson said a few chapters back.
Tuesday, December 15th, 1982
*Jareau Residence*
It's just a few days before Christmas break. The little kids are at school today, and Sandy, Maria, and Amber are going to surprise them for lunch when they pick everyone up. They will then pick up Elijah, Rosaline, and Madeline from middle school.
Right now, Michael and Jackson are at Sandy and Mic's house, having 'guy time'. Caleb is at work and couldn't make the hangout this time. During a commercial break when the two men are getting more beers, Jackson sees this as the perfect time to talk to Michael about his troubles with JJ the last few months.
"Hey, Mic, listen, I need to speak to you about JJ." Michael mutes the TV, turning towards his younger brother. He was wondering when Jack was going to bring up his recent troubles at his house with JJ.
"Okay, shoot."
"I think you need to have another conversation about who is the boss with her. That brat Emily is starting to cause her to act up. She's being a lot more defiant and she's making my tasks with her a lot harder than they should be."
Michael nods along, looking thoughtful. "Why don't you tell me some of the things she has done, or that you are having trouble with, and I will talk to her…privately."
"Well, for starters, she is a terrible nuisance during her bathtime. She refuses to get undressed, and when she does, she wants to be covered up by a towel. She doesn't want me in the bathroom with her, and she won't allow me to wash her body."
A pause, and then, "And, she also refuses to let me dress her. You know, Amber and I, we still help the twins to get dressed. They are just too young to do so on their own. They goof off or play around, and then cause us to be late for school or wherever else we are going." Jackson sighs. He tries to think of anything else, and then adds,
"Also, one more thing, JJ refuses to use the utensils we give her at dinner time. She throws temper tantrums and demands we give her different ones. When she is placed in timeout, she throws the awfullest temper tantrums there, too. She kicks and screams, and absolutely refuses to just sit still. We have threatened her with everything, an earlier bedtime, no dessert, no playtime, but nothing works."
"I'm telling you, Mic, you need to get a handle on your kid. You know, Rosa and Maddie, when they were they that age, they were so behaved. Of course, Maddie knew what would happen if she acted out. We received compliments all the time about how well behaved she was. And the twins, they are so well behaved also. You just need to put your foot down, and make sure JJ knows what will happen if she continues to act out."
Michael nods, once again looking thoughtful. "Okay. Well, Sandy and I have spoken to her about those things. We have told her that she is to listen to everything you and Amber tell her to do. When she is taking a bath, she is to allow you wash her off. When she is getting dressed, you are to be the one do it as Amber will be busy with her cousins. She keeps saying 'yes, sir, daddy' or 'okay, daddy', but I guess I will be speaking to her in private about these things."
"Tell me, Jack, what exactly are the tantrums about. Anything I need to speak to her about besides the eating utensils?"
"Yes, she is a bother to Madeline. The poor girl can't seem to get away from all the little girls because JJ is always bugging her. She wants Madeline to play with her, or she wants to sit next to her on the couch, or she wants to take her toys to Madeline's room instead of Natalie and Leslie's room. Amber and I have tried and tried and tried with her, but JJ refuses to listen to us when we instruct her to stay out of Maddie's room. That is one of the reasons she is put into timeout."
"And the poor girl, Maddie tries to stick up for her, but I've told her JJ has to learn one way or another. That is why JJ is put into timeout. She needs to learn her place, and her place is to be with the grown-ups, or in Natalie and Leslie's room. She is not to be going to her older cousin's room, or wandering around the house and getting into things."
Michael sighs like he's majorly disappointed. "I'm sorry, Jack, truly I am. You see, the twins and Maddie, they are little angels when they are over here. And Maddie, well she is off with Rosaline and JJ never seems to bother them. Although she has been going to Rosaline's room more often this past year or so. Now, when we ask her, JJ stays out of there. But more often than not, Rosaline sticks up for her, and that's that." He sighs deeply.
"I guess what I am trying to say is, we need to be more firm with JJ. We don't need to let Rosaline stick up for so often. I am afraid that may be the reason why she does it at your house; because Rosaline sticks up for her here, and that's that. We don't keep telling her, or put her in timeout for not listening, or anything like that."
"Yes, and that's exactly what I am saying, Mic. You need to be firm, show her who is the boss. If she is used to being in timeout here, for going and being a nuisance to Rosaline, then she will not act up so much at my house. I need to keep everyone in line. The twins and Madeline know their places, as does Amber. They know what they can and cannot do, and they know the consequences of each and everything they do wrong."
"Yes," Michael nods once more. "I guess we have been too lenient with things. Rosaline and Elijah, they are good kids. No trouble here or at school. I think you are right; we, and by we, I mean 'I' am going to have to buckle down, show JJ's who's boss and let her see there are going to be consequences to everything she does wrong. If she misbehaves, it needs to be dealt with. If she backtalks, she needs to reprimanded. Thank you, Jack, for opening my eyes up to all the problems you have been having with her."
Jackson smiles. To anyone else, it would be considered a purely bone-chilling, spine-tingling, evil smile. But, to Michael, it doesn't look any different than his own. Some people even say that Jack has his big brother's smile - their dad's smile.
"Thank you, Mic. I really do appreciate it. Now, I do have one last thing I want to discuss with you." A moment of silence, and then, something no one ever expected.
…
…
…
"Rosaline and Madeline are soon to be 11 years old. They will no longer be able to give the pleasure I need. But, I do not need them going and running their mouths. I have Madeline figured out, but do you have any suggestions as to what would keep Rosaline quiet?"
So! Here is the next chapter. Let me know what you thought! :)
Are you surprised that Jackson asked Michael that question? What do you think it means? Do you think Michael is hurting any of the kids, or do you think he is simply a bystander in all of this?
Next Up: Christmas pt. 1.
When Emily is around, and Jackson is not, Jenny tries her best to be normal. She runs and plays, and likes to sit in Emily's lap for story time. Her favorite book, which Emily reads to her at night is Bedtime for Baby Star. It helps her sleep without any nightmares. Otherwise, they read Curious George, Dr. Seuss, Please and Thank You, Find Your ABC's, and many others that come from Emily's bookshelf.
Their time together is spent at the park and in the backyard playing with Rosaline's borrowed soccer ball, at Emily's house in the kitchen, baking cookies or making simple dinners like spaghetti, lasagna, and other things. Or learning Spanish, French or sign language, all of which Emily teaches her. They also enjoy playing other "little kid" things; Barbies, tag, make-believe, etc. Jenny has a big imagination, and that is a big and sometimes the only, perk of having Dyslexia.
Emily is also, slowly but surely, teaching Jenny how to control her emotions. Because of her dyslexia, her ability to communicate, whether it be with words (what she does or does not want), her emotions (happy, sad, mad, etc.), or how she is feeling (sick, hungry), is severely impaired. She often can't read facial expressions, realize whether someone is teasing her, or understand jokes and sarcasm. This is why Emily is working with her to be able to express herself through sign language, Spanish and/French.