"A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you." - Elbert Hubbard
"Done!" Ali jumped up and yelled, relieved that she was all done with the paperwork.
The two week break had passed at an alarming speed, and the first day Ali got back to the BAU was devoted entirely to filling out paperwork.
JJ walked up and laughed. "Almost, Ali. But there is one more thing we need to take care of." She held out a piece of paper, and Ali read the first paragraph on it. She looked at JJ questionably.
"This is the press announcement. Why do I need to sign off on it?"
JJ looked at her closely before sitting on the corner of her desk, gesturing Ali to take a seat next to her. "Strauss wants you to come with us and talk to the press with us about the shooting, and tell the "truth," although somewhat abbreviated over the parts that make her look bad." JJ rolled her eyes. "We've tried to talk her down, but she's really our main authority until the Director fiasco is sorted out."
Ali looked unblinking into the distance, lost in her own turmoil of thoughts. Finally, she nodded. "Okay. But there is one thing I want in return."
"Name it."
"I want you to tell the truth as well. About you and Reid, I mean. Not now, but maybe in a few months. When all of this is over. But don't lie again." She grinned suddenly. "Otherwise, Garcia and I will figure out some way to team up on you two, and I'm sure Morgan would love to help us after Reid's little stunt with his phone a few months ago."
JJ gave her an identical grin. "Fine."
"And now I would like to introduce my friend and colleague, Special Agent Natalie Montgomery. But some may know her by another name."
JJ turned the mic over to Ali. She grinned broadly, her teeth stark white against her pale skin and auburn hair. JJ almost chuckled, thinking about the trouble they had gone through the night before to get her hair the natural color again, involving the two of them, Emily, Garcia, and Reid to determine the amount of chemicals they would need to strip her hair of the color but not burn it up.
Ali started to speak. Although she was nervous on the inside, she didn't show it. "Hey everyone. Long time, no see, huh?"
She let out a laugh, and a few of the reporters followed, but the majority were still staring at her openmouthed with curiosity, finally putting together all of the puzzle pieces to realize they all led to one person. Whispers of "Is that her? Alison?" led throughout the crowd.
Ali laughed. "It's really me. For the last few years, I have been working to get my FBI certification and become a full agent. About a month ago, I was brought back into one of my cold cases, on my family and their deaths. I was kidnapped by the killer, and he left me in a hospital to try and let people determine my identity. My team found me, and we put in place a security emergency procedure, allowing me to leave the hospital. I waited in the safehouse for another week, but I was getting depressed." Ali's voice became somber and sad. "I didn't want to have to live like this anymore. So, I tried to kill myself." Gasps rang throughout the dead silent crowd.
"But why, Alison? How did you turn so happy into that?" one reporter called out.
"I made a mistake. I know that now. Everyone has something to live for, and, as Ronald Reagan once said, 'We can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone.' I feel like I now know that more than anyone. One of my team members, and closest friends, found me and rushed me to the hospital. At first I hated them for it. But then I realized that they had given me another chance. I finally came around, and got out of the hospital. But he - my family's killer - was waiting for me. He took me and my colleagues hostage, and tried to kill us. His identity remains unknown, as we have no record of him in any databases, but we can assure you that he is dead."
JJ walked up, rescuing Ali from the microphone. "Thank you, Special Agent Montgomery. Do we have any closing questions about the case?" The reporters who were looking around like they may ambush Ali with questions suddenly decided it would be a good idea to talk to her later, after seeing the steely look in JJ's eyes as she emphasized "about the case."
"Thank you very much." JJ closed up, and stepped down the podium with Ali. Immediately, the vicinity was filled with cries of "Alison! Alison!"
Ali marched passed them, not stopping to even glance in their direction. She made it inside of the police station a few feet away, and shut the door behind her and JJ, knowing the local police officers would keep all of the civilians and reporters from the station. Finally, she sat down, her legs collapsing fawn-like beneath her against the wall.
JJ rushed over to her. "Ali? Are you okay?"
Ali gave her a muffled groan. "I hate paparazzi. They're just so damn curious!"
JJ laughed at her. "At least they're gullible. Seriously, it's like impossible to not be in an FBI database somewhere."
"Yeah. Still though, it's nice that I no longer have to deal with hiding from everyone."
JJ nodded absentmindedly before realizing something. "Ummm... Ali? How exactly do you expect to get out of here?"
Ali smiled and winked at her. "I have my moments."
She stood up, and led JJ around back where a police escort was waiting with a big, chunky black Hummer. JJ looked at Ali, puzzled. "Ali, this is out normal car. we arrived in this one."
Ali grinned at her. "Yeah, which is why it will be empty. Now back here we have our real car." Behind her was a nondescript black car that could have belonged to anybody.
JJ nodded. "That may work."
"They'll go to the highway, and we'll go to the airport. We'll be back in D.C. before they even realize that it's a fake."
Grinning like an idiot, JJ said, "And that, my dear Natalie, is why you're my favorite."
A man in a black suit walked up to Ali. "Excuse me, Agent Montgomery, but would you like us to leave now?"
Ali nodded. "Yes. Thank you, Wyatt."
He suddenly looked much happier at being called by his first name by such a beautiful girl. "No problem, Agent Montgomery. Absolutely. Whatever you need." To clarify his point, the man nodded before briskly turning around and barking out orders to his team.
Ali and JJ could only hold in their laughter until the cars had driven off, and they heard the paparazzi behind them. Then, they laughed and snorted and giggled, watching the man so enamored with Ali drive off in an empty car with paparazzi following them. And Ali thought to herself, life can't get any better than this.
"Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it." - Groucho Marx
Only a few more chapters before the sequel! It will probably be a LOT more lighthearted than this one, and will deal with the relationships between the team and how that will all play out. They will go somewhere fun, and it will be sort of a JJ/Reid and Hotch/Prentiss story from Ali's point of view. Thank to muccia12 for helping me with the final idea!