AN: Sorry its taken so long for this update but life has been kicking my ass of late. The reviews that I have been getting have feuled by soul:-)) You guys rock! Well enough of my babbling. Hope you enjoy this chapter as I am off to start on the next one. Please let me know what you think and any ideas.
Chapter Twenty-Five
The team had tried to convince JJ to go back to the hotel to get some sleep since the only calls that were coming in were from the curious and others who were claiming to be psychics knowing where Emily was or why she was missing. There were a few from people who thought they had seen Emily but weren't sure. And then there were those who thought that she was their long lost family member. There was one curious call from a man who was most likely drunk claiming that two woman assaulted him and his friend and stole his truck a few days ago and wanted to know what the law was going to do about it. Hotch had Garcia investigate the man and his claim online before they sent anyone in person to do an in-person interview.
It was evident that JJ was becoming frustrated that there were no real leads and that Emily herself had not called. Garcia tried everything she could think of to coax her into leaving to get some rest even rationalizing that Emily was probably sleeping now as well because it was late. Hotch couldn't even get her to leave by ordering her to do so. It finally took Morgan to get her to leave.
"Jennifer Jareau, I'm not kidding. If you don't leave and go get some rest, I'm going to physically carry you back to the hotel. I will tie you to the bed if I have to."
When she didn't move he went over to her and reached down to pick her up, prepared to carry her like a sack of potatoes. When she realized he was serious not only by attempting to pick her up but using her full first name, she gave in.
"Alright, alright, I'll leave but I'm coming back first thing in the morning," she said finally giving in to the pressure of her team.
The next morning, far too early in the morning, found JJ banging on her team members' doors at a ridiculously early hour. Hotch's stern glare at the anxious woman was the only thing that caused her to go back to her room to wait for a reasonable time for everyone to get up since they all had only had no more than 2 hours of sleep when she knocked on the door.
Because she could not go back to sleep and knowing that she would have to make amends to her team somehow, she went out and got coffee and pastries to have ready when they came down to the lobby.
*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*
Mama Bell was able to talk the women into getting cleaned up so they could have some breakfast so they could talk over the next step now that they had the number to contact their family.
Before they had sat down to eat Mama Bell received a phone call from her granddaughters asking if they could go to the movies with their friend. She had been expecting something like that from them but she was grateful that she wouldn't have to worry about them while she helped the young women find their family.
Emily and Mary were so excited to finally have the chance to find their family that they could barely eat. Fortunately the aroma of the food was too enticing for them to resist especially when they thought about not knowing when they would be able to eat again.
"Claire, do you think father and mother are okay? I hope he won't be too angry with us. Are you going to call the number? I hope the people that took our family don't want to take us as well," Mary asked as she ate her biscuit not giving Emily a chance to answer.
"Somebody has your family? Why would they take your family? You two aren't in any kind of trouble are you?" Mama Bell asked becoming concerned for any kind of trouble finding her.
Emily looked at the older woman with a mixture of concern and fear. "Our family has not done anything wrong. We were taking a trip when we were stopped and some men took our family. Bea and I ran like our father told us to do. We have been trying to find them ever since. That woman on the TV will help us find them. Her name is Jennifer." She looked at Mary before looking back at Mama Bell. "Could you help us in making the call? You can find out if they want to harm us. I don't believe Jennifer wants to hurt us but there may be others who are with her that want to hurt us."
Mama Bell looked at both women very carefully. She could tell that they both were being sincere and she could tell that they didn't pose any type of threat to her. "Of course I will help you. Let's finish our breakfast and then we can plan out what we are going to do. The girls will be spending the day with their friend so we will have time to do what we need to do to get you to your family."
"Thank you. I know our family will like you. You have been so kind to us, I don't know how we can repay you," Emily said as she reached for the older woman's hand.
She squeezed the young woman's hand and gave them both a warm motherly smile. "You two don't owe me a thing. You just need to do something kind to someone else. Enough of all this, let's finish eating so we can get you two home."
"This is really good. I've never had biscuits this good before," Mary said with a satisfied grin as she took another bite out of her biscuit.
*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*
The team had forgiven JJ for waking them so early although they did not let her know that just yet. They understood her anxiousness to find Emily because they all shared it with her but keeping her mind focused on something else would help her keep her nerves in check.
Hotch checked in with the officer manning the phone when they got to the police station. He took the list of calls they received over night and went over them with the others. There were a few that had the potential to be valid leads but nothing that warranted spending man power on. Those were given to Garcia to research. Hearing nothing substantial, JJ went and relieved the officer on the phone.
Learning from her experiences the other day JJ brought things to occupy her time while waiting for calls to come in. She had asked Hotch if there were any case files that she needed to go over so they wouldn't get behind once this was all over with. When he told her that this case was still there priority, she didn't want to read the year old magazines or the most wanted list, so she decided to create a list of things she would have to prepare for when Emily came home. She was trying to be upbeat and realistic about what she felt her girlfriend would need to get healthy. As she wrote the list she couldn't help the stressful thoughts that would creep into her mind as she wrote the list.
She labeled the list simply Emily.
Get medical clearance from doctor
Find therapist for her (and maybe me too) to help deal with ordeal
Put together a photo album to help her remember…me…everybody
Make sure Monroe never sees the light of day
Get information on how to contact the others who were taken.
Find out how the others they are doing
Explain Show Emily what we…
Garcia walked over to her and startled her from her writing. "What ya doing sweet pea? Any interesting calls come in that I can check out?" she asked with a smile.
"No, no calls have come in that are worth checking on yet. The one I've been waiting on hasn't come in yet." She saw her friend pointing at the paper she was writing. "I'm just jotting down some things that I will need to remember to do once Emily comes home. It helps to keep my mind busy."
Sitting down next to the blonde Garcia took the paper out of her hand to take a closer look. "This looks good. You might want to add contacting her parents so they know she's okay. It also might help her to get her memory back quicker to surround her with as many familiar people as possible." Trying to keep things lighthearted she added with a chuckle, "Maybe we can get Morgan to start a poker game."
Morgan came over to the two women after he heard his name. "What are you two talking about me for?"
"We thought you can help Emily when we get her back by orchestrating a poker game," Garcia said with a smile and wink.
"Oh no, Emily will take my retirement in a poker game. I know how good she is at poker," he said good naturedly as he joined in with the light laughter.
JJ was laughing at the thought with her friends when she was suddenly quieted by the phone ringing.
*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*
The three women cleared the breakfast dishes and helped Mama Bell clean the kitchen. As they washed the dishes Mama Bell hummed a song which caused the two women to smile.
"That song sounds really pretty Mama Bell. Do you sing in the choir at your church?" Mary asked as she dried the dishes.
"Oh thank you honey. I ain't sang in the choir since my baby died, but I was thinking about getting back in the choir since my grandbabies have talked about wanting to join the adult choir when they are old enough. You and your sister ain't gone to church much have you?"
"No, Claire and I used to spend our time at home with our family. Our father made sure we said grace before each meal," Mary answered quietly. She was beginning to wonder if they were too different than other families. The people they met besides the two men have been nice and she hasn't felt like she has been in much danger as father said there was. She looked over to her sister and smiled thinking of how her sister protected her so she didn't really have to worry about being in danger.
Once they finished with the dishes, Mama Bell said loudly, "You girls sho' know how to clean a kitchen. I wish my grandbabies could do a good job like you two. If it takes a little longer to find your family you both are welcome to stay here with me and my grandbabies." She walked back to the living room gesturing for the other two to follow.
Taking a seat on the couch with the other two, Emily smiled at the woman feeling happy that the older woman had offered them extended shelter if they needed it. "Mama Bell, would you call the number for us? I want to make sure it's not a trick and people are setting us up to capture us. I don't want Jennifer coming to your house because people may be following her and I don't want you to be in danger. Maybe there is a place in town we can meet her?"
She gave the brunette a serious look before speaking. "Do you think that they gonna believe an old woman like me? After all they are looking for you to call."
"The announcement said that either Claire or anyone who has information should call, so I think it would be alright," Mary responded as Emily nodded in agreement.
"Alright then, what you want me to say?"
Emily rubbed her forehead as she thought about what to have the woman say. Moving toward the edge of the couch she picked up the pad and turned to a blank piece of paper. "Okay this is what I want you to say. Make sure you are talking to Jennifer. Okay first ask…"
*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*
JJ looked at the phone for a few moments trying to get her mind around that it was actually ringing. She quickly picked it up having to slow her breathing down to be able to speak calmly.
"Hello, this is Jennifer Jareau. May I get your name please?"
"I'm calling about that woman you have been talking about on the TV, Claire Monroe. I know where she and her sister is. She said she will meet you at the Catfish Cabin at 1:00pm."
"What town is the Catfish Cabin in?" JJ was struggling to get her excitement under control.
"It's in Hardin county off of US69."
She quickly wrote the information down and almost threw it at Garcia who was standing over her waiting to hear any information. She quickly went over to her computer to get an exact location for the team to go get her.
"Is Em…Claire there with you? Can I speak to her?" She heard muffled voices but couldn't tell what they were saying.
"She wants to make sure that nobody is listening on the phone before she talks to you. She said if someone is listening she's not going to meet you because it will be too dangerous for her and you."
JJ knew the woman she was talking to was older and didn't sound like she was under any duress. She figured she was willingly helping Emily. JJ felt good that Emily had found a kind person to help her get home.
"I promise you ma'am, no one is listening in on this call. Please tell her it's safe." JJ knew that Garcia was tracing this call so they would have at least her last know position if they were not able to find her at the restaurant.
A soft timid voice came on the line. "Hello, is this Jennifer?"
Having to swallow the large lump in her throat, she couldn't stop the tears that were falling down her cheeks. She didn't want to sound like she was upset or crying to keep Emily at ease. "Yes. This is Jennifer. Is this Claire?"
"Yes."
"How are you? I have been looking for you. Is Bea with you?"
"Yes. We want to come home. Will you help us get back to our family?"
Covering the phone to hide the sob that came out of her throat, JJ took several deep breaths before she could answer. She hated calling Emily by the deceased woman's name and to hear her ask to be taken back to her family, nearly broke JJ's heart. She realized that her memory loss was more severe than she had hoped and thought.
Saying the only thing she could think to say that wouldn't be a lie, "Yes I will help you."
"Come by yourself. Other people will try to hurt us and I don't want them to hurt you either. Please come by yourself. I will meet you at the Catfish Cabin at 1:00. I can't wait to finally meet you. I have dreamed about you for so long, I'm glad to know that you are real."
"I will come by myself. No one will hurt us. I look forward to seeing too honey. I will see you at 1." There was no more noise on the phone until all JJ could hear was a dial tone.
JJ replaced the phone back in its cradle with a shaking hand. She then bowed her head as she placed both hands over her face and quietly cried. Her other team members gave her space and Morgan shielded her from anyone else who might approach her. He gently picked up the phone and handed it to another officer to take over the phones in case there were other calls. He softly placed his hand on her back rubbing gentle circles just light enough to let her know he was there.
*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*
After hanging up the phone Emily got up and hugged Mama Bell tightly. "Thank you for helping us find our family," she said into her shoulder.
The older woman wrapped her arms around the woman in her arms and held her close. She felt a bittersweet happiness as this young woman reminded her of her own lost child. It helped heal that hole in her heart caused by her loss that much more knowing that she could reunite somebodies' child with their family.
Once Emily released the woman from her arms, Mary quickly went over to give the woman her own hug. "Thank you Mama Bell. Can I call you if father allows me to when I get back home? I would really like to be able to stay in contact with you. Wouldn't you too Claire?"
"Yes, I would really like to talk to you again. Maybe we could come back and see the girls sing in the choir too." Emily gave the woman a bright smile. "How long will it take us to get to the Catfish Cabin?"
Releasing Mary from her arms, she walked toward the kitchen as she spoke, "It will take about an hour and a half from here. So we got plenty of time. You two want something to drink?" She walked into the kitchen humming a tune that Mary and Emily remembered hearing the other day.
When Mary and Emily were alone they looked at each other for a few moments before speaking.
"She's real Bea. I actually talked to Jennifer and she's coming to take us home." She took her hand before speaking again. "Bea, will you help me pick out something nice to wear for when we meet her? I want to look nice for her and you are so much better at picking out clothes than I am."
Squeezing the hand that she was holding Mary gave Emily a big smile. "Of course I will help you. I can't believe she was looking for you. I think I do believe in angels now. Let's go look through the clothes we have. But I don't think you have to worry about looking good because you are already very pretty."
Wrapping her arm around Mary's shoulder they happily walked together into the bedroom where their things were located to get ready for their meeting with Jennifer.
*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*
After a few minutes JJ was able to pull herself together enough to talk to those around her who had been waiting patiently for her to gain her composure. She stood up from the chair and excused herself to the restroom to freshen up. Reid was surprised that Garcia didn't follow her.
Noticing the young doctor's expression she teasingly said, "Women do know when to leave other women alone especially when they ask to be left alone."
"But JJ didn't say anything," he said with confusion.
Rossi walked over to the young man lightly patting him on the shoulder as he said, "Women know these things. There is no PhD you can acquire that will help you break the secret language of women."
"Plus it would take all the fun out of getting to know them if we uncovered their secret language," Morgan added with a smile.
They were all sharing some lighthearted laughter when JJ rejoined them. They all stopped and looked at her not sure what to say to her. Garcia was the first to approach her as she put her arms around her and pulled her into a warm hug.
"How you doing sweetie? You must feel like the weight of the world has been lifted now that you have talked to her and know where she is," Garcia inquired.
Pulling out of the hug she looked at the others who were waiting for her to speak. "It was great to finally hear her voice again but she sounded so small and lost. Not the Emily that we know. She is still stuck in the delusion that Monroe is her father. She thinks I'm going to take her to her family. She wants me to come alone to get her because she doesn't trust that you will not take her prisoner."
Hotch spoke for the first time after the call had come in. "JJ I don't think it's a good idea that you go alone. We will trail behind as backup just in case."
"She will know if there is a shadow. Weren't you all there when you found them originally? She will probably recognize you. I don't want to run the risk that she will run again," JJ said with concern.
"We know where the call originated. We could go get her there," Morgan stated.
"That's not a good idea either. Her trust is still very tenuous as it is. If we swoop in and grab them, Emily may fall deeper into this delusion which will make it that much more difficult for her break free. I think JJ needs to go in alone," Rossi concluded. JJ gave the man a grateful smile that he was supporting her going by herself.
Hotch was frowning not feeling comfortable to let his agent go on a rescue mission alone even if is to get one of their own.
"I'll go with her. I wasn't there when we found them. She doesn't know that I was there. I can go as a friend of JJ's," suggested Reid.
Hotch visibly relaxed with that suggestion. "That will work. We should figure out where we should take her when JJ gets her. I don't know how she will handle coming to the police station."
"I'll take both of them back to my hotel room which might be easier for them to agree to go to the hospital to get checked out. If we can get them there, the rest can be figured out after that," JJ stated.
Once they had an initial plan, they felt more prepared for what was coming next.
"How long will it take to get to the restaurant from here?" JJ asked looking at her watch.
"According to the information I gathered it should take about two and half hours. That still gives us about four hours before we are scheduled to meet Emily," stated Garcia.
Taking a deep breath, JJ looked at Reid as she said, "Reid, pick me up about an hour before we need to leave. I will be at the hotel. I'm going to take a quick nap before we need to leave."
"That's probably a good idea since you didn't get much sleep," Rossi said. "You'll have her back soon JJ." He tried to give her any small form of encouragement as she walked out of the station to one of the cars.