A week before Halloween 2018, JJ decided to wear a Halloween costume to join Garcia, Henry and Michael in the Halloween spirit when she took the boys out trick-or-treating. But JJ didn't know who she should dress up as for Halloween. After a case was finished, during the flight home aboard the jet, JJ asked the other BAU team members for any suggestions for a Halloween costume.
"Can you guys do me a favor?" asks JJ.
"Sure, JJ," said Prentiss. "What is it?"
Everybody turned to look at JJ.
"Well, this Halloween I want to wear a costume to join Henry and Michael in the Halloween spirit when I take them out trick-or-treating. But, I just don't know who I should dress up as for Halloween. Can you guys help me?"
Everybody started thinking about what kind of costume JJ should wear for Halloween. Reid went deep into thought about it. Rossi looked over at Reid.
"I can see your wheels turning from over here, kid," said Rossi. "What are you thinking?"
"Spence?" asked JJ.
Everybody looked over at Reid.
"Well, JJ," said Reid. "Six years ago, you had thought of having Henry being me for Halloween. Have you ever thought about being Garcia for Halloween?"
"What?!" reacted JJ. "No!"
The rest of the team were roaring with laughter, loving Reid's suggestion. Reid just sat there smiling. JJ, however, was really uncomfortable with the idea. JJ did think for a moment what she would look like dressed up like Garcia and she briefly laughed about it, too.
"No!" cried JJ while shaking her head.
"Spence," laughed Prentiss. "That's a great idea!"
"No," said JJ. "It's not!"
"Now, that's a Halloween costume I would kill to see!" laughs Lewis.
"But, guys," said JJ.
"That would definitely be an unforgettable costume," said Simmons.
"But, wait a minute guys," said Alvez. "Wouldn't Garcia be mad if JJ dressed up like her for Halloween?"
"Thank you, Luke," said JJ. "Yes, she would! She would take one look at me and say, 'There's only one Penelope Garcia! I'm so mad at you right now!' She wouldn't even speak to me for weeks!"
"She won't be mad at you," said Lewis.
"Actually," said Reid. "Yes, she would...at first!"
"But, JJ," said Prentiss. "You should do it anyway, because that would only be fair!"
"Fair?" asked JJ. "Why?"
"You haven't seen it?" asked Prentiss. JJ was silent. "Spencer, Dave! She's never seen it!"
Rossi pulls out his tablet and turns it on.
"Seen what?" asks Alvez.
"The time Garcia tried doing JJ's old job," answers Reid.
"Old job?" asks Lewis.
"What do you mean?" asks Simmons.
"Before Chief Strauss sent me away in late 2010," answers JJ. "I wasn't a profiler like the rest of the team. I was Hotch's press and communications liaison! I used to be in charge of what cases we would take."
"Were you good at that job?" asks Alvez.
"She was very efficient at it," answers Reid. Once Gideon and Hotch asked her how soon could she set up a press conference for us."
JJ smiles remembering that.
"And I picked up a phone and asked, 'How soon do you need it?'" laughs JJ.
Everybody laughs. Rossi set up a press conference video on his tablet.
"I'll show you," said Rossi. "Here is a press video of Jennifer Jareau from back in those days."
Rossi shows the video to Alvez, Lewis and Simmons. The volume was turned down. In the video, from Season 1, JJ was wearing a black suit jacket with a white striped long sleeved shirt underneath the jacket while she was standing at the podium talking to the press.
"Whoa, beautiful!" said Alvez. "Those anchormen must have loved doing favors for you!"
"Yes," blushes JJ. "They did! Thank you."
"JJ, that...that suits you!" said Lewis.
"Thank you, Tara," smiles JJ.
"Very professional, JJ," said Simmons. "I never would have guessed that you weren't always a profiler! But, what does this have to do with Penelope?"
"Well," answers Prentiss. "After JJ had left the team, Garcia tried to be a trial press communications liaison. She pitched the idea to Hotch and she tried to do the press liaison job as well as her technical analyst job. Spencer, what was the exact date of Garcia's first press conference?"
"November 10, 2010," answers Reid.
Rossi entered that date on his tablet and he found Garcia's press conference video on it.
"Yes," said Rossi. "This is it! Brace yourselves, people! This is what Penelope Garcia looked like when she tried doing JJ's old job!"
Rossi held up the tablet for JJ, Alvez, Lewis and Simmons to see. The volume was still turned down. In the video, from Season 6, Garcia was wearing her hair similar to JJ's hair without any color streaks in it. She had on contact lenses, and she was wearing a black suit jacket with a black long sleeved shirt underneath the jacket while she was standing at the podium talking to the press.
"What?!" said JJ feeling shocked. "This can't be our Garcia! No way!"
"Whoa, man," said Alvez. "She wore contact lenses?"
"Is that really Penelope?" asks Simmons.
"I...I can't picture Garcia ever looking like this!" said Lewis.
"Neither could I, Tara," laughs Prentiss. "And, I was there!"
"Emily," said JJ. "You and Spence have told me about this, but I've never seen this press video before! Why would Garcia ever change the way that she always looks?"
"Well," said Prentiss. "They say that a picture is worth a thousand words! Excuse me, Dave."
Prentiss took Rossi's tablet out of his hands and she puts two pictures alongside each other on the screen.
Prentiss says, "This is a still-shot of JJ from her press conference on the left side of the screen, and this is a still-shot of Garcia from her press conference on the right side. JJ, Tara, Matt and Luke, I want the four of you to look at these two pictures and tell me what it is that you see."
Prentiss held up the tablet so the four of them could see the two pictures.
"Well," said JJ. "I see that we are wearing similar business suits."
"Yes," said Prentiss. "But, that's not quite it. Tara?"
"Well," said Lewis. "I see that they are wearing similar hairstyles."
"Again," said Prentiss. "That's not quite it. Matt?"
"Well," said Simmons. "I see what the two of them said, and I see what Luke said about Garcia wearing contacts instead of her glasses."
Prentiss groans, "The three of you are looking, but you're not seeing! Luke, what do you see?"
"I'll tell you guys what I see," said Alvez. "I see JJ in both of these photos!"
"What?!" said JJ, Simmons and Lewis.
"Yes!" said Prentiss happily. "Luke Alvez is clearly seeing!"
Simmons took Rossi's tablet from Prentiss's hands and he looked closer at the two pictures.
"You're right, Luke," said Simmons. "JJ, Penelope wasn't just trying to do your old job..."
JJ took Rossi's tablet from Simmons's hands so she and Lewis could also look at the two pictures closer.
"She was trying to be me!" said JJ.
"But, why?" asks Lewis.
"Because she wanted to make you proud of her, JJ," answers Rossi.
"I suggest that you watch her press conference video, JJ," said Prentiss. "Then you'll see why you dressing up like Garcia for Halloween is only fair!"
JJ turned Garcia's press conference video back on the tablet, turned up the volume, and she, Alvez, Lewis and Simmons watched the video together.
On Halloween night 2018, JJ texted Garcia that she would meet her in Garcia's lair with a surprise before they took Henry and Michael out trick-or-treating. Garcia was in her lair looking in a mirror doing a final check on her black Goth costume. She was wearing a black wig on her head, contact lenses, black lipstick, black nails, a black outfit, and long black laced boots. JJ came in dressed up just like Garcia. She was wearing a pink flower in her hair with pink streaks on her hair resting her shoulders, pink framed glasses, matching pink lipstick, a pink flower dress, matching pink nails, matching pink shoes and a pink sleeved tablet in her hands.
"Surprise!" JJ said mimicking Garcia's singsong voice.
Garcia turned to look at JJ and she was shocked.
"JJ?!" said Garcia. "Why...why are you dressed up like me?!"
"Well, my fine furry friend," said JJ while mimicking Garcia. "I wanted to wear a costume to join our two delicious little costumed tidbits in the Halloween spirit, but I just didn't know who I should dress up as for Halloween. I told our fellow crime fighters this aboard the jet. Then, Wonder Woman and Boy Wonder suggested that I be the Oracle of all Cyber Knowledge because that would only be fair! And I said, 'Fair? Why?' And then, with the help of Spencer's magnificent memory from that beautifully brilliant brain of his, Rossi worked me up a little magic, and he showed us this!"
JJ turned on the tablet and showed Garcia her press conference video in "pause" mode.
"Oh, my God," said Garcia. "I forgot all about this!"
"Let's watch this video together, my girl!" said JJ while mimicking Garcia.
JJ hit the "play" button on the tablet. In the video, Garcia was talking about a missing New York girl named Penny Hanley. The press tried to move the attention to the unsub who had kidnapped Penny, who they've nicknamed "The Hill Ripper," and the first female victim who the unsub had killed, but, Garcia shifted the attention back to Penny. Morgan was alongside Garcia showing a photo of Penny to the press. At the end of the press conference video, Garcia and Morgan swiftly left the podium leaving the press asking more questions. JJ then turned off the tablet. Garcia was nervously laughing from seeing the video.
"Oh, my God," said JJ while mimicking Garcia. "JJ, that was great!"
"JJ?!" thought Garcia. She was staring at JJ with this mean smile on her face feeling both annoyed and flattered that JJ was mimicking her so well.
JJ said while mimicking Garcia, "You turned all of the media attention away from the murder victim and this Hill Ripper unsub and focused all of the attention on Penny Hanley instead! I couldn't have done that press conference better, myself!"
Garcia asks, "You're really enjoying all of this, aren't you?"
"A little!" laughs JJ. She continued mimicking Garcia saying, "On a press communications liaison scale of 1 to 10, I would say that was a 9! But, on a Jennifer Jareau scale of 1 to 10, that was a 20!" JJ resumed her normal voice saying, "And, I'm proud of you, Penelope."
"Thanks," laughs Garcia. "That video doesn't show it, but even with Morgan there, I was so nervous up there!"
"Yes," said JJ. "But you helped the team save Penny's life and you performed very well for your first press conference. And, this video does show that you've dressed up like me at least once! It's only fair that I can dress up like you!"
"Okay," said Garcia. "You win! You can be me," Garcia jokingly hits JJ's arm. "Baby Girl!"
JJ laughs feeling so relieved that Garcia wasn't mad at her.
"But, wait," said Garcia. "Let me trade this,"
Garcia takes the tablet out of JJ's hands and she hands JJ her octopus mug. JJ happily gasps.
"...for this!" said Garcia in her singsong voice. "Now, you're officially Penelope Garcia!"
"Thank you," said JJ. She was feeling like crying.
"Now, don't start crying," said Garcia. "You'll ruin that magnificent makeup!"
JJ laughs.
"I love you, you crazy person!" said Garcia while jokingly hitting JJ's arm again.
JJ mimicked Garcia while using sign language saying, "Me...too...you!"
JJ and Garcia hugged each other while laughing and they started to walk out of Garcia's lair.
"Hey," said Garcia. "You've just inspired an idea for some great costumes for next Halloween!"
"What costumes?" asks JJ.
Garcia said, "I'll be Prentiss and you be Lewis! And then, we'll have them come in here and we'll surprise them!"
"Deal!" laughs JJ.
Garcia and JJ headed to the elevator to go and take Henry and Michael out trick-or-treating.
On Halloween night 2019, Garcia was in her lair doing a final check on her costume. She was wearing a long black brunette wig, contact lenses, a dark gray suit coat with matching pants, a red long sleeved shirt underneath the coat, and dark gray matching boots. She looked just like Prentiss. And then, JJ came into the lair. She was wearing a short brown brunette wig, a light gray suit coat with matching pants, a white long sleeved shirt underneath the coat, and light gray matching boots. She looked just like Lewis.
JJ asked, "Well, how do I look?"
Garcia turned around to look at JJ.
"Dr. Lewis, I presume?" laughs Garcia.
"You're not so bad yourself, Emily Prentiss!" laughs JJ.
Garcia said, "I texted Em to get Lewis and meet us both down here! I can't wait to say 'Wheels up' to Prentiss!"
The door to Garcia's lair was opening and Garcia turned around to see the looks on Prentiss and Lewis's faces when they see that the two of them dressed up like Prentiss and Lewis.
Garcia said, "Wheels u..."
Garcia and JJ both gasped because they got surprises of their own. Lewis was wearing a long blond wig, a gray short sleeved t-shirt, black jeans with a belt, and black high-heeled boots. She looked just like JJ. And Prentiss was wearing a long blond wig with a blue flower on the right side and blue hair highlights resting on her shoulders, blue framed glasses, a matching blue flower dress, matching blue nails, matching blue shoes, and a blue sleeved tablet in her hands. She looked just like Garcia. The four of them happily screamed seeing each other's costumes and they all were laughing and hugging each other.
Garcia laughs, "Great minds think alike!"
JJ laughs, "Oh, my God, Tara! You look great!"
Lewis said, "Well, we thought that if the two of you could be each other, then we could be the two of you this year!" Lewis mimicked JJ saying, "Do you think Will will find me hot looking like this?"
JJ mimicked Lewis saying, "Well, I know of a good therapist he should see if he doesn't!"
Prentiss mimicked Garcia saying, "Oh, my God! It's you! It's really you! Hi!"
Garcia mimicked Prentiss saying, "Hey, you! Okay, girls, it's time to take Henry and Michael out trick-or-treating, but then, we get to turn all of the boys's heads at Dave's costume party! Wheels up!"
"Penelope," whispered JJ. "The mug..."
"Oh, right!" said Garcia. "Let me trade this,"
Garcia took the tablet from Prentiss's hands and she handed Prentiss her octopus mug. Prentiss happily gasps.
"...for this!" Garcia said in her singsong voice. "And now, you're officially Penelope Garcia!"
"Thank you," said Prentiss. She felt like crying.
"Now, don't you start crying on us," said JJ.
"Besides, you'll ruin that magnificent makeup!" said Garcia.
Prentiss and Lewis laugh. JJ and Prentiss leave Garcia's lair with Prentiss's left arm around JJ and JJ's right arm around Prentiss. Lewis and Garcia leave Garcia's lair with Lewis's left arm around Garcia and Garcia's right arm around Lewis.
"Girls, you know what tonight means, don't you?" asks Garcia.
"No," admits Lewis. "What does tonight mean?"
"It means that next Halloween, I get to be you, Doctor!" said Garcia while smiling.
"All right," said Lewis while smiling. "As long as I get to be you, as well!"
Garcia and Lewis laugh. JJ and Prentiss look at each other.
"JJ?" asks Prentiss while smiling.
"Emily?" asks JJ while smiling.
JJ and Prentiss laugh.
Prentiss said, "Ladies, let's enjoy this Halloween first before we get excited about next Halloween!"
The four of them laugh as they all entered the elevator to go and take Henry and Michael out trick-or-treating.
This story was inspired by little Henry dressing up like Reid for Halloween in Season 8's "The Good Earth," and in Season 6's "Devil's Night," when Jack dressed up like Hotch for Halloween, as well as Garcia dressing up like JJ twice. The first time Garcia did was in Season 6's "Compromising Positions." I always wanted to see JJ's reaction to seeing Garcia dressing up like JJ and doing her old press liaison job, and I wanted to see JJ dress up like Garcia at least once for Halloween. And, I also wanted to see the reactions of all four of the BAU ladies finding out that they've all dressed up like each other for Halloween. The JJ press conference I picked was from Season 1's finale, "The Fisher King," and Garcia's press conference was from Season 6's episode, "Reflection of Desire." Hope you enjoyed reading this story!