Chapter 9: Closeness and Cases
The following morning, Reid finished making breakfast for the two of them in JJ's kitchen. He returned to JJ's bedroom and he kissed her cheek to wake her up. JJ woke up and she lovingly smiled at him.
"Hi," happily whispered JJ.
"Good morning," smiled Reid. "I made us some breakfast, Jennifer."
"That's sweet," smiled JJ. "But, it can wait!"
JJ and Reid happily hugged each other tightly.
"Mmmm. You were wonderful last night," said JJ.
"I was?" asked Reid. "I...I'm asking because you were my very first lover, JJ."
JJ smiled, "You were my very first love, Spence. Ever since we first met, you did something to me that I spent nine years not being able to explain."
JJ gently kissed Reid's lips. Reid kissed JJ back.
"You made me love you," continued JJ. "I've always loved being around you. I've always hated it when something bad had happened to you. And, I really hated being away from you when I was in Afghanistan."
"I hated it when you were gone, JJ," said Reid. "Those bad headaches I told you about while you were gone? The doctor told me I had them psychologically because of all the bad stuff we've seen while chasing the unsubs. But, I think I just couldn't sleep because I missed you so much."
JJ's heart was beating rapidly from hearing that. She put both of her hands on Reid's face and she kissed him.
"And, my headaches stopped once I was able to sleep again, JJ," finished Reid.
"In that case," said JJ. "Do you want to take a nap now, Spence? We did stay up most of last night. We both could sleep in each other's arms right now. Come join me in bed!"
"I don't know," smiled Reid. "I don't think you have sleep in mind right now."
"No," admitted JJ. "But, we both would need to sleep eventually! Let's make love again."
Reid and JJ spent the next few hours making love. Then they both fell asleep from total exhaustion. Reid started snoring lightly. JJ opened her eyes and looked at him. She smiled and kissed him gently.
"Sleep well, my love," whispered JJ.
She wrapped her arms around Reid. And, in his sleep, Reid put his arms around JJ. JJ laughed quietly and she went back to sleep. A couple of hours later, they shared the breakfast together that Reid made. JJ started feeling guilty.
"I'm sorry," said JJ.
"For what?" asked Reid.
JJ put her hands on Reid's face and she kissed him gently.
"I should have invited you over for a nightcap after the Redskins game that night," answered JJ. "We could have started this beautiful moment ten years ago, Spence, and I'm so sorry we didn't."
JJ lowered her head. Reid wiped a tear from JJ's cheek.
"Well, JJ," said Reid. "There's one way we could make up for those ten years that we've wasted."
"What's that, Spence?" asked JJ.
Reid kissed JJ's lips gently.
"We can remain lovers for the rest of our lives," answered Reid.
"I love that idea," smiled JJ.
After breakfast, Reid and JJ spent the next few hours trying out Gideon's chessboard with JJ's first chess game lesson. Then JJ phoned her mother to check up on Henry. Then Garcia texted both Reid and JJ to come in for a new case. One hour later, JJ parked her car in the Quantico parking garage.
"Okay, Spence," said JJ. "We have our go-bags?"
"Check," said Reid.
"Our guns?" asked JJ.
"Check," said Reid.
"And, here are our FBI badges," said JJ.
She handed Reid one badge folder while holding a second badge folder in her hand. JJ grabbed her car keys.
"Check," said Reid.
"Good," said JJ. "Then we're ready to go in."
JJ opened her car door to exit the car while Reid opened up the badge folder in his hand.
"Wait a minute," said Reid.
"Why? What's wrong?" asked JJ.
Reid smiled and he turned the badge folder in his hand over so JJ could see it.
"Your name is Dr. Spencer Reid?" asked Reid.
JJ's eyes widened. She opened up the badge folder in her hand. They were holding each other's badges. JJ laughed while they switched badge folders.
"Thank you, Agent Jareau," laughed JJ. "That would have been so difficult to explain!"
JJ and Reid went into Quantico to start the new case. It involved women in Diamond Bar, California who were abducted and murdered by an unsub who was trying to record their screams on a slightly burned tape recorder. He killed women who were not following his wishes. The BAU team found out through Garcia a case involving an abusive father who slit the mother's throat and then killed himself. Their surviving son was the unsub who they were looking for. JJ and Callahan went to the last known address of the unsub. He was hiding himself and the latest woman who he kidnapped from the police raid. But, JJ found him and she fist fought with him. After a few kicks and punches were exchanged, he knocked JJ down on the floor thinking he had won the fight and he picked up a bat to finish off JJ. But, Callahan shot him dead, saving both his latest victim and JJ's lives.
On the flight home from California, JJ's bruises from the fight started showing. JJ and Callahan talked about Megan going out on her first date that night and how they both wished that they could keep Megan and Henry little and innocent forever. After the BAU team landed and left Quantico for the night, Reid and JJ got into her car to drive home to JJ's house. Reid showed strong concerns for JJ's injuries.
"Spence," said JJ. "I'm okay."
"I don't know," said Reid. "I'm counting one black eye, three bruises, four cuts and maybe a fractured rib."
"It's not my first dance against an unsub," said JJ. "I'm all right."
"JJ," said Reid. "You don't have to act like you're indestructible around me. You don't need to be like Morgan and pretend it doesn't hurt. You know that you can lean on me, right?"
Reid gently put his left hand on JJ's right hand. JJ smiled from his gentle touch.
"When we get home," said Reid. "Would you like me to give you an ice pack, a hot bath, or would you like me to kiss your injuries away?"
JJ laughed and said, "I'm telling you, I'm fine...'Kiss my injuries away?'"
"Yes, JJ," answered Reid.
JJ smiled and said, "Well, now that you mention it, Spence, my hand is sore from hitting him."
"It is?" asked Reid.
Reid took JJ's right hand and kissed it. JJ quietly giggled. She loved the feeling from the kiss. Reid attempted to let go of her right hand, but JJ grabbed his left hand with her right hand.
"No," said JJ. "Don't let go. Couples like holding each other's hands whenever they can."
"Yeah?" asked Reid.
"Yeah," answered JJ. "And, he slammed my face into a wall, too. When we get home, I could use a kiss on the bruise on my forehead. And, a kiss on my black eye. And, he cut my lip, too. I could definitely use a kiss to make my lip feel better."
"Really?" asked Reid.
"Oh," smiled JJ. "You'd better listen carefully, genius! I have a huge list of kisses I want you to give me when we get home!"
That evening, Reid learned all the benefits of holding hands with the woman who he loved. And, JJ learned all the benefits of leaning on the man who she loved after getting hurt. A month later, Callahan surprised the BAU team with an announcement that she was pregnant. On flights home from cases, Reid and JJ were playing chess with other family members watching them play. And during the pregnancy, Reid and JJ talked Callahan into wearing headphones on her growing belly during the talks and flights at the beginning of cases so her unborn baby would hear music and not hear any of the bad stuff the unsubs have been doing. Reid had JJ doing that while she was pregnant with Henry.
Then, eight months into the pregnancy, Callahan had the worst two nights of her life. Her niece, Megan and her best friend, Markayla Davis had been kidnapped by an abduction team. The two girls thought that they were going out on a date to a concert with a handsome, slightly older boy who they had met online. But, they were really talking to a middle-aged predator named Alex Zorgen who seduced them with that handsome boy's single selfie photo. The girls boarded a minivan with a woman named Paige driving saying she was taking them to meet the boys at the concert. A young man named Kyle had popped up from the back seat. He injected the girls with knockout drugs. But, Megan was able to send her emergency text "Pepper" to Callahan.
Callahan told the BAU team that Megan was in trouble and Hotch called Agent Tia Canning and the CARD team to help find Megan and Markayla. The abduction team erased both of the girl's online activities on their phones and computers making it harder for Garcia to track them. The girls woke up tied up with flexcuffs around their wrists and ankles.
But, Callahan had trained Megan on what to do if she was ever abducted. Megan whispered an escape plan to Markayla before Kyle came in. He removed the flexcuffs from the girl's ankles and he forced them both back in the minivan. Paige drove them to a transfer point and she and Kyle met the senior abductor, Alex. During the transfer from the minivan to a big van, Megan helped Markayla run away. The two men chased after Markayla while Paige grabbed Megan. Markayla tripped and fell behind some trees and bushes. It was dark and Kyle couldn't find Markayla. Alex shot Kyle dead for letting Markayla escape. After Alex dragged Kyle's dead body away, Markayla continued running. Markayla got to a house and got a woman to help her by calling the FBI. Agent Canning safely reunited Markayla with her mother at the hospital. Markayla gave JJ and Hotch very thorough descriptions of Alex, Paige and Kyle. The CARD team found Kyle's dead body.
Alex and Paige quickly cut and dyed Megan's hair and successfully sold her to an online customer. And, Alex took Megan to another transfer point to give her to the man who bought her online. Hotch, Morgan and Rossi were able to find and arrest Alex and Paige at his house. At Quantico, Alex proudly said to Hotch that Megan was long gone just to torture Callahan. And, Paige was afraid to say anything. On Callahan's advice, JJ showed Paige crime scene photos proving that Alex had betrayed her and killed their son, Kyle. And while crying an ocean of tears, Paige told JJ and Reid who bought Megan. And, she started telling them everything that she knew about Alex's online business.
Morgan, Rossi and JJ went to the house of Alex's best customer, Colin Dupley to find Megan. JJ shot Colin dead. Morgan and Rossi helped untie Megan. Back at Quantico, Paige was tearfully telling Reid the names of every sick customer who she knew Alex had sold girls to. Agent Canning's team looked like they were interrupting a typically normal family night in a house. But, after arresting the man of the house, he led them to the center of the house, where there was a dungeon with two more abducted girls inside. Morgan brought Megan home safely to Callahan and Chris. Callahan hugged Megan happily while tearfully thanking Morgan for bringing her back. Morgan called Garcia. Garcia was with the rest of the BAU team in the round table room. Garcia quickly answered the call.
"Is Megan home safely?" asked Garcia.
Morgan turned on his cell phone camera and he pointed it at Callahan and Megan.
"See for yourself, Baby Girl," smiled Morgan.
Hotch, Garcia, JJ, Reid and Rossi could see the happy reunion on Garcia's laptop screen. Hotch, JJ, Reid and Rossi smiled.
"Oh," happily cried Garcia. "I really needed to see that!"
"Me, too," smiled JJ. "A mother and daughter reunited!"
JJ and Garcia happily hugged each other. Reid looked at JJ and he made a decision for the future.