Author's Note: Don't own anything, which is sad. Chapters 2 and 3 are deep and important. Italics are things that are past events in thoughts and the letter from Roselyn.
JJ stormed out of the room before anyone could stop her. Emily was the first to speak up following silence after JJ's exit. JJ stormed out of the room before anyone could stop her. Emily was the first to speak up following silence after JJ's exit. "You want me to go and check on her, Hotch?" Hotch nods his head, allowing her to help JJ. While Emily goes to JJ, the team continues to discuss the case. Knowing the only place JJ would run to is the abandoned staircase in the back of the FBI Quantico building. Five minutes later Emily arrived at the staircase, looking through the small window she found JJ. Hunched over in a ball in the corner between the flat part of the stairs. Opening the door, Emily walks through the door and down the stairs. "Jayje." Emily softly whispers to JJ. Without looking up at Emily and no hesitation in her voice Jennifer says, "I guess you drew the short straw, huh?" Prentiss frowns at the question and answers back. "There were no pulling of straws. I asked Hotch if I could come and check on you, since no one else knows about your little secret hiding place." JJ gives Emily a short smile and thinks back to that day.
It was after a brutal case when JJ just needed some quiet and headed to her special hideout that she had only found just two months ago. Once she was in the enclosed space of the deserted staircase, JJ sunk to the floor and cried. JJ who was to focused on getting to her destination didn't see that she was being followed. As Jennifer sat on the floor with he knees pulled to her chest, head on her arms and hiding her face, she was suddenly heard the squeaking of the door opening. JJ still to distraught by the case, didn't bother to look and see who it was. That was until an unmistakable soft voice penetrated the hollow walls that were surrounding her. "JJ, it's me Emily." JJ's head shoots up, trying to get her eyes to adjust to the light after they were enclosed with darkness. Opening up her mouth, JJ mumbles out of exhaustion and despair, "Em-emly?" Prentiss smiles and softly replies, "Yes Jayje. It's me Emily. You okay?" Ignoring the question, JJ asks a more important one which is, "How'd you find me?" Emily still concerned about JJ's state, answers, "I followed you." The answer causes JJ to become more alert. "You followed me?" Emily didn't really know if it was a question or a rhetorical remark, so she just nodded her head.
JJ is jolted from the memory by someone calling her name. "JJ. JJ. Jennifer." "What is it Emily?" Relieved that she was finally able to pull JJ from her thoughts, Emily remarked with, "I've been calling your name for the past few minutes. Where'd you go just now?" JJ shakes her head and mumbles with shaving gone nowhere. Choosing to allow JJ to pass on the question, Emily moves to the more important question at hand. "So you wanna talk about why there's a case that involves you and your past?" JJ was expecting her top ask about the events that happened back in the room while looking over the case, she just never expected Emily to be so direct about it. "I guess beating around the bush on the subject isn't an option." JJ barks back with just as much bite as Emily did. Emily just stares at her with the ' stop trying to avoid the question' look. "Fine. What do you want to know?" Sighing with some relief that JJ isn't trying to put up much of a fight. "Would you rather tell me here and then tell the team or just bite the bullet and tell everyone at once?" "Second choice." Emily was glad she chose the second option. "Now that we have that settled, let's head back to the room so they don't think we were kidnapped or something." JJ chuckles at the thought and agrees. The two agents head back to the briefing room where they are met with 10 pairs of eyes looking at them. JJ ignores the looks and sits back down in her seat, as does Emily. After sitting, JJ keeps her head down and quietly says, "Not saying anything until Erin's here." Everyone in the room are shocked by Jennifer's request, but allow. While Dave goes to get Strauss, the room stays in silence and only the sounds of heavy breathing coming from JJ. This causing concern from Hotch and Emily, while Penelope, Spencer, and Derek are just worried for their friend and colleague. A few minutes later Rossi arrives back in the briefing room with Erin behind him. Once the door is closed, Strauss requests, "Can someone tell me why I am here?" Before anyone can answer the order/question, JJ lifts her head and looks directly at Strauss and says, "Roselyn." The only two people that aren't surprised by JJ's voice and announcement are JJ and Erin. All Strauss can do is say, "Oh." What's even more surprising is Strauss walking over to Jennifer, leaning down and asking, "You okay? I can tell them if you don't want to." JJ looks at Erin before shaking her head, no and replying with, "I'm okay. I can do it." Strauss smiles softly at her before pulling up a chair and sitting next to JJ. Taking a few deep breathes, JJ looks up at the team and says, "Only one other person knows the whole truth." Waiting a few seconds for them to absorb the information, JJ continues. "The Monday of Roselyn leaving I woke up to her necklace hanging from my door with a note attached to it and before you ask, yokes I still have the note. I never go anywhere without it." Reaching into pocket, JJ lays the piece of paper containing the note. "I've ready it so many times over the years trying to find any thing that could help me find her. It said, 'My dearest sister, I'm so sorry to do this to you, but I felt like had no choice. Please tell mom and dad to not look for me. I have ran away and I can't come back. I want you to have my necklace to protect yourself from The Tall Man. I know you think its just a scary mad-up story, but just know that the story may be fake howevermonsters are very very real. This necklace will protect you from those monsters that are out there. Just know that I will always love you with all my heart and I will never forget how much fun and pride I had being your older, wiser, and funnier sister. I really hope you and I can see each other again, but I can't see into the future so you and I will just have to pray and hope for the future to bring us back together again. I'll never forget you. Please take care of mom and dad. P.S. You better not lose my necklace and please keep it safe. Remember it will protect you from the monsters in the world. I love you, sis. Take care.' Roz." After reading the note, JJ had tears rolling down her cheeks, but no sobbing. "At the time I didn't understand why she continued on talking about an imaginary Halloween story. After she left my parents still tried looking for her even though she said not to, but came up empty." JJ abruptly stops talking which doesn't go unnoticed by the team. "What aren't you saying, JJ?" Derek asks.
Author's Note: Sorry for the cliff hanger, but chapter 3 will be posted right after so no big wait time.