When Penelope travelled with the team, it wasn't often that she went into the field, but today was different—instead of staying put, she was going into the house with Derek and Hotch while they were looking for Baylor because after being in such a vulnerable position at the hands of the man who abused her, JJ, and even Hope and Vivian would prbably respond to her before a first aid responder.
At any rate, this would add some excitement to her day.
"Emily?"
"Hm?"
"How are you doing?"
Though they were in the middle of a residential neighborhood, and it was very early on a Monday morning, the case was already so high-stakes that amongst the sea of squad cars, there was also a mobile command center. The BAU team and the local authorities were camped out inside, going over their plan of breaking into the house from the back way. Penelope wasn't needed for the conversation just yet, and she was glad because she noticed Emily over in the corner, sitting on one of the benches, looking lost in thought.
Because she was pregnant, Emily wouldn't be going into the house unless JJ asked for her, and she was glad because it gave her time to sort out the jumble of thoughts racing through her head. She hadn't even realized Penelope was watching her.
"I don't know, PG." Emily said in response to her friend's question as she sat with her. "Do you think it's weird that I fell for someone who was in the beginning stages of a relationship when I was just getting to know them?"
Thinking back to her to the first time she ever met Derek and how she'd fallen for him in a heartbeat, despite the terrible pick-up line she'd used, Penelope shook her head. "No, I don't. Sometimes you really can't help who you fall in love with."
"Even when they haven't been in your life a whole year yet?"
"Even then."
Emily let out a shaky breath and leaned into her friend's hold when she offered it. "I just love her so much, Penelope. Her babies, too. I know she's in the process of healing from what happened with Baylor, and even that what is happening in that house right now might even set her back in the progress we've already made in rehabilitation, but what if JJ doesn't return those feelings, and I'm just setting myself up for disappointment?"
"Going by what I saw when I came to visit her at the hospital—as far as you two geting along with each other, I mean—I think there's a part of JJ somewhere in there that returns the love but just doesn't know how to say it because Baylor practically squashed out her ability to properly express emotions like love." Penelope said that thoughtfully, although she chose her next words very carefully. "Some bad things happened to JJ when she was a kid that caused her to become the way she is, and even I don't know all of the details, but I promise you, Emily, that once you get past that first layer, you'll find someone who really loves her friends and someone who also more than likely has a little more love to give to the person that she's imprinted on."
"And you're saying that JJ has imprinted on me?"
Penelope nodded. "For sure, but she just doesn't know how to say it. JJ imprinted on you because she really loves you, but she hasn't realized it yet, and I think we'd know if she had."
"That's true." Emily turned to her bespectacled friend and gave her a genuine smile. "Thanks, Penelope. That really helps."
Penelope gave her friend's hand a gentle squeeze. "You're very welcome."
The two sat in silence for a beat, but then all of a sudden, Penelope sat up in her seat and put a hand to her stomach, rubbing it and wrinkling her nose.
"Not again..."
"What?" Emily asked, glad to have something to take her mind off her topsy-turvy feelings. "Are you going to be ill?"
Penelope shook her head. "No, but my stomach has been doing all of these crazy little flips for the past three days, and its been driving me nuts because I never get sick!"
Before Emily could get Penelope to say anything more on the matter, Hotch called her over to the table, requesting her presence, so she got up and left. Ultimately, she was left alone with her thoughts again.
Her stomach has been doing flips, and for three days? Emily thought. But then again, she's also been avoiding foods I know she likes...
What if...?
Oh, my God...!
If I didn't know any better, I'd say that Penelope is pregnant and just doesn't know it.
But who...?
Not that Kevin guy because she said they just didn't click...
But that would only leave one person...
Derek!
Wait... Derek and Penelope...?
Huh...
Well, at least we know that is going to be one smart and very beautiful baby...
But this must be what it's like to be in the middle of a group of friends who all came down with baby fever at the same time.
Life in this unit is never, ever dull.
Meanwhile, inside the house, JJ was trying to quell the babies in her belly, the one in her arms, and the freaked out toddler burrowing into her side and trying to hide herself under her comfort blanket. JJ had no idea what time it was because it was dark outside yet, but she knew that her people were out in the driveway because she could hear them.
This gave JJ the courage that she needed to face her monster, but the arrival of the law enforcers had filled Baylor with rage, and after a round of yelling at JJ and belittling her, he left the room and paced the length of the house as he figured out what to do.
Hopefully, he wouldn't spiral out any more than he already was.
As means to give Hope and Vivian a little more protection, JJ had moved them all in to the huge walk-in closet, and she did her best to distract them… but that wasn't going too well.
Baylor's anger frightened JJ, but it downright terrified Hope and Vivian. It even caused Hope to have an asthma attack.
"Come on, Hope." JJ cooed, doing the best she could to help the little girl use her inhaler while Vivian squirmed around in her lap, upset that she wasn't being held. "Please just focus on relaxing, and if you can, give me a thumbs up when you feel better."
It took a moment, but Hope gave JJ a thumbs up.
Relieved, JJ set the inhaler aside and picked Vivian back up, giving her kisses and cuddles, promising her that she hadn't forgotten about her. JJ got her settled soon enough, although she was faced almost immediately with another problem.
"JJ, I'm hungry." Hope whined as she laid her head in her friend's lap and pulled her blanket over herself to keep warm. "Why did he have to take the food?"
In his anger, Baylor had taken all of the food JJ had purchased, including the formula for Vivian and trashed it. When JJ had protested, she was met with a hard slap to the face, which Baylor informed her was her third strike. She still had yet to find out what her punishment was.
"I don't know, Hope, although I wish I did."
"Are you also hungry?"
"Yes." the blond admitted, wincing a little when Vivian snuggled against her sore breasts, instinctively looking for milk to drink because she was desperate. "And you're not the only one of us who is hungry. I am, Vivian is, and so are the two little babies in my tummy."
Hope sat back up and looked at JJ, fixing her glasses as a mixture of shock and joy appeared on her face.
"You've got babies in your tummy, JJ?"
"Uh-huh, and we love them so much."
"Who is 'we'?" Hope asked curiously, hunger forgotten.
"Me and my Emily. She's my love."
"You have a love?"
"I do, and I can't wait see her because I think she's outside."
"We could go to the window to see if we see her." Hope suggested, fixing her glasses as they slid down her nose.
Knowing that the house probably had snipers trained on it, JJ shook her head. "That's a really good idea, but not right now. I just need you to stay by me, alright?"
"Okay. Is it because you need cuddles?"
"Yes." JJ decided. "I do, and there's another thing I need."
"What?"
"For you to cover your eyes when it gets really scary; Emily and our friends are outside, and I don't know exactly when, but they're going to come in here and save us."
Hope laid back down, wrapping herself in her blanket and clutching her elephant toy to her chest. "I promise I'll be good, but JJ?"
"Yes, little one?"
"Please tell me about Robin Hood?"
JJ could help but smile—she must have told the story three times now. "You really like that story, huh?"
Hope nodded. "Yeah, and that's my toy's name! Please tell the story?"
And so JJ did.
Their safe haven didn't long, though.
"JJ, you stupid bitch!" Baylor snarled, rushing back into the room and standing over where she, Hope, and Vivian were camped out. "Your people are still outside, and they're trying to negotiate with me to hand you and the brats over!"
"Please let us go, Baylor! We're all really, really hungry, and Hope is recovering from an asthma attack!"
Baylor's eyes widened in disgust. "She's defective? Give her to me!"
"No!" JJ shrieked, curling up as best she could. "No, no, no!"
Scared again, Vivian let out a warning whimper while Hope finally succeeded in hiding herself completely under her blanket, squeezing her eyes shut and clamping her hands over her ears.
"Baylor, please!" JJ was really pleading now, not as an FBI agent, but as a woman scared for not only her life, but the lives of the four children she was currently responsible for. "Hope didn't do anything to you, and I can take care of her! Please don't take her away from me! Please!"
"Defective children have to be disposed of!"
"But Hope is perfect, and she's got a family that misses her and Vivian so much!"
This whole time, JJ's fear was increasing because the threat of Baylor taking Hope away from her as punishment for her third strike was way too real. She wouldn't be able to handle it if she lost either of Elle's children.
That being said, Baylor had made a mistake already: he'd left the door to hallway wide open, and JJ could see Hotch, Derek, and Penelope in the doorway, each as quiet as the night. Hotch had his gun trained on the back of Baylor's head, with Derek's gun trained in the same spot as a secondary shot. Penelope was just behind them, and when she and JJ locked eyes, she signaled for her to be quiet as she counted down in the softest of whispers.
"Three... two... one... go!"
For the second time in less than twelve hours, JJ heard the sound of a bullet from a silencer being fired. It made contact with Baylor's head immediately, and he fell to the floo in the exact same way that Madalyn had when he shot her.
It was finally over.
JJ's monster was dead.
