JJ and the others spent the rest of the day following through on the leads they'd been provided with, and while they found out that Tinsley had joined a bird watching group that was offered through the Veteran's Center and that he was popular there, the most startling thing was that when they went to go talk to his boss and co-workers at the hardware store, they learned that Oscar Lee hadn't been seen there in almost two whole days, which was around the time that Tinsley had vanished.
Taking that in stride, Derek and Spencer were sent to stake Oscar's place out in the evening, but now it was nearing nine o'clock, and there was absolutely no activity from him whatsoever. He was on the loose, Derek and Spencer were sitting ducks, and the rest of them were flapping in the breeze. It was a very unpleasant feeling.
Back at the station, however, JJ, she felt like she was falling asleep.
"Hey, in there; you with us?"
JJ jumped when she realized she was being spoken to.
"Sorry, what?"
She, Emily, Hotch, Rossi, Penelope, and Ryder were all gathered at the conference table in the work area, but they'd all been quiet for awhile because nothing had been happening. At all.
"You look wiped out." Emily told her.
JJ leaned back in her chair and framed her middle with the fingers on her casted hand while with her good hand, she tickled her bump; it was a way to get the twins used to knowing she was there.
"Growing two babies 24/7 is a serious energy-drainer sometimes, but I swear I'm awake."
At that, Hotch gave her a kind, friendly smile. "JJ, in that last two minutes, you've yawned at least four times."
"I have?"
"Uh-huh. Anything else on your mind?"
"Well, when I was talking to my aunt and uncle, they told me that I should talk to my brother about life back in Drexel; they made it sound like he's got something to share and that they know exactly what it is, but they don't want to spoil it."
"Go ahead and call him." Hotch responded after sending a responding to a text he'd just gotten. "Morgan just told me that a team from the precinct to relieve them at the stakeout. When they come back, we'll go back to the hotel and get some sleep so we can start again with fresh eyes in the morning."
JJ didn't need any more encouragement past that, so she picked up her phone and left the room in search of a quieter, more private space.
Eventually, she found a bench in a hallway and sat down on it, dialing her brother's number and then holding the phone to her ear. Archer picked up on the third ring.
"Jenny, hi." he sounded surprised. "Is there anything new?"
"No." JJ answered honestly. "Actually, when I was talking to Uncle Balfour and Aunt Sarahjane, they said I should ask you about your life back home."
Even though JJ couldn't see her brother at that particular moment, she could practically hear him smiling as he responded.
"Are you sitting down?"
"I am."
Archer took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "This was dumped in my lap two months ago, but my accounting firm is permanently transferring us to Quantico; I'm going to the new director!"
JJ's heart was immediately on the ceiling because that news really caught her by surprise.
"Really? You've been wanting to be director for forever! Congrats!"
Archer beamed even though JJ couldn't see him. "Thanks. I called mom and Cho called her mom about it so they both know, but mom probably told Uncle Balfour because we both know that there are no secrets between those two."
"That's very true." JJ laughed. "When are you, Cho, and sweet Kaida officially moving to Quantico?"
"In three weeks."
JJ's heart skipped a beat as she echoed, "Three weeks?"
"Yeah," Archer laughed nervously. "And I would have called you sooner, but..."
"But what...?" JJ gently pried.
"Almost right after we got the news about moving, Kaida turned nasty on us because she's upset about moving and then we found out that Cho is pregnant!"
JJ let out a squeal of delight. "Archie, that's wonderful; I'm even happier for you! How is she doing?"
"She was as sick as a dog until just last week, although that's because we were blindsided by some things."
Knowing that her brother and his wife had already been planning on expanding their family, JJ couldn't possibly imagine what had blindsided them.
"Like what?"
"She was further along than we thought, for one thing, even though she didn't look it when we found out."
Now JJ was feeling perplexed because in all of the years she'd known her sister-in-law, Cho had always been very slender because that was just her natural figure.
"How far along is Cho?"
"Now? Almost five months... with two boys."
Our family never does anything small, JJ thought in amusement, while aloud, she exclaimed, "I honestly don't know if my heart can handle any more joy! Does Kaida know?"
"She does, and we waited until Cho was past the twelve-week mark to tell her that there are twins. Kaida wouldn't even consider coming around to us until then."
"But she's happy now?"
"Oh, yes. Kaida is totally over the moon..."
Archer became hesitant again, so JJ spoke in a waning tone. "Archer Dashiell Jareau, if you keep drifting off, I'm going to fall asleep because like your wife, I'm also carrying two babies and at the moment, they're making me very sleepy."
Catching his little sister's drift, Archer carried on. "Cho and Kaida are going to be flying down here tomorrow for Tinsley's funeral."
"Cho and DeLilah have been best friends for years; how come she hasn't come down here sooner?"
"The morning sickness has really been getting to her, and Kaida's in a theater production that she can't get out of."
"She's only eight, though."
"She's got the role of Marta von Trapp in The Sound Of Music."
"Two points to Kaida." JJ said, impressed.
"And she steals the show," Archer said proudly. "But more to the point, Cho also wants to come to look after DeLilah and Hattie and Talley and Annalynn."
"Dee needs all the help she can get right now, the poor thing." JJ sympathized while also being proud of how her family really took to heart looking after its own. "But this means that by the time they get here, Uncle Ellis and Aunt Maggie and the boys will be back from Hong Kong; all of the living Foxworths and Jareaus will be town."
"Hell of a way for Emily to meet all of us, huh?"
"Unfortunately, yes."
Out of the corner of her eye, JJ spotted Spencer and Derek passing by her, having returned from their stakeout.
"Archer, I have to go, but it was great talking to you." JJ stood and stretched. "You give my love to Cho and Kaida the next time you talk to them, alright?"
"Will do, baby sis. Catch you around."
They hung up, and when JJ returned to collect her things, Emily noticed the smile on her girlfriend's face.
"What's that look for?" Emily asked her as they headed out to the cars. "Good chat with Archer?"
"For sure, and guess what? Cho and Kaida are going to be flying here tomorrow for Tinsley's funeral."
Emily raised an eyebrow. "Really? Isn't that jumping the gun?"
"Well, when a crisis hits us, we tend to flock together. That's the way it's always been." JJ said with a shrug. "Cho has also been best friends with DeLilah for years, but that's another story. She wants to come down here to look after her, too, but they couldn't get down here sooner because Kaida has a lead in The Sound Of Music."
"Impressive, especially since she isn't even ten yet." Emily mused. "So I'll be meeting your sister-in-law and your niece, then?"
They'll be yours, too, one day, thought JJ. "Them... and the two little boys that Cho is carrying in her belly."
Emily lit up. "Cho's expecting? Tell me everything you know!"
When the team settled in at the hotel, JJ fell asleep the second her head hit her pillow on her bed. She was sharing the room with Emily and Penelope, like always and unsurprisingly, Penelope fell asleep around the same time as JJ, although in her own bed.
Emily was just about to change into her pajamas when her phone rang, and acting quickly, she picked it up from her bedside table and answered it in the hallway.
"This is Agent Prentiss." she hadn't recognized the number, so she had to answer professionally.
"Emily, it's Jenny's mother, Sandy."
Emily was a little taken aback to be getting a call from her, especially this late, but she kept her cool. "What can I do for you tonight."
"I... was just paid a visit by a man who used bully Jenny and her brother and sister when they were younger."
"Oscar Lee?"
Now Sandy was the one taken aback. "Jenny told you all about him?"
"Uh-huh. What did he say to you?"
Sandy hesitated. "Is there any way for you and Jenny to come and meet me?"
"She's already sleeping, but," (she spotted Hotch and Spencer passing by her on the way to their suite, but she managed to flag them down) "I can come with someone else. Where are you? Foxworth Hall?"
"No, I'm actually in the coffee shop at the big mall; you'll know it when you see it. I can explain why I'm not at my parents' house, too."
"Then we'll see you when we get there. Don't go anywhere."
"I won't, sweetheart. See you soon."
When they hung up and Emily put her phone away, she turned to the other two, both of whom were giving her expectant looks.
"That was JJ's mom." Emily explained. "She sounds kind of spooked because she was just paid a visit by Oscar Lee."
"Then you and Reid go talk to her." Hotch said. "Find out what's going on."
"What about JJ?" Spencer interjected.
"Let her sleep. We can tell her about it in the morning."
"Alright, then. We'll give you a report after that."
Pleased by that, Hotch continued on to his room while Emily and Spencer turned around and headed back to the elevators.
