Last author's note, I promise: the man at the heart of this mayhem is a young man in his twenties called Caleb Rankin. He is recently divorced from a woman called Trissa Halifax. Rankin lost his job as a custodian at The Library Of Congress because he was framed for stealing. Around the same time, Trissa had a bad miscarriage. It went downhill from there. Rankin turned abusive. He also blamed Trissa for losing their child. She filed for divorce and most recently, a restraining order. This last matter only recently went into affect. Rankin couldn't take no for an answer, and now he's come after his wife.
Also of note: Kendra Fujimoto's parents, Yuri and Saki, are also in the bookstore. They happen to be the attorneys who handled the divorce. How Rankin knew that they were there is a mystery.
Meanwhile, Hotch and Strauss were leading the SWAT personnel on a rooftop expedition.
It was time for a rescue. The first key ingredient was guts.
Especially since it involved crashing through a window.
"Alright." Hotch said as they emerged on to the rooftop. "Spread out. The skylight for the bookstore isn't far from here. None of them should be able to see us."
"Will they be able to hear us?" Derek asked quickly.
Strauss replied, "Probably not because they're all gathered at the front of the establishment."
"Sir!"
Hotch realized he was being addressed. One of the SWAT officers was hailing her from across the rooftop, so he jogged over. The others followed close behind.
"What do you have, sir?" Hotch asked him when they all drew level.
The officer pointed to the bookstore skylight approximately ten feet away. "It looks down in to the bookstore."
"Do you see anyone immediately in view?"
"I do not." the other man told Hotch. "But look."
He pointed to an external door just beside the skylight, attached to the building wall.
"I think we could enter through here. We just need to find out where that goes."
Derek already had his phone pulled out. "Way ahead of you."
Down in the mobile command center, Penelope was just getting back into the zone of being focused when when her phone rang. She tapped the 'ACCEPT' button on her headset and the call came through.
"What can I do for you?" she asked.
"We're at the bookstore skylight on the roof. Do you have the schematics for this complex?"
"You know I do. Even in this office on wheels." Penelope called the schematics up. "What exactly are you looking for?"
"There's a door up here and it looks like it leads to another part of the building."
"But you can't just go on a whim, because that place could go to a dead-end boiler room, for all you know."
Penelope called up the area on her screen and scanned the information.
"Found it. That door leads to a storage room which in turn leads to a separate access point for the café. Derek, you all discovered a tunnel."
"Copy that. Have you seen any change in Rankin's behavior?"
"Not that I can see from here. And I also haven't noticed any accomplice-looking types, either." Penelope said as she glanced at video footage on one of her other monitors. "He has taken off his mask and tucked his gun away."
"Please tell me where he and the hostages are now."
Penelope examined the footage closer. "Still in the café, but off to the side. He's also got the Fujimotos on the floor. Trissa has been tied to a chair."
Derek tried not to blanch. "Where are the kids, then?"
"Safe with JJ and Emily in a back room here. Be careful." Penelope returned.
"Always am. Catch you later."
Derek ended the call first.
"What did she say?" Hotch asked as the dark-skinned man put his phone away and turned to face them.
Derek addressed everyone on the whole. "I've just spoken with our technical analyst in the command center out front, and she was able to tell me where this door leads to."
"And where would that be, sir?" the SWAT leader asked.
Derek relayed everything Penelope had told him.
"I like this development a lot more." Hotch said Derek had finished.
"As do I." the SWAT leader agreed. "Going in this way is far better than crashing through the window. It gives us a better element surprise."
The passageway happened to be something of a surface tunnel. It was through here they found a dish room that ultimately led to the service counter in the café. Everyone emerged silently here.
Caleb Rankin was holding court near the large floor-to-ceiling windows on the side of the room that faced an inner walkway of the mall. Trissa remained in the chair, weeping as her ex railed against her, screaming out insults and belittling insults to her face. She had never been so afraid in her life.
The other store patrons and employees all sat together, huddled together and just as worried. Each of them had been made to zip-tie each other's ankles and wrists. Rankin tied the last person up himself. All of the hostages were stuck fast.
But… they did spot the FBI and SWAT team people quietly sneaking in behind them. All of them immediately moved as one to get out of the way of any possible trouble.
Rankin, of course, noticed.
He whipped his gun back out. "What is the matter with all of you? Did I say that you could move even an inch?"
Daringly, one of the hostages pointed to the agents.
Rankin whirled around, taking Trissa with him as a shield. "Who the hell are you?"
"FBI and SWAT." Derek told him. "Caleb Rankin, step away from Trissa. Put your hands on your head. Now."
"So you know my name." Rankin sneered as he took note of the numerous taser guns now trained on him. "Is that supposed to impress me?"
Derek moved a little closer. "We've been trying to get to you for ages. Do you know the the fear and panic you've caused?"
"Yeah? What about it?"
"All we want to know is, why did you do all this?"
"I needed to find my wife!"
"You mean your ex-wife!" Derek reminded him. "There was a divorce!"
"But talk about coincidence on another part." Rankin waved his weapon in the Fujimotos' direction before jamming it into her left shoulder blade. "It's just a shame that all this happened here—but I was getting desperate."
"Because I needed to come find Trissa. Talk about coincidence on another part, though." Rankin waved his gun in the Fujimotos' direction before jamming it into his ex's left shoulder blade. "It's just a shame that it had to be here, but I was getting desperate!"
Hotch flanked Derek. "But punishing Trissa for the loss of a child? Really?"
"We were supposed to be happy, and now all of that is ruined." Rankin sounded very desperate now. "I just wanted to ask Trissa to come back. Now I've totally screwed up."
Hotch's eyes flickered briefly towards the ceiling. "Those fights upstairs—was that you?"
"Very good." Rankin praised sarcastically. "Gang members are stupidly easy to con."
"Still, you can't be all bad because you made the choice to let the children go."
Rankin visibly wavered. "I didn't want them to get hurt."
"And none of them are." Derek chimed in. "Your small act of mercy worked."
Rankin wavered again. "S-so the kids are safe?"
"Yeah, man. They are." Derek moved closer. "Another small mercy is that you haven't wounded anyone here."
"What are telling me, muscles?" Rankin said testily.
"That you really can't be all bad. Just leave Trissa be, and we can walk out of here in a minute."
Rankin folded a little more. "I could have been a good dad. Now it's Trissa's fault that I'll never be able to meet my own kid."
Trissa finally spoke, although it was in something of a squeak. "But it wasn't my fault!"
Derek addressed Rankin once more. "You see? I am sorry that your child went to heaven, but it really was nobody's fault. Is frightening everyone else really the way to go?"
Rankin's thoughts were beginning to catch up with him as his mania lessened. "No."
"Then put your gun on the floor and kick it over here."
"Are you going to arrest me?"
Derek told the truth. "We're going to have to, but you kicking the gun over is the one difference between whether or not you get fifty thousand volts in your system."
Rankin decided on balance that getting tased was a bad idea. He followed through on Derek's instructions at once. Strauss immediately caught the weapon and disarmed it. No need for it to accidentally go off now.
Hotch rushed Rankin. The SWAT leader followed. Both of them forced the man on to his knees, mirandized him and handcuffed him. Rankin wouldn't be going anywhere under his own steam.
Derek freed Trista while the rest of the SWAT team worked on freeing everyone else. With help from the store manager, they were able to lift the gate over the store entrance and leave peacefully.
They were safe.
Two couples came hurrying up to Derek in the midst of the reunions outside. He recognized the first couple as the Fujimotos—Kendra's father and mother.
"What is your name, please?" the patriarch asked him.
"I'm Supervisory Special Agent Derek Morgan, sir." he shook hands with the couple. "I know who both of you are. Yuri and Saki Fujimoto."
"That is correct." Saki said in surprise. "Have you seen our daughter? She's called Kendra, and she was with us until Caleb forced her out."
Derek spoke very calmly. "Kendra is very safe. She made it to the toy store. Two of our agents were already there."
"That would be JJ and Emily, right? We know about them because of Kaida. Our daughter worships her. They tell each other everything." the woman laughed nervously. "She then tells us just about all of it."
Yuri Fujimoto spoke before his wife could go down a long rabbit trail. "Why were your agents in the store?"
"It was the team's day off. JJ and Emily were here to treat Kaida to a shopping day." Derek replied. "It's my understanding that your daughter made it to the store because they noticed her in the hallway."
"So she's been safe this whole entire time?"
"That's correct, sir. Kaida is nearby. Please excuse me one moment."
Derek now addressed the second couple.
"Was your child also in the bookstore?"
"She was. I'm Flynn, and this," the man indicated his wife. "Is Lux. We're Zooey Pearl Weisenberg's parents. Do you know where she is?"
Lux tacked on, "Our girl is just a baby. This isn't even the first time we've been forcibly separated from her."
Derek looked Lux directly in the eyes. "And that's because Oregon was the first."
Lux and Flynn just stared. Hearing a perfect stranger bring a big event like that with no preamble was pretty unsettling.
Lux cleared her throat. "W-were you the one one found Zooey back then?"
Derek shook his head. "One of my colleagues did, m'am. She's with your daughter now."
Flynn asked, "Can we please go hold Zooey, Special Agent Morgan?"
"Certainly." Derek motioned for everyone to follow him. "Right this way."
The overall mood in the the mobile command center was extremely cheerful.
And it was time to think about all the extra passengers they had.
Sunday's parents had been contacted, although they had yet to answer because their phones had gone to voicemail. Kaida also remained. JJ and Emily were technically still responsible for for her. And Kendra hadn't left Kaida's side. Zooey was content to be held by anyone. Right now, that person was Penelope. But she didn't mind.
Kendra perked up when she saw the agents approach. "Who's parents are here?"
"Yours, pretty girl!" Emily told her. "Are you ready to get out of here?"
"Very much! Yes!"
Kendra proceeded to give a round of good-byes before following the agents away. Her joy was palpable when they were finally together.
"Papa!" she ran to her parents, embracing them with both arms. "Mama!"
Yuri picked his daughter up. "We missed you."
Saki asked Kendra, "Were you scared?"
"Just for a little bit. But they took care of me." Kendra motioned to JJ and Emily.
The Fujimotos approached them.
Saki went first. "How can we begin to thank you?"
"I think you can just thank the universe for the day that Kendra and Kaida became friends. That day was fateful." responded JJ. "Kaida saw her just before the shop grates went down. It was thanks to her that we were able to get Kendra and another child to safety."
Kendra blurted, "What about Zooey? Is she going to be good?"
"Yep." JJ reassured her. "We're going to bring her to her mama and papa next."
"Okay." Kendra said approvingly. "That's good."
Emily showed her kindness. "You were very brave today. Now it's time for you to go home with your parents."
Kendra yawned hugely; her adrenaline was crashing. "Alright."
Saki looked directly to JJ. "Is there anything else you need from us?"
Emily shook her head. "No. You may leave."
JJ and Emily walked the Fujimotos to the front of the trailer. A local law enforcement officer escorted them outside.
No sooner had they gone than another LEO brought in a different couple.
"Special Agents Jareau and Prentiss," he said. "These are the Upchurches. Cairo and Ireland."
"What can we do for you?" Emily asked them politely.
"We're Sunday's parents." Ireland said. "The officers told us to come talk to you two. Is our daughter hurt?"
"No one will tell us anything. We're subway drivers. That takes up a lot of time and focus." Cairo added. "We came right over when our shifts ended."
Emily's tone was like an anchor, steadfast. "Sunday is unharmed. Your daughter is very safe."
The Upchurches breathed a sigh a collective sigh of relief.
"Where was she?" Cairo pressed. "How did she find you?"
"The short version," soothed JJ. "Is that we all happened to be in the toy store together. Sunday helped us keep the peace."
Emily spoke to the LEO, who had been watching their conversation from the side. "Will you please go get Sunday?"
The LEO returned in record timing with her.
"Where are Fox, River, and Delta?" Sunday asked her parents after she hugged them.
Ireland caressed Sunday's curly locks. "Your brother and sisters are with your aunt right now. Don't you worry."
Sunday breathed a sigh of relief. "I really want to see them."
Cairo gave his daughter an extra hug. "That can definitely be arranged. But first—are you hungry?"
"I am." Sunday realized with a start. "Famished."
"We thought so. Let's get you out of here."
Sunday looked to the agents. "Is it okay if I go?"
"You bet, kid." Emily told her. "Take care of yourself."
JJ waved. "Good-bye, Sunday. Here."
She held out her business card. Emily presented the girl with hers, too. Sunday took both and pocketed them.
"Thank you." she told the others. "Maybe we'll see each other again."
"I hope so." JJ said wistfully. "See you around."
Sunday waved. "See you."
And the Upchurches left.
"Kendra and Sunday are back with their parents." JJ said to Emily. "That's good."
"Yes, but what about Kaida and Jack? Have you heard anything about Cho?"
JJ nodded. "Aaron said that Haley told him that Cho is absolutely in labor now. She brought her to the hospital."
"Oh, boy." Emily ran her fingers though her hair. "Is Haley in the waiting room now?"
"Yep. She set up camp, and she's there with Cho's parents, both of yours, and my mother. Our new nephews will be here some time in the next twenty-four hours."
"We need to get over there." Emily turned her wheelchair towards the other part the trailer. "But let's go get dear Zooey first. Her parents have waited long enough."
JJ and Emily found Penelope in her tech alcove, cuddling with her tiny charge.
"Time for the little miss to go?" Penelope asked her friends.
Emily nodded as she picked up Zooey's diaper bag. "Yes. Derek told us her full is Zooey Pearl Weisenberg."
"That's a perfect name."
JJ took Zooey into her arms. "Definitely. Thanks for keeping an eye on her."
Penelope touched a hand to her own baby bump as she felt her little one wiggle round. "My pleasure entirely."
JJ and Emily headed over to where the other Weisenbergs were.
"Sorry about the wait. Here we are." JJ handed Zooey to Lux.
"One of our colleagues was looking after Zooey just now." Emily said as she set the diaper bag aside.
Lux hugged and kissed Zooey before handing her over to Flynn so he could have a turn.
"What are your names?" Lux asked. "Your first names?"
"I'm JJ. My partner is Emily."
"I know thank you doesn't begin to cover how Flynn and I feel, so I have to ask... Are you able to tell us what happened today? Zooey is never going to be able to."
The agents tag-teamed in telling Zooey's parents their version of events.
"We've been in the mobile command center, ever since." JJ concluded.
"Where are the other kids that were in the toy store?" asked Flynn as he cradled Zooey in his arms.
"Two are still here, but they're family. We're going to bring them to their parents in due course." Emily answered. "JJ and I were able to bring the others to their families just now. The kids are safe. All of them."
Flynn breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God."
Lux voiced another train of thought. "We met Special Agent Morgan outside, and when we asked about Zooey, I mentioned that today wasn't the first time that we've been forcibly separated from her."
"That's right." Flynn supported her words. "He said that Oregon was. We were there some months back, to visit Lux's parents."
"Where is your actual home?" Emily asked.
"Just in Alexandria. We were in town to run errands today." Flynn leaned back in his chair. "Out in Oregon, we were abducted by a drug fiend who had a connection to a bigger picture. That man took Zooey from us. We were terrified that we would never see her again."
Lux bobbed her head. "The authorities out there told us that a kind Samaritan brought Zooey back to station, and that one of the visiting agents took care of her in the hospital. We just never found out who."
JJ felt a little bit light. Even back in Oregon, she'd imagined having this conversation with Zooey's parents. It was giving her quite a turn that it was actually happening.
"That was me." JJ sat in a chair opposite the Weisenbergs' own. "I found Zooey at the station, and stayed with her until I got word that you all were found. We ended up leaving before connecting could happen."
"Flynn and I were gone for three whole days, though. Zooey even had a low-grade fever." sputtered Lux.
JJ nodded. "I stayed up with Zooey all night at one point. She wouldn't tolerate anyone but me holding her."
Nearby, Emily sighed. "You should just tell them the whole thing."
"What does she mean by that?" Flynn asked curiously.
JJ didn't hold back. "Right before we took the Oregon case, I found out that I'm pregnant. I was also in the middle of telling the father. Calling the discovery a surprise was an understatement. I wasn't sure if I was going to see things out. Or if I wanted to."
Lux hung on to every word. "What changed your mind?"
JJ indicated the dozing infant. "Zooey did. She melted my heart, and remembering that later on brought me peace."
"Our daughter did that? Wow."
"It's a good thing I spent time with Zooey one-on-one." JJ pointed to two different spots on her protruding middle in turn. "Alexis Jane is up here, and Olivia Magdalene has been stretched out down here all day."
"Twins?" Lux and Flynn said together.
"Yes. Alexis and Olivia are even identical." JJ said proudly. "Their father is out of the picture, but that's okay. He was bad news. Now I have someone even better."
Flynn made his own connection. "You mean Emily."
The woman wheeled herself a little closer.
"Uh-huh. Alexis and Olivia are even getting a brother." Emily pointed to her middle. "This is Henry David. He's fast asleep."
Flynn smiled. "We're hoping to give Zooey a brother in a year or two."
JJ spoke again, tapping the inside one one wrist. "I recognized Zooey after all this time because I remembered the port wine stain, and that one of the splotches is in the shape of the letter z."
"You must meet so many people in your line of work." Lux remarked. "It's crazy that you remembered one little thing about a baby that you encountered months ago."
"Recalling details is part of FBI training, but it's also easy when someone leaves an impression on you."
"Wow." Lux rose to her feet, grabbing Zooey's diaper bag as she went. "Thank you again for everything."
JJ also stood. "I didn't even have to think about it, and I would do it all again for Zooey if I had to."
Flynn, too, got to his feet. "Is it alright if we hug you two?"
"Sure." both agents chimed together.
They accepted hugs from Zooey's parents. JJ even felt a sense of completion. Like she could move on.
"I'm glad this reunion could happen."
JJ caressed Zooey's cheek. The little one beamed as she began to dream.
"And I'm also glad that we could meet you both." JJ smiled at the elder Weisenbergs. "Now let's go see if we can find someone all to escort you out of the perimeter."
After the family made their exit, JJ and Emily both felt relieved. The major part of their day was over. It was time for the next phase. Welcoming Cho's and Archer's baby boys.
JJ looked at Emily to see her smirking to herself.
"What's that look for?" she asked warily.
"I stuck my card inside Zooey's diaper bag earlier." Emily told her. "You did the same with yours, huh?"
JJ just nodded sheepishly.
At this moment, Penelope came hurrying up to them. She looked excited.
"There you two are." she said excitedly.
"We haven't gone far." Emily laughed. "What's up?"
"Hotch said we—that is to say the BAU—have been cleared to leave."
"But…?" JJ prompted.
"Boss man also said that Haley is really desperate to see Jack. She hasn't left the hospital yet." Penelope explained. "Hotch has given me the okay to bring you two, Jack and Kaida, Charlotte, and Quinlan over there. Do either of you have anything left to do over here?"
"I don't." Emily said after a moment of thinking it through.
"Neither do I." added JJ. "Let's get this show on the road."
