Time flew in the days after the birthday party.

All of the grandparents returned to their home states. Each had had their fill of adventure... Although they did promise to return when possible. Hopefully their next visits would be normal.

JJ and Emily also finally got serious about looking for a house. But it was time. Living on the third floor of an apartment building didn't seem to sound a plan anymore. Not when they had three kids on the way. Getting a house way the best move they could make. Literally.

Emily's injuries from their last case in New York were also going to take some time to heal all the way. Even more motivation to be in an accessible home.

Yet much to Emily's own amusement and JJ's increasing dismay, the only homes in an area they liked were on Stonewall Crest—also known as they street where the Hotchners and the other Jareaus lived. Because why not?

The likelihood of moving there was beginning to increase.


Everyone found themselves gathered together in the conference room. No task had to be completed just yet.

So they sat together for awhile. Talking. This team was their own family. It was a longstanding fact.

The only ones who hadn't shared where JJ and Emily. Both were just quiet.

Rossi asked, "What did you two do during the time apart?"

JJ answered him. "We stayed with Emily's parents. Both of us just wanted to be near them because of New York. We were also Kaida's mother's for a day again."

"How did that go?"

"Quite well. Do you remember the whole reason we ended up at the mall with her in the first place?"

"Mhm. To prepare for a classmate's birthday party."

Penelope chimed in, "Did you two bring her?"

"Yes." JJ said happily. "Kaida got new shoes and new clothes when we were at the mall. Her gift for Kendra was fabulous. I even did my niece's hair on the day of."

"How fun. Where was the party?"

"At Play World, but... Kaida was the only guest who showed."

A hushed silence fell over the rest of their rest of the company at this.

Emily backed JJ up. "The girls ended up treating it like one big playdate. Kaida and Kendra had the time of their lives together. All of it was really sweet."

Hotch sounded impressed. "One big indoor playground, games, fun food, and birthday cake? Both will remember that day forever."

"I imagine so." Emily agreed. "They already love each other like sisters."

Beside Emily, JJ merely nodded in agreement.

Derek was quick to call her out. "Hey, Pennsylvania Petite—what's going on?"

Emily smirked. "This is a good one."

JJ only just refrained from being petulant. "Of all the places in the whole district with houses for sale that we like, it seems that the best prime real estate appears to be on Stonewall Crest."

Everyone else immediately turned to Hotch as one.

"That's where we live." Hotch said in surprise.

"Yeah," JJ huffed. "But my overprotective brother and his family are your next door neighbors."

"Well... None of the vacant houses are on our side of the street. No chance of living next to Archer. You're in the clear on that."

JJ grew less dour. "Who lives on your other side?"

"That'd be the McNamaras. Jack has an irrational fear of that house. It shouldn't be funny... But it is."

"Just what has Jack so bugged out?"

Hotch gave a shrug. "My son somehow got it into his head that the McNamara place is haunted."

JJ finally lightened up. "Poor kid. What are the rest of the neighbors like?"

"Surprisingly normal. There are also many families around. Haley knows everybody by name." Hotch paused, searching for a lost thought. "A big family moved in across from your brother not too long ago."

"Aaron, don't you know their names?"

He was rightfully sheepish as he responded, "No. Haley says it's ridiculous that I'm so lousy."

"And she isn't wrong." JJ chuckled. "You've dropped the ball on your neighbors' names because you spend so much time with us."

"True. But I did promise Haley recently that I'd try harder."

"Smooth."

Emily implored Hotch, "So other than one 'haunted house,' your neighborhood is pretty okay?"

"Uh-huh. We've lived there since we were newlyweds."

"Looks like that's that." JJ declared. "Emily and I will be house hunting in your direction after the next case."

Hotch grinned. "Glad to hear it."

Spencer spoke up. "And speaking of cases, where are we going today?"

Derek patted him on the shoulder. "Easy, killer. It's only eight-thirty. Case talk doesn't start until ten."

"Right." (Spencer had enjoyed time away from the office, but was more than ready for a normal routine) "Guess I was getting ahead of myself…"

JJ rose from her seat. "Time for me to go do my job. I'll be in my office if anyone wants me."

And she departed the room quickly. Getting to the facilities was also an important matter: both of her baby girls were on the verge of pressing down on her bladder. JJ really had to go. Sometimes reality was a touch mundane.

The rest of the team followed her example and left for their own work spaces, too. Reality was indeed calling.


JJ seemed grim when the team did reconvene at ten. So did Penelope. They were to deliver a joint presentation about the new case.

Derek said with caution, "Where are we off to today?"

"All of us are off to Gaithersburg. There has been a series of murders that are now pushing… unusual." Penelope sighed. "Look."

The technical analyst pressed a button on the remote in her hand, and they were met by a series of images. Three couples. Each individual was very dead. And in varying states of decomposition.

But the profilers couldn't help noticing that each couple was also laid out on camping tarpaulins. Plus… each body was filthy. Covered in dirt.

Emily blanched. "Please tell me these people were not buried alive."

"They weren't." Penelope reported. "Each was killed at home. As they slept."

"And they were still moved to the woods." Rossi murmured without looking up from his file. "Something like that takes a terrific amount of upper body strength. Deadweight is deadweight…"

Spencer suddenly blurted, "Wait a minute!"

He had been perusing though the case file for a second time already when something had come to his attention.

"Spill." Rossi told him.

"Is this right?" Spencer said to Penelope. "Only one of the couples had child?"

"Yes."

"Show them." JJ told Penelope.

So the other woman called up a picture of a very beautiful toddler girl. She was dressed very nicely and the cheerful backdrop behind her showed that she was in a photography studio. She didn't have a care in the world as she smiled for the camera. And rightly so, the girl was unassuming.

Emily did not feel good about the unfolding events.

One more case with a child, she thought.

"What's the story here?" Emily found herself asking when no one else did.

"This little darling is called Valerie Braverman. Her parents were George and Hannah. Both of them were thirty-two." Penelope showed them now a professional picture of the Bravermans taken at the studio. "For many reasons that I will entrust all of you to figure out, Valerie is the sole survivor of the mayhem at her parents' home."

"Where is she?"

"At the children's hospital in Gaithersburg now. Valerie's parents died early this morning. She's being treated for dehydration and a sprained ankle."

Emily wrinkled the bridge of her now. "How did that happen?"

Penelope had a sigh as her answered was delivered. "She tried to escape one of the paramedics, but ended up tripping over the med bag and fell the wrong way."

"Valerie is having the worst day of her life. How miserable."

Rossi asked, "Are there any relatives who can take her in?"

JJ nodded. "Yes."

"But...?"

"I was told that the Baxters are flying in from northwestern Oregon." JJ felt grim again. "A flight like that will still take most of the day. Except for a social worker, Valerie has no one. I doubt she even understands what happened."

"And Valerie is now the only living witness that we know of." Penelope said thoughtfully.

"One of us will have to talk to her." Emily remarked.

But every eye still fell to her.

This reaction startled Emily. "What?"

Hotch filled in the blanks. "Missus Braverman had dark hair. Of the three women on the team, you're the only one who fits that description."

Emily resigned herself to the task in her near future. "Alright. I'll hang out with Valerie, but someone will have to give me a lift."

"That can be arranged when we get there. Don't worry."

Hotch looked across to the opposite end of the table. Penelope stood straighter. Now for a very important part.

"Was I right in hearing you say that all of us are headed to Gaithersburg?"

"Yes." Penelope cleared her throat to get herself back on track. "Each couple found at the burial site—the Bravermans, the LaStrads, and the Youngs—were found buried with select valuables."

Hotch didn't miss a beat. "Pardon me, Garcia?"

She called up a new picture series. Pictures of all three families appeared, now overlapped with images of the uncovered items. Each picture corresponded with whom the items belonged to. After that, she went one step further and blew up one particular image.

It was the last thing any one of them were expecting to see.

Derek voiced their puzzlement. "That's a laptop charging cable."

Penelope nodded. "Yes, and it was buried. The question is…"

"Where is the device?" Emily finished.

"Mhm." Penelope brought up still one more picture. "However… I have a feeling that it's on the other side of whatever this unlocks."

For this photograph was one of a key. It looked like the type used for a storage center. Hopefully one local to Gaithersburg.

Emily rubbed her temples. "And Valerie has that key, huh?"

"That would be correct." JJ confirmed. "God only knows why, though."

"Toddler negations. That's new…"

Hotch threw Emily a bone. "I have a suggestion about things a smoother with Valerie when you see her."

"By all means, enlighten me. Please."

"Kids love stuffed animals." Hotch said kindly. "If you bought Valerie a toy from the gift shop, you might be able to convince her to make a trade."

Emily almost kicked herself. How had she not thought of something so simple?

But she was gracious about it. "Thanks, Hotch. It shouldn't be a problem."

Hotch nodded in acknowledgement before turning back to Rossi again. The older man was very quiet.

"What is it?" he asked his friend.

"I was just thinking… What if there is an additional unsub in the mix?"

"Go on." Hotch encouraged.

Rossi indicated his file folder. "Valerie was found in her own bedroom, down the hall from her parents. Not a scratch on her."

"Yes. That's right."

"What happened to her parents looks like the work of one person. Suppose there is a second unsub: what if they saw to it that our friend was unscathed?"

Emily cottoned on to Rossi's train of thought. "Piggybacking off that for a moment: what if this alleged second person found Valerie, kept her safe, and gave her the key to hold on to? It could be plausible."

Hotch told her, "I agree with you. And it also explains how the bodies were moved away."

"But now we're back at the part about the buried computer cable." Spencer said blankly.

"It sounds like someone in the guilty party could be hiding the existence of a secret." Derek suggested.

"Yeah." Penelope said. "Now it's a matter of bringing the lock and key back together."

Hotch connected a dot in his head. "The laptop is probably dead by now. It could even be damaged. Are you capable of resurrecting the laptop, Garcia?"

She nodded. "I am, sir."

"Good. Better to have you come now than have you make the commute later on."

Hotch looked from her to JJ.

"Is there anything more?"

Both women shook their heads in tandem. "No."

Hotch rose to his feet. "Okay. Garcia, please go pack what you need."

She also stood. "You got it, sir."

"And I'll call over to let them know we're coming." JJ tacked on.

Hotch took this in stride as he spoke to the rest of the team as a whole. "Let's meet down at the motor-pool in ten."

A general murmur of ascent was had.

Yet… As Emily headed to the motor-pool ten minutes later with JJ at her side, all she felt was dread.

If only she could figure out why.