AN: I forgot it was Monday. Ahaha. Well at least I'm getting it up maybe just at 11pm at night ah.
I hope you enjoy it and thank you so much to the reviewers. You're awesome and I love you. Thank you to the readers too. You're awesome and I love you.
I'm tired and stressed so I'm going to sleep and I'll reply to PM's and Reviews in the morning.
DISCLAIMER: See first chapter.
The next few days undercover were uneventful. They had met a few more of their neighbours and Hotch had started working later and later, which of course didn't bother the kids and Emily, but they had to express how much they hated not seeing him to people they spoke to. They had a small suspect list but the neighbours they had compiled together all checked out as normal or had an alibi for the murders. They had to start getting out more as a family but it was hard when they didn't even have a profile to go from.
Emily had become the perfect housewife (much to her dismay). She spent at least 3 hours in the day teaching the kid's stuff, though it made her look exceptionally good as they knew everything. They knew it was stupid having to play the part inside the house but they could be being watched at any time and the slightest thing could tip someone off. She cooked meals and always waited up for when Hotch came home but of course their interaction would be brief and he would eat away from everyone in his office. She was enjoying her part more than she had anticipated and wished she had started settling down with a family sooner. She knew she would miss the interaction of kids and a family sensation but deep down couldn't wait to be back in her condo with a bottle of wine and a good TV show.
Hotch had been spending his hours in work on a video conference with the rest of the team and the local police department. He knew it would be a lot better being there with them but being at the police station would completely destroy his cover. He was always secluded in his office and would always have work set up in case someone not in on the undercover place would come to speak to him. So far it had only happened once and it was a woman from the floor below doing a lunch round and asking what he wanted from the cafeteria to be brought up to him. Any other time would be his 'boss' telling him he was heading home and to lock the bullpen doors when he finally decided to leave. He hated the fact he wasn't with Emily and the kids but it was the MO he had to stick to. He knew that if he ever settled down and had a family of his own he wouldn't treat them like this and only leave them, if working a case away. Any other time he would be with them. He just couldn't wait to be back home to see all his colleagues at the right age and back to normal again.
Spencer was getting used to the age and after the first few nights of having nightmares he came to realise it was all in the past and that he wouldn't have to wake up to see his mom having another episode or the lack of a father figure. He knew Hotch was never there but the fact he was still his 'dad' comforted him. He hated how some of his feelings would be overtaken by the kid in him but it was all a part of the act anyway and made it a lot more believable, much to their benefit. He was happy his memory was back in order and he was actually enjoying the fact he didn't have to wake up and go to work all day that his only worries were calling Emily mom and Hotch dad.
JJ wasn't coping as well as everyone thought. After her episodes with Emily she had made sure to lock herself up and keep everything hidden, but at night, when she was alone, everything came flooding back and she would sit alone, her worries and fears from her childhood more prominent than ever. She couldn't walk into the bathroom without smelling the coppery blood, without seeing her sister's lifeless body in the tub, without seeing her dead eyes looking up at her. She would spend most nights sitting on the couch, trying not to wake everyone, watching the soundless TV throw images at her, trying to erase the images of her sister from her mind. She would make sure to head to bed before Hotch would wake up, make sure to hide her tiredness from everyone in the day. She was spiralling and nobody knew any different. She just prayed for this case to be over so she could be back home and not have beading eyes looking at her every 5 minutes.
Another morning came which meant another day of work for Hotch. He got up and did his normal routine of getting a quick shower, getting changed and going downstairs to get the paper and head off to work. He stopped when he heard his phone ringing, seeing Morgan's face flash up on the screen.
"Aaron McGowan" He answered, looking himself in the mirror before turning his full attention to the phone.
"Oh for god-sake say Hotchner! I have missed that freaking name! We have put a security camera up outside your house and can no confirm there are no bugs or anything in the house so you can speak as freely and normally as you like." Hotch couldn't help the smile that crossed his face as the message, so happy that Spencer and JJ didn't have to call him and Emily mom and dad while in the house and that they could discuss things the way they usually would.
"That's great Morgan thank you for telling me. The others will be over the moon."
"I'm glad you guys have got some good news- it's been a tough couple of days. We will be in contact more with Em over the case. Speak to you later" They hung up and Hotch left the room. Walking down the hall his smile grew at the smell of a cooked breakfast, the scent of bacon, eggs, toast and so much more taking over his senses. He thought it wouldn't be too bad joining them for breakfast, he was a workaholic but arriving an hour and a half early for work was slightly over the top. Besides, they could act a lot more normal in the house now so it wouldn't hurt nobody. He turned the corner into the kitchen, seeing Spencer standing by the side helping Emily carry a plate of toast to the table, his smile fading when he saw JJ with her head in her hands sitting at the table. She lifted her head slightly at the sound of footsteps, not even bothering to smile at him before putting her head back down. She looked shattered.
"Good morning hunny. Fancy joining us for some breakfast before you leave for work?" She asked, smiling when she saw him enter the kitchen.
"Ever call me hunny again and I will fire you" He laughed, everyone freezing, eyes wide as they stared at him. "It's fine. I just got a call from Morgan to say that we are bug free and a camera has been set up so if anyone suspicious is even around the house he will inform us and we will start acting the way we have been until we get the all clear" They all physically relaxed, even JJ who he had noticed been a lot tense over the past few days.
"I swear, if I ever have to call you mom or dad again I'll jump off the roof" Nobody noticed JJ flinch as the joke as they all laughed, JJ's not as wholehearted as the others. They all sat down to eat, glad they could speak freely without worry of blowing their cover.
"So what are you going to do today?" Hotch asked as he buried himself into the scrambled egg and bacon on his plate.
"Well I was thinking we could go shopping and get some more groceries in, you know get to know some locals and then head the park" Spencer cheered, nobody noticing that JJ had started to fall back asleep in her hands. They continued to eat, Hotch looking up and frowning at JJ's sleeping form. Emily noticed and looked to the blonde, concern filling her chocolate eyes.
"JJ" She called, but JJ never even budged.
"I went to get a drink of water in the night and she wasn't in her bed. She hasn't been sleeping these past few nights but I thought she was in with you guys" Reid said, taking a bite out of his toast.
"No, she must have been in the living room. Something has been off about her, do you think we should talk to her about it?" Emily asked, Hotch about to answer when she eyed the time on the clock on the wall.
"Leave it for now, but I really have to go if I'm going to be on time. Morgan said he will be in touch soon. If she is still like this when I get home tell me." Emily nodded and watched as Hotch grabbed his bag and left. Spencer and her cleared the table; Emily worried at the fact JJ hadn't even touched her food. She knelt down at her eye level, nudging her arm sending JJ's head flying forward. She jolted away, snorting as she looked at Spencer giggling.
"What was that for?" She asked, a frown on her face as Emily stood and looked down at her.
"You fell asleep. That was punishment for not sleeping in the night." JJ growled, rubbing her eyes before standing.
"We are going shopping and then the park." Reid exclaimed, putting on his converse with his clothes.
"No thank you." JJ snapped, Emily looking up shocked.
"Excuse me?" JJ looked her right in the eye, not ready to back down.
"I'm not going the park." She stated bluntly, putting on her shoes as she looked away from Emily.
"I think you are. Just because we can speak a lot more freely does not mean we can drop the act all together JJ." JJ just ignored her and walked out, climbing into the car. Emily got Reid's hands and they drove to the shop. After spending an hour getting some supplies and treating Reid to a nerf gun which he had been pestering for around the whole shop, they drove to the park, JJ shaking her head as they pulled up.
"I told you I'm not going to the park." She shouted, Emily shocked at her tone. She felt her blood boil, hating how horrible JJ was suddenly being.
"If this was what you were like when you were actually 11 I feel really sorry for everyone you lived with." She whispered sharply, getting out the car and storming away with Reid, leaving an emotional JJ in the car alone, the doors locked.
Emily watched Reid walk around the park, laughing at the young boy's stubbornness as he refused to fall into his childish wishes to play on the slide. She looked over to the car, not going that far into the park so that she couldn't see the car and JJ. She could see the blondes head buried into her hands, feeling bad for leaving her the way she did. Whether she knew JJ was a grown woman or not, with Reid's mental state at the moment she should be taking him into consideration.
Meanwhile in the car, JJ was playing Emily's words over and over in her head wondering if she was right. Was she really the reason her sister went on a downward spiral? Were her parent's right to treat her the way they did after she did? She was the reason her sister had died, but deep down she had already known that. She always knew it, Emily just confirmed it.