Emily yawns as she pulls a fax off the machine. Morgan raises an eyebrow.

"Trouble sleeping in Hartford?"

Emily nods. "Something like that."

He studies her and starts to chuckle. Emily turns and glares at him.

"Call me that nickname here at the office and I will hurt you," she warns.

He raises his hand in surrender. "Understood." She starts to walk away. "See you later, P.S."

Emily turns and glares at him. She raises an eyebrow. "I'll remember this, Morgan. Don't we have a drill in Hogan's Alley next week?"

He laughs. "Yeah, we do."

"Remember this moment when we do," she warns him before heading back to his desk.

He just grins, glad to see both Emily and JJ are back to being themselves after a tense 2 weeks since JJ was drugged. He had been worried about them both, especially Emily. She was internalizing her fear and worry so as not to be a burden on JJ. He knows at some point she will come to him for a night out to vent and let it all out. He glances back to see her working at her desk. He would keep his calendar clear for his best friend, just as he knows she would do for him.


Hotch stares at the request in front of him. He wants to summarily deny it but knows this particular VICAP profile would be infinitely helpful. His hesitation is the prisoner's requested profiler to lead the questioning.

"Mad as hell at that piece of paper?"

Hotch looks up to see Rossi leaning casually against the doorframe. Hotch nods.

"Something like that. Have a prisoner asking to do a profile. Even requested a particular agent to lead him through it."

Rossi walks on in and sits across from his boss. "Oh? Who and who?"

"Mitchell Reese. He wants JJ."

Rossi sits back. He had not been expecting this. "Have the various states even finished charging him yet?"

"No. In fact, there are still states looking to see if he can be connected to murders they have unsolved."

"And he hasn't struck any deals?"

"No."

"He does understand that what he tells us can be used against him, right?"

"Yes. And that's what worries me. He's been so sure we wouldn't find all his kills. He'll either lie through these questions hoping it will be used to prove him innocent or he's just using it to get to JJ. He has a grudge against our team but it's even worse against JJ and Emily. If he gets her alone in a room…" he lets the implication hang.

Rossi slowly nods. "So, what do you plan to do?"

Hotch considers things a moment. "I'm going to deny his request pending closure of the cases against him. Once I am confident all the states that want a crack at him are satisfied I will contact his lawyer to see if he is still willing."

"Good call. And what are you going to tell JJ?"

"The truth. If he does eventually agree to a custodial interview he will probably request her again. In his mind, she bested him all 3 times we encountered him. He's focused on her."

"God help her if he ever manages to escape," Rossi mutters.

"Exactly."

JJ suddenly bursts into Hotch's office. "Hotch! What the hell is this?" she waves a letter at him.

He sits back in confusion. "What is it?"

JJ storms over and throws it down on his desk. "A letter from Mitchell Reese saying he looks forward to seeing me soon. What the fuck is he talking about?"

Rossi stands. "I think I best leave you to this one, Hotch. Good luck."

He leaves, pulling the door closed behind him. Hotch hands JJ the letter he had received from Reese's attorney.

"He was talking about this. But I'm denying the request."

JJ reads it over, her eyes snapping back to Hotch's. "He…he wants me to lead the interview. Why?"

"You got away from his puppet in Lancaster. You got away from him and his puppet in Detroit. And then in Flagstaff you stopped Emily from killing him in cold blood once he was in custody. He sees you as his equal; the one person that has managed to block his game."

JJ sits down, shaking her head. "No…it was the team. We did it together."

"I know that and you know that. But in his mind everything that happened to him was because of you."

JJ sits there staring at Hotch a moment. "I…I don't know how to feel about this. How did you…when Foyet…how did you deal?"

Hotch shrugs. "I was in shock, just like you. Then I decided I would live my life as best as I could and do my damnedest to find him. But, JJ, he is locked away. He can't come after you."

"Hotch, Doyle was locked away and went after Emily because he got out," she points out.

"This isn't the same as Doyle, JJ. If, and it's a big damn if, Reese gets out we will know immediately. You and your family will be safe. I swear that to you," he vows.

JJ nods. "You're right. Sorry for the minor freak out. I just…it's been a hell of a year, hasn't it?" she says with a small smile.

Hotch chuckles. "To say the least."

JJ stands. "Well, I better get back to my desk. There are plenty of files that deserve my attention." She lifts up the letter from Reese and tosses it in Hotch's trash can. "He sure as hell doesn't."

Hotch nods as JJ leaves him office. He waits a moment then lifts the letter out. He grabs an empty manilla folder and slides it in. He adds the request for the interview. He writes "Reese/Jareau" on the content tab and places it in the drawer. If Reese starts stalking JJ through the mail, he would keep track of everything. It would be one more nail in the man's coffin.


At lunch, Emily looks at her wife. "So, why did you go flying past me to Hotch's office this morning?"

JJ shrugs. "Got a letter I didn't like." Emily just raises an eyebrow. JJ rolls her eyes. "God, you can be so infuriating sometimes. One night I'm going to shave that damn eyebrow off!"

Emily can't help but chuckle. "You wouldn't dare. The kids have already learned it's not good when it goes up."

JJ grins. "Okay, maybe I wouldn't. Still…you're infuriating sometimes."

"So are you when you duck a question."

JJ pokes at her salad a second. "The letter was from Reese."

"MITCHELL REESE?!" Emily screams, drawing stares from everyone in the cafeteria.

JJ blushes. "Geezus, Emily!" she scolds.

Emily bites her lip and takes a deep breath. "Right. Sorry. What the hell did he want?"

"He wanted me to walk him through a questionnaire."

"I see. What did Hotch say?"

"He's denying the request for the interview based on the fact that cases are still open."

"Ah."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means he's full of shit. The lawyer in him should have jumped all over the chance for honest answers. He did this to protect the team; you, in particular."

JJ nods. "I know."

Emily sees the fear in her wife's eyes. It may be hidden to anyone else but not to Emily.

"Jennifer, it will be okay. He's behind bars and he's not getting out. Ever."

"Nothing is for certain, Em. You know that as well as I do."

"Maybe. But I also know that if he does manage to get out we will know. Hell, Garcia has probably figured out a way to plant a homing device in the bastard." JJ chuckles at this, knowing it could be true. "If he gets out, we'll be safe. And we will find his ass and slam it back in a cell. In the meantime, you know sitting here worrying about something that may never happen will only give you wrinkles. A morning at the spa won't fix that and I've got a rep to protect."

JJ laughs out loud. "Right. Heaven forbid I ruin the Prentiss name."

"Exactly. Besides, when we get to…heck, where is it again?"

JJ stabs her fork at her wife. "I might be upset but I haven't lost my mind. Bad girl for trying to take advantage of my emotional turmoil."

Emily grins and winks. "You can punish me later, mistress."

JJ laughs and glances around to make sure no one had heard. "Watch it, Prentiss. Just watch it."

Emily chuckles and they enjoy the rest of their lunch without a thought spared for Mitchell Reese.


Friday afternoon Emily closes her last folder of the day and walks it up to Hotch's office. "Anything else for me, bossman?"

"Nope. Have a good weekend, Prentiss."

"Thanks, Hotch. See you Monday."

She goes back to her desk and grabs her gym bag. She winks and waves at JJ, who is on the phone. JJ nods to her wife and makes a few notes in the file she's working on. Emily swings by Morgan's office.

"Heading down to the workout room. See you down there."

Morgan looks at his watch. "See you in about 10."

Emily nods, glad to have some time alone to gather her thoughts. She changes into her workout gear and grabs her sparring gloves. There is a heavy bag with her name on it in the gym.

She buys a bottle of water and goes into the workout room. She is glad to see people have lives on Friday night and no one else is there. She jumps rope a little to loosen up and starts to do some stretches.

The entire time she pictures what she would do to Mitchell Reese if he ever lays a hand on her wife.

She has just started working a heavy bag when Morgan walks in. He stretches a little and then goes to spot the bag for her. No words are exchanged. Emily steps up her work out. She hits harder; she kicks; she grunts as she beats out her stress from the past few weeks on the bag. For 20 minutes she beats the bag relentlessly.

When she steps away from it, sweat pours off her and she is panting, trying to catch her breath. She walks over to the nearby bench and grabs her towel and the water bottle. Morgan follows, knowing he's about to hear what's going on in his best friend's head. Emily drops down onto the bench.

"Do you know about Reese?" she asks.

"Mitchell Reese? What about him?"

"So you don't," Emily says as she leans back against the wall.

She tells him about the letters JJ and Hotch had received. Morgan shakes his head in disgust.

"Thank God Hotch denied the request."

"Yeah. Derek…if he gets out…if he escapes somehow, he'll disappear again until he gets set up somewhere else just to draw us out. He wants to hurt Jennifer, Morgan, and I will kill him before I let him hurt another person I love. But if he touches her, even tries to touch her, I'll make him suffer before I kill him."

Morgan sits down beside her. "Emily, you don't mean that."

"The hell I don't. Maybe just coming after what happened to Jen in Alexandria and then Hicks up in Hartford it's hitting me harder but I know as we sit here I could make him pay for every evil ever done to my friends and family, whether he caused them or not."

He reaches over and takes her hand. "Then I hope you understand why I say if he ever does get out, I'll lock your ass in a jail cell somewhere until he is caught. I won't let you throw your life away, Emily. Not over a piece of shit like him."

Emily grins. "Thanks, Derek."

"What else is bothering you this week?"

"Hicks. Her girlfriend. How can she just…go on? How could any of us after a loss like that?"

Morgan reaches into his bag and pulls out his phone. He pulls up a picture of the Prentiss family.

"You go on for them, including Jen. It wouldn't be easy but you would do it for your kids and to honor her memory. She would be mad as hell if you let them down and you know it. You'd be the same if the situation were reversed."

Emily thinks about it a minute. "You're right. Hell, Jen and I have had this same damn conversation. How come with you it actually makes sense?"

He smiles. "Because I'm outside looking in. And I'm also reminding you it's not just words. I would be there for you every step of the way, Em. You wouldn't be alone."

She looks at him. "Thanks again, Derek."

"Any time." He stands. "So, you going to hold the bag for me or am I dressed in my workout gear for nothing?"

Emily laughs and stands. She moves the bag and holds it as Morgan gets his own workout in. They then do a round of weights, just enjoying spending time together without being on the trail of an unsub.