Disclaimer: see chapter 1
A/N: Sorry for the longer than usual update wait, but for some reason this chapter refused to be written.
To answer a couple of reviews:
smg55: Nah… I'd rather avoid inter-team romance.
canny-bairn: Everything could do with more Maggie Smith. ;) What'd you think of the Downton finale?
…
When Hotch and JJ rejoined the rest of the team, JJ went straight to Garcia while Rossi went to Hotch. Watching JJ get updated, Rossi asked, "How's she doing?"
"She's dealing," Hotch said simply. "She'll be ok."
"She's a tough kid," Rossi said. "Just make sure you don't let her bite off more than she can chew."
Hotch looked a Rossi. "I won't," he said seriously.
After the team worked and ate, JJ pulled Hotch to the side. "I meant what I said earlier. I feel like this is about done – I'm about done – no matter what else Downes has in mind."
Hotch smiled gently at her. "You know I'll always respect your decision."
JJ returned his smile. Hotch's respect had always meant the world to her, his smiles – being extremely rare – meant even more.
"If you're ready, you can get this over with now," Hotch suggested.
JJ sighed. "Sure, let's blow this popsicle stand."
Hotch turned to the rest of the team and said, "JJ and I will go back to the interrogation room. The rest of you should continue as you are going through the names and sorting through whatever needs to be done with them."
…
In the observation room, Hotch watched JJ enter the interrogation room and pulled out his phone.
"Robert Jareau? It's Agent Hotchner. We spoke on the phone yesterday. No, she's fine. Well, sort of. Could I ask a favor of you?"
Hotch finished his phone call and turned his attention back to JJ in the other room.
…
"I have to say though," Downes drawled, lazily leaning back in the chair. "My favorite part of coming back to Pennsylvania wasn't just being closer to your sister. It was the chance to run into your family. I never really thought about it much, but then there was this case I was working on, and there was joint jurisdiction with your brother's office. I had no idea until I had to meet with the ADAs, and surprise! I found myself shaking hands with Robert Jareau."
JJ watched and listened intently, paying little attention to his actual words. Knowing their time together was nearing the end, she instead took note of his tone, rate of speech, and slight unbridled twitches of excitement. If he had a grand finale planned, she wanted to be forewarned.
"Your brother can be quite the open book. There are pictures of your family strewn all over that office: your parents, his wife and children, your sister, you. We had the most delightful discussion about family. I pretended that because I wasn't close to my family, I wanted to know what it was like living in such a close-knit, loving environment. He was only too happy to oblige me with stories about his childhood, his amazing baby sister, and even his suicidal sis –"
"Save it for someone else," JJ cut Downes off when his excitement level reached her mentally preset threshold.
"What?" Downes was stunned. She couldn't leave before the finale.
"You want to tell someone about this? Fine. But that person will not be me," JJ said, rising from her chair.
"Running away?" he sneered, trying to goad her into staying. "I never figured you to be so cowardly."
"Not running away, no," JJ said, pausing at the door. "But the way I figure it, you're bursting to tell me. Having to tell someone who's not me… Well, I think it's a nice way for me to end things, a nice way to burst your bubble. Good-bye, Downes."
And with that, she walked out the door.
…
Hotch and JJ entered the case room in quiet discussion when JJ stopped short at the sight of her brother.
"Robbie, what are you doing here?"
He grinned at her. "I can't come see my baby sister?"
"Robbie," JJ rebuked quickly, a blush forming on her cheeks. With the exception of her own family's dynamics, she wasn't fond of being treated like a baby. When she joined the FBI, she had made a point of acting mature beyond her years and making sure everyone knew she could take care of herself. And when Reid had joined the BAU, all the teasing and coddling he had received at the hands of the others for being the youngest (though perhaps she was slightly guilty of that as well) made her even more resolute.
She could already see a grin forming on Morgan's face. Great, she thought to herself. Just great.
"Sorry," Robbie said. His tone, however, was far from apologetic. He had been ten when Jenny was born, old enough to get roped into changing diapers and preparing bottles. In some ways, Jen felt more like a first child than a younger sister. And much to JJ's chagrin, that meant he enjoyed embarrassing her just a little too much. "I can't come to see you?"
"You can," JJ said hesitantly, going to hug him. "But that doesn't answer my question."
"I called him," Hotch said from behind her. "I figured you could use someone to talk to, so I asked him to come."
"And I readily agreed," Robbie added. "Whatever's going on, if it involves the family, you're going to need all the help you can get, especially considering it's Mom and Dad you'll be dealing with."
"I don't know about any of that," Hotch began. "I just know I thought you could use the support –"
"– which is why I'm here," Robbie finished.
JJ's eyes flicked back and forth between the two of them.
"Fine," JJ sighed, glaring at both Hotch and Robbie. "Hotch, can I talk to you?"
Hotch nodded his assent. As the two of them walked towards the door, JJ "lightly" kicked Robbie in the shins.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"I'm warning you," JJ said. "No embarrassing stories."
After JJ and Hotch left the room, Robbie rubbed his shin then turned to the team and grinned. "She may have said no stories, but she didn't mention pictures."
…
"Really, Hotch? Calling in Robbie? I can take care of myself." JJ's exasperation was evident in her voice.
"I know you can, but you're stubborn." – "Hi, pot. Meet kettle," JJ muttered – "You ask for help when you need it, but you do it on your own time table which is not exactly the best. When your brother and I spoke on the phone yesterday, we decided to take the initiative, skip the waiting part."
JJ narrowed her eyes at him. "I already have one overly protective big brother, Hotch. I don't need another."
Hotch smiled despite her irritation, brought up a fist, and gently nudged her shoulder. "You don't always get to choose family."
JJ smiled in spite of herself, rolled her eyes, and said jokingly, "I'm doomed."
"Anyways," Hotch said. "I'm pretty sure you didn't bring me out here just to tell me off for calling your brother."
JJ nodded. "Whatever you find out from here on out, I don't want to know about."
"Are you sure? Whatever Downes didn't get to tell you is probably something you'll need to know."
"I know, but…" JJ trailed off. "I'm going to have to tell Robbie about all this, tell my parents, work out issues with the family… I just – I just want one less thing to have to deal with."
"I understand," Hotch said sympathetically.
JJ nodded her thanks.
"There is one last thing I would like you to do," Hotch said. JJ's eyes immediately darted up to meet his. "There are some cases similar to your sister's. Downes didn't kill the girls, but the statute of limitations is up for necrophilia charges or the acts occurred in states without laws regarding necrophilia. There's no set protocol for this, and if anyone should decide how to precede with their families, it's you."
JJ fidgeted uncomfortably. "Hotch…"
He laid a hand on her arm. "Take time, think about it, talk to your family."
…
Upon re-entering the case room, JJ noticed Robbie was still scowling.
"I'm pretty sure Mom and Dad told you kicking was supposed to stay on the soccer field." He rubbed his shin a few times for effect before adding, "Multiple times."
JJ cocked her head. Robbie always had a distinct furrow between his eyebrows when he was trying just a little too hard. And it was there now. Something was off.
"What did you do?" JJ asked, trepidation lining her voice.
"What?" Robbie tried to maintain some semblance of innocence.
"I know when you're trying to cover something up. What did you do?"
When Robbie said nothing, JJ turned to her team. Something Rossi once said floated through her mind – You'd think profilers would cover better than that, wouldn't you? She singled out the weakest of the pack. "Penelope?"
Garcia couldn't help but cave. Even when JJ caught her and Henry in the middle of some unapproved crazy shenanigans, she would give in before Henry. Then again, Henry had inherited JJ's stubbornness.
"You were a very cute little girl."
"Very adorable," Emily added. There was no point in holding back once PG let the cat out of the bag.
JJ groaned.
…
Robbie and JJ settled into her hotel room. He sat on the bed and gestured for her to join him.
She sat next to him and began to mentally prepare herself.
Robbie prodded her gently. "Jen?"
"Give me a minute," JJ said quietly. When she was ready, she said, "I guess I should just start at the beginning."
She started with the case details – the string of murders, finding Downes – and then moved on to the family's involvement – Annie as the obsession, JJ as the stressor. She spoke steadily but left out details along the way, Downes' mention of Robbie's daughter among them. Occasionally, Robbie would stop her to ask for clarification or more details.
When she finished, Robbie sat quietly and tried to process what he'd been told.
JJ's almost pleading tone snapped him out of his thoughts. "They don't need to know, do they? Mom and Dad, I mean."
She was pretty sure they did need to know, but that didn't mean she looked forward to telling them. If there was even the slightest chance she wouldn't have to, she was ready to take it. No one wanted to hear that their loved ones had been violated after death.
"Jen –"
"What's the point in knowing?" JJ said quickly. "I wish I didn't know. All it does is hurt, reopen old wounds."
"I know," Robbie said reassuringly. "And this family has taken a long time to find peace with everything that's happened. I don't like the idea of undoing that either."
"See, so we don't –"
"However," Robbie continued. "They do deserve to know."
"Why?" JJ asked despairingly.
"The point is they're worried. They're not stupid. They know this is about Annie. For every minute that we don't tell them what actually happened, their minds will create any number of scenarios, each probably worse than the last. It's better that they know and get to deal with it."
JJ squirmed unhappily.
"Hey," Robbie said, placing his hand on hers and stilling her. "I'm right here, Jen. I know you're dreading telling them, but we'll do it together. And then we'll deal with it – all of us, as a family."
…
A/N: Truth be told, I'm looking at maybe one remaining chapter for this fic. The end approacheth.