a/n:***SO i think i said that emily was in the office (not in a flashback) see i'm in denial that she's dead/leaving haha. so i fixed it.****
oh hey you. did you review this story? you did? well we should be best friends then. thanks for adding this to your favorites and alerts and reviewing and i love you all! i think i've been moving at a good pace through out the time change, but this chapter feels alittle fast. i felt so bad for not updating for like a million years so i just wanted to get this up…hope it was worth the wait. if i have time i will redo this chapter but here it is for now. also from now on there won't be any flash forwards. it will all be present day. flash backs are possible, however. ok lots of loooove.
Thanks to: crayloakid0413, anon, jefan, littlegreenbottle, damhill, clove, and fashionableRaid for reviews.
enough talking. on to the story!
JJ stepped forward, towards the black box that Emily was lying in. She put a red rose on the top and whispered something. Then Hotch and the rest of the team followed suit. Riley went last and put a white rose on the top. She knew Emily would have appreciated it, because all her life, Emily felt like if there was one thing she wasn't, it was pure. Riley didn't believe it though. She believed her mother was perfect in every way. She bit her lip as she gently placed the rose. She backed away slowly, into JJ's accepting arms. She leaned her head on JJ's shoulder.
Everyone stood for a few moments in silence before dispersing. Riley looked around for a moment.
"What's up, honey?" JJ asked her, as she watched Riley's face sink.
"Grandma and Grandpa aren't here," She scoffed with a bitter laugh, "They're not at their own daughter's funeral."
"Riles, I'm-" JJ began. Riley shrugged.
"Well, nothing we can do about it now," Riley said sadly. JJ gave Riley another hug.
"Can we go home?" Riley asked. JJ had explained earlier that Riley would be moving in with her and Henry and Will.
"Absolutely," JJ nodded, and the four of them headed home, because Riley couldn't handle doing anything else.
When they got there, Riley changed in to yoga pants and a teeshirt and made her way to JJ's couch.
"I'm going to go put Henry to bed," JJ told her. She nodded, but didn't respond. She stood and fell into Will's strong arms as he hugged her. Emily had been like a sister to Will, and so close to her team. She could only imagine how they were holding up.
"G'night, cher," He said softly.
"Night Will," She said, hugging him. He looked fondly at her for a moment, but then trailed up the stairs to his and JJ's bedroom. Riley curled back up onto the couch, and JJ made her way down the stairs to the living room a few minutes later. She plopped down next to Riley, and Riley quickly snuggled into JJ's arms. JJ ran her fingers through Riley's long straight dark locks.
"Just like your mom's," JJ whispered gently playing with the raven tresses.
"How are you doing JJ?" Riley murmured. JJ seemed genuinely surprised at the question.
"You lost your best friend a couple days ago. And you've been so busy making sure I was ok, and seeing if Henry understood what was going on, and seeing if the rest of the team was ok, that you haven't really had time to grieve for yourself…so I'm asking you how you're doing. How are you holding up?" Riley asked softly.
Tears formed in JJ's eyes, and she kissed Riley's head.
"I'm doing alright Riley. And you and Henry and how you're feeling comes first priority to me," JJ assured her. Riley wrapped her arms around JJ's waist and snuggled closer. She closed her eyes.
"Will you tell me how you and my mom met? How you knew you would be best friends?" Riley murmured.
JJ grinned. This was one of her happiest memories.
"I was at a bar, about five months after I joined the BAU. I was, at the time the youngest on the team, and the most inexperienced and their newest member. The job was starting to take it's toll on me," She chuckled painfully, "They hadn't told me going in that after five months of staring at pictures of dead bodies that I would start to see them in my sleep. That hadn't told me that in the middle of the night I would wake up, hearing the screams of a girl about to be slaughtered. They hadn't told me that usually the victims were my age, and that a lot of times they were blonde haired and blue eyed young women. They hadn't told me about the graphic, detailed dreams I would envision. That's what they don't tell you at the academy.
"Anyways, I was planning on getting wasted and calling a cab. I was at the bar and I wasn't even buzzed by my third drink. I guess that I was just too numb for that," JJ shrugged.
"After my fifth or sixth, your mother sat down next to me," JJ said with a smile, remembering fondly.
"The usual?" The bartender asked the brunette who sat down next to JJ.
"Thanks, Charlie," the woman said with a smirk. She was a beautiful woman with raven colored hair, dark red lipstick and pale skin. She was wearing a red, low cut shirt and a black pencil skirt.
"You want another?" The bartender asked eyeing JJ with a raised eyebrow.
"Please," She said with a sigh. He nodded and walked away.
The man came back with a short class of amber colored liquid, and a beer for JJ. He placed the short glass in front of Emily.
"Here ya go, kiddo," the man said.
"Thanks," she said with a smile, taking a sip.
"And blondie, just in case you're concerned, that's number five," he said placing the beer in front of her.
JJ gave a small, embarrassed smile.
"Rough day?" Emily asked with a chuckle.
"Rough five months," JJ said with a laugh, "You?" She asked.
"Just unwinding on a Friday,'" Emily said with a shrug.
"I'm JJ," JJ said offering a hand.
"Emily," She said with a grin. They talked it up all night until they were both completely trashed, and the bartender was kicking them out. She had told Emily al about her job, and Emily had revealed that working in the BAU was her dream job.
"Riley," The bartender had whispered in Emily's ear. Emily nodded.
"I have to get home…this sounds pretty typical, but I have a sick cat," Emily lied.
JJ chuckled, "Well it was very nice meeting you."
"You, too, Agent Jareau," Emily teased.
"Maybe we'll see each other again?" JJ said with a shrug.
"Probably will," Emily said with a nod, and with that, they went their separate ways.
"We ran into each other the Friday after that at the same bar, and then we made a plan to meet every Friday at the bar and hang out, so long as I wasn't away, or she wasn't…but then she told me what she really did for a living. She revealed all the secrets she had kept from me…and then she had to go away to Italy," JJ said, a tear rolling down her cheek, "But then she came back, and told me that she had gotten herself out for good. And she told me about you," JJ said with a grin.
"I love you, JJ," Riley whispered.
"I love you, too," JJ whispered back, and with that, Riley was fast asleep in JJ's arms, like she was a little girl again.
JJ pulled the blanket off the side of the couch and covered the two of them up.
It had been about a week since Emily's death. Riley hadn't cried much more after the funeral, but she was quiet. She didn't say much, she didn't smile, she didn't laugh. The only times when JJ could see a hint of life in her eyes was when she was with Henry, and even then, it was rare and ephemeral.
They had been sitting at the kitchen table, she and Henry, eating breakfast, while JJ was pouring herself a cup of coffee. Will had gotten the day off from DCPD, so he was planning on staying home with Henry.
Riley had decided that she was ready to go to school again, and so JJ was going to drop her off on her way to the BAU.
"JJ," Riley said quietly. This was the first time in a few days she had spoken up.
"Yeah, Riles?" JJ asked, setting her coffee down on the table.
"Before school today…can we go to her grave? Just for a few minutes?" Riley asked, her voice cracking.
"Yeah… yeah of course," JJ said nodding. She looked at her watch.
"Are you all ready to go?" She asked her. Riley nodded.
"Well then why don't we leave now," JJ suggested
"Ok," Riley murmured. She ran a hand through her dark brown hair.
"Bye, Will, bye Henry," Riley called, giving him a wave. He had Henry in his arms.
"Bye, cher," He said with a smile.
. "Bye Riley," Henry said waving. Riley's lips curved upward ever so slightly.
JJ wrapped her arm around Riley's shoulder and they walked to the car, driving to the cemetery in silence.
When they got there, Riley walked slowly, with JJ following a few steps behind, to Emily's grave.
"You go ahead, and I'm going to wait here," JJ said to Riley. She stood about 20 feet away from the grave, and let Riley kneel down.
"Mom, I miss you… a lot. JJ and Will and Henry and the rest of your team, they do too. They're not angry at you…in case you're not sure. And no one blames you for anything. Some of them blame themselves, but it'll pass. That's what Hotch says anyway," Riley whispered, "Anyways…I don't know what to do with out you, but I'll figure it out. Don't be worried about me, wherever you are," She murmured. She sat there in a silence for a moment, until she heard a voice breaking her thoughts.
"Hello there, love," A man's voice said. He had an Irish accent. She turned around and saw a tall, muscular man, with a gun to JJ's head. JJ's eyes were closed and she was trying to stay calm.
"Riley run," JJ said, opening her eyes and flashing a warning look at Riley.
"Don't. Or I'll shoot her," the man said firmly.
"Who are you?" Riley asked. He looked all too familiar to her.
"Ian, don't do this," JJ said firmly, "You got what you wanted. You took Emily away from her. Are you really gonna take more from her?"
"Ian…Doyle?" Riley asked.
"That's right, love," the man, Ian, said nodding.
"You killed my mother," Riley murmured.
"I thought so," Ian said nodding.
"What?" JJ asked surprised, when she heard those words, but Ian ignored her.
"Now, Riley, you're gonna come with me, and you're not going to cause any problems, or I'm going to kill her," Ian said in an icy voice, pressing the gun harder in the temple of JJ's head.
"I'll do whatever you want, just don't hurt her," Riley said shakily. With that, Ian hit JJ hard with the butt of his gun, in the head. She fell to the ground, with a cry of pain, her head bleeding.
"Let's go. You run, she dies. I'll make sure of it, love," Ian said, roughly grabbing Riley's arm. Riley held her breath, and walked as Ian pushed her towards an SUV. Riley looked back at a limp and unconscious JJ, lying on the ground.
"She'll wake up and be fine. Just a headache," Ian said with a chuckle, "Same as you," he added. Riley raised an eyebrow, but understood what Ian was doing just a millisecond too late. He raised his gun and hit her with the butt of it, in the head. She crumpled to the ground, but he caught her, and carried her to his truck. He threw her in the back seat, and drove away. She was in and out for a few minutes, but everything was blurry, and her head hurt and was bleeding. She tried to focus on JJ, so she would be distracted from the pain.
Ian picked up his phone and dialed a number.
"I got her. We're on our way back now. Keep looking and keep me updated on your progress. I'll see you shortly," Ian said into the phone, without waiting for a response, and hung up.
Riley's thoughts flashed back to the unconscious, limp JJ, lying helplessly on the ground in the cemetery, as she blacked out.
"Agent Hotchner," Hotch said answering his phone.
"Hotch, it's Will," the man on the other line said, in his thick cajun accent.
"What can I do for you?" Hotch asked curiously.
"Is JJ in yet?" He asked.
"I've been in my office all morning, but I haven't seen her. Hold on, Will, let me check," Hotch said, standing, "Why what's going on?" He asked as he walked out to the catwalk. JJ had resumed her job at the BAU after leaving her post at the State Department. She had taken all the profiler classes, and so she was now a profiler, filling Emily's place, and she was no longer the media liaison. Back when she was the media liaison, Hotch was constantly with JJ, as she was the one who would deliver files to him, police reports, the likes. But now that she was a profiler, that was Garcia's job. Usually, however, he would have seen her by now.
"JJ forgot a file on the table this morning…and you know she never does that, so I assumed that she was going to come back and get it after she dropped of Riley at school, but it's been almost four hours and she's not back, and I've been calling her cellphone but she hasn't been answering," Will said nervously.
"Hold on, Will," Hotch told him, and then turned to Derek
"JJ in yet?" He asked her. She shook her head.
"Not yet. Lights are still off. Want me to call?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. Hotch shook his head, and pointed to the phone, mouthing 'Will'.
"Ok," Derek said unsure. Hotch walked back into his office.
"Could she be with Riley at school?" Hotch asked Will.
"I've been calling Riley's phone too and it goes straight to voicemail. Hasn't responded to any texts either," Will said.
"Where did they go this morning?" Hotch asked.
"To school," Will said and then added, "Wait, first, Riley wanted to go see Emily's grave before school!"
Hotch sighed. Had Ian found them? How could he have even known about Riley?
"Will, listen. I want you to take Henry and come to the BAU. I'm going to send Rossi and Derek to the cemetery. Come straight here, don't stop anywhere, and make sure you aren't being followed," Hotch said firmly.
"Hotch what's going on?" Will said, fear eminent in his voice.
"I think…Ian Doyle might have Riley or JJ, or maybe both of them," Hotch said with a tremble in his voice.
JJ grumbled, opening her eyes. Her head hurt like a bastard. She brought her hand up to her head, slowly, and felt a warm, sticky mess- blood, all along the side of her head, and neck.
"What the fuck," JJ muttered. She looked around, trying to remember what had happened. She was lying in the grass, in a cemetery- the cemetery where Emily was buried. She looked around. She remembered taking Riley there.
"Riley?" JJ croaked out. She cleared her throat when she didn't hear a response, "Riley!" She called out louder.
"Shit," She muttered when she saw a small pool of blood around Emily's grave. She tried to stand but fell over.
"JJ?" She heard a voice yell. She whipped around suddenly, and a rushing pain hit her head.
"Easy girl," the voice said gently. The man walked close to JJ. As her eyes focused, she saw it was Derek.
"C'mere. I'm gonna help you up now," He said extending two hands. He pulled her up and watched the tears form in her eyes.
"It's Doyle, guys. He took Riley," she said as the tears started to fall. Derek had known Hotch's suspicions, but he couldn't believe it was true.
"Rossi," Derek said, as he wrapped his arms around JJ.
"On it," He said calling Hotch.
"C'mon, princess. We need to get you back so we can do a cognitive interview," Derek said, taking JJ gently by the hand and leading her to the car.
Riley groggily sat up.
"Where am I?" She murmured aloud. She looked around and saw cement walls surrounding her. She tried moving, but she was chained to a chair.
"JJ?" she called out.
"Try again, love," a voice said coming out from the dark corner. It was Ian.
"What the hell do you want from me? Haven't you taken enough already?" Riley yelled at him fiercely.
"Deja vu," Ian murmured. Riley sitting there, chained to the chair, with tears threatening to flow, as her mind tried to compartmentalize, looked just like the beautiful disaster Emily had looked like.
"I don't believe I have," Ian said. He got really close to Riley, "Where is she?" He asked her.
"Who?" Riley yelled at him. He slapped her.
"Your mother!" He yelled back. Was she really toying with him now?
"You should know! You killed her!" She hissed bitterly. He slapped her again, harder, leaving a burning sensation on her face.
"Where IS SHE?" Ian asked raising his voice.
"Six feet under the ground, you bastard!" She shouted. This time, he punched her, and she felt a tooth fall out.
"I'm going to ask you again, where is she!" Ian was pissed. Riley refused to let the tears fall, but she broke.
"SHE"S DEAD! I DON"T KNOW WHAT YOU"RE TALKING ABOUT! SHE'S DEAD! JUST STOP IT!" Riley screamed. Ian's anger level had risen. He punched her in the gut, causing her to cry out. He grabbed the chair and threw it, and she fell out of it onto the ground. He picked her up and slammed her into the wall. She couldn't breathe, as she felt her lungs block.
"I'll come back later, when you are feeling more up to talking," Ian said coldly, and with that, he walked away, leaving a bruised and bleeding Riley, trembling on the ground