"Come on Hotch, I`m the only one she can relate to, I have to go in." JJ pleaded.
"Not alone, and not un-armed." Hotch argued. Of course she had a point, this UNSUB was a woman, and the only person on his team who could pretend to connect with her so she would tell them how to stop the bomb from blowing up in the nearest mall in approximately 30 minutes, was JJ.
"This is our shot at saving those people!" JJ begged. "Please Hotch! "
"Fine, be careful. And at the first sign of danger press the talk button for 3 seconds. JJ, do you understand me?" He said handing her the walkie talkie.
She nodded passed him her gun, and proceeded toward the house.
-o-o-o-o-o
When JJ walked in the house, the first thing she saw was Amelia Taylor sitting in a lazy boy chair, centered in the middle of her living room. The second thing she saw was the bomb strapped to her stomach. JJ tensed but started to walk forward.
"Stop! not another step forward!" Amelia ordered.
"Okay." She stuttered, stopping and holding her hands up. " You dont have to do this, I understand why you think you have to kill those people."
"No, you don`t! Nobody does!" She started to press her thumb down on the button attached to the bomb.
"Your husband was killed by a bomb in Afganastan, and you think that you can't live without him. You want to make other people feel the pain you did when he died, but it's not enough, you thought that killing those people would make you feel better, but nevertheless it didn't. Now, you think the only way to fill the hole in your heart is to join him, in death, but why? Why kill those people at the mall today?" She spoke quickly, urgently, but keeping her voice even and calm the same with her expression. Show no fear. She thought. She'd learned that from Hotch, who in her opinion was the best negotiater on her team, because he was normally stoic, trying to hide fear usually came easily to him.
"It was a decoy. There is no bomb at the mall. I wanted to distract all the officials who are after me, so I could pass peacefully, but that didn't happen. The only person I intend to kill today is myself,
and if you don't leave, you as well."
"You don't have to do this. You don't have to kill yourself. You could talk to someone, a phsyciatrist, they deal with greif councelling all the type."
"No. I will be with the love of my life." With that, she pressed down on the button. JJ tried to find the talk button on the walkie talkie, but she was too late, before she could get her hand on it she was thrown into the woods behind Amelia's house by the impact of the explosion.
-o-o-o-o-o
As the house blew up, Hotch's heart stopped. He watched as debris and two female bodies flew through the air. No! He thought, running towards Amelia Taylor's house. He was stopped by Dave,
who grabbed both his arms and pulled him back.
"Not yet Aaron." He said. There were still large pieces of wood, glass, and siding flying everywhere.
Morgan saw Hotch trying to go towards the house, and ran over to help Dave, who was having trouble holding him back. "It's not safe, man." He said.
-o-o-o-o-o
JJ opened her eyes to see Hotch knelt down beside her, yelling her name and muttering apologies. He kept on rambling and didn't notice that she was awake. Her throat was sore, and she could barely make a sound. She finally managed to get out a whisper. "H-Hotch."
He looked down at her, letting out a sigh of relief. "I thought I lost you." His voice contained pain, and JJ looked up to meet his gaze. His eyes were watery as if he had been about to cry. The sight of her stoic, and strong unit chief with tears in his eyes made her heart break.
He yelled for a medic, and one came rushing over. She was lifted onto a stretcher and brought into the back of an ambulance as the parameedics began to examine her. She kept her eyes locked on Hotch's until the doors closed and she could no longer see him. Everything around her suddenly became blurry and her eyes slowly shut.
When she finally came to, she was in a hospital bed. Beside her, Hotch was sat in a chair, holding her hand. He looked exhausted, and worried. After a moment, he broke the silence. "I'm so sorry,
JJ. I never should have let you go in there."
She shook her head. "Don't apologize, it's not your fault."
"Yes, it is. I shouldn't have let it happen."
She was speechless, she didn't know if she could conivince him that he wasn't at fault for this. All she could think to do was assure him that she didn't blame him. "Hotch, it was my choice, not yours to go in. It was my choice even though I knew this might happen. I don't blame you, the only person I can blame is Amelia Taylor."
He nodded, in agreement, she hoped. "How are you?" He asked, concerned.
"I'm fine, a little sore that's all, I was lucky." She replied. "Where is everybody else?" She added, noticing the absense of the rest of her team.
"I told them to go back to the hotel, they needed to rest."
"What about you?" She asked, knowing the answer.
"I wouldn't have slept until I knew you were okay, anyways."
"How long have I been out?"
"About 12 hours. The doctors had to give you extra strong anesthisia. You wouldn't sleep. You kept calling out for someone."
"Do you know who?" She questioned, curious as to what she had said.
Hotch looked at the floor. "Umm..." He seemed slightly nervous, and JJ wondered why. When his eyes finally locked with hers again, he sighed. "Me."