Her past catches up with her
I don't own Criminal Minds and/or Higher Ground. Might not be suitalbe for younger children. Mild vilence and some swearing.
Chapter 2
"I'm listening Hotch."
"I'm very disappointed at the way you handled officer Jensen. You've never yelled at an officer we're helping. What's going on with you? And I don't want to hear the explanation that you need to help the mother. You're out of control. Please tell me so I can help!" Hotch says raising his voice like JJ's never heard before. She just stands there for a few seconds looking at Hotch.
"I'm sorry Hotch. I'll apologize to Officer Jensen. I'll try to do this case and then if you ok it, I'll take a vacation and try to get back on track. I'm sorry I've disappointed you. I'll work harder." JJ says and walks past him.
"JJ! I'm not through talking to you." JJ stops and turns back toward him.
"Uh, ok?"
"Sit down." Hotch goes to the door and leans out. "I need to have a private conference with agent Jareau. Please don't disturb us. I'll open the door when we're finished. " Hotch shuts the door and walks over to a chair next to JJ's. He sits down facing JJ. "Jennifer, I know that you're personal life's private. I understand that. Why have you been acting so odd? You've never told anyone at headquarters anything personal about yourself, like your birthday." Hotch looks into JJ's eyes.
"Why's this so important? Maggie's life could been in danger. We can talk about this after we get her back. We can talk on the plane rider home." JJ says, trying to get out of the situation.
"Ok. But if you need to talk to someone, I'm here to listen. Or go to one of the others. We all care and are willing to listen. There's nothing wrong with asking for help. Do you want me to go with you to the interview?"
"Nah. I can handle it. You have more important stuff to do here. Thanks for the offer and thanks for being here for me. Now I'm going to go apologize to officer Jensen and be on my way. Call if you need me to pull some strings or cut some red tape. Be careful out there. Lee and Jack need you to come home." JJ says, getting up and opening the door. She turns and smiles at Hotch, then leaves the conference room.
She searches for officer Jensen. Morgan, Prentiss, Reid and Gideon all flood into the conference room to find out if Hotch had any information on JJ or Maggie.
"So, did she tell you anything? It wasn't that long before she came out." Gideon says, with concern.
"No. I asked her about her birthday and why she doesn't bring it up. She maneuvered around the question. She was able to find out that Maggie's asthmatic and is without her inhaler. She's also allergic to smoke. She's going to apologize to officer Jensen and then she's heading over to the Fellows residence. She's going to be a while. So let's find us a little girl safely. Let's get as many leads as we can. Do any of you have any other leads? We know about the witness, Molly." Hotch says, trying to get things rolling. So they were following up on that one.
JJ finds officer Jensen and walks over to him, "Excuse me Officer Jensen. I'd like to apologize for my actions earlier. I didn't mean to yell at you or begin to tell you how to treat people of your town. Please, except my apology and let me buy you dinner to make up for any embarrassment I might've caused. I'm going to go talk with the parents. If you want a statement read to the public, I'll set up a press conference.
So please, take some notes on what you want said and I'll be back as soon as I can. " JJ says, holding her hand out to shake his hand as a peace offering.
"No harm, no fowl. Truth be told, I'm kind of insensitive. I apologize for my rude behavior. You don't need to buy me dinner. But thanks for the thought. Would you like me to accompany you to the Fellows residence?" Officer Jensen asks.
"If you can take the time. I don't want to take you away from anything." JJ says, smiling.
"No, just paper work that can be done any time. I'd like to talk to you about the FBI. I've thought about trying to get into the FBI. Maybe you'd answer some questions on the way."
"Sure if I can." JJ says as they leave the station.
About ten minutes later, JJ and Brady pull up the Fellows driveway. As Officer Jensen puts the car in park, Mrs. Fellows comes out of the home to greet them.
"Hello, Mrs. Fellows. My name's Special Agent Jennifer Jareau. This is Officer Jensen. " JJ says, holding her hand out to shake Mrs. Fellows hand.
"Hello. Nice to meet you. Please, come in. Can I get either of you something to drink?"
"Nothing for me thank you." Officer Jensen says politely.
"Nothing for me either. Thank you though." JJ says, following Mrs. Fellows into the older house.
"Please, sit down. I don't know how to start this information thing." Mrs. Fellows says, sitting uncomfortably in a chair. JJ and Brady sit on the couch together. JJ reaches into her purse and pulls out the pocket tablet and the pencil.
"Well, what I normally do is ask the questions, unless you remember something that you might find helpful. I already have the medical problem that Maggie has. I've given that to the other agents. Also the van, the description of the abductor and the driver. I need things like, do you have any enemies or angry relatives? Someone you think might want to get revenge on you or your ex?" JJ asks.
"All my family's dead. I don't think John's family would do anything to hurt Maggie. I don't have any angry friends. Let me get John in here so he can help with the questions." Joy says, gets up and walks to the back door that's just off the dinning room. "John! Come in!" JJ and Brady just laugh. Joy comes back into the living room and sits back down.
"Have you noticed any strangers lingering around the neighborhood? Someone out of place. Anyone taking a special interest in Maggie?" JJ asks.
"I've noticed a strange young man, maybe fifteen or sixteen. He has dark hair, about Johns color. His van's a green color." Then right then, it hits Joy that she might've seen the abductor. "Oh my god! That could've been the kidnapper!"
"Ok, calm down. How long before the kidnapping did you see this young man?" JJ asks.
"Uh, about three days I think. I shouldn't have allowed Maggie to walk home when I knew that weird guy was hanging around. How stupid could I be?" Joy says.
"Pretty stupid. Why do you think we're divorcing? What questions do I have to answer now. Don't you FBI ever talk to the local pigs? John says, pacing the living room instead of sitting down.
"Now Mr. Fellows, there's no need to be rude and crude. We're all on the same side. We just need a few questions answered that the FBI thinks might be helpful. That's why the FBI gets called. The local police are only equipped to handle certain crimes. So please, help us get your daughter back." Brady says.
"Ok. I'm sorry. Please, go ahead and ask your questions." John says.
"While I finish getting information from your ex, please think of any friends, family or colleagues that might want to hurt you by taking your daughter. Now Mrs. Fellows, please try to give me a description of this green van. Was it hunter green, sea foam green, or lime green? And if you can, tell me the make and/or the model." JJ says.
"Well, it's a darker green. The van's a mini van. A Chevy venture I think. I don't know the year. The license plate was an Arizona state. That's all I can remember." Joy says.
"That's good Mrs. Fellows. Mr. Fellows, have you thought about the questions I gave you?" JJ asks, hoping he did.
"Yes. I have a son. I don't see him or claim him. It's when I was fifteen. No other family member would do this. I can't think of any other person that would hate me enough other than Joy. I don't think she could do it. No matter how much she hates me. And I sure as hell couldn't do it to her. Then there's always a stranger. But if it's for ransom they should've called by now. Is that enough for you to go on?" John asks, obviously now more serious.
"This is a good start. Could you give my the son's name?"
"I have no idea. I just got a call when she had him. She never told me the name." John says, feeling weird not knowing his own sons name.
"Could you give me the mothers name as of the last time you spoke with her and the town and state that you last knew she was at?" JJ asks, thinking Garcia can track her down.
"Rosa Manuela. She lived in Mount Pleasant, Wyoming." John says.
"Why didn't you ever tell me you had a son? We were married for cripe sake. I really hate you John." Joy says angry, shocked and sad.
"Ok, we're going to check this out. Thank you for being honest. I know it must've been hard to bring up something you've never told anyone else. Please, stay close to the phone. I have a good feeling about this." JJ says, trying not to look to excited about this lead. JJ and Brady leave the house and JJ gets her cell phone out. She couldn't get any signal. "Damn! I can't get a signal. Does this ever happen to you?" JJ asks Brady.
"I wouldn't know. I don't have a cell phone. I don't need one. But we're in a heavily wooded part of the state. You might get signal at the police station. I think there's a tower of sorts. You rely on that thing way too much. What do you think they used back in the early days? You can use what we like to call land line phones. How about that?" Brady says, trying to get a rise out of JJ.
"Well, I guess I will have to use land line phones. Cell phones are faster though. I could've had Garcia checking into this as we speak. So, are you still turning down my dinner invitation?" JJ asks, playing coy.
"I think I could probably handle eating a meal with you. As long as you tell me what I need to know. I keep think that the FBI is more and more in the direction I want to go in. What do you think?" Brady asks JJ.
"Well, I couldn't say. I don't recruit FBI agents. It took a lot of hard work and sacrifice. That's why I'm not married or have any children. Hotch has a wife and child. But it's different for women. But I don't want to get into a sexism fight. I don't think I'm ready for a family. I barely take care of myself. It would be nice to have a second half that isn't an agent. I think we wouldn't see each other that much. All though, absence makes the heart grow fonder. I don't know anything right now, I'm going on four hour sleep for the last four days. Something I'm sure you wouldn't want to experience. But maybe I can talk to Hotch and see if maybe you could come and visit the HQ. You could stay at my place. I have a spare room." JJ says, dashing Brady's hopes of a love connection.
"Sounds exciting. So do you want to eat at Rusty's or at my place?" Brady asks.
"Well, since I don't know you and have a reputation to protect, I'll go with Rusty's. Thank you. " JJ says, smiling.
"Ok, would you like to invite your colleagues? I'll buy a round of beers for everyone. " Brady says, as an apology for moving too fast.
"I'll ask when we get there. So, have you ever been married?" JJ asks, trying to get to know Brady.
"No. Bad childhood with my own parents. So I didn't have a great example. I ended up going to a local school here for troubled teens. I liked the woods so well that I decided to stay. What about you?" Brady asks.
"No. I just told you that I've been too busy getting were I'm at today. I myself also had a troubled childhood. That's why I wanted to put the bad people away for a living. To find a balance between my mistakes and the mistakes made against me. Plus, if I would've had someone like me in my life I wouldn't have made so many mistakes. Do you understand?" JJ says, trying to make sense.
"I completely understand. If Peter wouldn't have been there, I'd been dead right now." Brady says, smiling at the memory.
"Who's Peter?"
"Peter and Sophie run the school for troubled teens. They do miracles in those woods. They're my best friends." Brady says.
"They must be something special. What about your parents?"
"They don't talk to me anymore. Peter and Sophie are my new parents. They said that. So I consider them my parents and best friends. I should take you to meet them. I'll call and invite them to dinner. I think everyone would like them. They heal broken children so they don't become killers and rapists."
"I'd love to meet them. I'd like to see the school too if they don't mind. I think that sounds like something I might want to invest into. Maybe even Mrs. Mason. She's a big believer in saving children. She adopted a girl who was dying of liver failure. She adopted her and made sure her life a happy one. She's kind of adopted me too. She makes it hard not to care for her." JJ says, smiling at the thought of Mrs. Mason joining forces with Peter and Sophie.
"Well, we're here. You go ahead and ask your FBI agency and I'll call Peter and Sophie. Let's meet at Rusty's at six-ish. "
"We should be able to break for dinner. There might be some talk of work. FBI never really stop working. But with you being a cop you should know. Thanks for going with me and talking about your childhood. Can't wait to meet your friends." JJ says, stepping out the of the car into the police station. Brady parks the car and goes to do what he needs to do.
JJ walks into the conference room and starts rambling, "I have a last name and a couple people Garcia needs to check out. I couldn't call her when I got the name because there's no cell service out here. I need to call her and get her on it. Also, I think this boy might be the unsub because his father had nothing to do with him. So as soon as Garcia gets the info we can finish this case. On the other hand we have to eat. So maybe we can go over to Rusty's and have some dinner. Officer Jensen has asked us all to dinner and the meet the local owners of the school for troubled teens. I was thinking of maybe donating some money for the cause. It would mean less unsubs in the future. Plus, Officer Brady Jensen went there. So I think I need to try to keep that place going." JJ says, without pausing to get any feed back from her captive audience.
"Dinner sounds kind of fun. I'm in if Hotch says we can." Prentiss says.
"I'm down with that. Maybe I could donate a little dough to the school too. You know given my childhood situation too." Morgan states.
"I think it would be beneficial to what we're doing here. Maybe we could talk to the children. Get them thinking about their future." Gideon says.
"Where's Hotch?" JJ asks.
"He went to the other room to speak to someone that paged him. I don't think he would object about dinner at least. The other he might have a problem. We are on a case." Reid says, trying to be the Hotch part of the conversation.
"Spence, don't be wet blanket. No harm will come from just asking. Don't be so serious all the time. Now I have to go call Garcia with the info. Back in a second. If Hotch comes back, tell him I think we figured out the case and we were invited to dinner. Ask him about dinner and a possible trip to the school." JJ says, rushing out to the squad room to use a land line phone.
Hotch's on another line with Garcia. "So anymore news?"
"Not about her past. She's genuinely a good person. JJ couldn't have had a better friend." Garcia says slowly.
"What do you mean 'had'?" Hotch asks.
"There was a 911 call at three-fifteen this afternoon. It was a passer by at Mrs. Mason's house. He says that they found her dead on her porch. Her house was ransacked. JJ's house too. I don't know how to tell her of Mrs. Mason's death. Oh, that's her ring on the other line. Should I answer it or let it go to voice mail?" Garcia asks.
"Let it go to voice mail. I don't think we should tell her quite yet. We need to make sure she's not working the case. That's why we need to quickly wrap this case up. She needs to get back and deal with this."
"Ok. Do you want to call me back later to let me know what's going on?"
"I will. Call the police station if you need me or if something comes up." Hotch says.
"Ok. Talk to you later. I will keep tabs on JJ's house and get the police report to put on her desk. Take care. Good luck. Bye." Garcia hangs up. Hotch hangs up and goes to the conference room.